When did you realise….. you weren’t going to “make it”?

[lowdown]

14 hours ago, Nebadon2000 said:

When we were backup music and props for Topless Dancers in a Dive Club on Long Island NY

 

It's a shame you didn't make it to the next level - Support band for Puppet Shows.**

 

[snorkie635]

5 hours ago, lowdown said:

 

It's a shame you didn't make it to the next level - Support band for Puppet Shows.**

 

 

[lowdown]

1 hour ago, snorkie635 said:

 

 

 

I see they've fired Willie Nelson.!!

[jimmyb625]

I heard once, that Pink Floyd commented they could leave the venue at the same time as the fans who had seen the show and not be recognised.

By that measure, I have made it.

Edited September 17, 2023 by jimmyb625

[EBS_freak]

What you mean? Aren't going to make it?

[Stub Mandrel]

My ambitions were lways modest and stepwise - play bass, jam, be in a band, write a song, play a festival, revord a demo... I probably had a few thoughts of "wouldn't it be cool if..." in my 30s, especially with the second originals band. We had a great songwriter as band leader and boy/girl vocalists wjo were good, although she was posdibly yoo young and not serious enough about it. But I decided to put career first and ended up married and away for over 20 years.

 

Refinding music as the marriage collapsed saved my sanity. Fulfilled lots more ambitions as for some reason my playing is hugely improved. Finding I can learn stuff quickly, lots of styles, jam, dep, improvise. I suppose my two ambitions are to play a really big crowd/festival and it eold be nice to appear on a proper album.

 

Oh... and one day to play a few songs live with my youngest brother.

[Jackroadkill]

1 hour ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Oh... and one day to play a few songs live with my youngest brother.

 

Funnily enough that's my musical ambition, too.

[Richard R]

 

1 hour ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Finding I can learn stuff quickly, lots of styles, jam, dep, improvise

 

I've read all of this thread with great interest,  and I think my ambition is to be @Stub Mandrel * 🤣

 

 

I first picked up a bass in 2016, aged 49, because we were short of bass players at church. My goal then was to be good enough to play regularly in church without screwing up. Which I am and I do.  My goals now are to

1) practice more and be good enough to play in a secular band with a mix of covers and originals. 

2) find someone who writes good music and needs a lyricist partner to help take over the world. 

One of these is more plausible than the other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* just the music bits, not the divorce

[borntohang]

It's funny how these things go. I played in a band that got a little label interest as a teenager and luckily didn't go anywhere (they shouldn't let 18 year olds ruin their life like that) then kicked around casual bands for the next decade or so happy to play the occasional interesting show.

 

Turned 30 and decided I was 'retiring', then immediately walked into a session gig with a label band and within a year we'd done Wembley twice, two months on a bus round Europe, festival main stages, etc. Quit the day job to join the band full time and within another six months lockdown killed a couple tours plus a second label deal and I realised I hated everything about being in a band that wasn't playing music. Gracefully stepped out to do other things and like most recovering musicians ended up as a touring tech - turns out that people will actually pay you to tell them how not to make the mistakes you did first time round.

 

I believe this is what the industry calls "a roller-coaster" of a career path. I have a day job now but it's not exactly a 9-5 and I get to do some interesting music related things plus gig at the weekend. The wages of sin have not been particularly lucrative but we do alright between the two of us. 

 

I've been extraordinarily lucky really because all these opportunities have just kind of drifted into my lap and while I'm a competent player I'm unlikely to end up making any Bassist Of The Year lists. Being polite and not making waves on the bus has been far more important to my career than being a shredder. 

[jonno1981]

Twice! 
 

A&R told us “there’s only one incubus”, reviewing then bands finest work in my early twenties. Reject & exit stage right. 🤣
 

Reaching the age of 40 without headlining the Sunday night at Reading festival. Oh well. 

[joeystrange]

Never say never.

 

I have friends who’ve got big gigs in their 40s and 50s so there’s always time.

 

Of course you might not be in the young, hot new radio band in your 50s but you can still join an established band and make a living.

[Steve Browning]

Quite right. Technically, I headlined the Isle of Wight festival at 52.

[meterman]

29 minutes ago, Steve Browning said:

Quite right. Technically, I headlined the Isle of Wight festival at 52.

 

Result!

I’ve never headlined the main stage at IOW but have headlined a couple of the smaller stages there at a similar age. 
 

Biggest main stage headline gig (as a session player) for me was one of the London Hyde Park gigs when I’d have been 48 or 49. 
 

