daveinspain Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 A friend asked me to learn a couple tunes and join them in, what may be, the formation of a new band. It went pretty well, it's more Rocky then my regular band. Harder edged, I think it's more of the direction I want to go. Plus they want to do originals and not just covers... I'm gonna see how this goes. Kind of a motley looking crew but what the hell... I showed them one of my tunes at the end of the rehearsal and they really liked it and were eager to learn it. Down side is the rehearsal room is like 20 miles away from home and it's on the 3rd floor with no elevator.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 Down side is the rehearsal room is like 20 miles away from home and it's on the 3rd floor with no elevator.... That'd knock me out right from the start! Sounds interesting Dave. Keep us all posted on developments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 Good On You, Dave...it's always interesting, and FUN, to jam with new folks. Especially, if they going in the direction you want to go, as well. Hope it all works out! Our band is losing our drummer (AGAIN), as of June 1st, so...we're going to have to TRY to replace him, either temporarily, or permanently...we'll see which, after that time. ;>) So, I may either be breaking in a new drummer, or...even having to find a new band, myself, to play with? Who knows?! Good Luck, with your new folks! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 Go for it, Dave. I texted the guys and said, lets talk next Tuesday about how we can all try to pitch in a little more helping to promote until we can find a booking agent. One of the guys texts back "I can't make it to the gig on the 7th cause I'm going on vacation." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted May 19, 2013 Author Share Posted May 19, 2013 I hate when that happens but it is understandable... I'm on vacation from July 3rd to the 22nd and have already told my band I wont be in town... I'll be in Boston :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 A couple interesting topics involved here. First, for the 3rd floor walk up rehearsal space, unless you are extremely young and strong (and I've seen your picture Dave) you need the good practice amp. Small and light enough to carry up 3 flights without pulling muscles etc, yet powerful enough to get the tone you want and be heard over the drummer etc. The 20 miles shouldn't be so bad, but not sure how the roads going there are, could be super highway, could be dirt path? Breaking in new band members is always tough and the longer the original group has been together the harder it is. If you have the time I thinks it's good to audition a few players. Give them each access to 4 or 5 songs to play (give them a CD, or if it's a cover just tell them what version you do) and then compare their performances (and see who bothered to prepare - and who thought they were so good they could just fake it). But personalities are probably as important if not more so than talent - you have to have fun in your band so getting along is high on my list. As to commitment, it is one thing to say "I'm going on vacation, or will be out of town at such and such time - don't book anything". In Badblues case it sounds to me like you already had the gig, and now the band member is bailing on the rest of you. That really shouldn't be tolerated. I know most of us have day jobs and the playing or band gigs is more of a hobby or supplemental income, but there needs to be a commitment especially when you have a paying gig booked. Now you are stuck bringing someone to sit in who can't be as familiar with the material and the show will suffer at least a little - or you cancel the gig. As tough as it is to find work (especially if you have no booking agent) cancelling really diminishes your chances of ever getting invited back. Anyway - good luck with the new venture - hope it turns out well and you have a lot of fun playing with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted May 20, 2013 Author Share Posted May 20, 2013 A couple interesting topics involved here. First, for the 3rd floor walk up rehearsal space, unless you are extremely young and strong (and I've seen your picture Dave) you need the good practice amp. Small and light enough to carry up 3 flights without pulling muscles etc, yet powerful enough to get the tone you want and be heard over the drummer etc. The 20 miles shouldn't be so bad, but not sure how the roads going there are, could be super highway, could be dirt path? Breaking in new band members is always tough and the longer the original group has been together the harder it is. If you have the time I thinks it's good to audition a few players. Give them each access to 4 or 5 songs to play (give them a CD, or if it's a cover just tell them what version you do) and then compare their performances (and see who bothered to prepare - and who thought they were so good they could just fake it). But personalities are probably as important if not more so than talent - you have to have fun in your band so getting along is high on my list. As to commitment, it is one thing to say "I'm going on vacation, or will be out of town at such and such time - don't book anything". In Badblues case it sounds to me like you already had the gig, and now the band member is bailing on the rest of you. That really shouldn't be tolerated. I know most of us have day jobs and the playing or band gigs is more of a hobby or supplemental income, but there needs to be a commitment especially when you have a paying gig booked. Now you are stuck bringing someone to sit in who can't be as familiar with the material and the show will suffer at least a little - or you cancel the gig. As tough as it is to find work (especially if you have no booking agent) cancelling really diminishes your chances of ever getting invited back. Anyway - good luck with the new venture - hope it turns out well and you have a lot of fun playing with them. Good points, all of them! As it turns out this is a new group forming so no one is coming into an existing group... We played two songs the other day and had a long jam based on The Thrill is Gone and we all had a good time. The guy who asked me to join the band the messaged me today saying they found a new rehearsal hall thats on ground level with parking right in front... :-) I'm good as far as my practice amp goes. My Rebel 20 head is light and I'll use one of the 1 x 12 cabinets... I'll bring a couple pedals too... Most important to me is the fact they don't want to do just covers... Hey, you never know I still might be in time to do that world tour I've always dreamed of.