The problem I run into with this is that if the price is too high, I have to take it out of my own share. And I've done it when I've had to, but I don't like it at all. I only call that guy when I have money on the table and I need him....
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The problem I run into with this is that if the price is too high, I have to take it out of my own share. And I've done it when I've had to, but I don't like it at all. I only call that guy when I have money on the table and I need him....
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Nothing wrong with a sub setting their price, as long as they do it ahead of time. No accepting the gig, and then stating "I need X".
It's a double edged sword. You set a price too high, you alienate yourself. Too low and you tend to get pimped out. My minimum is $100. I may do $75 if I know it's gonna be a fun situation and don't have to play all night. Non fun gigs, I tend to just refuse to play. I like to have fun. No stress.
The two that seem to me to have been the most common reasons from experience were: (a) constantly being unprepared and not willing to deal with the responsibilities of knowing their parts and their role within the larger context of a band; and (b) bringing too much of their personal life (i.e. hangups, financial troubles, family issues, transportation issues, substance use, etc.) - or too many of their personal beliefs (i.e. religion, politics, attitudes towards certain social groups or the opposite gender, etc.) into the band.
Not if the aggressive passion is unsolicited, I'd guess.
Comedienne Rita Rudner suggested that she could clear up the confusion about how to define "sexual harassment" very easily. If someone started coming on to her, and she didn't like it, it was clearly sexual harassment. If she did like it, it was obviously "just" flirting. Simple!
Yep..."Simple!"
Amen! Politics of ANY kind (this includes religion, personal problems/issues, personal negative attitudes towards certain social groups, the list goes on) has absolutely no place in any kind of a business relationship, of which being in a band together is a BUSINESS relationship. Mind boggling how many people just don't get that. You want to create friction in any type of relationship, personal or otherwise, arguing any sort of political view is a damn good place to start.
Not coming prepared, not understanding their role? Total deal breaker. Life is much to short...
Likely. But not always, just for the record. My age bracket is much more open to political and philosophical debate than the new generation seems willing to be. But politics, philosophy, and ethics was the counter-culture's playground back in the day. "Encounter" and "confrontation" were the watchwords. Those have since been replaced by notions of "correctness" and "safe spaces."
Different world. Different generation. Different ideals and goals. New tricks for newer dogs.
And the human race muddles on in it's usual way - three steps forward, two steps back..
Works for me.
The profanity is my pet peeve. Not at all necessary and it WILL offend someone in just about any audience. Heck, it offends ME in the audience and embarrasses me on stage.
Another is a local BL's tendency to tell a freakin story about each upcoming song (this is a cover band). Precisely the reason his band hasn't been hired back to some venues, people are sick of all the talking.
Don't have too much experience with this because the bands I'm in have been pretty much set, haven't need too many subs. In my experience the ones we didn't like were people who overplayed. I mean you can only take so much saxaphone.
The only gigs I've been called to sub for were very short notice, usually less than a day. Just show up and do the best you can. I guess what's necessary there is some skill at "winging it". I guess the fact that I can wing it "most of the time" was good enough. That and just trying to be a reasonable person and enjoy the gig. Plus, they were bar gigs etc.
The only gigs I've been called to sub for were very short notice, usually less than a day. Just show up and do the best you can. I guess what's necessary there is some skill at "winging it". I guess the fact that I can wing it "most of the time" was good enough. That and just trying to be a reasonable person and enjoy the gig. Plus, they were bar gigs etc.
I sub with a female singer, who thinks she is a lot better than she is. They were short a drummer for one gig so I recommended the drummer from one of my other bands. This guy is a metronome and really good at driving the band and guiding it around.
He won’t be getting called back, because after 3 or 4 minutes of useless jamming and an empty dance floor (this is bar-band covers) he took it upon himself to bring the song to an end. Singer blew her top, he’s not getting called again.
He was right, as far as I am concerned, but you have to follow the leader as a sub, even if it’s over a cliff.
