Should we be in bands for money, or for enjoyment?

[thebrig]

[b]Should we be in bands for money, or for enjoyment?[/b]

I ask this because I’ve been trying to put a band together for a couple of years now, and I’m amazed at how “mercenary” a lot of musicians are.

I have advertised for musicians on all the usual sites, and here’s just a couple of examples (I've had many many more like these):

[i]“I live in Stevenage , got over 1000 gigs under my belt , blues / rock player , but would be interested, if the band has a go getter approach to gigging and not spending hours in a rehearsal room”.[/i]

[i]“I'm 38 plenty of gig exp, pro gear, great tone, I'll be honest with you I'm in 2 gigging bands at the moment but maybe looking to ditch one, maybe both if one band gets busy, I just love playing live”.[/i]

I absolutely love playing music with other musicians, especially in a "live" situation, but I also like rehearsing, and I also like playing at home learning new material, but it seems that there are a lot of people out there, who seem to put earning money first.

Surely rehearsing with your bandmates helps with getting to know each other as people, helps with bonding, and most importantly, it helps with getting the band tight and ready to gig.

So many people have told me they don't want to rehearse, and some of these are not even great musicians, so are they thinking they are better than they really are, and if they really are that good, why do they choose to miss out on the "team" building that comes with regular rehearsals? don't get me wrong, once the band is ready, I'm up for gigging most of the time and only going into the studio to learn new material.

So is it just me, am I old fashioned, or should I just join a gigging band, learn the songs at home, just turn up for the gig, play the songs, and then go home afterwards not really knowing the guys I've just been playing with properly?

[Kiwi]

The last band I was in I left, partiallly because the money became more important than the enjoyment to everyone else

[Adrenochrome]

Everybody has different needs and expectations. I CANNOT afford to play music for a loss, so you could regard me as mercenary. As long as my total outlay is covered by gig money then I'm fine. I can learn songs quite happily at home but I go along to band rehearsal, 3 a month on average, because it helps the others and we have a laugh and get to know each other. We also socialise a bit together so we are a proper band rather than strangers.

[JTUK]

You have to be able to play the songs well and not dislike anyone in the band.

Personally, I need to get the money as that endorses the idea that what we do is pretty much right,.

Playing for nothing is too desperate but then so is travelling all over to get it ..so as always you need a balance.

Good musicians don't work free, in 99% of cases.
If anyone was any good there would be a price...so you will need a plan to be able to pay your way pretty quickly.
I'd be worried about anyone who didn't ask about the money..??

Edited September 7, 2013 by JTUK

[Les]

I enjoy rehearsing, but only if it's needed, not just for the sake of it. In the two examples you gave I can't really see either of them being mercenary about money, they just seem to want to gig a lot.

I would hate to be trapped in a band that just rehearses and never seems to get to the gigging stage. And when I play live I want to be paid for it.

Les

[lojo]

Either, Niether or both , totally depends on your desires and situation

[Pinball]

I play mainly for fun and for free in what was a trio and is now a 4 piece, which has given us a really good sound. The transition from 3 to 4 band members is more difficult than I imagined.

All of a sudden it is harder to find a time when we can all practice and get together and play. That in means we want a decent amount of stage time when we meet up and larger gigs.

This means need to spend money on gear and promotion.

My point is that the larger the band the more dificult it is to ignore the money element. If we can get the balance right it will have fun and make money but its not an easy path to tread!

[Paul S]

I have a day job, don't need the money. I also have other things going on in my life and need space for those. For me, playing music is a hobby and I do it for the love of it. So the whole business of forming a band, rehearsals, getting the music right then tight - all part of the fun. Gigging is great, getting a little bit of cash back is also great, but not the be-all and end-all as far as I am concerned.

And that is exactly why my last band imploded, which was a terrible shame as I was playing music I love - heavy rock covers - with an absolutely great guitar player. The dominant member decided he'd had his fill of rehearsing, wanted to gig and earn money, couldn't understand me (and the guitarist, who was of a like mind) wanting 3 holidays a year when there were gigs to be had.

I guess at the end of the day it doesn't matter what end of the scale you operate in, as long as the other members are of a like mind. If not it will only lead to friction and then the band splitting.

[chris_b]

The fact that you're questioning the attitude of players that want to gig rather than rehearse tells me that they are probably more serious about playing in a band than you are.

That's fine, you've got to find other players that want to keep playing to a hobby level.

You haven't found the right guys yet, but I don't see how players who want to gig and get paid for it can be criticised.

[thebrig]

I agree everyone has different needs, but at the moment I have not worked for a couple of years as I was medically retired due to ill health, I get a small company pension but it's not a great amount, but despite this, for me, being part of a band is like a hobby, and the money earned from gigs although very welcome, is a bonus.

I'm certainly not suggesting that anyone should play for nothing, and I'm not talking about profressional musicians who do it for a living, I'm not even saying that wanting to earn money from being in a local band is wrong, I'm just pointing out that I'm surprised that so many musicians don't want to muck in, and get to know the guys they playing with.

[JapanAxe]

Money: It's only right to be rewarded for the time, effort, and skill that goes into a live performance. I am fortunate that my day job gives me a comfortable living, so gig money funds my GAS. Even so I look for a reasonable fee - why encourage venues to devalue what we do?

Rehearsing: I turn up at a rehearsal having spent time getting to know my parts, and I don't think it's unreasonable to expect others to do the same. My band had a 2-hour rehearsal on Tuesday, went through 6 new numbers, and discarded a 7th that didn't work. All 6 numbers are in our next set list. I love that kind of rehearsal. What I can't stand is going over and over the same old stuff, and hearing players make the same mistakes because they have never sat down at home and sorted out where they are going wrong.

