Holloween Gigs 2017

[blue]

Always a big gig night for bar bands in the States. A lot of fun and nice size crowds.

Is it a big deal in the UK? If yes, tell us about what you have booked.

Blue

[FinnDave]

The Wirebirds have had a Halloween gig every year since we started, and this year it is at the Blunsdon Arms in Swindon on Saturday. There will be fancy dress (our drummer is especially keen on this, he also decorates his kit) and hopefully a lot of audience participation.

[bertbass]

I'm trying to find a big hairy spider to hang on my tuners, but then I might frighten myself. I've been in Vegas for a couple of halloweens, Fremont street, and it was absolutely brilliant. The parade was a bit of a shambles though. Frank and the Steins were superb.

Edited October 23, 2017 by bertbass

[blue]

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1508798782' post='3394564']
The Wirebirds have had a Halloween gig every year since we started, and this year it is at the Blunsdon Arms in Swindon on Saturday. There will be fancy dress (our drummer is especially keen on this, he also decorates his kit) and hopefully a lot of audience participation.
[/quote]

Nice one Dave, I've been lucky. We've played the same Holloween gig for the past 6 years. Ariba's in Butler WI, 7:00-11:00. Nice hours and nice pay. It's also a great sounding room. Thinking about gigging the 1991 Gibson Bird. My quarter inch lead seems to pop out for some reasons. Do I have to tighten the nut around the input?

Hope there's a lot of Sexy Nurse costumes.

Lol

Blue

[FinnDave]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1508805951' post='3394583']
Nice one Dave, I've been lucky. We've played the same Holloween gig for the past 6 years. Ariba's in Butler WI, 7:00-11:00. Nice hours and nice pay. It's also a great sounding room. Thinking about gigging the 1991 Gibson Bird. My quarter inch lead seems to pop out for some reasons. Do I have to tighten the nut around the input?

Hope there's a lot of Sexy Nurse costumes.

Lol

Blue
[/quote]

I don't think we've played the same venue twice at Halloween (maybe one, I'd have to check my records). Last year was the only flat one, possible because the venue was advertising the wrong day (but the right date!). Not seen any sexy nurse at any of our gigs...most halloween party goers seem to go for gore and horror themes. So long as they're enjoying themselves and spending plenty at the bar, we're happy!

Hope you can sort the 'bird out, might need a new socket by the sound of it.

[mep]

Haven't done a Halloween gig for years. I can understand why it's big in the US, although it's just another import fronm them IMO.

We've got on on bonfire night. Can't see us exporting that to the US!

[BigRedX]

Hallowe'en is on Tuesday this year so there probably won't be that many gigs in the UK on the actual night.

In Isolation played last Saturday in Leeds at the Goth City event which is the closest I'll get to a Hallowe'en gig this year, The reason it wasn't this coming weekend is that it would have clashed with the WGW which is always on the closest weekend to Hallowe'en. I'll be there in the audience, but unfortunately not playing.

[colleya]

We've played the same pub in Cumbria on Halloween for the last four years. It's the village pub for our drummer. They don't have regular bands on so we tend to draw a crowd from the surrounding areas for a bit of an event. It also means that we chuck in all the pub rock classics including this one https://www.dropbox.com/s/tytbb4uzjoa5d4x/2015-10-31%2023.43.43.mp4?dl=0

We've always dressed up, but it took the locals a couple of years to get into it and there are more and more costumes each year now.

Edited October 24, 2017 by colleya

[blue]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1508831708' post='3394625']
Hallowe'en is on Tuesday this year so there probably won't be that many gigs in the UK on the actual night.[/quote]

There won't be many gigs on Tuesday in the States either.

All the Holloween gigs will be this Friday and Saturday night.

Blue

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1508798514' post='3394562']
Always a big gig night for bar bands in the States. A lot of fun and nice size crowds.

Is it a big deal in the UK? If yes, tell us about what you have booked.

Blue
[/quote]

I know you are asking about bookings but you may have opened up a can of worms with that question Blue. To answer your question briefly, yes. It is a big deal for many reasons.

To address the actual question, I don't have gigs (yet) as I am a hobby bassist. There are however lots of musical events put on during the week around 31st October every year.

To expand on the notion of Halloween being a big deal as you put it - we now have children doing that awful Trick-or-Treat thing. It has replaced collecting pennies for the Guy on the run up to the more insensitive Guy Fawkes Night that was commonly celebrated every 5th of November during my youth. Instead of children preparing for the November 5th "celebrations" by gathering firewood and old clothes then going door to door with an effigy asking for a "[i]penny for the Guy[/i]", we have children going door to door in random groups, sometimes with parents, doing that intimidating thing of begging on the doorstep for sweets while wearing face masks. If you don't give-in you get victimised.

Neither practice is tolerated here because we don't have children in the household. We don't even answer the door on Halloween night. I'd be much better off performing during that silliness. At least I'd get something useful out of it to compensate.

Did I not mention that I am a part-time miserable old git?

[url="https://www.activityvillage.co.uk/penny-for-the-guy"]https://www.activity...nny-for-the-guy[/url]

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='mep' timestamp='1508831209' post='3394620']
...We've got on on bonfire night. Can't see us exporting that to the US!
[/quote]

Hahahahahaha! Good one.

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1508805951' post='3394583']
...Thinking about gigging the 1991 Gibson Bird. My quarter inch lead seems to pop out for some reasons. Do I have to tighten the nut around the input?

Hope there's a lot of Sexy Nurse costumes.
[/quote]

Reading that last sentence has slackened my nuts somewhat too.

