kebob Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 I've seen a few posts by guitarists alluding to their gigging days being behind them. Just curious: For those who have gigged and now are out of it. Do you still miss it? Do you not miss it? Do you ever want to return to gigging -- why or why not? I've been gigging for about 5 years and I'd like to know what those on the other side of the coin are thinking -- wondering if I'll reach a point where I no longer desire playing gigs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacamartin Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 wondering if I'll reach a point where I no longer desire playing gigs............. The desire remains, the life changes are what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 I'd say that Vaca hit the nail on the head. Gigging and a variable schedule 60-80+ hour work week don't work well together. Nor for me did travel that sometimes was up to three days home in a month. Had I been smarter and gotten a government day job of some sort... I'd likely still be gigging weekends if not more... I hadda cupla chances to do what was called the Holiday Inn circuit 30 years ago or so, but didn't go there for a cupla reasons. I think I made the right choice there, too. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buc McMaster Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Don't miss it at all. Like any other endeavor you can name there were highs and lows along the road......those nights when the band could do no wrong, the crowd was large and enthusiastic.....those times when the weather was gawd awful and the drummer got stranded in high water......a night when the old faithful guitar amp dies and you end up with your Les Paul plugged into the house PA with an overdrive pedal to get a little crunch.......and a ton of others, good and bad. You learn to improvise on very short notice in dealing with the people and the equipment. I have never been a very social creature (kind of odd for a frontman, huh) and the glad-handers, backslappers and wanna-be-hangers-on became a big annoyance to me, personally. Most in that line of work seem to thrive on that kind of attention, but I just wanted to play and sing a set, sit in the corner and sip a soda at break and be left alone for the most part, then get up and do another set. Working a day job and gigging regularly is a young man's game. Hustling to get to the show after work, humping gear in, rocking for 3-4 hours, humping the gear home at 2 or 3am......then off to work again at 7. Easy enough when you're 25 but a bit of a struggle at 50+. Got to be like a second job and much of the fun was drained out of it for me. But when it was fun it was some serious fun and I wouldn't change a thing about it, living that rock n' roll life. I don't miss it but I do have fond memories of those days. Would I do it again? You bet! Would I do it now? No way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 I am with Buc Master here. I don't miss it but do have some great memories. For me somewhere along the way it just stopped being fun. Might be because it had become a business - don't really know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kebob Posted February 19, 2014 Author Share Posted February 19, 2014 Interesting replies. I'm somewhere in the middle. I gig, but only on Friday/saturday nights. We all have day jobs and do it strictly for fun. I do think part of being in a band is the social aspect. Our drummer is like Buck -- he hates talking to people between sets, which I don't get. If someone comes to hear us play, It's my opinion the band needs to socialize a bit. But yeah, there are annoying people out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 One interesting thing about saloon gigs is that if you stay a lot more sober than the audience, you can learn a lot about human nature, some of which you might wish you hadn't learned. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Every answer here is spot on. Lol It can be the best time ever. A full time job is not a side line to gigging. If I had my choice of musicians I've played with them I'd still be doing it and for free .... If it's a slight hassle then it's a chore. I played with an irish traditional group only to be asked 'do you know any meat loaf?' Becomes hard to enjoy it. I've played with folk that dont listen to music, bring nothing new to the table.and obviously don't practice. I've been a taxi driver for guitarists who take same share of the wages as me. I miss it all the time though. Nothing comes close to a good gig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kebob Posted February 19, 2014 Author Share Posted February 19, 2014 Every answer here is spot on. Lol It can be the best time ever. A full time job is not a side line to gigging. If I had my choice of musicians I've played with them I'd still be doing it and for free .... If it's a slight hassle then it's a chore. I played with an irish traditional group only to be asked 'do you know any meat loaf?' Becomes hard to enjoy it. I've played with folk that dont listen to music, bring nothing new to the table.and obviously don't practice. I've been a taxi driver for guitarists who take same share of the wages as me. I miss it all the time though. Nothing comes close to a good gig Well said. Playing in a band is the most fun you can have while pulling your hair out. To climb the mountain that is learning an instrument well enough to play in public, then attaing the gear you need, then finding others to