Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
At The Back => Time Out => Topic started by: Dmoney on September 14, 2014, 11:28:30 PM
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So I'm bored of not playing with others. I've been looking at gumtree on and off and I've been asked to play in a few things but generally with really unreliable people or those that don't really seem excited about to the prospect. Or in bands I'd have to travel pretty far for. I don't often see adds on gumtree that make me think "that would be cool". So where is good to find people to jam with these days? Most people I know now are a bit younger and playing in 3 or 4 or more bands at the same time, if i do a band with anyone I'd want it to be a bit more regular and solid. I don't think I;ve written a song in years. I feel like I have a big complex about it now.
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Do you use social media to connect to fellowmusicians?
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not really. Not to chat about music anyway. I know a lot of people that play but I rarely talk about music with anyone, and when I do it's usually with people that don't play instruments. I've been asked to do one project with some good people that would be really interesting but I feel like the pressure to write is on me. The others are in bands or busy with other things. I have a sound in my head but I have a huge issue with writing. I feel like I need to play more, chat about music more. I dunno. Whenever I've had a band practice of late, it's basically a few people standing around waiting for me to tell them what to do, and then more confident people who can't actually play (singer) suggesting structures and riffs, which is cool an all, but it often means I've ended up playing music I think is poorly written. That is a slippery slope to not enjoying playing.
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Indeed very difficult. I was very lucky with the last band I played in as they were all very nice guys, good musicians and had roughly the same ambitions. More often than not, if you have all good musicians you have one guy you cannot get along with or if you have nice guys you have at least one that cannot play well enough or is not really interested in gigging.
The contact to the last band I was referring came through a local luthier who heard of a vacant spot in that band through another customer.
Cheers Stephan
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So I'm bored of not playing with others. I've been looking at gumtree on and off and I've been asked to play in a few things but generally with really unreliable people or those that don't really seem excited about to the prospect. Or in bands I'd have to travel pretty far for. I don't often see adds on gumtree that make me think "that would be cool". So where is good to find people to jam with these days? Most people I know now are a bit younger and playing in 3 or 4 or more bands at the same time, if i do a band with anyone I'd want it to be a bit more regular and solid. I don't think I;ve written a song in years. I feel like I have a big complex about it now.
Youre is same boat as me what makes it even harder is I only want to play progressive metal haha!
Any way you can try bandmix.co.uk and joinmyband.co.uk.
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Good thread - I'm not really interested in gigging these days but am interested in finding others to play music with and just generally talk about guitars and music.
I'm not a good enough guitar player (yet) to be able to just go and jam but equally, when I have played in bands, recognize the need to be respectful of my sonic space in the band. We had two guitarists once and the guy who was playing lead (not me) insisted on soloing at every opportunity. This really riled me as a) it didn't fit the music b) others in the band were obviously p!ssed off about it and c) he couldn't see that he wasn't being tasteful.
Long story short, I left the band. I've been asked back a few times but have always said no. Showing off really isn't my thing.
Anyway - I'd be happy with a grrup of a few to jam with, exchange ideas, not have someone either trying to, or being expected to, take the lead and generally just have a good ole time.
Not much to wish for really is it.
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I've found the same problem. Bands aren't cool anymore and we're living in the times of DJ's/Clubs (which I don't mind, I'm open to all of it)
A few years ago, pretty much everyone I knew outside of work was in some form of band or had a band. The local town was teeming with people in bands. Right now, I can name about 3/4 local bands and a handful of musicians. I've asked an old friend of mine (who is a fantastic bass player) if he wants to start something up and his reply is ambivalent at best. All the lads that I played in my last band with haven't gone on to do anything new either...
Buh.
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+1 for Join My Band, although I've had mixed success there, particularly with singers. All the replies seem to be from 18 year old girls. Which is great and all, but not really appropriate for a band comprised of a bunch of sweaty arsed 40something blokes.
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I have had good luck with Joinmyband but anothe good one is
http://www.partysounds.co.uk/
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The last few bands I've been in have been a mix of Gumtree and going to a music institute and advertising there. I've never been lucky enough to already know a guy that can play drums or "that bassist who lives round the corner" so all the band members I've met have been via the internet and auditions most of the time. Sometimes its easier if you already know the "guy who plays drums down the road" and you've been mates for years the transition from that to a band member is pretty simple, cos you already get on well.
Being in bands tells you a lot about other people's personality, if you can rely on them, how easy they are to work with, what their ambitions are like etc etc. As I've gone from band to band slowly the quality of the music but also the personal goals of the members have improved. Now I'm in a lineup with some really good players, we've all been in touring bands in the past and are quite experienced.
