10 Reasons Why I DON'T Miss Playing Live
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 ม.ค. 2021
- I probably have 100 reasons why I DO miss it, but I thought I'd start with the bad news first. ;) I retired from live playing about a month before the big C hit, lucky timing I guess, but I realized there were some things I didn't miss about playing gigs.
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5:54 The time I was threatened with a gun after a gig story. 😮😮😮
So I guess you didn’t get shot? Did they just leave?
They just walked away?
I relate to the inhaler dilemma so much; lifelong asthmatic here. Sorry to hear you’ve got lung issues too, man.
why didnt you let him carry the amp when you saw the gun?
@@vidanjakovljevic7792 A few reasons, I wasn't afraid for some reason, maybe I felt he was bluffing, but I took a huge chance and just kept walking ready for whatever was to come. It wasn't till they walked away that I realized I had just "pardon the bad pun" dodged a bullet.
I had to load in through a crowd once. Fortunately, all three of them saw me and stepped aside.
Lol
Yep, that's the one thing for me I don't miss about playing live. The evenings where hardly anyone would show up.
Hahaha. .
The most underrated comment
Yeah, I remember the time I was playing live and tried to exit the stage but tripped over my entire audience, aka my mom and little brother! Brutal!
Gigging was an adventure. The best drug in the world is performing to a good crowd.
That and not messing up through a hard lick
Yes it is the best.
Same here love playing live
Very true
Damn right. I hate moshing but loved seeing people moshing to our music.
If someone yelled play free bird at church, I'd probably crack up laughing.
I dated a girl whose family was very religious but I could imagine her uncle requesting Freebird at church in a genuine, non-ironic sort of way.
I thought Highway To Hell would be the obvious request...
And if I had th ability to play it. I WOULD!
@@viennapalace OP is reffering to the church scene from Kingsman during which this song plays
Having never played a gig, but having attended many...even when I was drunk I got annoyed by drunks. Now I look back and I am so glad I don't drink anymore!
When you play a lot of shows, you can spot the drunks, and if you’re doing a lot of local gigs, you see them coming... hehehehe
Being around a bunch of drunks sucks unless your one of them then it's fun as hell. Until you puke.
Exactly,even when I was drinking with my friends I was miserable.
"I didnt want to play in 55 degrees thats so cold." "Im from minnesota"
I'm Canadian. I was so confused
I think anyone would be cold playing multiple sets in 55 degree weather
he may be Canadian, but he's still a person, they didn't evolve differently
I played a gig once when it was in the 30s. The only fun part was it was a Halloween gig and we got to play in zombie makeup. After 2 sets we said fuck it and joined everyone else by the bon fire.
@@shallex5744 we use celcius, not fahrenheit. 55 celcius is 131 fahrenheit lmao, and people can just generally be more used to colder weather
Few things as deflating as realizing people would rather hear some tired cover than that original you were so proud of. When everything's right, playing live is the best high. But it's mostly unpaid loading, unloading, drunk-guy management, and like the man said: playing when your audience would rather you not.
On the other hand, I've really learned to respect the ones who succeed. When you see a band fire up a huge audience just in the intro of one of their big songs, you understand how rare a talent that is.
It’s not talent it’s luck.. you could play the same intro to drunk guys in a bar just like you say.. and they would react totally differently
What you are referring to is simply just sheep mentality and that really is what ruins live playing.
You really think that most music fans are into the music alone?? Absolutely not
I don't miss playing live!! I LOVED it in my 20's. Nothing sadder than being middle-aged and hitting the bar/club circuit. Writing & recording is where it's at, if you get a great offer to play live once in a while, that's a bonus!
Depends what type of music you play ...Nothing ages better than an old blues player.
Playing live is great when you're in a reasonably successful band with a descent fanbase. So you get good vibes from the audience (that shows up to see YOU), and there are some resources for crew, accommodation etc. In the underground or tribute band circuit, the negatives of playing live outweigh the positives imo.
