Why is it so hard to find a gig?

[guy n. cognito]

The first thing I thought in reading your post was....."maybe it's your attitude." Passion can be a good thing, but it can also get in the way of finding really good opportunities that may not be "perfect."

The next thing I thought was....with all these skills and resources, why not start your own band? Waiting around for the perfect existing band with an active schedule is an exercise in frustration, especially for someone who has specific goals in mind. It's a lot more work than joining an existing band, but it's easily enough achieved for those that have the skills to make it happen.

After looking for a ready-made opportunity, I formed a new band a few months ago. We're playing our third gig next weekend, and have starting actively filling the calendar.

 

[mikegug]

Doesn't OP work with music instructors? HELLO?

It's like a hockey player showing up to a frozen lake looking for a team, but he can't find one because there are so many other single hockey players skating around...

Make a team (hockey analogy)! Make a band (OP situation)!

 

[Bassquest]

Depends where you are. I'll be 60 this year and still in demand. I had to choose between a blues gig and a country gig last night. I chose the blues gig although it paid less but I was home at a reasonable hour (11 pm) to go to bed. The country gig would have kept me up till 3 am and I would have been cranky today.

 

[jive1]

IMO, if you're living in a major metropolitan area and you can't find a gig, I suggest doing a little introspection and be willing to flex a little. It's rare for people to get the ideal job as their first job, let alone their second or third.

The goal should be to make contacts. It's through these contacts that you find your ideal situation.

I've been gigging NoVA/DC/MD for over a decade. This is what I've gathered about it.
- It's a commodity music market. People care more about the material than the band that's playing it. They don't care who is playing "Don't Stop Believing", they just want to hear that song done reasonably well.
- Originals scene is difficult, like many other scenes. The area is transient, with people moving in and out all the time, so it makes it harder to have a local scene. But, there is some great talent around here, but lots of them move away to make it.
- I consider this area to be a vibrant music scene. Sure there are more places where you will hear Bon Jovi than Weather Report, but there is a place here for so many genres of music from Country, Rock, Reggae, R&B, Afro-Cuban, Latin, Jazz, Fusion, Swing, Blues, Folk, Afro-Funk, Go-Go, Hip-Hop, Gospel, a litany of Ethnic music, and more. Even if there's not much money in it, there's a venue out here for just about any kind of music.
- Some of the best players are playing "lame" gigs. I've met some great players doing cover gigs. In the same way that playing "Jessie's Girl" or "Girl from Impanema" isn't my musical bliss, it's that way for lots of musicians. But they want to play and get paid, and sometimes you have to play music you don't care for. Lots of guys playing covers also have original projects going on as well, and one of them might be the project you are looking for.
- DC is a political town, thus the music scene as well. It's all about who you know. Lots of gigs or bands I have connected with are from just knowing one of the people, or just having played with people that the band knows. I find that bands like to know who you played with, and if it's someone they know it's easier to vet that person in.

 

[Rowdy]

I live in the Northern VA/DC area. The current band that I founded is on the rocks and I'm looking around for new opportunities as the situation may be unsalvageable (a topic for a different thread).

However, I'm not finding anything--not even an audition worth auditioning for! What I really want is a trend-setting working band, or a non-cheesy working cover band.

Is it me? Well, let's look at my "credentials:"

I've been playing for nearly 15 years and I have performed with decent local bands and recorded several records. I have a diverse and eclectic taste in music and I can play the hell out of any kind of music that interests me. I'm the opposite of flakey. I've literally never missed a band rehearsal, ever. This track record goes back to high school

I have a BA in music, and a Master's in Entertainment Business Management, I can fluently read music, I'm a songwriter, play/understand multiple instruments, and I know how to market a band, get gigs, etc.

As far as the superficial stuff is concerned: I'm 28, young enough to be marketable, yet old enough to be relatively wise. I'm mostly photogenic, and I have good stage presence and gear.

To top it off, I run a music school where I essentially have free, well-equiped practice space 24-7.

So what's wrong? Why can't I find a good gig with a good, reliable, gigging band? Can anybody offer any advice on where to look besides Craigslist? CL (at least in DC) is a desert of teenagers trying to jam in their parent's basement and old burnouts that think 90s alt rock is still alive. Is there any hope for a bassist that wants to be in a cool, working indie rock band?

Let me see if I understand this...

You are a young, photogenic, professional musician with a strong work ethic. You "run" a music school and are virtually surrounded by musicians and you live in a heavily populated area.

And you can't find a gig?

Man, I'm having a hard time feeling sympathetic here. I live out in the sticks. I'm lucky to find someone that knows how to play a radio. My only option for a drummer is a guy who looks (and plays) like Uncle Fester. The bright side to this is that he can stick a bulb in his mouth and make it light up. Chicks dig this for some reason.

On the other hand my guitar player is pretty normal. He was once abducted by aliens. They taught him some scales that are little known to most humans... or most cover tunes.

My advice would be to lower your expectations. It works for me.

