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Wedding bands/ full time players

  • 28-08-2023 9:06pm
    #1
    pegdrums
    Registered Users Posts: 308 ✭✭


    Hi all

    ive a few questions for full time musicians….


    ive depped 100’s of wedding gigs but never done it full time. The dep gigs come and go but I’ve always had some sort of job.


    are people still able to make a decent wage let’s say doing the wedding thing full time these days or are supplemental / part time incomes more common?

    Petrol/ diesel is through the roof for one thing.

    And how do you deal with family etc never having a weekend off? Maybe it even works better being there during the week?


    these are my 2 main concerns about considering it full time. I love playing and once did a months work for a buddy and really enjoyed it. But yea the steadiness of work would be a worry.

    any thoughts/ feedback appreciated

    Tagged:


Comments

  • #2
    zaphodbeeblebrox
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5 ✭zaphodbeeblebrox


    Hi,

    Ive done quite a bit of depping like yourself and been on the covers "Scene" since i was 16 years old. around 25 years. I played a few instruments - Whatever brought the momey in really. I was only in it for the money towards the end and all the fun was sucked out of it gigging with Sh!t bands playing waggon wheel and the likes. But its whats needed as a party band, wedding band.

    The full time circuit is a funny one. Its a clique. I know a good few lads in it. Id go so far as to say there was a… I dont want to say movement :D but something of the sorts to try ensure there were no "Part Timers" taking up the gigs that full timers could use to feed their families. Because im a multi-instrumentalist, I gigged primarily Lead guitar and drums, these are my instruments. I owned a keyboard and got by. I had comments like "F*cking hell would you not leave some gigs for us" etc etc. Its not a nice industry. Id be very very wary of basing my being able to pay my mortgage on fact the singer could deside he doesnt like me anymore and thats the end of it.

    Id say chose wisely :)



  • #3
    pegdrums
    Registered Users Posts: 308 ✭✭pegdrums


    Sound advice. Yea, it can be a bot cutthroat. A buddy of mine got dropped from a band years ago with no warning and I know another fella that got dropped recently too. So yea I'll think I'll leave it as is. If someone's stuck and needs a dip I'll happily do it.

    Interesting you said it sucked the life out of gigging. Even as a dep I have found myself mid gig thinking about what ill eat on the way home!



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