Never rule out decent opportunities due to age, you just never know what’s going to come along or when. In my case I don’t feel like I’ve ‘made it’ because I’m not famous, nobody knows who I am, I’m not even particularly good, I’m just generally available and get to play with mates who are a bit higher up the chain than me. And it always feels like there’s been an admin error and I’m doing those sorts of gigs by mistake. But I’d always do them if possible 👍

 

My two bucket list ‘made it’ gigs would have been TOTP and the Royal Albert Hall, I always wanted to do those but I never have, or will. But that’s okay, I’m too tired now anyway 😂

[Steve Browning]

31 minutes ago, meterman said:

 

Result!

I’ve never headlined the main stage at IOW but have headlined a couple of the smaller stages there at a similar age. 
 

Biggest main stage headline gig (as a session player) for me was one of the London Hyde Park gigs when I’d have been 48 or 49. 
 

 

We are in the same club. It wasn't the main stage (hence 'technically'). The festival audience had the choice of my band, High Flying Birds or (under cover while it was peeing down) the Manics.

 

Got me my Rotosound deal anyway!

Edited September 18, 2023 by Steve Browning

[borntohang]

On 18/09/2023 at 10:39, Steve Browning said:

 

We are in the same club. It wasn't the main stage (hence 'technically'). The festival audience had the choice of my band, High Flying Birds or (under cover while it was peeing down) the Manics.

 

Got me my Rotosound deal anyway!

Love IOW. We opened main stage 2018, and then Big Top on Friday the year you're talking about because we were going on a tour next day and they persuaded us to squeeze it into the schedule. The band had played something like 5 years in a row on gradually larger stages before I joined so they had a really good relationship with the festival team.

 

 

[Steve Browning]

1 hour ago, borntohang said:

Love IOW. We opened main stage 2018, and then Big Top on Friday the year you're talking about because we were going on a tour next day and they persuaded us to squeeze it into the schedule. The band had played something like 5 years in a row on gradually larger stages before I joined so they had a really good relationship with the festival team.

 

 

It was a nightmare getting off-site to get to the ferry. The ground was saturated. 

 

Still, Jeff Beck was great. 

[Leonard Smalls]

1 hour ago, borntohang said:

The band had played something like 5 years in a row on gradually larger stages before I joined

Here's me playing with the Bang Bangs before they even had a bass player! This was at a tiny village hall in south Shropshire...

[Barking Spiders]

1 hour ago, Leonard Smalls said:

Here's me playing with the Bang Bangs before they even had a bass player! This was at a tiny village hall in south Shropshire...

did Ghost nick your look?

[BassTractor]

I'm sorry to have to say this, @Leonard Smalls,
but you looked more adorable a few years earlier.

 

[borntohang]

4 hours ago, Leonard Smalls said:

Here's me playing with the Bang Bangs before they even had a bass player! This was at a tiny village hall in south Shropshire...

 

I think we've had this convo before in my tour thread because I remember the photos!

 

Ross is still using that guitar - I cleaned it up for him the other day and found muck under the pickguard that is old enough to be in that shot... It's seen some use for sure. We have a little project going for his writing outlet still, but the gigging schedule has eased off considerably (to my relief). 

[ricksterphil]

25 -ish, family on the way and got whizzed off trying to load gear into the back of a minivan on New Year's Day at around 2 in the morning surrounded by drunken Mr and Mrs Silly Billy.

 

Gave it all up for 20 years or so.

 

My drummer mate was in the band which became T'Pau but chose to leave before they went to London and got on TOTP......so near, yet so far.

Later on he did get to gig with Robert Plant (post Zeppelin), so not all bad

[Mickeyboro]

47 minutes ago, ricksterphil said:

Later on he did get to gig with Robert Plant (post Zeppelin), so not all bad

Little known fact: Carol Decker and Robert Plant shared the same hairdresser….

[msb]

When I started playing in blues bands about forty five odd years ago I gave up any dreams of rock stardom. I thought success would simply wind up playing in local bars with some really nice players. I did not want travel.

 

So I found success but wealth and stardom were not to happen. And I’m perfectly ok with the way things have turned out. 

[ricksterphil]

On 19/09/2023 at 16:25, Leonard Smalls said:

Here's me playing with the Bang Bangs before they even had a bass player! This was at a tiny village hall in south Shropshire...

Which village hall? I might have played in the very same one.

[Leonard Smalls]

2 hours ago, ricksterphil said:

Which village hall

Chapel Lawn!