Using the B word

[tauzero]

One of the covers bands I play in plays primarily classic rock, with some originals and a few (maybe three or four) blues numbers.

The guitarist, the only original member left, persists in describing us as a rock/blues band. However, when one uses the word "blues" when trying to get gigs, regardless of whether one also uses the word "rock", venues tend to say "no ta, we don't want no blues bands round this way".

Obviously this is different for full-on blues bands as they're actively seeking the sort of venues that want blues, but do any other mainly rock bands use the word "blues" to describe themselves, and is this sort of reaction prevalent?

[JTUK]

I think the term 'Blues' is waaay overused these days so I take the use with a pinch of salt if lumped with other styles, ie rock, funk, blues'
But If someone describes themselves as a 'blues band' only , then I expect them to be pretty authentic and correct with the description.

But both parties, bands and bookers, have a responsibility to describe themselves without ambiguity..... as it saves a lot of hassle in the long run.

[Bilbo]

I find the word Jazz is equally distorted with all sorts of crap masquesrading as the most noble of sounds (like a solo singer with backing tapes of funk tunes or a quintet with a drum machine - scandalous!!). Seems all that is required is a saxophone and you're in!!

[ead]

That's odd, maybe it's just me but I love going to see blues bands play. Don't seem to get enough of them in small clubs and pubs in the NW - unless I'm looking in the wrong places. Maybe you BCers could point me in the right direction?

[wateroftyne]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]'...when one [i]doesn't[/i] use the word "blues" when trying to get gigs, regardless of whether one also uses the word "rock", venues tend to say "no ta, we only want blues bands round this way".'[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Fixed to reflect the situation at many venues in my neck of the woods. :-)[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Thankfully, I like the blues. As long as it's not played by cack-handed shed builders.[/font][/color]

[toneknob]

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1375774331' post='2165300']
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]cack-handed shed builders.[/font][/color]
[/quote]

I'll add that to my list of potential future band names. Thanks!

[funkgod]

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1375773568' post='2165294']
That's odd, maybe it's just me but I love going to see blues bands play. Don't seem to get enough of them in small clubs and pubs in the NW - unless I'm looking in the wrong places. Maybe you BCers could point me in the right direction?
[/quote]

Some very good blues venues in the northwest,
a very good site dedicated to this is this,
http://www.bluesinthenorthwest.com/

if you check out the map it will show you a good selection of the NW blues circuit.

[u]REG Mixed names[/u]

Blues has changed so much over the last 30 years the boundaries have been stretched
by people wanting to hear and play different flavours to a format that was getting very
tired and over done, there will always be a die hard "Blues" following who will sneer at anything
that does not belong in the idiom.
Altho the fundamental is still there Blues has come to mean different things to different people.
and its not just a listeners perception of what this is, major Artist are contributing to this in a bid to reach
newer age groupes and audiences, I for one am a huge Modern blues fan i love the funky and latin elements
in it, i find england ignorant of the changes in blues where as in the usa modern blues is still has a huge
following, i play in a modern 9 piece blues band with brass section playing everything from BB king, lloyd jones,
lucky peterson right up to tower of power and i know when we play blues/jazz festivals people always same the same thing
"what a blast of fresh air" so refreshing to hear a bit of life in the blues, and i can see that, while as said i love the blues and have a very good knowledge of its history and where it is going, i cant stand more than 15 mins watching an old style
blues band just playing rehashed 145s badly.
we are labeled as a blues/funk band as thats exactly what people get.
I think a good post on old blues to modern blues would be very informative.
sorry for digressing slightly

[Samashton12]

I grew up around blues as my dad was in a 7? (I think) piece blues band complete with a Horn Section called Doctor Doctor, they played around Liverpool..,he played Bass and sang for them

Like father, like son.. Least for the Bass part!

[EliasMooseblaster]

I didn't think my current band was particularly bluesy, but then a lot of reviewers said they liked our "blues-rock sound," so I relented. Now we describe ourselves as "lively, melodic rock n' roll with a hint of the blues." Maybe it doesn't help our cause that the last word in that tagline is "blues!"

[ead]

[quote name='funkgod' timestamp='1375787226' post='2165499']
Some very good blues venues in the northwest,
a very good site dedicated to this is this,
[url="http://www.bluesinthenorthwest.com/"]http://www.bluesinthenorthwest.com/[/url]

if you check out the map it will show you a good selection of the NW blues circuit.
[/quote]

Thanks that looks great. Still not sure why I didn't find that via Google - almost certainly user incompetence

[BigRedX]

You should sell yourself to the venue or promoter in such a way that accentuates the things that will make your band attractive to them while playing down those things that might put them off. If the venues you are approaching don't want blues bands then simply don't mention the blues word. Since you mainly play classic rock it will hardly come as a surprise to either the audience or the venue if you are also playing a handful of blues numbers as well.

If your guitarist continues to sell your band in a way that is preventing you from getting gigs maybe it's time to get someone with a bit more marketing savvy to approach the venues. Alternatively you could always send another member of the band back to the venue a week or so later this time describing your band just as "Classic Rock" and ask for a gig.

