It has been a fun few months (during the coronavirus quarantine), as a new member of TalkBass. Now that the music business has straightened out a little, I’ve found a way to work around the limitations, & I am getting back to playing full time, so I will be leaving TB.
I have found some things here that I wasn’t expecting. There are more hobbyists & semi-pros here, than there are people who only play music for a living, like I do, so maybe that explains the following:
I’ve found that a lot of players on TB are reducing the amount of basses and amps they have, to the point that they won’t have a backup, in case of equipment failure. Onstage, I always have duplicates of everything just in case something goes bad in the middle of a song. (I can be taken to court, and stand to lose a lot of money if I miss a show because of equipment failure.) People having no backups, was a big surprise.
I’ve found bassists here love to discuss food, but insult large fast-food chains and their bland food. Musicians who have made a career of touring the world, know that you should not try the local cuisine anywhere near days you’re playing a concert, because if it makes you sick, you could miss a show. Bland fast-food to the rescue. It was a surprise people didn’t seem to do this.
It also seems on TalkBass, very few have and wear “stage clothes”, which let the audience clearly tell at a distance, that you are in the band - not just some member of the audience. Apparently a lot of folks, don’t dress any different than the audience. That was definitely curious.
I’ve found a lot of people complaining about other band members who let other parts of “life” get in the way of their music. Well, music IS my life. It’s what I chose to do with my life, so that nothing else gets in the way, 99% of the time. Some people aren’t pros. You have to accept that, if you’re dealing with a weekend player, rather than a professional.
It’s been fun. I wish you all well.
And...I thought I’d leave you with this - my version of Texas ‘Carrots’ (should have been pulled this sooner, because it probably can’t be eaten).
I have found some things here that I wasn’t expecting. There are more hobbyists & semi-pros here, than there are people who only play music for a living, like I do, so maybe that explains the following:
I’ve found that a lot of players on TB are reducing the amount of basses and amps they have, to the point that they won’t have a backup, in case of equipment failure. Onstage, I always have duplicates of everything just in case something goes bad in the middle of a song. (I can be taken to court, and stand to lose a lot of money if I miss a show because of equipment failure.) People having no backups, was a big surprise.
I’ve found bassists here love to discuss food, but insult large fast-food chains and their bland food. Musicians who have made a career of touring the world, know that you should not try the local cuisine anywhere near days you’re playing a concert, because if it makes you sick, you could miss a show. Bland fast-food to the rescue. It was a surprise people didn’t seem to do this.
It also seems on TalkBass, very few have and wear “stage clothes”, which let the audience clearly tell at a distance, that you are in the band - not just some member of the audience. Apparently a lot of folks, don’t dress any different than the audience. That was definitely curious.
I’ve found a lot of people complaining about other band members who let other parts of “life” get in the way of their music. Well, music IS my life. It’s what I chose to do with my life, so that nothing else gets in the way, 99% of the time. Some people aren’t pros. You have to accept that, if you’re dealing with a weekend player, rather than a professional.
It’s been fun. I wish you all well.
And...I thought I’d leave you with this - my version of Texas ‘Carrots’ (should have been pulled this sooner, because it probably can’t be eaten).
