Would you conform or stick to your guns if......?

Here's the sceanrio:

My band of four years wants to change our format from what we have been playing to the more "popular" music (like Play That Funky Music, Brick House, Brown eyes Girl, etc) to get into some of the "A-List" clubs and compete with the more "popular" bands (like Crush, Lounge Lizards, Soul Kitchen, etc). They feel that this will have us play less for more money. I am a die-hard blues fan and have played blues style/funk music with these guys for four years, now, and have put alot of hard work into making this band what it is. I have done all of the booking, promoting, out shaking hands with the club owners, making signs, posters, etc for the time we have been together. Of the other four members (now 6), the sax player has booked one gig, the guitar player has booked one gig, the singer has booked one gig and the bass player has booked three gigs. We play on an average of 5 to 6 times per month, so that should give you a good average. I have never asked for a booking fee of any sort during that time.

The question is, should I stick to my guns, play what I love and leave the band or should I stick it out and play this mundane, boring stuff just for the money?

 

I think one of your poll options should be to compromise.

 

i guess i would say stick to your guns because if you aint having fun why bother. when comes to the money it wont be the end of the world if you had to go without gig money till you got something else going,( if you are like me your not paying the rent with it you are buying new toys with it)

but i mean if aint fun you will be cheating yourself.

 

How many have "day jobs"? If there is some reliance on the money from the gigs that must be a consideration. If it is not a consideration, but is for fun do what you think is more fun.

 

A comprimise would be if I actually liked playing the music. The money is not the deciding factor for me. I love what we play and we have gotten to the point to where we are getting calls from clubs and private parties now that I would have to have knocked down thier doors to get in before. I think what has happened is that I booked a few new places for us to try out and they did not work out as well as they could have. We played Highbeams and Sidelines and you could have heard crickets chirp in the place. We play The Blue Martini and we pack them in. As a matter of fact, we hold the record over there for the best night they have had since they have been open for number of people and money brought in. Yeah, we play covers but they are pretty obscure covers as for as Blues and Funk go. Most people have never heard the stuff we play but they still get up and dance their butts off. I just think that with the few "bad" gigs we have had, they are eager to change what we do just to get into the "better clubs".

Here are some of the artists we cover. I encourage you to check some of them out.

Tommy Castro Band www.tcband.com
Coco Montoya www.cocomontoya.com
Roomful Of Blues www.roomful.com
Son Seals
Little Charlie & The Nightcats www.littlecharlie.com
Buddy Guy www.buddyguy.net
Jonny Lang
BB King

 

We all have day jobs and not one of us "needs" the money at all. Heck, we usually take one gig a month and make it the "kitty" gig. We take all of the money and put it in the band fund to cover any extra expenses (repair equipment, merchandise, new tires for the trailer, etc). Not one of us (at least I don't think so) is expecting to become a rock star any time soon. I am the youngest at 39 years old and we all have families so it is not even a consideration. We do it for fun, or at least has been, until now.

 

If it is a hobby, stick with the Blues. If your money is the reason your doing it some sort of compromise is in order.

 

look on the bright side if you do leave the band its alot easier for you to find another group ( everyone always looking for a drummer , not like us dime a dozen guitar players)

 

If it is a hobby, stick with the Blues. If your money is the reason your doing it some sort of compromise is in order.

 

Or us Raspy female vocalists..............

 

Computer issues

 

i hear ya jen. sometimes i wish i took piano or drum lessons. but alas i still love bending the strings on my gitar....

 

Ditto.
Ditto.

 

preach on rev. i agree with you

 

oh no. Not 'Coming to America'!!!

I love that movie!!

Sexual Chocolate!!!

 

My thoughts exactly, Ken. My heart is in the Blues and I love playing it. It has more heart and soul than any other music I have ever played. It has alot of room for expression and feeling. I used to play Metal and Classic Rock but it's all just flash and show. When someone is up there on the stage pouring thier heart out of thier guitar or thier lyrics are telling a story, I feel part of what they are saying. When I am up there playing with someone like that, it just digs into my heart and makes me play with more heart and feeling. Now, if someone is just putting on a "show" playing blues, it iwll come out that way, but, when someone has thier heart and soul buried in it, it comes out like a waterfall. Besides.....blues is great sex music! When was the last time you tried to make love to Motley Crue? Anyway...I am getting off track, here.

It breaks my heart that they want to do this after all of the time and effort we have put into this. I feel like four years have been washed down the drain. I got the chance to sit with Tommy Castro at dinner the last time he was in town and picked his brain. The advice he gave was the same as yours. Play what you love and love what you play and it will come out on stage and the people will enjoy it no matter what it is. He played Mannish Boy and had people eating out of his hand. That song is one of the most boring 1-4-5 Blues tunes out there but he made it so good that the ladies were swooning. It was amazing.

I guess we will see what happens at practice tonight. I will stick to my guns and see what happens.

 

Already have moved in that direction. I contacted an old friend who loves blues like me and he is one fantastic guitar player and singer. He made a call to a bass player and I made a call to a keys player and we have a band. Lonesome George & The Backdoor Slam. First practice this Sunday. All we want to do is play blues and play a couple of times a month just to get our Ya-Ya's out and play some smokin' blues. Already have gigs booked. (I guess it's good to be the booking agent for your own band....all it took was a few phone calls and they were ready to book us this month!)

 

good luck at pratice. if you ever need to jam the blues call me up you got my number.

 

Sounds like what you need is a female vocalist!!!!

And I know where you can find one who is available, and rather blusey sounding herself!

 

Actually I lost it. I thought I had saved it but I did not. Send it to me via PM.

Sunday night - Blue Martini - Blues & Jazz Jam.

Plus....we are playing Saturday night at the same place. Come check us out and see if you think we should change up at all. Hmmm....as a matter of fact, I need to send out our Mo Newsletter today for that gig!