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So we finished the night without any further incident. The girlfriends stayed and left with the guys, and I drove home to my house. When the bass player got home, his clothes were scattered on the front lawn and the door was locked and chained. The drummer found his house ransacked, the TV smashed, the bed sliced up and his wife gone. Same thing for the singer.... The drummer's wife was not heard from for over 2 months.
Eventually, everyone made up, and the incident was forgotten as life went on...and on.... and on.... this kind of thing tended to occur about every 6 months with those guys in various forms. my similar story only differs in a few details... nobody was married yet, but suffice to say that sometimes hometown girlfriends travel to out of town gigs and discover other girlfriends. I'll never forget the way the one guitar players girlfriend kept viciously kicking him in the shins with her pointy-toed shoes. Ouch. All this happened at a topless club in Somerset Pa, and the memories of the event helped me to back out of the music business when I got married. Playing at those places makes it very hard to maintain trust in a relationship, and marriage is already a challenge without all that.
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Not a war story as in horror, but related to Pat's.
One of my favorite gigs was being the staff trumpet player for the regional theater in Albany. A phenomenal summer job at age 21.
We had a variety of acts come through such as Jerry Vale, Mitzi Gaynor, Roger Williams etc. for weekly shows. Only the talent and a music director traveled, and each area's top players made up the rest of the band as they toured the country. One of my favorites was playing the Burlesque Show. A stripper in a glass bowl was the highlight of the show, and I blew a jazz solo throughout her 'dance'. She came down and told me she enjoyed 'dancing' to my playing more than any city they worked in. I wonder how many she told that to...
One day my future wife visited the show. She asked me if I knew what was going on up on the stage, and I said, "No, I'm too busy reading the music".
That excuse worked until she overheard another band member say, "Boy, did you ever memorize music so fast in your life!".
And perhaps someone should tell Eddie this story in his thread about reading music.
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Worst gig... insult to injury.
This was the second band I was in with Glen & Danny. When the first one broke up, we didn't talk for a long time. Then one night Danny called me and I hung up on him. He called back and yelled DON'T HANG UP.... JUST LISTEN. He wanted to put the band together because none of us were playing and he needed money. He came over and we talked.... He called Glen. Glen hung up on him too. Eventually, we did reform the band, and named this band Cahoots... since we were going in cahoots with each other to make money.
So, the band was going along nicely and we were getting along well. We bought a band truck and had our logo painted on it.
We had landed a gig at the biggest club in the town up the road. We were excited to play there since it was where they booked the bigger bands. I almost believe it was a 3 day gig.... Thursday through Saturday. So we get ready to roll out. I decided to drive my van to the club. I had barely got out of town when my front wheel bearing went out. Fortunately, the service station right there had the right bearing and had me back on the road shortly. About 10 miles from the club, there was the company truck parked on the side of the highway and our road crew was setting on the bumper.... What the....?
The head gasket had blown out and the truck would not move. We called a tow truck and had the truck towed to the club. We loaded in, and pushed the truck to a parking place. We played the gig and the place was fairly empty. At the end of the first night, the club manager came up, handed us the money for one night and fired us telling us "we didn't draw a crowd" and he was going to hire another band for the weekend..... and oh... by the way, get your gear out of the club tonight. We pushed the truck to the loading dock, loaded out, and pushed the truck back to it's parking place.
Next day we had to have the truck towed back to our home town fully loaded. Turned out that the gasket wasn't blown, but the motor was totally gone... threw a rod.
I think we were unceremoniously fired about 3 times in this manner. 2 times it was supposedly because "we" didn't draw a crowd.... the other was we were in a dance/disco club that didn't like country and rock.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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The summer after high school I and a bunch of my friends were between bands at the same time. Our musical taste was different enough that we didn't want to start a band together, so we just got together regularly and jammed the most mindless random experimental drug induced stuff.. "whatever came to mind" you might say.
