Mickeyboro Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I have been in a club band for a year but am getting bored with the very 'white' pop fare on offer and the limits that are put on my participation. Considering joining another, bluesier band to scratch my musical itch. But the first band has definite bookings through 2019, so don't want to lose the regular work. Questions: Has anyone done this and successfully stayed in their first band? If so, did you tell the second band you intended to split your availability? Or did you run the two in parallel until you were certain...then hung in with band one after all? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I'm in three bands, and dep for a 4th luckily two of them aren't all that busy. But they all know about each other, and always have done. If they are reasonable people, they shouldn't have any problem with you splitting your time. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 (edited) Just responded to an ad looking for a low end pluckerer ... ten minutes into phone call... oh we’d rather you not be in any other bands 1 advertise the fact in the first instance 2 stop being so fkn precious 3 who tf do you think you are dictating terms and conditions of what i can and cant do in my own fkn time ..... and breeeeeathe...... Edited August 25, 2018 by steve-bbb 8 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I think, at its most ridiculous, I was playing in about six or seven bands at one point. Fortunately, most of them were fairly ad hoc, so it wasn't too difficult to manage the calendar around them. You may have to make a decision about which band gets your first priority, though - and maybe make this clear to the other band(s). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I'm in 4 bands and have found time to dep on a couple of occasions too. None of the bands are regular function bands so it is quite easy to juggle. I'm always as busy as I want to be. If a band isn't fun and isn't your livelihood, I would ask anyone, "Why stay?". if it's still giving some enjoyment then you can juggle but don't juggle just out of some misguided loyalty. If you want the gigs, personally I'd be straight with them and stay as long as it took to find a replacement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stylon Pilson Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 How many bands you can juggle concurrently is dependent upon a number of factors, including how frequently they gig, whether they use deps, how much of your time you want to spend on music, how efficient you are with your practice time, and many more. It's a simple fact that some bands just don't want to use deps, and so if you want to be in one of those bands, then it had better be your only gigging project, or your bandmates will soon start resenting you when you have to decline a date because you've already got something in the calendar. I've been in five bands over the last decade with a small overlap each time. When I start feeling like one band is winding down, or I don't want to do it any more, I'll start looking for something else. So, in answer to your original question, I suppose I fit more with the third option: run the two in parallel until I'm sure that either (a) the new one is going to stick, or (b) I really don't want to be in the old one any more, whichever way things go with the new one. S.P. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 For most of my playing life I've been in at least 2 bands and for the last 20 years I've been depping. Bands in the area I live in don't expect exclusivity and don't demand it. If they need a dsep there are some great players to call on. My rule of thumb is: There has to be a pecking order. Whether it's first in the diary get your time or you have a main band, whose gigs take preference over a second band. Everyone has to know about the order of priority and agree to it. You will have clashes so make sure you give people enough time to get deps. Some bands leave it up to you to get a dep, others want to do it themselves and some don't want deps at all. It's all down to negotiating and whether they are willing to share you. Rule 2: pro bands take preference over semi pro bands, working bands take preference over bands who just rehearse and gigs take preference over a rehearsal. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickeyboro Posted August 24, 2018 Author Share Posted August 24, 2018 This is all good stuff, thank you. Looks like it comes down to telling band two that I am already in a band, and hope that doesn't put them off. More trickily, band one may well say 'if we're not your one and only, you're out'. Which would be a shame as they have and are likely to have more gigs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 6 minutes ago, Mickeyboro said: More trickily, band one may well say 'if we're not your one and only, you're out'. Which would be a shame as they have and are likely to have more gigs... If they say that then you have a choice. Either tell them you'll always put their gigs first, or you've changed your mind and won't now join the other band, or you can tell them they're a bunch of selfish gits and they can shove their band. Maybe you could tell the second band that the first band takes precedence and forget to tell the first band about the second band. Who knows. . the second band might fold after a few rehearsals, or they might fire you in a week! Don't let yourself end up without a band at all! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 If you're a busy band I don't see anything wrong with wanting someone exclusively to be honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I'm in (at least) two bands, I joined another when Band 1 gigs slowed right down a couple of years ago but from Day One I've told Band 2 that Band 1 is the priority, and always will be. Band 2 doesn't gig much, so it's never been an issue... Band 3 is an originals band with the band leader from Band 1, so when (if) that picks up gigging again, there won't be an issue there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I'm in 3 bands, of which my main gigging band always gets priority. They don't allow deps at all, and I knew this when I joined them 7 years ago. Fortunately my other two outfits are okay with this, and when there is the occasional clash of dates then I always arrange a dep to cover for me. Am lucky to have a couple of great guys who will dep in either band, so everyone happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 40 minutes ago, Les said: If you're a busy band I don't see anything wrong with wanting someone exclusively to be honest. Agreed, but the devil (of course) is in the detail. I know bands who play a gig every single month who think they're busy. I prefer (where possible) to gig every single weekend and I still have plenty of spare capacity. Like most things in life, it's contingent. Maybe it will work for you, and maybe it won't. Suck it and see. