uk_lefty Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 I'm coming round to the "I hate gigging" part now! I joined a new band at the end of last year and had to get up to speed on their setlist quickly. They have over twenty gigs booked this year. In January we were turning away gigs, my old band did ten gigs in a good year and some of those were for free. Having got to mid March and played mostly the same material for all the gigs from December to early March I almost dread seeing new gigs come into the diary. I've got a busy day job, two small children, and I like playing music. However, getting all the gigs and earning through it (though half the earnings go towards band funds) I am feeling a bit "meh" about the whole thing. The setlist is good, great for a party, but not challenging for me as a bass player. It's ok, sometimes the simple ones are the best, but it's not exciting me to learn new stuff. I need a big meaty, present, bass tone, nothing nuanced or intricate, so that makes me feel a bit like it's all "Wham, bam" etc. I'll get through this summer and see how it goes. I like my bandmates, we don't travel very far, but the pressure it puts on the rest of life without the fulfillment is starting to weigh on me already. I recently went through a patch of cutting stuff out of my life that was causing me stress and/ or not making me happy, hence leaving the old band and binning a project I'd started. I'm now thinking I might have to leave this. It's fun, but it's hard work! Part of me wants to be creating something of my own rather than smashing out four chord covers. But then I don't want to be just sat on my own writing naval gazing rubbish... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 On 01/09/2019 at 11:58, TimR said: Pubs are closing at the rate of 3 a week. Business rates are astronomical and people would rather watch XFactor with a pizza and some supermarket lager. Playing 70/80s rock isn’t going to inspire anyone to come out especially if it’s not even inspiring the musicians who are playing it. You need to up your game, there are two types of musician, those that evolve and look for opportunities and those that just give up. We have changed singers and got a girl in and learned a completely new set. No more ‘dad rock’, playing to Jeremy Clarkson nursing his pint of real ale, her mates come along and we have a good crowd of girls dancing who get the place moving. Selecting and learning 30 new songs for the entire band is hard work, won’t deny that. Not the actual mechanics of learning songs, we are musicians, that’s what we do, but selecting and working out whether a song is going to work within the first few play throughs. Some just work from the start, if a song isn’t working on the 3rd play through, we move on, but getting some members of the band to drop a song that they proposed can often be ‘difficult’. One pandemic later... Have picked up another 4 songs in the last 3 weeks from 12+ that have been suggested. Suffering a little bit and regressing a bit back to "But I have a heavy rock sounding guitar and all these are synthesizer songs". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 (edited) 13 minutes ago, uk_lefty said: I've got a busy day job, two small children, and I like playing music. However, getting all the gigs and earning through it (though half the earnings go towards band funds) I am feeling a bit "meh" about the whole thing. When my kids were small and I was working stupid hours, it became a source of great frustration that I was making some serious commitments with time, energy and money, when other members of the band who didn't have busy jobs and families weren't even making half the effort to learn and practice material or even cancel minor social nights out in order to play gigs. When your drummer decides he wants to watch football in the pub with his mates rather than play a wedding gig you start questioning if you're in the right band. Edited March 22, 2022 by TimR 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Having just joined an originals band after zero gigs for 2 years, I have 4 in the diary already in the next 3 months. I haven't gigged original music in over 15 years, so it's quite exciting. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfoundfreedom Posted March 22, 2022 Author Share Posted March 22, 2022 58 minutes ago, TimR said: One pandemic later... Great turn of phrase. Yes indeed. Over two years ago since I started this thread, and in all that time I've played two "gigs". I use the term very loosely. They were actually private parties at my house with and half a dozen close friends during lockdown. I have my first proper gig in a couple of weeks time. I'm actually hosting a small festival at my house with another two bands and probably around 50-100 guests. So at least I don't have to worry about lugging the gear very far. It will be interesting to see if I still feel the same after this, as we're now doing all original material, which is something I'm far more passionate about, but likely to get a lukewarm reception from an audience who doesn't know the music. At this stage I'm not sure if I'm excited or nervous. But I know on the day I'll be bricking it. Hopefully not to the extent where I'm unable to enjoy it. At least we're first on, so if we're terrible by the time everyone's had a few, and watched the other two bands nobody will remember anyway. All three bands are breakaways from the covers band I was in when I started this thread. Myself, the singer, one guitarist and the drummer are now doing originals. Another of the guitarists formed his own band and they're also doing originals. The lead guitarist is in a third band still doing covers. So it will be good fun to get the gang back together as it were. Even if we're now split over three bands. