LemonCello Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Went to a pub not far from me to see a band last night. Very good they were too. I went to check out the venue more than anything else as we'll be out gigging soon. Don't know whether this is typical but they were 'shoe horned' in one corner, must have been no bigger than 10' by 10'. The guitarist literally had to move to avoid crashing into peeps as they got up to dance. At one point I noticed the bass player 'twang' his nice Stingray against the wall which quite understandably made him wince! I'm thinking I'll leave the Vigier at home and take my Squier! Anyone else played on a postage stamp? LC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pietruszka Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 That sounds tight! I was once in an 8 piece band playing on a stage comfortable for 4 people! That was, erm, cosy. As for knocking a stingray off stuff, I got over that ages ago, it happens all too frequently for me. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gust0o Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 I haven't quite shaken off the dings - I pranged my Gibson Grabber the other month, and was kicking myself in the arse about it for a good long while! I played one bar in York, where I found myself literally round the corner from the rest of the band. Whilst they could look out onto the crowd, I had a wall in my face, and it took some space invasion to get me back into view Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Yes, one of my bands is an 8 piece, and one pub we play at is so small, we have the drums in the centre, and then the rest of us form two columns, from the back outwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 We play fairly regularly at the Jam Café in Nottingham. The whole of the main room is about the size of an average small stage. The band are expected to play in one corner by the door. We get around it by blurring the boundaries between the band and audience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 [quote name='LemonCello' timestamp='1330258916' post='1554669'] Went to a pub not far from me to see a band last night. Very good they were too. I went to check out the venue more than anything else as we'll be out gigging soon. Don't know whether this is typical but they were 'shoe horned' in one corner, must have been no bigger than 10' by 10'. The guitarist literally had to move to avoid crashing into peeps as they got up to dance. At one point I noticed the bass player 'twang' his nice Stingray against the wall which quite understandably made him wince! I'm thinking I'll leave the Vigier at home and take my Squier! Anyone else played on a postage stamp? LC [/quote] Have done in the past...wont do it now. Am very picky about stage-size,/playing area. We need about 5mtr2 so if we don't get that, it isn't a gig for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barneyg42 Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Five piece classic rock band, Keyboard player behind pillar on right having to crawl under keys to get in position, his amp is in another (raised) room behind him with a bannister between it and him! Thankfully I've got a headless Status now which certainly helps in situations like this. Drummer found it easier to climb in through window to get to his kit! Needless to say once I (fat bastard) and our singer were in place it was a bit tight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blademan_98 Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 (edited) The Green Man in Aylesbury. You set up by the bar. Punters walking by and any dancing is done right in your face. Great atmosphere but flippin' cramped!!! [attachment=101039:photo.JPG] Edited February 26, 2012 by Blademan_98 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janmaat Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 12bar in Denmark St. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 [quote name='janmaat' timestamp='1330261288' post='1554724'] 12bar in Denmark St. [/quote] And it's quite a long way down... [IMG]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n249/BigRedX/320706_309351875747226_137154026300346_1529792_984755655_n.jpg[/IMG] The Jam Café is smaller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valhalalf Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 (edited) I've played a few cozy places, sometimes it's quite nice but sometimes not so. We played at a place on Friday that was very cozy and had a pillar infront of me but it was probably the best gig we've had in ages because the of the punters (I'm behind the camera in the pic). One place we gigged last year we had to set up in the corner next to the door to the toilets. Everytime someone went to use them I had to lift my neck like a toll barrier to let them through. Edited February 26, 2012 by Valhalalf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Tipping Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 My experience with small venues is totally mixed. Some of the best gigs I've ever played have been on a tiny stage in a tiny corner with a completely rammed room .. where you litterally have a wall of faces right in your face! In that same pub during one of our breks on another night some punter stepped into the stage to speak to the drummer stepping on the lead plugged into my P .. snapping my pickguard .. but thankfully not damaging the wood .. and amazingly with out snapping the electrics! .. stuk a bit of duct tape on it and played for another 2 hours! I always take my lead out of my bass during breaks now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetkevorkian Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 (edited) [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1330261751' post='1554742'] And it's quite a long way down... The Jam Café is smaller. [/quote] [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1330260544' post='1554707'] We play fairly regularly at the Jam Café in Nottingham. The whole of the main room is about the size of an average small stage. The band are expected to play in one corner by the door. We get around it by blurring the boundaries between the