Am I too rigid?

[LBS-bass]

decent rates of pay.

This is what most band leaders can't offer and one of the big reasons I have so many conditions. I'm no longer interested in paying my dues with low-paying shows in difficult venues with no audience. If you're going to ask me to do that, you're going to have to pay me and demonstrate that you value what I'm bringing to the table, versus someone less experienced who will be eager to do it for less.

I don't do this for the money but it's a matter of what I'd rather be doing. The money is an incentive to drag me out of my comfort zone at home. Doing gigs for the sake of doing gigs is just not fun anymore. Doing good gigs in great rooms to an appreciative audience is like crack for me.

If you're really paying the decent pay, you're probably attracting players who have also been there and done that, which is great.

 

[pepj]

What's decent pay?
$70 per hr for playing time for bar work?

No one is doing that for a crappy venue gig.

 

[LBS-bass]

What's decent pay?
$70 per hr for playing time for bar work?

No one is doing that for a crappy venue gig.

No one who knows better is doing that, but we've got a lot of places here paying a lot less. I'm really tired of bandleaders who promise what I know they can't deliver because I know what people are playing for in this town, and it's almost never "decent pay." If you want me to show up without conditions, it takes a lot more than $50 a night.

 

[Doug P]

One thing I see “missed” here from many is the desire to rehearse because it’s fun to play music with your friends instead of sitting at home by yourself ??
If your playing a lot, sure why rehearse too much. If changing endings or whatever so the songs aren’t just the “same ol’ thing” then there’s a reason. Or if you have a long sound check you can adjust things / set list then.
I guess if playing in multiple bands then your getting your “fix” of playing together this way ??
So…. We rehearse because we like to play music not just sit at home. Sure we all too have family life but a few hours a week or ….. for having fun ( again ) and enjoying the brotherhood of having a band, for me like when I was “a kid” and we lived together in squalor and squeezed by but having fun and playing a lot.
So yea, if you have too much
going on in life not to play or rehearse in compromise with your band mates then it makes things too hard I’d think.
For most, it’s not your career / main income source. Yea …. Bitch and complain is part of it …. Asking for help with your 8x10 and knowing the crap you’ll hear, what no sound check, having to play clean up time slot getting home at 3am. To me, that is what you do. I’ll shut up now. Peace.

 

[LBS-bass]

One thing I see “missed” here from many is the desire to rehearse because it’s fun to play music with your friends instead of sitting at home by yourself ??
If your playing a lot, sure why rehearse too much. If changing endings or whatever so the songs aren’t just the “same ol’ thing” then there’s a reason. Or if you have a long sound check you can adjust things / set list then.
I guess if playing in multiple bands then your getting your “fix” of playing together this way ??
So…. We rehearse because we like to play music not just sit at home. Sure we all too have family life but a few hours a week or ….. for having fun ( again ) and enjoying the brotherhood of having a band, for me like when I was “a kid” and we lived together in squalor and squeezed by but having fun and playing a lot.
So yea, if you have too much
going on in life not to play or rehearse in compromise with your band mates then it makes things too hard I’d think.
For most, it’s not your career / main income source. Yea …. Bitch and complain is part of it …. Asking for help with your 8x10 and knowing the crap you’ll hear, what no sound check, having to play clean up time slot getting home at 3am. To me, that is what you do. I’ll shut up now. Peace.

That's all fine, but that's not really rehearsing a band to me. That's getting together for music as a social activity, which is a totally legit thing to do, but let's call it what it is.

"Rehearsal" implies there's something to rehearse FOR. If you're not putting shows on the books, or if your next show is months away, you're not rehearsing. Maybe you're learning new material and you want to get together and see how that's going, arguably that's rehearsal, but if your primary reason for getting together is for the fun, then the rules change.

I'd argue that, in that case, you're even more likely to have conditions because having a job to do is generally a little more serious than just having a fun gathering. But in either case I'd think you'll have some sort of conditions around whether or not you're leaving the house.

