How was your gig last night?

[dmccombe7]

9 hours ago, stewblack said:

 

This is almost my ideal band - no rehearsals, play anything we're asked regardless of whether we know it, and somehow pull the whole thing off.

That would be my worst nightmare. I like to know songs inside out before gigging them altho i have done very short notice gigs learning the basics and taking some notes with me. I just couldn't cope with what you did tho. I'd be a bag of nerves.

Dave

[casapete]

10 hours ago, stewblack said:

Just home from a brilliant Bandeoke night in a music pub in Wiltshire.

Loads of people getting up to sing and people head hunting us for other venues.

This is almost my ideal band - no rehearsals, play anything we're asked regardless of whether we know it, and somehow pull the whole thing off.

This sounds like a brilliant concept, would be right up my street. 

[yorks5stringer]

11 hours ago, Mickeyboro said:

Played at a Bournemouth retirement complex- a first for me - and delighted to find that musical appreciation doesn’t fade with age. The Otis Jay Blues Band enjoyed celebrating the jubilee with like minded folk … I reckon we will be back!

Retirement Complex? Looks like a church to me? Nitpicking aside, it's good to see you brought some of the residents up on stage with you!

[Mickeyboro]

It is a Grade 2 listed building and retains many original features. The former chapel is now the Owners lounge. A good social programme including coffee mornings, music nights, cheese and wine evenings, quiz nights, summer barbeques and special events. The Hobbies Room affords a place for like-minded people to meet for a game of scrabble, Bridge or jigsaw making.
New Owners are accepted over 60 years of age.

 

So would you like me to negotiate a discount for you, Keith!😂

[Newfoundfreedom]

Great to see so many gigs happening at last. 

 

Keep up the good work chaps. 👌

Edited June 3, 2022 by Newfoundfreedom

[yorks5stringer]

43 minutes ago, Mickeyboro said:

It is a Grade 2 listed building and retains many original features. The former chapel is now the Owners lounge. A good social programme including coffee mornings, music nights, cheese and wine evenings, quiz nights, summer barbeques and special events. The Hobbies Room affords a place for like-minded people to meet for a game of scrabble, Bridge or jigsaw making.
New Owners are accepted over 60 years of age.

 

So would you like me to negotiate a discount for you, Keith!😂

Think I'll decline: anywhere that allows the elderly to brandish a sharpened blade is  too West Side Story for me!

[Mickeyboro]

54 minutes ago, yorks5stringer said:

Think I'll decline: anywhere that allows the elderly to brandish a sharpened blade is  too West Side Story for me!

I could see Hello Hopeville livening up the cheese and wine evenings…

[BCH]

Lighting a beacon @ Howbury Hall Renhold Bedford

 

https://www.facebook.com/656790875/videos/478139564111043/

 

 

[Franticsmurf]

13 hours ago, stewblack said:

This is almost my ideal band - no rehearsals, play anything we're asked regardless of whether we know it, and somehow pull the whole thing off.

It's not for everyone and I admire those who can do it well.

 

I played in a similar band for a few years pre-lockdown. We'd started off a very tight blues/rock band and we were getting plenty of work. We could jam - at one of our regular gigs we'd have a guest spot (usually a harmonica player or singer) and we'd be off on one But slowly things started to change. The singer/guitarist got to the stage where he couldn't be bothered to learn anything other than songs he played in his solo set. It made me a better bass player (and the drummer and rhythm guitarist said the same about their playing) but it was never fun and more often than not he got things wrong anyway. Arrangements and song structure went out of the window, he'd ask for requests at the start of the set and inevitably people would shout out something he didn't know so he'd either make a stab at playing it, usually badly, earning the disapproval of the crowd, or he'd ask them up to sing it. This would often result in an open mic session which was hard to stop as he'd set the precedent. We had a few good gigs - usually functions where he was a bit more disciplined. But usually the rest of the band came off stage feeling a sense of relief mixed with a feeling of having 'won' or 'lost' according to how well we'd coped with the random set list. Needless to say, the band and singer have now parted company. 

 

Edit: I just remembered I used to play in a backing band (drums, bass) for a music school end of year gig. I was one of the mentors and after the students had played it was a free for all and if they needed a bass player, it was me. I did enjoy that but it was simple stuff.

Edited June 3, 2022 by Franticsmurf

[stewblack]

3 hours ago, casapete said:

This sounds like a brilliant concept, would be right up my street. 

It's really good. Folk find it way more enjoyable than karaoke and getting songs thrown at me when I don't know them at all is brilliant discipline

[stewblack]

3 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

That would be my worst nightmare. I like to know songs inside out before gigging them altho i have done very short notice gigs learning the basics and taking some notes with me. I just couldn't cope with what you did tho. I'd be a bag of nerves.

Dave

I was exactly the same, it took lots of coaxing to get me up there. Now I love it. Doing it again tonight and we've never as much as met the drummer or the guitarist. They've never done it before nor do they know each other.

The buzz is tremendous.

