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is band culture changing?

#81
steelbed45 said:
+1. Here in my part of Texas, the local law enforcement can be seen from time to time coming inside, giving sobriety tests and arresting people for public intoxication as they sit at the bar. It does not surprise me in the least to see the crowds having diminished over time. Sad, since we are connected to a huge military post which was, in the past, a never ending source of audience support.
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Are you effing serious? If I were the bar owner I'd be absolutely screaming at the local council members/chamber of commerce.

I like a lot things that come from Texas, but you couldn't pay me enough to set foot in that state again (I have relatives in Houston). I'd love to go to Austin, but it's surrounded by Texas. :scowl:
 
#82
fdeck said:
First we get attacked for playing gigs, and ruining the scene for everybody.

Then we get attacked for not playing gigs. :rollno:
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Well, you've got to understand that first and foremost bluewine's threads are about affirming his own situation of the moment, and lately that means reminding everyone that (for now) he's in a steadily-gigging band and that (for now) he doesn't have to play for free.
 
#83
Chuck King said:
Well, you've got to understand that first and foremost bluewine's threads are about affirming his own situation of the moment, and lately that means reminding everyone that (for now) he's in a steadily-gigging band and that (for now) he doesn't have to play for free.
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That's not very nice.

And while it may seem like a lot of self affirmation, I know there are a few frustrated TBers that are in the same awkward between band circumstance I was in last year.


I just want to share some ideas and my relative personal experience


Am I really that bad?
 
#85
Clef_de_fa said:
The real world ??? dude ... come on. If we only talk about music, Europe is the place. They have more than 2000 years worth of music and the have all the great classical music composer.

Even if we don't specify music, USA isn't the "be all end all" of the world.
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Ameeeerica!
**** YEAH!!

Also... Your logic behind the classical composers has no bearing in a USA vs. Europe musical debate... DUCY?
 
#87
bluewine said:
Are you and your band working enough in your opinion?

How often are you gigging during s month?

If you are unhappy with the amount of gigs your band books, is there anything that can be done to improve bookings?
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I get plenty of playing time. I play every Sunday morning and one night most weekends- the cover band averages 3, maybe 3.5 gigs/month. That's about right for me.

I don't want to improve the number of gigs, but the quality. We're playing a nice mixture of bars, private parties, festival type events, the occassional wedding, and a rare corporate event. Next month will mark our first casino gig and they pay $1000 to first-timers, then up to 2 grand for their favorite regulars, so we're moving in the right direction...

I'd like to see us get into some hipper rooms and cut back on the hick taverns. I got nothing against hick taverns, but I do prefer girls with teeth. :D
 
#88
ChrisB2 said:
Next month will mark our first casino gig and they pay $1000 to first-timers, then up to 2 grand for their favorite regulars, so we're moving in the right direction...

I'd like to see us get into some hipper rooms and cut back on the hick taverns. I got nothing against hick taverns, but I do prefer girls with teeth. :D
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Casinos have to pay well because very few bands are willing or able to tolerate all the B.S. and "house rules" that come with them. After a few casino gigs, you may wish you were back playing the hick taverns. Just sayin...

Oh BTW there's toothless gals hanging around casinos too... only they're about 30-40 years older.
 
#89
Joe Nerve said:
I'm confused. Cover bands who don't have gigging as a priority? I wouldn't even consider them coverbands. I'd call them hobbyists who get together to jam with their friends once in a while, and play gigs if they pop up. Perhaps you're finding the wrong peeps to play with. Or you need to restate exactly what you're saying. I'm not understanding.
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my thoughts exactly - what's the point of a cover band that isn't focused on gigging? I can see an originals band focused on songwriting & recording rather than gigging. But who forms a covers band to NOT gig?
 
#90
ChrisB2 said:
I get plenty of playing time. I play every Sunday morning and one night most weekends- the cover band averages 3, maybe 3.5 gigs/month. That's about right for me.

I don't want to improve the number of gigs, but the quality. We're playing a nice mixture of bars, private parties, festival type events, the occassional wedding, and a rare corporate event. Next month will mark our first casino gig and they pay $1000 to first-timers, then up to 2 grand for their favorite regulars, so we're moving in the right direction...

I'd like to see us get into some hipper rooms and cut back on the hick taverns. I got nothing against hick taverns, but I do prefer girls with teeth. :D
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c'mon now, girls with teeth are overrated.
 
#92
The money is down..........the club owners are crooks..........the road goes on forever but the party never ends! We gig as much as we want to. I don't do it for the money, I give the money to the young folks in our band that need it and the money isn't that good but we can make $500 at a good gig with tips and have a great time doing it. If you're in music for the money, you've chosen the wrong field!! It's all about the mojo of being on stage and seeing folks plug into what you're doing. It's a high you can't get anywhere else.
 
#93
and by the way, for all you musicians who "jones" to play - do like I do and the gigs are thin........play in a few church bands. I've got a regular gig every Saturday afternoon at one church and one every Sunday morning. You get 8 songs (4 for each service) to play live in front of a huge crowd that is always appreciative and you get to have your live music "fix" for the week - every week!! Plus like Joliet Jake says, a little "religion" never hurt nobody!!
 
#95
bigsnaketex said:
and by the way, for all you musicians who "jones" to play - do like I do and the gigs are thin........play in a few church bands. I've got a regular gig every Saturday afternoon at one church and one every Sunday morning. You get 8 songs (4 for each service) to play live in front of a huge crowd that is always appreciative and you get to have your live music "fix" for the week - every week!! Plus like Joliet Jake says, a little "religion" never hurt nobody!!
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Just be aware that a lot of those church gigs are pro bono. Some churches pay their musicians... a few pay them quite well... but in my market and others, a church date is almost by definition a freebie.
 
#96
bigsnaketex said:
The money If you're in music for the money, you've chosen the wrong field!! It's all about the mojo of being on stage and seeing folks plug into what you're doing. It's a high you can't get anywhere else.
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All so very true.

However, while I don't need the money, I still plan on keeping it.

What's sort of cool is I have made enough this month to pay my 3rd quarter property taxes with my band money.
 
#98
bluewine said:
I am not sure the being in multiple bands is the answer.

One band that has the amount of bookings you desire is the best model.
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While others may have different experiences this was my experience. Considering the amount of time I have to dedicate to music (full time job & family so it ain't alot - about an hour a day) and the musical goals I have for myself that have nothing to do with playing in a band, when I played in two bands I wasn't able to do either justice. I can do one well or two poorly. Easy choice.

I'd like to play out 2 (occassionally 3) times a month. That's about all I can handle. Right now we're doing once a month since one of our regular gigs is now a restaurant that doesn't have music. One guitar player is in the same boat as I and feels the same way. Drummer and other guitarist would like something closer to once a week and do play together in a second band to get their fill of gigs.
 
#99
jaywa said:
Wow. Pretty sure that violates at least a couple tenets of the U.S. Constitution. But then nobody seems to care much about that old document anymore. :hmm:
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Is public intoxication legal in Texas? That might change the picture if you consider being in a bar as being in public and/or if bars agree to let the police whenever they want as a condition for getting a liquor license.

Even so the police can be very inventive when it comes to finding reasonable suspicion and probable cause. Alot of 4th Amendment protections go by the wayside in the face of the police's reasonable suspicion and probably cause

And in any case many people don't complain because they have no clue as to what their legal rights are. Which is depressing. And for many of those that do they've either lost faith that the system works for them or it just takes too much time and money to fight, which is equally depressing.
 

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