@frankxconnors that’s awesome! good on you for putting yourself out there. I’d always heard bass players are usually the most in-demand musicians, but it’s cool to have that confirmed in the real world. I actually just heard from another couple guys (singer/drums + guitar) that already have a recurring Saturday gig lined up on our scenic downtown riverfront this summer, so will probably try out with them at some point too.
@DaDo625 thanks for the advice, sounds like you had a solid journey! I’m sure there will be plenty of hiccups for me as well along the way, but screwing up is one of the best ways to get better lol. And I guess that’s another benefit of jamming with other people, you’re on their mind whenever their band might need a bass player in the future. That’s the kind of “networking” I can get into
Just an update here - Band leader hasn’t been able to get the other members to nail down a date for practice/tryout so not happening Jan 30th, which is fine by me lol. I had to take a 4-day trip down to Memphis this past weekend for a funeral which cut significantly into my available time, but had a couple of cram sessions earlier this week to make up for it.
So far I’ve learned 7 of the 11 songs and can play them 100% from memory. Still 4 songs left to learn:
Huey Lewis - Working For A Living
Tommy Tutone - 867-5309
Rick Springfield - Jessie’s Girl
Eddie Money - Two Tickets To Paradise
Nial Horan - Slow Hands
Simple Minds - Don’t You Forget About Me
Tom Petty - You Wreck Me
Deadeye Dick - New Age Girl
Matchbox 20 - She’s So Mean
Black Keys - Gold On The Ceiling
Animals - House Of The Rising Son
I’m still going to try and have them all down by Jan 30th for my self-imposed “11 songs in 11 days” challenge
Hey @PamPurrs not really much new to report at the moment. I went ahead and learned the remaining few songs but now I’m taking a break from all of that to avoid the burnout of hammering the same songs over and over and over
I haven’t heard any updates from the band on potential practice dates but not too worried about it, my take is they are all middle-aged dads with families/other responsibilities and are dragging their feet to get back to practicing regularly. I’ll probably check in with them next week if I don’t hear from them before.
I’ve been playing pretty consistently, less a 3 year break after a particularly ugly band situation, since I was a 16 year old drummer and now I’m 57. So I guess any notions of it being a mid-life crisis are ok. I just slid into it naturally.
We’re a 3 pc cover, weekend warrior group. Bass/cajon/guitar and we all sing. Lots of fun and we make enough to have the band support itself equipment wise.
Haven’t been active in this forum in a while but got a notification from this thread so figured I’d put a bow on it
In the 18 or so months since originally posting this I’ve joined up with 2 different cover bands and been playing out regularly. One is a 3-piece more rock and funk oriented, and the other is a 5-piece with male/female vocalists that plays more country/classic rock.
The 3-piece was a fresh start so we all had a few months to learn about 40 songs together. For the 5-piece I was replacing a bass player who moved, so I had to learn about 50 songs in less than a month to be ready in time for the next gig. Quite a different challenge than the 11 songs I originally posted about But I put my head down and it all worked out. Now I cycle through 100+ songs for both bands no problem.
It’s done wonders for my playing and confidence, I would actually consider myself a legit bass player at this point lol. Also been playing 2+ years now so the time/experience has compounded in my favor. I play out 2-3 times month in various bars and festivals around town.
Simply playing music with other musicians is my favorite thing to do. Even if all the songs we play aren’t my cup of tea, it’s still fun to rock out with other people. Add in the excitement of playing live and making people dance and it’s all very addicting haha.
Here are vids of both bands performing. Thanks to everyone for the support and encouragement, and a big thank you to B2B to opening this door for me in the first place
