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comment by cgod
cgod  ·  2515 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: "Making it" as a modern touring band

The few guys I know who work as hired gun musicians aren't going hit the road for anything other than a guaranteed income, I'm sure they would take a cut on top of their salary if it was offered but it isn't offered. They can stay in the comfort of their own home doing studio and commercial work without the pain of the road and pay their bills. The guy I know best will take less pay if it involves going somewhere interesting like Europe.

None of these guys is going to sleep in the van unless it because they need to drive to the next show overnight. None of them is going to share a bedroom with eight people.

I've heard of Pomplamoose but I have any idea how big they are. The people I know who go on the road as hired guns generally work with well established artist who might be making better money than an indi band. They don't always care for the music they have to play. They don't work with top notch artist and they aren't top notch studio players (it's Portland, there are very few top notch anything here). Most of them get picked up because they are competent multi instrumentalist who learn fast.





ghostoffuffle  ·  2515 days ago  ·  link  ·  

There's a place for hired gun musicians, I'm just not sure it's in a mid-level indie band. The scale just isn't there. One of the fringe benefits of having dedicated band members rather than a rolling cast of hired help is that they have an emotional stake in the whole process. They're more willing to suffer a little bit in order to achieve the whole experience, ie sleep two to a bed and a few on the floor in some fleabag motel on the way to the next gig.

When I think "bands that can afford to hire professional musicians" I think like Prince (RIP) or something. Not Pomplamoose.

cgod  ·  2515 days ago  ·  link  ·  

If they are loosing money over their light show than they are fucking idiots.

I can only remember two times that the pretty lights made a significant difference in my enjoyment of a show. No one gives a shit about the lights if you are putting on a good show.

I've seen bands that were just two members at the beginning of their career and full bands when they hit it big. The two man show with programmable drum machine was as good if not better in some cases.

If two of them can't put on a good show alone than the full band isn't going to push that shit over the edge. I saw Ween a few times in my life, best performance was when it was just the two of them, worst was with a full band and a packed theater which I walked out of four or so songs in.

Prince gets what ever he wants but lots of singer songwriter people need bands to tour. Think Feist or Amy Mann (good examples where this kind of work comes from). Dandy Warhols was a band that a friend of mine toured with. He got to go to Europe and play a few big festivals and meet lots of famous musicians. The Dandies had more than a few keyboard and trumpet parts on their albums and they decently wanted to give the fans a full experience. They hired two piano players who could play horns and hit the road.