[rleitch]

Hey folks,

I was asked to play a gig this weekend and went to the rehearsal last night. Anyway, to make a long story short, after the three hours I had a strong feeling that I had nothing at all musically valid to add to the line-up, and so am not needed for the gig, and so I blew it off. The guy running the show was surprised, but okay about it. It's vox-harp/2 guitars/bass and drums, and they had everything totally covered.

Anybody ever have this feeling or actually do this? I'm a bit depressed about it. Other than the weekly blues jam I do, I don't gig very often, and I'm a bit shocked at how totally uninspired I was to do this show.

 

[saxphil]

I don't blame you.
Harp players usually eat up all available space, and then some.

I find the same with fiddle/violin.

 

[Dr G]

Hey, Larry Carlton used to get paid Big Bucks for his ability to know when not to play.

Maybe you made a good call. Or maybe it's time for a change...

Be well.

 

[SaxMan1947]

Sounds like you couldn't hook up with the players or the set list.

Content:
If the songs were unfamiliar or familiar but poorly played it would be difficult to "hear" in your head where you might fit.

Personalities:
If there were too many head trips in the room already, you would have trouble getting your mind into the room and the music.

Technique:
Could be they were playin' loud and playin' long and not giving you a sense of space to explore.

We spend a lot of time talking about the details of music (gear, techniques etc.) - head stuff. But if you don't feel the groove in your heart, music isn't going to happen.

Move on and don't sweat it. Play what you feel.

GPD

 

[magical pig]

Hey folks,

I was asked to play a gig this weekend and went to the rehearsal last night. Anyway, to make a long story short, after the three hours I had a strong feeling that I had nothing at all musically valid to add to the line-up, and so am not needed for the gig, and so I blew it off. The guy running the show was surprised, but okay about it. It's vox-harp/2 guitars/bass and drums, and they had everything totally covered.

Anybody ever have this feeling or actually do this? I'm a bit depressed about it. Other than the weekly blues jam I do, I don't gig very often, and I'm a bit shocked at how totally uninspired I was to do this show.

Look at it this way: maybe they shouldn't have called you in the first place because there was no room for an additional instrument. 2 guitars and a harp player? Unless you're part of a horn section, it's not going to leave much room for you to do anything. I wouldn't worry about it, you've probably saved yourself a lot of headaches and ear breaking.

 

[Rich Maraday]

Harp players can be a drag. I get it...

 

[Budget Explosion]

sounds more like you "dropped out" (gave a little notice) rather than "blew off" the gig. Doesn't blowing off mean you don't show up (without any notice)?

 

[Steve Stockham]

Yeah, I'd agree with that assessment. You made a judgement call and I think you made the right choice. (Yeah, it's a bummer.)

 

[Swampcabbage]

Most "blues" scene's and "player's" are uninspiring these days. I'm not shocked or dismayed that you would blow it off. I blew off the whole scene for the most part for that very reason. Let someone else take 50$ for 4 hours of overly loud guitarists and harp players who mostly have nothing to say. Heck, I have to ask myself if I would be willing to pay the money NOT to do the gig. And if so, then I have no problem passing on it.

 

[ericdano]

You should never blow off a gig. Ever. If you don't think you fit in or whatever, TALK to the person about it. But just don't show up. That is a douche bag move. People won't want you to come play, paid or not, if you just decide not to show up even after attending a rehearsal.

Plus, rehearsal are usually so unmusical anyways. Rehearsals are where you work out **** that isn't working. It's not supposed to be fun, or even musical. It's technical. Getting stuff ready to make music.

I dunno, I think it's a bad call. I've done my share, and still do my share, of ****** paid and non-paid gigs. Never ever walked out or just didn't show up. Ever.

 

[Dr G]

You didn't read the OP's post, did you?

Going off on people without knowing the facts is a bad call too.

 

[hdhamil]

It's vox-harp/2 guitars/bass and drums, and they had everything totally covered.

Sounds like an English group who did pretty well with a sax player in the back line - The Rolling Stones!

 

[jlima]

Sounds like you couldn't hook up with the players or the set list.

