If you were young and starting over would you join a band? Would you play in bars?

[KuruPrionz]

On 3/25/2023 at 7:46 AM, Anderton said:

I like gigs where you can play without a safety net, but they're few and far between these days. My favorite gigs were with Dr. Walker over in Germany, and being a techno guitarist in an electronic band. A MIDI cable went from his MPC to my AdrenaLinn. That, a POD, and a vocoder (drumcoder, actually), and I was set

 

The first time I showed up I asked about rehearsal. Walker looked at me and said "We don't rehearse." Basically, we all went into a big mixer, and played all the time. He brought up your fader if he liked what you were doing. I knew I'd arrived when he stopped working my fader because I had learned what he wanted, and when.

 

Because the gigs were improvisational, some nights were transcendant, and some were train wrecks. But he had a Gratefu Dead-like audience that came to all the gigs because they never knew when they were going to witness that super-amazing gig. And as a player, there was nothing quite like playing for 4,000 Germans whacked out on ecstasy

 

Those were the days...

 

 

 

10 hours ago, KenElevenShadows said:

That sounds like such a fantastic experience.

The story of my life, in a different setting. 

Over 20 years ago, I started playing with a bandleader/lead singer/talented guitarist who probably knew several thousand songs. We did a few practices at the beginning of my tenure and then I played mostly guitar and often bass for the next 9 years without a set list. So many songs I'd never heard before, many more I'd never played before. I had to play them on the spot. I got good at coming up with something that worked, it usually wasn't part of the original recording but there's nothing to be done about that. 

My take-away? 

 

If there is a groove that people can dance to, they like you.

If the chorus is sung clearly so those in the audience who are familiar can sing along, they like you. 

If you take requests and just jump right in, they like you - I'll never forget one night a gentleman (can I say "the coke dealer"?) came up and requested Madonna. 

Roger fired up Lucky Star instantly, he'd watched the video enough times to more or less get it going. We all jumped in and played it, the "gentleman" (who was sporting a very attractive lady on his arm) came up and put $100 tip in our jar. 

 

We played that song on and off for the duration of my time in the band and eventually we had all our parts down, such as they were. I never once listened to the original song during that time.  

 

I see so many musicians get snarled up in trying to sound "just like the record" and it turns out it does not matter in the slightest. Reality rears it's ugly little head!!!! 😇

 

This was confirmed when I moved up to Bellingham and was hired to play with the Motown Cruisers. 2 male lead singers, keyboards and vocals, bass, drums and me on guitar and vocals. At our first practice the keyboard player gave me a set/chart book for all the songs in 4 sets, already organized in the order the band played them. 

He told me that there was no possible way for 4 musicians and 2 singers to duplicate records that had horn sections, choirs, orchestras, congas, 2 keyboard players etc. and to just try to play the signature licks and then do what I do. And that's what I did for a couple of years. We packed dance floors everywhere we went with people singing along and shaking' their booties. 

 

"Authenticity" is not the be-all-end-all that some musicians would have you believe. 

[KenElevenShadows]

Since I didn't play in cover bands, we did cover songs as if we had written them ourselves. Very different situation, of course, but why not? 

[KuruPrionz]

1 minute ago, KenElevenShadows said:

Since I didn't play in cover bands, we did cover songs as if we had written them ourselves. Very different situation, of course, but why not? 

I've been in originals bands that did that. I brought in a reggae version of My Girl one time and after we learned it the audience seemed to love it. 

I did keep the signature lick but it's really easy. 

[Notes_Norton]

Because I make my own backing tracks for my duo, I can do the backgrounds close-enough to the record to satisfy any picky person in the audience. And by having the backing tracks familiar, if we do some different interpretations of the vocals (within limits) nobody seems to mind. Also, I can do my own arrangement, get to the hook faster, leave room for an improvised solo of my own, or whatever.

 

Sure, you don't have to do them 'like the record' but for some songs that's the best way. I coldn't imagine doing The Temptations any better way than the famous recording.

 

Some songs we intentionally play close to the famous recording, because we actually like it that way. Others we drift in our own direction, and yet others we take entirely different, like doing a light rock as a reggae song or something else.

 

It all depends on the song and what we think the audience will like. And with decades of experience in front of the audience, I get it right more than I miss it.

 

Since we are gigging 20 times this month, and charging a bit more than our competition, it's obviously working.

 

For most of the songs, we keep in mind that we are playing memories.

