Older players - have you found the need to slow down and turn down?

[Muttleybass]

AS far as turning down goes... No. I did get rid of the 100 lb. GK RB410 in favour of a Neo 410, tho'. MUCH easier on the back. The old 800RB head I've had for 28 years was never that heavy anyway.

[Ric5]

I am 50 something ...

I don't like to blow me ears out ... I never really did.
I don't like hauling heavy equipment.
I don't really like bars.

My favorite gigs are private parties. Free food, free drinks, long breaks and I get home before midnight.

Instead of 4x10 or 8x10 or 2x15 cabs I built my own 2x10, 1x15, and 1x18 cabs. I I still have plenty of speaker but they are in smaller easier to carry cabinets.

[Biggbass]

Originally Posted by SBassman

I had a bandleader for a few years that really spoiled me, and I haven't found a similar situation since.
No lights. No subs. Two plastic, light mains for the vocals.
That's it. Guitar, keyboard, and bass went through their own amps.
We played at a very controlled volume. It was always so easy to hear each other.
We could tear that down and be driving away 15 minutes after the gig. No ringing in the ears on the way home. It was great.
I really miss that.

One of the bands I play in is a duo...me on bass and a guy on acoustic guitar and vocals. His PA got stolen from his garage last year so he replaced it with a Roland AC60 mini Amp/PA. The thing is perfect for the small rooms and patio gigs we play. We've done several private events with it too where they want the music confined to a small area. The simplicity of it, with my LM3/102P, is just stupid easy. We can load in quick and load out even quicker. But the odd thing is we could work every night if we wanted to. A good duo seems to be in high demand around here.

[dbase]

I'm 66 and in a 6 piece band.. We have a 1000 watt PA and the female front has a monitor just for herself that seems bigger than my first 1968 Sunn 200. The guitar and keyboard players have their own amps and are also DI'd into the PA. I love playing with the bass cabs sitting on a hardwood dance floor. The bass response is loud and exceptional. I crank it just to distortion to stay ahead of our loud drummer and by the end of the night my hearing is numb.... beats drugs. Oh, and we have a rodie that shows respect by helping carry the old man's bass rig.

[mward69]

I am 43 and KINDA have scaled back some. I run a 410 rig, but since we have a NICE PA setup with double loaded 18's, I have just been bringing my 6 space rack and patching in the PA. I don't use monitors anymore so that clears up the "loudness" on my side of stage.
If I do take the 410, I usually set it up as a sidefill type layout so the drummer can hear me. ....
I do admit I still like hitting those low notes and seeing the beer bottles shake on stage

[Winemule]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

I think the OP has found - as I have - that music is more fun if it's done for music, not for showing off to an imaginary someone. Turning down a bit, buying equipment that can be moved safely and easily - it all goes to playing smarter, not harder.

I'm there.

The only imaginary someone I show off to is me. I like all kinds of music, but I get paid to play hard and loud. I don't see the point in thinking about slowing down and turning down. When I can't do it anymore, well, that will be that. In the meantime, I got home at 3:30 this morning, and I need a nap.

[mboogiemanusa]

Someone once told me that they will get plenty of sleep once they are dead. Just cause I'm older doesn't mean that that I'm going to be turning down any gig that last longer then an hour and goes past 10 o'clock on a Saturday night. I have some light weight gear and some heavy weight stuff....I no longer have any gear that I cannot load in and out by myself ......hard to get roadies and groupies at my age.

[bassbully]

I have a gig this Friday night on the East side of the city from 10pm-12am. I then throw my gear in my SUV race across the city to the west side throw it onstage to play at 1 am...oh yeah...lovin it at 50.

[Groovy_Gravy]

Originally Posted by SBassman

I thought this might be an interesting discussion.

I turned the big 5-0. Over the past 18 months, I have really been feeling the desire to:
- Get into a lower volume, less equipment situation
- Get into a band playing more restaurant gigs instead of pure bar gigs - in other words, the 8 or 9 - 12 gigs instead of the 10 - 2 gigs.

I have no desire to lug tons of equipment, nor do I have the desire to participate in a band who finds it necessary to do that.
I have no desire to lose any more of my hearing. I like playing situations that are lower volume where we can very, very comfortably hear each other. I also think there is a strong clientele out there who wants the same thing - nice music in the background that doesn't prevent having a conversation at the table.

Anybody go through this slow down, turn down phase later in life while still staying active musically? Lots of people at this point utter the "been there, done that" thing and just bail completely from live play.

Comments?

When I play music I want the audience to actively listen and not talk at the table. So that's why I can say that NO I wouldn't like one of those gigs. I want a gig where the people WANT to listen to the music and get into it! Like the one this past weekend. Everyone was eating mushrooms and getting crazy.

[Jools4001]

I'm 57. I still love playing bass.

I'll have a go at any type of music as long as it means I can play gigs on bass. I'm currently playing in a loud rock covers band doing bar gigs and growing old disgracefully - if anything I would like to do more gigs.

My gear is lighter than anything I've played before, but sounds much better and just as loud as ever.

That's the only concession, I can stay up late if I want to because I'm a grown up now and nobody tells me when it's past my bedtime.

