I'm worn out from gigging and going to take a break...

[SkyhighRocks]

Have you talked to the band about slowing down a little. That's a fast way to burn out an entire band.

 

[SkyhighRocks]

Are they going to replace you or maybe you could just do select gigs?

 

[Bob Savage]

Bedroom Wankers unite!

 

[SkyhighRocks]

Are they going to replace you or maybe you could just do select gigs?

I think they're going to replace me. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't like only having one guitar player for most gigs, so they'll probably want to find a second guitar player full time.

I was hesitant about joining them in the first place last March, because I knew it would be tough to keep up with their schedule. I gave it a shot anyway, but yeah, I'm just getting old or something. lol

hey you gotta do what ya gotta do. I'm actually looking to play out more.

 

[Bob Savage]

Bedroom Wankers unite!

LOL! Maybe it's time for me to get a new recording rig together and start writing again? I always had a great time with that, but it's been several years since I've done it.

I was just coming back into this thread to say "I think it's time for more clips..." only to find you've already said it.

 

[Bob Savage]

I was just coming back into this thread to say "I think it's time for more clips..." only to find you've already said it.

I'm not even talking about clips, I'm talking about entire songs. Back when home recording was taking off, I went through a 2 year writing spree. I probably wrote 30 songs where I sang (yikes), played guitar, played bass, played keys, programmed drums, etc... Something like that sounds fun. Plus now, I have a good music room in the basement to do it late into the night on the weekends. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Full tunes would be even better! I was there right with you writing tunes back then. I bought a used Vestafire 4 track in 86 and recorded a ton of tunes too. Man, those were the days... it seems like I had all kinds of time back then.

 

[Odin]

And I absolutely hate it when we play Friday night, rehearse Saturday day, then play Saturday night.

If you guys are playing every Fri and Sat night there should be no need for rehearsals, ever, unless you're constantly adding new material.

But I know the feeling, my band did what you're doing from 1999-2005 and I (and others) finally had enough. My job/training schedule required that I back off the gigs in order to work different hours, so it was a must for me. We took a break for most of 2005-2006, only playing occasional gigs, and we're just now taking it back up to the 2-4 gigs per month level.

It becomes work, not fun, and as far as work goes it doesn't pay enough to put in that many hours. My best year as far as gig pay goes was 2004 ($24K from gigs) and I can tell you that when we stopped playing every weekend that I had grown accustomed to the extra income.

Of course within a few months I took a gig working sound at a local venue making $100 per night for a couple of hours behind the board, which I still do a couple of nights per week, so I made up for the lost income but no longer have to drive or load gear.

You'll probably miss it when you quit and within a few months you'll want to be back on stage. Try to find a compromise. I'm hoping the 2-4 gigs per month deal satisfies my desire to gig and still leaves me the time to do other stuff. I guess if we're only playing 2 gigs in a month that we'll have to start rehearsing, which I don't care much for.

 

[degenaro]

Doing 2 all night sets every weekend is harsh when you have a fulltime day gig and a family.
I've done 50 some shows the last 6 month and if the majority weren't just 2 hour shows...come to think of it (there were about 10 4 hour shows) I probably would have to rethink that as well.

 

[bill]

Its really hard to find the balance in it all. I am a church musician and practice once a week and do Sunday morning every week as electric lead guitar. Twice a month I do a acoustic solo gig at another meeting we have. All in all I get out 10 times a month to play and 6 of them are for the meetings. It works for me and isn't burning me out. Last year I quit a second band due to the stress of work family and the church committment. Very hard to work out. If your careful your gift will make room for itself somewhere and you will still have time for the other stuff that life is all about.

 

[Meathead]

Maybe some of the guys in the band need the extra money more than you.
I work a day job which has great hours (10:00am - 3:00pm Mon-Fri) and play 2 to 5 nights a week.
I love playing but I think more, I dig the extra income.
I already have a schedule for next year, I'm booked every weekend again and I already know where I'm playing next year for New Years. It's a good thing. I could play almost every night.

 

[Meathead]

Oh... I don't have sand in my vagina and I'm NOT WHINING! Just sayin'...

