TimR

Bandmix.

List your achievements. You're probably underselling yourself and a few 'auditions' and jams with people looking for a Bass player will probably give you a better idea of where you fit in. If you've played functions you're a step ahead of tons of players, not least because you have some good experience. 

Most bands are looking for competent players rather than virtuosos.  

One more email notifying of delays last month with new dates given of 7th May.

Email yesterday saying it was leaving the warehouse. 

Then one from DPD last night saying they'll deliver today.

Arrived this morning. 

Great comms. 

That's what's known as failure of suspension of disbelief.

You can generally ignore all kinds of nonsense during fictional films as being necessary for the story telling. But of something that wouldn't normally happen in real life but is obviously not extreme and/or you have experience of it, the whole storytelling illusion is broken for you. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief

That's dinky. 

3 hours ago, zbd1960 said:

I think this is where the issues lie. A football club etc is a club or society and it will have members who pay a subscription. They will have some sort of constitution/governing document which will means they are an 'unincorporated society' in legal terms run by a committee. A band is not a club/society but a group of people with a common business interest, which is not the same thing. They aren't going to be able to submit a governing document and list who's the chair/secretary/treasurer etc.

 

They'd have to register as some sort of business structure. 

This is usually because they'll be affiliated to a body and have to follow best practices. If anything goes wrong they'll have to show they followed best practices. The officers of the club (chairman, secretary, treasurer) will be the ones who have to take any financial hit or be sued. 

AFAIK a band is still a 'club' and the 'members' have joint and several liability for debts and will all be responsible for one of the members negligence. Hence anyone playing out should have their own insurance. 

The only issue with having band funds paid directly into your personal bank account is if the HMRC should take an interest in you, especially if being paid by a business. Getting paid £80 for the odd gig could potentially look like you're being paid £320. But keep records and you should all be fine.

In the 3 piece our guitarist/singer is offset centre/stage left in front of the kit enough for drummer to be seen. Then I'm stage right just to the side of and in front of the kit. 

In the 4 piece it's the same but the guitarist is stage left mirroring me.

2 minutes ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

So stereo rigs and effects is a lie?

 

In a gig situation? Yes. Only a few people will hear them as intended. 

6 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

What are PA left and right?

House Land and Right. 

If you're self operating from the stage turn the PA to face the back if you think it may get confusing. 

Also, it doesn't really matter as everything should be mono. 

3 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

The thread had gone too far and wasn't worth trying to correct it now but nice to hear it explained.

I wasn't aware of house right and left, so that's a bonus.

Dave

Yes. We also have 'house lights', and 'front of house' PA. 

Stage Right is right hand side looking from the stage towards the audience.

House Right is righthand of the stage looking at the stage from the audience (house). 

9 hours ago, Marky L said:

 

Oh he can! Though usually for me, he slows down and I am trying to push the pace, but he is unaware.

What's the rest of the band doing? They should all sticking to the correct tempo with you?

12 hours ago, lowdown said:

 

 

 

Music does work like that, exactly like that. Because as you say, 'The Musician (Drummer) is human'.

Accelerando,  Rallentando, Ritardando, A Tempo, Rubato?

 

Changes of tempo - Understanding musical terms

Well yes, if the band agrees it needs to change, but that change should be rock solid. If the drummer is speeding up or slowing down seemingly at random and not giving any visual cues then the band has a problem. If they know the drummer has a habit of doing it, then they shouldn't let it move. 

49 minutes ago, tauzero said:

The drummer was excellent, she was a rock solid timekeeper and very competent. The guitarists simply ignored what she was doing and randomly speeded up and slowed down,

I think you're missing the point.

The band should be rock solid. 

If the band is rock solid, the the drummer, being in the band, will also be rock solid.

If the drummer is not rock solid and the band is, then the drummer will be dragged into line by the rest of the band.

Ultimately you have a band of musicians who can keep time. 

