Turning a band down.

[bubinga5]

Its the first time i have. Ive got to be honest I'm a frustrated bass player, Partly because of where i live. The band i just turned down plays covers of Oasis etc, it couldn't be further from what i like to play. What is up with this country.?

No cosmopolitan ways, in boring country towns.?!!! I think its just the inherent music culture in small gloucestershire towns. Me and the wife getting the f*** out of here.

Edited May 2, 2016 by bubinga5

[NickD]

It could be a stepping stone. From there you could move on to being Adam Clayton in a U2 tribute.

[TheGreek]

It's not just where you live...

The drummer I was playing with has just joined another 60/70s cover band - a genre which he swore he'd had enough of. He's joined because he wants to be out gigging.

We had problems finding a keyboard player - I want to avoid using guitarists - we had horns in the pipeline and I even know a couple of vocalists. That one missing link was holding us back.

I can't see why people sell their souls so cheaply...

[4stringslow]

I guess it's the difference between wanting to be a jobbing bassist or an independent artist. If it's a money-earning job you want then you pretty much have to play what people want to hear. If you want to be a free spirit artistic type then you may have to find a kindly benefactor to support you or live life on the breadline - the lot of artists throughout the ages.

[Lw.]

As ever with music; if you don't like the current situation (be that live scene, original or covers bands), start your own. Write the songs you want to play, curate your own covers playlist or organise the gigs. Hard work but means you get what you want.

[4stringslow]

Hard work, yes, but even then you're not guaranteed what you want if you can't find an audience willing to pay to hear you play.

Think of the countless number of unsuccessful - in a financial sense - 'solo projects' that have been financed by a musician's day job - whatever that job may be.

I've read that Charlie Watts’ first musical love is big band jazz and that he only drums for the Stones to pay his bills

[timhiggins]

Yep i agree start your own, you seem to love the soul/funk stuff and i reckon there is always a market for that kind of thing its just hard to find players good enough to play it but they are around !

[neilp]

Judgemental much?

[JTUK]

Don't blame you... if it is worth doing then do it properly...
You'll only mess them about when you leave soon anyway, so don't get started in bands that aren't going to work
from your POV. IMO

[Lozz196]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1462207579' post='3041117']
Don't blame you... if it is worth doing then do it properly...
You'll only mess them about when you leave soon anyway, so don't get started in bands that aren't going to work
from your POV. IMO
[/quote]

Good point. I turned down a band purely due to the drive to their rehearsal place. It was ok in summer, when I auditioned, but I knew it would get on my nerves in the darker, colder months, so no point in messing them about. I did dep for them until they found a replacement however.

[Happy Jack]

I genuinely thought this thread was going to be about volume issues!

Living in London, I'm not really in a good place to offer advice about Cheltenham. But I do agree that serious frustration warrants a serious response, and there's none more serious than starting the band you want to be in.

I've done it. Once. Maybe one day I'll try again.

If nothing else, I guarantee you a fund of funny but true stories to regale your musician friends with for the rest of your life. Advertising for members for a new band is a bit like starring in your own sitcom.

Don't ask me how I know.

[blue]

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1462199850' post='3041020']
Its the first time i have. Ive got to be honest I'm a frustrated bass player, Partly because of where i live. The band i just turned down plays covers of Oasis etc, it couldn't be further from what i like to play. What is up with this country.?

No cosmopolitan ways, in boring country towns.?!!! I think its just the inherent music culture in small gloucestershire towns. Me and the wife getting the f*** out of here.
[/quote]

Yeah, location has a huge impact on opportunities to play at the local and regional level.

As you know,this is about work,decent paying work, a business for me.

Even in the fairly large metro area I'm in, if my band were to fold, I'd be sunk.

Opportunities for bands with a book of business are not advertised the public.

99.9% of the opportunities for bass guitarist are for originals bands with little to no work, start ups ,and for fun basement bands.

Blue

Edited May 3, 2016 by blue

[blue]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1462223376' post='3041312']
I genuinely thought this thread was going to be about volume issues!

Living in London, I'm not really in a good place to offer advice about Cheltenham. But I do agree that serious frustration warrants a serious response, and there's none more serious than starting the band you want to be in.

I've done it. Once. Maybe one day I'll try again.

If nothing else, I guarantee you a fund of funny but true stories to regale your musician friends with for the rest of your life. Advertising for members for a new band is a bit like starring in your own sitcom.

Don't ask me how I know.
[/quote]

I think the starting your own band thing is not for everyone.

One of the biggest problems is as a start up, you have nothing to offer except risk.The risk of wasting sombodies and your time.

I know there are exceptions.

Blue

[blue]

[quote name='Lw.' timestamp='1462201913' post='3041044']
As ever with music; if you don't like the current situation (be that live scene, original or covers bands), start your own. Write the songs you want to play, curate your own covers playlist or organise the gigs. Hard work but means you get what you want.
[/quote]

Still depends on what you want to do. If you want to gig and make money, your really going to have to start a band that has commercial appeal and can get consistent work.

Starting a band and writing your own songs would be limited at best. If there's no originals scene then people are probably not going to be interested in hearing your songd.

Blue

[blue]

[quote name='4stringslow' timestamp='1462202484' post='3041050']

I've read that Charlie Watts’ first musical love is big band jazz and that he only drums for the Stones to pay his bills [/quote]

Yeah, and he's been able to pay his bills for over 50 years. Twice the age of most of you.

Blue

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1462238245' post='3041409']
... for over 50 years. Twice the age of most of you.

