ardi100 Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 A Join My Band wanted post has appeared with the perfect genre for me. It's around an hour's drive away. They gig regularly and I would assume that the gigs are in that area as well, but could obviously be much further away. This is one of the only ads that's really tickled my fancy (and I'm kind of already playing with one of the others) and there aren't many around here. So, how far would you drive for regular rehearsals and gigs if everything else was great? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 An hour was always my limit, if it was worth the effort for a good band and good music. I’m lucky though, we all live in the same town more or less. So rehearsals are 5 minutes away. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 Both of my bands rehearse about a 30-45mins drive. My gigging bands gigs are always at least an hour away, tho me & the drummer paid up so share the drive on these. We only gig about 10 times a year and only really rehearse if we’ve a gig. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardi100 Posted March 2 Author Share Posted March 2 1 minute ago, Rayman said: An hour was always my limit, if it was worth the effort for a good band and good music. I’m lucky though, we all live in the same town more or less. So rehearsals are 5 minutes away. Using Google maps, it's an hour and 6 minutes to th centre of town! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ardi100 Posted March 2 Author Share Posted March 2 1 minute ago, Lozz196 said: Both of my bands rehearse about a 30-45mins drive. My gigging bands gigs are always at least an hour away, tho me & the drummer paid up so share the drive on these. We only gig about 10 times a year and only really rehearse if we’ve a gig. I feel like 30-45 minutes is completely fine. In London that wouldn't even get you across town! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 I moved out of the city about 16 years ago, about a two hour drive away. I stayed in my band and commuted up every weekend for a four hour practice. Four hours of driving, four hours of playing. Same for gigs, which were usually there, too. I didn't mind, initially, but gradually I got sick of the amount of time I spent on the road, particularly when I could arrive on-time but the two lads who lived close to where we rehearsed would arrive 30 minutes late quite frequently. I started to resent the amount of time I spent in the car, to be honest, but I'm not someone who enjoys spending lots of time travelling. If you love your car like Roger Taylor, maybe you can do it without the stress. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 Yup, an hour each way is doable. Our rehearsal space (for both bands) is about 45 mins away. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JazzyJ Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 40 mins each way for rehearsal with the new band. Previously it was all on my doorstep as such. I don't mind the drive, it's the one day of the week the RS gets to stretch its legs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 An hour would be ok by me if there was proper pay for the gigs and the rehearsals became relatively rare. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamIAm Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 Perhaps I'm spoiled in Brighton/Hove ... 30 mins each way is my limit. Sam x 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Browning Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 All sounds very do'able. Maybe, in the fullness of time, you can crash with one of the other band members after a gig. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Combed20 Posted March 3 Share Posted March 3 (edited) When my band were looking for a new drummer, one potentially applicant was a big distance away. Our solution was to find a rehearsal room mid way. Meant everyone would have a roughly 50min journey. Would have been worth it for the right person. Edited March 3 by Combed20 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meterman Posted March 3 Share Posted March 3 When I was younger I went from London to Zurich for a one-off gig. Have done Isle Of Wight to Bulgaria for a festival gig as well. Decent money for both, but I wouldn’t do it nowadays, I’m waaaaay too lazy now. Would probably only gig in my living room these days. Most likely in my pyjamas as well 😂 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 Used to go an hourish, one way for my first band that toured Europe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluewine Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 On 02/03/2024 at 08:44, ardi100 said: A Join My Band wanted post has appeared with the perfect genre for me. It's around an hour's drive away. They gig regularly and I would assume that the gigs are in that area as well, but could obviously be much further away. This is one of the only ads that's really tickled my fancy (and I'm kind of already playing with one of the others) and there aren't many around here. So, how far would you drive for regular rehearsals and gigs if everything else was great? At my age, 70 not more than 10 minutes one way. Daryl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gasman Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 Gigs and rehearsals are all minimum of an hours drive each way for me. No band opportunities anywhere near me, so I suck the travelling up to keep playing with nice people. Good opportunity to listen to audio books too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 One of my bands rehearses an hour away, the other 45 minutes. Both are reasonably close to my workplace, so I tend to make rehearsal days my "not working at home today" days. Luckily neither band rehearses more than once a month. An hour is about as far as I'd go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 4 hours ago, Gasman said: I suck the travelling up to keep playing with nice people. Good opportunity to listen to audio books too! Ditto and ditto! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie C Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 I used to be in a band that was about 45 minutes drive for rehearsals. That got a bit of a drag after 6 months. It was also problematic that the band took on gigs in about a 1 hour radius, and almost never in my direction, so most gigs were 60-90 minutes drive. Now I'm more flexible on genre if I can play locally - my current bands are 15 minutes away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonK Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 It depends on where you are in life - when I was a teenager/early twenties I would go almost any distance for a practice or gig so long as I could afford it. With my last band we recorded a whole album, but then couldn't be bothered to do any gigs (also not helped by COVID). If you are having fun do it, if not ditch it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 I played in a band where the drummer would commute twice a week between Coventry where he lived and Nottingham where the rest of the band were and where we practiced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staggering on Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 (edited) I like to play but I live in a very rural area with the nearest large town (50,000) an hour away and so that is where most rehearsals and jazz gigs are although we travel another hour or two for some gigs. At 77 I want to play as much as I can because time is passing quickly, this summer I have a jazz gig or two an hour away and 5-6 days of rehearsal and performances for a stage show at the same distance. I somehow got into a bluegrass band 18 months ago and we have three weekend festivals booked and another possible one. The closest is 2 hours away and the farthest is about 6 hours and the others 4 hours but I will make a weekend of it and have a little holiday while playing at the festivals. I will be playing DB at all of these gigs. My weekly DB lesson is also an hour away. At this point in my life I want to play all I can while I am still able to drive and play and the driving is the price I have to pay for living in my little part of paradise, I've been here for 45 years now and still love it.😊 Edited March 5 by Staggering on 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 For regular rehearsals I’d like it to be within an hour from me (which has always been the case) - if it’s much further I won’t make it regularly so it’ll become an issue. In terms of gigs I don’t mind travelling really far for the right gig. In practical terms almost all my regular gigs are within three hours max of here, but being in the Midlands that does cover a fair chunk of the UK. One-off gigs further afield are accepted on their merit and usually incorporated into a bit of a trip away if need be to make the most of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 I'll gig anywhere. In the last 10 years I've played in Largs, Belfast, Cardiff, Prague and all over England. Many times I've driven for 2 hours to get across London for a Friday night gig. I had a band leader call me at 10 am on a Saturday and ask if I could be in Devon by 4 pm for a wedding gig. Of course I could. Travel to gigs is what it is but what's with this weekly rehearsal business? I really don't get that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonK Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 My favourite was being at a charity day in Cromer, Norfolk, and suggesting to the organisers they have a live band that evening for their fund raising dinner. When he said yes I phoned my bandmates in Southampton who dropped everything, jumped in the car and we were playing by 6 (for no fee). They then drove home afterwards... them were the days... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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