Is THIS happening in your town?

[Bookumdano2]

I will now reveal how old I am: I used to support myself quite comfortably solely by playing live. I don't see any way I could do that now, and I'm a much better musician now than I was then...

 

 

Yeah, how was it playing guitar with Benny Goodman?

 

I think I'm a better player now too and I don't miss public playing at all one iota although I feel for kids who still think the old type industry somehow exists or is coming back.

 

In fact, in hindsight, I think a lot of us oldsters who were out there earlier, were out there playing in the PRIME days of pop history. I started around the Kingston Trio time and right on through the next three decades. Those were the best eras to live in as a musician as far as I'm concerned.. the most diverse, the coolest times to live the "evolution of music gear" in real-time, and to basically have it all (including associated groupies of all the eras of course). The money was fabulous most all the time too. At almost every level.

 

I think we're all pretty lucky if from those eras and it's cool to still be here.

[cooterbrown]

 

I will now reveal how old I am: I used to support myself quite comfortably solely by playing live.

 

 

I was doing that as recently as nine years ago.

That was definitely the end of it, however.

2010 will go down in my history book as "the worst year for gigging, ever".

I have been changing my strategies, so 2011 will be somewhat better.

[dailymixdown]

In your promotional material, start printing that your band is here all the way from, e.g., Sweden for a very limited term engagement. I.e. "One week only!!!" Then the next month "Back from Sweden by popular demand for only one week only!!!"

It's all about the spin

[techristian]

 

One of my bands actually did this once. The singer and guitarist spoke German, so they kept speaking to each other in German while calling to get gigs and at the venue, and otherwise speaking in broken English with strong accents.

 

 

I love it!

 

Dan

[UstadKhanAli]

So do porch-centric couch fires. See where that got him.

 

 

The things we share in common all around this big giant globe of ours. Yes. Couches setting porches on fire, and now this.

[UstadKhanAli]

Dan

 

 

The looks we got when I joined in with the German (I'm Chinese)!!!!

[michaelhigh]

When I was in LA in the 80's they instituted a new policy, the clubs did: Pay To Play! My band played at Doug Weston's Troubadour when hair metal was the rage. We had to sell 50 tickets for $1.00 apiece or we had to pay $50, that was our choice. It happened then, I'm sure it still happens today (probably more than ever), and I see no end in sight. Getting your draw togrther was/is the biggest sweat a band has in the fledgling days. No internet then, it was all flyers and WOM. I can't stress enough to anyone out there trying to draw that a mailing list (email list) is the best way to insure a turn-out if it's expected of a band to bring the crowd...

[GuitarPlayerFL]

I blame American Idol as part of the problem. If you've never practiced your craft (singing) and just walk off the street and hope you can make it on national TV......then anybodycan do it in the eyes of the public.

Musicians are just not that important to the masses.
We're just that necessary evil that back up the singer.....which everybody can do now.