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The Weekend Warrior & The Part Time Job

#41
I'm in the same boat and I didn't need the gig for the money. I just love playing. Some times it was really hard when I ended up working 7 days a week for like a month. I ended up qutting a band that worked a lot. The leader ultimately lost his day job so the band became his full time job. As he becme more serious about the money he needed. The gig became less fun. We would play some nice places and I know they paid well. He still would pay us chump change. I didn't like it knew I was being pimped, he sucked all of the fun out of the gigs and playing and took himself too seriously. I was like this guy doesn;t have a day job, but still has his crib, and his volvo. I was helping him pay his car note. Still today he picks up full time cats that need that extra gig to pay that electric bill or something. I feel sorry for them, chasing their dream and being subject to him and what he pays. Now days I free lance, and am about to embark on being a clinician. I's nice when you can dictate your own terms. I'm not playing as much but I'm happier and have fun when I play out. I could be wrong but the more serious and profssional the gig, the less I see musicians enjoying themselves. Cracks me up to no end. If there is any profession where cats take themslves too seriously, it's music. I'm like Dude you're making a buck 25, for a 4 hr gig, relax.
 
#43
phillybass101 said:
If there is any profession where cats take themslves too seriously, it's music. I'm like Dude you're making a buck 25, for a 4 hr gig, relax.
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Hi Philly,

OP here.

Were really talking about Weekend Warriors, not the guys making a living from gigs.

I think $125.00 for a gig is relative, it's "chump change" for some and really "groovy" bread for others. I am sure there are TBers, gigging TBers that have never landed a $125.00 clear per man gig.

I know at least two good bands that have had to resort to acepting $250.00 gigs, thats not per man that's for the whole band.

Blue
 
#44
I've played for $50 but that didn't last long. I take what I get now as it fills my gas tank but the gig is getting old and I'm already considering quitting. The money is there to be made (agent booked corp/private gigs) but the BL doesn't have a clue nor the skills to take the band there. His musical catalog is extremely limited as is his musical skills and it's showing more and more each gig. To the point he just stops playing and if we don't have a guitarist playing it's just me and drums playing! SMDH!
 
#45
bluewine said:
I never understood posts where guys would say things like;

"I don't care if anyone shows up for our gigs or not"

" I don't care what people think of my playing"

" It's my art, my own self expression "

Blue
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Not hard to understand at all. No one shows up for their gigs, they've been told they suck, and no one gets what they're trying to play/say. But they know better than everyone else. We've all encountered them. This type just make me chuckle. :D
 
#46
I have been through a phase where I didn't have a full-time job, and so I depended on some gigs to make up a small part of my basic income. Struggling to make enough money was definitely not fun, but I don't blame that on the gigging. Playing continued to be enjoyable; not having any money wasn't. And I wonder whether some people get the two muddled up.

See, I would dearly love to be able to quit my day job and make a living from playing. On the other hand, I'd want to make sure I had a source of enough paying gigs that I wouldn't be living quite as hand-to-mouth as I was before. But as long as the money weren't that bad, I don't think it being a "job" would ruin it.
 
#48
My band has played a major motorcycle rally the last couple of years as essentially an on-site "house band" for one of the major campgrounds. We're usually out there 3-4 days playing one show a day, plus a travel day each way (at least one of which we try to leverage into another gig en route). I've come home from those weeks with $400-500 in my pocket, plus free accommodations and all the food and drink we want on the house.

Is that "good pay" for a week's worth of work and travel? Heck no. But it's a darn nice paid vacation.
 
#50
When you get hired and paid (not pay-for-play, selling tickets, or playing for the door, but HIRED AND PAID), it is a job. Period.

A fun job, and a unique job in that you can quit one employer while still working for others which gives you a little more job security than the traditional employee working for one employer. But yeah, it's a job.

I think the ones who are saying "I will quit when it becomes a job" really mean "I'll quit when it becomes unpleasant work" which is a little more understandable, and totally rational.

I always have and always will quit any "job" that becomes unpleasant work. I refuse to spend most of my waking life doing something which I don't get at least some enjoyment from (probably why I've been self-employed almost my entire adult life). I have quit entire careers running successful businesses before due to it becoming "unpleasant work"...
 
