different versions of the same band?

[jeff42]

WAY TOO LONG OF A STORY MADE KIND OF SHORT... We were a trio for about year and a half, became a 4 piece for about 2 years then became a trio again. Our schedule has never changed though... Steady 4-6 shows per month.

 

Recently we have been looking for a 4th member again to Level up out of the bars. Something that seems a lot harder to do as a trio. We have been searching since early August for a 2nd guitar player or keyboard player who can sing a bit. Our 4th member prospects are not good... or at least not good enough.

 

We looked at our current schedule, the current status of "prospects" for the 4th member position and what we want to do for 2017. We came up with a few things:

 

Right now our show as a trio is pretty damn tight and we tightened it up even more last night. I'd say 95% of our show is now in medley format. All dance music and great crowd pleasing stuff. Lots of killer little filler.

 

So after hearing from a few musicians and bar owners we know and trust over the last few weeks that have asked "why do you need a #4?" Our answer ended up being... I guess we don't... At least not for every gig we play.

 

We play some smaller rooms and some places where the crowd comes, they drink and they listen more than they bump and grind, jump around and so on. Some places we play don't even have much of a dance floor honestly... some do but some don't.

 

With the trio IMO we have hit our limit in terms of the quality of the room and the pay. Even though we have some good paying private jobs on our schedule they are there because they know us. Everything else is the usual rooms that we have played before and will play again.

 

So our new idea is to find a part time guy (guitar player or keyboard player who can sing a little) who we will use just for the bigger gigs. Some of the better players that expressed interest backed out when they saw our schedule so we plan to contact them again.

 

We will give anyone who books us a choice & Our promotional stuff video/fb & website, EPK and so on will need to reflect this as concisely as possible.

 

It will show of all 3 versions of the band. The full band is X amount, the trio is X amount.

 

Another band from near by does something similar to this already. Their smaller bar gig are done as a trio and their bigger gigs are done with an added female keyboard player/ singer.

 

No idea if this will work but adding a 4th guy for all our gigs right now isn't working and isn't worth it.

 

what do you guys think?

 

Anyone doing this already?

 

[dan88z]

A lot of bands that do the private gig/ wedding type circuit do that. Personally it's not for me, I use the same lineup, but we are a 4 piece plus a singer. If someone said get a horn section and 2 more vocalists and we'll pay you $xxxx, I'd say no thanks. The extra work needed to track down and rehearse those members and have the show as tight as it is with the basic lineup isn't worth it to me.

[ski219]

It makes sense to me. It would also be attractive to me as I play in a band that I really like that gig's 2-3 times per month and I would like to add the occasional gig here and there. I am sure there are players in a similar situation near you.

[daddymack]

I'm still trying to figure out "It will show of all 3 versions of the band. The full band is X amount, the trio is X amount." Where is the third version?

 

I do occasional 'fourth man' gigs for other bands, mainly blues bands, but some classic rock and alt country, too.

 

[Shaster]

I probably know a dozen bands that do this, actually almost all the bands I know do this. They can go from a duo to a quartet or more depending on the gig. Granted most of these are bands where the lead singer is the leader, but I know of some cooperative bands that do this as well.

 

I've mentioned previously that I work with a singer, who will use just me, or add a keyboard player, add drums, add a bass player and will have our two horn players come in for the bigger gigs. On really big shows the singer brings in two or three more horns, and sometimes adds female BG's.

 

I find that a sax player is your best bang for the buck. They also don't need to know the tune inside out - just give them a set list with the keys and tell them when to solo. If they catch a few horn lines or play some tambourine (in time), even better. I know sax players that float from gig to gig. One week they're at a tiny restaurant, the next they're playing a large festival. Hired guns so to speak.

 

BTW back when I was doing the top forty circuit, there was a trio that did very well. All of them were incredible singers, and a couple were very funny. They would make the same money as five and six piece bands because their product was so good, and well presented. If they did a convention they would sometimes add one of the top female singers in town, to round out the show. Even back then, one of the guys did a single act, another did jingles and BG's for "big time" recordings ,and the other had an original Country band.

 

So yes, scale up, scale down. It's the wave of the present.

[Monsoon]

Most of the bands I see doing this are bands that are bands first, and the singer and one other member branch out and book the smaller acoustic gigs.

 

The challenge I see for you would be if it is as much work as you say (learning a whole night of uniquely arrangement medleys) that sounds like a lot of work to get up to speed on (for the new person) and stay tight with (for all of you) if the new person isn't going to be playing much. Then again, if that person only wants to gig once a month then that works out.

[sventvkg]

WAY TOO LONG OF A STORY MADE KIND OF SHORT... We were a trio for about year and a half, became a 4 piece for about 2 years then became a trio again. Our schedule has never changed though... Steady 4-6 shows per month.

 

Recently we have been looking for a 4th member again to Level up out of the bars. Something that seems a lot harder to do as a trio. We have been searching since early August for a 2nd guitar player or keyboard player who can sing a bit. Our 4th member prospects are not good... or at least not good enough.

