FILIPINO MUSICIANS AROUND THE WORLD!

[markflo]

i just wanted to see where everyone OVERSEAS was from?

also, share your musical experiences playing in your area. what are the bars like? music stores? studios? blah blah blah

share!!!

[stratman1]

I'll start.

Location - Los Angeles, California.

Gig experience - It's rough to be a new cummer, hehe    But as soon as you get to know different producers and local bands, gigs won't be hard to come by. Currentlly, we get offered gigs as much as once a week. I try to set the band to at least 2 gigs a month (every other weekend). Lots of gigs are good but you get burnt out really fast. The thing is most of the gigs that you get here you have to bring your own gear. Thats a back breaker if you don't hava a roadie. If your an original band you get the max of 45 minutes to play. Cover band gets longer set (maybe 4 set gig). You also have to deal with the pay to play thing. Well, they don't call it pay to play anymore. It's more like pre-sell tickets. On bigger clubs like They Whisky's, The Viper Room, House of BLues, each band has to cover a certain amount of tickets to be sold before you can even get up the stage. Most of the time you have to sell 50 tix for $15 - 20 a piece. If you can't sell then you can't play (sucks!). Then there are the smaller clubs around town. No pre sale tickets but you have to assure the promoter that you will bring at least 20 people in so promoters bar/drink quota is covered.

It's all good. Gigging out, whether small or big club gigs, we still have a good time. We don't make money (well, sometime, but not that much). We do this for the fun of it and to meet more people. So... ROCK ON!!! \m/  

[jack in a vox]

Location: Wellington, NZ

ok, i started off here as an exchange student in 2000, loved the place and stayed. didnt have a guitar with me, so after a few weeks, i got a part-time job and started saving up, bought a gibson lp custom from a pinoy addict i met (dont ask it was dirt cheap). joined a guitarist forum, and met some guys there, started jamming together, and we used to gig almost every week at the university bar and parties. also joined up with some pinoys and we started a band too, playing mostly parties and pinoy celebrations (xmas, independence day, nu year etc). so it was good then, always had gigs.. right now, mejo ng mellow down na, with the baby, job and everything. but still make it a point to gig every now and then. still working on those originals.. the dream never dies as they say! and this is a student town, there are parties everyweek! and so similar age group as me so whenever we play gigs, the audience is always involved.. cool!

carrying gear has never been a problem for me, i enjoy setting up, but i hate cleaning up after (hakot!)! and i guess its easy cuz i dont over-indulge. i only carry what's needed, 2 guitars, pedal board and a 1x12. all fits easily into the trunk of my car. and not that heavy!

the problem here is not finding a place to practice.. mejo mahirap kasi, strict sila sa noise dito.. too much noise and you get reported to the police, and if they give you 3 warnings in a week, they will confiscate your gear for a month! so we rotate practices.. but it can be a drag sometimes.

but overall its been good, the thing i hate about the covers band side of it, is always having to learn new songs that people like (not exactly what i like) but nonetheless i still enjoy playing and getting drunk while playing..

and besides for one night a week.. i feel like a rockstar!  

[Chito]

Location: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

First just a background about the city as it's not a popular destination for Pinoys here in Canada. It is the capital of Canada so its pretty much a government town. Everyone works for the federal government. Very conservative, a big city (1m population) with a small town feel.

My experience here: I've played in a blues band and 3 rock cover bands in the last 13 years. One band I stayed in for 7 years. We mostly did charity gigs and private functions/parties. The band was fronted by a guy who didn't need the money and was not too keen on playing in bars. But also this was the band that gave me an opportunity to play in places like the Scotiabank Place, the Museum of Civilization, the Congress Centre which probably doesn't mean anything to most here hahaha. But these are places maybe I could compare to the Ultra, Araneta (does that still exist?), or large arena type places. I've also played in most of the bars around here.

There are lots of musicians here. Lots of bands too. Mostly original bands. But this is not the town for original bands. You are far better off in Toronto, Montreal or even Vancouver. From what I have seen over the years, cover bands make more money gigging around here. Mind you, the pay has gone down over the years too. The going rate here seems to be $500.00/gig. That's not much for 3 sets of 12 songs each.  Depending on how popular your band is and how much crowd you can bring into the bar, you can get a lot more.

I just formed my own band, Spillback, last winter and we're at the process of building our repertoire and we are now actively looking for gigs. It's a 3 piece (guitar, bass, drum) fronted by a female vocalist. Normally you try to keep the number of gigs to a maximum of 2 weekends a month as what stratman1 said, you can easily get burned out.  

A few more things, most times we also have to bring our gear in here so if you decide to form your own band, you will need to have your own PA, mics, snakes, etc. I also hate the setup/take down aspect of it. But it's part of the whole thing.

And like everyone else, who has posted so far, I've been doing it for the fun of it. Just being able to play and perform is enough for me.

Keep on rockin guys...

[Phil]

"Le Toilete " Bathroom, CA

da best acoustics(you can hear yourself breathe, .....very relaxing atmosphere.
very intimate and quiet and sourrounding.

one on one with the audience....da best.

