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How do you feel about having guests at rehearsals?

#102
I've been playing and rehearsing in bands my entire adult life.

I've been married to the same woman for 25 years, have four children and four grandchildren. I've become quite good at selective hearing and managing distractions.

"What's that? Someone else is in the room with us? Hadn't noticed" :laugh:
 
#104
Depends;
First band I was in, rehearsal was every second Friday evening at the BL house. Occasionally it would just be the band and our partners but more often than not, it was BL work mates, extended family and friends which morphed into a low key party.
Now, some 25+ years later, I'm not playing that kind of music and not in that scene and rehearsals are often in some dark, dingey, small smelly cramped room that not even I want to be in and the music/musicians are not of the same calibre, so such a thing is just not going to happen
 
#105
Peteyboy said:
We have a different guy showing up with us to gigs.
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At least someone shows.

We worked with one agent in an event band who bought & sold us for a x1.0 to x1.5 markup - we discovered later - and never once showed up to a gig to insure things went smoothly. Finally had a falling out when she tried to further screw us on a $6,800 verbal agreement she wouldn't send a contract on until the 11th hour. When she finally did, it was for $4,200. I told her we'd walk rather than play it. She told me we'd never work for her again. "Oh; After THIS, that's already decided." She finally coughed up what she promised, but I told the band I'd no longer be managing the relationship with her; Nobody else wanted to either.

She'd have one of her minions call us from time to time to check on dates. Each time, gosh-darnit, we happened to be unavailable.

Lots of bad-rep agents in the area and a few good ones; She was one of the worst.
 
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#107
Pocket Dave said:
At least someone shows.

We worked with one agent in an event band who bought & sold us for a x1.0 to x1.5 markup - we discovered later - and never once showed up to a gig to insure things went smoothly. Finally had a falling out when she tried to further screw us on a $6,800 verbal agreement she wouldn't send a contract on until the 11th hour. When she finally did, it was for $4,200. I told her we'd walk rather than play it. She told me we'd never work for her again. "Oh; After THIS, that's already decided." She finally coughed up what she promised, but I told the band I'd no longer be managing the relationship with her; Nobody else wanted to either.

She'd have one of her minions call us from time to time to check on dates. Each time, gosh-darnit, we happened to be unavailable.

Lots of bad-rep agents in the area and a few good ones; She was one of the worse.
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Yeah, at every single level of this business there's someone trying to swindle you outta $. Here's to you finding more trustworthy representation my friend! :thumbsup:
 
#108
Peteyboy said:
Yeah, at every single level of this business there's someone trying to swindle you outta $. Here's to you finding more trustworthy representation my friend! :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

I bailed on the event band scene 20 years ago after a 20 year run. I just do the bar band thing now. No strung-out, crooked agents, no all-afternoon loadins and soundchecks, no dealing with hotels trying to quick-turn ballrooms, MIA venue electricians, queuing up at the loading dock and freight elevators for hours on end, etc.
 
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#109
As a general but not hard-and-fast rule, I don't want guests at a rehearsal. I showed up to get work done and expect the same of my bandmates, so the fewer the distractions, the better. But once in a while, I don't mind guests, if they have the sense and courtesy to stay quiet and out of the way, and to refrain from offering unsolicited advice or criticism.
 
#110
In one band, it's happened a couple of times with someone's close friend for a few songs, and we are more laid back at rehearsal. The other band no, rehearsal is always tightly planned work and none of us would want to waste the time. We get along fine but our band culture is all business all the time. :cool:
 
#112
Parzival said:
For those that do have band rehearsals, how do you feel about having other people there watching? Folks such as maybe family, friends, neighbors, etc. I actually enjoy it. Rehearsals are not practice so when we have one every couple months it is for putting the finishing touches on new songs, or revisiting old songs, and arrangements and make sure everything is ready to go live. I like having people there because I up my game and I get more out of the rehearsal.

I will admit I am what you would refer to in the sports world as a gamer. I am not a good practice player. Some are the opposite. Some are great at both. When at rehearsal, I will make mistakes, worry over my tone too much while playing, and it just doesn't always have a great feel or groove. I try to do better but it is what it is. But, when I have some kind of audience, I just have a blast playing and I play so much better and it grooves and just sounds better. My drummer is the same way.

Just interested in how others felt on this topic. I know the whole having girlfriends/boyfriends and what not could lead to issues but our group is in our early 50's and too old for that stuff.
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In general I'm not a fan of having hangers-on at band practice.
 
#113
Not a big fan of strangers or even friends at all practice. Even in the best of situations it's a distraction. At the worst, detrimental to the learning process.

The only time I'd be ok with it, is if we all agreed it would be a dry run to an actual performance.
 
#116
We used to invite high school girls along when at school...
Those days are long gone. If the work is done, we might make a local drink and hang...but basically rehearsals are a necessity and need to achieve stuff so not condusive to people listening to a m8 being worked on etc
 

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