At the same time an old derelict guy decided he was our manager, and proceeded to book us at the absolute worst places... the kind of places where they have a peekhole in the door to make sure it isn't a raid when somebody knocks and doesn't use the secret code... Then once you're inside, they lock the door behind you. Yeah. THAT kind of place associated with police reports in the newspaper..
In fact I suddenly realize that I can't tell you that story. But here's another one booked by the same old derelict manager:
It was a hard core country dive out in the mountains in a town I had never even heard of and where I learned later the local police were afraid to go. It was in the days before political correctness made it hard on people who are haters... and we were exactly the kind of young 'uns this crowd hated. It was their civic duty to stir up trouble. And they did.
I don't think we made it through one song... but then, those guys never really stopped playing between ideas, and the first song could easily have been two hours long. I don't remember much about it actually. Except that they kicked us out very quickly and didn't pay us. We were probably lucky to escape unharmed
On the way home driving back down the mountain we found an all night restaurant in the middle of nowhere that had the best steak & cheese sandwiches, and life was suddenly good again. We were 18.
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I played in bands for fifty years so I've got more than a few. I was only 40 years, but when you play 4 to 6 nights a week most of that time you do get some real gems to tell.....  
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I played in bands for fifty years so I've got more than a few. I was only 40 years, but when you play 4 to 6 nights a week most of that time you do get some real gems to tell..... let's hear 'em!! And don't hold back, we want to hear 'em ALL! (It's OK to lie if it makes them more interesting) ;-)
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As part of a 120 voice choir in the 80's, the biggest gig we ever had was singing a pregame show for the Detroit Pistons when they used to play at the Pontiac Silverdome. We set up behind the curtain. You can see some of the curtain in the upper right corner of this photo https://www.flickr.com/photos/aaroncaldwell/2171980139We didn't say my at that game but it was the best photo I could find of the curtain. Our PA was meager. Definitely not suited for that size space. Scaffolding was already set up a couple stories and the staff of the Silverdome was supposed to put our dinky Bose 801 main speakers up on top of the two story scaffolding to each side of our stage. The speakers had pole mounts on the bottom, and in order to aim them up into the stands the staff left the pole mounts on them so that they angled up. We learned in the worst way that they did not anchor them down. Being teens and on the floor of the Silverdome, one of the guys brought a football and we were passing it around after our sound check, bumped the scaffolding and set one of the 801's rocking to where it fell off the scaffolding and shattered to smithereens on the floor of the Silverdome. Those things were built like tanks but they weren't designed for a 20' drop onto concrete. All that was salvagable were the magnets. So, we had even less firepower for the concert than what we brought. The echo in that place made it really hard to perform.
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Hiring alcoholics & roadies with one name.
We hired 2 guys to compliment our 3 piece band. (Note: these were 2 different incidents)
Jay: played the B3 and had a big, heavy, B3 with a Leslie in a trailer. He'd have half a bottle of Southern Comfort gone by 10AM every day. He played well even when toasted. We were playing our first gig at a club. Nice place, high pay, promise of regular bookings. During the songs, people would come up to Jay since he was at the side of the stage, to ask for requests. Well Jay had enough of that and stood up on his gear, started yelling, and proceeded to tell the patrons that we don't play requests so quit asking. Needless to say, that didn't go over well. The crowd started leaving, very few were still dancing, and we were not invited back. We fired Jay that night.
Denny: Good singer, played guitar and excelled at fiddle. He loved country music. We knew he was a drinker so he was hired under the condition that he remain sober for the show. First gig.... I go to pick him up and he comes out with his fiddle in one hand and a plastic drinking cup in the other. I asked what he had and he said cool aid. Grape to be precise. I told him I could smell booze, and he admitted there was a "nip" of whisky in the cup. We get to the club and start the set. He's having trouble following the tunes and playing solo parts. By the second set, he couldn't stand up. Fired.
