Hey,
just curious what determines your practice place. I'm currently in a situation where we have two locations to rehearse, but one seems like the obvious choice because the drummer can leave his stuff set up there all the time. The other place is closer to where most of us live...thus the "issue" between some band members. It's not a crisis right now, but we're starting to grumble about it a little. I think the drummer has the biggest "pain" in the set-up department...but that's just my opinion.

thoughts? Thanks!

Where we rehearse is set by the how much it cost to keep it heated all winter. And also we can leave stuff set up.

As long as you can get there in 30 minutes or so it is worth it...Recently went to an audition 50 miles away. It went great but the distance was too much for me to work with them.

What is the problem? Rent? Distance? Cats? Security? You have to ask before it gets out of hand.

read the post again...what's wrong with carpooling?

there's no transportation problem...our situation is kinda dictated by what can be left set-up in one place, can't in another--and the one where we can't leave it set-up is closer for most of us.

I personally would rather drive an extra 15 minutes to a place I don't have to completely tear down every week after rehearsal.

Originally posted by TxBass
What drives where you rehearse?
I drive to where we rehearse in my car!! Nothing drives where we rehearse - there isn't room and I couldn't get a car up the steps!! ;)

We practice in my basement - I have everything setup there, including a complete drum kit, a PA, 2 Marshall tube amps, guitars, etc, and I also live close to the other guys.

Previously, we practiced in a studio owned by our former drummer who also had everything setup in there.

So basically, we practice where we don't have to setup and teardown every time.

Originally posted by Bruce Lindfield

I drive to where we rehearse in my car!! Nothing drives where we rehearse - there isn't room and I couldn't get a car up the steps!!


I knew that was coming eventually...:D

On a good day - the rhythm section! :cool:

It is awfully convenient to just walk in and start playing, so that would be my vote. I drive about 50 miles to our practice, the drive sucks I gotta agree...but setting up and tearing down gets awfully old too.:)

With my previous band, we left everything set up in our basement. I lived with the two guitarists already and our drummer lived across the street. Living so close together was nice because we could usually get an hour or two of practice in every night.

All band members in my two bands live in another small town - where our rehearsal place is as well - so I drive about 25 miles (one way), at least twice a week. That's 100 miles a week, but it's worth it of course, even though it's a pain during the winter time.

Originally posted by Anders Östberg
but it's worth it of course, even though it's a pain during the winter time.

yeah, but you're driving a Volvo right?? I've seen those commercials, they can go wherever---through any type of weather!:D

maybe you should change the thread title to "what dictates where you rehearse. just a thought

Originally posted by TxBass
yeah, but you're driving a Volvo right?? I've seen those commercials, they can go wherever---through any type of weather!:DHehe. I guess that would be the Swedish thing to do, but my winter transport is this little shoe-box:

http://www.InterimLocation.com/FretNoMore/misc/atos.jpg

:)

I have removed the rear seats and put in a plywood floor, and believe it or not I can cram in my entire PA:

- Two Mackie subs
- Two EV300 speakers
- a 9hu efx/mixer rack case
- two 2hu amp cases
- four floor wedges
- a mic stand bag
- a mic cable bag
- a speaker/power cable bag
- an attache case with mics
- a small rucksack for nicknacks

and then it's *full*. :D


But, I'm sorry, I don't mean to hi-jack the thread. Please let's go back to the original question.

you are the "master loader"...it would definately have an effect on your practice if you couldn't transport it---so I think it applies. Besides, we don't get to see what people carry their equipment in nearly as much as pics of their guitars/amps.:cool:

-it probably won't surprise you for me to say I drive a truck--it is Texas afterall.;)

my band hates tearing down and setting up...we were practicing at our singer's house for a long time since he just got a studio, and then when we finished with some recording (i.e. got tired of it) we decided to move back to our drummer's place which is much closer to the rest of us. But even then it took weeks before we actually did it cuz we dreaded moving our gear so much. SUCKS. I couldn't imagine doing that EVERY PRACTICE. YEESH!!

Unless you have small amps and stuff, but it sucks for the drummer, seems pretty unfair - driving a little longer isn't nearly as bad as having to move gear every practice. You guys should suck it up for the guy, or else try to find another place that works best for everyone...which you've probably done--I'll shut up now.

