Flemtone Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Tim, I didn't realize you moved. I have family in your new hood. Yup, this past March. Tell your relatives that we're sorry we drove property values down. We didn't mean it, honestly.... Play. Just play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 There are millions of people around the world who'd love to have my problems... A healthy reminder for all of us. A bunch of loud, obnoxious music I USED to make with friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edro Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 The only thing I've purchased other than strings in the past year is a heavy walled chromed brass slide for the guitar. The fun I've had with that has made up for the lack of funds. My bass gear meets my needs at the moment and I haven't clicked on any new fish threads here, so GAS hasn't been a problem. The recording software has been used more lately, so that might make me a better musician, or just add to the frustration. Cruising the country roads around me is too wasteful and expensive with the truck, even though it is a little Ford Ranger. Growing up on a farm was good training for the times when the financial belt needs tightening. Been there done that before, so living a simpler way of life isn't a new or a difficult thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yourlord Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I don't want to whinge though. I don't have a war raging through my town, nor a cyclone flooding me out, nor an earthquake wrecking my house. There are millions of people around the world who'd love to have my problems... I live by a similar rule. No matter how bad it is, it could always be worse.. And, people 200 years ago would have been in heaven if they had my problems.. in the end, as long as i'm breathing, it's all good.. Feel free to visit my band's site Delusional Mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric VB Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Musically speaking I almost wrote a song about it. Almost. Michigan has been in recession longer than the nation as a whole. Boatloads of people have been packing up and leaving town as more and more jobs are eliminated here. Even in a metro area of over 4 million it's hard to find jobs for yet another 100,000 that get cut in one day. Add to that the trouble people got into when the housing bubble popped and you've got a whole bunch of people looking for a way to pay the bills. All those people moving out-of-state are looking to sell off stuff before they go. And those that are hard up are looking to sell stuff to pay the bills. Seems like there has been a lot of music gear up for sale lately, and as the desperation sets in the prices come down. I'm not one to smile on other people's misfortune, but I have been tempted by a lot of gear up for sale. Of course I'm not so well off myself to just snap up everything that catches my eye. A working baritone for $20 is a steal. But I have to ask myself what I would do with it. I could use it if I joined a community band, but do I have the time for that? (And can I afford the gas to go to rehearsals?) And because we're so spread out I have to add $10+ in gas money just to go pick up a deal. The baritone seemed like something that was kept in a closet for years, but I've seen a run of student band and orchestra instruments come up, too. Perhaps more than usual. So I imagine the school bands are seeing an increase in kids dropping out because, at some level, the parents can't afford it anymore. Lots of ads for guitar band equipment usually claim the gear was never or rarely used. Someone picked up something with the intention of learning and never got around to it. That happens all the time, but it seems like more people are coming to this realization right now when times are tough. Who can justify a hobby like that when you can sell the gear to put food on the table instead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Thorne Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 PS: I don't want to whine though. I don't have a war raging through my town, nor a cyclone flooding me out, nor an earthquake wrecking my house. There are millions of people around the world who'd love to have my problems... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warlock1016 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 It hasn't really affected me all that much. I'm still paying under 4 a gallon for regular, and having that Holy Grail of cover bands, AKA the House Band slot at a prominent club, helps take some of the sting out of things. Add in a lot of new places and shows coming up, and we seem to be doing well. That said, ALL gig money is going to the IRS for a while, do to a BRUTAL miscalculation on this years taxes. I WILL NOT GIVE UP MY NEW MARKBASS, so I gotta get money somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Warlock1016, Another reason to spend the money on a quality CPA for things as important as income tax return preparation. Find one: www.aicpa.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moot Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Warlock1016, Another reason to spend the money on a quality CPA for things as important as income tax return preparation. Find one: www.aicpa.org *sniff, sniffsniff* Do I smell a referral fee? "He is to music what Stevie Wonder is to photography." getz76 I have nothing nice to say so . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 *sniff, sniffsniff* Do I smell a referral fee? Negative. I don't do taxes, either. I have another CPA do mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenfxj Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Warlock1016, Another reason to spend the money on a quality CPA for things as important as income tax return preparation. Find one: www.aicpa.org Take his advice. I learned this lesson the hard way about 20 years ago. The check for the CPA is the best money I spend each year. Push the button Frank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamy ALB Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 PS: I don't want to whine though. I don't have a war raging through my town, nor a cyclone flooding me out, nor an earthquake wrecking my house. There are millions of people around the world who'd love to have my problems... I'll 3rd this!! http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Little-Bitter/185235472447 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Coffee is now up to $32 a gallon which makes it a lot more expensive to stay awake. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Coffee is now up to $32 a gallon which makes it a lot more expensive to stay awake. Yeah, but coffee is a necessity. You can always just walk instead of buying gasoline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 We had a regular public gig (once every 3 months). They're now not booking bands and only doing disco. Our agent is booking mainly solo entertainers/discos. We've had only four gigs so far this year. We have three more booked. I might have to start trolling pubs for low paid gigs as I think they're going to have to start doing more entertainment to get people out of their houses and spending money. There's plenty of money around, people just don't want to spend it at the moment. Feel the groove internally within your own creativity. - fingertalkin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Daddy from Motown Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 The economy here (Detroit) is in horrible shape. I've been working a ton 2 to 5 gigs a week. Go figure. Work at GM has been incredible this year 9 and 10 hours a day six days a week. The thing that kills me is that I make the same kind of money playing that I did 30 years ago. The rate hasn't gone up at all. That's a crime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1111000 Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 I haven't bought new gear in a long time, but I'm planning on getting a Tech 21 Bass Paradriver soon. I'm doing gobs of GarageBand recording now that I'm separated from my band due to my internship. It's funny hearing how I play WITHOUT their influence. Different, not better or worse. Speaking of which, does anyone have access to some downloadable drum beats, portable into GarageBand? Right now I'm just dicing-and-splicing what comes out of the box and running guitar effects on them to get interesting sounds to work with. Oh and I do have another Ric coming, so I guess THAT's certainly of economic significance. I don't think that factory is going anywhere, or at least I hope not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric VB Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Speaking of which, does anyone have access to some downloadable drum beats, portable into GarageBand? Right now I'm just dicing-and-splicing what comes out of the box and running guitar effects on them to get interesting sounds to work with.I always program my own drum beats, but I'm kind of lazy. Got my band to cover one of my songs and the drummer asks, "You want me to play it like the recording or the way a drummer would?" What, you don't have 7 arms and 5 legs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbn Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 having that Holy Grail of cover bands, AKA the House Band slot at a prominent club, helps take some of the sting out of things. Add in a lot of new places and shows coming up, and we seem to be doing well. Do you still have that Pub Fiction gig? Do you guys ever play the Baker St. Pub circuit? Oh yeah, while the gas price in Houston still sucks, it is still far lower than most of the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicklab Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 There's a number of things going on for me with the economy and music. GEAR: I NEEDED to make some changes in my current gear lineup. My amp gear was breaking my back and needed to get streamlined. Plus I needed an EUB that bowed better. And with that in mind, I've been trying to work things out as well as possible. I made a great trade of my EUB for the EUB that I wanted. I got together the gear that I'm not using as much and I'm trying to sell that off in order to fund any new gear purchases. It's taking a little longer than I'd like, but it's the right way for me to go right now. CARPOOLING: This one has been pretty good. Band rehearsals have almost always been at rehearsal studios. And the band is a little spread out geographically, but we've taken to carpooling in order to share some of the financial burden of transportation. MATERIAL: I think the whole political-economic climate is fertile ground for new song ideas. Turbulent times tend to lend to creativity and I've been putting some ideas together for some new material. Obligatory Social Media Link "My concern is, and I have to, uh, check with my accountant, that this might bump me into a higher, uh, tax..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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