welp, we're done

[skwee]

Congratulations on such a good run. Don't beat yourself up about the split--13 years is great (and I'm confident you'll find a playing outlet if that's in your heart)!

Here's a Reds-era Dave Parker for ya!

 

[DWA2469]

I hope you guys get it worked out. I have played in my current cover band since 2008! A lot of members have come and gone but me and the founder have remained constant, his son is now old enough to play with us and is very talented the kid can do it all! BTW I met Dave Parker and got to shake his hand in 1977. My little league team traveled to Three Rivers for "Banner Day"! We got to walk around the field in our uniforms before the game. Parker was sitting on a stool near the dugout with the hottest "Ball Girl" I have ever seen in his lap! I wolf whistled at her and shook my head! He got up trotted over and shook my hand I will never forget that day!!!

 

[Fuzzbass]

We were in danger of drifting into "multiple bands with the same name territory" as things got fragmented.

Ha, I'm currently in "multiple bands with overlapping band members but different names territory" -- but I guess that's the norm.

Related: one of my bands consists of a BL LS plus a rotating cast of characters at guitar, bass, keyboards, drums. Everyone in the band juggles multiple bands, so the BL staffs his gigs based on availability, and tries to divvy up the gigs so that all the A and B team members stay fresh with the material (C tier members are last resort). The setlist varies a little bit depending on who else is sharing lead vocal duties, but usually by a dozen or fewer songs per gig.

I like this arrangement a lot! It's cool to show up at the gig often not knowing who else will be onstage. There are no slouches in the A and B tiers, and it's fun to perform with different musicians. Another nice benefit is networking: recommending each other for sub gigs, side projects, etc. Yet another perk: It's never a problem when I'm unavailable for a particular date, because the BL will simply use one of his other bassists. I've occasionally worked with BLs who got annoyed with my unavailability -- mainly situations where I was the only one in the band juggling multiple bands. I get it, rustling up gigs is hard work, but I always tell them that it's OK with me if they find another bassist willing to commit 100% to that band. That has happened a couple/few times, and it's fine with me because I would never commit 100% to a single band that isn't going to give me 50+ gigs a year, which I do get from juggling.

P.S. Not trying to brag. I'm an experienced old phart who lives in a huge metro area with a serious shortage of bass players.

 

[pepj]

What is the set list, typically.

 

[Fuzzbass]

What is the set list, typically.

Not sure who you're asking. OP said his band had a huge list in a wide variety of styles.

If you were asking me: most of my semi-regular bands play classic hits of many genres, mainly 70s-90s, but one plays all original blues/funk/rock. There is certainly some song overlap between many of the bands, but I stretch out even farther when subbing: country/blues/rootsy stuff with one band, and another that plays 80% Elvis (all eras) along with 50s-60s oldies/rockabilly covers from other artists. For anyone curious how I manage this: after all these years I have a fairly large repertoire in my brain, but also write out all but the easiest/most familiar songs as Nashville number charts, and keep them in a setlist app in my tablet (over 700 in nearly a decade). I use them for reference as needed, typically for songs I haven't played in a long time. It usually just takes a quick glance to remind myself of the structure, but I might read a complex-for-me song all the way through: most often happens when subbing; a good example would be "Kentucky Rain" by Elvis.