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Bass Player Wanted, No gigs


blue
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[quote name='blue' timestamp='1507664187' post='3387150']
I take it your not a supporter of local live music?

Blue
[/quote]

I know that this comment wasn't aimed at me, I feel the need to reply.

It irks me that people assume because you are a musician that you like all kinds of music. I got into playing because although I do like music, the stuff I really like (i.e. the music I like enough to want to buy it on record CD etc.) is fairly rare and if I didn't write and play it myself there would be even less of what I considered interesting music.

I'm all for supporting my local live music scene, so long as it is putting on music that I actually want to hear. Otherwise it can "go and do one". I certainly have no interest in going to see bands churning out covers as a soundtrack for drunken idiots in pubs looking for a fight. It is also unfortunate that the few local bands whose music I do currently enjoy are boring to watch live and little idea of what makes an entertaining live show.

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[quote name='blue' timestamp='1507690049' post='3387263']
Yes, I would only be interested in what we call "turn key" opportunities. Where all the work has been done. In other words walking into a full book of business.

But like you said those opportunities are rare and hardly ever advertised publicly. Unfortunately in my advance stage if the gigging cycle of life, I don't have the time or interest in new "start up" opportunities. The exception would be if any members were famous.

Blue
[/quote]

Well, I can only offer you the very best of luck - you're looking for an incredibly rare beast, one that almost any musician who gigs would love.

But, frankly, complaining that you can't find such a thing isn't going to get you very far down the road towards your ideal band. I would suggest that the bands you've come across so far may be attempting a more pragmatic approach to getting a band going with paid gigs.

Edited by ahpook
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[quote name='blue' timestamp='1507664457' post='3387153']


If there is an issue it's posting a want ad and not being clear on exactly what your offering.

Blue
[/quote]

They posted an ad, you asked a few questions and they were straight up honest with their long term plans, you're looking for professional work on websites aimed at weekend warrior bands, maybe you need an agent?

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[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1507668061' post='3387183']
Interesting, as I am the complete opposite. I feel that rehearsing is a necessary evil in order to gig. For me, all the joy of playing is performing in front of an audience. My current band haven't rehearsed for months, we just gig, and if we want to try a new song, circulate it amongst ourselves then refine it over a few gigs.
[/quote]
i agree, i hate practicing.
i only join bands that want to gig. don't see the point otherwise.

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[quote name='blue' timestamp='1507707536' post='3387303']


Huh?

Most people I know haven't stopped gigging because they have a decent job.

Everyone in my band except me works and have more than decent jobs. They gig because it's something they love to do and like this type of work.

So, let me try and understand this. If I get a decent job I'll won't have the need to gig, so I'll stop gigging?

Blue
[/quote]

So they are doing four or five four hour bar gigs a week on top of full time day jobs?

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[quote name='Leonard Smalls' timestamp='1507708028' post='3387307']
Is this yet another re-hash of the "you're not a proper musician unless you get paid" thread?
My mother is a pianist and LRAM, and she spent about 20 years duetting with a friend on the flute - mainly Bach.
They never played a concert (even though they were a covers band :D ), and had absolutely no interest in doing so. It was purely for their own entertainment.
Does that mean they weren't proper musicians?
[/quote]

I guess this is how I feel about playing music. Humans have been making music collectively for tens of thousands of years, it's in our DNA. Only relatively recently in evolutionary has the dichotomy of performer and audience crept in and become formalised (and it could be argued largely for business reasons).

Personally I find the experience of playing music for the sheer pleasure of doing so extremely rewarding. I find the process of doing it in front of an audience marginally more so on some occasions, but [i]considerably[/i] less so on others. OK, this could be a function of the kind of audiences I've played to, but I imagine that unless you're in the top 5% of bands by status, these are pretty representative of audiences full stop.

There is a sense here and on other music forums that unless you're out there gigging, you're less of a musician. I go to see bands occasionally, watch the bass player holding down roots/fifths or whatever 'the song requires', and at times I think it might be the other way around :)

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Why does everyone posting here seem to be insisting theirs is the only right way? Some like to play for its own sake with a few pals, some like to play for a living, some like to do the occasional gig, etc, etc. So what? Different strokes for different folks. I've played as a hobby and for a part and full living. I'm currently back to being a hobbyist. I enjoy it. End of.

