- Feb 12, 2006
- 61,051
- 5
- 221,018
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
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Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"
- Thread starter B-string
- Start date
- Status
- Feb 12, 2006
- 61,051
- 5
- 221,018
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
I just bought a new amp and was "What are these new fan-geld speak-on connectors?" "Does that mean I can only buy an ext. cab from them??" I think that should qualify me as a "Grumpy Old Fart"!!! My amp is sitting next to my desk w/ a pair of flip-flops in front of it that I'm not ashamed to say I've "worn with socks" if that helps any? If that's not enough my inherent lack of typing skills should get me in!!! I also yell at my own dogs for crapping on my lawn!! (Ok! Maybe I'm "overqualified"!!)
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I went down to Georgetown with my neighbor yesterday for what turned out to be a totally amateur, semi-organized multi-band event
at one of the clubs that still remains.
She had a girlfriend singing in one of the "bands" and asked me to go along.
I had not set foot down there since 1981.
All the clubs we played at and frequented were gone.
Cellar Door, Pall Mall, Keg, Crazy Horse, Bayou, Just GONE!
Door at this club on K Street was $10.00, the bands earned ZERO.
They were what they referred to a flash bands.
Once a month 40-50 people get together and split off into instant bands.
They practice for a month, then everyone plays 3 songs for the event.
Pretty much nothing more than bowling night for musicians and hobbyists.
I guess I should consider myself lucky to have worked down there when musicians could still earn a humble living.
at one of the clubs that still remains.
She had a girlfriend singing in one of the "bands" and asked me to go along.
I had not set foot down there since 1981.
All the clubs we played at and frequented were gone.
Cellar Door, Pall Mall, Keg, Crazy Horse, Bayou, Just GONE!
Door at this club on K Street was $10.00, the bands earned ZERO.
They were what they referred to a flash bands.
Once a month 40-50 people get together and split off into instant bands.
They practice for a month, then everyone plays 3 songs for the event.
Pretty much nothing more than bowling night for musicians and hobbyists.
I guess I should consider myself lucky to have worked down there when musicians could still earn a humble living.
As long as musicians keep putting it out there for free you can bet your ass somebody will meet that price! Then they stand around and look at each other and bitch about why no one is paying them to play!!!! As the movie said "Catch-a-22".
$10 door and zero for the bands. That club deserves to go the same way as all those other clubs. Man , those old clubs were 5 bucks and had some really great bands and if you didn't want a band you could go a little ways up Wisconsin Ave to Clancys or Good Guys and watch the booby shows for no cover at all. Seems like these days it's just a bunch of up scale garbage there now. That town USED to really rock. There were some pretty high end bands got their start at the Bayou. Cellar Door had some of the hottest guitar players on the East coast in there. Danny Gatton used to play there all the time. That dude could do things with a tele. and a beer bottle that were just plain unbelievable. Can't think of any place in the whole country that rocks these days like G'town did back in the day. They are trying to get something going in S.S. with The Filmore but I don't know how that's going as I'm 90 miles away these days. Ahhhhhh the good old days.
Oh , and for anyone waiting for a number , the guy that does them had his puter pretty much blow up on him. He's aware and will dole them out as soon as he's back up and running.
Oh , and for anyone waiting for a number , the guy that does them had his puter pretty much blow up on him. He's aware and will dole them out as soon as he's back up and running.
When I was 15 I use to hitch hike into G-Town and catch The Cherry People at The Act IV.
Punky Meadows flipped out when my first band got signed before he did.
He and his band ended up coming to see us at the Child Harold.
My later cover band totally owned The Crazy Horse.
National acts playing the Bayou would come to see us because of the line down the block waiting to get in.
I have lived!
Here in Toronto we've gone much the same way. i've been paid a $100 a night for at least the last twenty odd years. Then along came the no smoking bylaw and the bottom dropped out of the scene. Now bar owners expect you to play for nothing or they might give you beer. All that leads to is a drunk band by the third set. Another ploy I've come across is the "how many people will you bring in". the owners don't seem to realize that even if the band fills his place, the next night the band has taken their audience somewhere else and the place is again empty.
i joined a great blues band that hosted a jam on the Danforth. I didn't mind the money as I was desperately out of practice both on my bass and with my vocals. The deal was if we filled the place we'd get paid. So after a couple of weeks of the place being maxed out we asked for some money. The owner says "Yes the place was full but nobody was drinking!. this in spite of the wait staff running back an forth with trays piled with food and drinks. We didn't play there again. I guess he tried the same tactic with others 'cos the place closed down shortly there after.
i joined a great blues band that hosted a jam on the Danforth. I didn't mind the money as I was desperately out of practice both on my bass and with my vocals. The deal was if we filled the place we'd get paid. So after a couple of weeks of the place being maxed out we asked for some money. The owner says "Yes the place was full but nobody was drinking!. this in spite of the wait staff running back an forth with trays piled with food and drinks. We didn't play there again. I guess he tried the same tactic with others 'cos the place closed down shortly there after.
