gig tips - session tips

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1487325163' post='3238911']

That's because they are all fur coat and no knickers.
[/quote]

Badum tish!

[Bbiigg Kev]

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?app=forums&module=forums&section=findpost&pid=3238421"][/url]FinnDave, on 16 February 2017 - 03:43 PM, said:

OK, I'll bite....what the heck is a 'fitbit'?

A wristworn device that tells you why you're chubby.

I've already got one of them, its called the Mrs

[Yank]

gig tip. Have a medical kit in your car. i.e. bandaids, aspirin, anti-diarea pills.

[FinnDave]

[quote name='Yank' timestamp='1487414483' post='3239592']
gig tip. Have a medical kit in your car. i.e. bandaids, aspirin, anti-diarea pills.
[/quote]

They're all in a pocket of the bag I carry my leads, tuner, etc. in.

[Len_derby]

Be able to play 'Happy Birthday to you', in any key, at the drop of a hat.

[Maude]

I've forgotten what this thread is actually about but I recall it's something about gigging tips.
My tip would be to exaggerate your movements. What you think are sensible moves on stage are barely noticeable from an audience perspective, so be larger than life to get the moves noticed, unless your thing is standing still.

On the watch front, I never wear a watch but as one of my bands is a mod band, I can't see accessorising sharp suits, shirts and stylish shoes with a nice watch could hurt, surely no different than adding a silk scarf, tie pin or any other accessory.
Like everything, what works for some won't work for others, no hard and fast rules, even on Basschat.

[Bbiigg Kev]

[quote name='Yank' timestamp='1487414483' post='3239592']
gig tip. Have a medical kit in your car. i.e. bandaids, aspirin, anti-diarea pills.
[/quote]

Don't forget your rubbers !!!

Back on track.

[scalpy]

[quote name='Yank' timestamp='1487414483' post='3239592']
gig tip. Have a medical kit in your car. i.e. bandaids, aspirin, anti-diarea pills.
[/quote]

Our guitarist and drummer play in another band as well. They're playing a remote village hall in deepest darkest Herefordshire on a Saturday night and the drummer tucks into the buffet at the interval. 2 songs into the second half and he's gone green, and jumps off his stool and runs through the middle of the dancefloor to try and get to the toilet, fails spectacularly and pebble dashes the majority of the hall. Turns out he has a shellfish allergy he'd managed to accidentally avoid for 40+ years, and the prawn sandwiches were his downfall. The upside to this is the guitarist is a GP and had his spare doctors bag in the car and was able to save the drummer from being very poorly indeed. So now we travel with the doctors bag and expert paramedic to every gig!

[Shonks]

[quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1487416696' post='3239617']
Be able to play 'Happy Birthday to you', in any key, at the drop of a hat.
[/quote]blimey, i forgot about this one...the amount of times I've had to play it on my own....OMG

[TrevorR]

[quote name='uk_lefty' timestamp='1487244487' post='3238290']
This has all got a bit out of hand since my facaetious comment about wearing two watches... Are there any more useful gig tips?
[/quote]

As a leftie who plays righty I always remove my watch and put it in my back pocket before playing for two reasons, neither to do with the gig fashionistas.

1) Being a leftie I wear it on my right wrist and don't want the metal strap gouging up my basses.

2) if I do leave it on the electronic mechanism gets picked up by the pickups. Boy, that was a half hour wasted and an embarrassing rollicking from the sound guy after he'd spent ages trying to work out what that strange faint ticking noise coming through the FOH was.

Fast forward 15 or 20 years and my diabetic consultant moved me from daily injections to an insulin pump, which of course is basically a small belt mounted electrical stepper motor... next gig, "...ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka..." Whoops!

[blue]

[quote name='Burrito' timestamp='1487002289' post='3236172']
I like the original post but the jury is out on clip on tuners (no issue for me) & I think we have touched on the topic before.

I think;
[list=1]
[*]Learn your parts.
[*]Show up on time.
[*]Don't moan about everything.
[*]Know your place in the band.
[*]Buy the odd drink.
[*]Enjoy it.
[/list]

Seems to have worked for me over the last 30yrs!
[/quote]

This sounds like one of Blue"s posts.

Blue

[lowdown]

[quote name='Shonks' timestamp='1487436223' post='3239813']
blimey, i forgot about this one...the amount of times I've had to play it on my own....OMG
[/quote]

You can't seriously be suggesting that there are gigging musicians who don't know 'Happy Birthday' ?
Or are you ?....
Lordy, I hope you are jesting.

Edit: Don't forget your Rubbers !!!

Edited February 21, 2017 by lowdown

[Low End Bee]

Non watch, music stand. clip on truner related comment.

Waffle. That bit between songs when someone has to do something to avoid the awkward silence.
As an audience member I can happily do without a few of things. Band in-jokes - Keep them for rehearsals. Personal non gig related stuff - I don't need to know about your life. Originals bands - I don't want an in depth analysis of what the next song is about. In fact any big gap between songs that stops the flow of the gig.
I used to be guilty of this too until we played with a band who went on before us who went on endlessly 'This songs about the time I was at low point in my life. My cat knocked over my beer. My aunty had a hip replacement...Hey Gary on drums could do with one of them....etc."
I saw myself but much worse. I limited myself to very brief, relevant intros. The drummer moaned about not getting enough time to wipe his sticks but it was a much punchier gig.