#51
ChrisB2 said:
I think the ones who are saying "I will quit when it becomes a job" really mean "I'll quit when it becomes unpleasant work" which is a little more understandable, and totally rational.
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Agreed

It's too bad when guys get caught up in band drama and other non-music extenuating circumstances that spoil the band experience.

"Don't take yourself or your band too seriously"

I know you can't always see it coming.

Blue
 
#52
bluewine said:
Agreed

It's too bad when guys get caught up in band drama and other non-music extenuating circumstances that spoil the band experience.

"Don't take yourself or your band too seriously"

I know you can't always see it coming.

Blue
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Bands are known for sprouting issues and problems all the time. Since allot of national bands making millions can't stay together how can we expect the little local /regional bands to do so?

If the hang is good, music decent I'm good but the pressure to keep a band gigging or issues with members really breaks you down quickly.
 
#53
ChrisB2 said:
I think the ones who are saying "I will quit when it becomes a job" really mean "I'll quit when it becomes unpleasant work" which is a little more understandable, and totally rational.
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The way I look at it is I expect my job (work) to pay me and support my family. I never played music to do that or did I ever expect money from music for any support.
 
#54
bassbully said:
The way I look at it is I expect my job (work) to pay me and support my family. I never played music to do that or did I ever expect money from music for any support.
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The only difference for me being a paid weekend guy is;

I like to have a couple of bills cash in my wallet at all times. I use to always get $100.00 here a $100.00 there when I would be checking out at Wal Mart from my checking account.

I have not had to do that since I went gigging cover a little over a year ago.

Does music support my mortgage and real bills, no, not at all.

blue
 
#55
Should I get good enough to get paid...

I don't plan on it becoming my income source. Maybe I can get some gigs in retirement for beer money or something.

See, I turned my passion for motorcycles into a job in the powersports industry...I no longer ride.
I turned a hobby (photography) into my own business (8 years now). I can't remember the last time I spent time taking pictures for fun, for relaxation, for the joy of the results.

I like what I do, I like the challenges of running my own business. The photography has long since lost its magic.

I've had folks tell me "I'd love to be an artist like - doing creative things every day!" - uh huh...after 100 weddings there's nothing 'creative' about it anymore. The 50th family, 100th kid, 200th HS senior - you repeat yourself. There are challenges that keep you going of course, but it becomes more like work and less like 'play'.

I'd imagine playing music for a living would be the same way. If you were a rolling stone or part of aerosmith, etc as a 20 something, tourcing, making hit records, etc it would be great.
FF 40 years...playing the same songs every night? Being asked to play the same songs every night?
 
#57
bassbully said:
Bands are known for sprouting issues and problems all the time. Since allot of national bands making millions can't stay together how can we expect the little local /regional bands to do so?

If the hang is good, music decent I'm good but the pressure to keep a band gigging or issues with members really breaks you down quickly.
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You know I have been pushing the other side of the coin;

For me, my band has been together 7 years.I have been with them for a little over a year.

It's a 4 peice. We are not friends and we don't hang. I think it's why we get along so well and there's 0 drama.

blue
 
#58
Bluewine provides an interesting perspective with... "We are not friends and we don't hang. I think it's why we get along so well and there's 0 drama." I never thought about it that way but that sort of describes my own situation. We all get along great but live far apart so don't hang out during the week. We just meet for the gig, play, and have a great time. Then we all go our separate ways until the next gig.
 
#59
As for the same songs all the time I can kind of agree. I have been playing originals for over 4 years and a few covers. I since have re-joined a working Country rock band I was in 5 years ago on the side.
I must admit learning songs and going over these covers (50+) is not allot of fun. I will see how playing them goes but they are not very exciting right now. I'm sure with people dancing for the band I will change my mind plus the money is good so i can only hope.
 
#60
bluewine said:
You know I have been pushing the other side of the coin;

For me, my band has been together 7 years.I have been with them for a little over a year.

It's a 4 peice. We are not friends and we don't hang. I think it's why we get along so well and there's 0 drama.

blue
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