My pain in the @$$ band has a gig Friday. - Updated - Thank you! Good night!!!!

[Tenstrum]

First one in a while. Local venue. Small. Hopefully we'll have a good turn out. I hope to have some people with camcorders show up so that I can get some footage.

BTW - if I do get some footage worth posting can anybody host it for me?

I'm just mainly hoping that we don't fall on our faces. The gigs going to be a little rough as it is since we orginally had 2 guitarist and have trimmed down to 1 (long story).

But wish me luck and break a leg! Or finger or wrist or whatever applies to a bass player...

[wraub]

Wish I could make it... even with the title of this thread. Actually, maybe moreso with the title.

Break the appropriate limb, but bring the rocque!

 

Peace,

 

wraub

[Tenstrum]

Thanks wraub. Do you live near Northeast TN or just wishing you could visit for the night of folly and torture that will happen on Friday?

[wraub]

Uhhh... The second one.

 

Peace,

 

wraub

[Tenstrum]

Wether we actually pull it off or go down in flames, it ought to be one hell of a show!

[Tom Capasso]

Best of luck !! Play well, be in control, and rock the house.

 

I also wish I could make it to see the flaming spectacle you describe. Like wraub, a bit too long a drive...

 

Tom

[Tenstrum]

Best of luck !! Play well, be in control, and rock the house.

 

I also wish I could make it to see the flaming spectacle you describe. Like wraub, a bit too long a drive...

 

Tom

Thanks Tom!

I don't know how in control we'll be, but we'll be playing "Control" by "Puddle of Mudd". I even get to sing a little back up on that one.

 

Hopefully, I'll have some video that I can share with my Lowdown brothers. Can anyone host?

 

Maybe one day, I'll make it to New York and we can hang out with some other New York Lowdowners...

[73 P Bass]

Have fun and let us know how it goes.

[Rick Hoffman]

Just doo eet!!!!

Have fune at the gig!!!!

Peace

[Tenstrum]

We we're supposed to go setup last night (headlining bands idea) and just be able to roll in tonight and play....

That got thrown out the window.

We get to the club and the headlining band isn't there (we've agreed to use their PA except monitors). They eventually call and say they aren't going to be able to make it. No problem. We can still setup our stuff and the monitors since we are actually bringing them.

We walk in and SUPRISE! The club has a guy booked to play that night and he is about to start.

We aren't going to start carrying our stuff in while somebody is playing. That's just damn rude! So we're like screw it! We'll just set up tomorrow like we we're going to do anyways. So that decided we head home...only the guitarists van breaks down and he has the equipment in it. So we spend 2 hours in the cold dark rain trying to get the van started. No go. We eventually call a tow truck.

So, now we have to haul the stuff in our cars. I have a GrandAm. I can barely fit my rig in it. Everyone else has smaller cars...

Sorry if I sound whiny, but this is typical (ie, one of the reasons why my band is a pain in the @$$).

So, baring the roof collasping in on us tonight, I'm hoping all the bad luck that is going to happen has already happened (knocking on wood).

So here's to playing live music! *cheers*

[Steve Force]

Tenstrum, if this wasn't so sad it would be funny!

 

Great memories for your "rocking chair days" ahead of you..

[EddiePlaysBass]

Tenstrum, look at it this way : at least you have some kick-ass "on the road" stories. I ain't never even performed live It's one of my NY resolutions though

[Tenstrum]

Thanks guys! I appreciate the words of encouragement and I'm starting to get very excited about the gig tonight. I'm just praying that it goes well!

 

Eddie, if you ever get the chance to play out live, you should jump on it.

I've been pretty fortunate in that aspect. Since the day I first picked up a bass, I've been playing out.

Nothing compares to the feeling of being in front of 2,000+ people (largest gig I've ever played) and them screaming their heads off because of your band!

[EddiePlaysBass]

Originally posted by Tenstrum:

Eddie, if you ever get the chance to play out live, you should jump on it.

Trust me when I say I really want to ... My worst decision was last summer, when I declined an offer to join this alternative band who were gonna perform all summer and needed a bass player fast. Music was easy too, but not my cup 'o' taste.

 

Instead, I went with a NU metalband. Turned out they had no work ethic whatsoever (I was once the only one showing up for a rehearsal, turned out it was cancelled without letting me know ), the music wasn't all that much better and all in all I wasted over 3 months on these idiots ...

