On a full-time basis?

[The_Sentry]

Well...hate to start another thread...but anyway....

I have reason to believe that rubber's gonna meet road soon. Either way, the rest of the guys in my band want to play music....full time.

Granted...none of us are 19 years old. But...none of us are exactly party animals or potheads or whatever, either. They both think we can do it.

The only question is me.

I have to admit I did move back because I wanted to play music. It's all I give a shit about. (Point blank honest engine...) If I am forced to choose...well, I'm gonna choose to do that. Music. If all I cared about was a paycheck, I would have stayed in Iraq....over overseas.

And never came home.

Music is basically the only thing that's keeping me going at this point in my life. I don't really feel my life has a whole lot of meaning or purpose...outside of music.

I have no children. No large debts to pay off. No wife. No family other than my mother and stepfather. But...I'm not young anymore. Still, I'm not old yet either...and it may be presented to me soon that I have to do less music on my own personal time so my workplace can call me at their whim.



I dunno man. It's a big decision, that's for certain. I know if I did this....eh, no more NGD's...far less toys..no more decent wage...I'd be a poor bastard...but I'd be doing something I truly loved with 2 other guys who want to take it as far as it will go.

The band's gonna talk more about this over the weekend. And, I'll be the first to admit I'm not this smoking guitar player, or killer singer...but I can get through 4-5 sets just fine. I've written songs.

And even though I don't buy what's sold as far as me as a musician, the rest of the guys believe in me. I believe in them too.

Still...


I dunno. Y'all know me, but ya kinda don't (even after 15 some odd thousand posts...or whatever...)

Thoughts....

 

[djwilbanks]

 

[The_Sentry]

Damn mayn....I know I liked you for a reason, Will.

 

[diceman]

Do it while you can.

DJ and I here are about your age - but have the wife and kids, and could never just step out and do what you're looking at doing.

Even if my band were to get a minor record deal of some kind, I couldn't afford to do a tour.

You'll never regret it. Go for it.

 

[Jody]

Id say it depends on your age.....
I hung up the giging garb along time ago..(I still get called up once and a while)
But.....I was in the same boat,I decided to get married ,The other fellas went on (And became very successful in the music industry.....)
But they have L.A. condos,Gibson endorsments,,And all that....Bottom line.....I (Myself) dont regret anything.....Thats just me Sen...I like to eat a homecooked meal..
I had my fill of Raman noodels.....

 

[L60N]

Go for it!!

You dont wanna look back in a few years wondering what might have been.

Always better to give it a shot, go with the gut

 

[The_Sentry]

Thanks Dice. I have to admit this is a pretty f$cking scary proposition for me. I've always...always had a job since I was 14 years old. And...the other thing...

The other guys are down...but I'd be the guy that would be up front every night. If one of us fell....well, the band would go to crap...but we're not just talkin' guitar playing, but singing.

Ah hell.....

I'll admit something.

10 years ago...same damned thing. I chose the job. I don't regret my experiences, but I was never happy for that whole span in my life. Not really.

I didn't find joy again until I picked up my guitar after putting it down for a few years...

 

[djwilbanks]

carpe diem, amicus

 

[The_Sentry]

Damn...I've got a lot to think about the next week.

Sounds like a perfect time for a road trip.

(I think I'm gonna go visit some folks we all know and love, too.....might be my last splurge if things go down the way I suspect they will...)

 

[v8ko]

Hmmm. Thats a toughy. Ive known alot of guys that have moved to the "Big City" only to find that they not only didnt get exposure but they even played to smaller crowds because there is more venues.

Ive also had friends that have played to crowds of 10,000 for a whole tour and wound up back home working at the Mini Mart.

My bands had a couple cool things happen to us. Heard our stuff on the local radio (very cool haha) we play once or twice a weekend yet we still turn down more shows than we play (again very cool) We had/have a "promoter" that has come pretty close to getting us a small (super small) recording deal.

The biggest problem we all face as a band is the income you would get on the road. Heck if I cant make X amount per week I cant go and one of our guys makes over 100g's a year.

Spending alot of time with other gigging musicians Id say your best chance is to get into the bar scene as much as possible that will pay around 500-600 a night and with that you can save and do a small tour to New York or the West Coast.

Hopefully some of your crew can maintain and work on your own equipment and perhaps be able to fix a water pump etc if the tour truck breaks down.

A large source of your income will be merch so make sure you got stuff that people cant live without. Also make sure that you have someone in charge of how money is spent and can tell you where every dime is spent, it can go quick.

I would LOVE to hear some of your music, do you have a link?

 

[The_Sentry]

Well, we're very lucky on the merch side of it...and with the contacts. Our drummer has a Graphics design company and he's been entrenched in the scene (regionally) for over 10 years. He also has a ton of contacts down in the Bay Area, and we have contacts that can get us booked in Reno and Tahoe if need be.

And on the graphic design side...he can make stickers, T Shirts...we have a banner. We've also got promo packages. The thing is...no one in this band is young. We've all been through the BS....

Downside...this band is new. Very new. But....everything totally "clicked" the first time we jammed. We've never had a private rehearsal......it's crazy. Every single time we've played...we've gotten paid to do it. I've never been in a band like this before.