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[quote name='blue' timestamp='1507679405' post='3387257']


Support local live music when you can. I'm well into my 60s and I don't get out to see much as I use to.

On weekends when I'm not gigging I really don't want to be in a bar or pub. However, that's not really cool because bands that play the same circuit that we play have come out to see us on their off night.

Blue
[/quote]
Perhaps you should make the effort to get out and see more bands and get your face known. If other local musos see you at gigs when they know you're not working, especially if you get to know them socially a bit, then they are more likely to think of you when they need a new bass player. These days connecting with players (and fans) on social media is essential and may well be where your next gig comes from!

Edited by peteb
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[quote name='Leonard Smalls' timestamp='1507708028' post='3387307']
Is this yet another re-hash of the "you're not a proper musician unless you get paid" thread?[/quote]

Absolutely not, some of the best and proper musicians I know don't get paid.

Blue

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[quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1507734440' post='3387598']
Why does everyone posting here seem to be insisting theirs is the only right way? Some like to play for its own sake with a few pals, some like to play for a living, some like to do the occasional gig, etc, etc. So what? Different strokes for different folks. I've played as a hobby and for a part and full living. I'm currently back to being a hobbyist. I enjoy it. End of.
[/quote]

Very good. My problem is (or was) bands who claim to be gigging and then turn out to be not gigging. Not only that, but they have no intention of gigging and got me in the band under false pretences. Silly really - do they think I'm somehow not going to notice the lack of gigs?? :D

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[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1507709817' post='3387329']


I know that this comment wasn't aimed at me, I feel the need to reply.

It irks me that people assume because you are a musician that you like all kinds of music. I got into playing because although I do like music, the stuff I really like (i.e. the music I like enough to want to buy it on record CD etc.) is fairly rare and if I didn't write and play it myself there would be even less of what I considered interesting music.

I'm all for supporting my local live music scene, so long as it is putting on music that I actually want to hear. Otherwise it can "go and do one". I certainly have no interest in going to see bands churning out covers as a soundtrack for drunken idiots in pubs looking for a fight. It is also unfortunate that the few local bands whose music I do currently enjoy are boring to watch live and little idea of what makes an entertaining live show.
[/quote]

Over time I'm getting the feeling that my local bar scene and cover band culture is different than in the UK.

First of all our patrons are music and people lovers. I never see anything remotely like this "drunken idiots" crowd you speak of.

I'm not sure what it's like in the UK, in the States if you get charged with drunken driving even if it's a first offense your looking at no less than 10K after everything is said and done.

Now, we do have bands, originals and cover bands that struggle with the entertainment aspect of a show. In other words we have bands with no strong front person that can capture and win an audition over.

Now that you mention it, the ability to entertain would be a solid deal breaker for me. For example if I auditioned for a band and found there was no strong front person and lifeless members I would take a pass.

Blue

Edited by blue
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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1507748382' post='3387750']


Very good. My problem is (or was) bands who claim to be gigging and then turn out to be not gigging. Not only that, but they have no intention of gigging and got me in the band under false pretences. Silly really - do they think I'm somehow not going to notice the lack of gigs?? :D
[/quote]

Great point.

Most of us that have been around have experienced this, and were caught off guard.

I once joined a band because they advertised they were a gigging band with strong bookings. I thought their original material was great and they had a dynamite front man.

The band rehearse at least twice a week. Stupid me after a few months I realized the front man who was also the band leader only wanted to play "rock star" in his basement.

Blue

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[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1507735364' post='3387608']

Perhaps you should make the effort to get out and see more bands and get your face known. If other local musos see you at gigs when they know you're not working, especially if you get to know them socially a bit, then they are more likely to think of you when they need a new bass player. These days connecting with players (and fans) on social media is essential and may well be where your next gig comes from!
[/quote]

Hi Pete,

In my neck of the woods any bands I would go out to see are not in a position to do anything for me. Matter of fact we work more when were slow than a lot of other local bar bands.

The Musicians that could do something for me, the Greg Kochs and Daryl Strummers wouldn't give a guy like me the time of day. I'm an outsider and I haven't figured out how to get on the inside, and not for a lack of trying.

