[quote name='Deep Thought' post='194231' date='May 7 2008, 10:10 PM']How many of you are happy with tthe stuff you're playing, and how many are doing it because it's the only gig you can get? Do you feel that you should play the stuff you love or nothing, or is it a case of you'll play anything as long as you're playing?
Here's my situation-after 15 years of not playing I got a band together with some folks at work and we're gigging fairly sporadically at present, but working on getting sorted so we're doing it more regularly. We play mainly covers, some classic rock, some modern chart stuff, and a bit of blues/r'n'b, some of it written by me. Some of the stuff we play is by bands I don't really like, but I find I enjoy playing it. I do draw the line at some stuff however, and I'm probably the one in the band most likely to flatly refuse to play something. I have mates who if they heard the stuff I'm playing would be scathing in the extreme-I was brought up on punk and a lot of guys I know still haven't got away from that ethos, and would be disgusted if they knew I was playing stuff by Pink. Personally I say stuff 'em, it's so nice to be playing again in a band that's going down well on the whole, that I couldn't give a stuff what they think. One said to me in an Email that he 'couldn't do crowd-pleasing' ie. he played what the hell he liked and if people didn't like it that was their look-out. I'd very much like to be in a blues/r'n'b band playing stuff I really like all the time, but that's just not a practical proposition at present, so I'll stick with the covers, because the alternative is not playing at all.
What do you guys feel about this? Whatever it takes, or maintain your artistic integrity at all costs? This isn't a request for advice BTW, I'm quite happy with my current situation, but I'm curious as to how others view this kind of thing.[/quote]
+1
I could have written that entire post myself, down to the background in punk, non-playing gap, and current material (yes, including Pink!!! U & ur hand has a great slappable bass-line…….)
I play bass purely for the buzz of playing live and the brotherhood of being in a band, I certainly wouldn’t bother otherwise. “Integrity” has never really been an issue, especially as the music that’s the most fun and/or challenging to play very often isn’t the music that I’m into or would listen to (disco, & 80’s funk for instance)
Having said that, I’m not sure I’d wear a Womble suit for anyone! Or be in a Kajagoogoo tribute band. Or….