Roadie: Not an alcohol issue.... At the same club where Denny blew it.... we had a roadie who worked with us on occasion, we called him "Skull". No one knew his real name. We had another one called Rocky...also no one knew his real name. Rocky had been wioth us a long time and was worth his weight in gold. Anyway, Skull was with us at that club. The owner cornered Glen and said we needed to do something about Skull. Glen came to me and pointed out what he had been told and I looked.... and sure enough, there was Skull setting at a table and every table around him was empty. The bar was fairly packed so that did appear unusual. It seemed that Skull hadn't taken a bath, or used deodorant for at least several weeks, if not longer, and his BO was nauseating to the patrons of the club. We took him outside and discussed the issue. He stayed outside for the rest of that gig and promised to take a shower and put on clean clothes before coming to work from then on. I didn't ride up with the crew or really work on setup so I had no clue it was that bad. But it doesn't end there.
Going home that night with the trailer in tow, Glen's vehicle had a flat tire and no spare. So Skull offered to stay with the vehicle while everyone else went home. They would get a tire and go back in the morning to fix it. That's what they did. So... fast forward 2 weeks. I called Glen to see if I could catch a ride to the gig with him. When I got in his car, I asked him what the heck that smell was. He said "That's Skull. He said you should have smelled it that morning I went back to change the tire."
Roadies.... gotta love um.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 01/12/17 05:44 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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I was drummer in my elder brothers rock & roll band. For a few summers we had a weekly gig playing the Folly Beach (beach area close to Charleston, South Carolina) Pier and Pavilion.
The stage was huge but the electrical was lacking; EVERYTHING used extension chords to connect to one electrical outlet. When it was time to take a break the main extension chord was unplugged and the jukebox was plugged in!
One sunny day our Mom made us take our younger brother with us. There we are playing our hearts out and wowing the crowd with our showmanship and musical skills. Younger brother walks across the stage to let older brother know he is going swimming. Band is wailing! Younger brother trips across extension chord! Then there is just me playing sudden and unexpected drum solo!
When I use to tell the story my younger brother use to comment by telling the name of the song we were playing; what say ye, Charlie?
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Man, some of these stories remind me of why I gave up the road...
I've talked about how I was in a Vegas show group but not all the gigs were in Nevada or were in Class A rooms. Our deal with the agent was if he had an open week in the schedule and couldn't fill it within a certain time we were free to fill it ourselves. That's where some of the fun was.
One gig was somewhere in the Baltimore/DC area, it was just a large local bar. We show up in the afternoon (Sunday maybe) and start setting up. There's a large black cloth hanging on the wall behind the drummer. A bartender says pull back the cloth and we see 2 or 3 bullet holes in the wall. That happened two weeks ago we're told. Great. Anybody hit? No.
A few nights later we're playing the first set and the place is pretty dead. It was a rectangular room where the band faced the bar with the dance floor in front and all the tables were on the far right and far left. The bouncers were from the local college football team and were all big boys. About 10-11PM or so a couple of really big mid 30's guys in loud shirts walk in and sit on the right side. A few minutes later another 3 or 4 equally huge guys also wearing very loud shirts come in and sit on the left side followed almost immediately by more large guys some who sat on the left and others sat on the right. These guys were big, solid and had muscles on their muscles. They began yelling insults at each other, then a couple beer bottles started flying and the next thing they're all mixing it up. The bouncers tried to step in and got clocked good.
Turns out these guys were pro wrestlers who just finished their show and the "good guys" and the "bad guys" decided to have some fun at that bar by messing with the football player bouncers who thought they were real badasses. The whole thing lasted just a few minutes and they all left before the cops showed up.
No shootings that week and we didn't do Macarthur Park in that place.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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We had secured a gig at the biggest nightclub east of the Mississippi River. At least that's how they billed the place. It was an old metal warehouse in Raleigh NC. It brought in the national acts. To get a Wed night in there was an honor. We had auditioned on another band's gear on a Sunday afternoon to get the gig. It was named Music City.