I'll admit you're not gonna be blown away by my music. I cut some stuff on http://myspace.com/wolfsrun when I first got back. There's also some improv jams there with the band as well. (all of those jams were completely spontaneous as well...I'm also pretty decent at improving lyrics if need be......but the downside...I'm at best an average guitar player....and I don't care much for my singing.)

Long and short....a lot of work would be facing us. And I know that I'd still have to "go" even if I wasn't having fun, or an off day or night.

PS: I'll be the first to admit that most of the skepticism...is coming from me. THEY believe we can do it. I often believe though that I'm the weakest link in that band.

 

[v8ko]

Well you dont have to be a strong player or even the greatest singer, you just have to "that thing" that grabs people.

Im going to go listen now.

 

[The_Sentry]

Well you dont have to be a strong player or even the greatest singer, you just have to "that thing" that grabs people.

Im going to go listen now.

Well.....I do try to give it everything I have when I'm onstage. I don't hold back...and I try to keep it simple, and stupid....

Here's me spouting off on a video blog. (these are pretty much done on the fly...)

 

[v8ko]

K Im back : )

Thats some pretty good raw stuff. Im always a little scared to check out someones band page but I liked it. For the most part you guys have a kinda Doors groove (did not listen to everything but the ones with the most hits) and you also have a Jim Morrison sound, perhaps more melodic singing like him than sounding like him and thats cool.

Ok so hows the bands presence on stage?

 

[v8ko]

Well.....I do try to give it everything I have when I'm onstage. I don't hold back...and I try to keep it simple, and stupid....

I finally figured out how to look the best on stage while playing. I figure if in your head you think you look like a cheeseball doing something then your right about there lol.

For the longest time I just kind of stood there, maybe wandered around some I just didnt want to look like some stupid cheesey rock video/spinal type guy lol.

Now I have alot more fun : )

 

[The_Sentry]

K Im back : )

Thats some pretty good raw stuff. Im always a little scared to check out someones band page but I liked it. For the most part you guys have a kinda Doors groove (did not listen to everything but the ones with the most hits) and you also have a Jim Morrison sound, perhaps more melodic singing like him than sounding like him and thats cool.

Ok so hows the bands presence on stage?

Pretty good, actually. (Well, that's mostly me).

Here's a really rough vid...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fefTtGnhWkU]YouTube - mjmp4 01[/ame]

I started shooting myself. That was pretty tame. On the stage side of it I move OK, people like watching me play...sometimes I don't get my "feet" or legs doin' quite what I think they should be....

I finally figured out how to look the best on stage while playing. I figure if in your head you think you look like a cheeseball doing something then your right about there lol.

For the longest time I just kind of stood there, maybe wandered around some I just didnt want to look like some stupid cheesey rock video/spinal type guy lol.

Now I have alot more fun : )

I'm right there with ya. Usually one of my favorite things to do is find some girl in the club or bar (usually one that's pretty homely or is sitting down) and just flag my tongue at her when I'm playing.

 

[BigLou]

I don't know man. The economy might get even worse before it gets better. Having a good paying job and keeping it would be my main concern no matter how single and free I was.

Do what makes you happy and take the risk if you think that's what you were meant to do but know that you are taking a huge risk. You would also be giving other people, meaning your band mates and fickle music fans, more control over your financial health.

Being young and poor is a lot different than becoming old and poor.

 

[v8ko]

I don't know man. The economy might get even worse before it gets better. Having a good paying job and keeping it would be my main concern no matter how single and free I was.

Do what makes you happy and take the risk if you think that's what you were meant to do but know that you are taking a huge risk. You would also be giving other people, meaning your band mates and fickle music fans, more control over your financial health.

Good point. The last few months weve made less money for sure. Then again our last gig (band showcase) we made 400 bucks and played 15 minutes.

 

[The_Sentry]

I don't know man. The economy might get even worse before it gets better. Having a good paying job and keeping it would be my main concern no matter how single and free I was.

Do what makes you happy and take the risk if you think that's what you were meant to do but know that you are taking a huge risk. You would also be giving other people, meaning your band mates and fickle music fans, more control over your financial health.

Being young and poor is a lot different than becoming old and poor.

That's definitely the other side of it. I'm not exactly keen on that side of things as far as reliance...but...I do know this:

If the economy shits to bed....I'm gonna be out of a job anyway. A lot of us are.

On that front...I'll admit...I don't see things looking up, or getting better. Quite the opposite. It's gonna get rough. I know this...(i had a lot of time to study economics and geopolitics while I was sitting in a tent in the middle of the desert.)

I just don't know this, though....would life be worth living, honestly, truthfully if I just...went on and gave up the music, or my shows? That's what I'm pretty much being faced with right now.

EDIT: I did figure that sooner or later, if the whole band thing is that much of a rub on them, they're gonna find a way to get rid of me because of it. The choice might be moot other than thinking about moving and finding another...travelling job.

(and nah, don't want to go back to that, either.)

Maybe things do happen for a reason. I suspect I'll know a lot more when I get back after my roadtrip....

I didn't move back home to become a virtual slave to yet another job. I put a lot of time in and took that route....

 

[BigLou]

I just don't know this, though....would life be worth living, honestly, truthfully if I just...went on and gave up the music? That's what I'm pretty much being faced with right now.

I didn't move back home to become a virtual slave to yet another job. I put a lot of time in and took that route....

I hear ya. Music might be your destiny. I can understand wanting to do something you love and making a living out of it. Whatever you decide I hope it works out for you.