Don't want to play tonight's gig. PLEASE CLOSE

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 31 Oct 2015 4:33 pm

Sitting here about to get ready for tonight's gig. I really don't want to play it. Same un-polished band I played with last night, in a club I don't like. I'm almost hoping my truck won't start.

Oh well.

Pays $100.

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 31 Oct 2015 4:55 pm

Yeah, but you're a pro and you said you'd play. Go play.

Tom Gorr · Post by **Tom Gorr** » 31 Oct 2015 5:00 pm

Sometimes on those low expectation nights... they beat expectations

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 31 Oct 2015 5:08 pm

I've worked a lot of jobs I didn't like in my life outside of music as well as in. I consider a pickin' job by what reward it delivers. Fun and fellowship with guys you love to be around, bringing joy to seniors, sick and/or incapacitated audiences, family, funerals etc. or simply economic reasons. Gotta have something coming back. In the scenario you describe, I'd go play it, do the best job I'm capable of, put the money in my pocket and pay bills with it.

Billy McCombs · Post by **Billy McCombs** » 31 Oct 2015 5:11 pm

We feel your pain Richard. What Jerry said.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 31 Oct 2015 5:20 pm

Yeah. I'll go play it, but it's hard when your frontman/singer/rhythm guitar player is an amateur karaoke singer. He has a great voice, and is a good frontman and rhythm guitar player. His timing sucks, and he insists on dragging out songs with extra solos and verses. We did a 9 minute version of Folsom Prison Blues last night. The rest of the band is solid and professional. The good news is that I told them that tonight will be my last gig with them.

Tom Gorr · Post by **Tom Gorr** » 31 Oct 2015 6:00 pm

Most of those issues can be resolved with a band discussion and some rehearsal time.

100 bucks isn't alot . .. but if you saw what I have to do for a hundred you'd think you were living the dream.

Steve Spitz · Post by **Steve Spitz** » 31 Oct 2015 6:39 pm

I recently played a gig I wish I hadn't taken. Really embarrassing, mediocre band, horrible front man. After the gig I got hired by the fiddle player to play another date with another band, so , you never know what it can lead to.
Your a seasoned pro. Something good may come from it.

John Booth · Post by **John Booth** » 31 Oct 2015 8:05 pm

How'd it go?

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 31 Oct 2015 8:33 pm

Some nights you play, some nights you work...

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 31 Oct 2015 9:42 pm

John Booth wrote:How'd it go?

Only half way through. Torture. I want to shove the harmonica players harp up his ass. Had a terrible time just driving here.

$100 might not be much to you, but on a fixed SSDI income, it,s quite a bit. Only two hours to go.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 31 Oct 2015 9:43 pm

Skip Edwards wrote:Some nights you play, some nights you work...

Some you suffer.

Skip Edwards · Post by **Skip Edwards** » 31 Oct 2015 10:34 pm

Oh man... you didn't say there was a harmonica in the band...

Rich Upright · Post by **Rich Upright** » 31 Oct 2015 11:01 pm

I feel your pain. Harmonica players drive me crazy; always "hee-haw"ing into the mike like a braying jackass.

Be thankful you don't live in Florida. Most of the bands here suck beyond redemption.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 1 Nov 2015 2:29 am

Last 2 sets, guitar player was drunk. He cranked up his little Bogner amp (nice amp) to 14. Sound dude came up and yelled at him to turn his amp down. That didn't go over too well. Sound dude went over and unplugged his amp. Got good after that. Every time I would start to play, he would crank it up and stomp all over me. I told the leader, who is a good friend who would do anything for me, that I would play out until the end of the year. I will revisit things then. When I left to come home tonight, she was going to have a word with the guitar player about his attitude. I'd be surprised if he is still in the band. The harmonica player also plays lead guitar. He should just take over that spot. It would get him off that damn harmonica.

So... How was your Halloween?

My night started out by having the street I take to get to one of the freeways just locked up. No idea why, but after 10 minutes or so, I was able to turn around as that street also went to another freeway at the other end. Right after I get turned around, I get caught by a train. I have smoke coming out of my ears at this point. So, I finally get on the freeway and get close to where I have to go. My freakin' GPS takes me beyond where I had to be, and was bringing me in a different way than I already knew. So, it tells me I reached my destination on the left. Well, you can't turn left without driving over a center divide. No problem, I'll just make a U-Turn at the next light. There is no U-Turn permitted there, and the left turn takes you back on the freeway going the opposite direction. I almost just keep going to home. I take the next offramp which I know will get me back to where I need to be. I make a right turn after getting off the freeway, right into a mall parking lot. A BIG Mall. The entrance to the mall parking lot is actually a street with a name and everything. The street ends inside the parking lot. Finally got out of there and made it to the club. I was a little baby bitch for most of the night, not talking to anyone. In fact, I told the drummer that everyone should just stay away from me.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 1 Nov 2015 3:26 am

Richard, that's almost a good as the "Mixerman" book.

