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Dont You Hate it?

john_g

john_g

Sep 14, 2007
7,684
5,250
Pennsylvania
#1
Dont you hate it when you put in alot of time getting a band going, get close to it being ready to gig, only to have it fall apart?

Ive been working with two singers along with a guitarist and drummer from a previous band since September (2016). We are all experienced musicians, each one is very talented, and we had over 30 songs ready to go (this is a cover band). Practices were every other week because drummer and guitarist are each divorced and get their kids alternate weekends (luckily the same weekends), so that alone slowed things down a bit. But when we played together it did sound good.

It just seemed it couldnt get off the ground. Ill admit I was losing interest because of the lack of progress towards gigging, and the guitarist quit a couple of days ago. The singers told me they were done too. I thought we would be out gigging but now Im back to square one looking for a new band. Grrr!
 
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#3
Book. A. Show.

In my view the bands that never make it to their first gig break up because there's no DEADLINE. There's nothing to work toward.

I recently put together a band. Things went slowly until we booked a date for April 8th. Then things kicked into high gear. I busted my hand and we had to cancel. Since then we haven't booked another date and things are coming apart.

Get a date on the books!
 
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#4
See if you can book a gig and then call them all to see if they are in. Even front the money for the first gig yourself. With a paid gig on the horizon, I'll be they will all say they are in. If so, get a recording of the group and use it to sell the band.

I ran into a lot of people quitting when I first started being a band leader about 20 years ago. Since I learned to book gigs, I've never had anyone quit. In fact, I have people calling me wanting in all the time, sending me tracks of themselves etcetera. Gigs are the lifeblood of any band. Happy is the person who has many of them!
 
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#7
+1 to booking gigs and getting out quickly. Thirty songs since September is about one song per week; that's a very risky pace.

In a start-up cover band, players who *can't* learn more than a song a week are likely to struggle w/ repertoire and musicianship. Capable musicians who *won't* learn more than a song a week are likely either overcommitted elsewhere or just undercommitted to playing in a working band. Start-up bands that don't learn more than a song a week are likely to have one or more problem players on the roster.
 
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#8
EastCoastThump said:
+1 to booking gigs and getting out quickly.

Thirty songs since September is about one song per week; that's a very risky pace. Players who can't learn more than a song a week are likely to struggle w/ repertoire and musicianship. Players who won't learn more than a song a week are likely either overcommitted elsewhere or just undercommitted to playing in a working band.
Click to expand...

He mentions Sept 2016, so it's closer to one song in three weeks. Snail's pace in my view.
 
#9
I put a Deep Purple/Rainbow tribute band together last year. Though we got it off the ground in around 6 months, as soon as we played our first gig our singer told us he was moving to another country. We couldn't find another, and two of the guys (plus me, if I'm honest) lost interest. A month later that guitarist recommended me for the highest paying gig of my life, and that's who I'm playing with today.

I think as long as we keep giving our musicianship our all, keep our head held high and hold onto a good attitude, doors that close wind up leading us to even better destinations. That's been my experience anyhow, and I believe it's been my experience because I always believed it to be true. If my attitude was, "This sucks! These people suck! Why does everything always go wrong! Music is a waste of my time!," I'm more than certain better things would NOT show up in my life (not saying that's your attitude :)).

I should add that I think that band monogamy is the death card for a musician. I think everyone that takes their music seriously should be playing in at least two bands. While still auditioning for others. Makes losing any of your gigs a whole lot less traumatic.
 
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#10
I've had two bands go this way in the past 18 months. First band had 11 songs, three of which were covers (one of which, Born Under A Bad Sign, really helped me balance singing with bassing). We were playing really tight, but a combination of the guitarist suffering ill health, and my son being born put it on hiatus last summer. I came back to it three months later but the guitarist didn't, and on the day we found a suitable guitarist, the drummer packed it in.

