Just played my last gig...

Maynehead

...with my current band.

The band had been going for 8 years and with me for the last 2 and half, we play hard rock covers and all have day jobs. The frontman who was also the band's founder can no longer keep up the commitment required for the band to perform at our best, so he decided to leave rather than hold us back. However, we all knew that the band wouldn't be the same without him so we all decided to go our separate ways last night after the gig.

This was my first band and I learnt a great deal, improved my playing to no end and really had a blast. Not to mention the crazy amount of gear it gave me the excuse to acquire (which I might now need to trim down!)

It's funny how you only realise how big a part of your life being in a band occupies after it ends. I'm feeling a bit lost now... I guess I'd better start looking for a new band, or is it too early?

Drew_TNBD

Facing a similar thing mate. Do what you feel - if you feel like you need to jump straight back in, then get yourself out there and auditioning. If you feel you need a break, that is cool too.

monquixote

Drew_fx said:

Facing a similar thing mate. Do what you feel - if you feel like you need to jump straight back in, then get yourself out there and auditioning. If you feel you need a break, that is cool too.

Are TNBD no more?

thomasross20

I feel like being in my band is consuming my life to some extent! Definitely a big commitment. 

Was there no way you guys could keep going but just play less frequently?

Maynehead

thomasross20 said:

I feel like being in my band is consuming my life to some extent! Definitely a big commitment. 

Was there no way you guys could keep going but just play less frequently?

That's what we already have been doing for the past year, cutting down to 1 rehearsal every 2 weeks and 1 gig every 2 months. But that was only ever to be a temporary measure, as we were just coasting, practicing old songs rather than adding new ones, and not playing to our full potential. We knew eventually we would either have to ramp back up to full strength or call it a day, and sadly it was the latter.

I think cutting back may seem like a quick and easy fix, but in the long run it will strangle the life out of the band and start down the road to a long slow demise.

John_A

It won't be your last gig, so hang on to your gear, you'll get the urge to play again sooner or later

Phil_aka_Pip

The longer you leave it the more out of practice you'll get

thomasross20

I've proposed fortnightly practice with my band - do you think once a week is a minimum requirement? 

Good luck, OP!

Maynehead

thomasross20 said:

I've proposed fortnightly practice with my band - do you think once a week is a minimum requirement? 

Good luck, OP!

Well it depends on your situation, how often you gig and how efficient your band members are at getting new songs together...

In my personal experience for the past year when we've rehearsed every 2 weeks it has been very difficult to get any new songs into giggable shape. Most of the rehearsals will be dominated by keeping the existing set list up to scratch because we have a 25 song set and people will get rusty over the 2 weeks between rehearsals if they're not practicing at home (which most don't as we all have day jobs). When we used to practice once a week we'd use a couple weeks a month concentrating on new songs and the couple of weeks before the gig to rehearse old songs, which for us was the perfect balance.

I believe that a healthy gigging band needs to be able to work on and perform new material on a regular basis. Otherwise you'd end up playing the same songs over and over, and any new songs that you'd like to play will take forever to get up to standard. This will be frustrating for everyone and that's when cracks will start to form in the band.

Like I said, I think cutting rehearsals is fine in an emergency, but it's not a long term solution.

thomasross20

Hmmm... we're up to 40ish songs, taking us to 2.5-3 hours (and we use iPod during breaks). I agree about taking a while to learn new songs. This is my bugbear... I learn the songs properly in advance and have it gig-ready next practice. It takes the others longer to learn them and get together, so that's actually wasting my time. But I get you... once a week is better (unless you have more than band!)

Cirrus

thomasross20 said:

This is my bugbear... I learn the songs properly in advance and have it gig-ready next practice. It takes the others longer to learn them and get together, so that's actually wasting my time.

I suffer exactly the same thing.

We usually practice twice weekly, I think if you're not a great player with excellent natural timing - the kind that could do session work - that's about what you need to stay really tight as a band. And that isn't just about grooving during the song but also knowing the arrangements inside out, confidence in starting songs without an awkward count in while everyone looks around wide eyed, ability to quickly transition from one song to the next and otherwise being able to read the body language of the rest of the band.

It's especially important for drummers and singers I think, because sometimes practice is the only time they actually have to work their instruments. Not an ideal situation but alas common.

ESBlonde

Practise - What we do at home to learn the songs.

Rehearse -  What we do to hone those songs as a unit.

If you get a group of people that do the above, then you only need to rehearse once a month with a decent set list, (more as you build that list obviously).
For original bands you can add Writing and Arranging sessions to the list.

Don't turn up at rehearsal to learn you instrument, play with your new toy or cadge the chords of the other guitarist. All this is your homework, paying for rehearsal time should not entail waiting about for someone else to do there homework!

John_P

^ wisdom.     It's only the lazy selfish time wasting idiots that turn up without having learnt their parts.   Fair enough it might not be perfect but at least have it roughly sorted so the band can get on with it.    

Lots of bands are more of a social thing and rehearse every week (I'm talking cover bands),  and that's fine but for me it needs to have a clear purpose.    You want to add a few new tunes or  you haven't played together for a while.      It's gigs that make a band tight.   

Maynehead - you obviously like playing in bands so I'd get some ad's up now - on FB, JMB etc    you don't want to hear about a band you'd love to play with that have just found someone else  and if you found a band today, it could still be a while before you're actually gigging with them.

Maynehead

Yeah I've just contacted a local covers band this morning who's looking for a guitarist, so looks like I might be getting stuck in sooner than I thought.

Gotta be careful though about joining a band on the rebound... need to be careful about not committing myself to something I'll regret later.

Drew_TNBD

monquixote said:

Drew_fx said:

Facing a similar thing mate. Do what you feel - if you feel like you need to jump straight back in, then get yourself out there and auditioning. If you feel you need a break, that is cool too.

Are TNBD no more?

Looking that way mate.

monquixote

Drew_fx said:

monquixote said:

Drew_fx said:

Facing a similar thing mate. Do what you feel - if you feel like you need to jump straight back in, then get yourself out there and auditioning. If you feel you need a break, that is cool too.

Are TNBD no more?

Looking that way mate.

Shit, really sorry to hear that. 

Maybe the vocal stuff you've been doing will take you in a new direction anyway.

Stevepage

Always look forward. Always look to progress.

I remember when I quit my first band, that was very hard. I co-founded the band with the other guitarist so walking away from my baby was a hard thing to do. All the work and commitment I poured into it consumed a lot of my time. I've only just got back into a new recently after nearly 10 years of not really doing much.