Whatever floats your boat. Im middle aged and love playing at bars and clubs, also extra $$ is helpful!!
I once saw kim shattuck (rip) opening a show. Someone yelled “free bird!” and she answered “what this one? 🖕 .” I’ve used that one a number of times now.
Nice!!!
My first gig was at the local “school for the deaf” it was called. They loved us and I have to say it took a lot of pressure to be perfect away. We got 3 pizzas and $150. There were 4 of us and it was the 80s. We were happy. Peace
But.. could they hear you?
@@ReizokoRyu a lot of them probably weren’t fully deaf, still funny though
150 in the 80’s made you feel rich i bet lol. cant imagine the high after that
I can so relate to all of your recollections. 4-45 min. sets, loading out at 2 A.M., and the singer thinks packing his mic in a case was the end of his responsibility. (As he sat at the the bar zooming the girls.) Drunks approaching me at closing to tell me how great we were, then throwing up on my shoes. (A mixed message at best...) I was the spokesperson with club management and felt the responsibility weighed more heavily with me. Band members that would show minutes before we were to go on were a pet peeve. The end of band practice was often signaled by the drummer falling backwards off the throne after downing a 12-pack, so of course that behavior didn't abate for gigs. In that day, bars gave the band free booze. For obvious reasons, I finally had to ask the bars to not give us booze until after we'd played. In terms of practice, which was everyone's valuable time, if the band stopped to work out a part, etc., our second guitar player would just keep noodling through a cranked Marshall stack, making it impossible to communicate. Our singer would run upstairs every 15 minutes for a line of coke. In later years, when working in the "pro" side of the industry, producing, managing, etc., I found the very same problems at that level, but the stakes were far higher and more nerve-wracking. All of that said, I wouldn't have missed any of it. The first time I heard the sound of my Hiwatt stack bouncing off the club's rear wall and back to me, that "bark" only cranked power tubes and speakers pushing air provides, the wooden stage floor vibrating under my feet... priceless.
And when your day job starts earlier in the morning than everyone else's, you become super roadie for the whole band. "You stay and party - I'm taking our shit back to the space cause I gotta be at work in three hours."
Had a singer just like that, would show up late all cocked out, complain about his sound and then want to be paid more because.he thought he was a star or something, then after the gig he would just leave or set at the bar.
Ah, the Hiwatt; biggest headroom in the world, and the best platform for pedals ever....
On,y thing ive ever heard come close is the three stage Carvin valve master 100, in the clean channel. So damned loud i never had it past 3, for fear of blowing my full stack of 4x12’s.... i mean, this thing was LOUD.. 2 - 12 ax7’s, 4 KT-77’s... pure clean headroom....
"If the band stopped to work out a part, etc., our second guitar player would just keep noodling through a cranked Marshall stack, making it impossible to communicate."
Oh my god. Ergh. Once of my biggest annoyances at practices.
I played this place in Sacramento once with a rickety plywood stage. My bass player dropped his cab down and the plywood sheet sea-sawed upward and knocked my guitar over. Still has a bent tuner key from that hit. Luckily its a beater Yamaha guitar (actually plays very well)
I once shouted Freebird ironically when Soulhat was playing at a lame tech conference here in Austin and they actually played it. It was awesome. I’m pretty sure they had never played it before and it was a little rough at the beginning but they rocked it anyway and I gave them an E for effort.
Amazingly, this conference had free beer, free tacos, robot fighting, and f-ing Soulhat playing Bonecrusher live and nobody was there because they didn’t advertise it that way. I even saw a killer robot go haywire and destroy an air conditioning unit. That was one of the best days of my life.
Personal reason. Can't even find a bandmate who has something in common.
Ha! I thought I am the only one who have this reason.
@@Happylink75 alright, lets do it!
Im 15 and all my friends like modern pop, kpop and hiphop etc.. I wish I was born earlier
The single most necessary thing, ever... I’ve had so many band projects, where half the guys were down to do the work, and the other half were happy to just be there, and let everyone else do the work.....
