My Touring Days Are Over For Me

Joseph Barcus · Post by **Joseph Barcus** » 7 Dec 2009 3:48 pm

well with the past few weeks of hell that I have went though I have decided that I will no longer be interested in any kind of long distance gigs. now I have to say that Lucky Tubb and his gang treated me with the best respect and the pay was always right there without any trouble. but I have run for many miles but still in the hole. for bad shippers and long bus rides with wacked out people. so guess after I get my guitar fixed I will just stay here and do you tube videos. and play for local senior centers once in a while. but at this time Im staying home right here in West Virginia.

Joseph Barcus · Post by **Joseph Barcus** » 7 Dec 2009 5:55 pm

Joey if you can please move this where it belongs I posted in the wrong area. Joe

Post by **Joey Ace** » 9 Dec 2009 5:21 am

No problem, Joe. I suppose "Steel Players" would be the area.

Anyway, that's where it's going.

You are not alone in wanting to leave the touring to others. It's a very common story.

Even the local (a few hours round trip) gigs are no where near as attractive as they once were. Of course there are exceptions, so I keep tryin...

Ernest Cawby · Post by **Ernest Cawby** » 9 Dec 2009 5:34 am

I was offered a job with a top artist Red Sovine, and turned it down best decission ever made, to this day glad I did, Nan and I sometime wonder what our life would hsve been had I done that, when I left La. and came home, 6 months later Nan and I tied the knot still tied 59 years later.

ernie

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 9 Dec 2009 5:59 am

Joe, sorry to hear about all the transport problems. Hope you get the guitar fixed ok.

Maybe something else will come along that works better for you. Anyway, I hope so.

Best of Luck. JO.

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 9 Dec 2009 6:07 am

Joe,

I feel your pain. I did the same thing. You find out that there's a lot of good pickers that don't want any part of the road. I'll do a gig every now and then, but I make my own travel arrangements, etc... I turned one down to MI awhile back because it was riding in a van with the band and having to stay at someones house I didn't know, to save motel and meal cost, etc... I don't need that kind of BS. If you can't make enough out on the road to not be a bum, then stay at home.

On the other hand, never say never, things come along occassionally that are worth packing up for. I've got one in Blacksburg, VA in a couple of weeks that I expect to be very rewarding and fun.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 9 Dec 2009 6:11 am

I talked to a buddy of mine who lives in Fla. and teaches guitar at a school. He was telling me about one of his students who moved up to Nashville and got a gig playing in the road band with Taylor Swift. You would not believe how little money those kids get paid to be in those road bands. It was shocking. You could drive a school bus and just about as much money.

Post by **Joey Ace** » 9 Dec 2009 6:16 am

What did I miss, Joe?
Was your guitar damaged? How?

Joseph Barcus · Post by **Joseph Barcus** » 9 Dec 2009 6:32 am

Joey yes good ole fedex thought the 77 pound package should be tossed and dropped as much as possible I had it shipped to Texas and I took the bus that I did not know I could had took those on the bus with me for a much less fee. comes from not knowing these things. if the guitar had not got broken I would had still been on that tour making a few dollars. but again I was dumb. could not find a car to rent that was not 500.00 because of a one way rent. so I took a bus back to get my car to drive back to their 3rd gig to pick my stuff up.

Carl Heatley · Post by **Carl Heatley** » 9 Dec 2009 7:07 am

Hey Joseph,
Has Lucky found a new steel player yet???
Man I,d love that job....cant wait to get back on the road.
Carl.

Joseph Barcus · Post by **Joseph Barcus** » 9 Dec 2009 7:35 am

Carl they are in bad need of one for tonight in New York call 1-817-983-4044 its in Kingston. they are on the phone looking for someone now.

Joe Miraglia · Post by **Joe Miraglia** » 9 Dec 2009 7:37 am

No one ever asked me to go on the road and play for then,

I'm not good enough.

Joe

Joseph Barcus · Post by **Joseph Barcus** » 9 Dec 2009 7:41 am

Joe they are very nice to play with alot of fun and always pay well.but this time round things were against me it seems.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 9 Dec 2009 7:52 am

Joe, you have a phone number for them? I might be able to swing that gig tonight.

