Members Loobs Posted July 24, 2011 Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 So MHDH isn't really doing anything these days. Bassist became a father and is consumed with that, drummer moved out of town. I was losing interest in it too and wanted to play some different stuff, but the question is how do I find the players? I wanna play noisy angular mathy jazzy stuff...I guess Sonic Youth meets Tortoise meets Nels Cline meets John Zorn meets King Crimson. I have a ton of ideas and stuff written but finding a really good drummer/bassist/saxophonist into that kinda stuff seems nigh on impossible. I know it's niche stuff and even the majority of musicians don't wanna do it (it seems) but there must be people out there. It seems the better players all want to do paid gigs and aren't interested in slogging around toilet venues like indie bands or whatever. Not sure what to do. I'm pissed off that I haven't gigged since February. I wanna do more with my playing. It's eating me up. Things with my previous band were going really well for a while but in the end life seemed to get in the way and inspiration seemed to dry up. I don't wanna sound snobby but there were often times where I didn't feel that (especially) our drummer was really a 'good enough' player for what I wanted to do. I guess slightly more complex/progressive stuff. I know that sounds elitist and I'm not totally focused on chops by any means, but he just didn't seem to be able to stray far out of the box at all. Any suggestions? For a long time I was satisfied with playing with them but I guess as my tastes changed I became less happy playing with the guys from MHDH. They seemed unwilling to bring someone new into the group or anything like that, and it was me who was doing all the booking, talking to people at gigs, booking sessions/rehearsals, everything. The others just didn't seem too interested in anything too creative or arty either. And at the end of the day, you have to have some sort of artistic appeal playing 'progressive' music. They weren't really musos either. It just became frustrating and hard to work with them. They didn't have enough points of reference. I'm considering trying to get into jazz school thinking that hopefully that'll lead me to meeting more open minded and talented players, because right now it seems the creative/open-minded/able players out there are just eluding me. I have an advert up but doing this kinda stuff just seems so difficult. Rant over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mhuxtable Posted July 24, 2011 Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 Go to musical schools in the area? Start hanging out at shows that have bands of similar interest and meet some folks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Loobs Posted July 24, 2011 Author Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 Thing is that I work 9-5. When you say go to musical schools, do you mean enrol? The second suggestion...I'm on it. I feel like I'm at a crossroads in my life where I've recognised that I really need to use my talents and for once try to dedicate my life to playing music, rather than it just being something on the side. I think if I don't I'll look back later in life and regret not doing it. But it's a big step to give up your secure job to go back to music school or whatever. It's also very hard to finance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members companyman Posted July 24, 2011 Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 this is a question that I have been dealing with for 25 years.....craigslist is a the only way I have hooked up with like minded people, but there has been a whole bunch of awkward and awful experiences before anything materialized. When I was in NY, I had good luck going out to open mic's every chance I could, best way to hear people before you waste time with them.....good luck, you are way too talented a musician to sit idle for that long! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Loobs Posted July 24, 2011 Author Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 this is a question that I have been dealing with for 25 years.....craigslist is a the only way I have hooked up with like minded people, but there has been a whole bunch of awkward and awful experiences before anything materialized. When I was in NY, I had good luck going out to open mic's every chance I could, best way to hear people before you waste time with them.....good luck, you are way too talented a musician to sit idle for that long! Thanks man. It's already been a good few months of not playing with anyone, and I'm sick of it. I don't mean to sound arrogant, but I know I'm a good player, and I'd like to make some sort of name for myself. When you say for 25 years, how old are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members companyman Posted July 24, 2011 Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 Thanks man. It's already been a good few months of not playing with anyone, and I'm sick of it. I don't mean to sound arrogant, but I know I'm a good player, and I'd like to make some sort of name for myself. When you say for 25 years, how old are you? coming up on 44.....been playing since I was 10. I bet if you started playing fake book solo jazz gigs, you'd hook up with someone...like cafe's/restaurants, at least you'd keep your chops up, and get energy back from an audience. I am pretty much a hack musician, more of painter...in the sense of being serious about the pursuit, it has always been a case of when the painting studio reaches an impasse, I'd play music, and vice versa...a nice balance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mhuxtable Posted July 24, 2011 Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 Thing is that I work 9-5. When you say go to musical schools, do you mean enrol? The second suggestion...I'm on it. I feel like I'm at a crossroads in my life where I've recognised that I really need to use my talents and for once try to dedicate my life to playing music, rather than it just being something on the side. I think if I don't I'll look back later in life and regret not doing it. But it's a big step to give up your secure job to go back to music school or whatever. It's also very hard to finance. No I mean go hang out, post a flyer, meet some people who are in school studying jazz or whatever. A lot of times they are into cool music beyond the classic mold of their discipline, they're super talented, and very eager to do new exciting things while still putting in the work knowing that money probably won't come of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Loobs Posted July 24, 2011 Author Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 I am having jazz lessons and trying to take the first steps to getting there. Hopefully as my playing improves I'll be able to go to jams and meet people, but we'll see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Loobs Posted July 24, 2011 Author Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 No I mean go hang out, post a flyer, meet some people who are in school studying jazz or whatever. A lot of times they are into cool music beyond the classic mold of their discipline, they're super talented, and very eager to do new exciting things while still putting in the work knowing that money probably won't come of it Yup. I will do this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SnorkelMonkey Posted July 24, 2011 Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 Just get out there and play what you know. Add the stuff you learn as you go. Look through trade ads and pick a group to sit in with for kicks. If it don't work out at least you had some grins and maybe a story to tell at the pub. You might pick up some licks and maybe a couple quid while your at it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Loobs Posted July 24, 2011 Author Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 I wish it was as easy as getting out there. With no band that leaves me limited to jams, and jazz jams are pretty daunting if you're a jazz beginner. Like I say I am having lessons, so hopefully after not too long I'll be able to do that. Since straight-up jazz isn't really what I want to do, I realise that to get into the more avant garde stuff I need a grounding in the traditional stuff, so I do need some sort of education. It seems the more out there players usually are schooled too. I am also applying to do a Jazz BFA in the States next year but I'll really need a scholarship. We'll see. Fingers crossed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Loobs Posted July 24, 2011 Author Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 Just scoped out a few local jazz jams, turns out they do exist. Gonna head down there this week and see what it's all about. Hopefully it's not all gonna be old men. