I intend to create the real time operatic theatrical interactive rock musical for the end times entitled:
AROCKALYPSE
you heard it here first!
Timestamp!
AROCKALYPSE
you heard it here first!
Timestamp!
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Post-Covid Band Plans?
- Thread starter Basslice
- Start date
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- getting old new band practice
Here in Japan, gigs started back up last summer. But recently the government announced a "state of emergency" again (which isn't a lock down) so no more gigs again.
I'm in the middle of transition now and hoping that I'll quit one of my bands to join another. My current R&B original/cover band's singer doesn't have any drive for the group (and he's the "leader") and he sucks at talking to the audience (ex: he once began a show with talking about how he recently learned the English phrase "taking a piss" which lasted for 15 minutes).
This new band I'm trying out for has an interesting folk/rootsy/Americana sound by 4 young Japanese guys in their 20s. I'm in my 40s so I'm hoping that won't be a deal breaker for them. It's a rare genre in Tokyo so I'm hoping it'll work out! Otherwise, I may be stuck with the "taking a piss" guy for a while, lol.
I'm in the middle of transition now and hoping that I'll quit one of my bands to join another. My current R&B original/cover band's singer doesn't have any drive for the group (and he's the "leader") and he sucks at talking to the audience (ex: he once began a show with talking about how he recently learned the English phrase "taking a piss" which lasted for 15 minutes).
This new band I'm trying out for has an interesting folk/rootsy/Americana sound by 4 young Japanese guys in their 20s. I'm in my 40s so I'm hoping that won't be a deal breaker for them. It's a rare genre in Tokyo so I'm hoping it'll work out! Otherwise, I may be stuck with the "taking a piss" guy for a while, lol.
Several recording projects have popped up, ready to dive into once the virus isn't spreading so badly. Looking like two EPs, at least, and possibly a "Round Robin" recording project. In that, each member of a longstanding (50 years) music "collective" adds something, and then passes the digital files on electronically to the next contributor.
And, of course, going back to my "casual" band that I've been in for 12 years. We just goof off for fun, and play gigs to our friends. I miss it. I love that it's so loose, and that we've been doing it so long that it doesn't require any thought.
Looking forward to playing live again, and even doing tours. I have noticed that the older I get, the more fun touring is.
And, of course, going back to my "casual" band that I've been in for 12 years. We just goof off for fun, and play gigs to our friends. I miss it. I love that it's so loose, and that we've been doing it so long that it doesn't require any thought.
Looking forward to playing live again, and even doing tours. I have noticed that the older I get, the more fun touring is.
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Let me know when "post COVID" will be first.
There is no telling what is going to happen to the music industry at this point. Big bands are losing their shirts because they can't tour. Local bands can't play or practice anywhere. No one knows if there will be any venues left. Who knows if "going out" will even be a thing anymore.
There is no telling what is going to happen to the music industry at this point. Big bands are losing their shirts because they can't tour. Local bands can't play or practice anywhere. No one knows if there will be any venues left. Who knows if "going out" will even be a thing anymore.
Tomorrow morning I’m having a revision (as they call it) of the total hip replacement I had in 2009. I won’t be playing much of anything for a few weeks, then probably just my clarinet for a few more. The way the arthritis in my hands is accelerating, my recent thoughts of switching from standard to short scale bass may be insufficient. Once I can get out again I’m considering taking up mandolin. There are more opportunities to play that than to play bass in this town where everybody plays bass; even drummers! It’s weird! Everywhere else I’ve lived, if you played bass you had a gig! Here it’s, “Get in line.”
Nice to hear some of us are still consistently playing out live. Make the most of it!
I feel like I'm in Grapes of Wrath. "Muscles aching to work; minds aching to create."
Voted "Other".
We never stopped rehearsing/playing/gigging/recording.
That worked for us.
Challenging? Yes.
Thinner crowds? Yes.
Discouraging at times? Yes.
Worth it? YES!
We never stopped rehearsing/playing/gigging/recording.
That worked for us.
Challenging? Yes.
Thinner crowds? Yes.
Discouraging at times? Yes.
Worth it? YES!
Post Covid? Gonna be a long wait.
Given that, I’ve already pivoted to my Covid-driven circumstances. Done with gigging, moved into scoring, composing, writing and video production. Also messing around with analogue synths.
No need for me to ever set foot on a stage again. I’ll leave that for others. But I’m not done collaborating!
Given that, I’ve already pivoted to my Covid-driven circumstances. Done with gigging, moved into scoring, composing, writing and video production. Also messing around with analogue synths.
No need for me to ever set foot on a stage again. I’ll leave that for others. But I’m not done collaborating!