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyb625 Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 I love being involved in any type of live performance, whether it be playing, acting, or running tech stuff. There's an immediacy to it which I find really addictive. Still, I know it's not for everyone and it's all good as long as everyone's enjoying what they choose to do. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 1 hour ago, TimR said: When your drummer decides he wants to watch football in the pub with his mates rather than play a wedding gig you start questioning if you're in the right band. It's not quite that problem in this band. The singer has kids same age as mine and the drummer has an older teenager so they get it. It's just the pressures of all other stuff like work and family that go on around gigging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 I love gigging, but have found that as I`m getting older the ideal for me is 1 a month, unlike my last band which was pretty much every weekend and was gigs all over the country and in Europe. Luckily in the band I`m currently in all of the others are in multiple bands so it`s very unlikely we will ever get an overstocked calendar. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 I guess if you have been in a covers band doing the pub circuit or even an originals band who is struggling to make it then everyone of us knows what the o.p. means. I know there were many gigs where I thought what's the point? But it's like golf. You hit loads of rubbish shots and then all of a sudden you hit a beauty and you think, I could get good at this. foolishly. We used to get one gig every so often that just hit the spot and made it worth while. I realise right enough that most of these wonder gigs were back on a scene many years ago. Round here certainly, the live scene is rank these days. Hardly any places to play and the ones that do put on music have the wrong clientele frequenting them. We don't gig any more because of my job but I think even if I landed a job that allowed me to rehearse and gig, I'm not sure I could be bothered these days. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 (edited) On 14/07/2019 at 23:11, stingrayPete1977 said: Would sir like the last few drunken idiots that won't leave to stand outside smoking in the doorway right in the way? Speaking of this. We had a gig once where we were booked for a load of students who were up. The landlord made a massive pot of chilli for them and we struggled to bring our gear in around them as they drunkenly staggered into us. As soon as we were finished and ready to start they all suddenly up and left. We played the whole night to half a dozen bored locals. Edited March 22, 2022 by ubit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leroydiamond Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, TimR said: 3 hours ago, TimR said: One pandemic later... Have picked up another 4 songs in the last 3 weeks from 12+ that have been suggested. Suffering a little bit and regressing a bit back to "But I have a heavy rock sounding guitar and all these are synthesizer songs". Maybe you need to up your game 🙂 Edited March 22, 2022 by leroydiamond Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barking Spiders Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 In my 20s played in a few rock bands to semi-interested pub crowds that just used to stand there nursing their pints. Often they were just indifferent and unresponsive so I jacked that in. Said to myself, sod that for a game of soldiers and then only joined bands that played music for the dancefloor, mostly at weddings and small festivals. Much more enjoyable as we managed to get people up out of their seats and strut their stuff. The vibes were generally more like parties than gigs. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 1 hour ago, leroydiamond said: Maybe you need to up your game 🙂 It was going OK. You do have to try a lot of songs to find ones that work quickly. Quite a few of them ended up being too much effort for little reward. When there are thousands of songs around just have to keep plugging away to find ones that suit and can be easily adapted to a 3 piece plus singer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Gigging. When a bunch of people are leaping around enjoying your music. How often do get to experience actively giving people joy as directly in that way? One if the best feelings there is. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 8 hours ago, petecarlton said: 490 already - the power of BC! The power you have, more like. Another two since you posted this today. Thank you Sir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 8 hours ago, petecarlton said: 490 already - the power of BC! The power you have, more like. Another two since you posted this today. Thank you Sir. