Pete Academy Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 What are your experiences of stand-in gigs? Did you ever do one at last minute and had to busk it? Did the band supply you with a set list beforehand, then didn't stick to it? Did they spring different and unfamiliar songs on you, that were hard to busk and made you feel uncomfortable? Did they change the keys of the songs you had learned for the gig? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Yep-I got a call on Wednesday and did the gig on Friday. No set list,no charts,no talk through, nothing-it was a total busk.The night ended up being a mix of jazz standards and pop tunes that I vaguely knew but never played. It turned out to be a really good night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Yes to all of those. One side of me prefers to know what’s coming next, but I also enjoy a challenge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted May 16, 2011 Author Share Posted May 16, 2011 [quote name='Pete Academy' post='1233462' date='May 16 2011, 07:11 PM']What are your experiences of stand-in gigs? Did you ever do one at last minute and had to busk it? Did the band supply you with a set list beforehand, then didn't stick to it? Did they spring different and unfamiliar songs on you, that were hard to busk and made you feel uncomfortable? Did they change the keys of the songs you had learned for the gig?[/quote] All of the above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 [quote name='Pete Academy' post='1233462' date='May 16 2011, 07:11 PM']What are your experiences of stand-in gigs? Did you ever do one at last minute and had to busk it? Did the band supply you with a set list beforehand, then didn't stick to it? Did they spring different and unfamiliar songs on you, that were hard to busk and made you feel uncomfortable? Did they change the keys of the songs you had learned for the gig?[/quote] Yep, pretty much a normal state of affairs for me round this neck of the woods. Having a set list prior to the gig is ok, provided they're covers I can pull up on YouTube and have a listen to beforehand. I've played at a local music festival for the last two summers and on both occasions ended up deping - the first year I had two hours notice but last year I was asked to play with the band following us just as I was dismantling my rig... so about 10 minutes notice. All part of life's rich tapestry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I did one last October. Asked to stand in at about 8.40pm and on stage at 9.00pm. I vaguely knew some of the songs but it was very nerve-racking and there were plenty of mistakes but we got through and the band got booked back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 [quote name='Pete Academy' post='1233462' date='May 16 2011, 07:11 PM']What are your experiences of stand-in gigs? Did you ever do one at last minute and had to busk it? Did the band supply you with a set list beforehand, then didn't stick to it? Did they spring different and unfamiliar songs on you, that were hard to busk and made you feel uncomfortable? Did they change the keys of the songs you had learned for the gig?[/quote] yep... happens more than you'd like but this is all part of it as well. I normally work in the same sort of circles so there is a standard thing going on and you know the playing will be good..but every now and then..usually a 'favour' .. things can get a tad ambitous for the line-up. That is where it gets fraught, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 [quote name='Pete Academy' post='1233462' date='May 16 2011, 07:11 PM']What are your experiences of stand-in gigs? Did you ever do one at last minute and had to busk it? Did the band supply you with a set list beforehand, then didn't stick to it? Did they spring different and unfamiliar songs on you, that were hard to busk and made you feel uncomfortable? Did they change the keys of the songs you had learned for the gig?[/quote] All of the above and I'll raise you a duo that forgot to tell the soundman that they were adding a bassist for the evening... I ended up playing the gig with no backline and next to no monitoring. Most of the bass sound that I could hear was reflecting off the back wall of the venue AND the singer/guitarist changed the song keys without so much as a nod. I spent 90% of the gig doing 2 root notes per bar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Yeah, all of that, and of course the dread 5 words... "We do it our way..." Which of course means "we don't know how to play it so we made some bits up that are in fact very wrong" Also bands who think you have to play Green Day in Eb cos that what it's in on the record, not realising it is easier for all in E, because of the detuning..... (plus you can do the low E in basket case properly on a 4) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 We jazzers never rehearse and don't know hal the tunes we are going to play until the chart appears in front of us. As we all know how to make sense of charts, this is not a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 [quote name='Bilbo' post='1234121' date='May 17 2011, 11:35 AM']We jazzers never rehearse and don't know hal the tunes we are going to play until the chart appears in front of us. As we all know how to make sense of charts, this is not a problem.