However, overall going out never hurts.

Blue

Edited by blue
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[quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1507734440' post='3387598']
Why does everyone posting here seem to be insisting theirs is the only right way? Some like to play for its own sake with a few pals, some like to play for a living, some like to do the occasional gig, etc, etc. So what? Different strokes for different folks. I've played as a hobby and for a part and full living. I'm currently back to being a hobbyist. I enjoy it. End of.
[/quote]

You might want to re-read the comments here. Nobody is suggesting their way is the only way.

Blue

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[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1507731130' post='3387571']

There is a sense here and on other music forums that unless you're out there gigging, you're less of a musician[/quote]

Again, personally I don't see that and I don't get the sense anyone here is suggesting anyone is any less of a musician if their not gigging.

We all gig and don't gig for different reasons.

One of the primary reason I gig is to bring a little happiness to people when the work week is done and they merely want to relax, have fun and a good time.

We had a marginal crowd at best Saturday night. But there was this one older women who looked like she hadn't been out for a while. She was smiling, totally focused on the band rocking in her seat. Just watching her puts why I gig into perspective.

Blue

Edited by blue
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[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1507712560' post='3387347']


Well, I can only offer you the very best of luck - you're looking for an incredibly rare beast, one that almost any musician who gigs would love.[/quote]

I'm not looking.

I'm fortunate for the last 6 years I've been a member of a gigging band with personable, trustworthy, honest, reasonable professinal people.

I worry about my plight or fate when and if it comes to an end.

Blue

Edited by blue
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[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1507714842' post='3387364']


They posted an ad, you asked a few questions and they were straight up honest with their long term plans, you're looking for professional work on websites aimed at weekend warrior bands, maybe you need an agent?
[/quote]

Good point.

I'm not sure what my selling point would be for an agent. A 64 year old rock bar band bass player. Doesn't sound promising does it. Lol 😂

Blue

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[quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1507734440' post='3387598']
Why does everyone posting here seem to be insisting theirs is the only right way? Some like to play for its own sake with a few pals, some like to play for a living, some like to do the occasional gig, etc, etc. So what? Different strokes for different folks. I've played as a hobby and for a part and full living. I'm currently back to being a hobbyist. I enjoy it. End of.
[/quote]

It's a forum. End of

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[quote name='blue' timestamp='1507751280' post='3387790']


Again, personally I don't see that and I don't get the sense anyone here is suggesting anyone is any less of a musician if their not gigging.

We all gig and don't gig for different reasons.

One of the primary reason I gig is to bring a little happiness to people when the work week is done and they merely want to relax, have fun and a good time.

We had a marginal crowd at best Saturday night. But there was this one older women who looked like she hadn't been out for a while. She was smiling, totally focused on the band rocking in her seat. Just watching her puts why I gig into perspective.

Blue
[/quote]

Nicely put Blue. Wish that was my experience :)

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[quote name='blue' timestamp='1507751280' post='3387790']
Again, personally I don't see that and I don't get the sense anyone here is suggesting anyone is any less of a musician if their not gigging.

We all gig and don't gig for different reasons.

One of the primary reason I gig is to bring a little happiness to people when the work week is done and they merely want to relax, have fun and a good time.

We had a marginal crowd at best Saturday night. But there was this one older women who looked like she hadn't been out for a while. She was smiling, totally focused on the band rocking in her seat. Just watching her puts why I gig into perspective.

Blue
[/quote]

We did a gig a couple of weeks back at a local place (The Maze) on a local bands night where each band gets 30 minutes. A total of 3 people turned up but they had a great time and told us so afterwards. It would have been great if the place was full but even so we thought it was worth the effort

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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1507577674' post='3386521']
I don't understand why you'd go to the trouble to learn an instrument, buy gear and rehearse songs with a band and then not do gigs[/quote]

It's a load of fun. Which is a tremendous value - playing for the joy of it.

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[quote name='blue' timestamp='1507752351' post='3387799']
Good point.

I'm not sure what my selling point would be for an agent. A 64 year old rock bar band bass player. Doesn't sound promising does it. Lol ��

Blue
[/quote]
A good, reliable bass player with plenty of gigging experience may well be of interest to an agent who has a working band on his books in need of bass player...

Edited by peteb
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