Joking aside I don't think tightening the attaching nut will help to retain your jack plug. It's more likely to be a well-worn socket that needs replacement. Alternatively, if you have recently bought a new cable, check whether the old cable pops out as easily. Some cables have jack plugs that are incompatible with some jack sockets and on rare occasions this happens.

[blue]

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1509002058' post='3395849']


I know you are asking about bookings but you may have opened up a can of worms with that question Blue. To answer your question briefly, yes. It is a big deal for many reasons.

To address the actual question, I don't have gigs (yet) as I am a hobby bassist. There are however lots of musical events put on during the week around 31st October every year.

To expand on the notion of Halloween being a big deal as you put it - we now have children doing that awful Trick-or-Treat thing. It has replaced collecting pennies for the Guy on the run up to the more insensitive Guy Fawkes Night that was commonly celebrated every 5th of November during my youth. Instead of children preparing for the November 5th "celebrations" by gathering firewood and old clothes then going door to door with an effigy asking for a "[i]penny for the Guy[/i]", we have children going door to door in random groups, sometimes with parents, doing that intimidating thing of begging on the doorstep for sweets while wearing face masks. If you don't give-in you get victimised.

Neither practice is tolerated here because we don't have children in the household. We don't even answer the door on Halloween night. I'd be much better off performing during that silliness. At least I'd get something useful out of it to compensate.

Did I not mention that I am a part-time miserable old git?

[url="https://www.activityvillage.co.uk/penny-for-the-guy"]https://www.activity...nny-for-the-guy[/url]
[/quote]

I guess I should have asked "Is Holloween gigging a big deal"

I'm pretty detached from other elements of Holloween.

Blue

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1509019557' post='3396059']
I guess I should have asked "Is Holloween gigging a big deal"

I'm pretty detached from other elements of Holloween.

Blue
[/quote]

Yeah. I need to get out more. I should aim to be gigging myself for next year's Halloween bookings. It'd distract me from all of the hoo-hah. Seems to work for you.

[jacko]

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1509002058' post='3395849']

.
.
.
Neither practice is tolerated here because we don't have children in the household. We don't even answer the door on Halloween night. I'd be much better off performing during that silliness. At least I'd get something useful out of it to compensate.

Did I not mention that I am a part-time miserable old git?

[url="https://www.activityvillage.co.uk/penny-for-the-guy"]https://www.activity...nny-for-the-guy[/url]
[/quote]

A few years back when we still lived in a town I opened the door dressed as alice cooper with my 9 foot boa constrictor over a shoulder. The parents stopped their kids coming back after that. Shame as we quite enjoy making the little b*stards do a song or a joke.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='jacko' timestamp='1509025125' post='3396125']
A few years back when we still lived in a town I opened the door dressed as alice cooper with my 9 foot boa constrictor over a shoulder. The parents stopped their kids coming back after that. Shame as we quite enjoy making the little b*stards do a song or a joke.
[/quote]

Similarly when The Terrortones were doing one of their Hallowe'en Tours" I answer the door dressed like this:

When I was expecting my band mates had come to pick me up to go to one of our gigs!

[Monkey Steve]

In answer to Blue, it's become a sort of metal/goth version of Christmas, and this weekend there'll be a load of Halloween themed metal gigs and club nights. Not exclusively metal, but that's definitely the lion's share in London.

I'm actually going to see a mate's band at the Underworld in Camden on Saturday, which is just the London date on their tour, so isn't Halloween themed (but is metal). But it's an early curfew as it's a club night afterwards and that is very Halloween themed indeed.

[jacko]

Thought it might be nice to post a pic of me with Floyd (not on a Halloween night though )

[attachment=256292:snake.jpg]

[nightsun]

Yep, First 'Halloween' gig for me for a few years on Saturday night, apparently it's a fancy dress thing. The No1 music pub in a local city, so should be interesting.

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='jacko' timestamp='1509025629' post='3396132']
Thought it might be nice to post a pic of me with Floyd (not on a Halloween night though )

[attachment=256292:snake.jpg]
[/quote]

Aw sweet. I thought you were talking about a stage prop at first.

I had to laugh at your story. Great deterrent to cold-calling faceless urchins. I'll wait until I find myself shouting at squirrels in the park before I invest in an adult constrictor however.

[Yank]

I've got a gig tonight. Hopefully lots of costumes. I've got a good stock of candy for Tues. night. I get at least 100 kids every year and enjoy seeing the little ones all dressed up. Man, as a kid that was the coolest night. You had free reign of the town with your buddies, and came home with a sack of sweets.

[blue]

[quote name='Yank' timestamp='1509095032' post='3396533']
I've got a gig tonight. Hopefully lots of costumes. I've got a good stock of candy for Tues. night. I get at least 100 kids every year and enjoy seeing the little ones all dressed up. Man, as a kid that was the coolest night. You had free reign of the town with your buddies, and came home with a sack of sweets.
[/quote]

All retired folks in my condo association.

Kids steer clear of us. We don't have any candy.

Blue

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1509149391' post='3397065']
All retired folks in my condo association.

Kids steer clear of us. We don't have any candy.

Blue
[/quote]

Put a deposit down on a two bed flat for me please?

[Lozz196]

Doesn`t really mean that much on the originals punk circuit, but in the town which I live, on a Sunday they close off The Old Town and do a fun day on the Sunday either before or after, and combine it with fireworks for Guy Fawkes. It`s a pretty decent family oriented day/event.