I don’t miss that.
@@marvindroid3865 what the fuck is kpop. please dont say korean pop
Stopped playing live a couple years before the pandemic situation happened, haven't missed it at all. Ironically, being in a band was actually preventing me from making any progress with music, due to drama and all of the other issues that occur when you're attempting to get multiple people to focus on one goal. Working alone has been much more fulfilling and I've had more time and money since I don't have to drive to rehearsals/gigs, as well as less stress from not having to deal with band members.
Amen!
I can SO relate, to the point where the very reason I am learning guitar is so I don't have to deal with musicians & their egos any more!
E x a c t l y
I've often said that music would be great if it weren't for musicians.
And it’s usually the least talented members of the band who want to be the boss and control everything.
Pet peeve on playing out: Worrying about people stealing gear. I've had stuff go missing, particularly after shows. ALWAYS have someone guarding the gear while loading and unloading.
Rippp
Or a venue owner trying to say some of your gear is theirs. I have my name spray painted on the bottom of my tables for that reason.
I was in a Seattle band, that came down to Sacramento, where i was born, to do a couple shows with some old friends in other bands.
We were guaranteed direct support, so it was worth it to drive from Washington to California... when we got there, we were told we would open, both nights, at 7:30 pm.... ugh...
Then, told we’d only get paid 50 bucks a night, instead of the door percentage we were promised. We did both shows, because of being professional, but as we were leaving, i let the venue owner know what a total lying asshole he was, and not to expect us to ever come back down, for any amount of money, to his venue....
The next day, i realized one of our guitars was still at the venue......
So, i had to go back, and ask him if it was still there.....
It was...
And he was nice about it. Lesson learned, even if the venue sucks, be professional at all times. Once you’re in the car, talk all the shit you wanna!!
Or being worried for the car too
@@allendean9807 "We did both shows, because of being professional..." That is not the slightest bit professional. No contract? Not professional. Still play even though you're being screwed, also not professional. Great he was nice after ripping you off. Musta been a Republican.
I was in a band in high school - we played a few talent shows and stuff - and that's the extent of my gigging life. But that brief experience taught me that being in a band involves all kinds of extraneous annoyances. Getting everyone to stop noodling with their instruments so we can hear each other talk while we're trying to work out arrangements and parts, people bringing friends or other distractions to rehearsals so nothing gets done, showing up at rehearsal to see that someone unilaterally invited a third guitarist to join the band, etc. It's a major challenge just to keep a band going beyond a few weeks - it requires dedication and seriousness.
And some serious friendship
@@jossuearias3509 Sometimes the opposite is true, the most successful bands I've been in have been ones that the other musicians were like other employees in a regular job, we show up play and piss off, didnt particularly like or dislike each other.
As a Japanese American from NW Wisconsin, I love these anecdotes. Also, watch out for deer!
Best thing about post-covid band life is shows are typically 7-11 or 8-12. No more trying to get home before the sun comes up. Glorious!
I hope it never goes back to the late start times. It was pointless pre Covid and it's still pointless.
This is an enjoyable channel. Straight to the point. No background music or soundtrack... Like a real conversation 😮
Nostalgia always paints things in a positive light. I have lots of fond memories of playing out but your video makes me happy they're only memories and not my current situation.
Totally relate. After the pandemic started I knew it was pretty much time to call it a day. I didn't miss gigging at all. Dumbass bandmates and managers, the travel and grind on my vehicle. The unhealthy, late night eating on the way home. Bandmates drunk girlfriends and friends. Playing crappy little pubs with no stage or very little stage. The prep work, the load ins and outs. The setups. Ugh! People bumping my mic while I'm singing on their way to the bathroom. Playing the same songs over and over. Crappy pay. Gas goes up, everything goes up, but musicians have been getting paid the same money on average since the 60's. I did end up joining a new cover band that had potential to be really good after things were getting back to normal. Did one gig and pretty much hated everything about doing the gig. So I quit the next day. I'm over it. I'm quite a bit older than you, 54 next month, and have been gigging pretty solid since 1988, so I have loads of great memories and road stories. I could go on and on about what I don't miss, but ya. I'm pretty much done. I have committed to a gig in June, but it's a 90 min, just bring one guitar and a combo amp type gig and decent money. And been playing with those guys on and off for years so we play a ton of classic rock and then it's see ya at the next one, whenever that is!