Content:
If the songs were unfamiliar or familiar but poorly played it would be difficult to "hear" in your head where you might fit.

Personalities:
If there were too many head trips in the room already, you would have trouble getting your mind into the room and the music.

Technique:
Could be they were playin' loud and playin' long and not giving you a sense of space to explore.

We spend a lot of time talking about the details of music (gear, techniques etc.) - head stuff. But if you don't feel the groove in your heart, music isn't going to happen.

Move on and don't sweat it. Play what you feel.

GPD

This is a great post. It's all about emotions and feeling that you have something meaningful to say.

 

[saxphil]

Sounds like an English group who did pretty well with a sax player in the back line - The Rolling Stones!

Yeah, but Jagger knew when to shut it on the harp.
How many harp players have you played with?

One is more than enough to know.

 

[Kritavi]

Most "blues" scene's and "player's" are uninspiring these days. I'm not shocked or dismayed that you would blow it off. I blew off the whole scene for the most part for that very reason. Let someone else take 50$ for 4 hours of overly loud guitarists and harp players who mostly have nothing to say. Heck, I have to ask myself if I would be willing to pay the money NOT to do the gig. And if so, then I have no problem passing on it.

I think you've really nailed it there Andrew.

 

[Stephen Howard]

I have a special tool for dealing with harp players - it's called the 'Size 11 boot'. I just kick 'em in the ankles when they walk all over my spaces.
I really bloody hate that...there you are, blowing 12 bars over a slow blues that's oozing melancholy, and you come off a quiet riff to leave a biiiiiggggg open space so that you can drop right in a few beats later with an unearthly wail - and the harp player walks right into the gap and fills it full of noise.
A swifty to the ankle says 'back off'.

As for ducking out on a band, yeah, I've done that too. I've never left anyone in the lurch (unless they deserved it), but I've been asked to sit in with combos where they clearly didn't need a horn or knew how to make use of one - and I've had that little inner voice saying "This isn't gonna work".
On the flip side of that, I've ended up depping with bands that call a horn solo on each and every number - no matter what it is (a sax solo in Albatross? Are you serious??)..so it evens itself out in the end.

Regards,

 

[rleitch]

Thanks for all the comments fellas! I definitely didn't "blow off" the gig in the sense of not showing up. Still, I normally have more enthusiasm for playing--even noisy train-wreck playing.

 

[magical pig]

One is more than enough to know.

Hehehe...

 

[Jazzaferri]

Maybe you are just maturing as a player: In the past I would play any chance I got no matter how bad they/it/I was but after a while just became meaningless which to me that meant time for a change.

Over the past several years have been focussed on stuff I want to do

 

[maddenma]

Hey folks,

I was asked to play a gig this weekend and went to the rehearsal last night. Anyway, to make a long story short, after the three hours I had a strong feeling that I had nothing at all musically valid to add to the line-up, and so am not needed for the gig, and so I blew it off. The guy running the show was surprised, but okay about it. It's vox-harp/2 guitars/bass and drums, and they had everything totally covered.

Anybody ever have this feeling or actually do this? I'm a bit depressed about it. Other than the weekly blues jam I do, I don't gig very often, and I'm a bit shocked at how totally uninspired I was to do this show.

I did the same thing last Friday. Wasn't a gig though, rather I thought I was going to a rehearsal for an originals band that's been trying to form for 3 months. We have yet to actually rehearse a tune. No charts. Singer/song writer just belts out the changes quickly to whomever was playing guitar at that point, didn't care what I did, and expected me to sit through this again. Turned out this was yet another string of 6 guitar players and 5 drummers going through. This time they had a trumpet sit in -- not a very good one, at that, and it was yet another frustrating event.

Midway through some blues-ish number with some odd variations on the old I IV V, and when it was clear that not only was I going to simply play 50's rock bari riffs (barrump), but this time not only without the changes, but without the ability to even hear what I was doing,

I quietly packed up the 3 horns I had brought and left. Told them I'd come back when they had the core of the group established.

Think they'll call?