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12-13-2012, 09:51 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Redondo Beach, California | | | Just curious. How did a crap band that had not played in three years get a gig paying two grand?
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12-13-2012, 09:57 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Houston, TX | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Stewie26  Just curious. How did a crap band that had not played in three years get a gig paying two grand? | Yes, I was wondering the exact same thing lol
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Texas Bassist #122 Quote:
Originally Posted by staindbass playing a gig in front of a massive amp is awesome, i call it a bass bath. | |
12-13-2012, 10:00 AM
|  | 667 Neighbor of the Beast. | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Houston, TX | | Quote:
Originally Posted by VanillaThundah Yes, I was wondering the exact same thing lol | The singer has a good reputation in this area, is charismatic and does sales for a living...
He was always able to get high paying gigs and I never could understand why.
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Last edited by Texan : 12-13-2012 at 10:04 AM.
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12-13-2012, 10:00 AM
|  | Don't take any guff from these swine! | | Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Pomona, SoCal | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Texan I thought about going to the gig just to watch the horror but that's a few hours of my life that I'll never get back...I'm just going to stay home with the wife and kids. | Smart move. Id be happy to be fired from that situation as well. I take it that you were only going to go through with it for the money?
Just a question... as Im not a hired gun, but does playing a gig with a poor sounding band like this have an effect on your reputation? Or is it more a situation where anyone who might see you knows youre a hired gun and judges you solely on how well you play, and not the rest of the band? Quote:
Originally Posted by SBsoundguy 1 practice before a show? What kind of crap is that? | I think if the other members were all pros one practice before a gig would be plenty.
It seems to me that the OP handled the gig well with just one rehearsal. Quote:
Originally Posted by mjac28 It sounds like you would have done the show if you hadn't got fired? If the first gig was that bad why take on the second? and these are guys you played with regularly years ago? I would like to know how they played before all of this happened and when you went to the first rehearsal you should have declined being involved with that mess and risk damaging your reputation. | Likely because he is a hired gun, and was doing it for the money.
I was wondering about the reputation thing, myself. Though, Im thinking, as a hired gun, that his reputation is not based so much on the rest of the band, and more so on his own performance.
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12-13-2012, 10:12 AM
| | 667 Neighbor of the Beast. | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Houston, TX | | Quote:
Originally Posted by MatticusMania Just a question... as Im not a hired gun, but does playing a gig with a poor sounding band like this have an effect on your reputation? Or is it more a situation where anyone who might see you knows youre a hired gun and judges you solely on how well you play, and not the rest of the band? I turn down more gigs than I take simply because I like to spend time with my kids on the weekends. I only play out 2-3 times per month. But for $400 per man, ya, I'll take the gig.
| I've always been judged on my playing. When people ask about the band I always tell them that they need to ask the band leader, that I'm just a hired gun.
In Houston, almost every band plays the exact same core of Country and Texas Country/Red Dirt songs. There may be a few differences on the list, but they are 85% the same. The majority are G, C, D, and A...nothing hard there. My Rock band plays things like "What is and what should never be" by Led Zeppelin and "Spirit of Radio" by Rush...I'm not the greatest thing out there, but country is pretty easy by comparison. Give me the list, what key, and if you capo, where...That's all I need to know.
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He, who laughs last, thinks slowest.
Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.
Last edited by Texan : 12-13-2012 at 10:15 AM.
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12-13-2012, 10:20 AM
|  | Supporting Member | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Los Angeles | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Texan The singer has a good reputation in this area, is charismatic and does sales for a living...
He was always able to get high paying gigs and I never could understand why. | How about getting a decent backing band together and having the vocalist get the gigs. Seems like some good bucks there.  |
12-13-2012, 10:24 AM
| | 667 Neighbor of the Beast. | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Houston, TX | | | Let me clarify about the singer:
When I initially left this band it was because the singer had a severe alcohol problem. He would forget lyrics, sing the wrong song, could not play his acoustic, fall off the stage...it was pretty sad. I was at the point of playing with them 6-8 date monthly and the shows began to degrade horribly, but the crowd loved it. He has since stopped drinking and sounds better than he ever has.
The singer had such a reputation around the club circuit here, that he could make a call and get a $1200 gig for the next day, even with the alcoholism.