[SpecialBlender]

I'm 62 and did my time with the big 3 way system and lights. These days I play in a 6 piece country/bluegrass/60's rock doing mostly Legion (VFW) type gigs with players doubling/tripling on acoustic instruments. We use 6 powered JBL15 Eon's (4 monitors & 2 mains), 2 small fender amps for electric git's and my bass rig.

Load in and set up to sound check is 30 minutes, load out and on the road is 20-25 minutes with the gear stored in a trailer in a heated garage. Most nights we play 7:30 to either 11:00 or 11:30 depending on that particular club's hours. Generally I'm home by midnight.

I'm having a blast, my ears don't ring and people dance their buns off which is why we're all still doing this.

If we were in it for the money it would be a 3 piece but that's not why we do it. We get to play out for appreciative people with players who actually like each other.

Life is good.

[bassbrad]

I'm 53 = still like to play loud, fast and hard and still have enough energy to haul my gear about*.

That said I certainly have slowed down in some respects & I do like gigs where I don't have to haul the big rig or no rig at all.

* Long gone are the days where I am hauling and setting up the PA, Lights--play the gig and then tear it all down, load it all up and drive all nite to the next gig.

[StyleOverShow]

I'm 62 - moved out of bar bands a couple of years ago. Can't play covers anymore, just done with them, and backing wannabe's just got old. Bout the same time I moved to MarkBass LM II and neos.

Working more with soloists in duos to quartets doing Hard Bop/Jazz for private parties, money is relatively good.

Working less but enjoying it more with Fusion band. You can't dance to this music and I miss by SVT/Fridge.

Still tote all my gear myself, loadin-loadout 1 trip is the rule. Music stand is the hardest piece to move.

[SBassman]

Originally Posted by bassbrad

I'm 53 = still like to play loud, fast and hard and still have enough energy to haul my gear about*.

I never struggled with hauling my own gear. It's everyone Else's gear that I don't want to haul anymore. [at least the gear that is not necessary, like Two giant SUBs, Light show, board/rack that weighs 200 pounds, etc.]

[SBassman]

Originally Posted by SpecialBlender

... Generally I'm home by midnight.

I'm having a blast, my ears don't ring and people dance their buns off which is why we're all still doing this.

If we were in it for the money it would be a 3 piece but that's not why we do it. We get to play out for appreciative people with players who actually like each other.

Life is good.

[pointbass]

61 ... dialed way back about 18 months ago. Stopped the bar classic rock gigs, stopped taking last minute sub jobs, stopped all gigs with rotten pay. Went from 165 gigs in 2010 to 87 gigs in 2011 to 38 gigs in 2012 (so far). And I like it, a lot

Now, I only play with VERY good musicians for good money, when I feel like it. Occasional studio dates, but a lot less than I used to do. No late hour (til 1-2 am) gigs at all, unless the players are really great. No gigs where the PA isn't supplied .... In other words, unless it's super easy to get to and there are excellent musicians, I don't take the gig anymore.

I started gigging when I was 12 years old and I did it full time until I was nearly 50 years old. I no longer need the money and I'm not interested in being a musical prostitute for the thrill of playing Proud Mary or whatever. I fully support live music, but I support it as a patron now, rather than as a performer. I love going out to dinner with friends and not being the entertainment.

When I do gig, it has to be a one trip load-in, load-out. I use a MarkBass CMD121P combo (27 pounds) and usually a Barker bass. Great gear, plays great & sounds great. It's perfect for what I do now ....

[SBassman]

Originally Posted by StyleOverShow

Still tote all my gear myself, loadin-loadout 1 trip is the rule.

Over time, I found that when I tried to do too much in one trip, I was breaking my back more than if I just did a coupla/few trips.
As long as any one trip is low weight, I'm happy to take a few.

[SBassman]

Originally Posted by pointbass

...
Now, I only play with VERY good musicians for good money, when I feel like it. Occasional studio dates, but a lot less than I used to do. No late hour (til 1-2 am) gigs at all, unless the players are really great. No gigs where the PA isn't supplied .... In other words, unless it's super easy to get to and there are excellent musicians, I don't take the gig anymore.

I started gigging when I was 12 years old and I did it full time until I was nearly 50 years old. I no longer need the money and I'm not interested in being a musical prostitute for the thrill of playing Proud Mary or whatever. ...

Excellent. Winning post.

[SBassman]

Originally Posted by pointbass

... I no longer need the money and I'm not interested in being a musical prostitute for the thrill of playing Proud Mary or whatever. ...

Earlier this year, after making some decisions on changes I was going to make, and leaving a very successful - but hack and ear bleeding loud - dance cover band, I came to the realization that - I would never play a Katy Perry tune to drunken people again. It made me so happy that I jumped onto Facebook to proclaim it to all.

[pointbass]

Originally Posted by SBassman

Earlier this year, after making some decisions on changes I was going to make, and leaving a very successful - but hack and ear bleeding loud - dance cover band, I came to the realization that - I would never play a Katy Perry tune to drunken people again. It made me so happy that I jumped onto Facebook to proclaim it to all.

I didn't realize how liberating it would be to stop playing garbage (IMO) music. And to stop playing with slackers, regardless of how good a friend they might be. After doing something for so long you forget that there is life outside of musical entertainment. It took a good friend of mine to make me realize that, and I'm beholden to him for making me look at things in a different light.

More power to those that still do it, regardless of age or style, but I'm thrilled with the choices I've made and I don't miss that grind at all ...