A month or so later, same drummer asked if I wanted to play rhythm guitar in his other band, who had been going for 15+ years, had gigs etc. I went along, they told me they loved how easily I fit into the band and hoped I'd stay, so I did. Another few months pass, we have a gig coming up, and they invite 20 people to rehearsal and perform an impromptu practice gig. Next day we're kicked out of the room due to spilled beer and other damage. That band is now on "hiatus" and in any case I've left it behind.

So now I'm in band three with the same drummer, but it's really not getting anywhere. Two months with no songs, just turning up every week to jam for three hours. I'm very close to giving up on it, due to being unable as a group to agree anything.

But at least I have something else in the pipeline.... someone with connections and with whom I click better than I ever have with anyone musically before. So maybe this one will get to gig in Amsterdam!
 
#11
Yes this has happened to me recently... was in a mostly originals band had to fire the singer because he wouldn't practice and was a train wreck of a rhythm guitarist... so we searched for a singer..... this took 6-7 months we had a female singer finaly answer add she was really good only her back ground was r&b and blues..we do rock. took months to get her up to speed and to get everything sounding good... booked one gig then booked time in a studio to get decent demo.... the night before going to studio the guitarist drops a bombshell that he recieved a job promotion and had to move to L.A.... drummer gets really mad and packs up his stuff and rage quits... so the whole thing fell apart just like that ... it was such a shock it took me two months to decide weather to play in a band ever again I'm in an all cover band now...a lot of work very little reward.
 
#12
Dont you hate it when you put in alot of time getting a band going, get close to it being ready to gig, only to have it fall apart?

Problem; Taking a lot of time getting only close to being ready to gig.
Get ready to gig within a month and you'll keep momentum, I guess.
 
#13
We technically had a couple of gigs lined up...first one was supposed to be the end of April but because we couldnt quite get everyone up to speed, the singers did it as their "duo" (they sing to backing tracks). The one singer is also in a bigger band and asked if I would be interested in joining that because their bassist is leaving after their gigs in late June. Its a 9 piece with horns and they do all sorts of music, but its not really my genre of choice. I told them I would at least come to check it out closer to the time when the bassist is leaving. It may seem like the singers have alot of other stuff going on and that could have contributed to this falling apart, but both their duo and that bigger band only gig occasionally. I think the drummer and guitarist are in no particular hurry and enjoy practicing as much as gigging and the rest of us starting losing interest.
 
#14
john_g said:
Dont you hate it when you put in alot of time getting a band going, get close to it being ready to gig, only to have it fall apart?

Ive been working with two singers along with a guitarist and drummer from a previous band since September (2016). We are all experienced musicians, each one is very talented, and we had over 30 songs ready to go (this is a cover band). Practices were every other week because drummer and guitarist are each divorced and get their kids alternate weekends (luckily the same weekends), so that alone slowed things down a bit. But when we played together it did sound good.

It just seemed it couldnt get off the ground. Ill admit I was losing interest because of the lack of progress towards gigging, and the guitarist quit a couple of days ago. The singers told me they were done too. I thought we would be out gigging but now Im back to square one looking for a new band. Grrr!
Click to expand...
Yes it suks but whats worse is when you get a band together, tight and booked gigs and the wheels fall off. That is the worse feeling and you just get tired of it..at least I am.
 
#15
If a band can't get a couple sets of music up and running in a few months, that's a bad sign. I've been in too many "eternal rehearsal" bands that all fell apart before anything gig worthy actually happened. I won't do it again. Any project i now join needs to have the quality of musicians to pick things up quickly, or even play stuff on the fly if a chart is provided. I play jazz, so this is not an unreasonable ask. I purposefully practice and condition myself to make this sort of thing happen as a player. Throw a chart in front of me and we will get through the song on take 1. We'll really have it on take 2.
 
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#19
I have not read the whole thread but if you're a start up band and not known on the scene and can quantify your "draw" how do you just "book a gig"?

In my area it's a struggle. We don't draw because we're not a bunch of known guys with a big group of "go out" friends. (We are also somewhat subpar).
 
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