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leroydiamond Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 4 hours ago, TimR said: It was going OK. You do have to try a lot of songs to find ones that work quickly. Quite a few of them ended up being too much effort for little reward. When there are thousands of songs around just have to keep plugging away to find ones that suit and can be easily adapted to a 3 piece plus singer. Yea. Been there and done that. Cannot say I miss it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leroydiamond Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said: Gigging. When a bunch of people are leaping around enjoying your music. How often do get to experience actively giving people joy as directly in that way? One if the best feelings there is. Totally agree when its 'your music'. A serious buzz when playing original set. As for playing Mr. Brightside and the like, that's another story IME Edited March 22, 2022 by leroydiamond Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 As said, if the gig went well it was great but there were too many occasions when you had an apathetic audience who didn't give a toss about the band and would only possibly shout out for ones they know. A typical gig on a Saturday night when we were still gigging. Go down to the pub at 8.45 and have a look in. People are still eating and the stage area has tables on it. Have a pint and wait. About 9-9.30 they would finish and the staff would clear the tables. The pub would start to fill at this point. We would man handle all of our gear in through and around the ones who insisted on standing near the door. About 10.15 we would be ready to start. Another pint before starting just to see if it got a bit busier. 10.30 first number. Usually would get a cheer or a clap. This first set would be our best of the night. This is the point when people are actively listening. Half way through this set a bunch of girls would ask for a particular song as they wanted to hear it and were going somewhere else. One we had already done or were saving for the second set when we needed a lift. 11.00 take a break. 11.20 second set. By this time the pub is heaving and very few people are taking any notice of the band. All cheering and clapping has ceased part from a couple of drunken bawls if they recognised something. A song we had banked on going down a treat would end to the sound of loud shouting as we realised they hadn't even noticed it. 12.00 we would take another break. 12.15 last set. By this time the pub was getting quieter as most had left for the club. 1.00 start repeating songs as they don't notice anyway. 1.30 finish. Not an example of every gig as some nights were much better but this gig certainly happened many times over the years. Do I miss it? After having not played for a few years now, yes but I know that if we started it all over again I would get sick of it in no time. I find, certainly around these parts, that live music moves in cycles. Way back in the early 80's before we started playing in the pubs full bands were all the rage. Once we started this was not so popular anymore and we couldn't get gigs. We re invented our selves and myself and the guitarist went out as a two piece with a drum machine. We made a fortune and were so busy in the early to mid 90's. Late 90's, early 2000's live bands were again starting to get attention so we got a drummer and we had our second happy time. This went on up until 2015 or so when the live scene just took a nose dive. Pubs closed, live music budgets were cut, gigs dried up. This is around when my job changed and I couldn't plan any time off as I get called away at short notice. I have kept a close eye on the live scene however and pubs that used to be busy as hell on a Saturday night are happy to have a busy spell at tea time with bar meals. Pubs that used to have live bands just have a disco now. It has changed again. People just don't have the money to go out as much as they used to in '96. Maybe its different where you guys play but certainly around here the live scene is poor just now. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfoundfreedom Posted March 23, 2022 Author Share Posted March 23, 2022 I could theoretically gig every weekend if I wanted to. (maybe even in the week too) the reason I left my old covers band was precisely because I didn't want to. Things are a lot different here in Bulgaria (and probably most of Europe) in that live music is very much still the in thing, and most bars, cafes and restaurants are happy to have live music pretty much any time. Especially through the summer months. Getting paid for it however is another matter entirely. The bars are happy to let you have a whip round or charge a small fee to the punters. If you can pull a few in you can actually do reasonably well this way and it's a win win for both the venue and the band. But actually getting paid by small venues (at least where I live) isn't really done. My old covers band are now playing a lot of clubs and larger venues in the surrounding cities and are getting paid, but split 5 ways it would barely cover the cost of fuel and a couple of drinks. If you're in it for the money here, you're probably going to