Joseph Barcus · Post by **Joseph Barcus** » 9 Dec 2009 7:56 am

its filled now

Joseph Barcus · Post by **Joseph Barcus** » 9 Dec 2009 7:57 am

its filled now

Chris Schlotzhauer · Post by **Chris Schlotzhauer** » 9 Dec 2009 10:02 am

Working the road, like any other job, requires learning the ropes (packing light, the right clothes, etc). It can be a nightmare working for a band that doesn't know the ropes, or they do it on the cheap. Some bands try to stay in fans pool houses, barns, sleep on floors, or drive through the night and not sleep. They have no road mgr to fight with the club owners or drive when the star is blasted.
Good bands have contracts that the venues provide rooms, food, booze, etc, and have a road mgr to make sure all of these things are provided. He also makes sure the band gets paid, out the door to the bus or hotel.
I love the road vs driving 4-6 hours each way every weekend. When I go on the road, I don't have to worry about anything, or think for that matter.

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 9 Dec 2009 10:48 am

Chris Schlotzhauer wrote:Working the road, like any other job, requires learning the ropes (packing light, the right clothes, etc). It can be a nightmare working for a band that doesn't know the ropes, or they do it on the cheap. Some bands try to stay in fans pool houses, barns, sleep on floors, or drive through the night and not sleep. They have no road mgr to fight with the club owners or drive when the star is blasted.
Good bands have contracts that the venues provide rooms, food, booze, etc, and have a road mgr to make sure all of these things are provided. He also makes sure the band gets paid, out the door to the bus or hotel.
I love the road vs driving 4-6 hours each way every weekend. When I go on the road, I don't have to worry about anything, or think for that matter.

I agree. I've worked with the good ones, and also the "other" ones. The problem is that the bands book so cheap that the only way they can make it work is to sponge off of fans for meals and lodging. When they are forced to get a motel, they get one room for five people and expect you to pile up in bed like a pack of dogs. I like to play music, but not enough to put up with that stuff. When you're young everything seems like a church field trip, but as you get older with responsibilities, you find out that this sucks.

Billy Wilson · Post by **Billy Wilson** » 9 Dec 2009 10:55 am

Joseph, I look forward to more of those steel clips. Keep em coming!

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 9 Dec 2009 11:21 am

I like the part about long bus rides with wacked out people.

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 9 Dec 2009 2:04 pm

Kevin Hatton wrote:I like the part about long bus rides with wacked out people.

I'm with Kevin!!

Bo Legg · Post by **Bo Legg** » 9 Dec 2009 2:45 pm

Smart move Joe, I woke up on the bus one nite and looked at my watch and thought geez we should have been there an hour ago. I went to the front of the bus to ask the drummer who was driving why we weren't there yet. He had both hands on the wheel, a pipe of whacky backy stuck in his mouth, staring straight ahead driving 25mph with cars and trucks whizzing by us at 75mph and he thought he was in the indy 500.
I don't miss any of it.

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 9 Dec 2009 4:26 pm

Bill,I just read that the average school bus driver in Atlanta,Ga.makes $47,000 a year...does that kid make that much money with Taylor Swift?That's actually pretty good money for a kid guitar player...

Mike Archer · Post by **Mike Archer** » 9 Dec 2009 4:54 pm

oh yes ive been there and done that too

20 years there were good times and
bad times and inbetween times too
now im a home boy and my wife is tickled
and I play plenty so hey lifes good

no more road work for this steel player
bad health anyway let the younguns do it
hehehehehe Mike

Joseph Barcus · Post by **Joseph Barcus** » 9 Dec 2009 4:55 pm

yeah I stuck beside one guy on the bus that had some serious issues with life, every 5 min or so he would scream in my ear god loves you, love will come your way. as if I was sitting there telling him I was a lost soul of some kind. then when you would get half relaxed he would start all over again. telling me that hitler was the next best thing to god, then right back into that god loves you crap lol 400 miles of that. I even tried to give my window seat away and nobody was interested pheww what a freaking nut case

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