Playing gigs you don't inherently enjoy?

Had a friend back in high school that played piano in a dance combo band.

Pretty talented guy as he ended up with Maynard Ferguson(his hero),later on in life.
Same old sets ,same old setting with folks that were 30 or 40 years older than he was.
Eventually it was literally an FU parting of the ways.

The pièce de résistance went like FU Wally.
Wally: Don't burn any bridges you may want to cross later.

Beware of those gigs.
 
Sounds like a good gig. What kind of time commitment and money?

Re: style of music, it's drums, it doesn't matter. If they play it well, it'll be fun.
Yea. I'm at the if it pays it plays point. I'm played enough different styles throughout the years that this shouldn't be any different if treated appropriately.

I'm surprised there isn't a Garth Brooks or Zack Brown tune in the set.
 
When I started out, on the advice of my teacher Eric, I played any and all situations/genres that came my way. Some paid, some didn’t and I didn’t really care for most of the music but most of my favourite gigging/studio stories come from this period. :) This “can do” approach eventually landed me a stellar hard rock gig with some incredible musicians who I met whilst playing in a metal band whose music wasn’t really my cup of tea. During this time we did a session for a female pop singer, again the music wasn’t my thing but playing with those guys definitely was! Take the gig, who knows where it will lead?!! 😀 (y)
 
theres only two gigs i'd err and umm about doing are a beatles tribute band and an oasis tribute band, as i dont really care for either of them, i'd play a couple songs by them in a covers band but wouldnt want to be in tribute bands to them,


other than that im game for playing pretty much anything :)
 
theres only two gigs i'd err and umm about doing are a beatles tribute band and an oasis tribute band, as i dont really care for either of them, i'd play a couple songs by them in a covers band but wouldnt want to be in tribute bands to them,


other than that im game for playing pretty much anything :)
What about Air Supply?
 
theres only two gigs i'd err and umm about doing are a beatles tribute band and an oasis tribute band, as i dont really care for either of them, i'd play a couple songs by them in a covers band but wouldnt want to be in tribute bands to them,


other than that im game for playing pretty much anything :)
Dude! I did a cabaret show playing Beatles songs and other 60’s favourites, sung by an Elvis impersonator! I had a bloody blast! 😂 (y)
 
What about Air Supply?
only know the one hit by them xD.



Dude! I did a cabaret show playing Beatles songs and other 60’s favourites, sung by an Elvis impersonator! I had a bloody blast! 😂 (y)
sounds like a nirvana tribute show that came to my hometown recently, elvana it was called, nirvana songs sung by an elvis impersonator xD good you had fun doing it though :)
 
An inspiration I took from Steve Gadd was finding the creative challenge in any musical project. I believe it's this humility that created some of the best ears in the business, the guy couldn't play a meaningless note if he tried no matter who surrounded him. Superior or inferior players, always a high respect for the music. And if you are the 'superior' player in the situation, maybe you are the one to elevate the musical situation. And I think this is what Steve was able to do very well.

  1. Great music
  2. Great musicians
  3. Great hang
  4. Great gigs
  5. Great money
Great musicians with credentials who are assholes are not worth the time. If I wouldn't hang with them outside the musical situation, then not worth it for me...life is too freaking short for my time to be shared like this (obviously I don't make a living in music, lol). There was a time when I would put the music first before anything but the musical art form has a way of showing a person's true colors. Thankfully, I never made a living in music because the political networking referrals creates a natural hierarchy and public displays of butt kissing along w/ so called established players treating 'lower' musicians like crap...some really petty behavior I don't have the patience for. And sure there are politics in every work scenario but there are clearer boundaries on credentials I feel.

On original question, I played in a ska band for a summer long ago. It was a good learning experience; glad I did it and glad it ended.
 
An inspiration I took from Steve Gadd was finding the creative challenge in any musical project.

Superior or inferior players, always a high respect for the music. And if you are the 'superior' player in the situation, maybe you are the one to elevate the musical situation. And I think this is what Steve was able to do very well.
This (y) ⬆️
 
I've been offered a gig for a modern country band. Never once on the last 20 years have I thought this be a thing for me. I don't listen to it so I don't know it or it's culture.

The band is one of the top 3 modern country acts in the area. Opening up for Toby Keith, Nascar, and seems to have a decent following.

Ran through a few sets and it's not terrible. Most of the songs are the same (the money beat) and at least it is upbeat. I did enjoy most of the songs as they grow on me. I've only done cover bands of classic rock that I grew up on, or original projects for my own enjoyment.

