Telebass Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Now, I've only played the Tavistock Summer Solstice fest so far, for the past 3 years. This weekend, we're doing the Summit Festival on top of Kitt Hill, near Callington, Cornwall. While it's certainly no Download or V, it has some years of history, and is certainly the biggest outdoor event I've played so far. Which is not that many, even after all these years! So tell me, what are your good and bad festival gig stories, pointers, dos and don'ts etc? Any pointers gratefully received! Den Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I'll tell you Sunday Hoping for another w/e like the one just gone and that everyone who uses my rig (what was I thinking ) is gentle with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umcoo Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I played at the first Kendal Calling festival in 2006. Headliners that weekend were Pendulum and British Sea Power. No really crazy stories...I drank Little Man Tate's Red Stripes, and my singer was hanging with BSP backstage. It was a lovely day so that helps and has now grown into a pretty huge festival up North! I was digging in pretty hard (nerves maybe?) and ended up rubbing the skin off my wrist and bled all over my P-Bass. Good times. Nice to think I was there at the beginning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Played the Vienne Jazz Festival once. Now THAT was oine hell of a gig! Played one near Swansea once. Massive event, loads of bands. Organiser ran off without paying anyone, including the headliners. Brecon Jazz 9 years running - 6 times one year! Lent my gear to Miroslav Vitous one year! Biggest piece of advice? Sort out the parking before you leave home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorick Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I played the Farmyard Party biker bash back in '96 (i think) with a punk/folk band called Bleeding Hearts. We were supposed to be the main support to the Levellers on the Friday night... At the last minute, the Levs pulled out and we were threatened by a bunch of crusties, to the effect that if they thought we were crap, we'd get bottled!!! We survived!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 One of the most memorable was the Colne Blues festival but funniest was in Thessalonika promoted by the Greek Communist party..and of course, they like to get up on stage and make a speech ...well, eons later, and the band has had a few drinks. The Greeks weren't that handy with the stagecraft so there were leads everywhere and they have never heard of gaffa tape, you'd think...!!! Anyway, Violin player starts dancing and gets caught up in some leads and goes A over T ..but he is carrying a very valuable violin and bow and he can't use his hands to break the fall so goes straight down onto his chin... the sound goes right through the PA... and me and the drummer are wetting ourslves.. the song almost falls apart and the singer isn't happy as he doesn't know what went on. Violin player is really annoyed by now and almost wrecks the radio station where we go for a post gig interview.... Not good.. and he wasn't on the gig anymore after that.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deep Thought Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 [quote name='Telebass' post='575258' date='Aug 20 2009, 10:50 AM']This weekend, we're doing the Summit Festival on top of Kitt Hill, near Callington, Cornwall.[/quote] Did Wille and the Bandits play there? They played after us at a charity do in Altarnun, and said they'd just come from a festival at Callington. Nice bunch of lads-we had a good time-did you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 [quote name='yorick' post='579132' date='Aug 24 2009, 03:01 PM']I played the Farmyard Party biker bash back in '96 (i think) with a punk/folk band called Bleeding Hearts.[/quote] So you'd have been my replacement then, after Steve threw his teddies out of the pram and decided to sack everyone else in the band? I've played the [url="http://www.tamworthbands.com/rockfestival/index.htm"]Tamworth Rock Festival[/url] nine or ten times, starting with the inception year of the two-day festival in 1984. It went OK most years, except that in 1986 there was a huge downpour so we took everything to a nearby club, the Rathole (the name suited it, the plaster was falling off the walls and the wiring was seriously dodgy). I last played it in 1995 on the acoustic stage, as a solo spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 I played the Waterside Festival in Milton Keynes which was awesome. Really good fun, well run etc. I also did a country music "festival" which turned out to be little more than a rugby club outside Bristol. It was nice hanging out with the band in the sun but the gig itself was certainly not what I thought it was going to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 You can stuff yer Glastonbury, Woodstock, Mount Fuji. I'm doing the Brentford Festival on 6th September. In the p***ing rain most probably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 I've done a few festivals over the years; Reading, Brecon, Coln, Burnley, Ealing Jazz, Farnham Maltings, Bentworth, Trescore in Italy, Midem in France. You get enthusiastic audiences and great sound systems. I love them!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 LA Pebbles. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=58329"]The saga unfolds[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 [quote name='rumani' post='588404' date='Sep 3 2009, 11:00 AM']I work at Kings Island during the day and can attend after I get off work. [url="http://tattooremovalcreamblog.com/"][u] lazer tattoo removal cream before and after free cost [/u][/url]the tattoo removal cream blog tells you about cost and creams to buy[url="http://tattooremovalcreamblog.com/"][u] lazer tattoo removal cream before and after free cost [/u][/color][/url][/quote] Ah wait there are hidden links Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 And in response to the original "[i]hints & tips?[/i]" I would say DO [list] [*]Get there on time [*]be ready to play when your slot is due [*]work out a set to fill your alloted time and rehearse it to get it slick [*]get on, do your thing, get off, enjoy the rest of the day [/list] DON'T[list] [*]roll up late [*]shamble on [*]keep playing despite being told your times up and until the plug is pulled - even if you are spunky you things who think you're the greatest thing since sliced bread [/list] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 (edited) Well, it's going back a bit, but Gastonbury '87 sounded like a wall of guitars and was very uncomfortable: Then there was this one on the south coast somewhere supporting Aswad, of all people. I look uncomfortable again: Then Vienna as a an electronic laptop artist with Ticklish - which was a gas (perhaps because I'm not playing a bass): Edited September 3, 2009 by Spoombung Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamapirate Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 (edited) Our guitarist: 'hmm why does his bass tone suck when he's using your amp?' Me: 'Cos he's plugged his active bass into the feckin passive plug and turned the input to 11' Edited September 20, 2009 by iamapirate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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