Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

With the new band, we've got 3 gigs booked already, July 28, Sept 8 & 14. Still haven't nailed down a band name, though!
We need another 15 or so songs to fill out the set list, and as I'm away this coming weekend, and the last one in July before the gig, we're planning on 2 rehearsals per week to get everything nailed down - we've only had 5 since I joined up with them, and have about 25 songs.

Glad you are getting gigs. It always seemed to me that 2 rehearsals a week doesn't allow enough time to learn new songs at home. That's been my experience in the past. Unless you have one or two band mates that never seem to learn songs on their own time.

J-HALEY wrote:Glad you are getting gigs. It always seemed to me that 2 rehearsals a week doesn't allow enough time to learn new songs at home. That's been my experience in the past. Unless you have one or two band mates that never seem to learn songs on their own time.

I agree with you, but the rehearsals are really a matter of getting the arrangements down - mostly for me, as I have never played a bunch of these song, and Chris & Norm have (but sometimes not for a long while). As I'm playing bass for about half the songs at this point, I'm finding it pretty easy to just follow along. The tough thing for me has been learning guitar leads I never played before, luckily there's only a couple of them!

GMike

I booked a gig in Underground Atlanta one time, just thrown the band together but everyone had their thing going on properly. Except me. When the club manager asked me the name of the band I drew a blank. I just could not remember what we'd decided on.

I replied, "AfterBirth. It's a Buddhist thing."

"Whatever..."

Talbot

Now we've got a pub/pizza place wanting to book us for some shows. This is what I wanted - a band where I don't have to do all the work, just learn my parts.

Guitar Mike B. you and Mark really attract those pizza joint gigs for some reason.. maybe both of you guys styles sound like "food music" LOL

Beats busking at a flea market, hoping for tips.

how so? at least my clients have the ability to move on if it's not entertaining enough to suit them, your audience is basically trapped.. and you play for a set fee, the sky is the limit busking, one good 100.00 tip from a rich person appreciating it , makes it well worth it.. plus the fact it is on more of a personal level busking, people actually are not hesitant to converse about all sorts of subjects, it's like the barriers are not there.. bigger crowds too.. thousands walk by, if they choose to linger for awhile they can..

it was not an insult Mike, by your response I am feeling you thought that.. instead of rock music, jazz music, it's "food music" music to relax and eat your food with, a big o piece of pizza..

3 gigs in the lounge or deck overlooking the river at a high-end Italian restaurant, and a pub that serves pizza. We do rock and roll, not "food music", and don't have to rely/hope on tips.

I'm sorry for even replying, I just thought it was neat you and Mark both have pizza joint gigs.. good day Mike..

first off....congrats mike, i know you've been looking for a situation for a while now....hopefully this one works out to be a fun and lucrative one. and hopefully you'll be able to put up a lot more gigs on the calendar.

Dayne Nobody IV wrote:I'm sorry for even replying, I just thought it was neat you and Mark both have pizza joint gigs.. good day Mike..

don't be sorry you REPLIED....be sorry HOW you replied. if you only popped into this thread because you felt compelled to play the "goading game" that you like to accuse others of by taking some more of your lame potshots at "restaurant gigs"....the least you could have done was give mike an attaboy.

now, before someone from the HGS (Hypocritical Goon Squad)shows up to point fingers....i might have taken a playful potshot at haley's political beliefs but i also was clear in wishing him the best for a speedy recovery.

Dayne Nobody IV wrote:schadenfreude best describes his nature.. he goads people all the time I am a victim

Dayne Nobody IV wrote:I studied psychology both abnormal and normal strains of it, and when a guy has to come back 10 days later to comment about something, making innuendos and speculating about drawing crowds to a gig, I am highly suspect about said intentions, something psychologically is amiss with these guys posts, something underlying in the current is bothering their psyches and I do not think for a minute the issue is out of tune guitars. it's something else ..go back and listen again to the 59 second clip..

so, what does your background in psychology say about you trying yet again to stir sh*t and "goad"....and then copping that mealy mouthed BS.... "oh, i think it's neat you guys play at restaurants"?

i'd have more respect if you weren't so spineless about it. yeah, riiiight...you think it's "neat".

as for "captive audience" gigs....i play many of them. Restaurants, wineries, Corporate gigs, weddings, rehearsal dinners...if you think about it, they're all "captive audiences" ....and they all pay good coin.

see, you have to have a certain amount of talent and a product that's good enough for people to pay for. that's why everyone doesn't get those gigs.

think about it.....any hoople can mangle Led Zep tunes on an out of tune guitar busking at a swap meet. good luck trying to get a paying gig at a restaurant doing that!

conversation w the audience? you betcha....we go on break and chat w people on the way to the bar....and/or they come over to chat w us.

as for tips, it varies but we often do very nicely in that regard as there is always a tip jar out. and of course, that's in addition to our regular performing/carting equip/setup fee. and we get fed...and we're taken care of at the bar. yeah...those restaurant gigs REALLY suck!

one last thing.... do you know two things that Stanley Clarke, Pat Martino, and John Scofield have in common (besides being top notch players)?

1. they all play at venues that serve food (i saw all of them in the last yr at JAZZ at the Bistro while the mrs. and i chowed down )

2. NONE of them busk for tips at swap meets. (but i think it's "neat" that Dane does!)

damn, i hope i wasn't rude... when talking to Mr. Martino i failed to compliment him on his wonderful "food music"!

Restaurant gigs? They rank right up there w/ festival gigs in my book. Rib Fest (in Columbus, it's the "Jazz & Rib Fest"), Strawberry Fest (ever try strawberry juice w/ a bit of vodka?), Bratwurst Fest (Bucyrus Ohio--one of my faves), Pumpkin Fest, Seafood Fest, BBQ Fest, Chili Cook-off, Crab Fest, Sausage Fest (another of my faves), Sweet Corn Fest (Millersport Ohio), Tomato Fest (Reynoldsburg Ohio--my hometown)... I've played many of these and would do so again. Likewise any restaurant gig, esp. if food is part of the deal. I'll trade a bar tab for free food any day.

Congrats, Mike. Sounds like you got a good thing going there.

Displaced Pianist wrote:ever try strawberry juice w/ a bit of vodka?

huh....no, i haven't but it sounds great! i do like vodka and just recently got hipped to Moscow Mules.... you hip? vodka, ginger beer, and lime served in a copper vessel. holy crapola batman.....seriously good!

Displaced Pianist wrote:I'll trade a bar tab for free food any day.

yikes...tough call. don't make me decide! but i s'pose if it came down to it and had to pick just one, i'd have to go w (good) grub as well ....i DO like to eat!