You are close with the band having been made to fill all the roles, but this was an interesting situation. There was a cocktail lounge player, a party band, and a guitar soloist on this ship still. But the MD would give them breaks and have us play in their stead. So we were the relief players, but there were no relief players for us.

I am in no way anarchist. I am told I am too nice. I apologized quite a bit with the first MD, most of that was in the first month of the contract. After that, I got so fed up, since I realized most of the musical issues weren’t my fault at all, and I couldn’t do anything about it, so I just said whatever I could say to get him off my back as soon as possible, while letting him know that this spat he has with me was pointless. In short, I eventually called his bluff with trying to fire me.

To me, tours are much more desirable than cruising, for a few reasons:

1.) Hotel room beds are better than any ship bed could ever hope to be.

2.) A night out after the show or a night off is a night out, not a night at the martini lounge on the other side of the ship.

3.) You are left alone by your bandleader to unwind after the show. They aren’t following you around during down time to see what other kind of rules they can call you on. I’m telling you, this guy was creepy. I didn’t mention this in detail in my blogs because it wasn’t a good idea while I was employed with the company.

4.) The. Food. Is. Much. Better.

Even after all this is said, I’ll say this: It’s been a few years since I did this gig, and there are only two thoughts I really have at this point:

1.) I really miss the ports, and that alone is worth it to go back.

2.) I vowed to never do a six month contract again, and I won’t.

However, tours depend on who you’re with. I’ve been on some tours before where most of the musicians are really dark. That can bring the gig down, too. I’d do another tour with the same countries visited, but with all-around happier musicians next time.

And, I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I want to mention it again. It is my belief that all musicians should do at least one cruise contract. You learn so much about the business in six months, your chops double, and most importantly, you’re paid to see the world!

Some of these blogs sound like they’re from a company that tries to make one band suit the needs of several, trying to make them a cover/party band, show band, standards band, etc. Basically, the jack of all trades and master of none. Too many hours covering all areas of the ship and simply “banging out” one mediocre performance after another. That’s cost effective to the company but certainly not impactful in any way. Believe me, not all companies share that lack of commitment to quality.

Additionally, no matter what gig you’re hired to do on a ship you’ve got to make your peace with the fact that you’re about 10% Navy. If you have anarchist tendancies, it’s not a good fit. If, however, you can handle a more structured life for a while, the opportunities to save $$, “earn while you learn”, travel some cool places, and have fun (meet and work with Musicians you enjoy and may stay in touch with for years) is unequaled.

No matter who you are, what you’re doing, or how good the gig is, if you’ve been away from friends and family for a long while, you’re going to be ready to get away and reconnect. I’ve talked with enough guys who have been on the road (not many opportunities for that anymore) in some of the top touring bands of their day that felt the same way when the tour was over. Plus, you don’t have to set up and tear down every night.

Great post. This is exactly how I feel when on contracts, and those are the exact same 5 things I can’t wait to do when I finish. The last contract I did was six months, and it was way too long for me. Four months is long enough, and I’m about to do a 14 week contract very soon, which I think is just right, to save a bit of money, yet preserve some sanity.

I’m not entirely sure of the Line you have been working on, but there’s enough in there to convince me that it’s not the same as my current line. Needless to say though that it is pretty much exactly the same for how we are treated, and the rest.

Well done on an interesting, and very truthful account of the end of your contract, and good luck with any future contracts you may end up doing!

I told Ghostwriter the exact same thing when he sent this to me – this is also just how I felt at the end of my contract!

I’ve only just found this Blog but it is great. I have been there before and thought exactly the same… I do miss it occasionally, the people you meet, playing everyday but there are things I don’t miss… especially how you get treated by the officers etc.

It sounds like the same company as me, but then again they all are very alike!

Get through this contract, you’ll get offers to do emergency fills which are quite cool as you’re only on the ship for a short time. Good luck with whatever you do!

I understand that my blog is a tad dark, but even when you’re told that it’s not a bed of roses, you may still think “yeah, yeah, I know.” But it’s an experience you must have to truly understand what we all mean. In a sentence, I would say it’s something that all musicians should experience at least once. If you like it enough, do another contract. If not, don’t. But either way, there are some experiences here you would have to pay thousands of dollars otherwise, and you are getting some lessons that you can take with you on any gig hereafter. You will improve on something musically, even if you don’t shed, and especially on reading, no matter how good your reading chops are.

I enjoy my job. But it’s not fulfilling musically. I want something a little more; then again, my musical interests can jump back and forth between different genres and the instrument I currently want to improve. Also, I want to be treated more like a human and less like a child. It’s something we all can take to an extent, but for me, I’m almost at my limit.

Either way, thanks for the condolences. I still urge anyone to do at least one contract.