I used to play bass guitar.
I was asked to join my first rock band sometime around 1975 because I knew how to play “Smoke on the water”. I played many (perhaps hundreds?) gigs with that band and subsequent bands. After a while I was recruited into the university stage band where I learned to read bass charts and play a walking bass line.
Playing in the stage band was tough what with reading the chart, keeping time, watching the director and trying to “anchor” the band all at the same time. But what fun!
Sometime in the late 70’s Bob Hope came to town for a concert and hired the university band for his show. At that time he travelled with only his musical director and hired local musicians for the concerts. I didn’t think much of Bob Hope until that gig … he was an incredible entertainer and I got to watch the show from the best seat in the house next to the stage in the band pit. We played “Thanks for the memory” (his theme song) straight, country style, disco style, swing style, etc.
At one point I hooked up with a local, semi-famous musician who wrote the Carpenter’s song “All you get from love is a love song” and “Rag Doll” that was recorded by Art Garfunkle. He got the job of writing and recording the theme song for a local TV station and had me play my fretless bass on the recording. For a couple years after that I got to hear myself for a few seconds before and after the TV news and when the station signed off at night.
Probably the most fun I had playing was in “big bands” … the kind of bands with 16 or 17 pieces … saxaphones, trombones, trumpets and rhythm sections. I’ve played with some really good musicians and great writers and arrangers.
But I’ve had some bad gigs too …
Ive played in pit bands for many, many local musicals. Musicals start out fun but get to be a real drag after three or four weeks of rehearsals and four nights of performances.
About 5 years ago I was playing regularly with a “combo” band consisting of piano, bass, drums, saxaphone and trumpet. The music we played was the same old stuff that I’d played hundreds of times before. We were playing for something at the Masonic Temple and it just sucked. It was a Saturday night and there I was playing awful music while my wife and kids were home. I thought to myself “What the HELL am I doing here?” At the end of the night I told the band leader I was quitting and not to call me again for another gig.
I sold my equipment and haven’t played a note since.
SH