Playing Live vs Not Doing That

[O Drones]

Played a show last night to hardly anyone, and this note was left at a table in the venue. I suppose it fits this thread.

[D.o.S.]

That's pretty awesome. I don't know why he wouldn't just go up and tell you that, though?

[morange]

That seems like something I would do, though, write a note instead of actually talking to someone. I think some peeps are just like that.

Maybe he felt it would be inappropriate to interrupt whatever the artists had going on at the moment just to impose his opinion on them? Or he just can't express himself as well in the moment as he could in a written paragraph. Like, when you think of something to say to a stranger then you get up to them and they're just staring at you as you try to get the words out?

Could be lots of reasons I guess.

[D.o.S.]

Obligatory:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyyBWjxTzkE[/youtube]

[PeteeBee]

Here's my spin on this. I love playing gigs but don't get to often. Read: I only have played three gigs.

I was just last week a different person in this whole equation. I helped throw a show in my church for a bunch of bands on tour. Twerps and Sheer Mag being two that really ruled. Anyway, it was mostly these two guys that organized it, I just have the space and made it available. Helped with getting sound ready and stuff. I have now spent 20+ hours cleaning up after the show on three separate days, all of which these guys said they would be there to help with and they flaked. I still have a bunch of their gear and portable stage sitting in the main room. Now I'm trying to decide if it's worth helping them with another show. Ugh. I love live music and want to see the scene grow, but I don't know if it's worth this much and if it's worth dealing with these guys, but it's definitely not worth it to me to actually be the guy lining up bands to play. No one has time for that.

[resincum]

playing live is probably the most gratifying feeling for me. it's very cathartic and the only reason I got into making 'music' to begin with. I can understand the 'unsympathetic audience' thing, but it's never meant shit to me probably because I came into this showing up at some hardcore house show with 2 boss me 50s and a mic asking if I could open it up. I guess it's a selfish concept, but I try to self medicate with sound and anyone who happens to like it along the way makes everything that much better. I've become accustomed to clearing rooms. there's also a really awesome close-knit network of diy minded musicians/artists here it's hard to ever feel fucked over. reading some of your guys experiences makes me feel really lucky! used to hate this town but I've come to love it and rep it to no end.

touring can definitely be trying, especially when you're playing to nothing but local bands//promoters for 5 days, but that one day you sell a load of merch/cop a few bills for a hotel/get asked for an autograph(I seriously think this is ridiculous, but I met a fucker who apparently listened to my shit for years and never thought I'd come through his town and asked for my sig. that shit BLEW MY MIND) it makes everything worth it.

things I don't like about playing live is 1. getting cut off. even more so when the promoter puts on his 'joke band' for twenty minutes before you. 2. band mates fucking up songs (myself included. unforgivable in that case). It's stupid & at the end of the night completely meaningless. still, I'm sure most people don't notice, but I do, and that just throws my whole groove off and bugs me endlessly considering the amount of time and effort we put into rehearsing to begin with. 3. driving home. ugh

if you're thinking about playing live again (or for the first time); GO FOR IT. fuck everyone else and shred

[echoraven]

....I have now spent 20+ hours cleaning up after the show on three separate days, all of which these guys said they would be there to help with and they flaked..

I'm gonna go there and I'm sorry but those guys are a bunch of dicks.

[weed_killer]

I've never played live before, but at this point my music is taking an increasingly large part in my life, and I'm starting to make connections to people involved in local scenes, so at some point in the summer I imagine I'll play at least once. For me part of it has been trying to figure out logistics, as my stuff is solo but my sound involves full instrumentation and layers that would necessitate backing tracks/loops/samples/etc.

[kbit]

my few live experiences have mainly been one off improv ambient jams with the archeologist (ilf: dr sherman sticks). Most of them have been some of my favorite life experiences.

[AxAxSxS]

This is bumming me out, mannnn.

I love to play live and have had some experiences on both sides of the equation.

The punk band I was in around 2008 was, admittedly a bit of a joke. It was a bunch of army Sergeants getting together and jamming and we called it Alcoholics against sobriety society. AASS. We played a few house shows we set up with friends and had a blast. Then we got handed a card of some promoter. One of the ticket pre sale, pay to play variety. We did't want to sell tickets and didn't have a clue or inclination to getting a clue as to how that all works, So we played a few terrible shows with random other bands for no money. Really just lame.