Anyone take a gig that was a complete 180 from what you're used to and either do it for the money or grew to like it?

this was me 7 years ago when asked to join a country band with a guy I played hockey with. It was rough at first b/c I knew NONE of the songs, and did not really have great motivation to learn them. Meeting the guys in the band changed that in that they are all very cool, and we have a great time playing together. It has also led me to some gig situations that were hard for me to take seriously at first: tractor pulls; FOE gigs; country bars; county fairs...but now, they are actually a blast for people watching, and it is sort of cool to see people living in an "old school"/Americana type of way. I am jealous of the simplicity of their lives sometimes

Now, 8 years later, I understand the genre way more, and don't feel so lost, though I still absolutely do not identify with the culture, lyrics, hyper-focus on drinking and being "downtrodden"...bbut I do respect the history of country music more, and what it did to pave the way for popular music in my home genres
 
And if you are the 'superior' player in the situation, maybe you are the one to elevate the musical situation. And I think this is what Steve was able to do very well.
I can't think of any non-amazing player Gadd has been in the studio or on stage with.
People who aren't pulling their weight gets really ld very quickly. On your other point, I have worked with very difficult people who also pushed me musically. It isn't pleasant, but I'd rather work with difficult people than have to waste my time with a band that can't or won't play what they are trying to play.
 
Good music.
Good hang.
Good pay.

Pick two.

In my little realm, gig pay is barely gas money (a 100-mile drive to a gig is normal) so the music and the bandmates had better be good or I’m out. And that means I expect bandmates to be prepared for rehearsal (know the key, tempo, start-middle-end of every tune) because it’s a 4-hour round-trip for me to rehearse and I don’t want to sit around while musicians work out the chord progression they should’ve learned on their own. If they don’t respect my time, I don’t respect theirs. I also expect me to know everything, so I put in weeks of practice on every set before any group rehearsal.

The music I played with them this past weekend was a mix of 60s, 70s and 80s dance tunes (Land of 1000 Dances, Ladies Night, etc.). I have never played disco in my life and this weekend was my first time. My jaw went slack when I saw all the people get on the dance floor for that stuff. (Morons! Don’t they know Highway Star is a better song? 😂).

After this experience, I told the bandleader that if he still wants me in the band that rehearsals should match our performance (i.e., people come prepared), and that this provides the best platform/environment for the two female vocalists to sing and work within the music we provide. He understood, but a couple other musicians never listen to the recordings of our rehearsals and therefore never improve past their repetitive mistakes. This could be a deal-breaker for me.
 
The only time I've taken a gig playing music I didn't like was over 20 years ago. It was the closest thing to "touring" as I ever did. I actually played bass and keyboards in the band, and we played 6 nights a week for 11 weeks straight one summer. I was glad that I did it, but I wouldn't do it again because I really started to hate the music (Contemporary Christian).

The general thing for me has been this: When I start out, I have a good time and enjoy the music. Then, over time, I grow to dislike it (this is always due to a shift in musical direction which is out of my hands). I grow tired of the music, and I move on to something else.
 
If it's paying well and they're cool off stage take it. My main earner is playing songs I can't stand but I'm getting paid to play my drums so what's not to like!

Great way to network and one thing I've found down the years is you'll get work from not being fussy with genres. It's just business!

If it's a long term thing I agree that band personalities come into it more and everyone needs to pull an equal amount of weight but that's a conversation to be had another time!

I do love doing beer money gigs with mates because those are great fun. Show up with a folder of songs and call them as we go. I suppose the only gig I'd turn down is when I hear 'exposure' and 'cut of the door'.
 
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My heart has always been in prog rock/metal. Joined a 'regular' rock band a few years ago to help them out and stuck around for roughly two years. My heart wasn't really in it, but allowed me to do some gigs again and that was my main reason. But after 1 1/2 years i started to get bored playing steady 4/4 beat all the time and had less and less fun rehearsing, even playing live. Wasn't in it for the money, although it had potential, but that i didn't enjoy it anymore and the lack of progress i abruptly decided to quit (not my most proud moment, but at that point in my life i dopped a lot of stuff/people). Did like it in the start, but in the end i decided that i just need to follow my heart. But this works for me, everyone should follow their own path :)
 
I can't think of any non-amazing player Gadd has been in the studio or on stage with.
People who aren't pulling their weight gets really ld very quickly. On your other point, I have worked with very difficult people who also pushed me musically. It isn't pleasant, but I'd rather work with difficult people than have to waste my time with a band that can't or won't play what they are trying to play.
Probably because he had such a successful career. I see Steve as the antithesis of the jazz-snob and saw it all as a challenge no matter how simple or complex. I'm also paraphrasing a favorite Joey Baron quote too, a dropping of ego to make the most of the music, another killer than can commit 1000% no matter the context. I believe there is something to be learned in any situation, even lesser experienced players. Of course there are just terrible musical situations too...this all broad strokes of course.

But I'm not a professional like you are, so that affords some inherit differences. Perhaps there are professional implications to taking less than professional gigs for career self-preservation purposes, I could see that along with playing for people one may not like personally but good career move. Would love to be surrounded by seasoned players all the time for my own musical growth of course, and see the purpose for career growth as well. I found the music world so reputation based on who plays with what name and this is constantly getting leveraged as a main credential, for better or worse.
 
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