| Author |
 Topic  |
|
Laurie
Double Platinum Member
Canada
4854 Posts |
 Posted - 11/30/2008 : 23:59:49
|
By band, I mean something with semi-regular practices and a gig booked or at least working towards getting one in the pipeline.
I was just invited into a group of old(ish) farts like me to do a little gig of maybe 4 covers before Christmas... felt good to get the bass into my hands again. It's been too long!
|
|
|
zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2008 : 04:12:24
|
| i have not played in a band in years |
 |
|
|
DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2008 : 05:15:00
|
Over a year for me 
I suspect I'll concentrate on getting better then working on some solo stuff.
Oh, good luck with the Xmas gigs.. should be great fun!
Play some blues-inspired standard Xmas songs.  |
Edited by - DeFrag on 12/01/2008 05:16:09 |
|
|
|
redundant
Silver Member
Turkey
247 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2008 : 07:25:08
|
| My epic struggle to find a bass player has been documented in other threads, but things are now now starting to gel. Expect to play our 1st (opening) gig in 6-8 weeks. Boy, I miss playing live. |
|
|
|
Mesjoggah
Gold Member
Netherlands
595 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2008 : 08:46:56
|
quote:
Originally posted by zerksies
i have not played in a band in years
That goes for me too, i've been asked a few times though but i just can't find the time for practicing. |
|
|
|
happyplucker
Bronze Member
United Kingdom
126 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2008 : 10:41:57
|
| i regularly gig in a band in the uk, around london/midlands, actually all over. yep. |
|
|
|
FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2008 : 11:30:35
|
I think enough people on this forum know of my tales of bandlife......... regular gigging and rehearsals bring about their own unique interaction between people...not to mention when they bring their personal baggage into the mix.... ....the older i get the more respect i have for people like Dick Dale who bans alcohol and drugs and The Rolling Stones,Aerosmith who realised that if they diddn't give them up or at least curb their intake that it was all over....when people in the band start asking "how much is on it..?" before wondering if the van will make it or if you have the right material(setlist) for the gig etc....their time or yours(if a question like that pisses you off) it up....
Go for Gold Laurie..playing with friends for fun is the way to go...... |
|
|
|
silvertone6120
Gold Member
USA
609 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2008 : 23:30:46
|
I'm currently "only" working in two bands(I've actually cut back a little). One is a traditional country band...we've been playing one night(sometimes two) every week for about 7 years...needless to say I'm growing a little weary of it. The other group is more of a classic rock thing. We only play one or two Saturday nights a month...nobody really wants to overdo it.
Neither band ever practice. We're all "seasoned veterans", we've played all these songs in different bands previously so we all just kinda "fit" together on the songs. And apparently we do 'em pretty good because thankfully we stay busy! |
|
|
|
Dirk
Platinum Member
Netherlands
1309 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2008 : 17:17:51
|
I'm actually in 4 bands/projects and I'm way too busy.
Maybe I just can't say no, or maybe I'm just one of the few decent bassplayers around, I don't know.
My main band is a classic rockband.
My second main band is a hardrock combo with original material.
Then I play in a churchband a couple times a year mixing gospels with Top-100 songs and that combination works great. Besides, gospel is not my favourite music, so we always try to rock 'em up, and make the songs sound like rockballads which are fun to play.
And my latest project is basically the same as my main classic rockband, but with a different drummer.
We also focus on original material but we've just started.
For all bands counts that it's hard to get any decent gigs, especially the last two years.
We had a lot of competition from other styles of music that people like, we allready had 4 last minute cancelings this year alone.
For some reason october was a very busy month, 3 gigs in 4 weeks.
