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Phil summed it up perfectly as he so often does.
We haven't touched on bandmates' inappropriate behavior. At one gig I did, the other guitarist made a spectacle of how he had spilled a drink all over his clothes right before a set. The bass player looked stoned. (Needless to say, we were not asked back.) At another gig, playing outside, the bass player (a different one) got into a heated argument with an uber driver who was flashing his lights.
I too used to play in old folks homes in my classical days. I knew we were appreciated, even if the audience weren't quite showing it. We did change our repertoire though, to include wartime songs and things they could hum along to - which they often did! The worst thing about the old folks homes was the temperature - always crazy hot!!!
As for gypsy swing and jazz, I'm really just starting out playing a few sessions, a bit of busking and a few gigs, so I'm reading this thread with great interest.
I'm a gigging novice compared to many of you, but most of our gigs have been during happy hours at a nice hotel restaurant, and even though I still need to work on my anxiety, we have a good mix of people listening and enjoying or just treating us as the background. Truth be told, I hope someone not really paying attention hears a tune that makes them feel something. Whether that their dinner tastes a bit better, or a good memory.
As for me, I am not a good enough player not to treat each gig very seriously, especialy because my bandmates are honest to goodness make a living at art musicians. I respect them too much not to try my best, even if that isn't always up to par.
Ref:@djazzy - my response to being told "We are background music 0nly" - didn't bother me at all! At this well paid gig local patrons were all talking and acknowledging the reopen of a popular bakery business in Poulsbo WA. I always play to the best of my capabilities in all venues!
Thanks Buco. As stated, ear trumpet labs mics. They sound pretty good too.
I actually just remembered, In my rockabilly band I played a tattoo convention in a Sheraton or some other hotel. We were on a pretty tall stage in the middle of the conference room with 100 tattoo artists buzzing away on people's skin. Again, no one paying attention. It paid well enough and we had a room for the night. We still played hard. Despite few people noticing our existence.
Playing with people you like is important. You spend more time hanging out than playing music.
Recordings on their site sound amazing for voice and guitar. And at $6-700 that's cheap for that kind of quality.
I’m of the opinion that if someone hires you, you do the what you think that person who hired thinks is best, they are the expert of their restaurant. From there I just try to enjoy the playing experience within the given parameters.
Before becoming a composer I played a zillion gigs (7 years just in Vegas 6 nights a week on average). I have a lot of stories playing restaurants and casuals. Here is one experience I remember fondly.
I am playing in a 50s 60’s oldies band and a totally inebriated woman comes up and asks for “String of Pearls” and proceeds to drop a 20 in the pianists gin and tonic (right it is not a tip jar). Now the band I’m in really can’t do any Standards but in my naivety I thought I could yell the changes and get them through it. It was so bad the drunk woman returns to the stage, reaches into the pianist’s drink and pulls out the now totally soaked 20 and returns to her seat. Ah those were the days.
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