Since you made this Forum....

[Hcochoa]

This is a little piece I made about the daily life of a gigging musician!


http://www.groovetool.com/logroundout.htm

[Tele-Bob]

..........and it's times like this when you ask youself, "why didn't I just drive the hour to the Jam in Connecticut on Sunday where all I needed to bring was my guitar?" Hmmmmm?

[Hcochoa]

I have never got into jams,

90% of the time, it's just a bunch of wankers that think they're Yngwe and take up most of the spot light.


Also, I could only play or listen to one or two blues tunes before I got bored!

[Tele-Bob]

Then you have sorely misjudged the situation Hugh. Yeah, there are blues jams going on, but there are also lots of other folks playing lots of different music. In the 2 guitar room, a jam erupted between this awesome bass player and drummer who had never played together before but were just pushing the shit out of eachother in a tight knit, percussive vamp in E. I jumped in with them and we played some shit I never even imagined before. It was wild. If ric480 pops his head in here. he'll verify this as he sat in on the jam for a while. We were all pretty exhausted afterwards. Now I know most people hate jamming on a single note/chord, but man, when the groove is happening and changing, and the guys are stretching it, twisting it and pushing it along, it can be an amazing experience. Maybe you've just been playing with your own guys too long bud. We played that in a diminished context for a while, then it went Major, and slid over to Dominant for a spell, then back to Diminished and even chromatic. It was a blast. There's something there for everyone. I understand, it's a long way to drive when you have a fair idea of what might be going on musically, but then there's the whole social aspect of it too. Anyway, you were missed bro.

[peter r]

Dominant ? Major ? Diminished ?

What ever happened to just being Gnasty ???

[ric480]

Yes, I can confirm TB's account, as I jumped into that jam mid stream (around the major part ??? ) and had little clue as to what we were doing - but damn if that wasn't one of the best jams I've ever had. I did not know that the drummer & bassist had never played together before - anybody would be hard pressed to guess that. The drummer and I spoke afterwards and he also thought that particular jam was a whole bunch of fun.

peter r - just different flavors of gnasty ! But you know that already.

hugh - sure there's lots of blues, but a lot of rocking went on too -there are no rules about what to play ( just a reasonable volume level please ). And if you sing, you pretty much can run that room for the time you're up there.

[Hcochoa]

I guess stuff like that would be cool but I just can't deal with the "chunka-chunka" blues stuff.


**Maybe you've just been playing with your own guys too long bud.**


What do you mean by that?

Ah who am I kidding, I don't think I'd ever go to a jam.
I suck

I went once or twice to jam but the people were good players and I didn't think I could compete.

Or even provide anything worth while!

[Tele-Bob]

**Maybe you've just been playing with your own guys too long bud.**

There have been times when I was in a band for several years and the whole music thing became very routine. Well all knew what we were going to play and how we were going to do it to the point that we could have done gigs in our sleep. Then I'd go off and jam with some other cats and wow! I would realize just how much I'd gotten used to the routine of the band. It used to terrify me to go to an open mic and play songs that I had never played before. Now it's a way of life. Living on the edge. It's cool.

[BLUELOU]

Originally posted by Hcochoa
This is a little piece I made about the daily life of a gigging musician!


http://www.groovetool.com/logroundout.htm

DUDE YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD ITS FACT
I GO THRU IT EVERY WEEK 2-3 TIMES OR MORE A WEEK I KNO THE GROOVE
ITS FUNNY
I GUESS ITS OUR DEDICATION OR SOMETHING MORE HIGHER THAN US BECAUSE TO ME ITS LIFE I 100%KNO THE FACTS YOU HAD GOOD PICTURES ITS ALL TRUE SOMETIMES IASKED MYSELF THE SAME QUESTION BUT ME I AM IMBRED IN THIS GUITAR MUSIC ITS GENETIC TO ME
ITS THE WORST WHEN YOU FINALLY GET HOME SMELLIN LIKE A CIGARETTE HAIRDO AND YOU LOOK AT THE BED AND FINALLY HIT THE SACK OR HOTEL ROOM SHIT BED

I ALWAYS LIVE THAT WAY ALL TOO WELL BUT I LOVE IT ITS LIFE TO ME

ITS AALL I KNOW IS GIGING /RECORDING /SESSION WORK AND OCASSIONALLY RUNNING SOUND FOR WEDDINGS OR PARTIES ON THE SIDE WE GOT A KICK ASS HUGE PA SYSTEM I LAUGH IT TAKES ME LOTS OF TIME TO LIFE MOVE ALL THE STAGE SHIT DRUMMERS TAKE UP THE WHOLE FRIGGIN STAGE THEY NEED THEIR OWN TRUCKS TO MOVE THEIR SHIT
AT LEAST MY HUGE MARSHALL RIG ROLLS HAPPILY WHEREVER I GO PLAY

LMKAO LIFE OF A MUSICIAN
ITS FACT BRO THANKX
BLUELOU:)

[Hcochoa]

Lou, Thanks for the "Sho-Nuff"


Tele-Bob,

While yes I have been playing with these cats for the past 2 years and at times, things get stale and we play by rote, (Especially with covers), These guys have made me into a better, more professional player.

