How to form a crappy garage band...30 years later?

[DB Cooper]

Started playing at the age of 45 - figured what the... I've been playing for about three years now. Still pretty much a beginner/intermediate, but, hey, I'm having fun, right?

But - I feel like I missed out on the teenage opportunity to form a crappy garage band and just blow, ya know? So I'd like to do that - find a bunch of middle-aged hacks, beginners, etc. and form a garage band. Just to make noise together.

The thing is, where do I find other beginners my age? Or is this just ridiculous? Maybe I should just stick to messing around in my living room...

I don't know - I really want to be in a BAND! Ya know?

 

[stevel]

Started playing at the age of 45 - figured what the... I've been playing for about three years now. Still pretty much a beginner/intermediate, but, hey, I'm having fun, right?

But - I feel like I missed out on the teenage opportunity to form a crappy garage band and just blow, ya know? So I'd like to do that - find a bunch of middle-aged hacks, beginners, etc. and form garage band. Just to make noise together.

The thing is, where do I find other beginners my age? Or is this just ridiculous? Maybe I should just stick to messing around in my living room...

I don't know - I really want to be in a BAND! Ya know?

Well, I think there are actually a lot of "beginners" out there, even though many of them think they're not.

Post a Craigslist ad and be honest. There are a lot of people our age (I'm 43) who want to play, but are too busy with careers and family to try and go out and gig.

If you're a churchgoer, try there - talk to the praise band if they have one.
Talk to some local guitar teachers - they may have contacts to other people your age who might be interested (and they'll know how advanced they are).

There's also nothing wrong with playing with younger beginners but a lot of young people (say below 40 mostly) are still "trying to make it" and won't want an "old" beginner in their band.

Talk to everyone you know at work or at restaurants, etc. Go out and see some bands and talk to the guys in the band - they may have friends in the audience looking for someone to play with.

I'm constantly amazed at the number of people I run into who play - my new neighbor is a guitarist and the guy across the street has a great voice. Had I not been sitting on my front porch playing I would have never known (neither of those guys have any professional ambitions though).

Good Luck,
Steve

 

[jimfog]

How to form a crappy garage band?!?!?!?

Go on Craigslist, and place an ad looking for professional, serious, experienced musicians.

 

[Ed Alvarado]

Just go for it!

 

[CyberFerret]

There are a lot more people in the same situation as you than you know it. Many people out there holding down a 9-5 job are wannabe rockstars.

I remember going to a management course a few years back. A room full of 30 men and women who were all in their 30's, 40's and 50's and who were very successful upper lever managers, lawyers, engineers, accountants and business owners etc. The facilitator asked one guy what he would do if he had to choose an alternative career, and he said "Play guitar in a rock band!!" and immediately almost everyone else in the room put their hands up and said "YEAH! We would LOVE to do that!!!". Goes to show...

I guess I was lucky enough to be in a few bands in my early days, but I have been away from a band situation for a long while now and missing it. I've been starting to go to open mic jams, and that is a good place to meet other musicians without bands.

Go along to a few and have a chat to some of them and see about getting together in someone's garage and just having some fun. You will probably drink more beer and eat more pizza than play, but you will have fun!

 

[Motterpaul]

Craigslist....

and did I mention Craigs list.

Honestly, I wanted to do the same as you - just have some blow out jam session (and I am 56 and have been playing since I was 11). It was hard to find jammers, so I had to join bands and ply cover songs - still fun and rewarding though. But if I saw your ad I might answer, especially if you were hosting and said "free beer" and "I'll play bass".

In other words, I think if you word your ad right you will get some responses. There are players who are not in bands who want to have fun, too. The only thing I would wonder about is how well you can really jam after just three years of playing. I think it might be hard to find peer players your age.

But you could ask your friends who have kids in bands if they want to jam (I have friends like that).

 

[Paleolith54]

Started playing at the age of 45 - figured what the... I've been playing for about three years now. Still pretty much a beginner/intermediate, but, hey, I'm having fun, right?

