I miss the road...

Not sure if I should post this in the Whammy Bar, but this ks gig talk, so... Besides I wanted to post this close to my gig threads.

Man, I miss the gigs. Playing every other week was routine, and therefore a comfort. Playing guitar live is something I fought a LOT to be able to do, and I hold that part of my life very dearly. My close friends know just how much I do.

I love everything about playing rock n' roll. Everything there is to it is poetry to me. Even the hassles.

Loading the trunk of my car with amp, pedal case, a brown canvas backpack with clothes, hygiene necessáire, sandals and every other little thing I need for a 2-day stay in a motel or a cheap inn... The average weekly 90 mile drive... The "pit stop" at the next gas station for a fill up and a cigarette... The shitty burgers/grilled cheeses and ice cold Coca Cola at roadside bars... Putting the rig together for soundcheck. Ripping Gaffer's tape and checking every pilot light while the tubes warm up... The thrill of listening to the drummer's tempo clicks before the first strike of my pick. The beers afterwards and the 3 a.m. meals with the bandmates. Checking the cell phone and reading the social media inbox messages from girls that saw us play (not useful anymore, I'm in a relationship, but it was fun back in the lone wolf days :hmm). That "after party" feeling is priceless.

Hope this pandemy is handled at last so we all can get back in the saddle.

I miss playing in a band so much; on the other hand, I don't want the experiences I've had with my last two bands--we were musically and philosophically mismatched. Good guys, but different visions of the bands. I left on good terms.

If I had a band that shares my vision, I'd love to play the clubs again. Like you, I like all the stuff associated with playing--when you get to the club in the afternoon for a gig and you smell the stale beer that they're cleaning off the tables and floor. Of course I love the experience of playing the most, and I don't care if I play to 2 or 2000. As long as they're having a good time, I'm there. I like setting up, getting everything working, and when I have the luxury of a sound check, I'm in heaven. Nothing like getting a good mix for the evening, especially if you have someone running the board who can figure out how the mix is going to go with the room filled.

A nice relaxing drink beforehand, laughter and talk with other members of the band while we get ready to go on. A feeling of closeness musically, with the ability to read each other while playing.

I understand those feelings, Sergio!

For me, that time is in the rear view mirror for a bunch of reasons, so I don't miss the gigging. I do miss being able to get together with my friends and jam. The remote collaboration is working OK for us but there's no substitute for getting together and acting stupid for a few hours! But I've grasped the bull by the horns so to speak and have been pretty musically productive over the last long weeks and will continue to do so for as long as this stretches out. Embrace the Suck!

Our band had a few festival gigs but all that went down the drain

I guess I'm weird. After decades of playing I am loving, and I mean loving - not having to ruin my weekends with jobs.

At 62 years old I have zero desire to lug gear around at 1:30 AM. Honestly, the only reason I've been doing it for the last few years is to support the rest of the guys in the bands who can really use the local money.

Last year I was actively gigging with three bands and that pretty much burned me out. I love getting up early on a weekend and going fishing with or flying model planes with my buds.

Chuck

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Originally Posted by Offshore Angler

I guess I'm weird. After decades of playing I am loving, and I mean loving - not having to ruin my weekends with jobs.

At 62 years old I have zero desire to lug gear around at 1:30 AM. Honestly, the only reason I've been doing it for the last few years is to support the rest of the guys in the bands who can really use the local money.

Last year I was actively gigging with three bands and that pretty much burned me out. I love getting up early on a weekend and going fishing with or flying model planes with my buds.

Chuck

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I'm with you on that, Chuck. I got burned out, too. 20+ years of ye olde bar gigs - and on the average not all that lucrative either in "money or glory" - and I bowed out gracefully. There WERE a couple of special highlights in those years, but I'm happy having those in my memory as opposed to chasing the next one down.

Funny, I can understand what you two mean. And I even feel likewise, though in a much lesser degree.

It's good when you don't have to go through all the work and the trouble involved in gigging, I am having a fair taste of that now that I have been on physical therapy for my Carpal Tunnel Syndrome for the last couple of months and completely away from any kind of band activity due to the COVID-19, but truth is, I don't think I'll ever stop gigging.

