First paying gig - long

[Bullitt5135]

Finally got paid to play last Saturday. I'm 41 and have only been at it for 8 months after a long hiatus. I've been trying to get a band going with a drummer I met at the start of the year. Every time I think we're onto something, the drummer kicks out the singer, or the guitar player, or both. Or I find out that I'm the odd guy out while he's trying out a new bass player. The situation is really frustrating, but I'm not finding too many alternatives in my area. For the past month, I've more or less been the "permanent" bassist for a start-up classic rock/oldies band along with the drummer and a couple guys who grew up in the 60's.

Last week, the drummer got a call out of the blue looking for a last minute replacement when a band cancelled on a backyard family reunion gig. We had two nights to put together enough songs for a 5PM-11PM gig. We called in a guitar player/singer we've jammed with in the past, but had kicked out of the band once before... just so we'd have enough material for a full show.

Things did not start out well. We had agreed to arrive at 3:30PM, with the intention of playing at 5PM. I arrived at 3:20, but the drummer did not show up (with the PA) until 4:40. The other guys rolled in around 5PM. By the time we started, it was nearly 6PM, and the natives were getting restless. Our mix was all jacked up, and we had to rearrange amps, etc., for 20 minutes before continuing. Sensing that the crowd was ready to dance, the stand-in guitar player threw the set list out the window. I was able to keep up for the most part, but it was taking way too much time between songs. We played maybe 7-8 songs, and the drummer needed a break because of the heat. Umm, OK.

During the break, another guy who we've jammed with in the past showed up, so he started out the next set with 4 of his songs. The other three guitar players didn't know his material at all, so two of them just walked off and the third guy followed as best he could. By this time, our 40-song set list was blown to pieces. I took matters into my own hands and started calling out the songs just to keep things rolling. I think we played OK, considering we were pretty much winging it the whole time. By 10:30, the crowd was thinning out and it was hotter than hell. The family hosting the party came up and said things were winding down, and we were welcome to keep playing or break it down and join them for a beer. We played one more and called it quits. They seemed genuinely appreciative and paid us the agreed-upon fee. We also picked up a contact at the local Eagles lodge who books their acts.

Overall, I was really happy about the gig. I have very little stage experience, and I got through the whole day without nerves or train wrecks. As the least-experienced guy in the band, I was somewhat appalled by my band's lack of professionalism. Showing up late, the guitar players arguing onstage about who's playing the leads (between songs, one guitard yelled across the stage "dude, stop hogging my leads" -- loud enough to be heard offstage), the stand-in guitar player refusing to play Margaritaville and walking off as we played, the drummer cutting off my mic without telling me (I apparently offended him when I replaced a monitor cable without telling him), guitar player played sitting down / wearing shorts. Petty BS. That being said, it seems like stuff we could build on and straighten out.

The day after, I talked to the lead singer. He said he's never playing with the other guitar players again. The stand-in guy doesn't know when to stop playing his obnoxious leads (especially over the vocals), and refuses to learn anyone else's song choices. The other guitar player complained all day long, and flubbed a lot of the parts they had been practicing for months. So I guess we are back to square one. Hopefully we can find a decent lead guitar player who can sing some of the leads. We also need to retool the set list in favor of more party tunes. Above all, we need to rehearse like were playing a gig so we can tighten everything up.

At the end of the day, I have $50 in my pocket (oh boy!) and a bunch of invaluable experience to show for it.

[kevbassman]

No disrespect........but sometimes you get what you pay for.

Showing up late to a gig scheduled @ 5:00 PM is simply unprofessional. Outdoor gigs are tricky in getting a good sound.......then a hired cover band that played originals?
You always have to play to the crowd......so if the crowd wanted to dance, play some good fast & slow stuff. With that said.....5-11 is a long time. I would have just played 3 1 hour sets with breaks in between.

Good luck in the future!

[metlman72]

I agree thats a long gig. I barely know enough covers to get through three one hour sets. Sounds like you had your hands full but held it down on the low end. Congrats and welcome to the music world. You'll find out there are many more tards than decent musicians out there.

[Bullitt5135]

Thanks for the encouragement! Just to clarify, the gig was to to play 30-40 tunes (all covers), and fill in the breaks with music off a CD. I lost track of how many songs we played, but it was probably over 30 altogether. We skipped a bunch of "warm up" songs -- the stuff we meant to play while people were eating dinner. Too bad, because a lot of those songs we play well. The hard part was that the fill-in guitard didn't know our material (or refused to play it -- a lot of it is 3 chord oldie-moldy stuff, and he's an ego maniac), and the other guys didn't know his stuff. The drummer can play anything and I was able to fake it, so we were able to pull off enough material to get through the gig.

I don't know what our BL arranged, but the breaks seemed WAY too long to me. The first break should have been no more than 10 minutes, but dragged on for more like 25. During the second break, I sat for 10 minutes before leisurely eating a big plate of food, then spent at least another 20 trying to round up the other guys (who didn't seemed too eager to start up again). I'm kind of surprised the guy throwing the party wasn't pissed off about it, but he seemed cool. I guess it's days like this that teach you a lot about yourself. I'm proud of myself for learning the majority of the material in just a few weeks and a handful of practices. On top of that, I'm confident enough to wing it off the chord sheets when I don't have the song down 100%. I now look forward to playing for people instead of being terrified at the prospect. I'm also done with keeping my mouth shut. At the next rehearsal, I'm discussing this BS before we plug in. I get the sense that this band is probably a dead end for me, but I'll give it my all until I get kicked out or something else comes along. I think it's going to be difficult for this band to attract a seasoned lead guitar player who's willing to put up with the unprofessional stuff. At the very least, I'm learning a lot of new material and getting more comfortable in my own skin.

[kevbassman]

The band is still entitled to take breaks ......if my band did 3 one hour sets. we would take a half-hour between sets. You might have been really excited on this gig.......and wanted to play & take no breaks! lol

[Kawai-chang]

Kevbassman is spoiled. I'd be herding my band back up there after about 15 minutes.

[essentre]

No offense, but from what you've said, other than you, the band sounds like one big cluster****. There are multiple "Dont's" of gigging in there. I would advise you to find something better.

[lankyloo]

Sounds like it really was a great learning experience, just too bad it wasn't as fun an experience for you as it should have been. I'm surprised that there aren't more opportunities in SE Michigan. I'd really keep looking around and hitting up CL to keep an eye out for opportunities.