Members Chordchunker Posted May 28, 2012 Members Share Posted May 28, 2012 It`s been a busy-assed summer so far for the chordchunker. I played 6 hours fri, 6 hours sat, and just got done with a 4 hour gig all as a duo (fiddle/guitar) and I feel like I just roofed a house or built a stone wall..lol. Could be I`m getting older, but my Dad was wrong..Playing music feels like and tires me out just like "Real" work.. The gigs I play aren`t glorious or special, but they pay the bills and I have always told myself I would rather grind it out playing music that any thing else I can think of. Carry on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Opa John Posted May 28, 2012 Members Share Posted May 28, 2012 The only gigs I've ever done were non-paying bar gigs strictly for the fun of it, but some of those went on for hours. It was a one-time per week thing, so it's not like it wore me out. I can't imagine doing it on a regular basis, nor would I even want to. When there's money involved, there's also pressure involved. Don't need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluzboy Posted May 28, 2012 Members Share Posted May 28, 2012 It`s been a busy-assed summer so far for the chordchunker. I played 6 hours fri, 6 hours sat, and just got done with a 4 hour gig Are you playing rave parties? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordchunker Posted May 28, 2012 Author Members Share Posted May 28, 2012 lol @ "raves". Naw I live in a tourist town and play restaurants/bars/city functions/weddings/etc. On the weekends It`s usually 2 gigs a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted May 28, 2012 Members Share Posted May 28, 2012 I'm with you Chordchunker...Some don't get it as "work". Thank God my wife gets it though. I'm not complaining because I play for a living, but it gets old occasionally. I normally do about 15 a month in the summer. Some of those are 2 a days too. This week alone I play Wed-Sun and then turn around and have 2 days off and do Wed-Sun again. Those 6 hour gigs are something I would not touch unless I was making CRAZY money though. My voice would never hold up. I don't know if my fingers would either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chicken Monkey Posted May 28, 2012 Members Share Posted May 28, 2012 I still love the performing and playing part, but we're getting out enough that the booking, schmoozing, setup/teardown, commuting, etc. is starting to be a drag. And I'm not anywhere near doing it for a living! I don't think I'm cut out to be a full-timer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted May 28, 2012 Members Share Posted May 28, 2012 I used to be a freelance porn star. Try that for 6 hours straight, two days in a row, and you'll come running back to your guitars real quick! Do the porn producers rent the livestock or do they own them outright? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Opa John Posted May 28, 2012 Members Share Posted May 28, 2012 Do the porn producers rent the livestock or do they own them outright? No livestock involved Terry. We didn't do any "Texas" style porn. We just figured you already had that market cornered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted May 28, 2012 Members Share Posted May 28, 2012 No livestock involved Terry. We didn't do any "Texas" style porn. We just figured you already had that market cornered. Oh, snap! Actually, I understand those are a subsidy of Disney... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members totamus Posted May 28, 2012 Members Share Posted May 28, 2012 I remember my Dad saying that Musicians are only good for drinking, screwing, and playing music. After that, I knew right away what I wanted to be.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted May 28, 2012 Members Share Posted May 28, 2012 I remember my Dad saying that Musicians are only good for drinking, screwing, and playing music. After that, I knew right away what I wanted to be.... Your dad was wise...otoh, after I was diagnosed w/ diabetes II, I decided I'd just concentrate on the last two... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members benzem Posted May 28, 2012 Members Share Posted May 28, 2012 Thw "work" for me is in the prep mostly. Dealing with bandmates, schedules, practice, arguing, bickering, .....sorry, ok back on track, moving gear, setting up gear, breaking down tons of gear, booking, promoting..... An old bandmate used to tell the band that we got paid to set up/tear down and had to play for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hudman Posted May 28, 2012 Members Share Posted May 28, 2012 I played in band for a few years many moons ago. It was a lot of work. Coaching travel baseball has the same effect on me at times. We played a tournament this weekend that kicked my ass. I am still exhausted today. It's a pressure cooker on many levels. It's also a lot of fun. We will end up playing 50+ games this summer. We already played 10 and May isn't over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted May 28, 2012 Members Share Posted May 28, 2012 I made a conscious decision to keep my music as a hobby many moons ago. I've played with a lot of bored pro musicians that have lost the love for it and I want to keep my work and passion separate. Plus I make a lot more money this way. It may have been different if I was better at music or better looking, but I like it this way. I find gigging exhausting as anything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Neal Posted May 28, 2012 Members Share Posted May 28, 2012 I cannot say anything