blue

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1485532124' post='3224722'] @ Lowdown - BIG wink Cool. I'd forgotten about the sovereign. Just finished watching Eight Days a Week by the way. Nicely made. I noted that there was little sign of anyone trying to rip the Beatles off when they were in the 'States.[/quote] I agree, the reported 10 grand The Beatles received for 3 TV appearances on our Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 seems like a lot. Especially when you consider our teachers were being paid around 6 grand for an annual salary at that time, 1964. However, we should wonder what kind of advertising dollars were generated with 70 million viewers. Did they really get their fair share of the pot? Blue

[quote name='Les' timestamp='1485465345' post='3224226'] Just gone to 44 in the last hour, including this years first festival, so it's quite encouraging. [/quote] Our bookings are coming in one and two at a time. I think we had two come in for March this week. As you know I've always bragged about our presence at Summerfest (World's largest music fest). We're a local support actraction. If you can get a Friday or Saturday slot at at least 3:00 it's great. However week days with a 12 noon slot when gates open at 10am not always so fun.Pay is the same regardless of time slot. The band has played Summerfest for the last 10 years. Blue

[quote name='Les' timestamp='1485441751' post='3223999'] Only 2 in January, 42 in for the year already though, will end up doing 50-60 but it feels a bit slower every year if I'm honest. Les [/quote] 42 bookings already, that's fantastic! Sounds like you guys really know how to produce. Blue

[quote name='TheRev' timestamp='1485371486' post='3223485'] Going to be a very busy year but that's how we like it. [/quote] Cool, busy, that's the way I like it too. The more gigs the better. Blue

My point was, it seemed like the promoter was up to some "funny business" and wasn't going to pay Gene what he signed on for. Blue

I met them last year when they played a small club in Milwaukee I was turned on great band Blue

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1485368482' post='3223466'] January's dead and only one in Feb, but it picks up after then. I think this is going to be our busiest year yet, I've not seen the calander this full in mid-January before, so looking forward to it. [/quote] Seems like January is dead for a lot of us. I don't mind a little break like this. A break from getting home at 3:00am. Plus the weather here in WI is awful right now. Blue

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1485363457' post='3223417'] January was quiet for the folk/punk band, but my reggae and metal bands got a run out. The rest of the year is mental for the folk/punk. I think I have about 4 weekends off for the rest of the year, and there are a load of mid-week gigs and weekends with 2 or 3 gigs [/quote] Nice! Blue

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1485272229' post='3222662'] The rampant professionalism and extraordinary degree of organisation from 4:58 for the next eight minutes is simply breathtaking. What must the poor sod have made of the clowns he was working with? [/quote] It's really interesting to watch. I've seen bands that could sell Madison Square Garden out 3 nights in a row. A decade later they're playing small 100 seat bars and clubs. Blue

[quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1485333801' post='3223116'] £1 = a pound. A quid. A knicker. All terms for the same thing. [/quote] A knicker? Blue

[quote name='Mudpup' timestamp='1485340494' post='3223192'] Absolutely rammed Closed the books in November last year and took the first 2018 booking a couple of weeks ago. We have a couple of good regular bookings standing by for any cancellations as they didn't move quick enough when I contacted them late last summer saying we were getting a bit busy. We usually do about 35/40 per year and currently have 47 for 2017. Its gone bonkers....... And the good thing is we've dropped all the venues that were historically less preferable (for various reasons) and now only have ones we either really want to do or pay exceptionally well. The only problem is that both myself and one guitarist are properly in trouble with the family for ruining all their weekends for the whole year - I'm gonna be hunting for deps on here soon..... [/quote] I chose to play in a band where the other members have families and lives outside of music. They have to block some weekends for family stuff and vacations.I won't complain as it was my choice and would make the same choice again. They're all good people and that's hard to find. Blue

[quote name='spike' timestamp='1485336520' post='3223148'] My band usually does around 50 gigs a year , so far we have 33 booked for this year plus we've played three already. We should pick up more gigs as we go along so I'm expecting to end up doing around 50 again. [/quote] 50 gigs, that's a realistic and respectful goal. Blue

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1485331156' post='3223092'] January is always slow for us, but we had two bookings, played one and the other was cancelled by the venue as they were closing for a few weeks because the brewery had scheduled some building work. I drove past yesterday and that certainly seemed to be the case. Got 2 or 3 in Feb, then March/April we're out most weekends, but then nothing until a block in September. I expect the gaps will fill out soon, this is a looking a lot better than last year was at this stage, we had one booking and I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it after my accident. I think we did two gigs before the end of July last year, but still ended up earning slightly more than the year before. [/quote] Hi Dave, I hope our gaps fill in soon. I'd love to see some nice 3 gig weekends on our schedule. BTW, I did play one DEP gig this month. Blue