Meeting women, playing guitar with a tight band, bar gives up free drinks all night and I get paid at the end for having fun...I never take what I do for granted.

 

[Meathead]

Meeting women, playing guitar with a tight band, bar gives up free drinks all night and I get paid at the end for having fun...I never take what I do for granted.

Do you have a wife and/or kids?

Chris

Oh the 'W' word...no.

Ya, my exwife wouldn't let me be in a band.


I was miserable to.

 

[Shiny_Surface]

Hopefully you can strike a balance that won't burn you out so much Chris, because if you drop the band completely you'll be initially relieved but then may miss the experience further down the road. Good luck

 

[Odin]

If you guys are playing every Fri and Sat night there should be no need for rehearsals, ever, unless you're constantly adding new material.

Right... We only rehearse when we're writing or learning new cover material. Probably only once a month, but it's still a pain in the ass.

I think I'll take a break for a while and I'm pretty sure I'll wish I was back on stage again. At that point, I'll do what you suggest and try to find a compromise. Maybe find a band that has fun, but only wants to do 3-4 gigs per month max.

Chris

See if the old band will let you sit in from time to time.

 

[degenaro]

Oh the 'W' word...no.

Ya, my exwife wouldn't let me be in a band.


I was miserable to.

WOULDN'T LET YOU!?!?!?!?!?!

 

[degenaro]

Doing 2 all night sets every weekend is harsh when you have a fulltime day gig and a family.
I've done 50 some shows the last 6 month and if the majority weren't just 2 hour shows...come to think of it (there were about 10 4 hour shows) I probably would have to rethink that as well.

Yeah, I agree. Here's my routine every weekend...

Friday
- Get up at 5:30am and get to work around 6:30-6:45am
- Get home from work around 4:00pm and get ready for the gig
- Leave home around 6:00pm and drive an hour to the club
- Setup, play the gig, tear down, and drive an hour home to arrive around 4:00am the next morning

Saturday
- Get up around 10:00-11:00am tired as hell and spend a few hours with the family
- Get ready for the gig around 5:00pm
- Leave home around 6:00pm and drive an hour to the club
- Setup, play the gig, tear down, and drive an hour home to arrive around 4:00am the next morning

Sunday
- Get up around 10:00-11:00am tired as hell and grouchy and try to spend the day with the family

I'm usually a walking zombie all weekend long and still tired as hell at work on Monday.

Chris

I couldn't hang with that. When I have a gig with the Country ban I usually leave work at noon.
And the all nighters are Friday/Saturday casino gigs now, so that's going there Friday afternoon, and after I'm done playing it's hotel room in the casino and be a lazy bastard all day Saturday, play that show, go to the hotel room and go home Sunday.
I couldn't hang with any other schedule at my advanced age.

 

[blackba]

Gotta find the balance Chris, I am on the other end of the spectrum, I haven't gigged in a year and getting a 2nd band together hasn't gotten off the ground, its either feast or famine I guess.

 

[Meathead]

Oh the 'W' word...no.

Ya, my exwife wouldn't let me be in a band.


I was miserable to.

WOULDN'T LET YOU!?!?!?!?!?!

Yup. I thought I knew her...she turned out to be really controlling after we got married...big mistake on my part.
I'm pretty jaded about being married again.

 

[guitar_god123456]

well what if you kept this going with burning yourself out etc and you got signed?

 

[stratotone]

My main band started slowing down, so I joined up with another one and between the two am decently busy (7 gigs this month, including a fairly lucrative new years gig).

I haven't had a real rehearsal with the main band for probably two years, and the other one is starting to gig enough that I think I can talk them out of most rehearsals except for maybe once or twice a month. Nothing makes a band tighter imho than gigs... a gig equals about 10 practices in my opinion. Screw up a song onstage, and it's burned in your soul.

I have a good time and enjoy the extra $, but every now and then it can grind you down. I had a thursday, friday, saturday in a row a few months ago that were all three different venues. By saturday at 4:30 am when I got home I was DEAD.

Pete