TimR

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1459332726' post='3015468'] can't see the point , that's not good, does someone introduce you over the PA at the same time? it has happened to us but only in a shambolic way, (by accident) [/quote] Depends on the setting. If it's a big show and part of it, I'd guess it's great. If it's in front of one man and his dog in a pub, it could have the opposite effect. Unless it's done ironically with humour.

A lot of this must be driven by the brewery. The pub we play has a huge widescreen on the wall behind the band. It's switched off when we play. However, it's a well known music pub and always has been. When we arrive to set up, the TV is on but absolutely no one is ever watching it. The brewery stopped the music budget, added the TV, put a new landlord in, once the takings dropped they then started looking at selling to developers. We lobbied the new landlord, the music got put back on, the pub is now thriving. There is an element of people, music lovers, who will go out if there's football on the TV. When the Euros were on, I actively sought out music pubs to get away from the footie. I think these pubs are trying to cater for too many different people and no pleasing anyone. Put on a good band, serve good beer, clean toilets, good food. Ditch the TV and create a decent environment. People will come.

[quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1459197916' post='3014418'] Nailed as usual by dood. Maybe we need to go back to promoting events on our own terms and avoiding the trade. [/quote] If you are a good band you can avoid the bad venues. It's horses for courses.

[quote name='M@23' timestamp='1459190694' post='3014315'] Mega cringe. I did a pub gig once with a wicked drummer, who has played many tours with a world famous artist, who folded his arms and sat there in silent protest when he got his 'solo'. It was all very playful and done in jest, and the crowd enjoyed it more than they would have a drum solo most probably! [/quote] As I say. It's all about entertainment. It's about selling yourself as a band. It might suit your band and your audience, it might not. Ultimately it's down to the frontman to manage how you sell yourselves. Once the show starts, you're in his hands and you have to follow his lead.

That's the whole point of doing pub gigs verses function gigs. Either party can pull out at a moments notice. It's why the pay is so low and the terms so loose. Easy gigs, no pressure.

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1459063682' post='3013164'] Watch the vid together. Each member assessing themselves first before doing others. Be harsh on yourself so singer doesn't go first and doesn't get the chance to claim he's awesome and needs no improvement. And I have to say it - no singer gets away without knowing the words. Ever. [/quote] Yes. I think I need to watch the video, but it's been commented on by audience members. Especially the words thing. Which he seems to have taken on board. Small steps.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1459085660' post='3013396'] Playing the old foes and current World Champions in their own back yard going into the 2016 Euros so yes, a BIG game, even for a friendly. And that is 3 wins in a row against them, iirc... so yes.,. last nights result was huge...IMO. Most venues would capitilise on a footie crowd and start the gig late... but as always, needs comms... [/quote] I'm sure I could have googled it if I was that bothered. I went to a club to see some bands and on the way back walked past a pub we sometimes play. It was heaving and they had a live band. I assume they had started after the football.

[quote name='sunburstjazz1967' timestamp='1459093228' post='3013482'] It must be a sad life for those people who hate watching a band that basically does ANYTHING different to theirs. [/quote] I used to watch bands with quite a critical eye. It took me quite a while to work out why bands that were essentially very poor musically did so well. Now I just enjoy whatever they're presenting. It is what it is. Entertainment.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1459074739' post='3013267'] I can't stand it. If you are an unknown band then no-one gives a f*** and if you're not then everyone already knows who you are anyway. [/quote] I don't agree. It's all part of breaking down the us and them divide. IMO it's very important to get the audience to be your friends.

[quote name='DiMarco' timestamp='1459077375' post='3013300'] How often is it that England wins any footy game? Rejoice! [/quote] Ha. I don't even know who they were playing against, let alone the score.

See my other thread about frontman. The vocalist doesn't do it but the guitarist will gradually introduce the band throughout the night. There are songs that feature instruments and he'll just acknowledge us at the end of the relevant song. I think it works well.

I played in a function band for a long time. All of the Ad Libs had been added over the years as the frontman worked out which ones worked and which ones didn't. Occasionally he really milked it and often lost impact and he then had to be reminded, after a gig, that the audience was there to see the band, not a comedian who wasn't very funny.

[quote name='Japhet' timestamp='1458994282' post='3012662'] Has he seen the video? [/quote] Good question. No. But neither have I, I'm going on the drummer's and guitarist's word. I have seen clips from other gigs but only while he is singing. He can pull of the 'look at me' while singing, just when the music stops, so does he.