I just can't feel whole without my band and the feeling of being an active musician. Being on that stage and smelling the stale beer, woman's perfume and cigarette smoke is my weekend soccer, my Harley Davidson ride, my Fishing trip or whatever else guys like to do. My thing is playing guitar live.

I do like many other things. I love my work as a lawyer, I like literature, music (I mean as a listener), collecting vinyl, cars, Karate... Many things. But I don't love any of those things as much.

The band I'm in currently (& have been for the last 6 yrs) was a total fluke. I was in the house band for a blues jam & these guys came in to audition a drummer. They did a couple Dead tunes, so I said "hey, can I sit in w/you guys?" They said yes & it was a blast.
Well they hired the drummer & went into rehearsals. A couple weeks & the drummers says, "None of you guys can solo! We need a soloist." So they called me up & after decades of being the rhythm guitarist I took the seat, lol
After working with them for a year, both the drummer & myself put it to them: if they wanted to keep us then they have to go by the book. That means a proper business license. No more bar gigs. No more excessive rehearsal. They stepped up to the plate & for a couple seasons all we did were fair & festival gigs & we were busy. But last year we hardly worked due to some personnel changes. This year was promising until the virus hit. Such a shame because it was one of the funnest bands I'd ever been in. We play bluegrass & Dead stuff, but we have drums & electric guitar (along with bass, acoustic guitar, & mandolin). We called it "blurgrass", lol

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Originally Posted by Cogs

The band I'm in currently (& have been for the last 6 yrs) was a total fluke. I was in the house band for a blues jam & these guys came in to audition a drummer. They did a couple Dead tunes, so I said "hey, can I sit in w/you guys?" They said yes & it was a blast.
Well they hired the drummer & went into rehearsals. A couple weeks & the drummers says, "None of you guys can solo! We need a soloist." So they called me up & after decades of being the rhythm guitarist I took the seat, lol
After working with them for a year, both the drummer & myself put it to them: if they wanted to keep us then they have to go by the book. That means a proper business license. No more bar gigs. No more excessive rehearsal. They stepped up to the plate & for a couple seasons all we did were fair & festival gigs & we were busy. But last year we hardly worked due to some personnel changes. This year was promising until the virus hit. Such a shame because it was one of the funnest bands I'd ever been in. We play bluegrass & Dead stuff, but we have drums & electric guitar (along with bass, acoustic guitar, & mandolin). We called it "blurgrass", lol

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Sounds like tons of fun!

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Originally Posted by Sérgio

Funny, I can understand what you two mean. And I even feel likewise, though in a much lesser degree.

It's good when you don't have to go through all the work and the trouble involved in gigging, I am having a fair taste of that now that I have been on physical therapy for my Carpal Tunnel Syndrome for the last couple of months and completely away from any kind of band activity due to the COVID-19, but truth is, I don't think I'll ever stop gigging.

I just can't feel whole without my band and the feeling of being an active musician. Being on that stage and smelling the stale beer, woman's perfume and cigarette smoke is my weekend soccer, my Harley Davidson ride, my Fishing trip or whatever else guys like to do. My thing is playing guitar live.

I do like many other things. I love my work as a lawyer, I like literature, music (I mean as a listener), collecting vinyl, cars, Karate... Many things. But I don't love any of those things as much.

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I get it - it's your passion, your drug!

Anecdote - one of my musical collaborators, we were working on some stuff one night and he says to me: "You know that feeling you get when playing when a tingling runs up and down your spine - when you're one with the music?" I said, I do know that feeling, but I never get it from playing music. he was astounded until I explained to him that it comes to me when I'm ripping up dirt single track on a mountain bike or a motorcycle. When I get that tingle, I KNOW I'm one with the bike.

