From: someone@anywheret.net   
      
   "JimD"  wrote in message news:201810210109577931-email@nowherecom...   
      
   > That was what band girl told someone last week in regards to us working so   
   > much, having so many gigs. Well .... we musta just got hotter because we   
   > were just offered a whole year of gigs, one a month, at the place we   
   > played tonight.  If we take it, if it pans out, then between just two jobs   
   > we'll have every saturday booked for pretty much the entire next year.  As   
   > it is, we only have one saturday open for the rest of this year.  Those   
   > don't affect my solo or duo work during the week. Or our tourist duo's or   
   > band gigs on fridays.   
      
   That's probably because you're not loud enough ;)   
      
   > Yeah, that's nothing to regular full time players. But it is for us. Our   
   > band gigs are total weekend warrior stuff. We've things to do during the   
   > week, we're not full time muso's. We were, but aren't really any more.   
      
   I could dig it, for a while ;)   
      
   > To be really full time, to make a decent living at this you have to be in   
   > a bigger town than we are, or, you have to be willing to travel.  We   
   > aren't.  Can't really. I have a house and wife and stuff to take care of.   
   > Same with band girl. She's married, has a working farm to manage.   
      
   That's why I said I could dig it, for a while, because better venues is the   
   way to go if it's Truly gong to pay off!   
      
   Recall the song "The Cover Of The Rolling Stone" by Dr. Hook & The Medicine   
   Show, which came out in 1972, and some of its opening lyrics:   
      
   Well, we're big rock singers   
   We got golden fingers   
   And we're loved everywhere we go...(That sounds like us)   
   We sing about beauty and we sing about truth At ten thousand dollars a   
   show...(Right)   
      
   In 1972 they could get $10,000 a show, and although they did get some   
   airplay, like that song for instance, they weren't all that great a band.   
      
   So just imagine with the Right venues, and the right Original material, how   
   much could be made today, to Justify being full time 'musos'!   
      
   > We got into this as a release of boredom, something to do for fun.   
      
   And by contrast, you didn't instead choose to work at McDonalds because  you   
   didn't want the boredom and misery and preferred to have fun instead...and   
   that  means Music! Same here!   
      
   > Now tho, thanks to my knowing HOW to do it, and her beautiful voice, we're   
   > suddenly finding more work than we expected.   
      
   Keep going! Now add Originals and see it Take Off!!!   
      
   > A blessing and a curse :-)   
      
   I should be so 'cursed' with such a Blessing!!!   
      
   > If we do manage to get thes gigs rolling and solid, we'll need to find a   
   > much easier to transport our bunch of gear.  That's critical. I'm not a   
   > spring chicken, and don't plan on throwing my back out lugging pa cabs or   
   > racks.   
      
   Add some Awesome Originals and you'll have roadies and maybe some big trucks   
   too ;)   
      
   > In my younger days, this would be an adventure. It still can be, if we   
   > manage it right.   
      
   There nothing has changed - it Always Requires doing it Right to make it   
   work!   
      
   > Ok, what's the secret ?   It's not a secret, it's plain as day.  Play the   
   > songs they want to hear, have fun, and turn the F-ing volume down.   
      
   Do a good job and the rewards will be there...something the Idiots don't   
   understand.   
      
   > On that last point, we saw one of our competition bands this evening.   
   > Popular group, they play a lot also. I saw them downtown this past summer   
   > at the big blues fest the city put on. Thonight they were playing a "   
   > biker " party ( about 200 people ) in a hall behind were we were. So we   
   > walked thru. Three piece, singer/guitar, bass, drums. Minimal lights. Very   
   > laid back, and  ......  not too loud.  Surprise.  Seems we aren't the only   
   > band that's figured this out :-)   
      
   JimD   
      
   The ones who actually want gigs, and particularly if they notice that you're   
   playing a lot of them, will 'figure' it out, eventually ;)   
      
   Ouisie   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)