Key to not getting fired from the band.... own the van.... and the PA equipment... and rent the garage/room where practice happens. And make cookies/brownies from time to time. If you can do that and semi-reliably hit SOME note on the 2/4, you'll stay in the band forever :)
I’m a lead guitarist and I also play drums bass and keyboards but my main instrument is guitar. In 2017 I audition for a band that plays all classic hard rock tunes. I went to the audition and we jammed on wasted by Def Leppard, armed and ready by Michael Schenker and Lights out by UFO. The guys are all around my age, in our 50s but the drummer was a little younger. I thought I nailed the audition and then we sat down and started talking and then I asked if I got the gig Lol... and they replied... we have a few more guys to audition but will let you know. A few days later the bass player called me and said I got the gig, I was so happy because these guys are really cool, no drama and super easy to get along with. I thought this was gonna be an awesome band. Fast forward to 2021...I’m still in the band and we’re doing better than ever. The band is called Arminius. it’s a blast to play music with great musicians and great guys that you get along with and we’re playing all the songs we love 🤘🏻😎. We’ve opened for Pat Travers 3 times, The Iron Maiden’s, The bulletboys, Dios Deciples, Hookers and Blow and many more great touring bands. You’re never too old... 😉
You guys, Rick Beato, and JHS Pedals motivated me to start playing again. Always love the content and your positive, carefree attitudes. I’m 50 and quit playing about 15 years but your content really has motivated me as I’m sure it has others. Thanks again.
I'm moving home in a couple of months after almost 15 years away..... and getting the old band back together. And the biggest thing is that we just simply enjoy hanging and playing tunes together.
@@thomassmith5291 , yep. We’re lucky in our little outfit that everyone gets along, plays well, and likes the same kind of music. We’ve been together a long time and it’s still a lot of fun.
Been in the same band now for 20 years. As you guys know that's amazing. 3 core members for the entire time. This is also actually the 50th Anniversary of being in local bands. I absolutely love finding the right people to make music with.
I play in six bands right now. (I play keyboards guitar and I sing.) I have a three leg rule for playing with others in a group. Two of the three things need to be there. Money, good music, good people. If only one of those things exist in the group, I'm not there. But if two of them are there I'll do it.
Wish there were enough options in my town to apply some three legged rule. You either jam with the two or three bands here, for free regardless of the music or the hang... or you sit at home and play with yourself.
I got invited to jam with a group. They also invited another guy. He was really good but spent most of the jam fidgeting with his sputtering pedal board. I had a simple rig - Tele into a Carman Ghia with a TS808 and a Traynor 12” closed back cab. The leader liked my sound and ask me to switch to bass so he could play my rig. I killed it on the bass. Next thing I know I’m getting an email with a song list and simple chord charts and the date and time of their next practice.
Baxter, I literally play those instruments you listed for a utility player. Let's do some work! Great episode guys. Always looking for more gigs and opportunities and you have some great advice.
I had a guy audition and his GF drove him to my house. He sets up this sweet Premiere kit. He can't play. My bass player is giving me the side eye as we were playing. The guy (who lives 45 miles away says he can ride his bike to the bus stop and then put the bike on the bus and then peddle the last 20 miles to my house for rehearsals. We told him we were "going another way." The guy left his drums at my house and didn't come back for them for about 6 months! 🤣
Fired from a band in 1983 for being too pop for a punk band and then fired in 2003 for being too punk in appearance for a Beatles cover band. So I started my own punk blues Beatles jam band and lived happily ever after.
I play in a Bluegrass band and wer'e all over 60 (I'm the youngest at 64), but we all can relate to things from growing up around the same time. That helps with getting along together👍 PS...I play jazz trumpet along with guitar, bass and mandolin😆
I think one of the main things of starting a band is having a rehearsal space...that can be tricky depending on money, living situations, available places to rent. If you have the space that makes it much easier to lead a band.
Yep, that's a tricky one. It helps if you are a hub and not a spoke. That is, you are the center of a friend group, rather than one of the spokes of someone else's friend group. I have a full furnished basement rehearsal space with good acoustics, a drum kit, and loads of monitors, keys, a dozen amps, etc.... and no sound limit. But in this group I am a newcomer, only knowing these guys for a mere ten years or so. Instead we rehearse at our mutual friends place in a cramped smelly room, no mics, no drums, and he's terrified the neighbors will complain so the whole band plays through the board with a couple NS10 monitors. It is what it is...
@@tfilmyr Wow, they should put down some pride or whatever and practice at your place, sounds way better! But I get it...I played in a cover band for five years, consistent fun weekly rehearsals, the drummer had a garage and PA, booked the gigs and did promo, we got on really well, super fun but the other musicians were just okay players especially the drummer who didn't have many chops. Lesson - It was fun but I need to play with equal or better players now.
