Finding gigs / people to play with

[metropolis_4]

What’s the best way to do it these days?

I saw a band last weekend playing a really awesome gig. It was a 4 piece band playing stuff like Bruno Mars and Michael Jackson and they kicked so much a**!

Made me start thinking I really miss playing stuff like that in bands and I’d kinda like to find something like that to play in.

But I’ve honestly never really looked for a band. I’ve always either started stuff up with friends or had people call me to hire me to play.

What’s a good way to try to find good gigs these days?

 

[la szum]

I check CL every day multiple times. Most of the time it is a desert. But I have also gotten some
GREAT gigs that way since the mid 2000s.

Band I am trying out for tomorrow is a CL thing. The spelling and grammar were decent so I replied.

I am not afraid to make the first move. You can meet new people, make new connections, and you
never know what it will lead to. One CL audition I didn't get the gig and was heartbroken, because
the band was KILLER, but the vote was 3 to 2 against adding me to replace their guitarist. 2 years later
that band disbanded over some drama, and the drummer and bassist continued on with one of the
female singers. They remembered me from the prior audition and asked me to join them. We ended up
having a ton of fun in the 3 to 4 years we were together.

The rest of them have been by word of mouth, and networking. That included a lot of per gig slots but
not as much band stuff.
Pretty sure the more we reach out and connect with others the more opportunities there are that we can be exposed to.

 

[la szum]

I also ask every person who I think looks like a musician (even if it is in the grocery store) if they play music.

I am THAT guy.

One dude had a Guitar Store T-shirt on. I asked him, "Do you play?" He looks at me like I was dumb. Says, "It's
just a T-shirt my wife got me at Kohl's."



I should have asked him to take it off and then burn it, while asking forgiveness from the Guitar Gods.

 

[holoholo]

Best way is to go to local shows and make friends.

Another way is to work social media. I've seen a fair share of people get gigs/into bands because of their skill in social media. That discussion is a whole nother can of worms.

 

[spawnofthesith]

Go to as many local shows as possible and talk to people. Make friends

Go to open jams (not open mics)

So the social media thing. Follow alllll the local bands that you can and be damn near obnoxious spreading the likes


These are more so for finding gigs once you have a band starting to try and get off the ground tho. Actually putting a group together is always crapshoot, bht some of this stuff still applies for meeting people. Craigslist works sometimes, fb musicians groups work sometimes, and sometimes even a friends coworkers husband ends up being the ticket. Finding the band to begin with that you can get along personally and musically is definitely the hardest part imo


Oh and the obvious too once you have a group, just contact bars, breweries, small venues etc. if you have a decent EPK/equivalent put together I’ve found they’re often not even that picky, but thst also is kind of a snowball thing, once you’ve played the first gig and he second thru 50th will quickly follow

Edit: my b most of this stuff more applies to the gettint gigs part of shit. Finding the right band really is hard as shit. But at the same time, injecting yourself into the scene as much as possible still applies. Make yourself impossible not to be noticed lol. From what I’ve gathered your a pretty accomplished musician so that should help a lot in any case

 

[sleewell]

Fb music groups or cl. Screen people as best as you can. People should be able to provide clips these days.



Getting gigs is easier. You need at least one or two songs recorded. Band pics help. Work your socials to get your numbers up. Find out who does booking for each venue. Or ask ppl you know in bands if you can open for them. Fb sucks but it's the best place for this at least around here.


Networking is a skill. It takes practice. Takes effort - just like learning to play guitar. Some people are bad at it. Just gotta grind and hustle.

 

[Stone]

This worked for Mick Mars

In April 1980 he put a want ad in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler, describing himself as "a loud, rude and aggressive guitar player

 

[DrewJD82]

I also ask every person who I think looks like a musician (even if it is in the grocery store) if they play music.

I am THAT guy.

One dude had a Guitar Store T-shirt on. I asked him, "Do you play?" He looks at me like I was dumb. Says, "It's
just a T-shirt my wife got me at Kohl's."



I should have asked him to take it off and then burn it, while asking forgiveness from the Guitar Gods.