mesh with musically AND personality-wise, then sticking together long enough to learn enough tunes, then marketing yourself and finding places to play -- it's quite the journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Oddly the last two outfits I played with in the '70s were likely the best and why? We actually talked. Everybody had their own equipment. I had a PA. One we hauled our own gear to gigs, the second mostly we went in the drummer's big suburban-type vehicle. I think the secret to having it work is the talking and being honest about it from the get-go. Then feelings never have the time to stew away until there's an edge of anger. Then again... that's easier said than done. For what it's worth, too, I think country/rock outfits I've been around seem to see this stuff a bit more professionally than rock type outfits. Been around and in both. Perhaps it's that the country stuff has older folks who've already been burned and don't care so much for another. I dunno. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buc McMaster Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 ....I think country/rock outfits I've been around seem to see this stuff a bit more professionally than rock type outfits. I'd tend to agree with this. In the early days it was rock rock rock with 100W Marshalls, Ampeg SVTs and 9-pc Tama drum kits roaring. The last band I was involved with was what we called "Americana" stuff....a folky, country, bluesy kind of thing with some Ricky Nelson tossed in for fun. All of us well over 50, all pretty laid back and pleasant......zero personnel problems. And look at me now - playing songs from the 1920s on a freakin' ukulele. Go figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimi D-Bo Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 I could write a chapter to answer this post. But I won't-all I can say is this is my job, the way I pay the bills and I treat it as such. I can relate to what Buc said about the people you have to deal with and wanting to be left alone-I'm the same way at my gigs. I put so much energy into my performances that I just don't have it to be a social butterfly on a break, nor do I drink anymore so that keeps me away from the barstool. I have come up with a great way to NOT deal with them; I play really long sets-usually 2 hours to start. So much has changed for me, from being a party animal to being an abuser by myself to getting sober, and having my wife with me at almost every gig, if she's not IN the bar she drove with me and is either at the kids' house or shopping or in the parking lot. Also, the equipment I use now is easier on me physically-I now use a Bose compact PA where I used to lug in 2 15" cabinets and KILL my back to now we can move everything in one trip and be set up and ready to go in 10 mins. I couldn't imagine NOT doing what I love to do, and the times that I haven't there was a definite void in my soul. I feel blessed to be a musician and love going to work just about every day and night-OK some nights I'm tired...but I am very grateful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorod Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 In the early 90's I played with a 4- piece....Country Club to outdoor gigs, while maintaining my full-time job. I have "good and bad memories"....These days I am content with 'scaling it down' and keeping it 'simple'! Lugging a lot of equiptment around is not fun and I am NOT 'good enough' to afford 'roadies'. Am content with entertaining myself, a few friends and neighbors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kebob Posted February 19, 2014 Author Share Posted February 19, 2014 I could write a chapter to answer this post. But I won't-all I can say is this is my job, the way I pay the bills and I treat it as such. I can relate to what Buc said about the people you have to deal with and wanting to be left alone-I'm the same way at my gigs. I put so much energy into my performances that I just don't have it to be a social butterfly on a break, nor do I drink anymore so that keeps me away from the barstool. I have come up with a great way to NOT deal with them; I play really long sets-usually 2 hours to start. So much has changed for me, from being a party animal to being an abuser by myself to getting sober, and having my wife with me at almost every gig, if she's not IN the bar she drove with me and is either at the kids' house or shopping or in the parking lot. Also, the equipment I use now is easier on me physically-I now use a Bose compact PA where I used to lug in 2 15" cabinets and KILL my back to now we can move everything in one trip and be set up and ready to go in 10 mins. I couldn't imagine NOT doing what I love to do, and the times that I haven't there was a definite void in my soul. I feel blessed to be a musician and love going to work just about every day and night-OK some nights I'm tired...but I am very grateful. If I may ask: How long do you plan on playing so regularly? Until you cannot do it physically anymore? The one thing I kick myself for is not playing out when I was younger. I lacked confidence in myself to play publicly for years. Now that I've done it for awhile, there's nothing to it. Wish I have learned that lesson in my youth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kebob Posted February 19, 2014 Author Share Posted February 19, 2014 In the early 90's I played with a 4- piece....Country Club to outdoor gigs, while maintaining my full-time job. I have "good and bad memories"....These days I am content with 'scaling it down' and keeping it 'simple'! Lugging a lot of equiptment around is not fun and I am NOT 'good enough' to afford 'roadies'. Am content with entertaining myself, a few friends and neighbors This is what I envision my long-term gigging to be like -- playing stripped down acoustic sets. For now, the band is fun, but it's a load of set up/take down. Great thing about playing acoustic is how simple it can be. I envision my playing in a duo til I'm an old(er) man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Well, by a lotta definitions I'm an old man. My day job runs such that I'll be older when I hit a mandatory retirement age if I don't get too politically incorrect before then. But I figure that other than the job restraints, I'll quit gigging when I have to. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Relying on our youthful beauty didn't pay when we were youthful, so we decided to actually learn to play the thing! I didn't know It was going to take so long, but a clue was there all along when the blues gigs I went to had artists like Robert Junior Lockwood who had to be older than Adam.......... So do we want to be rolled out to the centre stage looking befuddled and lost? Of course! BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Relying on our youthful beauty didn't pay when we were youthful, so we decided to actually learn to play the thing! I didn't know It was going to take so long, but a clue was there all along when the blues gigs I went to had artists like Robert Junior Lockwood who had to be older than Adam.......... So do we want to be rolled out to the centre stage looking befuddled and lost? Of course! BluesKing777. AND DON'T ASK ME WHICH GUITAR I AM TAKING! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry K Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I used to do quite a bit of gigging when I was scuffling for a living in the far east about 30 years ago. It was fun at times but of course you had to do what the audience wanted and expected. Unfortunately my tastes in music are pretty far from mainstream and if you are serious about gigs you have to please audiences - same issue as 30 years ago. I'm an old fart and I want to play what I want to play and can't be bothered to please anybody any more, so I just play what I want now to entertain myself and my Peke, who is a generous critic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMELEYE Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I hung it up about a year and a half ago. Miss it sometimes. I like to play with others, like to practice and develop good arrangements. So, I still do. I'm fortunate to have a group of talented friends. We get together weekly and "practice". A lot of fun, playing for our own enjoyment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 '60-'61 - solo performances only for family members until they told me to go away (how many times can one listen to a poor performance of Wildwood Flower & and on a cheap Kay guitar?)'62-'70 - Garage bands and neighborhood stuff '70-'75 - Bar scene (took a break) '94-'05 Church band & functions '05 - Semi-retired - occasional jam session, coffee house and weekly practices I figured when I go into full retirement in a few years from my day job I'll pursue my lifelong dream of being a rock star (if I'm not too late). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Blame it on me watching too much tv, but soon the elderly guitarist might have a drone robot lifter to lug the amp. I recall a gig I had that began like an episode of some comedy....each Saturday my band played upstairs and this particular night we loaded in, only to be told after that their was a big function in that room and we were to play in another room downstairs - moving all that stuff..wow! Don't know how we ever did it. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I've always said that we all play for free , the money is for the lifting and setting up and dismantling all the gear is what the money is for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I used to do quite a bit of gigging when I was scuffling for a living in the far east about 30 years ago. It was fun at times but of course you had to do what the audience wanted and expected. Would scuffling be the same process you gave OWF such a hard time about. Jerry? Was there unsolicited gigs amongst these shows you played? I'm an old fart and I want to play what I want to play and can't be bothered to please anybody any more Yeah, probably not the best approach to winning over an audience I guess. Doesn't make you sound like a wonderful lover either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSchooner Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I gigged for around 30+ years; mostly solo, and several years with a partner. We got to be like old maid sisters and couldn't stand each other. We're still friends now that we never see each other! Kids got into sports, wife was tired of sitting home every weekend watching TV by herself - just living life became more important. I do miss it sometimes, and I enjoy the occasional something or other that pulls me out of retirement for a few hours. If there were enough good gigs to make it worth while I might have stayed with it longer. But recently I had my feet propped to the fire on a snowy night with a stiff scotch in my hand, and remarked, "Damn; I wish I was unloading my gear outside of some sleazy bar." NOT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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