So we get there and start to set up for the job. The manager informs us that the club had a brand new electrical circuit installed that very day for lights. 50a 240v which was perfect for the lights we had. Previously, bands were having to open the panel and tie in in a most dangerous fashion. We often had to do that ourselves in most of the clubs we played. Our lights were awesome. AS I recall, we had 16 one thousand watt Par 64's and a few other lamps and lighting effects.
So Dave has the lights set up, all plugged in, and he plugs into the new 50a range outlet back stage.... flips the breaker on our light control and poof..... half of our lights blow out. The electrician had wired one side of the lighting to the building high leg.... 240v between the phases but 120v to ground on one and 208v on the other. The gig didn't pay enough to cover our lights. It was a live and learn. I had previously told Dave and the crew to always check the voltage, but he was so excited about us playing this huge club he neglected to take 10 seconds to check. Just glad we didn't have our amp rack and mixer plugged into the lighting panel for our band.
Shortly after we played there, the place went bankrupt and closed it's doors. We had bookings that went poof... like our lights.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 01/13/17 03:40 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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I was drummer in my elder brothers rock & roll band. For a few summers we had a weekly gig playing the Folly Beach (beach area close to Charleston, South Carolina) Pier and Pavilion.
The stage was huge but the electrical was lacking; EVERYTHING used extension chords to connect to one electrical outlet. When it was time to take a break the main extension chord was unplugged and the jukebox was plugged in!
One sunny day our Mom made us take our younger brother with us. There we are playing our hearts out and wowing the crowd with our showmanship and musical skills. Younger brother walks across the stage to let older brother know he is going swimming. Band is wailing! Younger brother trips across extension chord! Then there is just me playing sudden and unexpected drum solo!
When I use to tell the story my younger brother use to comment by telling the name of the song we were playing; what say ye, Charlie? All I have to say about that day is the lyrics were rewritten to include ugly words and my name.....
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
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eddie1261
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eddie1261
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This is not about a gig, but a contract. I was labeled as the bad guy and the most heartless SOB in the area over this one.
We had a couple approach us about playing their wedding. The date was 8 months into the future. We suggested that they wait, get the venue locked down, find out about food and booze costs, etc... and then we would talk once they knew they had budget for us. They said no, we want to sign you right now so we have you. We said okay. The fee is $3000, and we need half now as a deposit. That deposit is not refundable under any circumstances. If you break up, if you change the date... no reason will get that deposit back. I explained that the policy is NOT to bilk people out of money. It is a matter of us protecting ourselves because holding that day for them would end up bad if they were to call us close to the date of the event and canceled. We would have no chance to book the band for that night, and we would be out of work. We all have rent, or a mortgage, a car payment, etc. This is our work. They were fine with that.
Fast forward to the week of the wedding. The bride called me Monday to tell me how everything was ready and they were so excited that the big day was finally here.
Wednesday night, the groom and the groomsmen went out to party. On the way home, there was a bad accident, the groom was in ICU and 2 of the other guys died. Thursday the bride called me and told me about the sad accident and asked for her deposit check back because there was a possibility that the guy would die and there would never be a wedding.
Well, enter Eddie wearing the black hat. I told her that while I could not be more sorry that this happened, that she signed a contract that included a non-refundable deposit, that it was simply not our fault that they decided to drive drunk rather than rent a bus or hire a limo. She called me every name you could think of, and no matter how I explained that this is how the guys feed their kids, she wasn't going to hear it. I offered that I would start calling around looking for a gig for Saturday, that is was doubtful I would find one, but if I did I would break a rule and refund ONLY the difference between the deposit and what the replacement gig payed. I stressed that it was a longshot that a club would not have a band booked for 2 days from now, but I would give it my best effort, but really to not expect that I could pull it off. She kept screaming at me, cold-hearted, heartless so and so.... finally I just said that I could not do any more than that, and that I was going above and beyond given that we had a contract that said no refunds.