 

We looked at our current schedule, the current status of "prospects" for the 4th member position and what we want to do for 2017. We came up with a few things:

 

Right now our show as a trio is pretty damn tight and we tightened it up even more last night. I'd say 95% of our show is now in medley format. All dance music and great crowd pleasing stuff. Lots of killer little filler.

 

So after hearing from a few musicians and bar owners we know and trust over the last few weeks that have asked "why do you need a #4?" Our answer ended up being... I guess we don't... At least not for every gig we play.

 

We play some smaller rooms and some places where the crowd comes, they drink and they listen more than they bump and grind, jump around and so on. Some places we play don't even have much of a dance floor honestly... some do but some don't.

 

With the trio IMO we have hit our limit in terms of the quality of the room and the pay. Even though we have some good paying private jobs on our schedule they are there because they know us. Everything else is the usual rooms that we have played before and will play again.

 

So our new idea is to find a part time guy (guitar player or keyboard player who can sing a little) who we will use just for the bigger gigs. Some of the better players that expressed interest backed out when they saw our schedule so we plan to contact them again.

 

We will give anyone who books us a choice & Our promotional stuff video/fb & website, EPK and so on will need to reflect this as concisely as possible.

 

It will show of all 3 versions of the band. The full band is X amount, the trio is X amount.

 

Another band from near by does something similar to this already. Their smaller bar gig are done as a trio and their bigger gigs are done with an added female keyboard player/ singer.

 

No idea if this will work but adding a 4th guy for all our gigs right now isn't working and isn't worth it.

 

what do you guys think?

 

Anyone doing this already?

 

My main property The Soundtrack is a multi-format band. It's a 5-7 piece Variety, Wedding and a Acoustic Trio W/Tracks format. Additionally we are developing a 90's version, 80's and modern Country. These properties should be developed and ready to gig in the next year so this time next year we should have 6 different distinct versions. Now, we have several players for each position so we can have a few bands playing simultaneously if need be but what you are proposing is definitely feasible and will make you more flexible.

 

That said the member you need is a Female Vocalist Not only because there are so many female sung pop hits in the last 20 years as well as currently, it also opens you up to high male tunes like Journey etc that most guys can't sing. EVERY band in my Central FL Scene at least corporate/top40 has at least one female singer. I have 3. I'd consider going that rout personally as you probably have everything covered musically that you need to. If you need a fuller sound, I'd go with some tracks to thicken it up and play to a click. Good luck!

[Pat'sStrat]

When I had my 7 piece horn band we offered the full deal, or a 4 piece without the horns (Guit/bass/drums/keys) or a 5 piece with just one sax added, or a trio....it got tricky with the arrangements sometimes, and the trio pretty much played a different set list. We seldom booked it less than te whole band, as the horn section was a big draw and the three extra bodies would gain us nearly double what we got without them.

[Outkaster]

I could never go less than my 6 people because of the way the music is arranged, plus it's too specific. There is a band called the Swooners in town that does the multi-line up thing but I don't think it's consistent.

[jeff42]

I'm still trying to figure out "It will show of all 3 versions of the band. The full band is X amount, the trio is X amount." Where is the third version?

 

I wouldn't think to hard on this, just a mistake but we have in the past also performed as an acoustic act. LOL

 

We did 2 weddings over the weekend. Both were originally booked when we were a 4 man band. No one questioned where #4 was. Both couples tipped us at the end of the night and we got some more work out of it. Including from the catering hall. So I think we did pretty well.

 

Our next move what ever it is needs to be good... female vocalist/ keyboard player is an option. Again we would have to find the right one though.

[onelife]

I've been playing in a trio - guitar, bass and drums, for the last ten years. The drummer and the bass player are the singers. Sometimes we play with a piano player, sometimes we add horns and, on occasion, we will bring in a drummer and our regular drummer/singer goes out front (sometimes with an acoustic guitar).

 

I prefer the tightness of the three piece but I enjoy all permutations of the group - the horns definitely add a lot.

[SpaceNorman]

One of my projects started as a 5 piece ... that added a three piece horn section when the money made it possible. When we were first integrating the horns - we made the conscious decision to bring in the horns for ALL gigs for a little while as we got them up to speed. We ended up having so much more fun playing with the horns that we ultimately said screw it - the horns are a permanent part of our act - even if it means the money gets spread stooped thin. At my age - playing just ain't about the money any more. We're competent as a 5 piece ... but we're on a whole 'nother level with the horns on board.​

[jeff42]

Figure I would give everyone an update. We found our 4th guy and yes he will only be used for bigger gigs like weddings, casinos, nightclubs, corp gigs, and private parties. He was the guitar player/ singer in our bassist's former band. He is filling in on bass right now as our bassist is recovering from surgery. So last week I asked him if he wanted to join. He accepted and as soon as our bassist is back on his feet Mr. Sub will switch to 2nd guitar for our bigger gigs. Looks like we have 1 every month for the 1st half of 2017. Now got to bang out a new EPK /demo.