[FinnDave]

The examples posted by the OP both suggest that the people replying to his advert want to play live because they enjoy it, no mention of the money being important. The band I'm playing is a 5 piece formed at the end of April this year, we rehearse every week and gig as often as possible because we enjoy it. The gig money is nice,, but more as a token of recognition than a useful income. Our first gig was after 3 rehearsals and we have had about a dozen since then. One paying gig tonight, a charity do tomorrow. Both will be enjoyable.

[Bilbo]

Yes.

[Les]

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1378546882' post='2201619'] I'm just pointing out that I'm surprised that so many musicians don't want to muck in, and get to know the guys they playing with.
[/quote]

Mucking in and getting to know each other just means spending time together, be that rehearsing four times a month and gigging once a month or rehearsing once a month and gigging four times a month. I would argue that the extra focus of a gig makes for more of a bonding experience.

[Guest bassman7755]

The important thing is that all band members are doing it for the same reason. Myself I play purely for fun but have no issue with people doing it to make money so long as they arn't in the same band as me

[wateroftyne]

Some I do for money, some I do for love.

Thankfully, I do most of them for both.

Rehearsing is boring. Gigging is more fun.

[Coilte]

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1378545717' post='2201599']
Either, Niether or both , totally depends on your desires and situation
[/quote]

This sums it up nicely.

[sprocketflup]

Im definitely in the mercenary category. Whilst I do enjoy playing, I cant afford to have a loss on my balance sheet.

Having said that, I do keep a record of what I spend versus what I make, and Im in the negative there at the moment, so will be looking for more paying gigs soon. Ive spent a lot of years learning my craft, Im not bad at it, so i don't see why I should have to play for free. Done enough of that already ta

[thisnameistaken]

I'm getting to the point where I'm not that bothered about gigging. I enjoy making music with friends, rehearsing and recording and creating stuff, and I only really go do the gigs because someone else I know wants to do it and they ask me if I'll play bass for them.

[12stringbassist]

I have a day job that pays the bills. Gigging for me is about the mental exercise and enjoyment of playing and a little bit of socialising. I happily admit I do expect to be paid enough for an evening's work in a pub and the travel to get there, but at the same time, I have cheerfully given up occasional afternoons or evenings to do things for free for Help The Heroes and such. The playing is sometimes enough for me.

Rehearsing should be to get new songs in, or to tidy existing ones up. Not a paid-for evening's socialising.

I would not gig regularly for nothing, as I believe that is what people who are out there to be discovered often have to do. I'm not out there to be discovered any longer. Good luck to those who are prepared to invest their time to get ahead, though. Horses for courses.

Edited September 7, 2013 by 12stringbassist

[Lozz196]

Enjoyment. If money comes along as a result of this, great, but having been in bands with difficult band members, I`ll now only do it whilst enjoying it. As soon as the enjoyment goes, so do I.

[rodacademy]

Guess it depends on a lot of things!
Some do it because they need the cash but that in its self can be a minefield! When does it become "enough" money? Would you do a gig for less than £150 a skull?

Some do it for the love where cash is not even in the equation, just a bonus!

Venue choice/asperations too is a big factor. Are you happy too do wee pub gigs or big venues and festivals, cash varies here from covering your costs too getting excess of £400 per gig!

I believe to get to a really high standard you need to rehearse at least once a week and gig at least once a month! All these things cost so I think you need to factor in what exactly you want from it!

Do you ever really make money if your reinvesting in your gear, petrol etc etc

[thebrig]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1378552637' post='2201730']
Enjoyment. If money comes along as a result of this, great, but having been in bands with difficult band members, I`ll now only do it whilst enjoying it. As soon as the enjoyment goes, so do I.
[/quote]
This more or less sums up how I feel about playing in bands, I was just expressing surprise at what other people want from it.

Maybe "mercenary" was the wrong word to use, but so many who have responded to my ads, were saying they are in other bands as well, which must surely result in turning down a lot of gigs, because they have a gig already booked for the dates offered.

Edited September 7, 2013 by thebrig

[discreet]

Both. Neither. Depends. Having band members who are in other bands is always a pain in the arse. Works on paper, but the reality is that you may end up missing an important gig, or even a tour. Rehearsals tend to be sporadic too - regular rehearsals are vital, imho. And if you have to get into the whole thing of using deps, it's a logistical nightmare, frankly.

Decide how you want to proceed and stick to that.

Edited September 7, 2013 by discreet

[thebrig]

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1378547074' post='2201626']
The examples posted by the OP both suggest that the people replying to his advert want to play live because they enjoy it, no mention of the money being important. The band I'm playing is a 5 piece formed at the end of April this year, we rehearse every week and gig as often as possible because we enjoy it. The gig money is nice,, but more as a token of recognition than a useful income. Our first gig was after 3 rehearsals and we have had about a dozen since then. One paying gig tonight, a charity do tomorrow. Both will be enjoyable.
[/quote]
I replied to this person:
[i]“I'm 38 plenty of gig exp, pro gear, great tone, I'll be honest with you I'm in 2 gigging bands at the moment but maybe looking to ditch one, maybe both if one band gets busy, I just love playing live”.[/i]

by saying, [b][i]"if you are looking to ditch one, maybe both if one band gets busy" then all that tells me is, if we don't get enough gigs to satisfy you, you will probably ditch us without a second thought![/i][/b]"

Call me old fashioned, but I want to play with like-minded people who like each other, and will stay with us for more than five minutes, rather than take on people who will up and leave if as soon as another band gets more gigs.