Obviously as with all gig things context is king and working an audience is an asset. But if I'm watching a band I don't want to know if the clutch on your Astra needs replacing.

[Shonks]

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1487668216' post='3241578']


You can't seriously be suggesting that there are gigging musicians who don't know 'Happy Birthday' ?
Or are you ?....
Lordy, I hope you are jesting.

Edit: Don't forget your Rubbers !!!
[/quote]not suggesting or jesting ( unfortunately ), stating my experience over the last several years

Edited February 21, 2017 by Shonks

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1487670159' post='3241601']
Non watch, music stand. clip on truner related comment.

Waffle. That bit between songs when someone has to do something to avoid the awkward silence.
As an audience member I can happily do without a few of things. Band in-jokes - Keep them for rehearsals. Personal non gig related stuff - I don't need to know about your life. Originals bands - I don't want an in depth analysis of what the next song is about. In fact any big gap between songs that stops the flow of the gig.
I used to be guilty of this too until we played with a band who went on before us who went on endlessly 'This songs about the time I was at low point in my life. My cat knocked over my beer. My aunty had a hip replacement...Hey Gary on drums could do with one of them....etc."
I saw myself but much worse. I limited myself to very brief, relevant intros. The drummer moaned about not getting enough time to wipe his sticks but it was a much punchier gig.

Obviously as with all gig things context is king and working an audience is an asset. But if I'm watching a band I don't want to know if the clutch on your Astra needs replacing.
[/quote]we always find that me and the singer insulting each other goes down well, a brief description of an originals song is fine as long as it doesn't turn into a monologue, you can go too far the other way, one song after the other with no interaction with the audience is bad as well

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='Shonks' timestamp='1487673350' post='3241637']
not suggesting or jesting ( unfortunately ), stating my experience over the last several years
[/quote]just after a guitarist joined the band we got asked to play Happy Birthday, do you know I says to him "yeah no problem" so off we go with me playing it in A and him in G

[PaulWarning]

oh yeah, if you are going to speak between songs speak clearly and slowly, too often the audience haven't got a clue what's being said, (mumbled)

[Japhet]

Turn your phone off. The roaming signal through a bass amp isn't a good sound and neither is your mate ringing up to see if you fancy a pint.

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='Japhet' timestamp='1487686989' post='3241823']
Turn your phone off. The roaming signal through a bass amp isn't a good sound and neither is your mate ringing up to see if you fancy a pint.
[/quote]
Unless you are using it to do you monitor mix on your digital desk...

Speaking of which, here is a good tip if you want to solve the roaming signal sound and the phone ringing...

If you have an iPhone, you can turn the carrier comms off by putting it in airplane mode... Then, turn wifi back on so you can connect it to your desk.

There's probably an equivalent on Android too... but its been years since I've had an Android phone.

[scalpy]

[quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1487670159' post='3241601']
Non watch, music stand. clip on truner related comment.

Waffle. That bit between songs when someone has to do something to avoid the awkward silence.
As an audience member I can happily do without a few of things. Band in-jokes - Keep them for rehearsals. Personal non gig related stuff - I don't need to know about your life. Originals bands - I don't want an in depth analysis of what the next song is about. In fact any big gap between songs that stops the flow of the gig.
I used to be guilty of this too until we played with a band who went on before us who went on endlessly 'This songs about the time I was at low point in my life. My cat knocked over my beer. My aunty had a hip replacement...Hey Gary on drums could do with one of them....etc."
I saw myself but much worse. I limited myself to very brief, relevant intros. The drummer moaned about not getting enough time to wipe his sticks but it was a much punchier gig.

Obviously as with all gig things context is king and working an audience is an asset. But if I'm watching a band I don't want to know if the clutch on your Astra needs replacing.
[/quote]

You need to talk to one of my clients, guilty of all of the above and it's killed his promising career. Still does it.

[grandad]

I always check I have a strip of indigestion tablets, spare hearing aid batteries and my teeth in. Oh, and a clean handkerchief.

Edited February 21, 2017 by grandad

[Funky Dunky]

[quote name='Heathy' timestamp='1487002623' post='3236174']
If a punter tries to talk to you mid-song, kick their face.
[/quote]

Fixed.

[blue]

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1487668216' post='3241578']


You can't seriously be suggesting that there are gigging musicians who don't know 'Happy Birthday' ?
Or are you ?....
Lordy, I hope you are jesting.

Edit: Don't forget your Rubbers !!!
[/quote]

I can play Happy Birthday but none of the other band members can and I doubt I could convince them it's something we should learn.

The gigs keep coming in and I keep my mouth shut.

Blue

[Shonks]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1487905723' post='3244076']


The gigs keep coming in and I keep my mouth shut.

Blue
[/quote]as long as the gigs are coming in...this is probably the most important advice of all...!!!

[NoRhino]

If you are in a tribute band learn to play Happy Birthday in the style of that artiste.