Gigging.....not all its cracked up to be.

[Reverend Timmy]

Yeah,I don't miss it much at all.But my hat is off to the guys that still do it.Especially the ones with a family and a day job.I still get to sit in with several friends and their bands,so I still get to play live.I'm lucky,but it sure is nice just to bring a guitar and thats it..................

[Erez]

Anyways Gigging is awesome: playing your guts out and headbanging 'till your neck is fucked up and getting absolutely wasted for FREE right after. Nothing's better.

Party On!

[skorb]

this thread is great - I've never gigged and I am 41. but soon I will. I'm trying out for two bands in 8 days time, I will be with one of them either way. gigging will follow.

I can see 1-2 gigs a month, depending.

[RacerX]

Put me on the list, heh!

[charvelguy]

I have to keep my feet wet now and again. Its tough balancing a FT job and a gigging band.. depending on how much they practice/play out. I usually get more burnt out by attitudes more than anything. If your health is up tho..practicing and performing on a regular basis keeps your chops up.
I like to take time away and work on things of my own ideas too.. if you're in a cover band.. sometimes there can be conflict on keeping the band afloat performing and doing the tunes well as opposed to working out your own ideas...unless of course, its an original band open to many types of writing/contributions.
I sometimes put so much into emotion, I am drained at the end of a night and to get up and go to work can leave your ass draggin.

Having your girlfriend/wife there while you check out hot chicks or visa versa sucks..

[Ace]

I Live To Play Live!!!

[donf]

this thread is great - I've never gigged and I am 41. but soon I will. I'm trying out for two bands in 8 days time, I will be with one of them either way. gigging will follow.

I can see 1-2 gigs a month, depending.

Enjoy. I did have a good time when I gigged. Just not what I was looking for.

[hammer84]

Gigging can suck, with my last band it did.

New band is much better. Simple quick setup and tear down ( Bose PAS system ). We play about once a month and have a solid group of core songs so practice time is kept to a minium. Only play places I want to play !!

My old band would play anywhere and we would have almost entirely new songs every month.

Sorry, I have two kids, full time job. I can't practice 10 hours a week to keep learning new crappy songs.

[donf]

Gigging can suck, with my last band it did.

New band is much better. Simple quick setup and tear down ( Bose PAS system ). We play about once a month and have a solid group of core songs so practice time is kept to a minium. Only play places I want to play !!

My old band would play anywhere and we would have almost entirely new songs every month.

Sorry, I have two kids, full time job. I can't practice 10 hours a week to keep learning new crappy songs.

Yeah, I can see where your coming from. We were doing the same. It seemed like we were getting gigs every weekend this summer.

Now, I love the guitar,......but I do have other things I like doing on the weekends also.

A Saturday night gig means packing up in the afternoon, playing all night, getting home 4:00 am, then sleeping most of Sunday away . A lost weekend. Both days!

I just like the time to do what I want, when I want, without commitment.

I guess I'll never be a rockstar!

[VulfgangPfuck]

I used to enjoy it...it's been a few years though!

I'll never play in another cover band as long as I live however. Been there, and done that more that I ever wanted to.

I'm only 36, so I have a few more good years in front of me to get on that stage and bang them out to the minions, which I fully intend on doing!

As far as lugging equipment...I just got used to that over the years. I still bitch and moan while I'm doing it, but at the end of the night it was still worth it to get up there and play.

[Deneb]

For me, nothing beats playing live or doing anything live for that matter.

[Wayniac]

Roadies tear up gear too!

I have NEVER messed up a piece of gear - unless you include roadcases, but that's what they are for - so whatever is INSIDE them doesn't get a boo boo !
I do the same with my own gear - try to keep it in good shape, minus any play wear it gets..

[Twisteramps]

I love gigging. Currently in a cover band, but we play what we like - it limits where we play, but at least I'm not having to play mustang sally or brown eyed girl. Last night we did a benefit gig with three other bands, and pretty much wiped the stage with em. I've been in original bands and it is cool to play your own stuff, but I love getting to do Vai and Satriani covers - we played YYZ pretty early and people were crapping bricks.

Pete

[charvelguy]

Making money vs doing what you like to play. Doing covers that you wanted to play never seemed to hurt other bands and served as a way to get in the clubs doors while promoting a few originals. You can develope a decent fan base if you do the stuff you want to do, are good at it and can be entertaining. I've been in a bunch of differing bands, top ten to variety to covention show band, lounge gigs...bottom line is you just gotta be true to yourself otherwise it'll show in some form. I always seem to get a bass player arguing the marketability of a Satch tune. You gotta get with the right people and politics.

[shreddermon]

New band is much better...We play about once a month and have a solid group of core songs so practice time is kept to a minium. Only play places I want to play !!

Sorry, I have two kids, full time job. I can't practice 10 hours a week to keep learning new crappy songs.

Man, I am totally on the same wavelength with that style. I wish I could pull together a laid-back band of people looking for the same thing.

With a very demanding job, two young kids and a great wife, I just don't have the time for more than that. And, quite frankly, at this stage of my life (late 30s), I don't want anything more than that. I have no false aspirations of becoming a rock star now - I just want to do it for pleasure. A recreational thing. No other motivations whatsoever.

I bailed on my last band a year or two ago because, although we all started with those kind of goals in mind, the rest of the band evolved into wanting more. So I bowed out. It was the right thing to do - both for them and for me. ...And the remnants of that band (with new guitarist & singer) will finally be playing their first gig this weekend.

Nonetheless, I sure do miss playing with a group.