More versatile and consistent.

We have been working on more original stuff.

We play covers to get work, but the real reason we get together is to make our own music.

It's amazing how much these guys make me stretch and pull stuff out of me I didn't know I had.

Other times, I fall face-first in lieu of my inadequacies.

This project by no means has become stale. Just the opposite, I think we are JUST NOW getting to the point where we know each other, personally and musically, that we are beginning to gel and become cohesive.

This is the next level of GT.

Hugh

[photoweborama]

There was a long thread like this on the other forum, and it basically came down to that some people just don't like to jam.

Most were like me, they can play their own stuff, but throw yourself in with real musicians that understand theory and play music from an academic side, you just flounder.

For many of us self-taught people, much of music is a mechanical process where we've taught our hands to go to the right places in a mechanical fashion, but change that around and we flounder and are very uncomfortable.

I doubt that is the case with Hugh, but I can understand the Blues problem. Unfortunately, for people like me, it becomes the common denominator when it comes to jams and playing with other people. It's either that or nothing for a lot of us.

I'm not saying I won't go to a jam, they are uncomfortable for me, but I like the people very much, and if I can, I'll go for them. I doubt I'll bring a guitar the next time though....

[Tele-Bob]

Sorry Hugh, I didn't mean to imply that you guys have gotten stale. I guess what I meant was that we sometimes get comfotable in a particular situation and the thought of playing outside of that situation is not very appealing. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but that it exists.

Photow, there are a hundred songs that are "jam standards" too which are not blues tunes. Unfortunately, if no one knows what they're going play, and they're not musically proficient to begin with, it becomes very difficult to jam. Many of the jams I host and attend have a heavy blues influence because it creates a basic framework for people to play music who have never played together before and who might not posess the best jamming skills. Then there are all the standard tunes lke Gimme Three Steps, Cocaine, All Along the Watchtower, Sunshine Of Your Love, We Gotta Get out Of This Place, and so on, that everyone knows and can easily jam on. But it is up to the jammer to be prepared. I see way too many people show up and just stand their waiting for the "magic" to happen when they haven't prepared anything. Yes, they call it a "jam" but the players need to have some common ground to start with or it's just one pointless trainwreck after another.

[Heritage 80]

Originally posted by Hcochoa
This is a little piece I made about the daily life of a gigging musician!


http://www.groovetool.com/logroundout.htm

Excellent post! I haven't gigged in several years. Now I remember why.:)

[fezz parka]

Originally posted by Tele-Bob
It used to terrify me to go to an open mic and play songs that I had never played before. Now it's a way of life. Living on the edge. It's cool.

This is also what I dig the most. Seat of my pants, make it work playing. I used to go out and audition for bands just to see if I could make it work, playing songs I'd never heard before. Same thing with jam nights. You either sink or swim, and it got to the point where I never sank.

[LightninBoy]

I agree with Heritage - I have several family members who are/were members of working bands, so what you have in your link is pretty much the view I've had of that scene for some time now. Call me lazy, but even before I had a wife and kids I thought there was way too much overhead in time and energy with the prep work involved in playing out, for the small return in playing time. I'm content with bedroom playing and organizing small jams with various (mostly lifelong) musician friends once every couple of months at my house. We make an all day event out of it, so there's plenty of time for hanging out and getting reaquainted before we play, and we usually cookout and have a bonfire afterwards so it's low stress and more play than work. Even then, just preparing the house, moving and setting up the equipment, buying the food and beer, and the cleanup afterwards makes me question sometimes whether I want to keep doing even this, and I don't have that hellish drive at 3:30 in the morning. My hat's off to all you working musicians..

[telecast]

Well it's not all like that, it all depends on the job. Last Friday we had a tough one, upstairs, had to hog in our own PA.

Most of the time we meet at the job, everyone brings their own equipment. I guess we're lucky enough to have a rehearsal room that features spare amps and a spare drum kit.

Set up is quick, meet with the sound man, talk to the light man if they have one. Most of us like to wear street clothes to set up, then change into something nice in the dressing room prior to going on. After we play, or sometimes during, the clubs set us up with pizzas, maybe some nice roast beef and swiss deli, one time we had corned beef and cabbage dinners.

