been asked to stand in for a gig tonight...nerves.

[Cameronj279]

half an hour ago was asked by a friend to play for his band at a gig in roughly 3 and a half hours. I've only pplayed 3 gigs in my life so this is pretty nerve racking for me. Half hour set all songs I don't know yet (and im not even home right now to learn them!)

Any advice to stop me from releiving myself with nerves on stage would be appreciated!

[Bassman Sam]

Get some large size Pampers. Oh, and good luck.

[JapanAxe]

Ok deep breath... Singer is likely to be centre of attention, most if not all of audience will not notice the odd wrong bass note. I expect the rest of the band will be fairly realistic in their expectations too.

Practical steps - far too little time to learn set but listen to songs, note keys, structure, and especially any stops i.e. where it would sound obviously wrong if you kept playing.

Then just enjoy it!

[Tuono]

Well, there's only three hours to flap about it so that's good. Soon as you get up there the nerves will go. Hang loose and enjoy it, don't worry about any wee slips, they will come and they will go.
Maybe set your sound a wee bit thick and muddy and play way down low.....I have to do it if I try to sing and play at the same time; covers a multitude of sins!

[Happy Jack]

People are always saying that "less is more" and "a rest is as good as a note".

Here's your chance to prove it.

Try to get the chords written out in time to run through them, then focus on playing utterly minimalist basslines, ideally holding single notes wherever possible like everything's a slow blues.

The only people who may notice what you're up to and wonder what you're up to are any other bass players in the audience.

Good luck.

[lojo]

Most likely to late to say good luck

What are / where the songs?

[Truckstop]

Yeah just make some basic chord charts with notes and give the songs a once over on YouTube or something like that. You'll feel like your brain's exploding, but you'll be amazed at how much you remember when you're up there!

Dont forget to report back and tell us how it goes!

Truckstop

[Mudpup]

Alcohol!

If the audience is full of it they wont notice and they'll think youre great

Or

If youre full of it you wont care and you'll think you sound great

Simples

[BassTractor]

Get out your fiver (everybody knows you don't have a tenner), droptune the B to G. On amp and bass: dial out everything that resembles treble, high mid and low mid.
Success!

Good luck!


best,
bert

[Gordon Thudmaster May]

[i]30 min gig????[/i]

[Cameronj279]

Just home...went allright. Apparently only went out of key on one part of superstition (had played through once before)

It was experience I suppose...people never complained so I shall take it as a "you were allright"

[merlin]

excellent well done,sleep well.

[mingsta]

Well done mate. I've just agreed to sub for a mate and thought I had it bad learning about ten tracks over a fortnight, but three and a half hours takes the biscuit!

[Cameronj279]

[quote name='mingsta' timestamp='1354233173' post='1884064']
Well done mate. I've just agreed to sub for a mate and thought I had it bad learning about ten tracks over a fortnight, but three and a half hours takes the biscuit!
[/quote]

Hour and a half of that was spent travelling as well! I'll be honest, I never expected to be asked to step in for anybody! So I was kind of flattered at being asked!

[rOB]

Well done!

[gary mac]

Good effort and well done, it's all good experience .

[paul torch]

sterling work!

[Bilbo]

I have seen people running home from a venue to get their guitars/bass/sax to sit in for someone who failed to arrive or got waylaid. I did one this year where I had to get a sax player 10 minutes before we were due to start. Got him out of his dressing gown, dressed, driven across town and onto the stage to lead a sax/bass/drums trio

[Cameronj279]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1354294475' post='1884601']
I have seen people running home from a venue to get their guitars/bass/sax to sit in for someone who failed to arrive or got waylaid. I did one this year where I had to get a sax player 10 minutes before we were due to start. Got him out of his dressing gown, dressed, driven across town and onto the stage to lead a sax/bass/drums trio
[/quote]

Thats just showing off!

[seashell]

Brilliant! So glad it went well:-)

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1354231482' post='1884041']
Just home...went allright. Apparently only went out of key on one part of superstition (had played through once before)

It was experience I suppose...people never complained so I shall take it as a "you were allright"
[/quote]
There will be no stopping you now mate!

[Dad3353]

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1354231482' post='1884041']
Just home...went allright. Apparently only went out of key on one part of superstition (had played through once before)

It was experience I suppose...people never complained so I shall take it as a "you were allright"
[/quote]
We never doubted... Well done, that lad.

[BottomE]

Well done.