Members richardmac Posted July 24, 2012 Members Share Posted July 24, 2012 I've been away from the forums, mostly writing songs and doing some programming work. Haven't done a gig in about 3 months. I think I'm done, for now, with the solo performing thing. But I'm keeping my PA, because I know almost for a fact that I'll come back to it eventually. I'm wondering if it works the same way with others here? Do you need to take a break from doing gigs every so often? I don't mean a 3 week break, I mean like stop doing it altogether. For those who make a living at it, obviously the answer is no. But for the rest of the folks? I'm just nosy. I put out my last CD in 2009 and I needed a break from songwriting and recording, so I did solo gigs for 3 years, starting all original and ending up almost all covers. And it was fun and I'll do it again. But right now I want to write and record and release music. My model will be simple - I'll give the album away on my website, and also do the CD Baby/iTunes thing. For people who want the album, they can download it, or if they want to be supportive, they can buy a physical copy from iTunes or CD Baby. --- Side note - I've been thinking about this forum and my participation in it. And many of the conversations here have been debates - Android vs. iOS, Mac vs. Windows, Bose vs. Fishman, lyrics vs. memorizing, backing tracks vs. none, etc. It's so easy to get sucked into these debates, especially when it's stuff you care about. But who the hell wants to be "Argue on the Internet" guy? So if I start being a fanboy again, will someone kindly remind me of this post and tell me not to be "Argue on the Internet" guy? I'd really appreciate it. Thanks. Now I'm off. I bought AmpliTube 3 last night (today's the last day for the big price discount) and I need to learn how to use it with Logic Pro 9. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KindredDuo Posted July 24, 2012 Members Share Posted July 24, 2012 Best of luck Richard. I've only just begun posting, but have been lurking for years. I've enjoyed your posts. You are a good inspiration and one of the more reasonable participants here. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mike McLaughlin Posted July 24, 2012 Members Share Posted July 24, 2012 Your post reminds me of this cartoon. I understand your position. I don't do this for a living either, but I've been playing regularly for 6 years. My songwriting time has suffered, and people keep asking me when is the next CD coming out. Truth is, you have to have material to produce another CD. Between regular work, wifey time, learning new cover tunes, and socializing, there ain't a whole lot of time left! I am still selling a lot of personalized stepfather wedding songs, about 2 per week in the spring/summer wedding season, and that takes away from new efforts too. However, the forums that I frequent are good distraction from regular working hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members John Ellis Posted July 24, 2012 Members Share Posted July 24, 2012 I personally don't mind debate as is abundantly obvious by my post count and participation in another sub forum. : The reason for me is simple. I judge a persons commitment to an idea by how well they advocate their position. I might agree with them completely but love to play devil's advocate. The Bose and Fishman debates are basically subjective preference.... but they do bring activity to what I feel is a very important piece of and vastly underused portion of the online community. I haven't been on this side of the tracks for very long but I'm sure your absence will be missed. I've gone through your cycle many times in my life and each time I've just quit gigging completely, I find it harder to get things up to speed again when the itch hits. And it will hit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sventvkg Posted July 24, 2012 Members Share Posted July 24, 2012 Richard, why does it have to be all or nothing? Why can't you work on some music, do a gig here and there, etc etc? But I would say things are cyclical for sure. Sometimes I'm more in the writing mode where I bang out 10 tunes in a month or 2. Sometimes I'm recording for months on end. This year I knew I would be trying to catch up demoing many of the 100 tunes I currently have in the pile and I would be writing less. That's fine because inevitably when you're in one mode heavily you tend to be in the other mode less so. This is all fine and natura. I totally get that you can get burnt on the gigging thing and you probably just need a break from it. You'll known when you're ready to go back:) Have fun and I'll look forward to hearing some new tunes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members espgold Posted July 24, 2012 Members Share Posted July 24, 2012 I too have appreciated your presence and input here, Richard. And I really am thankful for this sub-forum we've got here. This is the specific area that interests me and there are lots of relevant topics and posts that have helped me in re-tooling my stage in advance of "getting out there" again. I've been "off" for most of the last year. I used to cycle through writing, recording, and performing stages but lately haven't had much time for any of it. As much as I love to write and record, it's the performing that is pulling me back the most. I'd love to take a shot at playing for a living, or at least partly so. Guys like Potts on here give me inspiration and remind me of how much I love to play and how much I used to play. I don't mind the debates here. I step around them for the most part and if I think I have something to add, I'll step in (it). I hope to have more to add as time goes on and I hope that you and other reasonable, respectful forumites like you stick around and make this place an even greater resource for folks like us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members richardmac Posted July 24, 2012 Author Members Share Posted July 24, 2012 Oh, I'm not necessarily leaving this forum - I'm just not a solo performer any more. For a while, at least. I'll still pop in here from time to time. Mike, that same cartoon was in my head, too. It's a trap! We all have opinions. I know that some folks can come on here and argue about what kind of pants to wear to gigs. There are a couple of times where some jackoff came in and debated using personal insults, but HC forums allows you to hide jerkoffs, and I've definitely hidden