Thinking playing in a band again after half a decade of not

[Iommic Pope]

dude i think that most important thing is to find people you gel with.

i've been playing with my same friend for a few years. we've molded our styles together so much over the last year and a half just because our personalities mesh. we push one another in different ways. he'll write more complicated riffs. i'll write something doomy and basic that he would never think to do. what we bring to the table often ends up complimenting each other but because we feel an actual connection on a personal level rather than "because we're in a band together" it's a lot easier to have discussions about ideas that we think suck or who needs to take a back seat and when. and at the end of the day it's a helluva a lot more fun.

its not without its frustrations. the other two band members are occasionally flaky and that can often times make you want to kick them out. but for us we're just looking to maybe play some gigs here and there, record our own music and have fun. we're on a little hold while i get ready for some life changes but our band is high commitment but low TIME consumption. practice is once a week, the same day, the same time, for two hours. we're not trying to eat into the rest of our lives or tour or be famous. those things work in our favor. we're making music for ourselves which seems to set us apart.

This sounds like the ideal for those of us with a wife, kid and demanding job...I just wanna get beyond my practice space. I haven't played in a band in over a decade, and it kinda sucks to not play and practice with people. It's good for us as players, and people. So is paying bills on time, and taking care of family. Not sure they are mutually exclusive, but adulting and bands can sometimes be in conflict. That being said two of my friends have figured out how to have stable families and still tour nationally on the regular to support their families. I just took more conventional path. They took bigger risks [but were more talented by a mile].

Yeah this is my exact situation.
Odontophobia, I am jelly of you

[Disarm D'arcy]

I'm gonna get on drafting an ad when I get an hour for it.

[Disarm D'arcy]

Ad posted. We'll see!

Any of you in the same situation have made a move?

[fcknoise]

I didn't start a band, but I got into my band through an ad, and it's been perfect. I'm 23, and I joined 6 years ago. This year, the bassist took their Ph.D. In quantum physics and turned 30, and the guitarist turned 26 and bought a house. I'm living at my parents, just took my BA in political science and I don't have a clue what to do with my life. But musically we have so much fun. I think it'll turn out great, all that matters is learning eachother and connecting over music

[odontophobia]

dude i think that most important thing is to find people you gel with.

i've been playing with my same friend for a few years. we've molded our styles together so much over the last year and a half just because our personalities mesh. we push one another in different ways. he'll write more complicated riffs. i'll write something doomy and basic that he would never think to do. what we bring to the table often ends up complimenting each other but because we feel an actual connection on a personal level rather than "because we're in a band together" it's a lot easier to have discussions about ideas that we think suck or who needs to take a back seat and when. and at the end of the day it's a helluva a lot more fun.

its not without its frustrations. the other two band members are occasionally flaky and that can often times make you want to kick them out. but for us we're just looking to maybe play some gigs here and there, record our own music and have fun. we're on a little hold while i get ready for some life changes but our band is high commitment but low TIME consumption. practice is once a week, the same day, the same time, for two hours. we're not trying to eat into the rest of our lives or tour or be famous. those things work in our favor. we're making music for ourselves which seems to set us apart.

This sounds like the ideal for those of us with a wife, kid and demanding job...I just wanna get beyond my practice space. I haven't played in a band in over a decade, and it kinda sucks to not play and practice with people. It's good for us as players, and people. So is paying bills on time, and taking care of family. Not sure they are mutually exclusive, but adulting and bands can sometimes be in conflict. That being said two of my friends have figured out how to have stable families and still tour nationally on the regular to support their families. I just took more conventional path. They took bigger risks [but were more talented by a mile].

Yeah this is my exact situation.
Odontophobia, I am jelly of you

I mean -- I'm married to somebody who understands what my passions are (music, final fantasy, wizards, dogs, basketball). As a result as long as I communicate about what I'm doing and when I'm doing it I'm pretty golden. Three of the four guys in my band have full time jobs. I have a weird schedule but have been really good about having a set day to jam. It's worked out great for the longest time. Life is about to deal my some awesomeness and I'm taking some time off work which is great and band stuff is quiet for a bit but we're trying to get some songs recorded so timing is good. Shows will come but sometimes just playing songs with the dudes is good enough.

[phantasmagorovich]

I only ever formed bands with friends. Or let's say I've only ever been in bands with friends. I couldn't imagine it any other way, tbh.

Maybe like getting together with a friend and he brings a friend that maybe I don't know or you end up looking for a drummer through an ad or some such thing. But that has been working out pretty well for me.

[D.o.S.]