Ah, drunk people; a joy forever. I once quit drinking for about a year and played designated driver for my buddies - I then realized they were almost all assholes. I have other friends now ;)
Brother, I was nodding along so hard with this video that I thought my head might fall off! The commentary about being an introvert in a wedding band hit HARD- I did that gig for several years and having to plaster the smile on (along with the terrible white tuxedo tails) and muster enthusiasm for the same played-to-death tunes every night definitely led me to adopt some bad coping strategies. Once I got a gig outside of music which put food on the table, I felt so much more fulfilled in my musical pursuits- I didn't feel obligated to take bad gigs or play bad music just to make ends meet. The thrill of playing music for the enjoyment of others is impossible to duplicate, but it's no mean feat to make it happen!
I'm currently 15 and I really wish I could play live :(
I'm from India and doing such a thing isn't really as common I don't even have a band to jam with. Plus it's hard to find people with a similar taste in music, I like old rock songs obviously but most people like modern pop music
Sounds bad
Wanna be in a band
Yo I also like such music maybe we can doma discord call
I m new to guitar tho
Hang in there .You won't be 15 forever. I started guitar when I was 16, now I'm 48.
@@shredwithmeg8080 I'm down if you are interested. I also play guitar
i'm 15, from philippines :) got my guitar finally last month, watching your vids helps me so much! i'll definitely won't stop watching, luv what you do!
Love this, thanks for sharing.
I love gig horror stories, ive shared many of the reasons you stated, but the one with guy with a gun … yikes, that is scary stuff.
Glad you survived unscathed.
Like we use to say, we play for free, they pay us to move the equipment.
Still say it.
You hit every nail on the head. You rock, man!
Really fascinating stuff! Thank you for sharing!
Very nice to hear about the grind playing live can be. I love to hear about "the olden days" cheers!
Love your channel, man. Definitely one of my favorites of all the youtubers.
This was a great vid… ive experienced pretty much all of that… fun stuff. Ha
We’ve gone from a full band to doing acoustic duos now. Still get the kick of playing on stage, but way less hassle with gear. Plus a lot of venues prefer it these days.
Me and my friend always shout one more song at the end of a gig for an encore. However, if the band is terrible, we shout it after their first song.
Thx for sharing!! Good points to think about.
I can relate to all of it. Even the "having asthma" and "being an introvert" part. Funny enough, even though I'm introverted, I enjoyed being in front of a crowd. As long as I didn't have to socialize with them afterward.
That was my issue too. And when you’re in a bar situation, there is no backstage that you can go to in between sets.
Thanks for the flashbacks. I related to SOOOOO much of this talk. This stuff is a real issue at small venues especially being in a cover band. Really tells the tale of paying your dues.
Interviewing for gigs and selling original content to venues is another weird scene. Did that in the Village and around north jersey as a kid. Man I swear I have PTSD from that shit to this day.
Great video! I wanna hear more of your experiences.
Awesome video! I'd love to see the opposite list soon too!
Ah memories. Even with all the hassles it sounds like you had some fun. Would you change it if you could?
And!.... Great videos, and your honesty is appreciated.
The second time on a highway coming home at 3:00am seeing a drunks headlights on the wrong side of the road was the last straw for me. Drunks in the bars, drunks on the road, loading/unloading gear, thieves, trouble makers and other wonders of modern chemistry....
I’m happy now just playing in my home studio and with a select few musicians. Maybe playing the occasional party if its people I know. Very relatable list!
Man that list nailed it. I echo every point you made there.