I get antsy when I can't get out on two wheels - that's my passion! Music is a fun hobby for me - more of an intellectual pursuit than a spiritual one. Two wheels is my visceral, spiritual - if you will - pursuit. Y'know?

hello folks - i'm still sorta new here, but i'll tell ya - i miss it, too! i'm in a 5-piece, power pop band (orig & covers) and our last bar gig was March, 2020. and we did a one-off outside party thing in Sept, 2020; we were a little rusty, but it felt great! after gigging for over 35 years, playing live sorta became part of my life. i am ready to get back to it....hopefully in 2021.

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Originally Posted by guitartomy

hello folks - i'm still sorta new here, but i'll tell ya - i miss it, too! i'm in a 5-piece, power pop band (orig & covers) and our last bar gig was March, 2020. and we did a one-off outside party thing in Sept, 2020; we were a little rusty, but it felt great! after gigging for over 35 years, playing live sorta became part of my life. i am ready to get back to it....hopefully in 2021.

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Welcome aboard! Nice to meet a S.F. Bay area citizen!

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Originally Posted by Sérgio

Welcome aboard! Nice to meet a S.F. Bay area citizen!

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thank you! i am enjoying all the talk about gear and gigging!

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Originally Posted by dirtdog

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Buddy, I read your post and was about to reply to it when I got a call and had to leave the forum. Got back to it now, couldn’t log in for a while but it’s edited.

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Originally Posted by Sérgio

Buddy, I read your post and was about to reply to it when I got a call and had to leave the forum. Got back to it now, couldn’t log in for a while but it’s edited.

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Sorry Serg - I realized two things....i. I posted a reply to this thread earlier on and ii. this second, edited, post was verging into the political and was coming from a position of frustration. Upon reflection, I thought it better to keep those thoughts to myself...;-)

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Originally Posted by dirtdog

Sorry Serg - I realized two things....i. I posted a reply to this thread earlier on and ii. this second, edited, post was verging into the political and was coming from a position of frustration. Upon reflection, I thought it better to keep those thoughts to myself...;-)

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No problem, I just didn’t want you to think I had ignored your post. I just couldn’t reply soon enough. Anyway I agreed with you.

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Originally Posted by Sérgio

No problem, I just didn’t want you to think I had ignored your post. I just couldn’t reply soon enough. Anyway I agreed with you.

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No worries, my friend!

Boy, I don't miss it. As a young man and college dropout, I hit the road playing a solo act, living with no permanent address for almost five years.

Never again. Which I don't really have to say at my current advanced age.

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Originally Posted by Gravity Jim

Boy, I don't miss it. As a young man and college dropout, I hit the road playing a solo act, living with no permanent address for almost five years.

Never again. Which I don't really have to say at my current advanced age.

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That must’ve been tough indeed, Jim.

But just out of curiosity, are there good/fun stories from that time?

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Originally Posted by Sérgio

That must’ve been tough indeed, Jim.

But just out of curiosity, are there good/fun stories from that time?

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Oh, yeah... two or three about women I met... almost talked a lovely cocktail waitress into leaving her abusive hubby and just leaving town with me, the dental equipment saleswoman I spent a rollicking five days with, the sweet girl who came into the joint with her parents and sent me a note with her phone number (she actually ended up coming to Fort Wayne to help me decorate for Christmas). And a couple about great nights when everything I did was perfect or a particular audience really got into it. It certainly had its moments, and I was making union scale, which was a lot of money for the late 70s. But after five years, the isolation and my continual abuse of central nervous system depressants just about drove me mad.

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Originally Posted by Gravity Jim

Oh, yeah... two or three about women I met... almost talked a lovely cocktail waitress into leaving her abusive hubby and just leaving town with me, the dental equipment saleswoman I spent a rollicking five days with, the sweet girl who came into the joint with her parents and sent me a note with her phone number (she actually ended up coming to Fort Wayne to help me decorate for Christmas). And a couple about great nights when everything I did was perfect or a particular audience really got into it. It certainly had its moments, and I was making union scale, which was a lot of money for the late 70s. But after five years, the isolation and my continual abuse of central nervous system depressants just about drove me mad.

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I guess everything comes with a price, right?

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Originally Posted by Sérgio

I guess everything comes with a price, right?

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No joke. And freedom - real freedom from everything - isn't real good for your head. :)