Slaveunit Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Just averted a major crisis... We're top of the bill for a gig tonight, loads of presale tickets allready gone, and one of the singers text me at half 7 thismorning saying he has flu! A couple of hours of panic, and our old singer who the new guy replaced 6 months ago is standing in, we're dropping 4 new songs and having our first practice as a soundcheck. It's a nightmare, but at least we're not cancelling... Playing in an 8 piece band we mostly have deps for everyone, the dep guitar is also the dep for the bass and borrows my rig, when the drummer cant make it I play the drums and the dep does the bass... we can usually work around most dates How do you all work your deps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I try and make my self indispensable, then the lads have to cancel and they realise how vital I am! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 (edited) We've always booked our holidays at the same time each year for the past 14 years. Only had to replace the keyboard player twice in that time, guitarist 3 times and the odd drummer (well they are odd) I've only failed to make one gig in all that time and it was Allan Longmuir from the Bay City rollers that replaced me that night. Edited December 31, 2010 by Delberthot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianwild16 Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I've got a dep gig tonight.....*gulp* The Band is called NoReaZon, and its at the the yew tree pub, northern moor, manchester. This is classic rock outfit........i suppose i'm more indie rock. Not had a practice with them..more exciting this way. I've had over a week to learn the tunes....so i'm pretty much up to speed. Just had the band on asking if i could learn another tune for tonight - Bad Case of lovin you by robert palmer. pretty straight forward three chord trick. This is the full set - Battleship Chains Should i stay or should i go jailbreak sunshine of your love fat bottomed girls born to be wild i love rock and roll roadhouse blues angel of harlem sweet home alabama[continues into] werewolves of london once bitten twice shy milk and alcohol sharp dressed man set two [includes encores and auld lang syne at 12!] wishing well fox on the run everything about you bad moon rising jet-suffragette city-20th century boy [full songs but straight in-will give nods!!] ziggy stardust folsom prison blues dakota smoke on the water rockin in the free world bartender and the thief pretty vacant another brick in the wall i predict a riot auld lang syne spares doctor doctor watchtower Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 We are a 5 piece that can go out as a four piece band, a trio, a duo or a solo act singer. Plus we have an occasional 6th member on keyboards. We use a dep drummer who has learnt our set with us and he just gets paid a bit extra if we call on him. Luckily in my current job I am always available so there is no dep bassist but I gather one bassist did offer. As a personal view I find we lack something as a 4 piece more than we do as a 3 piece. Funny that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Diary and contacts....that is all there is to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Bass player from the drummers funky band stood in for me on the gig that couldn't be rearranged last year when I was out of action after one of my ops. #1 Guitarist pulled a sickie on the last one of last year and we ended up cancelling. Vocalist, never bothered trying to replace #2 guitarist, we have just carried on as a 4 piece before now Otherwise we just don't gig for most of Aug & Sept 'cos there is always someone on holiday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thinman Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 This is a raw subject for me - I wish we could have some deps but there's a couple of touchy individuals in the band I'm in. The drummer goes away a lot and isn't too helpful in allowing anyone else to sit in - not even for practices! He's away for about 50% of the first 4 months of the year but won't tell me exactly when! If it was me I'd have no problem of someone standing in if I was unavailable - I don't see why everyone else should stop because I'm not there. I'm considering joining a second band because I'm a bit fed up with the enforced lay-offs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Or do deps yourself. But you are right..what is a reasonable time? If it gets too much then an issue is developing. If 2 months of this year was the end of it..then fair enough, maybe..but if he does this again, then it is unreasonable to leave you guys kicking your heels whilst he is away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 [quote name='thinman' post='1074453' date='Jan 1 2011, 03:48 PM']This is a raw subject for me - I wish we could have some deps but there's a couple of touchy individuals in the band I'm in. The drummer goes away a lot and isn't too helpful in allowing anyone else to sit in - not even for practices! He's away for about 50% of the first 4 months of the year but won't tell me exactly when! If it was me I'd have no problem of someone standing in if I was unavailable - I don't see why everyone else should stop because I'm not there. I'm considering joining a second band because I'm a bit fed up