 

[fishdude101101]

One thing I see “missed” here from many is the desire to rehearse because it’s fun to play music with your friends instead of sitting at home by yourself ??
If your playing a lot, sure why rehearse too much. If changing endings or whatever so the songs aren’t just the “same ol’ thing” then there’s a reason. Or if you have a long sound check you can adjust things / set list then.
I guess if playing in multiple bands then your getting your “fix” of playing together this way ??
So…. We rehearse because we like to play music not just sit at home. Sure we all too have family life but a few hours a week or ….. for having fun ( again ) and enjoying the brotherhood of having a band, for me like when I was “a kid” and we lived together in squalor and squeezed by but having fun and playing a lot.
So yea, if you have too much
going on in life not to play or rehearse in compromise with your band mates then it makes things too hard I’d think.
For most, it’s not your career / main income source. Yea …. Bitch and complain is part of it …. Asking for help with your 8x10 and knowing the crap you’ll hear, what no sound check, having to play clean up time slot getting home at 3am. To me, that is what you do. I’ll shut up now. Peace.

I do enjoy rehearsing just to rehearse. Original poster here btw. It's just that weeknights are logistically tough.

 

[roccobass]

@fishdude101101
LOL. Just answering your first post and your latest:

No, I don't think you're too rigid. You stated your criteria based on what's best for you. This was done upfront so you didn't ambush your bandmates. However, it seems (to me at least), your mates have taken a different course. I'm wondering if there's subtle message from them on your status. Did they mention that they were changing the practice days to you first? If not, more than a subtle message.( to me )

By the way, I like to practice, just for the hell of it. However, I'm not in a barroom cover band anymore. A lot more jazz and americana as of late. I find it interesting. That and I'm retired, so I'm good any day. Don't forget! In lieu of gigs, for us GASSERS, how else are we going to try out new gear?

I haven't read all the posts, so if some or all of what I stated has been covered, my apologies for the 3 minutes I stole from you!

Good luck and stick to what you believe in, FD!

 

[LBS-bass]

I do enjoy rehearsing just to rehearse. Original poster here btw. It's just that weeknights are logistically tough.

I get it - I enjoy playing music and generally enjoy rehearsing. My limits are for different reasons, but I do have limits and they're partially based on the fact that I was burning out with too many rehearsals since I play with multiple bands.

My limits can create the impression that I don't like to rehearse, and that's not true. In four bands, weekly rehearsals translate to 16 rehearsals a month for the purpose of a handful of shows, and it gets to be too much. I can get prepared for those shows without doing all those rehearsals.

We all have to set our own limits based on what works for us.

 

[fishdude101101]

@fishdude101101
LOL. Just answering your first post and your latest:

No, I don't think you're too rigid. You stated your criteria based on what's best for you. This was done upfront so you didn't ambush your bandmates. However, it seems (to me at least), your mates have taken a different course. I'm wondering if there's subtle message from them on your status. Did they mention that they were changing the practice days to you first? If not, more than a subtle message.( to me )

By the way, I like to practice, just for the hell of it. However, I'm not in a barroom cover band anymore. A lot more jazz and americana as of late. I find it interesting. That and I'm retired, so I'm good any day. Don't forget! In lieu of gigs, for us GASSERS, how else are we going to try out new gear?

I haven't read all the posts, so if some or all of what I stated has been covered, my apologies for the 3 minutes I stole from you!

Good luck and stick to what you believe in, FD!

All good. Didn't take it that way.

 

[pepj]

Its interesting about rates.

Setting an unrealistic target and getting it are 2 different things.

Even venues who have a less than $10 cover charge, still need 60 people to pay it to cover the band. Seeing this model crop up more for specialist and reputed venues/bars along with food options.
If just on bar sales, you need people dropping $30 per head ..and again abour 60 people in over a 2-3 hr period.
What with rates, staff pay and other running costs, its tough.

$100 per head for a 4 piece to cover 2hrs music is about the bottom rate here. Some do cheaper, I suspect.