[/quote]

Hah! In your dreams mate. The average Basschatter is WAY older than 25, and I'm ... ahem ... rather older than the average Basschatter.

[Owen]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1462257563' post='3041434']
Hah! In your dreams mate. The average Basschatter is WAY older than 25, and I'm ... ahem ... rather older than the average Basschatter.
[/quote]

I resemble that remark!

[charic]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1462237992' post='3041408']
Still depends on what you want to do. If you want to gig and make money, your really going to have to start a band that has commercial appeal and can get consistent work.

Starting a band and writing your own songs would be limited at best. If there's no originals scene then people are probably not going to be interested in hearing your songd.

Blue
[/quote]

There's definitely an originals scene in the UK, just some people aren't willing to make the slightly longer drives. When my band are out and gigging I already have promoters primed and ready in most of the major places in the UK. Some of those gigs will be a 4 hour drive and we'll be lucky to get petrol money back playing between 30 and 45 minutes but at that stage it's just about getting out there, playing and getting a percentage of the audience to remember you

[peteb]

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1462260081' post='3041444']


There's definitely an originals scene in the UK, just some people aren't willing to make the slightly longer drives. When my band are out and gigging I already have promoters primed and ready in most of the major places in the UK. Some of those gigs will be a 4 hour drive and we'll be lucky to get petrol money back playing between 30 and 45 minutes but at that stage it's just about getting out there, playing and getting a percentage of the audience to remember you
[/quote]
That's cool when you're 25 but starts to wear a bit thin when you're in your 30s and trying to balance a gigging band with a full time job and maybe a family.

There is a market for live music in most areas and if you want to gig you need to position yourself in that market. The bigger the market in the area that you live, the more options you will have.

[charic]

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1462260896' post='3041448']
That's cool when you're 25 but starts to wear a bit thin when you're in your 30s and trying to balance a gigging band with a full time job and maybe a family.

There is a market for live music in most areas and if you want to gig you need to position yourself in that market. The bigger the market in the area that you live, the more options you will have.
[/quote]

I'm 29 and the vocalist is a similar age, all the other members are 30s and 40s. It's an hour + for all of us to get to band practice where we do our writing, tightening and generally bond as a band.

A family would be a difficulty but otherwise we all hold down full time jobs and relationships quite easily

The thing is, with a genre like symphonic metal you need to get the good gigs where you can. It's a fairly tight knit community and it's not the easiest to push your way in.

[NJE]

I don't think living in Gloucestershire is any different to anywhere else in the country with perhaps the exception of London. It depends a lot where you are looking for bands and musicians in my opinion. I wasn't in a band when I moved to Cheltenham a few years ago, I found one band on a muso-finder style website, joined them and through that band (who consequently didn't play music I loved particularly) I have met so many brilliant musicians and been in 2-4 bands at any one point since, playing good variety of music

Judging by a few posts you have made I guess your into funky/jazz/fusion kinds stuff, Incognito and Brand New Heavies etc? I LOVE music like this, but sadly I don't think there is much of market for it venues up and down the county. Some of he busiest working bands I know and have seen, play crowd pleasing stuff, big 'cheesy' tunes that you can either sing along to in pubs or dance to at weddings.

I play in a tribute band, a wedding pop covers band, and up until recently two soul bands. I cant say I am a massive soul fan but I learned to almost remove myself from what I was playing and I just get a buzz playing any kind of music well with good musicians to people who enjoy it.

I think it is just abut what you want from music, if you cant find a band playing what you want, try and put one together.

[Lw.]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1462237992' post='3041408'] Still depends on what you want to do. If you want to gig and make money, your really going to have to start a band that has commercial appeal and can get consistent work. Starting a band and writing your own songs would be limited at best. If there's no originals scene then people are probably not going to be interested in hearing your songs. Blue [/quote]

Of Course, though the OP is turning his nose up at Oasis covers which is generally the kind of covers paying landlords want to hear so I assumed money isn't the only driving force here.

I disagree with your second point though; I'm more of a "build it & they will come" kind of guy - there are talented musicians & decent music fans hidden away in every town in this country, you just need to coax them out. If the live scene isn't there in your town I think you can start one - the successful people in this industry aren't the ones who have had everything fall on their lap.

[discreet]

I was born in Cheltenham and moved to London in 1982. Best move I ever made. It's a very conservative town in every sense of the word, totally provincial and there's something about the atmosphere which makes it a bit Royston Vasey ('you'll never leave')...

It's a very nice area if you have an independent income, like upmarket shopping, enjoy peace and quiet and spend a lot of time walking your dog in the countryside. Not a lot happening for young people unless you like table-tennis. As far as music goes, it's a non-starter. Everyone I knew there who achieved any sort of success in the music business left a long time ago.

[Woodinblack]

I don't know about [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Cheltenham but I am in a much smaller town (Yeovil), put an advert in joinmyband and had 3 responses in a week. I put in the advert what I wanted to play. One that I decided to joined played a very eclectic mix of stuff, they do play way too much blues for my liking, but they seemed very willing to change what they played.[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]One of the others that I will probably stay with as a side project actually had an oasis cover but I will make a point of getting rid of that The rest of the stuff is ok. [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]The third wasn't my thing at all, and I didn't think they really intended to do anything (2 gigs this year - that is why I was leaving my old band! [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]So I am sure there are people out there somewhere.[/font][/color]

[ivansc]

FWIW the last time I played in Cheltenham was when an old friend, who couldnt find a dep bass player locally for her original songs, asked me to come down and play bass for her at a small festival.
I got paid. Not a huge amount - £100 - but she also covered food and lodging for my wife and I.

(grin) where were you?