General Music Chat

fisherman bob & The Bluefin Tuna Band will be appearing LIVE Friday December 18 from 9pm to 1am at The Hideout, Spring Hill, Kansas. Come check out this rock'in blues band at an intimate venue. We will be introducing our newest band member, supreme saxaphone player Don Hatfield. The Bluefin Tuna Band consists of veteran Kansas City area musicians Mike Goldman-drums, Lowell Premer-guitar, Don Hatfield-saxaphone & fisherman bob Hayett-bass/lead vocals.

Have I seen or heard that sax guy before? The name sure sounds familiar.

Wish I could be there, bob.

That night, though, I think I'm gonna be busy.

I got an email from a Dentist guy that I've played with before. He's set up a pretty good studio under his DDS office, from the sound of things. He's a pretty damned good musician, imo. Anyway, he's set up these jams with some other local musicians, & invites ppl to come & play music. I feel rather honored that he thought to include me, so I've been working to get my bass & guitar chops up to snuff again. These guys can be tough to keep up with, from what I hear. I've only played with the Dentist & one of the guitar players, though, so I dunno.

It'll be fun to play with that B3 again, though, & he's also got a nice Kurtweil. I won't even hafta take an amp, cuz there's an Ampeg on site.

Break a fin!

Have a greaaaaat gig Bob ... and knock 'm dead

Ron

Knock em out Bob

Hope all goes well. If you get your hands on some video of the gig please post it. I really enjoyed the last one.

Thanks for the kind comments. I don't know a whole lot about the sax player, but it's quite possible he's done some serious recording at one time. He came over last night and jammed with us. He's in a 13-piece band (six horn players) that's similar to Tower of Power. I know he's quite well known in K.C. He was surprised how diverse our music is. Even though I consider us a blues band we have been branching out quite a bit with the new guitarist, who's just about the best rhythm guitarist I've ever played with, and a fine lead player AND sings well. The sax and guitarist are very learned musicians. They were talking all kinds of technical stuff that goes over my head. I told them the challenge with me is figuring out what I'm doing wrong that seems to work so well (I'm self taught and play 100% by ear.) I hope to get at least some pics I can load here, don't know if anybody will video us, but that's always possible. The last Youtube video of us was a complete surprise to me. We've got a gig at The Hideout in January and February, and hopefully the Whiskey Tango gig in February sticks this time. That's the one I'm really looking forward to. Now we've got at least three people to fill the fourth member slot if somebody can't make a gig. They are all proven and enjoy playing with us. The sax player opens up quite a bit of diversity. He also has good connections, especially with the Side Pockets billiard bars in K.C. We hope to move up to at least 3-4 gigs per month. I definitely could use the cash...

Just remember this Bob,

"Ya can tune a saxophone
but ya can't tune- a - fish!"

Hope that horn man knows his "scales"

"tight lines and good fishin'!"

Howlin'

Man I love Tower Of Power. One of my favorite songs is Diggin On James Brown. I have got them on DVD.

Best wishes for a great gig Bob.

Turns out Don Hatfield is a bass fisherman who participates in bass tournaments. Also in his big band he doesn't get that many solos, too many people taking solos, and they have FIVE lead singers. Not much of a chance to be featured in a band that big. Plus they make about $30 a man per gig. He'll be featured on nearly every one of our tunes. If he doesn't work up a sweat with us there's something wrong. I always work up a sweat when I gig. Among other things I look at playing music as a PHYSICAL activity. Hauling heavy equipment, playing a very heavy bass guitar, singing my lungs out, oh yeah if I don't sweat there's something wrong. Gigging is WORK. I've been a blue collar worker all my adult life. I take the same approach in music...

Down here big bands like that get between $1500.00 & $2500.00 a night.

Good luck with the tourney Bob.

$2000 + for a gig?
What is that local, in a bar, in a nightclub, where?

I know it happens I'm just asking about where, who and why?
Cold here tonight, Snow falling. A LOT!

The club situation is pretty good down here. The Houston area population is around 4 million. There are a lot of bars and clubs down here and in this depressed economy they are competing for the patrons. Basically your average bar band can get up to about $800.00 for a gig. If you have a large following you can pretty much get what you ask. down here on the coast there is also tourism that is really good for the entertainement Biz. Providing you are willing to play what people want to hear which means playing Brown Eye'd Girl, Mustang Sally, Sweet Home Alabama, and Play that Funky Music as well as a lot of Beatles you can make good money playing. The Houston area economy has not been hit as hard as it has in some area's of the country. The Blues is very popular here and there is a good original scene with a large amount of clubs that cater to that genre however their is no money in it. There are quite a few club corporations that funnel several thousand yuppies thru their clubs and they hire some local bands but mostly regional touring acts and they can pay up to $5000.00 a night.

For some reason the bar and club scene have the thought process that they will usually pay a certain amount per man and that can range from $50.00 to $200.00 a night. But like I said earlier if you have a following and can put 50 to 100 people aside from there regulars or their regulars ask for your band specifically you can consistantly charge a $1000.00 a night. Big band music or rythym and blues bands that have a horn section can get $1500.00 a night pretty easily and can get $2500.00 because that style of music brings in the older crowd and we know the older people (like me) LOL like that music and we have the money to spend in their bars and it is getting increasingly harder to find that style of music.

When I go to see a band I want to see professionalism no tuning alnight and not a bunch of stalling. I like to see them play Van Halen, Sabbath, Dio heavier music that has actual lead solo's with a real singer like Journey or Styx, Rush or even some hair band stuff. If that style is played thru a good sound system and the band is professional I'll spend a $100.00 plus in your club and tip generously. So when I play in a band I like to provide what I would want if I went to see a band also considering the genre's for the group of people that I am targeting to entertain.

The tour I on right now ... we're getting 1500 to 2500 a night depending on how many seats are in the venue.

Ron