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To Gig or Not To Gig

#21
I am pretty diverse but I will definitely not join a rock/metal/punk/hardcore or any of those related styles type of band. I love gigging but if it ain't fun and I don't look forward to rehearsals and gigs, then it's time for me to go! No way will I play anything just to gig though! I have been in the following types of bands.....

R&B
Funk
Soul
Latin
Jazz/Contemporary Jazz
Gospel
NeoSoul
Easy Listening
Lite Contemporary Rock
Pop/Pop Rock
Disco
Variety

I also have the option to write and record my own music (which I'm planning to get back to doing)!
 
#22
I would play almost anything to get into a good gig. And for a band/music I love, I will play bad gigs. Still, with the day job, I can't gig too frequently or it does just burn me out. A weekend off out of every 6 is the nice pace. Also, closer to home is *much* easier than even an hour's drive to a gig. Anything above 2 hours drive (one-way) and it becomes much more of a burden- in other words, it had better be a good gig that pays at least ok.
 
#23
I need to play. To do this I play in multiple bands. Currently in an eclectic trio playing multiple genres from reggae to western swing, a country rock band, a jazz/blues band and a rockabilly band. Over the years I have also played in swing, latin rock, classic rock, top40, bebop, old country and old style rnb bands. Oh, and Irish.
I would lose the will to live if I was limited to one genre, and need to have at least one gig a week to satisfy the addiction.. :)
 
#24
bluewine said:
I am curious about overall thoughts on gigging. To some of us, if were not gigging our lives stop and it's depression time for others they can take it or leave it.

I am the only member of my last band that is back in a working band. The others are sitting at home because they won't budge from the specific genres they like.

Here's the question;

How diverse are you.

Is giving so important that you will compromise what you like to gig and make a liittle cash. Or are you willing to sit home and do your own thing until the perfect band opportunity comes along?
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I've found that I've grown most as a musician when asked to play styles that I haven't played before. I also invariably find that I find things to like about the style of music.

Most recently as an outgrowth of playing in a Motown trib band I've been jamming with a bunch of guys who are into soca. Didn't know soca from a hole in the wall and still don't but the bass playing is pretty damn impressive and I'm learning a boatload from it.
 
#26
I'm just going through a gigging dilemma atm. My main band plays out about once a month which is not enough for me. They don't want to play bar gigs so we hold out for festivals/fairs in the summer, there's also some winery gigs in this area.

So I recently got involved with a local tribute band as a side-project. It's already apparent that some of the members of this band rely on the gig for income which is something I've tried to avoid in the past. I make enough from my job to not 'have' to take gigs to pay the bills.

I've tried to organize this on a first come/first served basis, whoever books the date first gets me but I can already see storm clouds on the horizon as the tribute is booking more shows than I was originally led to expect.

It's only a matter of time before my main band (and the band I prefer to play in) is offered a good show and that date is already taken with the tribute. At that point I'm going to have to make my choice I guess.

Always too few or too many!
 
#28
Seems like a lot of us are flexible because we like playing out.

However, I am shocked at how narrow by former band mates are. They would rather not play at all if they can't find an originals band.

I'm just not that important to sit back and say if I can't have this or that in the genre I play I won't play at all. Although as previously mentioned, I'm not a fit for metal. But, I do enjoy the movie "Anvil"
 
#29
bluewine said:
Seems like a lot of us are flexible because we like playing out.

However, I am shocked at how narrow by former band mates are. They would rather not play at all if they can't find an originals band.

I'm just not that important to sit back and say if I can't have this or that in the genre I play I won't play at all. Although as previously mentioned, I'm not a fit for metal. But, I do enjoy the movie "Anvil"
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If Deer Park Avenue broke up, and I found another band of friends (We were friends before we were a band) that wanted to gig together, I don't think I'd care what we were doing.

With my current band, it's not what we play, it's that I get to make music with 2 of my best friends.
 
#30
I'm very picky about what I play and with who I play with.I don't play for the money and really need music to inspire and allow me to remain creative so originals are for me. I also like a band that gigs no more than 2x a month,maybe three here and there. I have a family and need to split my time and see my Daughter grow up. Maybe someday i will join an oldies /wedding band and play more and make some real money but not now.
 
#32
bassbully said:
I'm very picky about what I play and with who I play with.I don't play for the money and really need music to inspire and allow me to remain creative so originals are for me. I also like a band that gigs no more than 2x a month,maybe three here and there. I have a family and need to split my time and see my Daughter grow up. Maybe someday i will join an oldies /wedding band and play more and make some real money but not now.
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Well, that makes sense, we are all at different stages in life and some of have more ability and discipline than others.

I always put music and gigging first. I have 2 divorces to prove it.

"If I could do it all over again I'd still be in the same skin I'm in."

blue
 
#33
I'll compromise some things and not others. I'll play any genre. Playing electric bass was a compromise at first -- the school jazz band needed a bass player.

I won't compromise my family life or day job. I love rock music but won't put up with being in a rock band. Those things automatically limit my gigs to a reasonable number of roughly 2 - 3 per month.
 
#34
I have been without a gig for several months now and hell i have been feeling like a drug addict going without his daily dose for sometime now. Reason for all this is we were an okay band and started getting tk get agknowledged and get more paid gigs had our debut album signed by a small indie record label and had a good manager on board and last year evrything went south of the border split up and now i am restarting from zero. So no gigs for quite sometime.
 
#35
MrNecroVOL said:
I have been without a gig for several months now and hell i have been feeling like a drug addict going without his daily dose for sometime now. Reason for all this is we were an okay band and started getting tk get agknowledged and get more paid gigs had our debut album signed by a small indie record label and had a good manager on board and last year evrything went south of the border split up and now i am restarting from zero. So no gigs for quite sometime.
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Do you live in an area where there are opportunities to audition or join established working bands? Or are you networked and opportunities will come to you?

Are you open to playing in a working cover band?
 
#36
This might sound stupid ( i knkw it is) but i dont like playing in cover bands and the only rare cover bands in my area play crappy french standards lol.

I am willing to play in basically any band from pop to extreme metal. I have restarted a project and hope for the best have to wait and see.
 
#37
well, getting out there and playing in a band you're not crazy about will do much more for you as a musician than sitting at home playing in your bedroom...

that said, i guess i've been lucky, in that i've never had a problem finding bands to play in that i like, that also gig.

(or forming them from scratch).
 
#39
bassbully said:
I'm very picky about what I play and with who I play with.I don't play for the money and really need music to inspire and allow me to remain creative so originals are for me.
Click to expand...

I think originals bands are good for guys that don't want to or don't have the time to gig 2-3 times a week.

I do think it's crucial for anyone auditioning for working bands to make sure your working with good people who have a business model in place for generating bookings that works.

There are so many bands out there that don't have even one member that has the skill set or even understands their market to consistently book good paying gigs.

Show me a working band with no gigs on the books (not by design) and I'll show you a band that's in jeopardy of breaking up.
 

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