[/quote] Charts? Charts?? You lucky b@stard! I dream of a gig that comes with charts! At least you know what key you're going to be in and the sax player isn't going to drop the key by semitone on the night cos 'my throat's a bit sore today'. Mind you, some of them jazz singers can get a bit uppity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cetera Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 (edited) I was hired with one day's notice as a dep for a very posh do in a famous Knightsbridge department store last New Years Eve..... and I was told the following by the band's MD: 1) Here are the 3 sets in song order. 2) Here are the few songs that we play in different keys (& the new keys). 3) Arrangement-wise we play them just like the famous versions so that the audience are completely familar with them. I knew a few of the tracks and already had many written out, so I wrote out the rest that I didn't know/needed to transpose. The reality of the situation was very different, thus: 1) They changed the song order on a whim as they went along, leaving me scrambling for my cheatsheets from 3 separate piles of paper! 2) I'd explained beforehand that I needed to change to a detuned bass for a couple of songs so to give me 30 secs to do so. This they forgot/ignored, leaving me scrambling for a new bass & then back again as necessary... 3) They changed/jammed the arrangements on many songs on a whim...or to their 'usual' way of doing it (NOT like the famous versions) again leaving me fighting to keep up with where they were going. On top of this, the guitarist then took on endless 'widdly/tapping' guitar solos in EVERY song, even stuff like Soul Man!! Afterwards the keyboard player said "that's just how the guitarist/MD does it....it's not great but I try not to care", and the dep drummer told me he survived by the skin of his teeth & likely would not work with them again... All things considered, I actually played pretty well that night and my experience of jamming/listening closely to what was heppening around me got me through. All I can say is that I can't believe such an unprofessional, poorly executed & loose sounding outfit managed to get themselves such a prestigious gig.... and thank God I earnt handsomely for my efforts that night! They thanked me profusely afterwards and said I played great, but I for one will NEVER perform with them again! My trouble is I CARE about performance and hate something as seemingly straightforward and familiar as function band covers being turned into bad, loose jams with little thought for feel, arrangement or suitability of solos.... Edited May 17, 2011 by cetera Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 [quote name='cetera' post='1234145' date='May 17 2011, 12:00 PM']....They thanked me profusely afterwards and said I played great, but I for one will NEVER perform with them again!....[/quote] Give them my number when they call again. All well paid gigs are welcome here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I did a dep gig in London a few years ago and it was a typical function band set. No rehearsals, just turn up. Fortunately for me, the piano player was a reader and I knew him well and he has prepared some pretty useful charts for me; keys, form, breaks, chords etc and most of the tunes were old familiars which most of us could do cold. I did the whole gig glued to the charts but had to modify my playing as I went along to account for changes and odd idiosyncracies from the rest on the (7 piece) band. What a lot of players not schooled in these disciplines don't realise is that, often, a good listening player can stop on a dime not because he knows when to but because he hears that everyone else has doen so before he hits another note. He can also get lost and find his place without anyone knowing he has done so because he remains in the right key and plays confidently etc. Anyway, by the end of the gig, these kids thought I was 'Ready' Freddie Washington and I quietly basked in the kudos I had won, to the obvious but collusive amusement of the (Royal College graduate) piano player. I love it when a plan come together! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drewk_ie Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Yeah, Had one of those on Friday night, got a call at six in the evening, mind you they did tell me the set list, but soundchecks were at eight and onstage for ten, so had a really quick listen on you tube, just to get the 'feel' for the songs and basically busked it from there, was a great night though, lots of dancin'... Cheers Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Got a dep gig for Saturday night with our singer's main 'earning' band - 24 songs, a dozen or so I've never played before/don't know, and a couple I've never heard before. Wouldn't be too much of a hassle, but just had a conversation with the singer which he ended by saying "You'll need to be sharp on these numbers, we can't busk anything on these gigs, they're my main earner. Oh, by the way, we won't have my main drummer, we've got a dep guy in for this too. He's not very good, but he was all I could get..." Marvellous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 [quote