be disappointed. I think you've got to really love it, and sadly, up to now at least, I just don't. However, what people have said about crowds responding to original music. I think that, if it ever happened, could be a turning point. I can't imagine a better buzz than a crowd enjoying, and singing along to something you've written and created. I think if / when that day happens, it'll be a gig I enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leroydiamond Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 11 minutes ago, Newfoundfreedom said: I could theoretically gig every weekend if I wanted to. (maybe even in the week too) the reason I left my old covers band was precisely because I didn't want to. Things are a lot different here in Bulgaria (and probably most of Europe) in that live music is very much still the in thing, and most bars, cafes and restaurants are happy to have live music pretty much any time. Especially through the summer months. Getting paid for it however is another matter entirely. The bars are happy to let you have a whip round or charge a small fee to the punters. If you can pull a few in you can actually do reasonably well this way and it's a win win for both the venue and the band. But actually getting paid by small venues (at least where I live) isn't really done. My old covers band are now playing a lot of clubs and larger venues in the surrounding cities and are getting paid, but split 5 ways it would barely cover the cost of fuel and a couple of drinks. If you're in it for the money here, you're probably going to be disappointed. I think you've got to really love it, and sadly, up to now at least, I just don't. However, what people have said about crowds responding to original music. I think that, if it ever happened, could be a turning point. I can't imagine a better buzz than a crowd enjoying, and singing along to something you've written and created. I think if / when that day happens, it'll be a gig I enjoy. Pretty much agree with your comment. Do you still pick up the bass at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Back in the 80s, 90s you could play a pub with a 100% original set and people would love it, even though the bands I was in weren't known far beyond their home towns. Most people had the radio plus the music they were into., so when they went out they were just happy to hear a genre they liked. Now, everyone hears everything and 'popular' songs are known by everyone. That's one of the good things about the blues band, we can play really obscure stuff, improvise and rearrange so what we do may not be original but it's very creative (Feeling Good in the style of Frijid Pink, anyone?) My brother's band play rock classics, but every single song is in their style, they've all been in tributes and originals bands, and now they have a following. They've dropped from over 60 gigs a year to two a month, max, and now only play venues they like (they have the whole of 2022 and into 2023 booked up). But I have no shame in enjoying playing accurate covers of crowd pleasers; let's face it, the CBSO do it all the time... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Every pub would have live music still if they didn't have to pay the band. If the band were handing round a hat for their only income pubs would be falling over themselves to allow you to play. It's the fact that pubs are expected to pay that means they won't hire bands. They just think it's not worth it and if they are making a decent amount in bar meals alls good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 We've just lost 20 or so gigs after a falling out with the venue which had us booked through to the end of the year and I'm gutted. IME with the band I've done most gigs with in the last decade, the poor gigs are few and far between, even reading some of the grim stories above I'd still persevere, tho as I say, some notable car crashes aside*, that's not been my experience with this band... * And mostly due to external factors, like the agent that mis-booked us (a guitar/acoustic trio) as a 7-piece soul band for a NYE gig once... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barking Spiders Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 (edited) 11 hours ago, leroydiamond said: Totally agree when its 'your music'. A serious buzz when playing original set. As for playing Mr. Brightside and the like, that's another story IME That's nice if you can get to do your own material but IMO it's great if you can do sufficiently good covers that still get people onto the dancefloor. I used to play bass in a function band that did disco, chart funk and LA boogie (i.e. stuff like The Whispers 'And the beat goes on', 'There it is' by Shalamar. We had two cracking singers, M + F, who were our secret weapons. They nailed it every time. I'd like to be able to do more of this stuff but obviously, covid put paid to wedding gigs in 2020. Unfortunately over the last couple of decades, the live scene in Gloucestershire has nose dived with most of the better venues in Cheltenham and Gloucester now gone, along with all four musical instrument stores and several music shops in Chelt 😞 Edited March 23, 2022 by Barking Spiders 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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