Just For Fun

[Resonance129]

In light of a few recent threads about quitting/being fired from a band, it made me wonder if there are groups that still exist and/or gig purely for the fun of it. From what I see, playing out seems only doable when people are expecting to be paid. While I certainly understand the "draw" of making money to do something you love, that type of arrangement seems incredibly unusual and rare - Maybe even offensive to suggest.

Garage bands. Cover bands. Originals bands. Any kinds of bands.
Groups of musicians that just really enjoy playing for the feeling, or that have a great sound together, or that just have a great rapport. All without the expectation of pay being highest priority. Just folks making music for themselves, whether in front of an audience or not.

I feel like this was more of a phenomenon of the past. Definitely seems pretty ridiculous to even want for something like that nowadays lol. Think I'm just musically starved...

Anybody have experience with something like this?

 

[Torrente Cro]

I don't think that this is rare. In my band we are all 40+ and have families, day jobs etc and we like to play. Few times a year, we go and play out and invite friends. From venue we get few free drinks and some pocket money, but nothing that would motivate us to play or not to play.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I am in two bands - one that plays rock and modern country. We have one or two rehearsals at the start of the gigging season, then just gig.

The other plays jazz - fantastic musicians, but finding gigs to play the music we want to play is very difficult. So once a week, we get together, and play exactly the music we want to play. We gig a few times a year.

 

[garp]

I don't think this animal is extinct quite yet.

There are a few bands in my neck of the woods that enjoy performing in front of an audience but have zero expectations with regard to compensation. Their "gigs" all seem to involve public and quasi-public events: sidewalk sales; clambakes; neighborhood association meet-and-greets; etc. I also know a musician whose primary performances – prior to the pandemic, anyway – are at nursing homes and VA hospitals.

I imagine that there are still a lot of "basement bands" out there that are perfectly content playing to cinder blocks and furnaces. In fact, up until a few years ago, I occasionally subbed for one of these groups if my calendar happened to be devoid of a paying gig, but as my schedule got busier, I ended up declining the invitations more often I accepted them. But these days, if I have to load my rig into a vehicle, there's usually a price tag attached.

 

[DirtDog]

I’m currently in two projects. One is a recording project, the other is just for fun. This second project is me and two guys I’ve been in bands with (and gigged heavily with) for two deceased. One of them I’ve been in bands with off and on since 1985. The two other guys have been in the orbits of all of us for a long time. We’ve all gigged to death or have other projects to satisfy the gig itch. So, in essence, this a for fun band.

 

[RustyAxe]

In ten years with this band we’ve never played together except at paying gigs. No rehearsals, no jams. We’re Five old guys with more than 200 years (cumulatively) of stage experience. Until recently we played two or three times a month. It works for us, but might not for everyone. The plus side is that it leaves time for other musical pursuits, that may or may not include a pay check. But as I’ve said here many times, if someone is making money at a place I play I expect to be paid. Simple.

i love an informal jam with good players, and do it a few times a year, but I have no interest in, nor would I dedicate my time and effort to a hobby/garage/basement “band”. It might be because as a multi-instrumentalist/singer I can fire up my recorder and lay down songs on my own, satisfying that creative itch without leaving the house. Maybe.

I certainly understand that others feel differently, and I respect their viewpoints.

 

[CallMeAl]

I used to play in a bluegrass trio, and apart from a handful of attempts at open mics/busking, it was just for fun. For a while I was frustrated the others weren’t really interested in progressing. But I got to explore a new genre, work on my singing, and made a couple lifelong friends out of the deal.

I also recently got to sit in on a Jazz jam my guitar player goes to, when the regular bass player couldn’t make it. Just folks playing in the basement, and the SO’s sit back and drink wine. It was a great workout for me, I don’t play a ton of jazz or sight read chord charts. It was the last musical interaction I had before quarantine, actually....

 

[Ostie]

I play in a acoustic trio that’s pretty much for fun. We get a lot of offers to play out, and we sometimes, maybe once a month. We get paid, but that’s not the only motivation. We are all retired, all play guitar and bass, with me also playing mandolin and percussion. My biggest issue hasn’t been lack of gigs, I just miss getting together and playing music. Going to try and pick it up again next week.

 

[zoonose]

If I'm doing covers, or someone else's entirely prewritten material, I'd like to be paid. Original, collaborative music I'll happily play for little or no money.

 

[PWRL]

I'm too old to be a rock star, I left college behind a really long time ago, and I'm not staying up til 4 AM for a hundred bucks to play stuff like You Shook Me All Night Long and Mustang Sally, anymore. Playing for fun is the Final Frontier for me.

 

[sharpiemarker]

At approaching middle age, I’m trying to have fun and work with people in the same boat. I hate having three original songs and some one brings up, let’s spend money on progressional studio time, lets get some merch made or let’s book some shows in a city 8 hours away where we don’t know anyone to play in front of 6 people.

I like hanging out with people I respect, try collaborating and at lest in our own small way we are still making music

The dream isn’t over. I just don’t want spend money I won’t make back or sleep on a strangers floor anymore

 

[PWRL]

At approaching middle age, I’m trying to have fun and work with people in the same boat. I hate having three original songs and some one brings up, let’s spend money on progressional studio time, lets get some merch made or let’s book some shows in a city 8 hours away where we don’t know anyone to play in front of 6 people.

I like hanging out with people I respect, try collaborating and at lest in our own small way we are still making music

Yup.

 

[Gustopher]

My band uses most of the money we make playing out to pay for the equipment we use to play out... so we mostly do this for fun. I really just like playing music and would be more than OK just having rehearsal/jams. If we never played another gig in public, I would keep playing with these guys because I really like playing with them.

 

[grimjim]

One of the bands I'm in is pretty much just cheesy rock songs. We do gig but rarely and when we do it's mostly back yard parties and some acoustic sets at local art galleries. Really, it's just a bunch of guys getting together, having a few beers and some tequilla and hacking through songs that we're trying to learn. I've known most of them forever and with all the ballbusting it's a lot of fun.

 

[Element Zero]

Most of the groups/bands I’ve been in just wanted to play music. Some likes to perform, others for money, and a few (which is my favorite) who simply enjoyed playing music with other people who wanna play music with other people.

 

[gln1955]

My current band plays classic rock in bars maybe once a month. Factoring in time for rehearsal, travel, personal practice, etc, that 25 cents/hr doesn't mean diddly.

We are all older and are on the same page. This is for fun, period.

 

[grinx]

money
fame
respect
chix

LOL, as if.....

WE/I play because WE/I enjoy it

 

[PennyroyalWe]

Every musical project I’m involved with is just for fun. Before the lockdown the two bands I’m in hardly ever got paid any real money. In one band all the gig money goes into the band fund, and our total from a years worth of gigs is about $150 lol. Since the lockdown, one band has largely fallen apart, but the other members and I just kinda morphed into another recording project, again solely for fun and zero expectations of pay.

 

[TheReceder]

One of my bands is 3/4s "professionals... as in their day jobs make pretty good money. I'm the other 1/4th, so I'm convinced they do it for fun... Me... there's more significance.

... I do it to buy more basses. Playing for free causes GAS withdrawals.

 

[mattj1stc]

It depends on where we are able to play. If it's typically a paying gig, one where our competition would be gigging musicians, then we want to be paid. Partly for fair market value, partly to support the ecosystem. Otherwise, we just play for fun, money or not.