Tearing down is fast (there are 8 of us). The horn guys handle the risers, everyone attends to their own stuff and then helps others until it's done, about 1/2 hour. Most of our gigs end at 1:00, so rarely home after 2:30-3:00.

LightninBoy:
"Even then, just preparing the house, moving and setting up the equipment, buying the food and beer, and the cleanup afterwards makes me question sometimes whether I want to keep doing even this, and I don't have that hellish drive at 3:30 in the morning."

An advantage to playing out, as none of that stuff matters!

[Hcochoa]

Telecast,

Obviously you are in a much higher level than the rest of us.

We never have a sound man, we never have a light man and....



WE NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER HAVE A DRESSING ROOM!!!!!

Unless you call our vehicles sitting outside the bar a dressing room.

[BLUELOU]

HEY YOU KNO WHA IS FUN ABOUT MUSIC REALLY IS I GOT TO THE POINT I CAN MAKE IT AS EASY OR AS COMPLEX AS I WANT TO

DONT ASK ME HOW BUT ITS LIKE CLIMBING A LADDER IN LIFE

YEA I GET STUMPED WE ALL DO ITS LIFE BUT MOST OF THE TIME I COULD CUT LOOSE ON THE EDGE JUST TO ADD A DIFFERENT TEXTURE TO A SONG OR JAM ETC ADD A TWIST .....LIFE IS GREAT WHEN YOU IMPROVISE A LEAD RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD AND THEN I REALIZED AFTER HEARIN THE TAPE IT SOUNDED KOOL
I LOVE IMPROVISING
EVERYDAY TO ME I MAKE A EFFORT TO LEARN SSOMETHIN NEW MUSICALLY EVEN IF ITS SUBTLE LIKE PICKING TECHNIQUES I AM ONE MORE STEP AHEAD
PLAYIN THE BLUES COULD BE EASY AS IT SEEMS BUT IT COULD TURNE INTENSE AND REALLY LIFT OFF TO NEXT LEVEL OF A JAZZISH STATE THAS WHERE HENDRIX LEFT OFF IN THIS WORLD HE WAS CUTTIN LICKS WITH MILES DAVIS GOOD SHIT TOO
HENDRIX HAD A GREAT IMAGINATION
HENDRIX WAS WAY AHEAD OF HIS TIME
I LEARN SOMETHIN NEW EVERY DAY

TODAY I WAS WORKIN ON DELAYS AND SWELLS ETC LIKE CATHEDRAL
JUST MESSIN AROUND AND I GOT THE CATHEDRAL DOWN PAT
NEVER PLAYED IT BEFORE I KNEW THE 3 CHORDS AT THE BEGINNIN BUT HAD NO INTRESTS IN THE PAST TILLL TODAY
I LEARNED SOME VANHALEN OLD SONG NOTE FOR NOTE

I HAD NO ONE TO JAM WITH SO MY DELAY RACK BECAME MY JAM PARTNER
I PRACTICE RELIGOUSLY

DELAY IS IMPORTANT IT CAN BE LIKE A METRONOME BUT MORE PRECISE BECAUSE WITH A DELAY MACHINE YOU EITHER ARE ON THE POINT OR TOTALLY FLUBBERIN OFF
DELAYS DONT LIE

[telecast]

Originally posted by Hcochoa
Telecast,

Obviously you are in a much higher level than the rest of us.

We never have a sound man, we never have a light man and....



WE NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER HAVE A DRESSING ROOM!!!!!

Unless you call our vehicles sitting outside the bar a dressing room.

Higher level? Doubtful. Just playing better clubs. The drawback is we don't work as much as we'd like to. Yeah, we appeal to an upscale club with upscale patrons due to the style of music we play. However, there are only so many clubs that can pay (let alone fit) an 8 piece band. We've found that in a dinner club, for example, it needs to seat 125+ and take a $3 cover. In a regular entertainment venue, they need to seat 150 or so and take a $5.00 cover. Botht places need to get $3.75+ for beer.

So, there are trade offs. We could cut back to a 4 or 5 piece band, hit the smaller clubs, and play every weekend. We'd bring in about $80-100/man.

But....this horn band thing...it is so cool. People love it, they get excited with the horns. There are a ton of blues bands out there playing covers from BB, Albert King, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, etc. But they all play different arrangments because they don't have horns. Or worse yet, they use keyboards to fill in the horns. (ugh). How many times have you heard 'How blue Can You Get' covered with all the dynamics that a horn section can offer? Maybe never, but we do it at every show.

And while it's true we get dressing rooms on a fairly regular basis, food, nice big stages, professional lighting and sound, and concert style settings, we still have to bust our asses to find work, and it's much farther between jobs than we'd like.

Rejoice in your equipment hauling-back seat dressing-late night driving-small bar playing band. You have it much better than you think.

[Hcochoa]

well put Telecast!