Or you don't. 

The drummer can't alter tempo if the musicans don't let them. 

1 hour ago, EssexBuccaneer said:

Imagine you’re playing, in time to a metronome that’s out of sight behind you. No flashy lights on this one to keep time with(!)

 

Then randomly I sneak in and gradually up the tempo of the metronome, bit by bit.

 

What is going to happen to your playing? 

No idea. I played with a drummer for several years who couldn't up the tempo gradually because it doesn't work like that. The drummer is human. 

I refer you to @dclaassen above. 

1 hour ago, EssexBuccaneer said:

If the drummer speeds up or slows down, the rest of the band as a rule of thumb will speed up or slow down accordingly. 
 

And if you’re rigidly sticking to tempo whilst the rest of the band speeds up around you, who is going to look like the problem to an audience?

The drummer can't speed up if the bass player doesn't. 

2 hours ago, EssexBuccaneer said:

The drummer controls *everything*. If he can’t, it’s time to get one who can.

As I say. Only if you let them and continue with the mindset they do. 🤷‍♂️

The drummer is just another musician in the band. Everyone has to go along with them for everything to speed up. If everyone else sticks to the tempo, the drummer cannot speed up. 

It's a nonsense that so many musicians don't understand, the drummer doesn't control the band.

I seem to be in the minority in standing stage right. It does have the advantage of in small stages you can get in the gap just right of the drummer. I've never had an issue hitting cymbals with the headstock. I have had issues standing stage left and hitting the wall. 

1 hour ago, lowdown said:

  

 

I did, but I didn't understand what you were talking about. Judging by your post, neither did you. That's why I asked.

 

👍

It's not the drummer's job to keep the band's time. I said I wished more people realised that and understood it. 

The first paragraph of the link says its the drummers job to keep time. 

Pretty much proving my point that too many people (mainly drummers) think it is the drummers job.

Even the OP realises that the drummer isn't there to keep the band in time. The band can do that themselves -  especially when the drummer isn't able to and needs a flashing beacon stuck in their line of sight. 

I wasted years playing with a drummer who sped up if I stopped playing. Every song we played I had to lean back on the beat in order to keep time. One gig I had had enough and went with him on the final song. It just crashed and burned when it was going so fast the singer couldn't get the words out.

The singer tore him a new one afterwards. 

4 hours ago, lowdown said:

  What's wrong? 

See my previous post. 

2 guitarists is too many, actually probably 1 is too many but there you go...

I'd stand in front of the one using a music stand, or who doesn't do backing vocals, or who looks at his shoes/fretboard all night etc etc. 

I ordered an amp last month. Wasn't in stock, said due 28th April on Website. 

On placing the order, I had an email saying it wouldn't be available until 28th April, and I'd be updated if that changes.

Had an email on Monday saying it's now expected 30th April. 

So can't fault their comms so far. Will update this thread with any more important news as it happens...

40 minutes ago, lowdown said:

 

  

 

Yep, and most of this in the link below as well.

Please enter at your own risk - It's a dot com for Drummers.

 

This Is Why Drummers Are So Important In A Band

 

 

 

Well that's the first paragraph wrong to start with. 😂

No wonder there's so much issues with drummers who think everyone should be following them. 🤦‍♂️

22 hours ago, rushbo said:

If you have access to a printer, you could download this:

 

https://resources.dsmusic.com/guitar/Blank+Bass+TAB+Paper.pdf

 

Print as many copies as you like and then take them to your local print shop, where you should be able to get them spiral bound. 

This is what I would do. 

Alternatively there are online services who can print and bind. Probably your local people would print cheaper.

https://www.doxdirect.com/print-and-bind-online/spiral-books/

I don't know why drummers insist on counting in the band. 

It's not the drummers responsibility to keep the band in time. I wish more drummers and musicians recognised that. 

If he can't stay in time with the rest of the band he needs to go away and practice drumming.