Auditioning for my old age.

[two fingers]

The fact is, the great majority here are not gigging for the money (most of us would be making more hourly, after deducting what we spend on gear and all the gig/practice/rehearsal time) flipping burgers. If it isn't fun, it's not worth it.

There it is.

 

[friskinator]

My band plays live about 4 times a year these days, which is enough for me. No need to audition for old age yet.

 

[NZBassman]

the bottom line is if you're not 100% happy in your current band, then that's going to affect your mood, your playing and your enthusiasm.....
I was in a similar situation with my old band.... we were gigging nearly every weekend, and while I enjoyed playing and got on well with the others in the band, I was getting sick of the travelling.... part of that was my fault though as I lived an hour away from where singer / drummer lived and 90% of our gigs were 60-90 minutes away from my house.... getting home at 3am on a Sunday and trying to function as a human being on the Sunday was getting harder and harder. Mrs Bassman even commented a few times that I'm quite 'grumpy' the day after a band gig.
I left that band late 2017 and took about 8 months off before finding another band that's about 15 minutes from home.... and although we don't gig a lot, I'm enjoying it more

in my opinion you've got 2 options
1) look for something else
2) have a chat with your current band and tell them how you feel... and see if things change for the better

 

[Jimmy4string]

I am def not in the league of the great @Bunk McNulty but i like to relate my experience to commiserate.
I know i could put my own band together and be the band leader but man that is a lot of work and energy. Sure would just be nice to drop in a band that has the players and someone handling everything and I should show up and sing and do my shtick. The craigslist offerings are either high end wedding bands or some submittal that seems like it came from a drug fueled lunatic as a quick thought. So for now like Neil Diamond I remain a solitary man.
Bunk i hope you find you something great man! Its funny when i first got into music i wanted to play like every night. Now once a month or two would be nice. Maybe the answer is out there...

 

[Bunk McNulty]

I am def not in the league of the great @Bunk McNulty b

You must have me confused with somebody else!

 

[Bunk McNulty]

the bottom line is if you're not 100% happy in your current band, then that's going to affect your mood, your playing and your enthusiasm.....
I was in a similar situation with my old band.... we were gigging nearly every weekend, and while I enjoyed playing and got on well with the others in the band, I was getting sick of the travelling.... part of that was my fault though as I lived an hour away from where singer / drummer lived and 90% of our gigs were 60-90 minutes away from my house.... getting home at 3am on a Sunday and trying to function as a human being on the Sunday was getting harder and harder. Mrs Bassman even commented a few times that I'm quite 'grumpy' the day after a band gig.
I left that band late 2017 and took about 8 months off before finding another band that's about 15 minutes from home.... and although we don't gig a lot, I'm enjoying it more

Funny thing...this has been my situation for almost 20 years. I used to live in western North Carolina and played with a band where 90% of the gigs were in South Carolina. Now I live in central Massachusetts and 90% of the gigs are in Connecticut. Seems to be my destiny! If nothing else, I'm always allowed to be the first one out the door at the end of the night. "Oh, go ahead, I know you've got a long drive." Of course, I can still roll up speaker cable with the best of them.

 

[80jazz]

View attachment 4765557

I think that bassist showboated on his bass!

 

[Bunk McNulty]

Guilty!