Are You Where You Want To Be?

[bluewine]

So gig wise you can say you are where you want to be? Musically you could say you are not?

I guess thats where we all have to weigh what we want out of music. For some its playing gigs and willing to play music they might not enjoy for the gigs, money, experience.

Gig wise, yes I'm very happy right now.

Playing the music I like would put me right back in a "basement only " band. No thanks

 

[bluewine]

Gig wise, yes I'm very happy right now.

Playing the music I like would put me right back in a "basement only " band. No thanks

And guys, remember at my age there are not a lot of options or time anymore.

 

[bluewine]

IMO there is almost no point in being a strictly originals band if you intend to play out for money

+1

 

[Floyd Eye]

So gig wise you can say you are where you want to be? Musically you could say you are not?

I guess thats where we all have to weigh what we want out of music. For some its playing gigs and willing to play music they might not enjoy for the gigs, money, experience. Others need the music to be the star with gigs and money being an afterthought.
For me musically in 10 years of playing I'm good and happy to be where I am at. I just wish years ago I would of reached for it and found out where it could of gone but I had no confidence in myself musically then and still in some ways still don't, but its way better then back then thats for sure.

There is always middle ground. There might be 5 songs we play that I don't love ( I don't hate them either), but someone in my band does or we wouldn't be playing them. We don't so strictly B sides or strictly bar covers. We play what we like and we gig 4-5 times a month.

 

[bluewine]

There is always middle ground. There might be 5 songs we play that I don't love ( I don't hate them either), but someone in my band does or we wouldn't be playing them. We don't so strictly B sides or strictly bar covers. We play what we like and we gig 4-5 times a month.

Makes sense,

My band, we focus more on what the people that come to see us want to hear and sometimes it's songs the band likes too.

 

[nobodysfool]

I'm 60, and have been playing since 1967. I've worked my way up through the ranks locally, and have been blessed to have been in some really good bands, one of which I fronted. Right now, I'm playing in a band I used to dream of playing with. Most of my playing life, I played in trios, with one band being fronted by a female singer who also did percussion, and various little skits to interact with the audience. The band I play in now is a 4 piece, and our playing schedule is such that we play out on average once a month, which is fine, although I would be happy to go to twice a month.

The single biggest limitation is places to play and trying not to over-saturate our area with our gigs. We do get some gigs up by Lake Erie in the summer, which are always fun.

Am I where I thought I'd be? Truth is, I'm way past where I thought I'd be! If you had told me 30 years ago that I'd still be playing at 60, I'd have laughed myself silly. I've been blessed in that I've made a pretty hefty amount of money over the last 45 years, all without touring or going on the road. The down side to that is, I pissed it all away, and the only thing I have to show for it is good, paid-for equipment. I made enough over the years that, if I had invested it all, I'd be a retired multi-millionaire now. But that is a HUGE "IF", which I did not have the foresight and wisdom to engage....So, I'm not rich in monetary terms, but in experience and great memories, I'm very rich. And, I'm still playing!

 

[free_Bassd]

I'm 60, and have been playing since 1967. I've worked my way up through the ranks locally, and have been blessed to have been in some really good bands, one of which I fronted. Right now, I'm playing in a band I used to dream of playing with. Most of my playing life, I played in trios, with one band being fronted by a female singer who also did percussion, and various little skits to interact with the audience. The band I play in now is a 4 piece, and our playing schedule is such that we play out on average once a month, which is fine, although I would be happy to go to twice a month.

The single biggest limitation is places to play and trying not to over-saturate our area with our gigs. We do get some gigs up by Lake Erie in the summer, which are always fun.

Am I where I thought I'd be? Truth is, I'm way past where I thought I'd be! If you had told me 30 years ago that I'd still be playing at 60, I'd have laughed myself silly. I've been blessed in that I've made a pretty hefty amount of money over the last 45 years, all without touring or going on the road. The down side to that is, I pissed it all away, and the only thing I have to show for it is good, paid-for equipment. I made enough over the years that, if I had invested it all, I'd be a retired multi-millionaire now. But that is a HUGE "IF", which I did not have the foresight and wisdom to engage....So, I'm not rich in monetary terms, but in experience and great memories, I'm very rich. And, I'm still playing!

I want to be you in forty years!

 

[bluewine]

I'm 60, and have been playing since 1967.

You know, now that you mention it, it's something I forgot about.

I'm 59, my first show playing bass was with a band I put together for a 6th grade talent show in 1966.

It's amazing that I'm still playing and it's just as fun at 59 as it was when I was 12 years old if not more.

 

[bluewine]

I'm 60, and have been playing since 1967.

Then you, like I, remember when bands were a novelty. Didn't matter how good you were. If people saw a few guys with electric guitars, they wanted to hear you.

It meant something to be in a band back in the old days. Chics were way more into the scene too.

 

[scorpionldr]

This is a good example for all of you looking to join a band and do shows, that you know what your looking for and how to find it.

If you go off on a band search without defining what your looking for and the ability to judge whether or not a band has it you could end up practicing for 5 years with no gigs.

You do not have to have a bad band experience like scorpion did if you define what you want and you don't settle.

I'm going catch it from you guys but I'm going to belabor a point I made earlier.