^^^^

[weed_killer]

Interested in seeing/reading what comes of this, hope it comes together easy. I've never played in a band before, hardly ever even played casually with another person, and by now I've been writing/recording/performing my own stuff for so long that I'm not sure how I'd even approach writing with someone else. I'd actually like to try playing in someone else's band as a sideman/background type of musician vs being an equal member, just cause I think it would let me work in a different dynamic without feeling like I'm relinquishing control over 'my' stuff.

[Disarm D'arcy]

I've gotten 3 replies so far to my ads. We'll see what comes out of the 2 that are actually interesting. One was a 54 year old female singer who figured Guns N' Roses was post rock or noisy or dream popy of some kind. She sent a demo with her email and she sings like a dead tuna fish crushed under an IKEA chair

[Aquietcabin1978]

Where are you all posting ads? A little hesitant posting on CL. Most the ads on the local Craig's are either cover bands or blooze dads looking to get their SRV on.

[gnomethrone]

I've gotten 3 replies so far to my ads. We'll see what comes out of the 2 that are actually interesting. One was a 54 year old female singer who figured Guns N' Roses was post rock or noisy or dream popy of some kind. She sent a demo with her email and she sings like a dead tuna fish crushed under an IKEA chair

so she's in, right?

[weed_killer]

so she's in, right?

[Iommic Pope]

dude i think that most important thing is to find people you gel with.

i've been playing with my same friend for a few years. we've molded our styles together so much over the last year and a half just because our personalities mesh. we push one another in different ways. he'll write more complicated riffs. i'll write something doomy and basic that he would never think to do. what we bring to the table often ends up complimenting each other but because we feel an actual connection on a personal level rather than "because we're in a band together" it's a lot easier to have discussions about ideas that we think suck or who needs to take a back seat and when. and at the end of the day it's a helluva a lot more fun.

its not without its frustrations. the other two band members are occasionally flaky and that can often times make you want to kick them out. but for us we're just looking to maybe play some gigs here and there, record our own music and have fun. we're on a little hold while i get ready for some life changes but our band is high commitment but low TIME consumption. practice is once a week, the same day, the same time, for two hours. we're not trying to eat into the rest of our lives or tour or be famous. those things work in our favor. we're making music for ourselves which seems to set us apart.

This sounds like the ideal for those of us with a wife, kid and demanding job...I just wanna get beyond my practice space. I haven't played in a band in over a decade, and it kinda sucks to not play and practice with people. It's good for us as players, and people. So is paying bills on time, and taking care of family. Not sure they are mutually exclusive, but adulting and bands can sometimes be in conflict. That being said two of my friends have figured out how to have stable families and still tour nationally on the regular to support their families. I just took more conventional path. They took bigger risks [but were more talented by a mile].

Yeah this is my exact situation.
Odontophobia, I am jelly of you

I mean -- I'm married to somebody who understands what my passions are (music, final fantasy, wizards, dogs, basketball). As a result as long as I communicate about what I'm doing and when I'm doing it I'm pretty golden. Three of the four guys in my band have full time jobs. I have a weird schedule but have been really good about having a set day to jam. It's worked out great for the longest time. Life is about to deal my some awesomeness and I'm taking some time off work which is great and band stuff is quiet for a bit but we're trying to get some songs recorded so timing is good. Shows will come but sometimes just playing songs with the dudes is good enough.

Wizards rule.

But yeah man, so stoked for you!

I didn't start a band, but I got into my band through an ad, and it's been perfect. I'm 23, and I joined 6 years ago. This year, the bassist took their Ph.D. In quantum physics and turned 30, and the guitarist turned 26 and bought a house. I'm living at my parents, just took my BA in political science and I don't have a clue what to do with my life. But musically we have so much fun. I think it'll turn out great, all that matters is learning eachother and connecting over music

Your band could make the the worst music in the world and would still be the coolest bunch of peeps ever.

I've gotten 3 replies so far to my ads. We'll see what comes out of the 2 that are actually interesting. One was a 54 year old female singer who figured Guns N' Roses was post rock or noisy or dream popy of some kind. She sent a demo with her email and she sings like a dead tuna fish crushed under an IKEA chair

[phantasmagorovich]

I've gotten 3 replies so far to my ads. We'll see what comes out of the 2 that are actually interesting. One was a 54 year old female singer who figured Guns N' Roses was post rock or noisy or dream popy of some kind. She sent a demo with her email and she sings like a dead tuna fish crushed under an IKEA chair

Just be careful not to bang her. That ruins band dynamics.

[Eivind August]

I've gotten 3 replies so far to my ads. We'll see what comes out of the 2 that are actually interesting. One was a 54 year old female singer who figured Guns N' Roses was post rock or noisy or dream popy of some kind. She sent a demo with her email and she sings like a dead tuna fish crushed under an IKEA chair

Just be careful not to band her. That ruins bang dynamics.