I completely relate to everything you’re saying. I play in a cover band on the side. Bringing gear to and from the gig is a massive pain. At the end of the day, it’s a labour of love. Our band gets along great and we love the reaction we get from the patrons of the venues. But I gotta say, I love our rehearsals more than the actual gigs in some ways.
Dude, you nailed it! I have experienced every single one of those things except for allergy issues. I haven't played live for a few years because I was too burned out.
Such a great video...The story about the dust and not being able to see just gave me flashbacks of a gig we did in San Antonio. They had a small stage setup in the middle of a rodeo area. You know where they ride the bulls and horses. So when started to play, the crowed began to mosh and the dust just engulfed the whole area. Was a great show, but at the end we were wiping down all of our gear..
This is a video I can really relate to!
My old band Jupiter Falls played o2 Academies around the UK, and went on tour around Europe with Jake E Lee's Red Dragon Cartel... albeit was fun, but away from the stage was more fun than playing the shows!
I'd much rather sit in my flat, recording with my own rules, at my own pace etc....
Thank-you for putting this video out. It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one who feels like this!
excellent video -- I've played in bands since I was a teenager and yeah the nightmare stories start to add up
As a gigging musician, I've gotta say this vid was absolutely spot on on every point!
It's been years since I've played live and have been getting the itch lately. Thank you for reminding me why I stopped!
Your bases took a bass slap to a whole other level
There's always one band member who'll forget one important piece of gear and dad has to drive back home to pick it up.
I was that one 😂
Those cowboys coats are called dusters and I’ve never met somebody I’ve wanted to hang out with that chooses to wear a duster. Lol
Omg you’re giving me bad flashbacks to my old gigging days. Without a doubt the absolute #1 most hated aspect of playing live is the load I and load out.
Not only is it stressful enough physically carrying all that heavy stuff. But you also have to do it in record time. So you’re frantically lugging equipment and making cable connections, finding a decent power supply/outlets, etc.. then a quick sound check, tuning, making sure you’ve got enough space (always a problem for lower level bands). By the time I would actually start playing I was already sweating! No matter how zen like of a state I put myself into before a show, I’d still be frazzled by the time the 4 stick clicks began.
Then, after the gig, assuming you weren’t headlining, you had to disassemble your gear and get it out of the way in the same short timeframe. You’re stressing out about keeping tabs on all your stuff, because by now the club is packed, you’re being approached by people to talk to you about your band or your gear, etc. getting distracted.
And there’s never good parking or loading zones for clubs and bars. So it’s a mile hike in the cold while still wet from sweating.
Hell, one of the biggest reasons I wanted to “make it” was just to get a roadie and a tech for the load in/out.
Ever had a member of the audience telling you how rude you are for cutting their chit chat off cause you're busy loading and making sound checks ?
Also, I always help friends that perform with loading stuff out
I've had more experience playing gigs as a trumpet player than guitar, and some of your stories i can definitely relate to. Like playing in someone's living room, at a barn, outside in cold weather (that seemed to happen the most for me). But when i started getting (back) into guitar and played some church gigs, I didn't have a car, so i grabbed my guitar and my amp (and a back pack) and hoofed it to the bus stop. I was nervous about the people on the bus. Made me miss my trumpet.
Ah, yes!! The clip of Keef laying someone out cold with his Tele is legendary! He just carried on playing and didn’t miss a beat lol
You laid it out very well!
Dude, I've also experienced all this same stuff gigging lol. I'm from WI so I've also had to play in front of a big screen with the Packer Game on and they don't give you any attention. Or having people slam into your mic stand and you get a mouth full of microphone lol. Drinks spilled or people falling into your space. Everything you said was something I think alot of gigging musicians experience. Still miss it though. Good video man
Very true and full of proof.
Totally relate to every single thing you said. I've lived all of that too brother
Talking about loading and unloading, don't forget some gigs needing to move gear for sound check, move gear so someone else can sound check, move gear again to play, then either move gear to go home load, or move gear, and move gear again after gig for the home move. It can be like 6 to 8 gear moves for one gig, those times from the 90s won't be forgotten by me.
