Walk on music for your gigs?

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Who uses pre-recorded walk-on music at gigs?

 

What do you use?

 

If you do more than one set do you play anything specific for the second/third set walk-ons?

 

The band I'm in plays 60's & 70s covers, and we're thinking of coming on to the theme from 'The man from U.N.C.L.E.' or something similarly cheesy for our next pub gig in a few weeks.

 

 

[Bolo]

We used this a few times. 

 

 

We're four big longhaired Dutchmen playing thrash metal ofcourse.

[Downunderwonder]

I only started to properly recognize it towards the end. Maybe they only used that section here.

 

For a rock band I would be going with The Professionals' and The Avengers' themes. If they call you a bunch of pretentious gits for playing walk on music you can call them no nothing plebs for not seeing that it was a tribute to the recently late Laurie Johnson.

[wateroftyne]

Wait... walk on music for pub gigs? Where are you walking on from?

[Downunderwonder]

Just now, wateroftyne said:

Wait... walk on music for pub gigs? Where are you walking on from?

Exxacerry.

[mr4stringz]

Rarely gig these days but have used both of these in the past. I’d still opt for either when we next do though I reckon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

35 minutes ago, Bolo said:

We used this a few times. 

 

 

We're four big longhaired Dutchmen playing thrash metal ofcourse.

This is great ! 😹

[tauzero]

13 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

Wait... walk on music for pub gigs? Where are you walking on from?

 

"Ambling around checking everything's plugged in and switched on music". I think I might surprise my fellow band members and put on the Game of Thrones theme.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Part of the idea of trying this is it will send an easily recognisable signal to a few of the band members who tend to go missing once their gear is in place. It'll let them know the pair of us responsible for setting up the PA have everything ready and we're about to start so they are to extract themselves from wherever they are currently located —  ie to save us having to go looking for them.

 

Edited January 23, 2024 by Jean-Luc Pickguard

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

My first couple of gigs were birthday gigs , so private but held in a pub .

The first walk on track we used was Testament Hypnosis ( instrumental ) from the new order album.

The second one was Traditional Greek wedding music which we found on some Carlin/ De Wolff CDs Advertising companies use.

 

Love the suggestions of others , but I've played various tv themes in band rehearsals which raised frowns or belly laughs .

The professionals , Steptoe and son , High chaparral , the big country were received well .

When I first got my Boss ME8-b , I managed to get a nice Roobarb and custard sound  which surprisingly had no les Dawson connotations. 
 

I'd say if you're gonna do it in the dog and duck etc , then maybe do it on the opening of set 2 . 
Magic Roundabout , or Roobarb and custard would be my tuppence worth ..

Edited January 23, 2024 by RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I'm thinking of playing 'asteroid' as the call up music for sets 2 & 3. Its only 18 seconds long so the bu99ers had better not wander off too far.

 

 

[Lozz196]

When I was in a band called The Gorgeous Heroes we used Bowies Heroes as our walk on theme.

 

Btw, none of us were either gorgeous or heroic.

[chris_b]

On some of my gigs it should have been the Laurel and Hardy theme tune.

[Skinny]

The drummer soundchecking his microphones is the standard one. 

[sandy_r]

Whatever music (or Match) which the pub were playing until 5 mins (or so) after we started

[Marky L]

12 hours ago, Bolo said:

We used this a few times. 

 

 

We're four big longhaired Dutchmen playing thrash metal ofcourse.

 

And such a great cartoon series too!!

[Marky L]

I wish we could organise ourselves enough to have something.. I've always wanted to use this -

 

 

[borntohang]

We used to roll our own - samples over the orchestral arrangements of some of tunes and then the guitarist would start his intro to the first song from offstage on wireless. By the time he finished we'd be on and ready to go. For a couple tours we had video sync'd to it with a countdown so the lights would drop, then the screens would come up with the music.

 

For our own amusement we used this Avalanches tune up to about 1:31 once or twice too, which I love. Absolutely majestic walking on as the horns swell in.

 

 

For the Devo tribute I play with we always use the Devo Corporate Anthem which is about 2 minutes. Walk on as it plays, do our pre-flight checks, and then stand in the 'spud salute' until the intro finishes. As soon as the last synth fades out, give it two seconds of silence, then smash in. 

 

[Franticsmurf]

I put this together for last year's support slot at the Hullabaloo festival. The idea was to play it loud through the PA to attract the attention of the crowd (who would still be perusing the beer tent when we went on). There's a deliberate silence at the end to allow the sound guy to stop the track. We opened with Miserlou as soon as the talking stopped. The phart/rip sound early on is because the band was called 'The Rip'.

 

 

 

 

[borntohang]

Always thought this would be a banger intro too: 

 

 

Up to either the vocals, or the second "intergalactic..." chorus.

[Crusoe]

Stiff Little Fingers have the best walk on music of all time - one of their own songs - Go For It. Those drums...!!!

 

 

[BaggyMan]

Music we usually start the gig to i the pub jukebox they forget to turn off before we start.

 

Step 1: Politely ask at the bar

Step 2: Ask over the PA.  (normally ignored)

Step 3: Ask again (now shouting over the PA helps, expletives optional)

Step 4: Offer to mime to the jukebox

Step 5: Play along with the jukebox until they notice

Step 6: Start gig...late

Step 7: Mid gig break, repeat steps 1-6

 

[sandy_r]

26 minutes ago, borntohang said:

 

For our own amusement we used this Avalanches tune up to about 1:31 once or twice too, which I love. Absolutely majestic walking on as the horns swell in.

 

Cool - this isn't just any trouser-flapping bass ...it's Lederhosen-flapping bass

 

[BigRedX]

Whenever a band I have been in have used intro/walk-on music it's always something we have composed and is either in the same key as the first song, or has been designed as an extended instrumental intro to it.

 

Also IMO you really need to get your walk-on timings nailed, so that your not either standing on stage looking like a spare part waiting for the music to end or rushing to get in place in time. Normally there is a tendency to go on too soon because everyone is keen to get started, so it's something that needs to be rehearsed almost as much as the songs themselves.

 

At the moment I'm working on intro music for one of my bands that will blend seamlessly at any point into the start of the first song, so we can walk on when we feel like it and start as soon as everyone is ready to play.

Edited January 24, 2024 by BigRedX

[Paddy515]

Indie covers band - 1st song "Rock n roll star" - coming on music:- Tiptoe through the tulips. Hahahaha.