band and audience. [/quote] It looks more like you're blurring the boundaries between up and down. Strap the drummer to the ceiling too- instantly loads of free space. [I assume he is mid-flip, rather than attached upside down] Edited February 26, 2012 by velvetkevorkian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 [quote name='velvetkevorkian' timestamp='1330263694' post='1554780'] It looks more like you're blurring the boundaries between up and down. Strap the drummer to the ceiling too- instantly loads of free space. [I assume he is mid-flip, rather than attached upside down] [/quote] No he's actually hanging by his legs from the beam... Attaching the drums to the ceiling at the 12 Bar would probably improve them. The last time we played there our drummer spend a good deal of time tightening everything up, and the floor tom had still collapsed by the end of our set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12stringbassist Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 (edited) I played at a venue in the Lake District last year, which I won't name. It had a ready-set up PA and lighting rig in a new outbuilding. Plus an InHouse 'soundman'. This was fine, except that the legs on the lighting tree and the power amps for the PA were situated at stage right where (ideally) the bass rig would go. he had mic'ed the drum kit up and had cables running over the space where the bass rig belonged. The result was that I had to forcibly cram my rig in, after muttering about having to putting it back in the van (along with everything else) and the sound engineer having a truly enormous and childish sulk. The 'sound engineer' then proceeded to get us the worst imaginable sound (it was all mid) and then moaned that a bank of 4 small stage lights that I put on top of my bass rig got in his eyes from the back of the room, as they pointed forward. What a control freak prat. That was really a trip not worth making. The landlady actually later sent me an abusive message through another site because I had upset the sound engineer. In addition to this she went on at length that my old band had cancelled 3 shows at a venue she had previously had (NOT my decision) because her idiot husband led the chants to boo bands off there. She needs to get a grip. Edited February 26, 2012 by 12stringbassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 in that case..you could name the gig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gust0o Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Might as well name and shame, chief, save someone else the trouble of having to find it all out all over again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judo Chop Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 We had five of us crammed into a corner because the landlord wouldn't move an empty table into the other room. I was stood between the hi hats and a wall, one guitarist was sat on my amp which trapped me into the corner next to the radiator, the other guitarist and singer were stood a foot in front of the drums, and my brother had to tie his stool to his bass drum to stop it sliding into them when he played. We still enjoyed it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Another reason why I will not be crammed is that the bass player ends up with a cymbol in his back or whatever...and I think I have had years of ear damage through being too close to high volumes..and cymbols,in crammed places. You can play outside and have 5000watts of foldback and talk reasonably loud to be heard over the instruments so that is comfortable on the ears, yet you can get seriously deafened with excessive volume in small confined places. Last night in a marque was the first time in ages where I didn't have to wear ear plugs. So, that is my rule now..everyone else in the band needs space..so do I and without it the gig doesn't happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gust0o Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Remember: bass players need space to pull shapes too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurhenry Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 The Spinning wheel in Northfields (West Ealing) has a concrete beam on the ceiling, stage right at headstock height with numerous dents and chips in it. I was always sorely tempted to take a marker pen and label each one with the names of various guitars and basses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 [quote name='12stringbassist' timestamp='1330264688' post='1554794'] ... This was fine, except that the legs on the lighting tree and the power amps for the PA were situated at stage right where (ideally) the bass rig would go. he had mic'ed the drum kit up and had cables running over the space where the bass rig belonged. ... moaned that a bank of 4 small stage lights that I put on top of my bass rig got in his eyes from the back of the room, as they pointed forward. What a control freak prat. ... [/quote] Why was the bass amp supposed to go stage right? Why are you shining stage lights out into the audience? I've played some small venues usually it's the same guy (drummer) who complains about the lack of space and how we can't possibly all fit in - unless of course he booked the gig in which case we'll easily fit into that space. We did have some interesting discussions on how the drummer needed his huge kit and couldn't the keys just not use an amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 [quote name='janmaat' timestamp='1330261288' post='1554724'] 12bar in Denmark St. [/quote] That's where I first met the current mrs discreet. She was singing in an a cappella band. I was pissed and gatecrashed the dressing room at half time like a rat up a drain pipe and bullshit her good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 There's a dressing room? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 I live in Devon, most places are very cramped, many of them I have played and had to move my headstock out of the way so people can come in the front door/go to the bogs/get to the bar. I have got used to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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