 

IMO there is nothing wrong with doing a cover. When I was in school, I learned by doing covers by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, and others. I was first sax in the all-state band every year I was in school by doing covers. After that, I toured the country, met a lot of fine young women, and made a living doing covers, back before DJs took over the singles bar duties.

 

I like doing covers and I like doing re-interpretations. And I'm lucky enough to make a living doing both.

 

There is more than one right way to play music for a living, and this way works for me.

 

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

[pinkfloydcramer]

I would play in bands

I would play for fans

I would play for tips

I would play on ships

I would play in bars 

I would play in cars

I would even play guitars

 

More drivel by pinkfloydcramer

[KenElevenShadows]

Could you, would you, with a goat?
Would you, could you, on a boat?

 

I would play, would play with a goat

I would play, would play, on a boat

I would play in the park

I would play in the dark

 

It is so fun, so fun, you say

Playing for peanuts and an IPA

It is so fun, so fun, oh my

Until my job is taken by AI!

[Lou Gehrig Charles]

Dr. Seuss says, no more drinks for you!

[pinkfloydcramer]

I would play on sunny beaches

I would play for star-bellied sneeches

I would play for pirates on boats

I would play all of Mr. Norton's notes

I would play while I walked the plank

I would play 'til I robbed a bank

[Notes_Norton]

I'd play my sax

I'd play my flute

And if I knew how

I'd play the lute

 

I'd play on the stand with any good band

I'd play on the beach, with feet in the sand

 

I've played for the young,

I've played for the old,

And all these years later

It hasn't gotten old

 

To answer your question

It's a resounding "Yes"

And when I'm on stage

I will play my best.

 

[cphollis]

Courtesy of Google's new Bard LLM AI:

----------

I love to play music live,

It's so much fun to hear the crowd cheer.

I love to see the smiles on their faces,

And the way they dance and sing along.

 

I love to play music live,

It's a feeling like no other.

It's like I'm on top of the world,

And I can do anything.

 

I love to play music live, It's my passion and my dream.

I love to make people happy,

And I love to make them feel alive.

 

So if you're ever feeling down,

Come to a show and see me play.

I'll make you smile and sing along,

And I'll help you forget your troubles.

[Jeff Leites]

I asked Microsoft Bing AI chat to write a haiku about performing live music:

 

"On stage, lights shining Melodies flow through the air Audience entranced"

[Anderton]

2 hours ago, Jeff Leites said:

I asked Microsoft Bing AI chat to write a haiku about performing live music:

 

"On stage, lights shining Melodies flow through the air Audience entranced"

 

I like that!

[KuruPrionz]

"Well, we got no class
And we got no principals (ooh)
And we got no intelligence
We can't even think of a word that rhymes"

[pinkfloydcramer]

“We’re not a real band! We don’t even have microphones!!”

[Nowarezman]

Love all these stories  - I've been mainly a singer-songwriter type, so it's coffeehouses and similar lo-key venues that I like.  I discovered that I had the ability to chat up the crowd a bit between songs and make them laugh - does wonders to offset stage nerves.  

 

I was in a couple of bands in the 70s, did some bar gigs, wedding gigs. Just found those kinds of gigs depressing.  And I've got no patience for drunk idiots creating havoc in the crowd.  After I wrote enough decent songs to do the singer-songwriter thing, I never went back to the bar circuit.  

 

But I have to admit - if I could have played B-3 in a really good funk/blues/jazz band, I think I would have played in any nuthouse, regardless.  But I could never afford the B-3 in the days before kids and a settled life with a different career.  

 

Now I'm hoping for some type of second career in music now that I've retired from the day job.  Not looking for glory, just some fun and the chance to get creative with a few other folks in the quieter sorts of venues.

 

nat

 

[Notes_Norton]

When I was young, I played in bars that young people played in.

 

Sure, there were jerks out there, but there were also pretty females who seemed to think being a musician was glamorous. You take the good with the bad.

 

Most of the time, the dance floor was full of people enjoying the music, the girls who are attracted to musicians smiling at you, and you and your buddies having fun playing music. The jerks just occasionally interrupted the fun.

 

In those days, I stayed away from playing Country music. The Country bars were notoriously rough places. Fights were too common. But that was years ago, things might have changed.

 

Now I play for middle-aged and older audiences. No more fights, a jerk in the audience is a rarity, and no more young women making eyes at me. That's OK, because Mrs. Notes is a fine musician, a great singer, and extremely good-looking. She goes home with me every night. And I'm still on stage having fun with my very best friend.