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Even if we were booked for the week, we were paid cash every night.
We finally built up a following to where we booked for the week any where we played.
For a one nighter we had to load in at 4:00 P.M. to be ready to play at 9:00,
then might get out of there at 3:00 AM, because we did 5/40s.
The money was also being split 6 ways since we had our own full time FOH.
24 channel Soundcraft Console, 4 ways system, powered by Crown DC300A's,
16 foot box body van to haul everything.
We finally built up a following to where we booked for the week any where we played.
For a one nighter we had to load in at 4:00 P.M. to be ready to play at 9:00,
then might get out of there at 3:00 AM, because we did 5/40s.
The money was also being split 6 ways since we had our own full time FOH.
24 channel Soundcraft Console, 4 ways system, powered by Crown DC300A's,
16 foot box body van to haul everything.
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Wow, now you guys are really making me feel old.
In the early '70's, I was playing pickup gigs, out of the Hamilton, Ontario AFofM union book. I'd get a call from a complete stranger for a bassist, and if I had that date open, off I'd go. Everybody wore the standard band uniform: grey slacks, white shirt, red tie, navy single-breasted blazer.
We're talking bargain-basement stuff, weddings, anniversaries, bar mitzvahs, bowling banquets, Golf club or firemen's Christmas parties, Shriner's events, etc. Still, banquet halls typically had at least two or three rooms, and were booked solid every Friday and Saturday night.
Leader took a double cut, and called the key signatures for the night. No PA. Top 40 and jazz standards all night. All instrumental, unless an audience member wanted to come up and sing something. You needed a huge musical vocabulary, because we took requests all night long, and it was a huge faux pas to admit you didn't know a tune.
Minimum wage was around $1.15 an hour at the time, yet we were averaging between $8 and $12 an hour for a 4 hour gig with two 20-minute paid breaks. That was serious money back then, that kept me in gas, insurance and gear, with something left over towards college tuition. Best of all, if they wanted an extra hour after midnight, it was double time, paid in advance.
By the late 70's, DJ's were on the scene, and there weren't many bands bands still working that circuit. Most featured at least a couple of vocalists and a PA, and wouldn't go out the door for less than $100 each a night.
Fast-forward to today, and minimum wage up here is about $11 an hour. There are very few places to play outside of church or nursing homes, and a lot of bands are doing open mics and talent contests, or even pay-to-play in some cases, just to get out in front of an audience.
Sad.
In the early '70's, I was playing pickup gigs, out of the Hamilton, Ontario AFofM union book. I'd get a call from a complete stranger for a bassist, and if I had that date open, off I'd go. Everybody wore the standard band uniform: grey slacks, white shirt, red tie, navy single-breasted blazer.
We're talking bargain-basement stuff, weddings, anniversaries, bar mitzvahs, bowling banquets, Golf club or firemen's Christmas parties, Shriner's events, etc. Still, banquet halls typically had at least two or three rooms, and were booked solid every Friday and Saturday night.
Leader took a double cut, and called the key signatures for the night. No PA. Top 40 and jazz standards all night. All instrumental, unless an audience member wanted to come up and sing something. You needed a huge musical vocabulary, because we took requests all night long, and it was a huge faux pas to admit you didn't know a tune.
Minimum wage was around $1.15 an hour at the time, yet we were averaging between $8 and $12 an hour for a 4 hour gig with two 20-minute paid breaks. That was serious money back then, that kept me in gas, insurance and gear, with something left over towards college tuition. Best of all, if they wanted an extra hour after midnight, it was double time, paid in advance.
By the late 70's, DJ's were on the scene, and there weren't many bands bands still working that circuit. Most featured at least a couple of vocalists and a PA, and wouldn't go out the door for less than $100 each a night.
Fast-forward to today, and minimum wage up here is about $11 an hour. There are very few places to play outside of church or nursing homes, and a lot of bands are doing open mics and talent contests, or even pay-to-play in some cases, just to get out in front of an audience.
Sad.
The sad, ugly, truth is the only steady money in the music business comes from selling the dream, rather than chasing the dream.
It's almost like the starving artists of the past, most of whom died destitute and their body of work was only appreciated and became valuable once they were long gone.
It's almost like the starving artists of the past, most of whom died destitute and their body of work was only appreciated and became valuable once they were long gone.
So, the sooner we die the better off everyone else will be..............
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