I definitely want to get back onstage again. That I know for sure. The how and when are big question marks though. Most of the bands around here have dissolved over the last year. Including the band I was in. So there’s really no telling who will be hanging it up and who will form new bands. There’s a lot of stuff I’m very open to doing. I’m willing to play different styles of music, I’m open to different gear setups(big amps, little amps, no amps), heck I’m even willing to use backing tracks some which is something I was against for many years. What I don’t want to deal with is playing in a band with people I don’t like just to get onstage though. It has to be the right people and I also want to find a band where we don’t take just any gig we can get. Because something I think is pretty obvious is a lot of us that have been actively gigging for years are often playing the same venues to the same exact people and rarely have a real chance to make new fans. I’d rather turn down certain shows and use that time to work on online content or writing new material more than just taking every gig we can get, not writing as often, and playing the same songs over and over again past the point where I get burned out on them. So more of a quality over quantity approach to gigging. By quality I don’t mean money. I could care less about the money stuff. But I Don't want to have anymore of these conversations with fans about why our set was so short because we were playing a local club show with like 5 or 6 bands. Really don’t want to deal with gigs that have more than 3 bands unless it’s the rare festival gig or opening for a national act I would pay to go see if I wasn’t playing.
We’re in metro NYC and it’s very difficult right now for anyone in the entertainment industry.
We are scheduled to rehearse starting in February on a regular basis and have booked a few shows for late in the summer. Better days are ahead and I’m looking forward to playing with my band mates again.
We are scheduled to rehearse starting in February on a regular basis and have booked a few shows for late in the summer. Better days are ahead and I’m looking forward to playing with my band mates again.
I'm going right back to doing what I was before and during COVID: sucking at bass
When and IF things are safe to get back to normal, hopefully the 90’s alt rock band my friends and I just barely started to get off the ground can have a couple rehearsals. 30 ish songs were ready to perform at the end of last February. Looking forward to getting back to playing at our home church and helping when I can at couple churches that I’ve enjoyed leading worship over the last number of years.
Plus, my wife is a player too and had a classic rock band whom I LOVED watching play. She got to play a lot dope music and obviously had a blast rockin our sweet sweet Mesa rig.
Plus, my wife is a player too and had a classic rock band whom I LOVED watching play. She got to play a lot dope music and obviously had a blast rockin our sweet sweet Mesa rig.
I think everyone in my main band wants to pick right back up, although our front man has a child on the way, so who knows? Wouldn't mind picking up a second band, and have been talking with a close friend about playing together again. Good singers and drummers are always hardest to find, though.
I want to get together with an old guitar player friend maybe put together a trio and I'll have to be the lead vocalist unless I can find a female vocalist to share the duties. Sad about my friend. The year has been rough on him. He lost his job and needed a hip replacement. He's aged so much in a year. Now he hobbles along on a cane and needs a stool to play. But he can still play the hell out of that guitar. I have a new (old) Ibanez natural finish lefty bass with Nordy's I can't wait to try. Shoot. I'm old enough that I have the money to buy whatever I want (within reason) and a beautiful bass, but I can't play anywhere! I think wife and I are getting the Covid shots the end of this month then the second shot three weeks into February. Then life will seem a bit brighter. Good luck to all of us this year!
EDIT: Don't anyone expect to see anything close to "normal" before late September early October. Those of you already playing, I hope you're wearing a mask and being careful. Death is so final.
EDIT: Don't anyone expect to see anything close to "normal" before late September early October. Those of you already playing, I hope you're wearing a mask and being careful. Death is so final.
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The start of lock down caused a bit of a rift between myself and the band as I had been placed on furlough meaning I couldn't afford our rehearsal space rent. I wanted to give up the space, the others did not. The whole thing made me hang up playing for a few months.
Everyone came round to writing a second album (a plan we had at the start of the year) and so we've been chipping away at recording demos and have a decent set up for remote recording, replacing drum loop tracks with real drums as and when lockdown restrictions were reduced. We've got a good bunch of tracks down and another handful of basic structures. Feel like I've written some of my best bass lines this summer. Looking forward to getting back into the studio properly, getting this album down, and getting back on a stage!
Would also like to join or start a pub band and make some easy money alas my musical network is great for this.
Everyone came round to writing a second album (a plan we had at the start of the year) and so we've been chipping away at recording demos and have a decent set up for remote recording, replacing drum loop tracks with real drums as and when lockdown restrictions were reduced. We've got a good bunch of tracks down and another handful of basic structures. Feel like I've written some of my best bass lines this summer. Looking forward to getting back into the studio properly, getting this album down, and getting back on a stage!
Would also like to join or start a pub band and make some easy money alas my musical network is great for this.