As for the songwriting issue, we're pretty bad at it! Being 5 pretty strong minded individuals its sometimes difficult to all meet in the middle somewhere, as one person wants the song to sound a certain way, then another thinks differently. It's not one person who write the whole song, one of us (usually one of the guitars) comes in with an idea and then we try to develop it together. Some sections are debated, like if it sounds better this way, etc etc and that's when tensions can build but you gotta do the best for the song. To keep 5 guys pretty happy in one setting is a task in itself, but don't all bands go through this?
Getting anywhere in an unsigned band is very difficult these days, cos there's very little (or none at all) these days. Not that we all want to be sellouts but it would be great to make money from being in a band wouldn't it? Even if it was operating at a comfortable profit so your bills were paid and you could live. I've seen many of my friends in unsigned bands split up after 5 or so years cos they're pouring so much money into it and not getting much back, and real life starts to take a hold, whatever that might be, moving away, going to study, getting married, job promotion/relocation etc etc. Touring life starts to take a hold on you too esp if you've got any ties (gf/wife/kids, etc) and you end up being detached from your mates.
This is all subjective however as some people are content with just jamming on the weekend or weekday evenings whilst holding down a full-time job, others are constantly touring and having to do supermarket or pub shifts to keep the money rolling in.
I won't lie, nothing beats that half hour on stage rocking out your tunes YOU'VE written. But at the end of the day is it al really worth it?
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It's definitely a lot of hard work. I'm 29 now and I want to be in a band again but only to make the best possible music I can make no other reasons but even this seems like an impossible task.
I will say that bands in my experience bands dont work as a 'democracy' and you always need a leader/s and for the other people to fall in line which sounds harsh but you dont have to be a dick about it (Some will though and thats how they keep control) but there needs to be a clear vision I will say that not a confused mixture of compromise so no one is 100% happy.
My last band was decent and i'm glad I was in a band and not just a bedroom guitarist but I find it frustrating how much better it could have been had I been in charge and what amuses me now is that they all admit it would have been better if i'd have took the band in the direction I wanted to go in!
One thing is for sure as you say it is a lot of hard work and it is worth it but if I do get it a band again i'm not messing about like I have in the past and that's probably why i'm not in a band and never will be gain haha!
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I've tried putting ads up on JoinMyBand etc but to no luck. I've been trying for years to get a band going but it's hard to find people who are either on the same wavelength or are committed enough to make it happen. Shame as I'm sat on at least an albums worth of song/riff ideas that I just need to get playing with other musicians to turn them into interesting songs.
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I've been thinking I'll wait until I retire then find some other saggy, balding old saddoes and put together a set of incompetent pub-rock covers (....but NOT including Brown Eyed Girl or $%&#ing Mustang Sally)
Sounds like it may be more difficult than I thought.
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I wouldn't use Joinmyband, as mentioned above its full of young kids who haven't got a clue how to run a band, let alone be in one. The replies I've had from there is a joke!
Jimmy - I'm a similar age to you and I can totally relate to what you're saying. I'm in a band where I'm in the middle, so a couple older and a couple younger than me, it seems to be oldest people take charge most of the time, but it shouldn't be on age.
I think as you do get older though life priorities get in the way and you just get less and less time as you did before which is why the best period to do it is when you're studying, e.g university/college type stage. Less commitments and focuses, (apart from exams!).
I've used Bandmix a couple of times but again, no real substance to any people on there, unless you go for the paid membership where people are likely to be more serious.
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I wouldn't use Joinmyband, as mentioned above its full of young kids who haven't got a clue how to run a band, let alone be in one. The replies I've had from there is a joke!
Jimmy - I'm a similar age to you and I can totally relate to what you're saying. I'm in a band where I'm in the middle, so a couple older and a couple younger than me, it seems to be oldest people take charge most of the time, but it shouldn't be on age.
I think as you do get older though life priorities get in the way and you just get less and less time as you did before which is why the best period to do it is when you're studying, e.g university/college type stage. Less commitments and focuses, (apart from exams!).
I've used Bandmix a couple of times but again, no real substance to any people on there, unless you go for the paid membership where people are likely to be more serious.
I paid for bandmix for a year it was a waste of money. It made me join one band which was woeful and I ended up quitting before we get to the stage to avoid outright shame. We did a live recording immediately before I left so recording like that (Like ive done years ago but not recently) at least it kept me on my toes a bit.
Met 2 good musicians recently online like really good into similar stuff to me but they have such outrageous quirks and egos nothing has come of it. Theyre both really really good IMO a cut above but they disable themselves with their unreasonable/outright mental behavior.
I was all set to join one band but they then insisted I had to sign a contract and rehearse on saturday mornings only?!
Still as people have identified all bands will have these sorts of problems some more some less.
Its only pap like say Papa Roach where they just keep going........how could they have artistic differences?!