 

And to think I could have been a rock star by now

[Tenstrum]

I get to the venue after work around 5. We get everything set up by 6:30. Plenty of time to go home, chill out, rest up and eat. At 8:30 I get a phone call from the drummer saying the headlining band wants us to start at 9:30...

Say again??? 9:30? While we were setting up, they said 10. The fliers say 10 and we told everyone 10. So I bust my hump getting over there. I had to burn 20 demos to give out, clean up, and not to mention get warmed up play. I manage to make it there right at 9:30 at which time I found out that we can wait and go on at 10...

So we go on at 10...

The place was packed!!!!!!!! Elbow to elbow!

Hardly any room to stand! We had a great show and totally rocked the place!!!

We finish our our long set, break down, and go mingle some. Everyone was coming up to us and saying how good we sounded and how tight the set was. There were several other bands there that are established in our area and they are wanting us to come and open up for them! Finally my band is starting to take off after 9 months of pain in the ass hard work!!! I was on Cloud 9!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Our singer called and quit the next day...

[zeronyne]

Originally posted by Tenstrum:

Our singer called and quit the next day..

Ugggh! Sorry to hear it! Any reason?

 

Keep the momentum going, though! The rest of you must be quite motivated. I know it's easier said than done, but snag another vocalist ASAP and get out there!

 

Good luck.

[Someone]

Turned out to be a great gig after all!? Good to here!

[EddiePlaysBass]

Originally posted by Tenstrum:

Our singer called and quit the next day...

Like the rest said: keep the fire burning, keep the momentum. You sing, if that's what it takes. Your singer probably decided that for him, it was becoming too big or something, but you guys have a shot here ...

 

So keep at it !

[Wonderdog]

Dude - not to try to top your story, but check out the year I've had with the band I'm in now. This is from the "it can ALWAYS be more frustrating" files...

 

I joined the band in March of 2004 to replace a fired bass player. These are all guys I've known through the years from the bar/music scene. This is a band that had been on a streak of gigging at least 3 weekends a month for the last 2 years. My gear was old, so I went right out and bought a new bass and rig for about $2000. I busted my hump to learn all the material so we could get playing again by April, which we did.

At this point I'm thinking WOW! How cool. I've walked in to a heavy duty working band with gigs lined up for the next six months in advance.

Right about June, our drummer starts cancelling gigs because a business he was starting was taking up a lot of his time on weekends. He proceeds to cancel more and more gigs until mid September - which infuriates our accounts. Then he finally drops the bomb that he is quitting to spend his time on the business. He tells us he'll play for 90 more days. Add to this - the PA is his.

We immediately put an ad out for drummers and I, being the only one financially solvent enough, go out and purchase an entire PA system for about $6000 (want a phenominal PA cheap? I can tell you what to get) so we can try to keep the band name out there and rebuild our accounts/reputation.

We start auditioning drummers by the beginning of October, and after about 9 tryouts we pick a drummer and start working toward the next gig. We have our first gig with the new drummer in mid November. The next day - he quits. He says we work too hard at the music and gigs. So we immediately start auditions again. After about 7 more tryouts we pick another drummer. We practice feverishly to prepare for our December dates.

We start a new account in December and have our first gig with the second new drummer. Things go excellent. We're not all that happy with the new guy's style and attack, but we think we can work with it.

As a bonus, the new bar gives us a quick December 23rd date and New Year's Eve to play because they really like our sound and interaction. They actually cancelled someone else to get us.

About this time, the old drummer - who we all desperately missed because he is an animal on drums and really drives the rythm, starts saying he wants back in. Being tired from trying to train new drummers and fight a prevalent lighter drum style, we bite and tell the original drummer he's back in and to get ready for New Year's Eve. The original drummer - to make up for lost time - starts booking us like mad. Within days he has us booked at 3 new clubs, and booked through April.

We let the 2nd new drummer go (a really cheesy thing to do, but we were very tired of fighting it) and play the 23rd and New Year's with the original dude.

Ready for this? The next day our singer quits. He says we're not concentrating enough on the music, and our shows are starting to be more like a circus/comedy act than a band. I had to admit - he was right, but it was a byproduct of all of us just being frustrated and tired.

We immediately put an ad out for singers, hoping to get ready without missing any gigs if possible. About a week later, right about the time we start getting calls for singer tryouts, the original singer calls and says he wants back in. After a long meeting to talk out commitments and direction, we are now back to our original lineup, and are booked solid through April.

