My rules

[jeffbrewer]

1. Show up
2. Play the set
3. Count the money
4. Leave

In my 25yrs of playing professionally, I've found that if I follow these simple rules, everything else takes care of itself. I can honestly say that in all the bands and all the gigs, I've never been involved in any band drama. I look at the stage as my office and I'm there to do the job I was hired to do. I didn't get hired to drink or hook up or fight or eat. Now granted I've done all of that, but as I get older I'm learning it's not about that. I keep following the rules and my phone keeps ringing.

Just sharing

 

[FirewalZ]

Words of wisdom......

 

[Smooth_bass88]

You forgot "don't get drunk and make an ass out of yourself and embarass the others onstage as well as audience members". I've seen this occur...not good!

 

[FirewalZ]

No one likes a shoe gazer either...

 

[Baird6869]

I think #1 should be "Learn all of the material", but I agree with your points.

I just hate when people screw up due to lack of practice. We all screw up the odd time and miss the odd note, but starting in the wrong key or completely brainfarting an entire bridge is unacceptable IMO. Even for a low paying bar cover gig.

YMMV.

 

[bassbully]

Cool but it's not for me. I like the hang with bandmates, friends, bartenders, owners and customers. I sometimes just liked to nurse a drink or coffee by myself after a gig late in the night watching other people laugh and have a good time.
For me this is part of why I play. To get out , play some music and enjoy the nightlife and scene if only for a few hours. My time , my way.

 

[friendlybass]

I thought the first rule was don't talk about it

 

[two fingers]

Cool but it's not for me. I like the hang with bandmates, friends, bartenders, owners and customers. I sometimes just liked to nurse a drink or coffee by myself after a gig late in the night watching other people laugh and have a good time.
For me this is part of why I play. To get out , play some music and enjoy the nightlife and scene if only for a few hours. My time , my way.

I think you took the OP a bit too literally. I try (and miserably fail) to be concise. The advantage of being concise is that no one is subjected to your diatribes. The disadvantage is that conciseness leaves ample room for interpretation.

The Constitution is is way less than 5,000 WORDS and covers all governance. And yet the ACA is thousands and thousands of pages and governs only one aspect of our lives. But the ACA leaves little room for interpretation. While the Constitution (brilliant as it may be) is the subject of debates and law suits one after the other.

Short version? The OP was trying to say (if my radar is functioning properly) "Don't be dumb at shows. The moment money changes hands it is no longer about you completely. If you act in a professional manner your calendar will stay as full as you want it to."

If you are the kind of person who will either sip one beverage or have a cup o' Joe after a show, I'm pretty sure it wasn't directed toward you to begin with. You probably act professionally on all/most counts.

 

[smogg]

Over all I agree with the OP. No need for drama over silly things and one should at least act like a pro during the gig. On many of my gigs some food and a few drinks are part of the pay. I'm OK with it and let common sense rule. I have no problem with my band mates (my self included) having a couple of beers through out the night. We do "toasts" to help interact with the audience and help promote the specials. Restraint would be the key word here. I also have a pet peeve about all showing up prepared and on time.

 

[danosix]

1. Show up
2. Play the set
3. Count the money
4. Leave

Nearly perfect - and while I personally think these are implied in your rules - I would amend it to :
Show up on time.
Play the set, sober and well.
Count the money discretely. (it makes you look crass if you do it openly and opens you up to being jumped).
Leave quietly, sober and quickly.
Again - I think you meant all that, but the reason we have rules is there are a lot of people who need to be told them - and they need it explicit.

 

[danosix]

Nearly perfect - and while I personally think these are implied in your rules - I would amend it to :
Show up on time.
Play the set, sober and well.
Count the money discretely. (it makes you look crass if you do it openly and opens you up to being jumped).
Leave quietly, sober and quickly.
Again - I think you meant all that, but the reason we have rules is there are a lot of people who need to be told them - and they need it explicit.

EDIT - if only every band member thought like you.

 

[rtav]

I've heard it put similarly:

Be there, be brief, be gone.

Works with relationships, too (no extra charge).

