Bubblegum band?

[Michedelic]

There's an audience for most any genre.
I wouldn't book the band at an R&B or Jazz club though.
My bass tutor got his performance chops and his first big money touring with a bubblegum act.

Check this out...

I've been trying to talk my band into doing 1-2-3 redlight by the 1910 fruitgum co., we tried a bit of sugar sugar and that went OK. we already do Yummy Yummy by Ohio Express, thought that would be a good companion bubble gum tune. I have to admit, they are happy little tunes.

You could also maybe see if you can find old copies of tiger beat magazine online to see what was popular in the late 60's , early 70's era

A lot of Ramones tunes had a bubblegum flavor to them(sorry), but they weren't the only CBGB's band that went there...

 

[Michedelic]

Oh yeah, don't forget the real Monkees....

 

[Hahaha]

You'll need to throw Freddy and the Dreamers in there. Have the band do The Freddy.

 

[bigswifty1]

 

[lfmn16]

Might be fun for a set, but a whole night? I'd try sitting down and listening to 3 hours straight of the stuff and see if you still think it's a good idea.

 

[the yeti]

Bubblegum doesn't have to be all oldies.

i've played both of those, mmmmbop is hit or miss but call me maybe always seems to go over.

 

[HolmeBass]

Josie & The Pusycats. You could probably be ok expanding into psychedelic pop from the late 60s too, Starwbery Alarm Clock, Bread, Stuff, maybe even The Blue Cheer, the more pop oriented Jefferson Airplane. Sounds like fun.

 

[More or Les]

Home

it's being done already in NY, with great success.

 

[bolophonic]

This would be great for the summer circuit out where i live...too many old farts banging away on "Needle and the Damage Done" while people are sipping margaritas poolside

Sounds like an uplifting gig.

 

[StraffordMike]

Old tv themes. Rockford Files, Barney Miller.
People want nostalgia.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I think a few tunes would work, but not an entire night. Same way a helping of cotton candy, but not an entire three course meal.

 

[Aqualung60]

I'm thinking of going with this look and opening for GWAR.

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Might be fun for a set, but a whole night? I'd try sitting down and listening to 3 hours straight of the stuff and see if you still think it's a good idea.

I couldn't imagine anything much worse.

 

[gjohnson441496]

Would do quite well on the retirement home circuit

You beat me to it. The lead singer in the band that I occasional play for asked me to do these gigs with her. I had no idea there was a market for it until she got me involved. It's just the two of us. We go in, do 45 minutes tops and we're done. I take my bass, the Rumble 100, and a drum machine. Besides the pay, the joy on the faces of the seniors, and the fact that they really get into it, makes me feel good.

 

[beans-on-toast]

The first time that I made good money was doing bubblegum and other 60's music.

Original artists are also still going strong. The Raiders continue to tour without Paul Revere (RIP) , Andy Kim (songwriter, Sugar Sugar) still tours, David Cassidy is battling dimentia but does shows, don't miss the Cowsills if you ever have a chance to see them on the Turtles (Flo & Eddie) Happy Together Tour.

There are tribute bands making a living covering all those bands.

 

[lfmn16]

I couldn't imagine anything much worse.

In the '70's we used to call them 'show bands.' Bands that dressed up in costumes and were as much entertainers as musicians. I was never in one, but I knew a few guys that were and they are a LOT of work and expensive to get started ... if you do it right.

Most of the ideas like this that pop up on TB are things that might be good for a set, but not a whole night.

 

[QORC]

I think it could be fun as a set, an occasional side gig at a certain kind of event, but I think it will be hard to market it

 

[TyBo]

That bubblegum stuff makes people smile, "it's got a beat and you can dance to it", so ... why not? Aside from the nostalgia aspect (which is no small part pf the appeal), there's a lot of catchy tunes in that genre. Quite a number of more recent tunes could fit with that, as has been mentioned, and a lot 60's era tunes that aren't specifically bubblegum could fit comfortably as well. Sounds like a fun little gig.

 

[CalBuzz51]

I'm thinking of going with this look and opening for GWAR. View attachment 2746447

This is funny because I went to see Redd Kross (a bubblegum band!) at the Moore in Seattle, and they were opening for GWAR. They have a song on Third Eye called "Bubblegum Factory." So campy pop music.



My buddy and I stayed for 4 songs of GWAR. The GWAR crowd in Seattle that night was not happy with the opener. We stayed for 4 songs of GWAR before we decided we had happened upon and strange scary religious revival focused on celebrating rape, murder and mutilation with musical theatrical performances of all of the above.

The actual performance was strange. The reaction of the crowd was scary. "Getting into it" didn't do justice to Seattle GWAR fans.

Good luck!

 

[rodak]

Agreed, image is important. But how much does one of those things weigh?

Not too much - about 50lbs, I think, for the organ, and about 10lbs for the stand.