name='cetera' post='1234145' date='May 17 2011, 12:00 PM']They thanked me profusely afterwards and said I played great, but I for one will NEVER perform with them again![/quote] Ah. You got lulled into a false sense of security. I treat unreharsed dep sessions like I do other road users - only they know what they are doing, treat them with caution and be prepared to slam the brakes on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cetera Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 [quote name='icastle' post='1234181' date='May 17 2011, 12:29 PM']Ah. You got lulled into a false sense of security. I treat unreharsed dep sessions like I do other road users - only they know what they are doing, treat them with caution and be prepared to slam the brakes on... [/quote] Lol! Indeed, lesson learned.... Being given such strict & helpful upfront information made me think it was gonna be a high quality function act I would be working with.... I couldn't have been more wrong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 [quote name='Bilbo' post='1234160' date='May 17 2011, 12:16 PM']What a lot of players not schooled in these disciplines don't realise is that, often, a good listening player can stop on a dime not because he knows when to but because he hears that everyone else has doen so before he hits another note. He can also get lost and find his place without anyone knowing he has done so because he remains in the right key and plays confidently etc.[/quote] Absolutely. Nerves of steel and the reflexes of a cat. ...or was it the other way round..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 [quote name='cetera' post='1234184' date='May 17 2011, 12:32 PM']Lol! Indeed, lesson learned.... Being given such strict & helpful upfront information made me think it was gonna be a high quality function act I would be working with.... I couldn't have been more wrong! [/quote] I'd guess that the location of the gig also added to your expectations as well. I was asked to dep a gig many years ago at Crystal Palace. I got very excited, learned all the material and then found out that the Crystal Palace they were talking about was a pub in St. Albans... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I take all the posturing with a pinch of salt. Recent project I was lined up for had such a good CV ...apparently. If only it had been true. When I hear it being laid on thick, I always think..we will see when we get there. Most people don't need to shout from the raffers, it is pretty obvious a few bars in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cetera Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 [quote name='icastle' post='1234193' date='May 17 2011, 12:38 PM']I'd guess that the location of the gig also added to your expectations as well. I was asked to dep a gig many years ago at Crystal Palace. I got very excited, learned all the material and then found out that the Crystal Palace they were talking about was a pub in St. Albans... [/quote] Legend!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 It's on these kind of gigs where I find 3 things to be really important. Firstly,knowing[i] a lot[/i] of tunes,and secondly/thirdly-having a good ear and having a solid grounding in theory. Sure,you can get by with your ear alone but if you can preemp the changes and understand various common progressions(I'm not just talking about just root notes,I mean the full chords or at the least major/minor) then it will be much easier than watching the guitarists hand or that split second in the first verse where you are listening for the chord before you play it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 [quote name='Doddy' post='1234251' date='May 17 2011, 01:21 PM']It's on these kind of gigs where I find 3 things to be really important. Firstly,knowing[i] a lot[/i] of tunes,and secondly/thirdly-having a good ear and having a solid grounding in theory. Sure,you can get by with your ear alone but if you can preemp the changes and understand various common progressions(I'm not just talking about just root notes,I mean the full chords or at the least major/minor) then it will be much easier than watching the guitarists hand or that split second in the first verse where you are listening for the chord before you play it.[/quote] Knowing a lot of tunes doesn't help much if you're not playing covers, at that point your only chance of survival is using your ears, interpretation and a healthy dollop of theory. My biggest 'failing' is not knowing huge numbers of tunes - comes from not having a TV, being a habitual Radio 4 listener and having a relatively narrow spectrum of musical interest. On the other hand, it does mean I'm often the first local choice (or only choice ) within my niche. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 My 3 important points would be; Be quick on the uptake. If it sounds like its going 1, 4, 5 or 6, 2, 5, 1 then it probably will. Play with a good groove. You can play all kinds of bum notes while you're "learning" the number and you'll get away with it, if you're grooving. Have a good memory. As long as you get the second verse right they'll usually forgive you the first verse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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