In regards to the rest of the band, when they broke up for good, they stopped playing all together. They have not played in over three years at all.
I never stopped, I play everyday and have the gift of a iron clad memory...once I learn a sing, it's stays, and I keep charts for every song just in case.
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He, who laughs last, thinks slowest.
Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.
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12-13-2012, 10:29 AM
| | 667 Neighbor of the Beast. | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Houston, TX | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Stumbo How about getting a decent backing band together and having the vocalist get the gigs. Seems like some good bucks there. | I tried that, he won't leave his buddies (drummer and guitarist). I have a ringer guitarist and drummer, but he won't budge.
He has known these guys for over a 15 years and will not break his loyalty. There is something to be said for that, there is also a time to know when to move on.
This guy had the chance to have on of his original songs used for a show on the Outdoor Channel...the producer wanted him to re-record it with studio musicians and because of his loyalty, he said no...killed a potential huge amount of money. 
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Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.
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12-13-2012, 10:35 AM
|  | a/k/a Steve Cooper | | Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Huntington WV | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Texan You have understand, these are not little mistakes. The drummer coming in on the 2 or 4 instead of the 1. Doing fills and coming back in between the beat. Inverting the beat after fills and accents...this is not easy money. The singer was the least of the problems simply because his acoustic does not cut through the mix. | IME, trying to hold a groove with somebody in that state can be the loooooooooooooongest four hours you'll ever spend. |
12-13-2012, 10:45 AM
|  | Supporting Member | | Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Houston, TX | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Texan In Houston, almost every band plays the exact same core of Country and Texas Country/Red Dirt songs. | ... and sometimes this makes me not want to go to bars where there's live music.
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12-13-2012, 10:59 AM
| | 667 Neighbor of the Beast. | | Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Houston, TX | | Quote:
Originally Posted by haystack55 ... and sometimes this makes me not want to go to bars where there's live music. | This is exactly why I don't go to bars unless I'm playing at them...
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He, who laughs last, thinks slowest.
Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.
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12-13-2012, 11:16 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Saint Augustine, Florida | | Quote:
Originally Posted by SBsoundguy 1 practice before a show? What kind of crap is that? | Acceptable if you can play and learn/practice the songs at home
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12-14-2012, 02:14 PM
| | Supporting Member | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Los Angeles | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Texan I tried that, he won't leave his buddies (drummer and guitarist). I have a ringer guitarist and drummer, but he won't budge.
He has known these guys for over a 15 years and will not break his loyalty. | One last shot: He doesn't have to "leave" his buddies. Just rehearse/ gig with you when he's not with them. Seems reasonable to me. Maybe not to him. 
I think he's afraid of success. He's still acting like an alcoholic even when he's not drinking. Based on observing family/friends, not drinking is the first step.
Good luck whatever you do!  |
12-25-2012, 11:18 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: North Central TEXAS | | | Texan, you did the right thing..A bad band makes it harder for all of us to get a good payng gig..I know if I pay a higher cover charge for New Years and the band sucks, I feel like I got ripped off. And the bar/club owner would know it too. He won't be offering them another date.
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12-25-2012, 12:31 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brookfield, CT | | | If they are as bad as you say, I'll be very surprised if they get their two grand New Year's Eve. They'll probably be fired after the first set. Good riddance.
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12-25-2012, 01:19 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: CT | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Texan I've always been judged on my playing. When people ask about the band I always tell them that they need to ask the band leader, that I'm just a hired gun.
In Houston, almost every band plays the exact same core of Country and Texas Country/Red Dirt songs. There may be a few differences on the list, but they are 85% the same. The majority are G, C, D, and A...nothing hard there. My Rock band plays things like "What is and what should never be" by Led Zeppelin and "Spirit of Radio" by Rush...I'm not the greatest thing out there, but country is pretty easy by comparison. Give me the list, what key, and if you capo, where...That's all I need to know. | Wow, you just encapsulated my feelings exactly. I just joined a modern country band and I'm finding a LOT of this to be exactly true.
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12-25-2012, 02:33 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Connecticut | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Texan You have understand, these are not little mistakes. The drummer coming in on the 2 or 4 instead of the 1. Doing fills and coming back in between the beat. Inverting the beat after fills and accents...this is not easy money. | Amen to that!
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