SM isn't the only one with gigs!
Tonight I scored on my audition and will be playing bass for
Nik Everett Nik is a singer-songwriter sort of some reknown in the Philly area. His record is coming out in the fall and it is simply awesome. He's a fine writer and has crafted some fine tunes that will have wide appeal.
And I will be playing bass with him, doing gigs for the album, showcasing his songs, playing the "A" rooms (whatever that means in Philly).
It's just awesome! It's so exciting!
That's great, UT! When do you start?
.... I will be playing bass with him, doing gigs for the album,
Wow. Congrats man!
( counts on fingers ... I knew
2 superstars before they hit the bigtime )
First show is supposed to be October 1 at
The Point, but that isn't set in stone yet. But as for starting, I have been going at it for three weeks already, working towards the auditions. I know all the songs and have played them relentlessly. Most of the originals were played in the studio by one of the best bassists in town, so it's very challenging stuff!
Congratulations! Sounds like a GTG ...
Nik samples are
here and the new album "Summer's Gone", the second listed, is what we're gonna tour. You can click on the little flashy speaker thingies and get 2 minute samples of each song to see if you like it. "Every Time You Build Me Up" is the bouncy opener; "Excellent Night" is the beautiful ballad; "Scared" is Beatles-esque pop.
(If you buy the songs, you're buying high-quality 192kbps mp3s with no rights management built in. That website is mine too, sorta, so if anything's wrong with it, let me know.)
Goddamn, Nik Everett's still running on the local music treadmill? Good for him.
I remember seeing him open for Bricklin over a decade ago.
Heh! Well Scott Bricklin is the guy who played the bass on most of the record so...!
I have it on my calendar to kick his ass for being so talented.
congrats UT. slang got us started with the counting thing. now let's have a show of hands - how many more future stars are currently inhabiting the cellar?
So, UT is now a *working musician*. One more nail in the coffin of that particular non-sequitur!
Congrats, UT. There go your weekends!
UT, now that you're in the club, I can teach you all of our secret handshakes, and open the holy codex of musician jokes:
What's the difference between a working bass player and a large cheese pizza?
The pizza can feed a family of four.
How many bass players does it take to screw in a light bulb?
1, 5, 1, 5, 1, 5, 1, 5
Congrats!
-sm
Very nice UT. You must be good.
I'm very green, but I've been having fun playing bass with a local jazz band -- learning more than I ever thought I'd want to know about walking bass lines.
Here's another musician joke:
Three guys are sitting at a bar.
#1: "...Yeah, I make $75,000 a year after taxes."
#2: "What do you do for a living?"
#1: "I'm a stockbroker. How much do you make?
#2: "I should clear $60,000 this year."
#1: "What do you do?"
#2: "I'm an architect."
The third guy has been sitting there quietly, staring into his beer, when the others turn to him.
#2: "Hey, how much do you make per year?"
#3: "Gee...hmmm...I guess about $13,000."
#1: "Oh yeah? What kind of strings do you use?"
Why do roadies never count past two during sound check?
They're afraid someone will make them pick something up...
Attaboy Tony! Youre gonna be a road dog.
Get a good gig bag, pack light. Eat lots of fiber.
How many female singers does it take to sing a Patsy Cline cover?
Apparently, all of them. (rim shot)
:heartpump
how many altos does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
...
...
none. They can't reach that high.
-sm
Overheard during the launching of a recent bass solo:
" I always get nervous when I hear the drums stop..."
Can I have your autograph. :blush:
how about autographed Cellar shirts? that would freakin' rock, man.
How do you stop a viola player from drowning?
Take your foot off his head.
What's the difference between an onion and a viola?
No one cries when you cut up a viola.
what do you call a bass player with a cellphone?
-- an optomist.
how many bass players does it take to screw in a light bulb.
-- 5. One to screw it in, and 4 to argue about how Jaco Pastorious would have done it.
and my all time favorite ...
how many bass players does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
-- none. the keyboardist can do it with his left hand. <rimshot>
-sm
Congrats Tony! Rock steady. :)
Way to go UT!
What's the difference between a soprano and a pitbull?
Lipstick. :D
WTG UT.
You are going to get so laid now...pick your groupies wisely. :D *cheers*
Oh, I got no complaints currently in that dep't
She reads the Cellar, doesn't she?
You are writing that for her to read, not us. Aren't you?
Yes, I am. What I'm hoping is that I can keep the wool pulled over her eyes through the Cellar, and then use my new-found status as rhythm section guy to really nail as many babes as possible.
Although the truth is, the real truth, that I got no complaints atall.
hey, congrats, tony. make sure you keep us posted. how wide an area will you be touring? Just Philly?
How do you know when the viola section is on your front porch?
They don't have the right key and they don't know when to come in.
Tony, that is BEYOND awesome. Congratulations!!! :thumbsup:
I've spent most of my musical life playing in student or amateur orchestras. I've had a grand total of three paying gigs and while I have to say my most musically rewarding moments have been unpaid, there is something damned special about sitting down and pulling out your axe and knowing you're getting ca$h for it.
Edit: there's a typo there.. you have to say ": thumpsup :" to get that icon...
:thumbsup: The smilie is fixed.
I think Nik will be angling for shows in NYC, showcase gigs, and I think he will get them, but I dunno. I'm up for just about anything I think, and highly mobile in the GTI. I'll drive anywhere!
I don't expect to net a dime on this; if I get paid it's probably covering expenses. But it's exactly what I need in my life, too. Working at home means I really need some hobby or some activity that forces me to get out of the house and work with, you know, other human beings.
When I actually do that it seems to often lead to good. The first time I tried to get an audition, I wound up meeting a guy who had a great web development job that I was perfect for. Hustling these little things is just as valuable as anything else. I'm not setting out to be a bassist so I can pick up web gigs, but that's not a bad plan really.
And you never know... maybe Nik will get enough attention to make another record and maybe I'll be on it and maybe I'll get a songwriting credit and maybe he'll sell a song to a TV show or something... you never know.
That's still great... actually my last paying gig was with a group I won't name for fear of embarassing them. The agreed upon fee was something any pro would have scoffed at but then I'm not a pro!!! When I got the check in the mail it was slightly more than twice what I had been promised. I decided to return the extra if they had the balls to call and ask.. but not to bring it up myself, and they said anything about it.
UT, maybe you'll make money and maybe not. Maybe you'll get famous and maybe not. It could lead to a geek job and maybe not. But no matter what happens, you'll HAVE FUN. That's keeping your priorities straight! :band: :rainfro:
Bassmen are required to have fun.