but this: you that do music for your main gig have my admiration and respect. I'm 55 and just getting started, but unless the unbelievable happens, it'll only be part-time, I make way more in less time selling Little Debbie cakes in the hood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fastblueheeler Posted May 28, 2012 Members Share Posted May 28, 2012 No livestock involved Terry. We didn't do any "Texas" style porn. We just figured you already had that market cornered. I'm not a native Texan so I can laugh my ass off at this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted May 29, 2012 Members Share Posted May 29, 2012 We will end up playing 50+ games this summer. We already played 10 and May isn't over. Wow! That's a ton of games! We did travel girls soccer for two years with my daughter and we didn't come close to that number. It was grueling though and we did about 1/2 of what your kids are doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hudman Posted May 29, 2012 Members Share Posted May 29, 2012 Wow! That's a ton of games! We did travel girls soccer for two years with my daughter and we didn't come close to that number. It was grueling though and we did about 1/2 of what your kids are doing. Yeah, it's a lot of baseball and that doesn't include the preseason work. We started our preseason work outs on Jan. 13th (indoors - we are in Michigan). We trained 2 days per week until late March. We bumped it up to 3-4 times per week when the weather broke (we were able to get outside). In mid April we started going 4-5 days per week and played a few scrimmage games. Our season started on May 5th. The 50+ games includes 16 league games, 24-30 tournament games and 12-16 "fall ball" games. I don't know why they call it fall ball when it starts in the beginning of August and ends mid September. My son loves the game. He would play year round, 7 days per week if he could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted May 29, 2012 Members Share Posted May 29, 2012 Way back when I was an art student and when I took nude figure drawing I thought I'd found my life's calling. It turns out there's not much demand for drawing people naked and those who are willing to pose aren't really worth drawing and will likely only lead to trouble. Seriously though, I thought I could eke out a living do any kind of graphics work but I soon found out that the field was highly competitive and clients had very little appreciation for the effort it involved when you had to put their half-baked get rich quick schemes into a glitzy yet psychologically leading package. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted May 29, 2012 Members Share Posted May 29, 2012 Seriously though, I thought I could eke out a living do any kind of graphics work but I soon found out that the field was highly competitive and clients had very little appreciation for the effort it involved... Same here...sucks. I know I cant play full-time gigs forever. I'm 43 and healthy but still. I actually start summer classes tomorrow on my return 1 year trip to college to get my Bachelor's Degree. This will be a good year though at my age. I'll be gigging and going to school FT. Remind me of that when I start complaining in December about gigs and school Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members herbie d Posted May 29, 2012 Members Share Posted May 29, 2012 I don't think I ever feel like I roofed a house or built a stone wall. Sometimes my fingers get sore, (esp since I don't play electric much these days) and like I've seen in other posts... sometimes the load in or load out is kind of brutal, but that part is never for 8 hours.Music is def low pay. The gigs them selves don't usually pay too bad, but its hard to get enough in a row to make enough to make ends meet. Then folks think... gosh you play a gig for 4 hours in the evenings... that's not so bad, you could easily work a day job along with that. What most don't realize is I (like most) usually show up to a gig at least two hours before, to set-up, sound check, change cloths, and what not. Then when every one goes home, I load-out. I spend alot of time hunting down gigs,(alot of times this involves out of town trips.) Maintenence on the truck and equipment, and practice. I really try for at least two hours per day, and like six per day of practice.All added up, what Venues are willing to pay, its hard. That part for me makes it almost like nailing a roof on a house. Roofing pays better, and I bet a roofer doesn't eat as much peanut butter as I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordchunker Posted May 29, 2012 Author Members Share Posted May 29, 2012 When my gigs were mostly blues/jazz it wasn`t as hard. Playing high octane bluegrass with a very hot fiddle player gets tiring. Every song is break-neck speed/balls out. After 6 hours of that I`m whooped.. I was a stonemason for 25+ years and used to work out in the sun all day and do gigs at night..Never seemed to bother me. Maybe I`m just getting old...Not "Opa Old", but still feeling it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wkendhacker Posted May 29, 2012 Members Share Posted May 29, 2012 I have 10 gigs with my band in June, 3 acoustic shows with just my bass player, and it's not my real job. I am a LOT more exhausted after a night of playing than i ever am after a day at the real job...Oh, i forgot to mention those 13 gigs are during 3 calendar weeks. I also have a weeks vacation coming june 10th... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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