This is how Nacho ended up in my band 20 years ago. Actually, a lot of synchronicity around that joining. My drummer calls me up one night and says “Hey, I was eating at Chili’s and some server walked up to me and asked if I was a musician because my tattoos and earrings, he’s a guitar player and into the same stuff we are, I’m gonna have him come to our next practice” Meanwhile, I had just gotten hired at a Chili’s and everyone there is telling me “You gotta meet Erik, he’s a really good guitar player!”, a few days go by and I end up meeting Erik (who had gotten fired for catching a bj in the walk-in the same day I was hired) and I tell him he should come check out my band.

A few days later at rehearsal he comes in and the drummer saw him pull up first, “I didn’t even give this guy my address or tell him we were playing today, wtf?!” Like he was getting pissed this guy was seemingly stalking him and I’m like “Dude that’s the guy from Chili’s I told you about” we never even made the connection it was the same f*ckin’ guy at the same Chili’s. He actually couldn’t play all that great, but he was so damn hilarious and the synchronicity aspect got him in the band!

 

[DrewJD82]

I’ve had good luck with BandMix.com over the years, I’ve joined 3 of the last 5 bands I was in as a result of that site. Our Craigslist down here is a joke, it’s mostly people bashing each other or trying to get gigs. BandMix can be used for free but if you pay you get all the options and there seems to be some more serious people involved as a result of having to pay for it.

 

[mbenigni]

This is how Nacho ended up in my band 20 years ago. Actually, a lot of synchronicity around that joining. My drummer calls me up one night and says “Hey, I was eating at Chili’s and some server walked up to me and asked if I was a musician because my tattoos and earrings, he’s a guitar player and into the same stuff we are, I’m gonna have him come to our next practice” Meanwhile, I had just gotten hired at a Chili’s and everyone there is telling me “You gotta meet Erik, he’s a really good guitar player!”, a few days go by and I end up meeting Erik (who had gotten fired for catching a bj in the walk-in the same day I was hired) and I tell him he should come check out my band.

A few days later at rehearsal he comes in and the drummer saw him pull up first, “I didn’t even give this guy my address or tell him we were playing today, wtf?!” Like he was getting pissed this guy was seemingly stalking him and I’m like “Dude that’s the guy from Chili’s I told you about” we never even made the connection it was the same f*ckin’ guy at the same Chili’s. He actually couldn’t play all that great, but he was so damn hilarious and the synchronicity aspect got him in the band!

 

[itchyfingers]

Fuck, let me know when you figure it out! I've always tried putting myself out there for random bands I find on CL, 90% of which never pan out for one reason or another. Other times its friends of friends or former bandmates getting me a recommendation / try out. At this point, I am so sick of flakes, people with no transportation and 40 year old children who cant handle their liquor.

I literally have the local CL/musicians page open in another tab...

 

[DrewJD82]

Hahahaha if you work there first, they rarely throw you out! You just get a manager coming out saying "Drew, what made you think you could smoke a joint on the patio at 9pm on a Friday night? Come on, you know I have to kick you out"

"I don't see a joint"

"Ok, well, don't do it again!"

 

[TubeStack]

The spelling and grammar were decent to I replied.

 

[TubeStack]

I'm lucky in that me and my brother + drummer equals a band, and we found a great drummer and friend about 12 years ago and it's worked ever since. We found him with a good old fashioned poster in a local music store.

 

[metropolis_4]

Thanks for the replies. I’ll see what I can dig up. What I think I really want is something like doing corporate events, private parties, maybe even weddings… but the groups I know who are serious musicians are doing that stuff almost on a full time basis and I don’t know if I want to make that big a commitment.

I need to find some fellow theater nerds who just want to do some fun stuff in the side!

 

[la szum]

Knowing what you want, and can handle is vital. People with really narrow expectations and agendas
for a band are going to have an harder time, in my experience.

Not saying it can't happen, but a more open-minded approach has always led to more opportunities
for me. And then later you can decide if it is right for you as a fit. Don't have to marry every Frog we kiss.