Electric gigs?
 

Last gig was in the front yard in March.
Here in Bakersfield, restaurants have moved outdoors. We got a call from Cafe Smitten to return and play. They offered us both Friday and Saturday. Pay is minimal, but we get two free drinks and 50% off a meal price.

The Huckleberries took Friday. With the addition of a pedal steel player, we became a country rock band with a set list mixing Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones, Haggard, Owens, Ry Cooder, David Lindley, Byrds, Leon Russel, Willie Nelson, Taj Mahal. We do lots of jamming and leave the audience bewildered. Last time around there was a conga line dancing amidst the tables and people freaking out at hearing a mix of Telecaster and pedal steel.

I’ll be using my MIM Tele with Harmonic Design Pickups into a 1958 Tweed Deluxe with a Boss ‘63 Fender Reverb and DD5 Delay.

Saturday will be the RiffKats, a blues band with the Huckleberries bassist, my brother on Hammond organ, a different drummer and singer. Our sets are comprised of the three Kings: Albert, BB, and Freddie, Taj Mahal, Robert Johnson, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Doc Watson, Bernard Allison, Jimmy Reed, Cream,Clapton, some originals, and a great tune from the first Blues Image album, Leaving My Troubles Behind. I saw Blues Image when I was 13. Mike Panera was just 21 and after seeing Hendrix a few months earlier, was a truly amazing player.

I’ll switch to a Les Paul TV Special into either a ‘76 Princeton Reverb or 1980 Deluxe Reverb with a ZenDrive.

Anyone else gigging?

nah...

and I really don't miss it, I was very active in the late 70s thru the 90s.. To me, those were the good years for this,, you could actually make some money and the venues were good.

Now,, not so much... I've taken a few swipes at it, but it's just not the same. the money is horrible and most of the places are demanding the band fills the room with their "FOLLOWING"

"dude, we're NOT bonjovi.."

But I'm VERY glad to hear those that WANT to are able to start doing so again. The entertainment industry has taken a serious kick in the gut this year.

Rock on!!!

Thanks.

The newest local brewery is “Pay to Play”.

You pay $350 and get tickets to sell. Total BS. Another place wants you to have a following and play classic rock.

We show up, play, get paid, and split.

I gigged intensely n the 90s and then fell deep into DADGAD solo. Now I’m back on electric,

My band stopped in March. We had a great outdoor summer schedule, but the face of the band (I only joined a year or two ago and the band has been around for 20 years or something) has a health issue that led to her decision to not play at all in public until we have a vaccine. I had my duo partner as a sub (much better singer), but since #1 was the face of the band they decided not to play.

I did play with a band at a wedding as a sub. Fun guys and fun band that I love to play with. They were great about social distancing me from the audience and the rest of the band. Worked out great. Keyboard player got Covid about a week later!

I've played some outdoor patio acoustic gigs that were fun. One more in November and then I won't book anything until at least March 2021.

Maybe looking to join another band to play electric in 2021, but we'll see.

I'm honestly not missing it as much as I thought I would! I've been playing a LOT of weekends for 30 years, so it's a change.

We've done one gig since Covid, at the end of August, and a great time was had by all. It was by request, and we played outdoors on a beautiful night. We have nothing else on the horizon, and we aren't looking, either. Gigs will come when they come, and we will scrutinize the situation carefully before making any decisions.

Wow.. actually that's BRILLIANT.... Where do I sign up for a few nights there? on second though,,, maybe I'll take a rain check.

Really, I'm glad that I was "in it" when it was decent. The bottom dropped out of this a while ago, I don't think I'll ever go back. I've been hit up for a few bands looking to regroup, I'm declining all of them.

Yes "pay to play" seemed to have started happening sporadically maybe 8-10 years ago.
For the "life of me" I can't understand why that would work, but apparently it does. Guess the Three Jacks and a Jill are right

Well, it was an odd day for rehearsing.

Our drummer has moved from LA to the local mountains. His Medicare prescriptions can’t be moved from ne pharmacy to another without contacting Social Security. As a result, he is off of his meds. He was yelling and screaming throughout practice when he was dissatisfied. The pedal steel player was white as a ghost after the first tirade. Before he got his DUI and the DTs 7 years ago, I watched him fall into and off of his drum set. After the DUI and 36 hours in the county jail, the DTs hit and he was restrained in a hospital bed. Luckily, it got him off of booze. His addictive personality was so intense I took him to a Marijuana Dr. to get his license.
Watching a friend of 45 years decline is not easy. A great drummer, singer, and front man with a wicked sense of humor and ability to make up hilarious lyrics on the fly, I stick with him.

Luckily, the blues band practice three hours later was productive and inspiring.

oh that is tuff M Sarad. I can't say I'd even know what to do in that situation..

I am in a band with guys been playing with for many years (one since the 70s), and two of the members are my brother in-laws whom I've know for many years (I've been married to their sister for 43 and we're all tight).

I can't imagine how I'd work through that.. Good luck man.

Our pedal steel player, a family doctor, canceled. He's been puking since 2 am.
So it goes.

We have a pretty full electric schedule; electric last night, acoustic duo tonight, electric on Halloween and Nov 5th, etc. Pay to play is not a concept around here. Play get paid is the rule.

A few of those "pay to play" gigs might be worthwhile, if it was sharing the stage with established acts, depending on how many ticket sales were required? It's too bad those kind of shows are gone, from what I can see? The crowds they create are just too dangerous now.....

Don

Hell, my duo got paid to open for Sheryl Crow. We would have done it for free. LOL.

I solicited to do a short opening 30 mins. for Dirks Bently for free, and got it ... but do not think I would have paid to do so. I don't think the ticket sales to my two friends would make up for the fee :D

Must have a following to play a place...sounds like the food drunks and service are awful. A place I would not subject our following to. Thanks but we'll be playing Rick's.

Pay to play. So your venue is so terrible and poorly run, crowds don't flock there every night expecting to have a great time. Good luck sir, we'll let other bands in our network know about your policy.