I'm with everyone else. Do it. I get a lot of satisfaction from playing in cover bands. Not always my favorite songs, but even lames songs are more enjoyable when there is a check at the end of it all. But most of all, it's better than sitting at home playing to the same jam trax over and over.

I sent off an email this morning so I'll wait for the reply. Thanks for all of your advice. I'll let you know what happens next.

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I agree on the "take it" as well. The gig I learned a lot from was a guy who sang Elvis (half the setlist) and country (the other half). He was a terrifc singer, at least when it came to Elvis and the audiences generally went along with the set list and style.

I was used to a much younger and different audience (when I played rock) and a bit more upscale audience from my jazz trio. My only other experience was classical (in high school orchestra). So this was a whole new audience with unfamiliar expectations.

Up to that point, I'd been "paid" (so to speak) to play some fairly complicated music and to be able to improvise. Now, the idea was to stay in the background, play exactly what "they" remembered the tunes to sound like and not stand out. It required quite a bit of discipline, coming from the word of early 70s free-form rock.

That discpline paid off well, not to mention that I added some credible country to my bag of tricks. So any gig is worthwhile because all gigs, especially those outside your comfrort zone, expand your skills.

playing live also makes you think of other phrasings and licks, sort of in a hendrix fashion

yodacaster, yes!

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Jam with this band for a while. When you feel uncomfortable left the band.

BigJay, you could change the name of the band to White Rabid!! JK!!! I'm glad for you my friend! I know..it's corny!

Seriously, I'm glad for you and it sounds like you're just what the band needs. New blood to liven them up!!

I played a bunch of wedding gigs with one band ( i was the bass player,) and they were surprisingly fun. You get to play a pretty wide variety of songs, from a bunch of different eras.
We did a bit of everything, from contemporary radio songs, to 50's rock, a bit of country, all the way to polkas and waltzes, to some more rock stuff for nearer the end of the night.

It really helped my playing a lot. (And all the single girls at wedding parties doesn't hurt either.)

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

BigJay, I'll bet you have a blast!! I loved the White Rabbit story.
I am very happy you found a band.

Shortly after replying to the band in question, I found myself with an opportunity to try out for a band with a little more edge. They want to play hard rock and its a little closer to what I would like to do. I am supposed to jam this weekend. I have also been in contact with another singer/guitarist who has a bass player friend. We have been sending each other set lists and trying to figure out what we should play when we get together.
I guess I have a few options now!

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Congrats to Yoda and Big Jay...enjoy I'm looking forward to some clips... and $1500.00 a pop is not bad walkin around money Jay ( as long as it's not a 10 piece band... )

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I'm not slow... and I'm not fast... just sort of halffast...