 

What's not to love about that?

 

IMO, a bad day playing music is still better than doing any other job I can think of.

 

 

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

 

[pinkfloydcramer]

On 3/29/2023 at 9:18 AM, Jeff Leites said:

I asked Microsoft Bing AI chat to write a haiku about performing live music:

 

"On stage, lights shining Melodies flow through the air Audience entranced"

 

I liked it also, until I thought about and realized the chat bot was most likely talking about AI generated melodies. It's also likely that the next line would have something to the effect of "Bing AI got it goin' on!" 

[zeronyne]

I asked this of ChatGPT:
Should people who are just starting in modern music now join bands and play in bars, or will they have more of a chance of success with content creation and social media marketing?
 

Both playing in bands and creating content and social media marketing can be effective strategies for success in modern music, and the right approach will depend on the individual's goals, skills, and interests.

 

Joining a band and playing in bars can be a great way to gain experience performing live and developing your skills as a musician. It can also help you to build a local following and network with other musicians in your area. However, it may take some time before you start to see significant success, and the competition can be tough.

On the other hand, creating content and social media marketing can offer a more direct path to building a fan base and getting your music out there. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram can provide a way to reach a large audience and build a following without necessarily needing to perform live. However, creating engaging and high-quality content can be time-consuming and requires a certain level of creativity and marketing savvy.

 

Ultimately, the best approach may be a combination of both strategies. Playing live shows can help you connect with fans and build a local following, while creating content and social media marketing can help you to reach a wider audience and build a national or international fan base.
______________

Before commenting on this, keep in mind that ChatGPT is very very beta and has no inputs past 2020. It's probably why the answer is so generic.

[Nowarezman]

Yeah, I've played around with ChatGPT and I feel like I'm trying unsuccessfully to engage on a deep level with a corporate spokesperson.

 

nat

 

[Notes_Norton]

For ChatGPT, what is success?

 

For any musician, what is success?

 

I was almost famous once, rubbed shoulders with and played with the top stars of the day. But our record deal broke down over money. Basically, the label wanted all the profits and they wanted all expenses to come out of our royalties.

 

I never got to be famous, even though I am better than many who did become famous (and not as good as others). So is being famous the only measure of success?

 

How about this, I've made my living for most of my life doing music and nothing but music. The two 'real jobs' I had were experiments to find out what normal was, and I didn't like either experiment. During this time I gigged weekends and felt more at home than in the electronics wage-slave day-jobs.

 

I am of retirement age, my house is paid off, and although I do not lead a luxurious life by any stretch of the imagination, I'm also not in debt. I've played in bars, restaurants, concert halls, cruise ships, private parties, corporate gigs, nudist camps, retirement developments, show clubs, and just about any other venue a musician can gig in from Miami Florida to the People's Republic of China. My job is so much fun, I have no intention of retiring as long as I'm healthy and can pull a crowd.

 

Although I don't have luxuries, I have what I need and I'm living a happy life, on my own terms, doing what I love to do, and making a living doing so.

 

Is that success?

 

Not the success I imagined when I was trying to make “the big time”, but looking back at all my experiences and how happy my life has been so far, I'd call it a success. It's certainly not failure.

 

I think some musicians count success as being as famous as the Beatles. But I think there is more than one way to be a success.

 

A chef might open a small restaurant, and make a living doing what he/she loves to do, but isn't as famous as Café Du Monde or the Saint Elmo Steak House, but he/she is happy doing what he/she is doing. Is the small, thriving restaurant a failure? Or a success?

 

A musician might make a stress-free life playing music and having fun doing so, but never get to be famous. Failure or success?

 

In any industry, perhaps 1% will make it to the top. Does that mean only 1% are successes, and the rest are failures?

 

The old saying is: If  you make a living doing what you would do for free, you will never work a day in your life. That sounds like success to me.

 

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

[Jeff Leites]

20 hours ago, pinkfloydcramer said:

I asked Microsoft Bing AI chat to write a haiku about performing live music:

 

"On stage, lights shining Melodies flow through the air Audience entranced"

 

I liked it also, until I thought about and realized the chat bot was most likely talking about AI generated melodies. It's also likely that the next line would have something to the effect of "Bing AI got it goin' on!" 

 

There can't be another line added.  It would violate the rules of haiku, but we could change "Melodies" to "Groovy tunes" and still have the correct syllable count" .  😁🤓