He won’t be getting called back, because after 3 or 4 minutes of useless jamming and an empty dance floor (this is bar-band covers) he took it upon himself to bring the song to an end. Singer blew her top, he’s not getting called again.
He was right, as far as I am concerned, but you have to follow the leader as a sub, even if it’s over a cliff.
Well said, these are very basic requirements and still a lot of musicians pretending to be "pro" fails (especially at the role part).
This. Profanity is starting to annoy me too and I'm neither innocent nor a saint by any stretch. My language has occasionally gotten a little colorful during stressful situations in the past. But I've since outgrown that unfortunate tendency.
But lately, there seems to be a competition going for how many totally gratuitous F-bombs a band can drop in a single song, or over the course of an evening. It gets pretty trite sounding and juvenile after awhile. A lot of the "alt" bands seem to be really into that where I am.
Random observations from a laid back team player bassist...
Don't scratch your head and wonder why there are half as many people at the gig right after you
went on the band's social media and voiced intolerance and hate at anybody that didn't vote the same as you.
Don't demand 3 times the going rate for gigs if you're only half as good as the average band and wonder why
there aren't more gigs
Don't be a tyrant and demand absolute perfection on one or two songs then noodle and wing your way through the
other 45 songs.
Don't forget we play because it's fun. If a band has zapped all the fun out of playing and gigging, don't scratch your head and wonder why you can't keep players.
Do remember a band is a team effort, play in the mix and not on top of it
IMHO, there are 3 kinds of musicians
Pros: Playing music is their vocation and pays the rent
Semi Pros: Playing music is their avocation
Hobbyists: Play music as a hobby
What's this got to do with the Do's & Don'ts?
No much except it wise to understand when picking band mates or bands.
It's not too often a pro will play with hobbyists and it's not common for a hobbyists to be drafted by a professional band. Conversely, a semi pro can generally fit into a pro or hobbyist situation. How they feel about it is another story.
Don't scratch your head and wonder why there are half as many people at the gig right after you
went on the band's social media and voiced intolerance and hate at anybody that didn't vote the same as you.
Don't demand 3 times the going rate for gigs if you're only half as good as the average band and wonder why
there aren't more gigs
Don't be a tyrant and demand absolute perfection on one or two songs then noodle and wing your way through the
other 45 songs.
Don't forget we play because it's fun. If a band has zapped all the fun out of playing and gigging, don't scratch your head and wonder why you can't keep players.
Do remember a band is a team effort, play in the mix and not on top of it
IMHO, there are 3 kinds of musicians
Pros: Playing music is their vocation and pays the rent
Semi Pros: Playing music is their avocation
Hobbyists: Play music as a hobby
What's this got to do with the Do's & Don'ts?
No much except it wise to understand when picking band mates or bands.
It's not too often a pro will play with hobbyists and it's not common for a hobbyists to be drafted by a professional band. Conversely, a semi pro can generally fit into a pro or hobbyist situation. How they feel about it is another story.
My list has always been compact. Know my stuff and don't be a dick. Pretty much it.
The only one on your fist list where we differ is #6 - "rather than joining five bands." That is precisely the work I get and the calls I get. Because I do a competent job and try to not be a jerk, word gets around. While I have a couple key bands I work with, there's always room for more or I'm not putting food on the table. Unless there's one that will pay the bills, I'm not interested in being loyal to one band only (however, I never cancel a date for another band because it pays better - that's wrong, to me). And the better I do for a given band, the more I publicize it in a tasteful way, the more calls I get.
wintremute
mediocrity at its finest
- Oct 16, 2014
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I can do those two things. Hire me!
For me, there is the triangle test:
1. Good friends/hang
2. Good Money
3. Good Music
There needs to be 2 of the 3 unless one of those qualities is at a ridiculously high level.
1. Good friends/hang
2. Good Money
3. Good Music
There needs to be 2 of the 3 unless one of those qualities is at a ridiculously high level.