 

[jeffbrewer]

Nearly perfect - and while I personally think these are implied in your rules - I would amend it to :
Show up on time.
Play the set, sober and well.
Count the money discretely. (it makes you look crass if you do it openly and opens you up to being jumped).
Leave quietly, sober and quickly.
Again - I think you meant all that, but the reason we have rules is there are a lot of people who need to be told them - and they need it explicit.

Exactly

 

[jessicabass]

1. Show up
2. Play the set
3. Count the money
4. Leave

In my 25yrs of playing professionally, I've found that if I follow these simple rules, everything else takes care of itself. I can honestly say that in all the bands and all the gigs, I've never been involved in any band drama. I look at the stage as my office and I'm there to do the job I was hired to do. I didn't get hired to drink or hook up or fight or eat. Now granted I've done all of that, but as I get older I'm learning it's not about that. I keep following the rules and my phone keeps ringing.

Just sharing

Nice to know you have sucked all the fun out of playing live music.

 

[danosix]

Nice to know you have sucked all the fun out of playing live music.

You don't have be bored/boring to be professional.
Yes you can have a drink (maybe even 2) - IF IT DOESN'T GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR JOB.
Yes you can (and should) be sociable - IF IT DOESN'T GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR JOB.
Yes you can even hang around after the gig - IF IT DOESN'T GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR JOB.
But too many people think that because music is FUN that when they are playing out that it is party time - it is not, it is WORK time, you are being paid to make it party time for whomever is paying you or their clientele.
NONE of this applies to someone entirely playing at private parties for fun and no money - than it is party time and the audience/customer is lucky to have people with instruments, but even then = these are good rules for working/playing/life.

 

[jeffbrewer]

Nice to know you have sucked all the fun out of playing live music.

Trust me. The best moments of my life have been on or near a stage. If you equate "being a professional" to "sucking the fun out of playing music" then enjoy you day job mowing lawns and playing the local pizza joint for $75 on a Saturday night. In the meantime, I'll be supporting my family holding a guitar.

 

[danosix]

Agreed, when I was (much) younger I played drunk ONCE and still regret it. It does not enhance the experience and certainly did not enhance my playing. If you need to be drunk to play you are either:
Already famous and awesome and on your way down OR
The audience needs to be drunk to make you sound good too...

 

[bassbully]

You don't have be bored/boring to be professional.
Yes you can have a drink (maybe even 2) - IF IT DOESN'T GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR JOB.
Yes you can (and should) be sociable - IF IT DOESN'T GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR JOB.
Yes you can even hang around after the gig - IF IT DOESN'T GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR JOB.
But too many people think that because music is FUN that when they are playing out that it is party time - it is not, it is WORK time, you are being paid to make it party time for whomever is paying you or their clientele.
NONE of this applies to someone entirely playing at private parties for fun and no money - than it is party time and the audience/customer is lucky to have people with instruments, but even then = these are good rules for working/playing/life.

Music is not a job for me I have one of those. Music is a release and an chance to get out and be me for awhile while playing music. I know a few guys who treat music like a job and that's
cool but that's not me. I am professional, show up on time and am prepared but also to have a good time . You can do both you know

 

[vmabus]

I try to think of every gig as if it were Carnegie Hall (I can't get the rest of the band to wear tux, though).

 

[danosix]

Music is not a job for me I have one of those. Music is a release and an chance to get out and be me for awhile while playing music. I know a few guys who treat music like a job and that's
cool but that's not me. I am professional, show up on time and am prepared but also to have a good time . You can do both you know

Didn't I start with you don't have to be bored to be professional?
Did I also not say music is FUN?
Did I not ALSO so all those things are cool if they don't get in the way of being professional?
Based on your description of yourself that sounds like that's exactly what you do, have fun AND be professional. My second half was for the people who are offended by the idea that doing these things and staying professional are at odds. If they live within the same universe for you - as they do me and I think the OP, then you are following the OP's "rules" which I am endorsing.
If you can't play and not be drunk - than you're wrong: you aren't being professional - same with socializing - it's GOOD to be friendly with the crowd, but if it keeps you off the stage or the prospect of some pickup in the audience is distracting you from playing - you are not being professional in both cases probably having fun...