When word of that got around, man, everybody hated me, and all I did was make sure that the guys did not have to go without a paycheck that night. That was a $550 per man night for us! When the few most vocal people who were bashing me actually talked to me and I explained it just that way, that if it was THEM in the band and the option was not making $550 or coming off as cold, they all ultimately agreed that business is business and that it wasn't our fault that the guys made that bad choice to drive. It wasn't a lot of people calling me out, but enough to make it rough on me individually and us as a band. From what I heard, the guy lived and they married when he recovered, like 18 months later, but by then I was no longer in that band and I have no idea if they played it or not. I hated that they had the accident, but I didn't buy them as much as ONE drink!
Last edited by eddie1261; 01/12/17 04:25 PM.
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This is not about a gig, but a contract. I was labeled as the bad guy and the most heartless SOB in the area over this one.
We had a couple approach us about playing their wedding. The date was 8 months into the future. We suggested that they wait, get the venue locked down, find out about food and booze costs, etc... and then we would talk once they knew they had budget for us. They said no, we want to sign you right now so we have you. We said okay. The fee is $3000, and we need half now as a deposit. That deposit is not refundable under any circumstances. If you break up, if you change the date... no reason will get that deposit back. I explained that the policy is NOT to bilk people out of money. It is a matter of us protecting ourselves because holding that day for them would end up bad if they were to call us close to the date of the event and canceled. We would have no chance to book the band for that night, and we would be out of work. We all have rent, or a mortgage, a car payment, etc. This is our work. They were fine with that.
Fast forward to the week of the wedding. The bride called me Monday to tell me how everything was ready and they were so excited that the big day was finally here.
Wednesday night, the groom and the groomsmen went out to party. On the way home, there was a bad accident, the groom was in ICU and 2 of the other guys died. Thursday the bride called me and told me about the sad accident and asked for her deposit check back because there was a possibility that the guy would die and there would never be a wedding.
Well, enter Eddie wearing the black hat. I told her that while I could not be more sorry that this happened, that she signed a contract that included a non-refundable deposit, that it was simply not our fault that they decided to drive drunk rather than rent a bus or hire a limo. She called me every name you could think of, and no matter how I explained that this is how the guys feed their kids, she wasn't going to hear it. I offered that I would start calling around looking for a gig for Saturday, that is was doubtful I would find one, but if I did I would break a rule and refund ONLY the difference between the deposit and what the replacement gig payed. I stressed that it was a longshot that a club would not have a band booked for 2 days from now, but I would give it my best effort, but really to not expect that I could pull it off. She kept screaming at me, cold-hearted, heartless so and so.... finally I just said that I could not do any more than that, and that I was going above and beyond given that we had a contract that said no refunds.
When word of that got around, man, everybody hated me, and all I did was make sure that the guys did not have to go without a paycheck that night. That was a $550 per man night for us! When the few most vocal people who were bashing me actually talked to me and I explained it just that way, that if it was THEM in the band and the option was not making $550 or coming off as cold, they all ultimately agreed that business is business and that it wasn't our fault that the guys made that bad choice to drive. It wasn't a lot of people calling me out, but enough to make it rough on me individually and us as a band. From what I heard, the guy lived and they married when he recovered, like 18 months later, but by then I was no longer in that band and I have no idea if they played it or not. I hated that they had the accident, but I didn't buy them as much as ONE drink! If the shoe was on the other foot and it had been one of the guys in the band driving home sober, and he got hit by a drunk driver two days before the gig, and was unable to play the gig as a result of being in the ICU, I doubt the bride would have let you out of the contact without huge penalties so... yeah, while it seems hard and cold, it is what it is and I think you made the correct call.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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We auditioned for The Gong Show with Chuck Barris once. We didn't get it.
Regards,
Bob
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Regular hours resume Tuesday, May 19th!
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Don't wait - order today!
Check out all the new features in the redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
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