Q to non drivers ie rehearsals

[FretsOnFire]

As someone that doesn't drive I'm finding this is hampering my ability to find jam buddies/dept gigs and I'll be honest it's disheartening as I can't afford a car or even lessons

 

I can't be the only one that's faced this situation though surely? So for those who have dealt with this how did/do you get around it and get to rehearsals/gigs?

[Dad3353]

Our Eldest held down the role of Principal Guitar in a successful Rock/Ska/Punk band (Kiemsa...) for a few years, and has never held a car licence. It fell upon his conciliatory father (myself...) to fulfil taxi duties, to such a point that I ended up carting most of the whole band to gigs, all over France, in the 7-seater Renault Espace I had at the time. I hired a horse-box-sized trailer for the hardware (PA, lights, all the back-line and stage props...), and operated the FOH and lights for them during the gigs. Do you have a conciliatory father/neighbour/partner/buddy willing and able to do likewise..? 

Edited 22 hours ago by Dad3353

[Downunderwonder]

Bass players tend to be the ones giving drummers and guitards rides.

 

These days it's a lot easier to be a motorcycling bassist with the lightweight stuff available. I used to go to jams on my bike with a 210 on the rack and a Ubass.

[fretmeister]

Host rehearsal at your house.

 

For gigging though, the only people I know who have managed it have lived where public transport has been good enough to get home after a gig, and there’s not much of that outside of London.

[Mrbigstuff]

7 hours ago, FretsOnFire said:

As someone that doesn't drive I'm finding this is hampering my ability to find jam buddies/dept gigs and I'll be honest it's disheartening as I can't afford a car or even lessons

 

I can't be the only one that's faced this situation though surely? So for those who have dealt with this how did/do you get around it and get to rehearsals/gigs?

Moved to central London. But even then I only lasted a couple of years of trawling my amp on a little trolley before I gave up and bought a car again. 

[neepheid]

Sax player in the 'Spoons doesn't drive (but bless him, he's learning) - I just give him a lift to rehearsals, I'm going anyway. He gets the biscuits in, it's all good.

[Steve Browning]

Essentially, you need to be good enough to be worth the hassle. The drummer in my band doesn't drive, but is both less than 10 minutes away, and ridiculously good so I have no issue at all. 

 

Similarly, I'm in a van so no chance of wrecking the interior. 

 

You're expecting someone to add considerably to their evening. 

 

Jam nights and rehearsals should be ok as amps would be there. Gigging is another matter entirely. 

[Uncle Rodney]

In my last band, I just happen to pass (sorta) a car-less band member's house enroute to the rehearsal room. I couldn't bring myself just to drive past.. It worked most of the time. I was driving a very long way, he was just crossing town and sometimes got "itchy" when I got stuck in traffic and not on his doorstep at the agreed time. 🙄

When it came to gigs, it would depend where it was, if I was passing I would pick the guy up, if not he would ask another band member. He would always offer ££, I tended not to take the £ as "I was going that way anyway".

 

My current band, just at the last weekend I picked up our car-less singer. Again a long drive for me with an insane journey 2 miles across town after picking the guy up. He helped with town knowledge getting around the many "road closed" signs.

 

And a band years ago, I would pick up the drummer as he had drink driving ban. Sadly, although being a nice chap, once the ban was over he got a car and no surprises for what happened next. 🤡

 

Maybe foolishly, I tend to see it as part of the team effort being in a band. It can go wrong, being mindful what is being said in the car matters. For me it was, be respectful and courteous. As in, don't make demands on the lift driver, be ready when the lift arrives. No smoking, drugs, faffing about, farting, politics in the car.. etc.  ..and don't sit on my driving spex. Before -> 🤓... after->🧐

Edited 4 hours ago by Uncle Rodney

[chris_b]

The singer in one of my bands doesn't drive. She gets the bus to my house and we go together, and I drop her at her place afterwards.

 

I usually give the drummer a lift when I'm playing on another band. He's local, gets me gigs and is very good so that's OK by me.

 

In another band, we only gig in London so the keys player gets an Uber to the gig and I give him a lift (about 2 miles) home after.

 

Everyone else drives.

Edited 3 hours ago by chris_b

[Russ]

In the last band I was in in the UK, about 9 years ago, the band’s main guy (guitarist/songwriter) didn’t drive and relied on his long-suffering girlfriend to drive him everywhere, including to gigs a long way from home! It’s not because he couldn’t, or that he had a driving ban or anything like that, he had a valid, clean licence, but he just didn’t own a car and didn’t want one. 

 

Back in the dim and distant past, I was in a band where three of us, including myself, didn’t drive, and the only one who had a vehicle (drummer, natch) had a van. We also had a semi-permanent rehearsal space where we could leave amps and other gear safely. When we had gigs, we just piled the stuff in the back of the drummer’s van and made sure to chip in for petrol money.