Hey! Dave from The Bass Channel here - one of our other hosts is a working bassist here in Vegas, and LOTS of his gigs are those 4-set, 9pm-1am jobs, so yeah, it seems it's still like that.
Damn Bro, it sounds like we've played in the same bands. This video brought back a lot of memories. Even with all the bull shit I still miss playing live sometimes. Nothing is better than having a good night on stage.
There really is a lot more to just "going on stage" then people think. Years of lugging the gear and dealing with uneasy crowds and all the different ups and downs. But i wouldnt trade one show for anything. why is the dealing with drunk people so damn true. The pedal board and beer part,man i got so pissed cause a women did exactly that and spilled her beer all over and through my vox wah pedal and it never sounded the same again
Man, we've had people just sit behind our drum kit before now and start playing. Obviously they don't realize it's worth about £3000 :/
I knew a guy that wrapped his pedal board in plastic wrap
I played in Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to dive bars, and there were a few things about it that I do not miss. One of them was horrible and one was bad, yet hopeful.
The horrible thing was that the people running the sound board simply did not care, one bit. It was so bad that my girlfriend, who had become my drum roadie for setup/tear-down, learned how to run a sound board and would do it for my band's shows.
Others involved also seemed to not care. My old band WHIPLADS was playing at The Joint one night, Tuesday or Thursday night, for a Songwriter Showcase night. It's where people play original music and nobody gives a shit.
As we took the stage, I saw a HUGE crowd of people, which was uncommon. These people all had long, black hair, dressed all in black and leather. I didn't know what was going on, until the sound man introduced us as WHIPLASH.
I tell him we are WHIPLADS. He says, "WHIPLADS, WHIPLASH, what's the difference?" That's when I figure it out, so I get on the mic and tell everyone that we ARE NOT the Metallica tribute band, and that they can go to the box office for refunds.
Scary night.
The hopeful thing, which sprang from an LA annoyance, was something that I figured out over time. That is, the FARTHER away from Los Angeles you get, the better the pay gets, and the more excited the audience.
I think both of these problems in LA, and there are many more, are caused by people who are hyper-jaded by the whole thing.
These days, there is absolutely no reason for a musician to move to Los Angeles. It's a creative wasteland.
We played a morning show in Arizona about 2 1/2 hours from where I live in basically the middle of nowhere. The dude said it was going to be a biker festival. It was 50 degrees and windy in the desert, and there was no-f'ckin-body at the place except the owner of the land and one other band. We played anyway because the scenery was truly beautiful and it sounded so great to play out in the middle of the desert. But we ended up leaving right after our set, even though we brought all our camping gear for the "festival."
Spot on dude!
I really felt point 9. Great video👍👍
Loading: respect the commitment of the drummer. Moving all that kit then playing a set. Absolutely knackering. Good Times!
I was going to someone's gig, and the best directions they could give were to the drummer's house so that I could follow him. I was so used to roadie-ing for my bass playing friend that I just started grabbing his equipment, and loading it in his car. You could have knocked him over with a feather when he saw me helping him. I started to help him unload at the venue, but the person I was meeting up with got so dickish about it, I just stopped. It was awkward. I'll always help the band if they need it. 🤘💖
I can relate to your stories man,let me share mine,we had a gig at this bar where theres tv everywhere for the horse racing,in the middle of the sets ,when the horse started running,we have to stop in the middle of the song,imagine if you are doing eruption at that time🤣,and this one time,a drunk guy went up on stage and tried to take my guitar out of me hands,so we wrestled back n forth almost broke my guitar..and this one,horrors of horrors,we are playing overtime already and i said last song,and these guy pulled out a gun and said keep on playing! So scared shit at that time…but even though,i still love playing live,these experiences i think will make you a better musician…i love your contents man,especially this,reminisced a lot of memories..rock on🤟
Hi! Regards the load and unload part. I have a friend that was playing in U2 tribute band in Sweden. They were opening act for some other artist. The artist had actually some crew members that loaded the PA and boxes but they asked my friend if he could assist so they took huge box probably for some PA speaker or something dropped that huge heavy box down stairs to some small area and the crew members said yeah thanks for helping but that box is actually empty and should not bring to the stage. haha
It’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock n roll
I’m not a live player yet, but I understand about playing and practicing a song so much you grow to not want to play it at all after learning it. It’s the blessing in disguise though. By that, I mean, there are hundreds of other songs to learn, so it’s easy to take a break from the ones you don’t like playing. It is imperative to embrace the learning process, and like it too! It’s all about the journey!