[peteb]

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1375773568' post='2165294']
That's odd, maybe it's just me but I love going to see blues bands play. Don't seem to get enough of them in small clubs and pubs in the NW - unless I'm looking in the wrong places. Maybe you BCers could point me in the right direction?
[/quote]
There is always BJ's Blues Club in Chorley - I'm playing there on 5th September...!

[tauzero]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1375788019' post='2165528']
You should sell yourself to the venue or promoter in such a way that accentuates the things that will make your band attractive to them while playing down those things that might put them off. If the venues you are approaching don't want blues bands then simply don't mention the blues word. Since you mainly play classic rock it will hardly come as a surprise to either the audience or the venue if you are also playing a handful of blues numbers as well.[/quote]

Indeed, but if you mention the B word in the initial exchange, without realising it's a turn-off for the venue in question, it's rather hard to recant it, although not impossible to play it down.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1375788019' post='2165528']
If your guitarist continues to sell your band in a way that is preventing you from getting gigs maybe it's time to get someone with a bit more marketing savvy to approach the venues. Alternatively you could always send another member of the band back to the venue a week or so later this time describing your band just as "Classic Rock" and ask for a gig.
[/quote]

It's more me and Mrs Zero who actually approach venues, and as we're just about to have a bit of a blitz locally, we're trying to find a happy medium in describing ourselves (we'll throw the word "blues" in if the venue has a history of having blues bands on) - the guitarist has to be led gently away from Facebook to avoid excessive use of the word. Trouble is, our Facebook page actually has the title "The Lightning /Rock/Blues/Band" (yes, that is the punctuation - that's the guitarist for you, another reason we don't like him getting near the Facebook page). At least I'm the author of our website so what I put in is what goes

[BigRedX]

It sounds as though you have the situation mostly in hand.

[Guest]

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1375773568' post='2165294']
That's odd, maybe it's just me but I love going to see blues bands play. Don't seem to get enough of them in small clubs and pubs in the NW - unless I'm looking in the wrong places. Maybe you BCers could point me in the right direction?
[/quote]

You know about BJ's on a Thursday bud surely ??

[stingrayPete1977]

Tbf these days if the venue are sure we will go down like a lead balloon then I'd rather give it a miss, I had a few years with an eager guitarist that would play at the opening of a crisp packet wishing I was playing the same gig with my other band and visa versa sometimes too but it was indeed the blues band where I felt it more often

[ead]

[quote name='kennyrodg' timestamp='1375815265' post='2166122']
You know about BJ's on a Thursday bud surely ??

[/quote]

Yes I know the Hop Pocket, and peteb I'll do my best to get there on 5th Sept. Sadly Thursdays are rarely good nights for me which is a bit irritating.

I'm always interested to find more places as I'm entirely hacked off with large Venues (the Apollo is about as big as I'll go to) and watching Bonamassa w@nk fests, as in look how many guitars I've got. I've set myself a mission to find some new-to-me bands to follow now (particularly blues bands as it's a genre I've always loved) and am looking for good clubs/pubs in which to discover them.

Edited August 7, 2013 by ead

[iceonaboy]

We call ourselves acid house metal fusion thrash country and so far it hasnt stopped us getting gigs

[Grangur]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1375788019' post='2165528']
You should sell yourself to the venue or promoter in such a way that accentuates the things that will make your band attractive to them while playing down those things that might put them off. If the venues you are approaching don't want blues bands then simply don't mention the blues word. Since you mainly play classic rock it will hardly come as a surprise to either the audience or the venue if you are also playing a handful of blues numbers as well.

If your guitarist continues to sell your band in a way that is preventing you from getting gigs maybe it's time to get someone with a bit more marketing savvy to approach the venues. Alternatively you could always send another member of the band back to the venue a week or so later this time describing your band just as "Classic Rock" and ask for a gig.
[/quote]
+1
When selling yourself to a venue, or in selling anything I would suggest you should avoid committimg to a pigeon hole until you have the facts about his needs.
So your first stage is to ask questions and deflect the genre question with a question; "we have a wide repetoir. We've been playing for x years. What sort of band are you looking for? "

Don't assume that because they play rock all week that they dont want a funk/jazz/blues/RnR night.

[Happy Jack]

We took the description "[b]Blues Rock[/b]" off our posters & flyers after a couple of [color=#b22222][i][b]we don't want no blues around here[/b][/i][/color] moments with landlords ...

Having just typed that, I find myself looking afresh at the whole concept of "Blues Rock" and wondering what it actually means.

[Gust0o]

Apparently we didn't comprehend the question

Anyway, in danger of completing Tau's exasperation, I believe "blues" as a descriptor is misunderstood by many venues - I think they're thinking of dusty old men, not toe-tapping beats and happy punters. Thus they simplify their tastes, and if you want their custom you need to simplify your description - so I think a lot of people will call themselves "rock" instead, or note that they play popular upbeat numbers. I'm sure we're all familiar with the patter

That's been my experience, at least with the more common venues. They have uncomplicated needs, so don't complicate how you sell yourself.