dave_bass5

[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1317248838' post='1388774'] I would`t rise to it, it`s a wind up. Some folk here obviously earn their rent in other ways and can afford to have "integrity" involved in their Classic Rock Covers band. ok. [/quote] Thats the thing, i have a full time job so don't need to take all the gigs we get offered but i do them because i enjoy them. When i say i take all the gigs that doesn't mean i get offered loads of crap gigs. We never play pubs but thats mainly because we don't go looking for them, and our agents don't deal with pubs. The social club gigs can be pretty sole destroying if you think you are better than that but if you do feel like that then you wouldn't be doing it in the first place IMO. If some people want to turn down playing, and probably earing money so they can go to the pub instead thats their choice and i do understand that, but those of us that don't aren't any less serious about all this, if anything i feel we are more serious as we are willing to take the good gigs and the bad. Thats how i feel anyway.

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1317232828' post='1388506'] Which is cool....! But not an approach that I would be prepared to take...........[/quote] So what is your approach?

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1317232011' post='1388487'] [size=4][color=black][font=Arial]I'm afraid, my friend, that attitude will ensure that you are doomed to mediocrity! [/font][/color][/size] [/quote] LOL. Thats just your opinion, which of course you are welcome to. Im happy doing what im doing.

Well my girlfriend said time to get to the gym, but buying a larger size seems a bit easier, both on the wallet and the body.

Ive still not gone out in my BC Tee-shirt yet. I think ive had it over a year now. I seem to have put a bit of weight on and being orange it sort of shows this off :-(

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1317223236' post='1388326'] . And your decor sucks. You need a repaint" [/quote] ironside1966 knows a painter who seem quite amicable, give him a call

[quote name='Ian Savage' timestamp='1317222913' post='1388322'] but I'm firmly of the opinion that if you hire a band with acoustic drums you need to be SURE that your venue/clientele/neighbours will be alright with SPLs of 100dBA +. [/quote] ...and the band walking out if they dont like, or cant cope with the playing conditions

Someone needs a new Caps Lock key ;-)

[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1317218313' post='1388243'] Some of you must be desperate for gigs [/quote] I am, I love gigging and have never personally turned one down. If we are booked to play a venue we assume we are there to entertain someone, other than the person paying. While we might not get on with the boss we feel that if just one person is listening and enjoying it then we are doing a good job, no matter how hard we are struggling (and we do, a lot). Its not all about us, its about playing music for other peoples enjoyment.

This should help. Its got both DI and FX loop.

Ive been using a Snark (£12) and a Peterson Stroboclip (£65) for the past year and both work perfectly on my basses, guitar and my mates 5 string Squier, even the low B tracks well. Seeing as i only need to check my tuning once per gig i take the Snark, as the Peterson is a bit delicate. Its great for doing setups and checking intonation though.

[quote name='ironside1966' timestamp='1317210281' post='1388054'] The way is look at is this, the landlord pays you to do a job just like you would pay someone to paint your house. you wouldn't expect them do what they want. you pay them to paint it how you want it. [/quote] But you would probably be paying them because they know what they are doing, or know better than you. You tell them what and where but surely you wouldn't tell them how? A bit of working together would be the best option IMO.

[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1317205465' post='1387951'] Would you do it without the drummer? [/quote] No because i go in the drummers car ;-) Seriously, we do have drummer problems, as in he is too loud sometimes, but if it came to it then yes, we would just get him to use brushes or just keep the bass drum going. We done two gigs (in 7 years) that this has happened. Its not ideal of course but its just one gig. you've made the effort to get there and set up, you might as well get paid for the effort. Then again, all our gigs are contracted so we have to do them.

[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1317205079' post='1387932'] The irony is that the company has two wine bars and we still play in the other one. So the guy at this bar booked us because we did well in their other establishment and he knew exactly what we were like. . [/quote] We've had similar with social clubs. one club loves us will pass on our details to another, as "we will go down a storm", only to find the second club dont like us. I guess its never clear cut but we would never leave a gig half played.Maybe thats just us though.

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1317204620' post='1387914'] One of the most fun gigs I've ever done was with my Pearl Jam tribute. The venue was in a small high street café at night in Aviemore. We had a late start due to technical difficulties (the drummer had left half his kit some 100 miles down the road - so we had to scrounge some locally). It was literally packed out the door, people had to watch us through the front windows and were dancing out on the street. We played every song off our 25+ set list (I think we even had to play some twice, the night went on so long) with an acoustic break in the middle and some very drunk acoustic stuff at the end. It was a completely inappropriate venue (with a complete lack of power points)... but everyone had a great time. It just goes to show. [/quote] That rings a bell. my girlfriends mum used to live in Aviemore (now in kemnay), just above the Chinese takeaway on the main road. I remember one night hearing some PJ coming from that cafe and there was a small crowd out on the street dancing. It must have been you. Sounded great. Sorry, back to the topic in hand.