Some one say some thing positive :/
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Good God, I'm a lucky guy. I have my coverband (seven players including a hornsection), my classic rock/bluesrock-projectband and I am regularly asked by coverbands when their guitarists can't do the gig. Doing at the moment nearly every weekend one or two gigs. I guess I'm just in the right network at the moment.
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I've had a look at those websites and couldn't find much. They also hurt my brain with how bad the search function works on some of them.
I've played with enough bands to know people run things different and have different approaches to doing bands and that's not really all that bad, there is no right or wrong way other than thinking you can't do certain things without being on a major label. All this signing of contracts, sending photos along with a musical CV, I don't have time for any of that. That tells me these are people I wouldn't get on with in face to face.
I've been having a look around since I started this thread. Nothing has popped up that interests me. Lots of blues rock stuff, or covers bands. I don't really have anything against them but it's not what I want to do or feel able to do. My lead playing isn't that good but I pick stuff up quick. I wouldn't even play in many thrash or metal bands. Anything I find vaguely interesting also seems to be somewhat pretentious at the same time. I have a lot of friends that play in bands still, but basically they're all still straightedge (which is fine with me) and I think they'd all rather do bands centered around that (which is also fine) but I think since I moved away from that it's been the end of me being seriously involved in a band past the odd practice and bit of rhetoric.
Really, I just need to play and write, since i have been asked by some great dudes to put something together. 4 songs would do. I have a direction but nowhere to start. As of this moment I don't find playing that enjoyable. If I play guitar I usually just play a couple of songs over and over. The Weakerthans version of Anchorless or some Osker songs. Maybe playing with other people isn't the answer. I just wish I played more generally.
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Know exactly how you feel mate, since I got my house i play a fraction of what I used ro just because I'm either doing stuff around the house on my days off, or have my mates round in the evening. Really need to dedicate one night a week to playing I think! A band seems like a good idea but at the same time I'm a bit of a control freak w/r/t music and find it hard to write with others - no problem playing with em, its just writing I struggle with
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Its really hard to find good musicians online these days. And in my experience there's alot of people who can play, really well but are just pr1ck5's about it! (All talent and the ego to go with it.)
Writing can be a struggle esp if people work differently, being guitar players we are accustomed to coming up with a riff or chord progression first right? Does anyone work with a vocal melody to start with perhaps? How hard is to come up with music to vocals? I've done it a few times and I find it very hard.
When you're a bit younger its easier as there's less commitments. That's why the best time to form originals bands is when you're at college or university. At least at uni you're old enough to play gigs in 18+ venues!
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Its really hard to find good musicians online these days. And in my experience there's alot of people who can play, really well but are just pr1ck5's about it! (All talent and the ego to go with it.)
Writing can be a struggle esp if people work differently, being guitar players we are accustomed to coming up with a riff or chord progression first right? Does anyone work with a vocal melody to start with perhaps? How hard is to come up with music to vocals? I've done it a few times and I find it very hard.
When you're a bit younger its easier as there's less commitments. That's why the best time to form originals bands is when you're at college or university. At least at uni you're old enough to play gigs in 18+ venues!
I write a bit different to most. Probably as I started out as a drummer.
I write a nice pattern decide on a tempo and time signature them jam out riffs over it.
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I like the method Tony describes. I think the best results I've had are from thinking of the song as a whole and working backwards, if that makes any sense.
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I always come up with riffs then record something rough to a click in Reaper, then write the drums around that. Usually when I'm doing this I'll figure out how to link the different sections of the song together.
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I think any way you can come out with riffs the better but if youre on your own and inspiration doesnt strike youll struggle.
I have found though that if I play to ome sort of machine or with a drummer so if you lock in with the groove youll always come up with some thing decent or awesome when you least expect it!
Its always cool when you come out with a riff and the drummer is on the same wave length or you explain what you want and they can get it but more often than not they want to do their own thing :/
I remember once I was trying to describe how I wanted a drummer to play some thing in a Mickey Dee/King Diamond kind of way knowing he'd never even heard any of their stuff so when he just cracked some thing out just how I had in my head those magic moments make being in a band worth while. Few and far between though......
There I go hating on people again lol
I generally like it when drummers overplay but i've only ever played with one drummer like that thus far and the problem there was when there was a genuine need for simplicity he refused to do it saying it was beneath him and 'gay'. Still better that that ot being good enough to play what you want to be able to do like every other drummer I played with before and after.
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Rhythm in riffs and syncopation is quite important for what me and my band do, as its quite tight sounding. We have a drummer who plays double kick so the need for the rhythm section and the drums to match up (incl accents/stops/pushes etc) is quite important.
It also helps me and him listen to the same kind of bands so our ideas kinda sound good together, which is good. Can be frustrating when you can't get on each other's level though and neither can get into the song haha.
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If anybody is in or around Manchester UK then I am up fer jam.