with the enforced lay-offs![/quote] Thats an easy fix everyone leaves and starts a new band with a new name and a new drummer the day after, He never got kicked out [i]as such [/i]and you lot carry on with the new line up. Thats what the Vinyl sleeves (see below) did to their old bass player before giving me the job , The day before they were "Beats Workin'" Which unfortunatley was a better name but you cant have everything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mep Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Our son deps on drums. He was due to play on our last gig, but was ill. Our drummer was going to a party. We cancelled in the end as our guitarist had been ill. Unfortunately we don't have deps for our singer or guirtarist. I could get 2 or 3 bassists to dep for me if the need arose. As we are all family men we don't book gigs over half terms, Easter or in August so we can get away without the hassle of cancelling or getting deps for gigs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianwild16 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I did the dep gig, as mentioned previously, on NYE. I thought it went great......only seriously cocked up one tune - Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy. They do it in a different key and it threw me a bit for the first verse, but i managed to get back on track from the chorus onwards. There's that really awful feeling in your stomach when you think they're gonna stop the song, and its your fault...but thankfully they carried on. Don't think anyone noticed anyways - they were all pissed up. Its great meeting a new set of muso's....sometimes you get a bit stuck in a rut with your own band....its interesting to see how different bands play the same song - slower/faster, etc.... You can feel that 'dunkirk spirit' feeling with the drummer! They even gave me my own introduction....think that got the biggest cheer of the night...! I'd love to do more deps.....I enjoy the buzz I get from my nerves kicking in. That seems to wane a bit with the regular band. The only times i get nervous are when I'm doing local gigs full of people I know. I don't mind being depped myself.....as long as I'm asked first if its ok and if I know anyone that would cover. In a previous band they went ahead and advertised for a dep without consulting me first, when I had my works xmas do. I honestly wouldn't have stopped them gigging, but its a 'having your nose put out of joint' moment when you find out about it from someone not in the band. That seriously strained the relationship! ...and then being asked to donate your gear for the gig......no thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntLockyer Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I'm not sure how to word this. For those bands with dep guys already sorted do those dep guys ever rehearse with the band? Does that make sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 [quote name='ianwild16' post='1075313' date='Jan 2 2011, 02:08 PM']being asked to donate your gear for the gig......no thanks![/quote] +1 not a chance unless I was a personal friend of the depper,Cheeky monkeys eh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 [quote name='AntLockyer' post='1075315' date='Jan 2 2011, 02:12 PM']I'm not sure how to word this. For those bands with dep guys already sorted do those dep guys ever rehearse with the band? Does that make sense?[/quote] Nope.... if it is standard set, you meet on the gig. If they have a bass pad, then the dep uses that. These are all money gigs and no one is going to rehearse without being paid. If the money is reasonable and the stakes higher, then you might do a run through but really, if you are organised and the dep knows what he is doing, then you either busk it because you have that knowledge and wherewithall or you read it If the dep got paid to rehearse, they would probably do that. Pubs are a busk. But the thing with depping a busking gig..is that it is ALL ears, you can't do it and get way with it otherwise. You need to spot the changes before they happen and it works best if the Gtr/vocal is the authority on the song...ie, someone is driving and whatever the way they choose to play it..that is the way it is...you can't be having these ..you missed a verse types conversations..it doesn't work like that. You listen, you follow.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntLockyer Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Perfect answer, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 (edited) I arrived at a pub a couple of months ago to see a band. I knew the guitarist and used to play with him a few years ago. It was 8.30pm. 'Hello Carl' I said. 'Hello Dave' said Carl, 'Did you bring a bass?'. 'No' I said. 'Can I take you to get one because our bassist hasn't turned up?' said Carl. He explained the set list to me in the car - two sets, eighteen songs, I was familiar with two songs. We went on at 9.00pm. I got through most of them in a limited but usatisfactory manner but totally messed up several. However, audience and landlord were happy and we (er...they) got booked back. It turned out their bassist was in Norway and had the wrong date in his diary! Edited January 2, 2011 by EssentialTension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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