I was really blessed hooking up with some pretty cool cats to form a band for a bit. We were able to run an open mic at a local tavern - paid live practice twice a month and even better, we met some unbelievable musicians!! One dude went on to come in first place at the Nation Finger Picking Championship a few years later....thanks Craigslist!!! Anyway, to your point, I was probably the least experienced guy on stage in many occasions, but playing with musicians way beyond my capabilities at the time was beyond valuable. And the fact they were all so cool to be around made it an incredible experience. Thanks Jim, Craig, Roberto, Roger, Marty, Jack, Bill, Sean, Frank...the list goes on, and most importantly the owners of the establishment - Paul and Robyn!!!
Speaking of band that have learned hard lessons, I saw GNR last night in St. Paul. Duff did his solo stuff, Axl sang Velvet Revolver, they covered Glen Campbell, The Who, Dylan (Minneapolis, so imagine), 12-bar-blues (Slash!). Half the show was instrumental. All members got their moment in the spotlight (Richard's front & center solos, guitar duals sort-of, two keyboards & drummer included). There were many "jam-band moments" within this "choreographed hits machine." Hammond, three acoustic pianos, Slash played two of his teenage B.C Rich's, Axl made fun of his past, three hours & on-time.
Wives tend to get in mix at some point and complicate things, and work hours tend to also complicate things. When you're younger the parents can be a problem. Nowdays your political views and religious views can bring a sudden grinding halt to the whole affair.Fun as it may be.
Non-stop wisdom dropping in this video I met a few bandmates in the past just by hanging out at guitar shops because that's where you can find em. Outside of that, just being friends with people and getting asked to sit in with their band. Hardest person to find is a singer since everybody kinda can do it but being able to really do it is rare
I showed up for my first ‘audition’ for keyboard player with 6 harmonicas and the ability to play by ear. I got the gig and in about a year I taught myself to sight read and became the…” dick “ Nobody really practiced their parts but me and the drummer and he kept his kit at the rehearsal spot. Several bands later and many years and I still have little patience for slow learners and people who only pick up their instruments when we rehearse. If everybody practices I’m happy, if people suck I get frustrated. I’m just better at hiding it but not by much just a bit more subtle.
The band I had back in HS fell apart after the 2 seniors in the band graduated and went to college out of state and fell off the planet, never head from them again, we went on for a year, then me and one other member graduated and we couldn't find the time to get together to try to restart the band and eventually we fell out of contact after he moved 4 hours away for college. Only for the remaining member to also move out of state, while still in contact, shes like 7 hours from where I live... kind of sucked because we were good friends outside of being a band so we were able to go from band business' to being buds, f##kin around and enjoying fun times. Breaks my heart.
Its often amazing what competent players pull off when feeding off each others energy, because they are cool people. I find that I have thrived in that area.
The bass player I played with in high school summed up being in a band very well. He said "playing in a band is a lot like marriage. You'll put up with crap from them that you wouldn't put up with from anybody else, but you'll also not put up with their crap that you would put up with from anybody else". Rings true to me. I later ran over his foot intentionally as he was screaming and leaning into the window of my Firebird with the big fat tires on it. That was 40 years ago but we're still friends today.
I got a kramer strat copy for my birthday on 1990. A month later I started a band with my buddy who could really play. It was really beneficial, had to play all the time and improve rapidly
My band history since the early 80s has been off and on with long dry periods between them. My steady "gig" since 1990 has been as an unpaid bassist in several Catholic churches playing both worship modern and old school / traditional choir. I do enjoy it but there is nothing like a fun blues/rock/country band to jam with. The problem is finding the "right people," clicking with them, and having common values (not showing up drunk, missing rehearsals, attitude problems, in band fighting over petty things, etc.). It's not easy.
Any advice on how to find or join a touring band? There are many bands out there, but most have day jobs and just want to play local shows. I want to quit web development (was formerly software engineer at Sweetwater) and play music full time. I have pro gear. I play guitar, bass, drums, fiddle, mandolin, lap-steel, and I'm picking up keys (I bought a Nord Electro5D). I also sing backup vocals or lead. I am a Christian and currently work as a church musician. Genres: Red Dirt/Texas Country, Americana, Folk, Rock, Southern Rock, Bluegrass, Western swing. I'm open to anything right now.