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toneknob Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 If a band says you can't be in another band, leave that band. (the first one that is) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I've just recently joined a second band because the number of gigs my first band plays has reduced significantly. Before I had my audition I told the second band I couldn't make all the dates they had in their diary because of my commitments with band one and they told me it wasn't a problem, they have deps they can use. Told band one I would honour all dates already in the diary but after that it would be first come first served, no problem there either. So far it's working out very well, it turns out band two's previous bass player wanted to leave because he couldn't commit to the number of gigs they were doing but he's happy to dep for me when needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 1 hour ago, Happy Jack said: Agreed, but the devil (of course) is in the detail. I know bands who play a gig every single month who think they're busy. Quite. I suppose busy depends on you're own interpretation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerstodge Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I was in 2 bands for about 6 weeks, I found it impossible, every gig clashed. fair play to you lot who are in more than one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I'm in 3 bands, two are local and also share the same guitarist. There haven't been any clashes, I book for one band and let the other band know when we're not available. Bookings accepted on the basis of first band to get a particular date blocks it for the other, though one of the bands can and does use deps to cover. The third band is nationally based, so gigs are arranged quite a long way in advance to avoid clashes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 Surprised that no-one has spelt it out yet though it's implied. The gig comes first, if you accept a gig then you have to honour it even if the other band comes up with a better gig later on. Once a band accept the gig they are letting all their band mates down if they try to become a no show. Not to mention the band will soon get a reputation too so doubly bad. first gig in the calendar is the one you have to do. 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 Phil's right. First gig to hit the diary wins. My solution is easy. For most of the bands I gig with (don't ask) the gigs are got by me and Silvie. Since I am invariably the busiest member of those bands, that removes the biggest sticking point. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 I was in 3 bands at one point and followed what Phil said, first gig that came in was the one I would honour. It got to a point where I knew which direction I wanted my music to go in so left 2 of the bands. And now I wouldn’t have time for another band, this weekend it was Stockton on Tees last night, Edinburgh tonight and Doncaster tomorrow night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 (edited) I think the feasibility of being in more than one band depends on how busy the bands are, and their willingness to entertain the use of deps. I currently play in 2 bands, but neither is particularly prolific when it comes to gigs so up to now there hasn't been a problem. I'm not really replaceable in either band, since I own the technology that plays the backing for one band, and my BassVI plus all the effects I use is an integral part of the sound of the other. The first in the diary solution is all very well, but sometimes it can be a problem. I used to play in an originals band that was out gigging most weekends (but rarely had anything booked more than 8 weeks in advance) and a covers band that gigged about 6 times a year and all of its gigs were booked months (in one case years) in advance of them happening. Case in point, the originals band get a last minute gig offer at a big venue supporting a very popular local band for their album launch gig. It's a gig we cannot afford to miss. Covers band already had one of their regular gigs booked months ago and insist that I play it, since I had already agreed to do it and won't accept my offer of finding a dep. Consequently one of the biggest gigs the Terrortones ever played was done without me on bass. Eventually led to me quitting the covers band to avoid a repeat of that situation. In fact I find it difficult to see how anyone can play in more than one band that is gigging regularly since the vast majority of decent gigs occur on Friday and Saturday nights there are always going to be clashes. If you are constantly having to find replacements for one of your bands, I would question your point of being in the band in the first place. The Terrortones had two guitarist who thought that they could play in multiple bands. The first we had to sack after he regularly turned down gigs because of prior musical commitments, and he was holding back the band. When it came to his replacement we insisted that if they wanted to be in the band we were their number one musical priority. We then made sure that we were out gigging at least one night every weekend for the next 3 months, by which time he was no longer in any other bands. Edited August 27, 2018 by BigRedX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 1 hour ago, BigRedX said: In fact I find it difficult to see how anyone can play in more than one band that is gigging regularly since the vast majority of decent gigs occur on Friday and Saturday nights there are always going to be clashes. If you are constantly having to find replacements for one of your bands, I would question your point of being in the band in the first place. Pretty much my take on the situation. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12stringbassist Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 (edited) I have always found people being in another band to be a pain in the butt. Trying to run a diary when they are possibly elsewhere with people from other bands, all interdependent on their other bands not being down is utter misery. I would not take on a guitarist who was in two bands, simply because I want to go out and play and have all of my band mates there at every gig. If Guitarist A can't live with that, there are others as good who can. I won't go out with a scratch band on the night. It's rarely good. Concentrate on one thing and get it right. The exception being if there are a couple of you that are in both bands and then working on the diary is quite simple. Edited August 27, 2018 by 12stringbassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 52 minutes ago, 12stringbassist said: I won't go out with a scratch band on the night. It's rarely good. It can be if you know good players. We used a dep drummer yesterday and he was better than the regular guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.gif.9ad672bb8b84505709f76b39c8c256ec.gif)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.