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Dave please excuse me; I am going to rant. Read on and don't let this happen to you! The vacation thing is driving me crazy at the moment. I have been rehearsing in a 4-piece band since about last November. The other 3 members have more disposable income than me and just love their holidays. January - sax player goes to India for 2 wks, when he gets back bassist goes off to Channel Islands. We are into February. The drummer comes down with a 'flu that puts him out of action for 6 wks - I can't entirely blame him, everyone got a bad one this year, but now March is going by. So we get together in April and despite me practicing this stuff literally every night, the others have not and we are back at stage one. Then the bassist announces that May is out as he is returning to the Channel Islands. We schedule a single rehearsal for early June but after that the sax is going to Iceland or somewhere. Then it will be the drummer's turn. I don't usually take a holiday from music or guitar playing but I've lost heart now. I have a duo gig in late June, get my annual 2 weeks and 2 days leave in July and so now I want to go see my sister in Shropshire for the 1st week of it. She is being made redundant, no joke at our age, and needs my support. I will come back if they call a rehearsal because I don't take holidays from music. But I've told 'em now that as we're all taking holidays, the 1st week of July is out. 5-7 days, right? They could even rehearse without me, right? Some chance. I think this dog won't hunt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 Dave please excuse me; I am going to rant. Read on and don't let this happen to you! The vacation thing is driving me crazy at the moment. I have been rehearsing in a 4-piece band since about last November. The other 3 members have more disposable income than me and just love their holidays. January - sax player goes to India for 2 wks, when he gets back bassist goes off to Channel Islands. We are into February. The drummer comes down with a 'flu that puts him out of action for 6 wks - I can't entirely blame him, everyone got a bad one this year, but now March is going by. So we get together in April and despite me practicing this stuff literally every night, the others have not and we are back at stage one. Then the bassist announces that May is out as he is returning to the Channel Islands. We schedule a single rehearsal for early June but after that the sax is going to Iceland or somewhere. Then it will be the drummer's turn. I don't usually take a holiday from music or guitar playing but I've lost heart now. I have a duo gig in late June, get my annual 2 weeks and 2 days leave in July and so now I want to go see my sister in Shropshire for the 1st week of it. She is being made redundant, no joke at our age, and needs my support. I will come back if they call a rehearsal because I don't take holidays from music. But I've told 'em now that as we're all taking holidays, the 1st week of July is out. 5-7 days, right? They could even rehearse without me, right? Some chance. I think this dog won't hunt. Look around, there's bound to be other's you could play with, that are more "reliable" and (frankly) more interested! I do understand your frustration, though. I have much the same situation, here. The other members of my band, are all pretty cavalier, music wise. They aren't all that motivated, anymore. We're all in our later 50's, early 60's, so maybe that "really relaxed" attitude, is not that uncommon. I'd play 2 times a weekend, if we could. But, NO ONE here, is that motivated...even the younger players. And, venues... that hire bands, are becoming more rare, all the time. Karaoke, and DJ's have just about killed "Live" local/area music. Not entirely...but, it's well on the way. So...I'm just glad to get to play, WHENEVER the mood strikes them. I could (and do) play with other area "musicians," but...they're no more motivated, than my current band. So...??? :unsure: CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted May 20, 2013 Author Share Posted May 20, 2013 What CB said.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 What CB said.... I do understand your frustration, though. I have much the same situation, here. The other members of my band, are all pretty cavalier, music wise. They aren't all that motivated, anymore. We're all in our later 50's, early 60's, so maybe that "really relaxed" attitude, is not that uncommon. I'd play 2 times a weekend, if we could. But, NO ONE here, is that motivated...even the younger players. And, venues... that hire bands, are becoming more rare, all the time. Karaoke, and DJ's have just about killed "Live" local/area music. Not entirely...but, it's well on the way. So...I'm just glad to get to play, WHENEVER the mood strikes them. CB What CB said indeed. Youthful (or not) enthusiasm and vigour...what happened? Apologies - I diverted/derailed the thread, was not my intent - hope it all comes together! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted May 21, 2013 Author Share Posted May 21, 2013 No problem... It's good. I have the other guitar player coming to my place tomorrow to show him some of my stuff and we're going to see how things click in a collaboration... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 The guy who asked me to join the band the messaged me today saying they found a new rehearsal hall thats on ground level with parking right in front... :-) Hey, you never know I still might be in time to do that world tour I've always dreamed of.... Oh yes, go Dave, go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.