Good news is, there've been at least 3 or 4 gigs announced for next year allready and there's been rumours about one in the last week of this year. |
|
|
|
FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2008 : 17:30:46
|
We had a meeting to sort out the current situation and it all looking good..... ..basically when it comes to getting gigs EVERYONE has to pull their weight in the band and hassle people,promoters,venues etc....in fairness to our drummer he held his hands up and aknowledged he had been no on top of his game lately but he still came to the meeting with 21 gigs for next year... .i have a party and a wedding which are pretty good payers well above a pub gig and the singer has stuff as well basically our bass player is a lazy git when it comes to this stuff and needs to get off his ass.... those pesky bass players.. . |
Edited by - FRANZONI on 12/02/2008 17:31:18 |
|
|
|
Dingus
Silver Member
USA
472 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2008 : 14:16:37
|
| I recently played lead guitar in a 4 piece band until the singer moved away. I am now trying out for a bassist slot in another band this weekend. Practice spaces are what is hard to find around here, and a drummer being the next hardest. |
|
|
|
Brutalitarian Supremacy
Silver Member
USA
270 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2008 : 17:21:57
|
| Hails!!!! yup im new...and in a band...almost done w/ our full-length (been in the studio since late July)....if ya like your music pissed then give us a listen.....Brutalitarian Supremacy (name will change in the coming weeks!) |
|
|
|
FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2008 : 11:59:11
|
| Welcome to the forum..... |
|
|
|
visserman
Platinum Member
1072 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2008 : 16:46:11
|
I am often involved in all kinds of projects, probably because I did set myself up as a sessionguy years ago. In this situation you often find yourself playing instruments others do not play like Keyboards or Bass.
At the moment there is a steady band I play guitar with, and as often the case, their is space for improvement in the music and the people do appreciate my creative input and feedback on the exhisting material.
Like what Franz mentioned before, being in a band is much more than just playing music together, it is a lifestyle just as it is being a musician. Most of us who have been playing for years will agree with that comment, and when you are out of a band you usually start to miss the hustle and bustle that goes with it.
I also admire bands like the Stones, REM, U2 and others who had not too many changes in bandmemebers and stuck it out for whatever reason. I am a strong believer in resolving whatever problems you come across and to believe and see the bigger picture.
I do write my own songs, record them, play all the instruments myself, and yes it is true, on my own I can go anywhere musically, but I also enjoy the fact that I can just play guitar in a band where only my riffs are heard now and then, and listen out to how it all fits in the whole picture.
To get a band to gell and to really groove is not an easy thing, and it is certainly more than just putting good musicians together in one room: You need to respect each other and enjoy what each member contributes to the overal sound, from there you can grow.
I feel it is a pitty that these days so many recordings of bands are made on machines with loops and samples, even the rockbands use them. The endresult feels very different. The band I am in have been talking about using that approach to recording as well, just to get to sound more contemporary. I can see the point, but overal I would prefer just to record as a band without using too much protools and samples. |
|
|
|
zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2008 : 22:26:02
|
| well i have been playing for a long time. when i was playing in my late teens early twenties.I did my playing for a living.The money was good but after years of it was was getting tired of playing other peoples stuff.And never really having much experience in My own band playing i stopped playing for a few years.Cause of a lack of intrest. I just started playing again about 3 years ago after a few off. then over doing my playing and computers i developed carpel tunnel syndrome. it is really not fun. after a year since my last surgury on both of my hands. I keep getting better all the time. i am not as good as i use to be in my early 20's.And i have excepted that i probably will never be that good again. i am finally playing for the fun of it.I am pretty decent right now i would say better then most people.I go to bars and music stores and hear everyone locally and boy do i play better then most of them.I got a few great comments when i was in guitar center a few weeks ago trying out amps.Kinda an ego boost. when those people could play well. well right now i am just praticing songs cause i have not learned any new songs. just noodleing licks the last year and doing scales.So i have decided to learn a song or two a week. and in a few months after haveing other people songs under my belt i am gonna try out for a band again. |
|
|
|
FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2008 : 12:10:06
|
| I went through some similar stuff to you as well bro'...injured my left hand quite badly playing sport and wasn't 100% for about 18 months.... i also went through the boredom thing playing other peoples songs about 12 years ago and stopped playing in bands until this one got together for fun,what i like about this band when were not all fighting.... is it's still fun..... and 95% of the time we have fun and make a few bob which always comes in handy especially with the little franzonis....the other 5% can be a bit harder but as Visserman says if you can stick it out it can in the long run be a better band for it....i think of the band as a family and when we fight it's like arguing with your brothers,you can't stay angry with them for too long as you see them all the time.....what i like about our approach to other peoples songs is we do our own versions of them which people seem to like....it also keeps the interest levels up and learning new material and bringing it into the set every week does that for you.... good luck with the new songs and getting back on track after the opo on you hand.... by the sounds of things it won't be long before your back playing live yourself...be a shame if that lovely pedalboard of yours didn't get a bit of wear and tear on the road.... |
Edited by - FRANZONI on 12/08/2008 12:11:08 |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
Who is actually in a band at the moment?
