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Your Last Gig

#2
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#3
J-Fev said:
Have you ever contemplated that someday you will put your bass down and never pick it up again? That you will never play another note? Is that a phantom of the grey future that you have been unwilling gaze directly at?

I have found my vision fixed on that specter as of late. How do you approach it with grace and courage?
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Just because you don't want to gig anymore doesn't mean you have to abandon playing. My band used to do occasional gigs, and is still entirely gig-worthy, but we've chosen to just get together to play every week for the sheer joy of playing. We get to play what we want, however we want, whenever we want. All the fun of playing without all the hassles of playing out. And when we miss playing for an audience, we invite some friends to band nights or host a party.
 
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#4
J-Fev said:
Have you ever contemplated that someday you will put your bass down and never pick it up again? That you will never play another note? Is that a phantom of the grey future that you have been unwilling gaze directly at?

I have found my vision fixed on that specter as of late. How do you approach it with grace and courage?
Click to expand...
I probably sound like a broken record but, I practice standing up for a few hours a day to stay in shape for gigging. Bass is as much Physical as it is mental. Unless I get stricken with a debilitating disease, I plan to play until I meet my maker. Even then I am hoping for some sort of Bass life-after-death scenario.
 
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#5
J-Fev said:
Have you ever contemplated that someday you will put your bass down and never pick it up again? That you will never play another note? Is that a phantom of the grey future that you have been unwilling gaze directly at?

I have found my vision fixed on that specter as of late. How do you approach it with grace and courage?
Click to expand...

Did that just over four years ago. I ended up not playing my last scheduled gig - got the flu and then pneumonia and by the time I recovered I wasn’t much interested. Fortunately my replacement was able to step in for me a few gigs early.

I have yet to put down my instrument. Still composing, recording and producing with a small group of others with no intention to gig.
 
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#6
J-Fev said:
Have you ever contemplated that someday you will put your bass down and never pick it up again? That you will never play another note? Is that a phantom of the grey future that you have been unwilling gaze directly at?

I have found my vision fixed on that specter as of late. How do you approach it with grace and courage?
Click to expand...
I just assume that I’ll play simpler music as I get older. Look at Keith Richards’ hands. If he can still play guitar at his age, I think I can keep going quite a while.
And there are other instruments I could make some kind of noise with:laugh:
 
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#8
FunkHead said:
I probably sound like a broken record but, I practice standing up for a few hours a day to stay in shape for gigging. Bass is as much Physical as it is mental. Unless I get stricken with a debilitating disease, I plan to play until I meet my maker. Even then I am hoping for some sort of Bass life-after-death scenario.
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Same here. I practice standing every day. My Physio said my left shoulder is bigger than my right.
 
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#9
I have viewed myself as a musician for over 30 years now. How do you deal with the loss of identity? It isn't that identifying as a musician makes me special, gives me super powers, or a visible aura - however, it has always given me an internal sense of identity. A sense of belonging even - a tribe that I claim membership in.
 
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#15
J-Fev said:
Have you ever contemplated that someday you will put your bass down and never pick it up again? That you will never play another note? Is that a phantom of the grey future that you have been unwilling gaze directly at?

I have found my vision fixed on that specter as of late. How do you approach it with grace and courage?
Click to expand...
I’ve put down the axe “for good” twice so far, and now I’m back again :)
 
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#17
When I can't physically get to where I can't play out or just lose interest, I'll probably continue to play guitar for myself and friends. I'll also finally learn to play the piano in my music room or maybe a few other stringed or wind instruments. Playing solo bass has no appeal to me. In any event, there is no reason to put away music entirely until you just can't play a note.
 
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