[quote name='gapiro' timestamp='1485329539' post='3223081'] The wedding band is going dammed slow this year. Had 35 bookings last summer. Currently sitting on 4. Mo idea why and had nothing but positive feedback last year. [/quote] How did the 2016 35 summer bookings come to your wedding band? Blue

January is slow, I don't think we have anything right now. February looks good and we're starting to book fair and festival stuff in July and August. Blue

For those of you that are in gigging bands and depend on the extra $$, how is 2017 looking for you? Blue

If you know what your buying guitar amps can be better than bass amps in someways. Tom Peterson bass player for Cheap Trick uses Orange Guitar Rigs. Blue

[quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1485178737' post='3221778'] Anyway. Back on topic. You may enjoy this one too Blue. [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSDSand-6IY"]https://www.youtube....h?v=eSDSand-6IY[/url] Gene Vincent on UK tour 1969. Touching, sometimes funy and other times quite sad documentary. The Teddy Boy thing was quite big until the late 70s I would say. Then there was a Rockabilly revival as it was fading out. [/quote] This short film was right up my alley. Yes, it's always sad to see and artist in decline but it's a real honest portrayal of what happens to many rock artists that had a taste of being at the top. Love the scene where Gene says; * "If I don't get paid there's going to be trouble" Blue *There is a segment where Gene was supposed to be paid a certain amount of quid which somehow ended up being paid a certain amount of pounds, I know it was less than he was expecting. Educate me, pounds, quids?

[quote name='Johnm93' timestamp='1485293156' post='3222917'] Thanks for the link, Blue. Just wasted / invested half the evening watching...! If only we had gigs like that now.... [/quote] Thanks for checking it out. Hope you got at least one "take away" from it. Blue

One of my favorite part of this concert film is during the back stage interview with Little Richard; "I'm not up there just screaming, I know what I'm doing" He's the real deal. Blue

[quote name='Maude' timestamp='1485218255' post='3222302'] Further to the young kids old bands discussion, my son (16) has just got back from a weekend of seeing Avenged Sevenfold in London and A Day To Remember in Cardiff and announced the band he really wants to see is Black Sabbath. [/quote] This gets back to my initial assumption, that you guys have a higher and more diverse level of appreciation for rock and roll then we have in the States. Blue

[quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1485178737' post='3221778'] Anyway. Back on topic. You may enjoy this one too Blue. [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSDSand-6IY"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSDSand-6IY[/url] Gene Vincent on UK tour 1969. Touching, sometimes funy and other times quite sad documentary. The Teddy Boy thing was quite big until the late 70s I would say. Then there was a Rockabilly revival as it was fading out. [/quote] Watching it right now, I'm already digging it. Thanks Blue

[quote name='Cato' timestamp='1485216664' post='3222289'] Blue, you've once again shattered my illusions. I've always thought that the music scene in Milwaukee was something like this. [/quote] I could take you to parts of Millwaukee that is still pretty much like Happy Days. BTW, that's a pretty sweet Fender Jazz Leather is playing. Blue

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1485216352' post='3222287'] Yes, there may be some truth in that. However, the tone (can I say that word without raising blue's blood pressure?) of the comment was that Led Zeppelin are completely irrelevant to all of the yoof of today. Perhaps I went a little too far in the opposite direction eschewing that ideal, but from my experience I think Zep are far from being regarded as Old People's Music. [/quote] And I may have went to far sweeping a broad brush stroke over all the youth. Zeppelin may still be popular with UK kids than those in the States. I know 40 year olds that say they have never heard "Stairway To Heaven". Blue

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1485213203' post='3222270'] I thank you very kindly for posting the thread/concert. I hadn't seen it and it is quite fascinating. Interesting to see Jerry Lee and Little Richard bickering. For all Jerry Lee's bluster, he still had to go on before him and Richard blew him away completely on the evidence of the content of the film. Take it from us blue, you are soon wrong about Led Zeppelin being Old People's Music. It might not be the case in the USA, but they are held in very high regard across the generations here in the UK. [/quote] Yeah,I liked the Jerry Lee set bit Little Richard was amazing. I can only speak for the Milwaukee WI area.And I speak with confidence, young kids here are not listening to or interested in Led Zeppelin. Blue