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BlueStrat

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Finally faced reality that I'll never do another band and started selling my PA today. Just watched the subs and crossover drive down the road. Hopefully someone else will get more use out of it. I'll be someone's side guy, but my days of running my own band are done. 

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BlueStrat wrote:

 

 

Finally faced reality that I'll never do another band and started selling my PA today. Just watched the subs and crossover drive down the road. Hopefully someone else will get more use out of it. I'll be someone's side guy, but my days of running my own band are done. 

 

I dont know if i would go that far.. For sure you dont need subs to turn bar gigs for a hundred a man and since there are no places in your local that pay more ,punting the subs isnt a bad idea.  Most festivals have full on  Sound companies that are worth a crap with systems that make mosts bands with subs look like toys. 

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TIMKEYS wrote:

 


BlueStrat wrote:

 

 

Finally faced reality that I'll never do another band and started selling my PA today. Just watched the subs and crossover drive down the road. Hopefully someone else will get more use out of it. I'll be someone's side guy, but my days of running my own band are done. 

 

 

I dont know if i would go that far.. For sure you dont need subs to turn bar gigs for a hundred a man and since there are no places in your local that pay more ,punting the subs isnt a bad idea.  Most festivals have full on  Sound companies that are worth a crap with systems that make mosts bands with subs look like toys. 

There were times where we just brought one sub with us to a gig. It made more room in the van and the second sub often didn't make much more of a difference in sound for the places we were playing. It looks nicer (matching sides), but the hassle often isn't worth it. I'm probably going to just pack one sub for this weekend's gig and maybe for the one on New Year's Day as well to make more room for my SKB mixer case and my much larger Blackstar combo amp (used to use a Peavey Classic 30 1x12).

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TIMKEYS wrote:

 


BlueStrat wrote:

 

 

Finally faced reality that I'll never do another band and started selling my PA today. Just watched the subs and crossover drive down the road. Hopefully someone else will get more use out of it. I'll be someone's side guy, but my days of running my own band are done. 

 

 

I dont know if i would go that far.. For sure you dont need subs to turn bar gigs for a hundred a man and since there are no places in your local that pay more ,punting the subs isnt a bad idea.  Most festivals have full on  Sound companies that are worth a crap with systems that make mosts bands with subs look like toys. 

For doing what Pat is doing, subs are not needed.  Or a very small one at most. 

But from a band perspective, there are still an awful lot of gigs that fall in the gap between small-bar and sound-provided-festival where a small system (even with subs) is going to be pushed hard to fill the room.  

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BlueStrat wrote:

 

 

Finally faced reality that I'll never do another band and started selling my PA today. Just watched the subs and crossover drive down the road. Hopefully someone else will get more use out of it. I'll be someone's side guy, but my days of running my own band are done. 

Running the band properly is a lot of work and the reason for the AFM to price double for leader. I wouldn't want the job. On the other hand, the few real democratic bands that I've played in were fun. Most aren't really democratic even if the leader wasn't elected. My current band, the singer is pretty much controlling the band even through there are 3 of us who have been with the band twice as long as he has.

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Finally . . . we're talking about the real point of the thread (but that does happen here from time to time, doesn't it?)

I'm in the same position, except I'm planning a long distance move and have a lot of PA and other stuff I won't need.  I'm contemplating keeping one powered speaker for my keys and a mic and selling a 500W amp, Yamaha club speakers, and a new Hartke bass speaker.   . . .  and a set of drums.  It was all very useful for hosting rehearsals and could have handled any bar gig by itself, but like Pat, I'm done with trying to put together a band, and am probably done with auditioning and answering Craigslist ads.  Too much work for very little short term payoff, and nobody seems to be able to put together anything that is sustainable enough to keep guys committed.

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I'm looking for an alternative to DC high heat / high humidity.  I've lived in cold climates before . . . and my wife's from New England, so Maine has a lot to offer by comparision.

Bandmix seems to have more than it's share of blues/rock bands, though.  Maybe someone will surprise me and turn up with another option.  Otherwise, I'm seriously considering doing what Pat figured out a long time ago. . . . solo gigs.   Whether or not I'm sufficiently multi-talented remains to be seen.

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guido61 wrote:

 

For me the snag in doing solo gigs would be my fairly lousy singing voice. I always figured my retirement gig would be doing jazz standards with a female vocalist.

 

 

 

Won't need much PA for that either!

 

I found my nitch for a retirment music gig by backing a guy who is a songwriter.  its no secret that there is not much money in it , but I have been able to do some very intersting gigs and can play without a ton of humping gear and travel with some great talent.  I could do a solo gig and have a decent voice, but I think i would find that boring.  I like a band atmosphere and like being one of the guys in the band even if it means less money.  Its just how I roll.   Where in maine are you going.  My roomate from college lives in boothbay harbor.  he seems to like it and has been there since graduation many moons ago. 

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I caught an act like that this summer. A soul band, no less. Big production. Sound was phenomenal above 100Hz. Bass was so loud it made me want to vomit, and civilians were bitching.

 

Talked to the sound provider a month later and told him awful it was. He practically cheered. I guess his goal was to drive away guests?

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Pat is talking about the symbolism of the 'gear' or 'tools of the trade' as it relates to his locus of identity and how he validates himself.

He's good enough to play a Squire and a Pod straight to the board...selling the subs represent moving from what he did proffessionally, playing at a certain level... ...the subs were part of HIS tool box.....and how he percieves that transition in getting rid of those tools of his trade. Ponder the mechanic selling his Snap On box, now 'ok' with Walmart tools to fix the car, not happy, but maybe he needed the money, no one was hiring mechanics, or he just saw the tools sitting there unused and made a heathy decision to downsize.

 

 

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guido61 wrote:

For me the snag in doing solo gigs would be my fairly lousy singing voice. I always figured my retirement gig would be doing jazz standards with a female vocalist.

 

Won't need much PA for that either!

That's funny, I have the same problem- no good singing voice, and I've been considering the exact same option- Switching up to jazz instrumental or duo with a nice sultry young lady :)

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