Hey I just have to put my feelings out there I just watched this for about 5 minutes and I had to say this it’s almost as if you were talking to me I played trumpet ( but can also sing) starting in the 6th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade, (not the 9th grade) 10th grade, 11th grade. But I never got into the marching band pep band jazz band I mean practically nothing except for the regular core concert band class. (I did pretty good in the band in general but never ventured into it because my true passion in life is to be a private marijuana farmer and hopefully own my own dispensary) but for me it helped me get through a lot of pain but anyway I wouldn’t say I am a prodigy or anything but basically all I think about is music. 🙏🏽 I was trying to join a band I am 18 and just graduated high school last year but I would love if you could refer me to somebody or maybe I could get a chance to speak with one of you two
I am literally the guitar player…..that plays bass, drums, keys….trumpet…and I have pretty good range for background vocals. You guys anywhere near Texas? 😊
Wow...'Bands'...right? Even The Beatles had to go through it all. Agreed, I played any and every style of ensemble I could find in my younger years. Learned the hard way more than once regarding 'personality issues'. I always call it: "THE ULTIMATE ENCOUNTER GROUP"
The best bands seems like the members live in the same area, usually a couple of young bloods that can play a few chords, get a couple more friends and learn music at the same time. Then in a few years hall of fame.lol
My last band broke up in late 97 while in negotiations with Epic records because I fell off the wagon, and became addicted to Heroin again. I've now been clean and 100% sober for 20 years. I'll be 60 in January, but don't look it, and even though I get rusty when not in a band, it only takes a couple of months to bond with a good bassist, and drummer who love classic rock, but want to play originals. I write, I sing lead, and harmony vocals, and have opened for most of the big punk bands of the late 70s, and early 80s, and moved on and opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, then the last band who got the call from Epic until my idiocy, played straight up classic inspired rock n roll, and I want to start a similar band now. Any bass and drums who have played together for a few years, and lives in or near Richmond VA, reply to this comment, and let's give it a few jams! Thanks My Casino Brothers And keep up the videos. I will get down there this fall to see you! Peace, Keith in RVA
Eric, I am on Facebook, under Keith Clarke. I have an Instagram account but don't hardly log into it. However, if you do message me on Instagram, I'll get an email notification, but FB Messenger would be the easiest way to reach me. Peace, Keith
WVH has pipes, played a Gibson hollow body most of the show. He reminded me more of a singer-songwriter that could done the material Neo-acoustic. I bought a Mammoth T-shirt. $50. I don't wear R & R branding.
I think my problem now is actually finding those people. It gets harder when you're in your 40s and have 3-kids. Plus, not many places having bar bands right now. I do have a nice jam room that isn't getting enough use.
Buddy of mine has an established band and has in the past invited me to sit in. Problem is he lives an hour to the west of where I live. I work an hour to the east of where I live. So by the time I would make it there for practice, it would already be time to turn around and go home to get ready for bed…..sigh…🎸🎸
I had a guy singer in a band one time who was suoper good looking and girls would just flock to him. He was a theater signer type voice so okish for a rock band, but man he had the look. It did not take long before he was blowing off gigs because he would double book himself for modeling shoots. The eventually lead to the end of that band.
Too many guitar players here in Bklyn to form a band-maybe if I move to Nashville (not too many guitar players there), I’ll have a shot. Ot maybe I’ll just move to Southern Pines. Lol! Great topic!
I have never been in a band. My brother tried to form a band a few times but there's never a time when everyone can go to practice. I guess its very difficult to get that worked out
Nowadays things are complicated because everybody pretends to be an expert while they all have their own taste in common bands like Dream Theater. It's hard to find people who have that uniqueness that makes a band special, but none of the musicians know what to do with.
Last ‘band’ was an acoustic duo with my buddy singer who had stage fright..who would then drink and get high to the point where they couldn’t sing live or worse…would pick up a guitar 😞. I’d be left attempting to play triads or lead to an out of tune, out of time, guitarist playing ever song as a variation of D C G chord progression. Black Hole Sun- classic 3 chord song for beginners..right?! 😳🤯 ha.
I was in, what I thought was the start of a band. But they just stopped reaching out to me. So I am pretty sure I am no longer in said "band". Oh well.
Being in a band was the best experience I ever had. I found out I had a good sense of time, greatly needed in a band. As for drama, the GF of the bass player started going out with the singer. And I forgot to mention both were skin heads. Insert explosion here…
Hey guys, what's the best way to find a local jam session? Don't want to join a band but it would be cool to get a group of musicians together to just play some songs we all know. I did this a few times with a group of people and it was a blast but I relocated and now am missing this aspect of playing. I asked a local guitar shop and they just shrugged their shoulders. Thoughts?
Really like this channel, but sad to see the blithe attitude towards substance abuse so prevalent among musicians perpetuated here. There is nothing smart or cool about people who can only achieve satisfactory metabolic levels through the ingestion of mind altering substances.