I relate to the introvert one😭😭😭
Wow. Pretty crazy. I don't think there was a single thing on your list I didn't bump into playing in Nebraska/South Dakota area.
I did lighting for about 6 years so I know exactly what your talking about. Fortunately we worked with a few bands that we were friends with so we acted as security for each other. I dont miss it either.
I miss playing live with my band so much.
Everything you said mirrors my experiences as a mobile DJ. I've been at it for 25 years and have the wobble about 10 million times.
Once I saw your shirt in this video, I immediately clicked the bell.
Loved it can relate to a lot of those reasons 🤣
My older brother plays both guitar and piano. At one point he had a weekly gig at a club and I used to help him load and unload his Rhodes piano when I was like 13. Not fun. That got him into the habit of just plugging into the venues PA and use a small amp on stage as a monitor. He used a Roland KC for his keys and not only is that incredibly heavy but other than the handle, there’s like nothing to hold on to for two people carrying it. We would wheel it and just do stairs one at a time. He did get a hand truck eventually but it didn’t make that much of a difference.
Man this is too real haha. I have experienced everything on your list except the allergies and the guy with the gun. Now that restrictions are lifted, I am glad to be back, but as you say there are things I didn't miss.
Hey, what about making a video about how to get gigs as a musician? Like the process, where to find people etc
Hey, I’m from Minnesota too!
I’ve been playing with XL&DBD since 2003. We were on the “Live from Nineveh” tour and we had an outdoor gig at the “Ride for Jesus” motorcycle rally in Chariton, Iowa in October 2003. We drove over two hours and arrived to see only four motorcycles and a few staff wandering around. The temperature on that one dark evening was about 42 degrees and there was a mild breeze too. Our band leader, Todd “XL” Stevens, had the stage light operator turn every cam on full power and we warmed up the stage about five degrees 😆 We played in winter hats and fleece pullovers to an empty audience space after the opening band (no audience there either) and left after about one hour. It was a show that could have gone well, but the promoters didn’t do much to bring about a proper interest in the event. It ended up being a bust overall, but it certainly has been a lasting memory for all of us!
Still remember playing a club with my band where the crowd was, at best, tolerating us until intermission where "Come on ride that train, choo choo ride" would come on and the dance floor came alive. Being intermission for the DJ is definitely a kick to the balls.
Great points!!
A few comments:
1. Yup, every 3-4 hour gig is about 8 hours of work.
2. Competing with a local sports team is indeed terrible... but, at one of our gigs we started right after the Chargers won a big playoff game and we inherited a very psyched enthusiastic crowd. Worked out well for us!
3. So true about the bad food. Either at the bar where you play or fast food on the way home at 2 in the morning, not good for you either way.