I'm after a bit of advice. Our singer is not the greatest of frontmen. That's putting it politely. We have video and think he's really letting the band down. His singing is patchy in places, and he is quite reliant on having the words in front of him but I think we can get away with that for now. It's his interraction with the crowd and general lack of frontmanness that's the problem. So I'm considering relieving him of the interraction bit and doing that myself. I recently saw a band where the sax player did all the talking and think it worked really well. Any suggestions of either things to do and say (I'm happy to just be myself), would you script little sections? Or maybe we could script the current singer and give him some direction. The problem is he's "been doing it for years and doesn't need to be told how to do it." So approaching it is difficult at best. The ulutimate option is to get rid, unfortunately the level of person we're looking for is likely to expect a lot of work and rehearsing a new singer isn't high on my list of priorities. .

Is this for transport or are you planning to keep that sleeve on when you're using it? If the former, excellent idea. If the latter, I suggest you have a good think about heat build up and component failure.

Join us in the Long Distance Running Thread. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/184991-long-distance-running/page__pid__3001785__st__780#entry3001785

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1458686409' post='3009952'] What if you decide the character is a miserable bastard? [/quote] Fine by me. Who are we to argue if that's what people want to come and see.

[quote name='colgraff' timestamp='1458482587' post='3007915'] I used to do amateur theatre stuff and remember that I knew when my expressions were right if the felt exaggerated and forced. If you feel as if you are grinning like an idiot on stage, then you have got it about right. [/quote] Yep. As Phil Star and Hairy Chris say: It's a performance. Perform. I've been doing music for a dance competition at the weekends this month. I must have seen over 1000 dancers. Off stage they're nervous. As soon as they hit the stage they instantly become a different character. You just have to decide what that character is and play the role.

I find a 5k all out effort at ParkRun on the Saturday morning sets me up for the day.

[quote name='gapiro' timestamp='1458550774' post='3008395'] Its not just musicians. Its people in general. They expect that if you want something you'll chase up , and therefore they dont need to go to the effort. I see this particularly with the Cricket Club - I'm the club secretary. I send bi weekly emails with dates etc coming up, but will still get asked by 20 people out of maybe 50 when something is - even though I've provided the information for them a ton of times. Sure, may not remember, but you can friggen look at your email which is on your phone. [/quote] There's such a thing as too much communication. Bi-weekly? Although I assume you mean once every two weeks rather than two a week. I'm happy with a summary email when dates are announced. I don't need one every two weeks to remind me. What then happens is they start to ignore them all and miss the important ones. Another thing that happens is people 'hide' details in waffle. Separate date and time from the body of the letter/mail and highlight it. Our running club has a private Facebook group, absolutely useless for keeping people up to date, it's just full of people posting random stuff. I'm rebuilding the website and kick starting our forum again as it was quite broken and the webmaster didn't have time to fix it and keep it up to date so it fell out of use. Regarding bands, I send out an updated list of gigs each time we get a new one. They can then delete the last mail.

Rik Mayall

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1458153657' post='3005195'] I knew that - Boys only Grammar School Headucation A level Classics AND Archaeology here. I knew that too dawg gawnnit! I don't know, I salvage your post from RATM's ire - restore peace and tranquility to a doomed thread - and you go all Bamber Gascoigne on us! [/quote] That's Bambi!

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1458158596' post='3005231'] Tim, you played with Nadir for a while didn`t you? Dom used to do this with a Trace combo purely so he could hear his own bass drum as he used to - and still does - rim-shots all the time. Def the loudest drummer I`ve ever played with. [/quote] Yes. He'd moved to a Dclass amp and a peavey sub, BUT he also had a really cheap Behringer gate on it and knew how to EQ the amp properly. Still sounds to me though, in the OPs case the mic is going to the main PA.

Also, if the singer was messing about with the desk, he may have altered the monitor/mic settings for the bass drum.

The drummer has a mic on his bass drum that only goes to his monitor and not FOH? Interesting. I was thinking the bass drum mic was picking up all the on stage rumble from bass guitar and low frequency guitar. Then that was being amplified out FOH. Can you hear the drummers monitor? Maybe that's your problem, it's just that monitor you're hearing the booming from.