So, after less than a year, after $8000 invested, and after spending 3 months scrambling to replace dudes who ended up right back in the band again, we are now right back where we started a year ago - except I now have $6000 worth of PA I never really needed to buy, and countless hours of frustrating auditions and frantic practicing under my belt.

All in all, when we're all together and playing music - it makes it all disturbingly worth it.

[moot]

Our singer called and quit the next day...

Okay. So, I gotta confess, I laughed my a*$ off.

No offense Tenstrum - I'm hoping you did the same thing.

I thought I was the only one with that kind of band carma.

 

Hang in there brother.

[Rick Hoffman]

'Strum I feel for you brother. If I lived closer I'd fill in on vocals until you found someone.

 

I know what its like to go out and buy gear for a band when you don't really need to...

 

Hang in there, tenstrum...congrats on the rave reviews, too. At least you're playing gigs, there's a band I'm with now and these guys are so unmotivated, playing the same 15 songs for 9 months I'm like come on now we're a cover band fer chrissake....

[Steve Force]

If this wasn't so sad (and sooo typical) it would be funny...

 

Thanks for sharing.

[Tenstrum]

It's actually funny and sad at the same time. No offense taken. Just my typical luck.

I've been trying to get a hold of the singer to see if he might want to do one more gig in a couple of weeks, but so far he hasn't called me back. Guess that's a big no.

Seems like everyone wants to go their seperate ways. I don't think I'd want any else singing for this band at any rate. Guess I'll find another band or go pickup the upright again and start playing bluegrass with my dad.

[Tenstrum]

Well it's official...

We are broken up and over with.

At this point, I'm pretty bitter over the fact that 10 months of hard work just got flushed down the drain.

PEOPLE SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!

[EddiePlaysBass]

Hey, it's only 10 months man. My dad's ex-cover band spent three, maybe four years gigging every weekend. They had a HUGE following (for a covers band anyway) and some people even thought that Radar Love was an original tune

 

Band broke up because the drummer found that my dad was blocking the audience's view of him. My dad sarcastically suggested that the drum kit be placed up front, and he'd stand behind it and sing from there. I think the drummer actually considered it ...

 

It's such a shame, cos when they had a good night, they simply had a GREAT night. Know what I mean?

[Connie Z]

Originally posted by Tenstrum:

Well it's official...

We are broken up and over with.

At this point, I'm pretty bitter over the fact that 10 months of hard work just got flushed down the drain.

PEOPLE SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!

People do suck! Well... at least the people in your pain in the @$$ band!

 

So... here is my suggestion... do not consider the last 10 months a waste of time, consider it as a 10 month investment of time and effort and money into learning how to create a band which ended up playing to 2000 people and really rocking in a very successful way!!!

 

Now take that knowledge and create another band with more stable players.

 

Rock On Tenstrum! Congratulations on the great gig, and sorry for the breakup.

 

Any photos from the big night?

 

... Connie

[Tenstrum]

Yeah, I've got some photos and I'm trying to get a copy of some video footage taken that night. Plus, I may even post some MP3s of our orginal material. Might as well share since it doesn't matter anymore.

 

You all just don't understand...(well maybe you do). I had such high hopes. This music was some of the best stuff I've ever played.

Oh well...

Gone with the wind...

[moot]

I understand dude. I put in 7 years with a guy that could write songs that were so good, I was convinced that we were going to the top. For 7 years I would carry him financially, ignore the drug use and alcoholism, work my ass off to book great gigs - hey I even employed him for 3 of those years even though I had to go and get him out of bed to make sure he would show UP! Just when we started doing big festivals and opening for bands like Elvin Bishop, the guy self destructs and decides to "Lay off for awhile."

That's why I laughed bud. Ten monthes aint that bad.

[musicfiend]

We've all got our story's. My main band for the past 2 years just called a quits. SInger plays a bad show and decides to leave the band(a lot more to it tho). Then the drummer decides he wants to play guitar. So now we're trying to find a drummer and singer while teaching the frummer geetar parts. NExt thing I know our geetarist decides he'd be happier in another band while our drummer is out auditioning for bands. I meanwhile have been putting in all of my time(not just freetime) and effort in making it work and now I'm out looking for bands or musicians. That's where my dedication and loyalty got me. I guess nice guys finish last.

[EddiePlaysBass]

Originally posted by musicfiend:

I guess nice guys finish last.

My previous signature line was "No good deed ever goes unpunished" and I still stand by it.