4. Loading in through a crowd is tough and so is loading out through a crowd. We warmed up for a much bigger band one time and basically played to an almost empty place and as we're loading out the crowd for the headliner was pouring in and it was tough getting around them. Doesn't help when the venue moves your guitar and pedalboard cases on you. :/
5. Finally, I never had to defend myself with my guitar but one of the bands I was in somehow ended played parties for an outlaw biker gang. I look pretty conservative and someone associated with the gang liked my playing. After the gig he said (very drunk) "I was looking at you setting up and I was wondering who's this effing guy and then you started playing and I thought hey he's good!" I said "Maybe I should work on my rock appearance!" He said "No stay like you are man, it's like you're a sleeper, it's cooooool!" OK, will do. :)
Great video! I have a "goal" to play a real gig some day. But until then I'm not really missing anything. Jammin at a BBQ and posting the occasional TH-cam video will have to scratch that itch
- It’s been 25 years since I performed live and I do not miss it one bit. My last band was so dysfunctional with egotistical lead singer and lead guitar player that made it very difficult to have a friendly relationship with either of them. It was all business and nothing else. I would have anxiety before every gig, I needed happiness in my life and I found after I walked away from the music scene and devoted myself to my family and nothing else.
OMG...!!!!, except for the allergy thing, I've had all those crazy events. Mostly hate loading in the rain. The weirdest one was playing in a machine shop, they have wall plugs with a thing called a "stinger lead", it 140 volts for starting motors. Well, you probably guessed it, I plugged my equipment into that, the rest is a smokin history..
I read a book once about tribute bands and cover bands. In one part of the book, it listed the five c’s, places that bands could play:
Casinos
College fraternity parties
Carnivals and fairs
Corporate events
Clubs
The first four are decent gigs because you usually get paid a good amount in advance. The last type of places (clubs and bars) are really to be avoided. The pay sucks, and even after you fulfill your obligation to play, the owner doesn’t want to pay what you originally agreed to play for.
Never played in a top-40 band or even considered playing in one, so thankfully I never experienced that. But yeah, I can definitely relate to most of what you mentioned.
Spot on man! I don't miss playing live either. Yet, I weirdly miss playing live. The torment!
Quite an interesting video here mate i can certainly relate to a lot of those points. Worse one for me was one gig where the guitarist of the band who was supporting us was very drunk and got right infront of my pedal board whilst we were play and spilt his drink over the pedal board. Needless to say i was livid.
we played a Christmas light on thing in a town and it rained hard, amazingly the audience stayed outside to listen.
I had played at open mic nights off and on for 17 years before the COVID-19 pandemic, so I can relate to some of the stuff in this video that you say you don't miss like being social with people you don't want to be social with and people requesting songs. Speaking of the latter, I've had people request songs I didn't know by the likes of Shinedown and Led Zeppelin (both of whom I like) as well as songs I didn't like like I Got High by Afroman and songs that I found to be outside my genre or vocal range like I'll Be There by the Jackson 5. Otherwise, I miss going out to play and share my music with other people, and I hope that COVID-19 will at least let up enough for me to do that.
I feel the lugging gear one. Especially when you are playing a shorter set. I've been very lucky with the drunk people. That gun story was fucking scary man.
played in a classic rock bar band for 18 years. most of the time we booked friday and saturday at the same place, i haven't play live since 2005 i'm sure alot has changed.. i miss it tbh.
It's funny to see that whatever place you come from, some things are the same.
Except for the throw up and the gun thing, I passed trough all these adventures too. :-D
I am 51. I have played drums since I was 10 and I literally can barely list 10 gigs that I have played, not counting when I play at Mass. Yet, it's interesting how I relate to your list. I was playing in a trio - we had 10 rehearsals before C-19 - and I don't know if we will ever get out and play a gig. We were having fun with playing covers and we were working on original tunes as well. During our unscheduled hiatus, I have come to realize that all I want to do is record some tunes in a studio - I have never done that before.
I think that this could be the last group that I play with as it's been difficult for me to find the right combination of musicians. I have been sober for over a decade so I am not in this for the party. I am fascinated by the idea of being able to make a CD of us playing. It feels like doing so would be the best way to bookend my drumming.
That said, I just bought drum cases for my Ludwig Vistalite set stacked under the steps so maybe I do have some gigs in me...
Thanks for your video. I live near Iowa City.
Lol. Enough about you. Let's about me for a minute.
I played an outdoor gig decades ago where one of the organizers rode up on a lawnmower in the middle of our set to announce lawn darts on the other side of the field. Good times.