some of them. But forums are a big time wasting trap if you're not careful. So is Facebook. I can't see trying to keep doing cover gigs plus trying to write/record/produce original music - I only have so much free time. Besides, I'm pretty tired of performing "Brown Eyed Girl" to drunks. It was getting to the point where it wasn't fun any more. When it's not fun, it's time to go, or take a break at least. But I'll still be around. I like it here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KindredDuo Posted July 24, 2012 Members Share Posted July 24, 2012 I agree I spend WAY too much time here. I've begun to make a deal with myself in that I must practice 30 minutes before I see what going on here. I've broken that deal more often than not. Facebook is worse (but I spend less time there) because I don't much care to hear what someone thinks about politics and see the new baby. At least I learn a lot around here. I depend on gigs for a fair portion of my income and some I still do only for the money. I'm a cellist, and do a bunch of string quartet weddings. If you're tired of Brown Eyed Girl, try playing Pachelbel Canon a couple times a weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Loner Posted July 24, 2012 Members Share Posted July 24, 2012 I WISH I could quit even for 3 weeks! I guess when my creditors come and got all my {censored} that would make it easier! As for being the 'Argue on the Internet guy'- I don't want to be him either. However, I just joined the forum, so I'm still stoked about finding folks that care about the same stuff I do! Plus I like to argue SO MUCH!! And my wife gets sick of agruing with me, since she's always wrong (ha-ha). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mike McLaughlin Posted July 24, 2012 Members Share Posted July 24, 2012 Emphasis added guilty as charged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members glepko Posted July 25, 2012 Members Share Posted July 25, 2012 cycles? yep. my summer production work takes precedence over playing duo gigs. it's been 7 weeks since playing an event, yet i'm working in music 4-6 shows a week at the moment. just today started wiggin out to get me guitar back in front of an audience. when summer outdoor season slows down i resort to playing more music rather than working shows (after a nice long brain decompression driving trip). low and behold, i scramble to find more production work after a few weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members John Ellis Posted July 25, 2012 Members Share Posted July 25, 2012 My cycles were more like. Boy plays killer gig and falls for hot groupie. Boy marries hot groupie that then gets jealous of boy playing for other groupies. Boy puts playing on back burner for hot groupie wife that eventually loses interest in non gigging boy (she's a groupie) Boy scrambles to re gain his chops to go and impress more groupies. : Sad but true............... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted July 25, 2012 Moderators Share Posted July 25, 2012 But forums are a big time wasting trap if you're not careful. Hey now!.... But I'll still be around. I like it here. You should like it here...you were a primary reason we started this particular forum... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chaff67 Posted July 25, 2012 Members Share Posted July 25, 2012 My cycles were more like. Boy plays killer gig and falls for hot groupie. Boy marries hot groupie that then gets jealous of boy playing for other groupies. Boy puts playing on back burner for hot groupie wife that eventually loses interest in non gigging boy (she's a groupie) Boy scrambles to re gain his chops to go and impress more groupies. : Sad but true............... Wow, that is so deep...it's like the meaning of life for the gigging musician! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dingoist Posted July 26, 2012 Members Share Posted July 26, 2012 I hear the cycles... I was big into songwriting for a few years, which is how I came to these forums. Though when I started playing live last year at a local bar (after many years from being away from the gigging scene) the song writing stuff dried up. I rarely visit that part of the forums anymore, though I do occasionally check up of recording and SSS. Though the main bar that I played is now closed, I stopped mostly gigging, and now do garage-based stuff with some of the guys I met at the bar I gigged (one of which is a phenom bassist) -- which we've been working back up to prep for gigging again as a potential trio (which I guess disqualifies me here). All of us have other day jobs, kids and houses which makes getting together difficult. I have been tempted to drop that endeavour, and concentrate again on song writing and solo stuff with the limited time I have. By some regards, I can be considered a "tourist" since I don't make my living from music and no longer gig multiple times in a week (it's been more than a few years since music was a career option) and I don't go out of my way to get gigs. But even that is turning around -- and this fall I'm hoping to be a level with enough new material to start playing out again. I do waste less time here on the forums that I used to It was my way to procrastinate from practicing and writing. Ahhh, cycles. Stick around Richard, I've enjoyed your posts. Though I'm enjoying this forum less now that it seems to be a bose/PA and android/apple pissing war around here the last few weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members J.Paul Posted July 31, 2012 Members Share Posted July 31, 2012 I enjoy your posts and have read through many of them in the past couple of years,I often don't reply because I don't have anything to add, you usually got it covered....glad you're back I'm wondering if it works the same way with others here? Do you need to take a break from doing gigs every so often? I don't mean a 3 week break, I mean like stop doing it altogether. For those who make a living at it, obviously the answer is no. But for the rest of the folks? I'm just nosy. Our bass player intentionally goes out and gets a 9-5 every now and then just to remind himself how fortunate he is to be playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EightString Posted July 31, 2012 Members Share Posted July 31, 2012 I live in a house with three women so... Oh wait. Never mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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