For my church band we, obviously, practice at church. But my other band we practice at the drummer's house because he can leave his drums set up there and he wont leave them at anybody else's house(jackass). His basement is way too small though.

We used to practice in my singer's basement. It was great because it was close for all of us (except the drummer) and we could leave stuff set up. But we got kicked out by the rest of the guys that live in the house. So now we practice in the drummer's bedroom. The drive isn't so bad (winding country roads are fun), but having to carrying my rig up and down the stairs from my house to my car and then from my car to the drummer's room is just awful.

It's definitely easier if you can leave stuff set up.

He has his employees load the truck before the gig (company truck) and unload it the day after.

We can crank the volume, and there's no time limit.

We practice in my recording studio, it's free cuz it's mine and we can do full recordings of all our band practices to see where we need improvements and use them for press packets and such.

we rehearse at a bar

it's great, beer, popcorn and an audience

people really dig a band rehearsing, don't know why but it also makes us practice a lot better. we all get there knowing the tunes and just have to work out the details

cool system

:cool:

my drummers...
however we have worked on stuff over 3 way calling...
its hard to get but fun

Originally posted by Ed Fuqua
... And pick it up from the top of the piano solo again. Preach it brother! I've been there, although the exact drill is normally "Pick it up from the top of the piano solo again, reminding the vocalists that it's not their turn any more" ;)

nojazzloco - do you also gig with this band? How do you persuade people to come to a performance, when they can see a rehearsal for free?

Wulf

Well now i just play at church, my other band never found a singer and my drummer is a jackass, lol. Any bands in the Baltimore/Annapolis area that need a bass player, here i am!

Originally posted by wulf
Preach it brother! I've been there, although the exact drill is normally "Pick it up from the top of the piano solo again, reminding the vocalists that it's not their turn any more" ;)

nojazzloco - do you also gig with this band? How do you persuade people to come to a performance, when they can see a rehearsal for free?

Wulf

we constanly gig. we are not a club band, we do wedding rep's, political and corporate gigs.

the bar that we practice at is a run down joint. on tuesdays in san antonio, not many people go to this bar, so it works out great.

wherever theres a drum kit. we used to practice in my drummers apartment, taht didnt go over so weel, but id otn get it cause we're a REALLY quiet band. i guess its just the vibrations. i run between 4 or 5 bands, so sometimes i have a drum kit at my house, so my serious, all girl band might practice there, or we might take the drum kit to our guitarists house. but we just got a vocalist who says we can practice there, but my drummer is moving into our house and keeping her drum set here, so assmuing all our practices will be at my place now. my parents are used to it though, my brother who is 5 years older than me was a drummer so he had bend practices till 3AM at our place. so yeah. wherever we can put a drum kit we're good. as long as i dont have to carry my gear too much i'm good.

-shoonk

We rehearse at the band leaders house. It's a nicely finished basement and we can leave our stuff there.

There is a rehearsal centre in my town that has about 15 rooms available. Rates vary per time slot, but we usually do four hours a week which is plenty, on a Sunday afternoon. We can't leave set up, but we can leave our gear there. I don;t because I don't trust the place, so I rent an amp from the owner for the princely sum of £1 an hour. Added to the cost of the room hire split by five, I pay £8 per practice. Our drummer leaves his kit there, P.A. is provided in every room and our guitarists both have cars so they carpool each week, bringing their amps, guitars + pedals. If you practice every week storage is free, but if you miss a week you are charged £5. My drummer, being an idiot, put his kit back in storage after our last gig 6 weeks ago. We took a break because the guitarists and I have exams at college, and our drummer forgot. He owes £35 and is bitching at us. we laugh. We've got a practice this sunday for our support slot to signed band Freebase on Wednesday, and then we'll have a few more until mid July when my guitarists go on holiday till August 8th. We've got one gig right in the middle of August, then in September a headline slot and we're doing our second CD at the end of September, and so will be practicing weekly around that time.

There is nowhere else to rehearse that has a P.A. and is accessible. I also don't store my rig because I don't have anything to play at home, and it sure is waste playing my amp once a week, if that. Plus when we don;t practice getting it home is a bitch.