How many of you still play, plan to, or have left it behind?

[Pentagrimes]

The older I get the more hassle gigs are, particularly because venues in Dublin are an overly expensive headache to deal with for the most part, even DIY ones at this stage. It's just not worth it when you're playing to less than 30 people at this point in life. Anyhow, yeah the social aspect is as big a reason to do it as anything really. My grandad played golf as an excuse to hang out wth his mates every week or two, I play in a band for the same reason.

[Ollie]

Still active in a band.
We jam every week, almost without fail. Been in bands on and off since ~1990
I believe that keeping the regular jams is very important, if you let it slide, then it gets easier to make excuses NOT to go jamming.
Also, it's cool to hang out with funny bastards once a week.

[OpenSores]

I play a little with my son, great to hear him come on, keyboards and drums. I'd like to get back into it, likely a project on my own very few metal folk of my vintage knocking around these parts. I'd like to do something post punk/industrial,kinda Cop Shoot Cop with electronics. It's an idea at least...

[General Lee]

I still plan to play for as long as I can. Been doing it for way too long at this stage. I love the writing/rehearsal side, rehearse twice a week, play guitar at home every other day.

[The Butcher]

Haven't gigged with a band since 2012 - Sometimes you remember the absolute slog at times, just the waiting around etc - but then you remember the great gigs, even the bad gigs where you are playing to 5 people could be treated as a better practice that weekend. Had a great setup big shed out the back of the guitarists house with drums/amps all setup to go every week.

Good fun and memories, part of me wishes I kept it up with a band but as time goes on, career then family comes in and your time gets stretched and priorities shift but my main interest was always the writing & creative aspect. 2013 a year later got the serious itch to go solo, write/record and that whole process is very rewarding, been doing that ever since, no plans of stopping.

And ideas can just pop into your head from nowhere - something that forms from just picking up the acoustic guitar, strumming two chords together, letting that stew & fester, figuring out the next steps to it + not knowing where it will end up is great. Or that it could form a completely different song down the line - it just never bores me. Even humming along with the chords I find that can conjure up something now and again or playing it on the keyboard. Could go 6 months without writing one song and then all of a sudden I've 5-10 within 2 weeks. With young kids now be interesting to see if they show interest when they get older.

[Barrytron]

Don't think i could ever stop playing, have been at it since a young age and don't really do anything else in life except work. I'd be lost I think

[Mooncat]

I've played one gig since we got back together.
It was brilliant but as I was helping lift an Ampeg 8x10 up the stairs in Fredz I realised that I'm more cut out for being a rock star over being a roadie.
Who needs an 8x10 upstairs in Fredz?
Apparently we do.
I believe we are playing another gig this year.
The tour that never ends.

For that reason I went digital years ago. No more hauling an amp from the car to the stage for me. For most gigs these days I show up with just my guitar and a tiny bag 

[Pentagrimes]

This thread has made me realise I have no idea who here is in what bands.
Probably for the best so that I haven't offended people more than normal

[Putrefaction]

Yeah, I've been playing consistently in bands since '97, but have totally fallen out of love with playing gigs the last few years, I see it as nothing but hassle, probably down to age and the pandemic. I still like jamming, the banter with the lads, and recording etc, but if we never played live again, I'd be happy with that...

[Circlepit]

I've never promoted my band here.
I couldn't take the pain.

[Bürggermeister]

 

You could be the new Narcotica

[Circlepit]

You could be the new Narcotica

Or Leaher Mike....

[The Great Cull]

You could be the new Narcotica

Or Leaher Mike....

Leather Mike is hoping to form a band with David Ellefson. They have a lot of similar influences apparently 

[Shardknife]

I've played in bands for over 20 years now and can't really see myself stopping. We don't get to meet up and jam as much as we used to in any of my bands but we're all seasoned enough now to keep working away and get a few shows a year. It's always a great laugh when we do meet up and we fall back into the swing of it in a few mins. Would be nice to get more music released but these things always take time and people have family and work taking up so much of their time.

As for not loving some of the aspects, I've learned to try and enjoy the gigs even if they aren't always the best show of your life. Sure long drives and bad crowds can be a bit of a slog. I just treat them as a night out with mates and I pretty much always have a great time. As for equipment lugging around, just get the new light stuff. No real need to be dragging around mad heavy tube heads and massive cabs if you don't want to. You can get super lightweight tiny heads and light weight cabs that will get you through any gig and sound great. I barley ever take out my big amps now. It's nice to have them but they aren't a requirement like they used to be.

Anyway I plan to keep going until I can't, wouldn't know what to do if I didn't have some gigs or jamming to look forward to!

[open face surgery]

Still playing and always will. Love the process of bringing something to life. Not jamming fuck all at the minute but have a few projects I want to do start or get back to so that should be change things up a bit.

Covid def did a number on gigs. I think I played 3 gigs over 5 years or something wild like that and didn't really give a fuck about it either but I'm always on for gigging.