Whats your current playing situation

[noahw1]

I'm in a cover band that doesn't play out a lot. The song list on the whole is fine but doesn't thrill me. I've been with them about 10 years.
I also play in a project that I love consisting of originals and covers that we choose. We play out once a month. It's super fun and we practice once a week. The core members are me and a guitar player/vocalist we play out as a duo but also have drums here and there.

 

[Jaycat]

After listening to New Orleans R&B my whole life, I finally landed in a group that plays it. The BL is a benevolent dictator, and that's ok with me. I'm in charge of enough other stuff in my life.

 

[J Wilson]

I've joined the Mothball Fleet.

 

[2saddleslab]

I voted this is my vision, even though the songs are written by the BL. We all are involved in the creative arrangement/ recording process and our vision aligns on the type & scope of the originals.

I tolerate carrots, I despise asparagas.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

Found out the hard way that I really didn't want to play in a Foreigner tribute band. Then a guitarist I worked with in my old band called me up and wondered aloud whether we could do something together. I sent him a setlist (I labeled in "An Imaginary Setlist") and asked him what he liked to play. His response: "Nobody has ever asked me this before." He's coming off a few years of working with a band that played a lot of New Orleans stuff, so I made sure to include some Meters tunes, along with a bunch of tunes that I like to play, just because they're fun. Mostly obscurities, but a couple that got radio play at one time or another. He also brought in a drummer who'd been subbing for his regular band. Our workaround for performing is going into our old bandleader's weekly open mic, where we can use the house PA and drum kit. Should anything actually come out of this, I'll let y'all know...

 

[Jefenator]

I learned early on that bands are pretty much by definition a PITA – and temporary.
Being a hired gun has served me well – and I like to think I've provided a valuable service to a bunch of different BLs.
I used to enjoy more creative input when I did a lot of duos. I need to get back to that. (Also for economic reasons.)

 

[Dollar2]

Playing with guys that got together during the pandemic. They are younger than me and never had a band before. Country, bluegrass, some rock. I brought in my son to play drums. It's not my favorite music and I've been in better bands but I wouldn't pass this up.

 

[LiptonJigglers]

Just there to keep from getting stale whilst I rebuild the original outfit.

 

[pepj]

I need the set to be interesting and I need scope to play. I expect others to do the same.
The warning signs are when I don't like too many numbers because I'll get bored and start looking to make things interesting for me...
This is why bands and members are on a pretty short reign.
You really really do not want the situation where you dont fancy the gig that evening.
Keeping it fresh is hard, keeping it from getting stale is even harder.
These are my red flags.

 

[Pocket Dave]

Pole choices are a little over-thinkish for me.

My playing situation is pretty simple.

What's the gig pay & where?

What time's downbeat?

 

[DCErik]

I'm currently, as of Friday, in two situations:

• This is my vision and it's all good

Answered a Craigslist ad back in September for a start-up R.E.M. cover band focused on their IRS era (82-87) similar to the Shannon/Narducy tours of the past couple of years. Didn't even know that was my vision, or strictly legal, until someone else had it, too. Having an absolute blast doing a Mike Mills deep-dive even if it is a challenge to get booked. So far we're just playing 4-song open mic sets, but our local lets us go 40-50 minutes if it's not too busy. On track to split a show with another band in the next few months, and slowly but steadily adding material. Only issues are that the singer is very young and pretty new, so he's got a lot of work to do alongside full time school and a part time job, but he's fanatically dedicated to Michael Stipe and coming along nicely. Our guitarist is also kind of new to playing in bands, and also the R.E.M., so it takes him a while to work out songs. On the whole, though, I'm having a great time and envision some degree of success for the project.

• Someone else's vision and a good enough situation

With the pace of the other project being a bit slow I have time for a 2nd, and found it last Friday. Standard 90s and 00s covers with a handful of 'classics' thrown in and some originals in the works. Everyone's at least a decade younger than I am, but all very solid players with lots of experience and a good, organized workflow, and they seem like an excellent hang. Well worth having to play a few moldy oldies, IMO.

 

[Runnerman]

I voted number one. It's all good. Could it be better? Yes, I think realistically there is always room for improvement in one's situation. Possibly some better gigs.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Kind of a mix of the first two. I've mainly been playing at church for a while now. There's a good possibility of a semi-regular garage jam coming up; we'll see.

 

[rtslinger]

Founding member of current cover band since 2001 still having fun, so I will continue to do it till I can't

 

[DWBass]

In a band but the band is currently idle. So, I'm sitting on my ass doing nothing!!

 

[WI Short Scaler]

Although I'd like our schedule to be more consistent, it's still as close to my "vision" as I think I'll get.

I was in a classic rock group with the same drummer for about 20 years. He was a decent enough drummer, not flashy, which is ok. Over that time we had probably 10 or 11 people come and go. In the last lineup of that group the number of gigs dropped considerably so the guitarist and I formed a 3 pc with a really good singer on cajon. Smaller gigs, smaller crowds, but since I do our sound along with singing and playing it was also much less stress.

After a year of being in both I left the classic rock group and stayed with the 3 pc. That group now has a fantastic lady singing and playing cajon. We enjoy each other's company, everyone has the attitude of pitching in to get the work done and no one is the prima donna.

I want to play some music to have fun, and this is. So even if it's not always perfect it's still pretty close.

 

[M-Mittlesteadt]

I do a lot of writing and recording bass tracks for other musicians/songwriters which keeps me very busy on it's own. But I've been a part of the same "all originals" band for the last 40+ years, on and off that included many different musicians playing an eclectic mix of genres. We used to play gigs regularly and developed quite a following, despite not playing any covers. The rhythm guitarist/singer/songwriter is quite prolific and has probably written hundreds if not thousands of songs over the last 40 years and I get to create my own bass lines.

Over the years I played in a lot of cover bands, but they became boring and the music played is no longer relevant to my life. Just not interested in 80's rock covers that almost make me feel embarrassed to be onstage "posing" like a "rock star" garbage. But that's me. It's just a "been there, done that" and I don't see any value in doing that anymore. I don't need the money that bad. Todays' music makes me feel like a dinosaur that barely escaped extinction.

As we got older my originals band only played out perhaps once or twice a month and packed the house. Now we write and record music, collaborating online. We only gig now for early afternoon/evening benefit gigs where we have other local bands open for us. No more 4 hour late night gigs in bars and I really feel blessed to be able to play music I'm actually proud of.

I currently practice, write and record bass on an almost daily basis. I have a great 4 string Precision (passive P/J) and a 6 string bass. I don't gig a lot anymore...just enough to keep it fun and interesting. Most days, this is my gig...

 

[Fuzzbass]

Poll has closed but there wasn't a perfect fit.

Context: I'm getting into old phart territory age-wise, bass has been my hobby since I was a teen. I'm mostly self-taught, but have had music lessons every so often. Weekend warrior, mostly playing bar gigs, 60 or more per year.

I suppose where I am now is close to my vision: juggling at least a half-dozen semi-regular gigging bands (mostly covers, one all-original), along with assorted sub gigs. I'm busier than I ought to be given my poor vocal skills: evidence enough of the bass player shortage in my large metro area.

If I had studied more theory, learned to read sheet music, worked diligently with a voice teacher, then I'd be playing better quality gigs. That said: I love my day job and my goal all along has been to keep music as a hobby, so I don't kick myself for being a slacker. To give myself credit: I know how to do homework, am a decent sub even on short notice (no rehearsal of course), and offer assorted other skills such as dependability, playing for the song and not myself, remaining attitude-free even when a bandmate isn't, etc etc.