" If your motivation to be in a band is to gig 3-4 times a month or more, stay away from start ups and originals bands. And you should be flexible in what type of music you'll play."

I know that ticks some of you off, but it's the way things are.

Well, I wrote my last entry to the thread in haste, so let me expand a bit; I got booted from a band before that. A mutual friend who was in another band had his bandmates abandon him to get involved with the same one I had been booted from; needless to say, we had some similar ground. Plus, I was a bassist, he was a drummer, it worked as a starting foundation.

Jamming with this guy turned into writing songs (we were really into SOD/DRI, mainly crossover thrash/hardcore punk bands), turned into trying to get a traditional lineup going. Without going into detail, how it was with bass and drums was thoroughly more enjoyable than it was trying to find guitar players who were able to play or were interested in playing. Sure, we were able to find a singer, but a guitarist.......never really came into the picture. It was always some guy who wanted to completely reverse any progress that was made with writing (that we thought had some quality), never add.

What killed the band was not only really the inabilty to find like-minded people to continue, but it was also my progression towards abstract musical forms that drove me away from my own friend when things were at a complete standstill (because if you like more than four chord patterns and grindcore.....you're something of a lunatic ).

So now I've moved on with my stuff, and I've considered "getting real" again, as now that I got a lot of weirdness out of my system (composing digital stuff that would never really be meant to played by actual people but was cool to listen to) and while I want to get involved in a band again, I want to resume a position of writer. But how does one search for musicians now when before the luck of the draw was **** poor? (I'm still going to be composing the solo material that was bizarre, but writing other stuff intentionally to be played by a band.)

 

[livinitup0]

Seems like a pointless question because it's very rare for a musician to stay in one "place".
I was playing every weekend for a long time... Right now I'm not... But probably will be again before too long.

 

[jive1]

Seems like a pointless question because it's very rare for a musician to stay in one "place".

Ain't that the truth!

 

[bluewine]

[QUOTE="scorpionlI got a lot of weirdness out of my system (composing digital stuff that would never really be meant to played by actual people but was cool to listen to) and while I want to get involved in a band again, I want to resume a position of writer..)[/QUOTE]

It doesn't sons like your motivated by live performance or being in a 4-5 times a month gigging band.

Seems like you want to write music.

 

[bluewine]

Seems like a pointless question because it's very rare for a musician to stay in one "place".
I was playing every weekend for a long time... Right now I'm not... But probably will be again before too long.

I'm gigging 4-6 times a month now, but that could end.

When it does, I'll be out looking for another established working band.

Blue

 

[Clef_de_fa]

I hope to still progress , still learning new thing when I'll 60 and still having fun doing a cover at home or writing music with some friend just to satisfy our own creative mind.

I think that if you write song when you are 20, you'll still write song when you are 60 ... I don't get why you absolutely have to make it otherwise you're a faillure... and you're wasting your time.

 

[Russell L]

I agree that you don't have to "make it" (whatever that means) to be happy. I turned down Percy Sledge back in the day to do my own thing. But, of course, I've always wondered what doors it might have opened. And then years later I was with a band with two hits on the radio, riding the tour bus, and all. Meh. Not "The Life" to me. Then, it's just playing all within one state. Hm. Now, it's mostly within 30 miles and going home at a decent hour, and looking forward to what to do the next day with the family, or riding my motorcycle, or doing yardwork, etc. Nice and relaxed, I must say.

So, I kinda am where I wanna be, not that there aren't some regrets for not being all I could've been. But, that's mainly due to my own laziness, like so many other thing I never got done. Oh, well, gotta move on, though. Anyway, I'm having fun, so I guess it ain't bad.

 

[scorpionldr]

It doesn't sons like your motivated by live performance or being in a 4-5 times a month gigging band.

Seems like you want to write music.

I've always been one of those live performers that did well in academic ensembles that just never had that satisfaction of making things work on the outside with guys from craigslist or whereever.

So yea, it has pulled me into more of a writer's position.

 

[scorpionldr]

I agree that you don't have to "make it" (whatever that means) to be happy. I turned down Percy Sledge back in the day to do my own thing. But, of course, I've always wondered what doors it might have opened. And then years later I was with a band with two hits on the radio, riding the tour bus, and all. Meh. Not "The Life" to me. Then, it's just playing all within one state. Hm. Now, it's mostly within 30 miles and going home at a decent hour, and looking forward to what to do the next day with the family, or riding my motorcycle, or doing yardwork, etc. Nice and relaxed, I must say.

So, I kinda am where I wanna be, not that there aren't some regrets for not being all I could've been. But, that's mainly due to my own laziness, like so many other thing I never got done. Oh, well, gotta move on, though. Anyway, I'm having fun, so I guess it ain't bad.

and "when a man loves a woman" comes on it doesn't haunt you?

 

[turbo chicken]

Sooo close... Cover band... Demo is in final stages ... Only 1-2 gigs a month currently. Expect that to ramp up as we start promoting heavily next month.

I guess I could say yes as we are executing "Band Plan A" right on Schedule

 

[scorpionldr]

Sooo close... Cover band... Demo is in final stages ... Only 1-2 gigs a month currently. Expect that to ramp up as we start promoting heavily next month.

I guess I could say yes as we are executing "Band Plan A" right on Schedule

whats plan B?