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 1 Nov 2015 3:37 am

Great play-by-play. Good to hear you took the high road til the end of the year; keeps the fingers (and the brain) moving.

Richard Sinkler wrote:Last 2 sets, guitar player was drunk.... So... How was your Halloween?

My night started out by having the street I take to get to one of the freeways just locked up. No idea why, but after 10 minutes or so, I was able to turn around as that street also went to another freeway at the other end. Right after I get turned around, I get caught by a train. I have smoke coming out of my ears at this point. So, I finally get on the freeway and get close to where I have to go. My freakin' GPS takes me beyond where I had to be, and was bringing me in a different way than I already knew. So, it tells me I reached my destination on the left. Well, you can't turn left without driving over a center divide. No problem, I'll just make a U-Turn at the next light. There is no U-Turn permitted there, and the left turn takes you back on the freeway going the opposite direction. I almost just keep going to home. I take the next offramp which I know will get me back to where I need to be. I make a right turn after getting off the freeway, right into a mall parking lot. A BIG Mall. The entrance to the mall parking lot is actually a street with a name and everything. The street ends inside the parking lot. Finally got out of there and made it to the club. I was a little baby bitch for most of the night, not talking to anyone. In fact, I told the drummer that everyone should just stay away from me.

To think--all those years of work, the pain of performance and having to put up with errant sideman, to have finally attained the status of a star.
Not a bad gig, Richard, not bad, and a hundred bucks richer and wiser.
Beats sitting at home waiting for little trick-or-treaters to come and hold us up for candy.

John Booth · Post by **John Booth** » 1 Nov 2015 5:31 am

Sounds like hell on earth Brother. It was probably because the moon was in the seventh house, and Jupiter ... nah, that's probably not it.
Glad you decided to work out to the end of the year. You decided to be, instead of not to be. These kind of gigs make you stronger.
Think of the bright side, at least you didn't have diarrhea all night. $:\$

Steve Spitz · Post by **Steve Spitz** » 1 Nov 2015 5:32 am

Some , not. All , harmonica players have no clue of the ensemble concept. They don't understand they shouldn't blow and suck from the first note to the last. All the while playing lame blues licks over a honky tonk song.

Another red flag is they have no rig, and blow through the PA vocal mic, getting a crappy tone and it's coming back at you through the vocal monitors. The only plus to the harp player without his own rig, is it makes it easier to get him off the stage.

I've always wished the first Harmonica should cost $5000, Or you should be required to have some sort of license or permit to own one.

In fairness, I've worked with some pros who had cool tone, and great taste. They were usually outnumbered by the less accomplished. Some guys were harmonica players, some were just harmonica owners.

Floyd Lowery · Post by **Floyd Lowery** » 1 Nov 2015 6:19 am

The only harmonica player I did not hate was a keyboard player that brought out a harmonica in the right key at the right time.
I played a TV show and the piano was tuned below 440. I would get there early and tune the band to the piano so we would sound in tune. Then when the harmonica player started to do his thing, it sounded horrible.
Then there was always the guy that would sit at the bar and pull out his harmonica and play along with every song the band played. No matter what key we were in, he played the same harmonica. Yuck

Mike Archer · Post by **Mike Archer** » 1 Nov 2015 6:46 am

well darn ill I did was give out candy.....

mike

Duane Becker · Post by **Duane Becker** » 1 Nov 2015 7:02 am

Richard, I feel for you, and actually I am going through the same thing. Bar band that I'm am in is 3 nights a week, Thur-Sat.
Guitar player is a drunk, who turns up so loud it is unbearable-he also controls the sound.
I play music for a living, no day jobs, and its real tuff to quit as I depend on the money.
I dont under stand the crowd either. They love it. The louder, more abnoxious you play, the better they think you sound.
And we sound terrible!

John Booth · Post by **John Booth** » 1 Nov 2015 7:11 am

Duane Becker wrote: I dont under stand the crowd either. They love it. The louder, more abnoxious you play, the better they think you sound.
And we sound terrible!

I know it seems like a contradiction of definition but the audience is usually the LAST ones to know if it sounds good or not.
Some of the worst bands I've been in were the most popular.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 1 Nov 2015 7:29 am

I can relate....I do this the 3rd Fri of every month. At first I was thinking of dropping out all together then it dawned on me. Seat time and as Reece would have said " perfect practice"

It's an easy gig and there are many folks who appreciate the Steel and request instrumentals. So, as crazy and loose as the band is , I have come to respect the gig, plus it's a good paying gig and early, 7 to 10.

To me it's silently about ME and my gear and they don't know it !

Hell, they don't even know what a Sho Bud is let alone a Push Pull...BUT.."I do"...

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 1 Nov 2015 7:30 am

alot of whining issues here.
you all could iust make intelligent decisions, keep them to yourselves and save some decorum.

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