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mhuxtable Posted July 24, 2011 Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 Don't discount the old men! You might learn a thing or 2....best thing I ever did was commit to only playing with musicians better than me....you learn so much more and much much faster that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChrisFFTA Posted July 24, 2011 Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 You live in London right? Imagine how all the small town folks feel? As noted above, hit the shows, get to know the scene and those in it, give some demos to folks you meet and/or those you see playing and enjoy their work. Surely there is a local radio station playing similar stuff? Can be a great source of new music and players on the scene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Loobs Posted July 24, 2011 Author Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 I guess I shouldn't moan and just need get out there, which I will. Just got a bit bummed out tonight about it all. It's easy to I guess after you have a regular gigging band that kinda dries up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members companyman Posted July 24, 2011 Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 maybe concentrate on writing and recording......? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members *PiP* Posted July 24, 2011 Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 Just an idea, but maybe you could write a few songs and record some demos of the sort of stuff you want to do, and use that to help recruit other musicians to play live? In the meantime if you need a drummer/bassist/whatever to help with the demos, just ask your old band members or any other musicians you may know if they will record a session or two? I don't know if I explained that very well haha but I am doing something similar as I am also fed up looking for the "right" people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members *PiP* Posted July 24, 2011 Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 maybe concentrate on writing and recording......? Or simply this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Reaganomics! Posted July 24, 2011 Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 the hardest part is snagging a drummer. I'd go to the humane society to see if you could borrow a "no-kill" trap and fill it with roto toms, cheap beer and pizza. You should snag a drummer soon enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SnorkelMonkey Posted July 24, 2011 Members Share Posted July 24, 2011 Just scoped out a few local jazz jams, turns out they do exist. Gonna head down there this week and see what it's all about. Hopefully it's not all gonna be old men. It sounds bleak but those are the guys to learn from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 the hardest part is snagging a drummer. I'd go to the humane society to see if you could borrow a "no-kill" trap and fill it with roto toms, cheap beer and pizza. You should snag a drummer soon enough. A good drummer can make or break a group, and finding a really good drummer can be the hardest thing about putting together a band. Guitarists are a dime a dozen. Bass players can be hard to find sometimes too... As far as where to find like-minded musicians, Craigslist is probably your best bet these days. In California, it used to be the Recycler, but I believe Craigslist has largely made that obsolete. Local clubs where bands play, and open mic nights can be good places, but if you play something fairly obscure, chances are you're not going to find many like-minded players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Faldoe Posted July 25, 2011 Members Share Posted July 25, 2011 I hear ya Ben. I posted a woes thread about this topic a few months ago. Just keep looking..Maybe going to see local bands you like and seeing if anyone there - either in said bands or other fans are looking for peeps to jam with. Not sure how popular the craigslist musicians section is in the UK but its worth checking out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AcheWater Posted July 25, 2011 Members Share Posted July 25, 2011 A good drummer can make or break a group, and finding a really good drummer can be the hardest thing about putting together a band. This is painstakingly true on all accounts. Especially in small populations like my state. All of the worth a damn drummers get scooped up quick, and most are in 2-3 bands. It is shocking how many drummers simply can't keep a steady tempo for 3.5-5 min., much less "add anything to the music." Some are passable live, but you get to take 15 trying to track drums on a simple 4/4 at 90 bpm because you have 5-10 bpm swings in each direction you find out real fast how valuable a drummer is. For the band I'm in now most stuff is done in simple 4/4, waltzes, or shuffles at varying tempos and drumming is a thorn in our side. For something like you want to do, I cant imagine how hard it would be to find one, get along with him/her, and actually hold them down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members delayed delay Posted July 25, 2011 Members Share Posted July 25, 2011 I guess I shouldn't moan and just need get out there, which I will. Just got a bit bummed out tonight about it all. It's easy to I guess after you have a regular gigging band that kinda dries up. I hear ya... haven't been with my college band in 2 years (consistently anyway). We weren't great, but we weren't that bad for having only been playing our respective instruments for about 2 years each (on average)... and it was also the first real band we'd been in. I play with a lot better musicians now, but it's starting to feel pretty generic; it's at a church, and while we play some pretty fun stuff that's a hell of a lot more edgy than what 99% of the rest of world considers "church music", I'd still like to branch out to some even newer stuff out there in the P&W field, and I know if our band was still together, that's exactly where we'd be. We were always looking for ways to improve and branch out on our musical abilities and knowledge... constantly attempting unique chord progressions and writing original stuff... but when we all graduated, we got real jobs and real wives () and can only play on the rarest of occasions; a total of 3 times in 2 years. We're hoping to all gravitate towards the same city here in the next year, and that's actually fairly realistic for all of us, so hopefully that happens. Anyway... it sucks being stuck in a rut, Loobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChrisFFTA Posted July 25, 2011 Members Share Posted July 25, 2011 Just scoped out a few local jazz jams, turns out they do exist. Gonna head down there this week and see what it's all about. Hopefully it's not all gonna be old men. Its funny, but Nels Cline, Sonic Youth and John Zorn are all 50+, and you cited them as influences. Unless you consider 50+ to not be old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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