TimR

I was done. Not sure now as my main bass needs a new volume pot, which is circuit board mounted so I'm having trouble sourcing one. So have been looking for a replacement while I put this one to backup or get it fixed...

Sure. I had a break from bands between about 1992 and 1996. I was still doing gigs but just not in a permanant band. That worked really well. But I did come back and have been in 6 or 7 bands over the last 25 years.

Had a singer for years. Would turn up 10minutes before we were due to start. Park as close to the pub as possible, if he blocked someone in - no care. Give me his music stand to put up and mic to plug in. Go to the bar while I put them up and signal checked his mic. Then at the end, leave as soon as he had his money.

Yes. General. But my dad is 84, still playing, but not the later night gigs a 20 year old plays, the all day function gigs a 40 year old plays or even the moderate pub gigs a 65 year old plays. My Uncle in his 70s is playing guitar with musical mates he has known for years. I'd find it surprising if a lifetime musician gave up playing just because the band they're gigging in, folds. You just find different people and places to play.

Usually they bring their own groupies...

I think it's more about building contacts for the future than actually playing with them full time, and realising that while you may well be happy in the band you're in, it only takes one member to decide they're moving to the Isle of Wight and all that work you've all done is on the edge.

It's still likely to be a morning or a day for the whole band.

Surely it shows more respect if you say you're going to leave the control room so that X can concentrate on their part without the rest of the band (critising) distracting them? But I agree, either be involved or go outside into the breakout area. Don't be semi-engaged. After all. Everyone has already agreed and practiced their parts and overdubs so when you hear the final mix there shouldn't be anything unexpectedly added while you were away. 😆

Usually get this with recording. Hence my reluctance to spend loads of money on recordings. There's no financial sense in getting photographs done now if you're not gigging next year or getting a dep in for the majority of the gigs. Unless the dep is in the photographs and your singer steps aside while he sorts his personal life out. If he's preventing everyone gigging at the level they want to then everyone else either has to make a difficult decision, or find alternate outlets.

Was that a Heaven 17 album?

What's more scary is there may only be 300 bass players in the UK...

Talkbass seems to have around 330,000 members. The States with a population of 334 million would bear out the same 1 in 1000 people playing bass. 😆 Disclaimer, its just for fun and a fag packet sum, please don't expect me to do full analysis on the demographics of each site...

It doesn't. I was being facetious for comedic effect. It's a .co.uk based site, you have to make certain assumptions.

I don't know how the database is indexed but think it would probably break the threads if you started deleting members. Maybe mark them as inactive in some way, but don't see what is usefully gained.

More of a concern is members that are no longer posting are still in the top 50. 😆 https://www.basschat.co.uk/topmembers/?filter=forums_Topic_Post

I was allowing for 615 overseas members.

There can't be 50,000 basplayers in the UK! That's nearly 1 in 1000 people playing bass.

Seems pretty simple. I'm surprised you've not had many requests. Assume there are also fields for age, experience and genres on join my band. You didn't accidentally tick the box for "technical blackened death metal"?

Kept it really simple. Wasn't looking fir a band as my main band were on a gig hiatus due to other members' lives. https://www.bandmix.co.uk/timr/

Yes. I was in a band that pretty much happened to. The singer was actually asked to leave, the drummer took on singing duties. Then one of the guitarists said they were looking at houses on the Isle of Wight for retiring too. Then the drummer/singer announced he was moving and would have to leave. I politely told the remaining two guys I was off, but if they find a drummer and a singer to call me.

What does YOUR ad say? I couldn't find anything that was interesting at all on Bandmix. Once I'd sorted my own profile I had lots of requests. Good bass players are in short supply and I think anyone with a decent band isn't going to be advertising for random bass players, they'll be choosing people. Basically, don't be looking for a band, be the bass player the bands are looking for. Let them do the work. State your terms and that will steer those who are serious towards you.

Agree with that totally. They still need to be mindful of the rest of the band members. One band I was in the BL was oblivious to anyone else's personal situations, if someone couldn't make a gig he had organised it was a disaster and he'd be questioning their commitment, if he couldn't make a gig, there was no problem.

It's one of 3 I'm currently playing in. Each one has its own 'difficulties'. 😆

Ha, yes, I was introduced to another guitarist on Monday. That's 3 guitarists, a keyboard player, drums and me. I don't know where it's going as he's talking about a sax player. I just see it as something easy for me to turn up to at the moment. It's local and cheap. The only problem I have is that the writer is using us to work out structural arrangements and that means we have changes all the time and no kne really knows what's going on. 😆 I've been in a band like that before and my younger self didn't have the patience.

Bands should not be a democracy. Someone should be leading, even if they're taking everyone's views into consideration, someone should be the overall director.