 

[wonderjosh]

So what's wrong? Why can't I find a good gig with a good, reliable, gigging band? Can anybody offer any advice on where to look besides Craigslist? CL (at least in DC) is a desert of teenagers trying to jam in their parent's basement and old burnouts that think 90s alt rock is still alive. Is there any hope for a bassist that wants to be in a cool, working indie rock band?

I have been having this exact problem. You're far more qualified than I am, but even with a my very well prepared ads on Craig's and BandMix, I've talked to maybe one person in the past year that was on the same page stylistically and actually had an appreciation for indie rock. Other than that, not even a nibble. It's all been 90's alt or metal bands that have replied to my ads or that are running ads of their own. Most of them have never heard of bands like Interpol, Editors, The National, Placebo, Gliss, Autolux, The Bravery, etc.

I have a small network of musician friends to pull from, but that hasn't born any fruit yet.

 

[Russell L]

This thread makes me feel so lucky. I'm playing about five gigs a month in three bands (trying not to conflict, of course), and it all came to me. Yes, it all came to me. Why? Dunno. I guess because I'm a good player and easy to hang with, and I can pick up on tunes I don't know fairly while at the gig. It's all cover work,though, but I don't mind. Mostly older stuff. I don't mind that either since I'm 62.

Maybe you should get around more? Sorry, I'm not much help, I guess.

 

[ryanfenderbass]

I have been having this exact problem. You're far more qualified than I am, but even with a my very well prepared ads on Craig's and BandMix, I've talked to maybe one person in the past year that was on the same page stylistically and actually had an appreciation for indie rock. Other than that, not even a nibble. It's all been 90's alt or metal bands that have replied to my ads or that are running ads of their own. Most of them have never heard of bands like Interpol, Editors, The National, Placebo, Gliss, Autolux, The Bravery, etc.

I have a small network of musician friends to pull from, but that hasn't born any fruit yet.

Done! You and I need to start the best bass-fronted post-punk/new wave revival/indie-rock band that no one will ever hear! Hahaha--thanks for the support, man!

Maybe if I can't find what I'm looking for, I'll go back to trying to build it. Meh.

 

[Keithwah]

I feel your frustration, and I'm a good deal older than you.

What I've concluded is that you really need to start your own thing. Have a good idea of what kind of music you want to present, and then start assembling a band. And then take on the hard work of doing a demo and marketing the band.

Word of mouth is best for these kinds of things. Craigslist is a minefield of slackers and flakes, including musicians whose big talk far outpaces their actual abilities.

Since you run a music school, you must have access to a pretty big network of musicians. I'd start there - informal chats with some musicians you already know. And they might bring in other good musicians. It may take a period of informal jamming with a number of folks to figure out who might work for what you're trying to accomplish.

Yes, I know -- easier said than done.

But I've found this approach to be, ultimately, more satisfying than hoping for the right opportunities and hooking up with bands that turn out to be less than expected or desired.

All established playas want to walk right into a solid working situation. The audition mill is grueling and demeaning for guys with real talent and experience. Some are built to handle the rejection and most are not.

Several times in my music life I've auditioned for established popular bands that I should have gotten and didn't. They went to a guy with even cooler hair and oddly enough guys that couldn't sing a lick while I've got a front man's voice and stage presence. But each time I have then taken that crap audition experience and cranked out my own ground up project that within a year or two had eclipsed the gig I didn't get.

You have a vision of what will work in your market place. Go for it. But it' going to take work on your behalf. So the real question may be, do you have the fight left in you to do it?

It means getting out and seeing guys play. You've got a music school, network through your young players there. Who do they see in the clubs that catch their attention, go see those players. Troll the music stores looking for the kid that jamming out STP. Place ads in CL looking for guys frustrated like yourself. Don't paint it red. Be straight up with your ads. You will find people you want to work with.

Yes, you will probably have to go back to ground level to a certain extent on the gig circuit. But while you are putting the next band together, keep in touch with the talent buyer at the clubs you are currently playing in. Don't let any time go by or your face and name you've built vanishes. What have you done for me lately, ya know? But build it yourself. You'll be 100X more satisfied than were you to walk into that established gig.

That said, I am currently in a two year run with a band that has been established and reasonably popular for some 12 years. It's a country act that had been inspired to start up back when the last country act I played in was the king of the heap. It is a complete 180 from what I had been doing, which was fronting a classic 70's-80's hard rock act and occasionally playing a little rhythm. It doesn't mean the right op might not come along via auditioning.

But I took the current band on my own terms. I placed an ad in our local musicians web site Invalid Link Removed and fielded the calls. There were several interesting offers to get together, but rather than jamming with many bands, I chose to hook up with the most experienced situation that was the most desperate to get a bassist. And it turned out win win. I was really wanting to do another classic rock act which was the safe play for me. But the genre switch was welcome. All the material was new to me since the last hit country song I played was released in 1998. It was fun and fresh. After almost two years, it still is fresh and fun.

 

[Staccato]

Backpage.com...it's a fail for our city. There's no listing for a musician, or a band listing audtitions, or seeking members and/or gigs.

The musician section does have (non-musician) listings from outsiders trying to best locals out of a dollar, or three for things unrelated to musicians/bands.