[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1317201312' post='1387842'] This was a wine bar, not a music venue and they should have done their homework. [/quote] No offence but should you have as well? I can understand that if its not working at sound check some people might pack up and go home (to be honest i think thats not a nice thing to do but thats just me) but its also partly the band's responsibility to at least survey the situation, either before taking the gig or before turning up, make a phone call or two if your worried. Walking away from a gig, one that people listening might be enjoying, just because you get the hump is a bit like throwing your toys out of the pram IMO. I

A few people have suggested you walk if you dont like it, or dont feel you can accommodate. Do people actually do this? Would you really turn up, play say one set, get asked to turn down, realise you cant/wont and then just pack up in front of everyone and walk out without getting paid? No offence to anyone but to me this idea is one of the most impractical suggestions ive ever read.

Just got a Gotoh bridge of Stevie. Packed so well it took me ages to open it. Good comms, good price and a great bloke to deal with. Cheers mate.

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1317189220' post='1387730'] If your asked to turn down, there would generally be a good reason for it, so do it, [/quote] Not always im my experience. We have been asked on numerous occasions to turn down because one or two people think its too loud and they know the guy running the place so have a bit of sway. Its like sod the other 100 people, we want to sit in front of the band and have a quiet chat. Not always, but this does happen.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1317134027' post='1387155'] [size=4][color=#222222][font=Arial]There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding from certain posters here about who is in charge when a band is playing a gig. [/font][/color][/size] [/quote] Being in charge doesn't automatically make you right though. I get what your saying, you do as your told because you are being paid to, but if your a professional band you should/could also offer advice to the landlord, to maybe meet halfway or explain that sometimes there is no one master knob to turn everything down and need to know exactly whats too loud so it can be sorted. If you dont have a FOH engineer or friend with you it can be tricky to keep the balance when adjusting so many volume knobs, and we tell them that and so far most have understood and worked with us. These day most of our regular venues will be more specific about what needs to go down or up. Again, just my experience.

[quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1317128995' post='1387087'] Anyone ever been asked to play louder? [/quote] Yep, as per my post a page or two back we generally get told to turn down at certain clubs by the same old crowd of oldies, and then told to turn up by the younger, more up for it pensioners who are actually wanting to dance and have a good time. Happens often and you just cant please everybody all the time.

[quote name='algmusic' timestamp='1317128463' post='1387080'] If the guy had done that my wedding the landlord would get no money from me.. I think he's forgotten the way you can make money.. keep the client happy. Even if he thought it was loud, he should have dealt with it better than that [/quote] Indeed. Ive never seen anyone mess with a bands desk like that before. We were fuming but kept it all cool.(as much as we could). We really werent that loud to begin with as i went for a walk around the outside of the marquee at soundcheck and at one point i could hear the pub jukebox louder than the band when standing in the middle of the garden, although of course we had more going on in the low freq. We were paid to create a party atmosphere. By the end of the night we could hear people talking over the band from the back of the room during i predict a Riot, Mr Brightside etc. The clients had requested a lot of indie stuff and while some will say you can play anything at any volume if your good enough you wont get a room full of people up and dancing if they cant hear you. Not our fault but we were in the right to question the landlord (and wanted to do a lot more after he messed with the desk). Oh, he did have two garden gnomes missing at the end of the night. They now reside in North London lol.

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1317128276' post='1387073'] I didnt say a band was unprofessional for being asked to turn down (within reason, if they are stupid loud they are stupid fullstop IMO). Hoever any band arguing or refusing to turn down when asked are unprofessional and should not expect to be asked back. [/quote] Ok, a mix up of words, apologies for that but i still think a landlord should respect the fact that he/her have booked a professional band, and that band needs to do what its been paid to do. If halfway through the first set the landlord thinks its too loud because he cant chat to old Albert about the war etc, and expects them to play at silly levels, which impairs the performance then i would expect a band to speak up and not just do as demanded without question. All within reason of course but book a rock band and its not unreasonable to have the music a bit louder than a jazz trio.

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1317127338' post='1387039'] Well there in lies the rub. He is paying you to play in his venue. You are taking on the work, as paid for. For the duration of that work he is your boss. [/quote] No arguments there, like in any job you do as you are told. and just like in a lot of jobs the person in charge can act like a twat, have no idea of whats going on and always blame someone else. My point was that while the landlord may have the ultimate word in what volume you play at, that doesnt mean the band are any less professional because they are asked to turn down. You can read a room but not second guess someone you have never met. Just going on experience (and common sense).

Does anyone know how to cancel a post (before its posted) from the Quick reply box? At the moment the only way i can see to do it is to go in to More Reply Options and cancel from there. I know i can leave the page but i might find im replying to the wrong post/quote etc and so want to start over. Im probably missing something very obvious.