Fast forward a few years to my current project and it's been very different. We found the people who are doing it themselves for themselves and for each other and it's been a rad ride. Yeah there were a couple shows that weren't amazing, but those are more of the exception. The difference is getting like minded individuals together and putting on events that make sense and aren't just a random jumble of bands. I'm not making any money doing it but we aren't that big a deal. I know we have it easy in the PNW, but if your town does not have a scene aside from the scammy promoters and lame ass shit, you are either going to have to make one or move.

Get out there and meet people. Here's some things that maybe can help you navigate.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/403653866123/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dontpaytoplay/
https://youtu.be/Lz_CPzuwSk4

[AxAxSxS]

This is bumming me out, mannnn.

I love to play live and have had some experiences on both sides of the equation.

The punk band I was in around 2008 was, admittedly a bit of a joke. It was a bunch of army Sergeants getting together and jamming and we called it Alcoholics against sobriety society. AASS. We played a few house shows we set up with friends and had a blast. Then we got handed a card of some promoter. One of the ticket pre sale, pay to play variety. We did't want to sell tickets and didn't have a clue or inclination to getting a clue as to how that all works, So we played a few terrible shows with random other bands for no money. Really just lame.

Fast forward a few years to my current project and it's been very different. We found the people who are doing it themselves for themselves and for each other and it's been a rad ride. Yeah there were a couple shows that weren't amazing, but those are more of the exception. The difference is getting like minded individuals together and putting on events that make sense and aren't just a random jumble of bands. I'm not making any money doing it but we aren't that big a deal. I know we have it easy in the PNW, but if your town does not have a scene aside from the scammy promoters and lame ass shit, you are either going to have to make one or move.

Get out there and meet people. Here's some things that maybe can help you navigate.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/403653866123/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dontpaytoplay/
https://youtu.be/Lz_CPzuwSk4

[PeteeBee]

^^^
That's what I'm trying to accomplish. Meet the right people and love it. I'm willing to do with some speed bumps and needing lots of hard work, but always with fun as the goal. That was a good little read.

[AxAxSxS]

Hope some of that helps. Quite a few cali people on here. Maybe some regional threads are in order? Getting rolling at first is the hardest part. For us it really snowballed once we got a few shows under our belts. Meeting bands led to meeting bands led to meeting bands etc.
Even in the Seattle area it's possible to be completely unaware of what is going on. I lived here for nearly ten years and while I was kinda busy, I never realized how diverse and awesome the local music was. It took me going to a show, alone, to see some band this dude on the internet was in. That night was curse of the north, ancient warlocks and Black Pussy. Mind Blown.

[goroth]

I freaking love playing live. I've played a handful of really good gigs, a bunch of middle of the road gigs, and a whole heap of total crap gigs, and I've loved all of them, except for one where I played to a bunch of drugged out dickheads in a squat in Utrecht. At every show (apart from that one), even the total trash shows, there is always someone who just totally "gets it". Now we're drummerless and the possibility of playing out is on hold till we sort that out and everything does feel a little odd. I have lost so much money playing live - long drives and not even getting petrol money back etc, but if I wanted to make money I would have been a banker. I guess my least favourite part of music making is studio work, because I dislike obsessing over details, and it's just not as much fun without that tangible feedback you get from an audience. But I've learned a lot from being in a studio, so it's not without its merits. But damn... live gigs. Volume. People. Spontaneity. Love it.

I can get frustrated by soundguys who don't know shit, promoters who don't know the meaning of "promote", stages that are made for three piece blues bands, getting paid in beer etc, but I'm also smart enough to know that even though we are good - really, really good live, there's a reason we're playing those sorta gigs, and that's because we haven't recorded anything decent, we're shit at social media, we don't have any bands we're buddies with and we aren't a drawcard in ourselves. So all of the above crap doesn't bother me. We're working on those factors that are kinda forcing us into crap gigs

[PeteeBee]

Hope some of that helps. Quite a few cali people on here. Maybe some regional threads are in order? Getting rolling at first is the hardest part. For us it really snowballed once we got a few shows under our belts. Meeting bands led to meeting bands led to meeting bands etc.

I could get down with a regional sub forum. I'm not sure if that would be a huge pain to set up. I recognized some guys pedalboard from on here on the local craigslist. Hit him up to jam. No response. Twas surprised. Oh well. He only posted a couple times on... Maybe he decided he hates fuzz.