But - I feel like I missed out on the teenage opportunity to form a crappy garage band and just blow, ya know? So I'd like to do that - find a bunch of middle-aged hacks, beginners, etc. and form garage band. Just to make noise together.

The thing is, where do I find other beginners my age? Or is this just ridiculous? Maybe I should just stick to messing around in my living room...

I don't know - I really want to be in a BAND! Ya know?

Try lots of different options (craigslist, bulletin boards in music store, etc); mention it to people you work with (you'll be amazed what that can turn up); be patient, be prepared for people to flake out on you (we are talking about musicians, remember) and to deal with turnover. Getting a group together will be a process, not an event.

 

[DrumBob]

Do it.

It's about having fun playing music.

 

[bc-cosmo]

How to form a crappy garage band?!?!?!?

Go on Craigslist, and place an ad looking for professional, serious, experienced musicians.

All too true,
unfortunately.

 

[robare99]

Post an ad at the local music store, talk to the guys at the store....


Ask around at work. Maybe someone can play drums, and you had no idea etc etc...

 

[drewl]

I've seen ads (Craigslist) with musicians looking for just the same thing.
So go for it man, have some fun!

ps. I've got loads of tapes of my "garage band" days, horribly beautiful....even some songs that were eventually cut in a studio when we were a great band.

So who cares what anyone says, just enjoy yourself.

 

[tsar nicholas]

yeah, like the guys say -- just post a local ad and go for it. I didn't play in a band for 10 years, then picked it up again last year. Music is for everyone, and there's nothing like playing with other people. It's never too late.

 

[5E3]

What everyone else said...

Just be ready for some head-aches and B.S. The people you run into will run the gamut in attitude and music tastes. Finding a match good enough to just have fun and make some noise can be very difficult in my experience. One thing that will really help is if you have rehearsal space.

Go for it, good luck!

 

[FFTT]

The best outlet for me was just the open mic circuit around the region.

Take your acoustic, sing a few songs, meet some other musicians and it's
usually pretty low pressure fun.

 

[beckerman]

I'm in my 40's and in a crappy garage band. It takes a while to find a group of people who want to get together for no other reason then to play music but they are out there. In addition to Craigs List, go to some open mics and network

 

[RGB]

Some guys have poker night, some go bowling...nothing wrong with having a few cold ones and making some music with friends!

Started out this way after a brief hiatus from gigging in the '90's. Got together with a couple of friends and just started making noise...although, soon our local watering hole invited us to play, so we had to get some gear together and the next thing you know we're right back at it...so much for poker night, but I find if I take a month off, the itch comes right back so why fight it?

Best of luck in your search for "poker" buds.

 

[semi-hollowbody]

I am 41...I started playing at 34...I have been in 4-5 garage/basement bands...all found on craigslist...

Its been a while since Ive done this however...craigslist has become a bad Saturday Night Live skit here in metro detroit...

 

[Kenny D]

I am 41...I started playing at 34...I have been in 4-5 garage/basement bands...all found on craigslist...

Its been a while since Ive done this however...craigslist has become a bad Saturday Night Live skit here in metro detroit...

You should read the CL for Spokane WA! It's more like an episode of Jerry Springer.

 

[marktweedy]

I started playing in my late 40's. I had played the piano growing up (classical) but had never played in a band. I decided that it was something I wanted to do by the time I was 50. I have a bunch of friends who are musicians, I asked, gave my reasons and they indulged me. We played a set of about 8 songs at my 50th birthday party after a month or so of practise.

While a bunch of the people have changed, four years later the same band still plays most Friday nights.

Nothing advanced and continues to advance my playing better than playing with others. Period. So I highly recommend the experience. And as my story shows, just ask and you might be surprised at what falls out.

 

[hudpucker]

Go to a few local open mics. Bound to find plenty of people at your level at some point.