[abyssinianson]

The plains of the midwest, USA.

the gist - played in bands a bit, DJ'ed around a lot, got tired of hauling my equipment as a drummer, bassist, and guitar player so nowadays, I do most of my music work in my studio.

i gig out every so often and do a lot of collaborative work as a session player depending on what needs to be played. lately, i've been into doing acoustic shows.

[PRSMan]

Location now -- Dallas, TX, USA
Location before -- Manila, Philippines

Gigging in... church.  I play bass during the teen mass (naks, feeling teenager pero teen-"aged" na).  Got paid $125 for the Christmas eve mass.  Gulat ako dun.  Pero natapon ng asawa ko yung check.  Althought di naman naging star.  I also play guitar as part of the music ministry in Couples for Christ, pero madalang lang.  Goodbye na rockstar days ko.  Inaalibukan na gitara ko sa closet.

[jack in a vox]

I also play guitar as part of the music ministry in Couples for Christ, pero madalang lang.  Goodbye na rockstar days ko.  Inaalibukan na gitara ko sa closet.

CFC din kami.. well kinda.. hehehe..

kung inaalibukan, send it to me, lilinisin ko

[abyssinianson]

a friend tried to have me join CFC and SFC...I couldn't. I mean what would that say for someone who listens to Entombed and likes playing Minstry riffs? Heck, even the priests I studied with at Don Bosco liked metal! Indeed, the differences I saw between those nutty priests and the local SFC group was very, very different. I am gonna stick with my indie rock/ metal roots from Don Bosco.

[jack in a vox]

i just joined YFC for the chickies  

anyway.. CFC for all the food j/k.. and besides, we've had a lot of gig invites because of them. charity events, fundraisings etc..

[stratman1]

i just joined YFC for the chickies  

Now, that's the true Christian Spirit, haha  

[stratman1]

"Le Toilete " Bathroom, CA

da best acoustics(you can hear yourself breathe, .....very relaxing atmosphere.
very intimate and quiet and sourrounding.

one on one with the audience....da best.

Hey! That's sounds like a nice venue. Maybe you can add me to the bill next time you have a gig, hehe

BTW, some I know is giving awaya ticket for the Satch gig this Sat. Anyone interested?

[markflo]

JAM NA!!! kelan kayo libre?

[markthevirtuoso]

Dubai UAE.

Gigged on hotels and resorts. Currently gigging on colleges and universities events and small bars for hobby and part-time.

Ok naman ang mga venues and sound system so far. Actually depende sa venue at event. Pag medyo bigtime, syempre bigtime din ang sound mo.eheh Mga music shops ok lang din (mas mahusay ang second hand market natin sa pinas ). Wala masyadong rehearsal studios dito at kung meron man, MAHAL. Kaya napilitan kaming bumili ng mga pipityuging gamit pang ensayo. Recording-wise depende. I'm fortunate enough though to be able to use SAE's studios whenever i want. Student kasi ako dun and i'm proud to say that it's the best recording studio here in the country.

[Phil]

JAM NA!!! kelan kayo libre?

...di ako pwede ngayong Saturday....save my ears for Satch and EJ for the night....hehehehe

[markflo]

nah, i wasn't talking about this saturday. may lakad din ako, sabay jam sa sunday with MPG! hehe...but we gotta plan a date, gusto rin daw sumama ni doc gerry.

[stratman1]

Got sched gigs lined up every Saturday for the next 2 months. I can be available during noon time but you have to let me know ahead of time so I can arrange my sched properlly.

[markflo]

Got sched gigs lined up every Saturday for the next 2 months. I can be available during noon time but you have to let me know ahead of time so I can arrange my sched properlly.

nakampucha...ang bangis! i'll email your secretary pareng dan...hehe..

[Phil]

Got sched gigs lined up every Saturday for the next 2 months. I can be available during noon time but you have to let me know ahead of time so I can arrange my sched properlly.

PLUS..may gig pa yan sa sidewalk sa Sunset and Hollywood every Friday night at 12 midnight....di ba sexy?

[PRSMan]

are you guys full-time musicians?  if so, sarap naman ng buhay niyo... you guys at least enjoy your work.

[sonnyrayvaughn]

Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

weekend gigs nung year 2002-2003 with two other Dutch musicians playing blues,classic rock and own songs... played everywhere from open field festivals to small sleazy bars...the sleazy bars are more enjoyable ehehe, cguro im also just a sleaze myself. anyway, the rock crowd in holland is great but also very honest...if they liked you theyll stick around and commend you pagbaba mo sa stage..if they hate you, they will be very frank to say you aint good.
mainstream rock scene is quite weak in this country, rap and techno music is making a killing...bars are preferring DJ's as it is cheaper and attracts more young people... sad, but true.

i also played for some filipino party bands, gigs usually are during christmas/new year and independence day celebrations...independence day is coming, im expecting na sana makatugtog ulit.

right now, we formed a band in my company to play in our fiscal year-end party this june...first rehearsal was last night. fun talaga, sarap play music with other people....

other than that...pamilya lang at gear hunting nowadays.