General Music Chat

I am an experienced musician with over 40 years to my credit. OK, I have a steady job and just want to play a few weekends a month. Play away from the cigarette smoke and drunk band members. I'm not in competition with ANY band or musician, I just want the best quality live sound possible. To provide entertainment to the audience, organized set lists with a variety of music, mostly Country though. I just want the folks I (we) play for to have a good time and come away from our gig with something they can take home. Am I so bad to want this? I'm upside down with equipment (spent more than I'm worth) - I've built most of it myself and it sounds awesome IF USED PROPERLY. I can't seem to find a band that has the same passion - everybody wants to do their own thing and not conform to organization. Of course I can say the same thing about me. I really do care about the audience and bring quality to whatever venue we play, nobody seems to want to play by these rules. Am I just crazy.

I am an experienced musician with over 40 years to my credit. OK, I have a steady job and just want to play a few weekends a month. Play away from the cigarette smoke and drunk band members. I'm not in competition with ANY band or musician, I just want the best quality live sound possible. To provide entertainment to the audience, organized set lists with a variety of music, mostly Country though. I just want the folks I (we) play for to have a good time and come away from our gig with something they can take home. Am I so bad to want this? I'm upside down with equipment (spent more than I'm worth) - I've built most of it myself and it sounds awesome IF USED PROPERLY. I can't seem to find a band that has the same passion - everybody wants to do their own thing and not conform to organization. Of course I can say the same thing about me. I really do care about the audience and bring quality to whatever venue we play, nobody seems to want to play by these rules. Am I just crazy.

Fast Forwarding... LAMBERT when he's finally in his 50's

I am an experienced musician with over 40 years to my credit. OK, I have a steady job and just want to play a few weekends a month. Play away from the cigarette smoke and drunk band members. I'm not in competition with ANY band or musician, I just want the best quality live sound possible. To provide entertainment to the audience, organized set lists with a variety of music, mostly Country though. I just want the folks I (we) play for to have a good time and come away from our gig with something they can take home. Am I so bad to want this? I'm upside down with equipment (spent more than I'm worth) - I've built most of it myself and it sounds awesome IF USED PROPERLY. I can't seem to find a band that has the same passion - everybody wants to do their own thing and not conform to organization. Of course I can say the same thing about me. I really do care about the audience and bring quality to whatever venue we play, nobody seems to want to play by these rules. Am I just crazy.

SOrry about that last crack...Its an inside joke thing.

Sorry you are depressed. Is it realistic to expect musical bonds without drunken smoking? I dunno... Maybe a church Group would be a good start. The most intimidating thing about professional musicians is the implicit appearance of demanding the time of others, on a rigorous schedule. That scares a lot of folks and has them feeling thet maybe they are out-classed. Considering the investments you have described, it's a tall order to many folk.

My suggestion, take a small sound board, some 15 inch speakers and go hit an open mic. Or better yet... Start an open mic at your favorite hangout. But if that hang out serves alchohol, you'll get drunks...

The point is to restore the "fun" factor. If you arent burdened with all that equipment, you might actually find time to cultivate good songs without undue pressure.

Just a thought...

Don't be depressed, tenacity is the answer Bro.? Music is LIFE, it ebbs and flows! So you have hit the ebb? I have a $15K p.a. sitting in an enclosed trailer in my garage! I have gotten to use it 2 times this year. In fact I am tempted to sell it. I am a guitar player/singer if I did that the guitar player in me could have my "precious" LOL! Seriously the good news is I have earned by most folks standards ONE HELL of a year! I get to play through a $50K system! Enough about me. This is about you bro. my point is I bought a bunch of gear and OUR band split up shortly after. I drifted back and forth learned 500 songs. After all this I have learned a lot about myself. I was being somewhat inflexible! Necessity is the mother of invention! In other words you'll have to think outside the box to get past this ebb you are now in! hang in there bro. the light is right there in front of you!

Precisely why my massively experienced bassist plays with US.


Keep looking ( easier done with your head held high )

We are out there.

lol@ Pdog.

FYI his name is "Glambert"..

lol@ Pdog.

FYI his name is "Glambert"..

I stand corrected

Your post screams "control freak" loud and clear. I can understand not wanting to be around smoking and drunks, I concur. But you need to DROP all other "demands." Advertise for non-smokers, non-druggies, non-drinkers, experienced in rock and country, who want to gig a few times a month, with a good work ethic. See what you get. Let the other players bring their favorite tunes, whether you like them or not. It's about the group, not about you. Don't forget that.

Bob, "I" am a control freak.

This guy makes me look good. LOL

Bob, "I" am a control freak.

This guy makes me look good. LOL

I thought it was you

Why is Steve a control freak? Who/what is he trying to unduly control?

I gt the feeling bandmates have been abusing his gear. He should have no control over his equipment?

What am I missing here?

The guy wants to find people who are as passionate as he is about being professional. That is not being a control freak.

Well, I don't know ... he could be a Glambert ... or a control freak... one post, no info on his profile ...

Seriously, Steve (assuming you come back to read this), stop feeling sorry for yourself, do as others have suggested - advertise for others, do some open mics, keep trying. Don't be afraid to experiment and learn some new stuff.
A year ago I would never have thought I would join a Beatles tribute band, but I gave it a shot and the guys in the band are all top-notch musicians, and I am learning a lot and improving my own abilities in ways that can't be done playing at home to a mic and a recorder/computer/video camera.

Glambert, if you come back to read Steves post perhaps it will encourage you to to contact him ASAP and share in his loneliness.

Glambert, if you come back to read Steves post perhaps it will encourage you to to contact him ASAP and share in his loneliness.

He's too far for Glambert to take a bus to his place. LOL

(You know Glambert doesn't drive anything but a bicycle)

You know what the worst part of Glambert is?

You could probably mentally beat him a little and get him to be productive, but you'd have to tune him each and every night you took him out into the public eye and that's a lot to cope with nightly.