[PaulThePlug]

Possibly the difference between a musician and a player... much respect.

Would love to be able to play (and understand...) music rather than play a tune.

[yorks5stringer]

3 hours ago, Mickeyboro said:

I could see Hello Hopeville livening up the cheese and wine evenings…

I think too much cheese would wreck their cholesterol readings and  keep them up all night with nightmares too, however if there were 98 more red balloons we'd be up for it. Also, I wonder if that's the first time there has been sax on that stage?

[FinnDave]

Just back from my second gig this (long) weekend - another outing with Franklin's Tower in Oxford. Another outdoor gig, fortunately with a good canopy over us as there was intermittent light rain. Good audience, mostly locals but a good few wearing Dead T Shirts who had come from as far as South London just to get a hit of their favourite music. Three hour gig divided into two sets - second day in a row so we were feeling it by the end, but a great atmosphere. Band felt and sounded much tighter for it as well.

 

Nothing else in the diary now until a Grateful Dead festival in Cirencester in a month's time.

[Machines]

Also just back from a small town festival gig. Large open sided tent, but zero people in it because it was sunny and warm. This meant we couldn't see anyone and it felt like a rehearsal but with clapping at the end (at a guess 300 people).

 

We did fairly well, despite being very rushed (load onto stage to first song was well under 10 min). 

 

[stewblack]

Another 3 hour Bandeoke, this time in a wet beer garden. Hadn't previously met drummer or guitarist, neither knew one another either, nor had they done anything like it before.

With a deluge nearly emptying the party just before we arrived we had every right to anticipate disaster.

But 30 odd brave souls stayed out and had an absolute blast.

Two proper band gigs tomorrow, very different proposition.

[Downunderwonder]

11 hours ago, PaulThePlug said:

Possibly the difference between a musician and a player... much respect.

Would love to be able to play (and understand...) music rather than play a tune.

There is an intermediate zone where you can play what you hear in your head. I am not quite there but further than most I think. It comes from jumping in the deep end being house bassist for a whole lot of 'bar party jams' and playing a shed load of arpeggios in all keys on the violin in a previous life.

[Jack]

Just back from one tonight but it reminded me to post last week's. We were the penultimate band in a scooter rally, pretty standard fare for us as this is a mod/indie outfit. Everyone was expecting to be outside but the forecast was rain so the whole shebang moved inside before the pa was set up. The outdoor pa. 4x 2x18 subs and 4x 2x15 tops ended up in a relatively small function room. It was... unnecessary. 

 

Gig was OK until the sound techs blew a breaker somewhere but that only happened once. Then I left a really nice (£25!) designacable xlr. All in all a mixed bag. 🤨

 

Edited June 4, 2022 by Jack

[Downunderwonder]

A couple of little tricks for the uninitiated in blind jams...

 

If the guitarist is experienced he may walk you into the next chord with a little flourish.

 

If he isn't but you know there is a change coming and aren't too sure what it is you can walk yourself in your head in advance to know what it is and land it like you knew it.

 

If you really haven't a clue it's better to skip the 1 and rejoin on 2 like you meant it.

 

Try to finish together. A good drummer will help you if you make eye contact and a little nudge.

 

One more for the advanced jammer.. if you're playing with a Sth American lot and they break into a massive jam and it's so dense with beats that you can't find your place you can still have the time of your life....

 

Find the hot chick on the dancefloor whose hips are moving the best and play along with those, within the chords of course, and you will be spot on. You will know you have got it right when the hips go into overdrive.

Edited June 4, 2022 by Downunderwonder

[gafbass02]

Two good gigs yesterday. The bath and west show (load in nightmare!) and a local festival. A long drive between them, and yesterday’s ‘gig first’ was dog poo on the local stage!!!

Im still buzzing from a lovely compliment from one of the other bassists (very good one too) who called me a ‘f*****g metronome’  

 

These are my first gigs in ages without IEMs and back on my headrush monitor… Looking forward to getting back to our own engineer and IEMs!!

Two more today including Gloucester tall ships festival. 
 

Edited June 4, 2022 by gafbass02

[warwickhunt]

Did 2 gigs yesterday (2 today), first one went off fine (other than me jumping off stage mid song and misjudging the height to go flying).  Second gig, we had taken at the last minute to help a pub out and we'd agreed that we couldn't get there as early as we normally would be we'd get there as soon as and should be on stage for 21:15.  All went swimmingly, on stage for 21:07 and punters were dancing most of the night and screaming out for songs (90% of which we knew and did).  All good then...

 

As we packed up one particular regular was mouthing off as loudly as possible that he was going to ensure we got our money docked because we arrived late and we only did 1 encore (we had already played 55 mins instead of 45).  I politely ignored him as he got louder and proceeded to tell all and sundry that we'd never work again in this bar unless we got straight back on stage and played another set... LOL thought I.  He then upped the volume and turned to point at me and vehemently shouted "They're a bunch of c*nts...and he's the f*%king biggest c*nt"!  

 

I stepped across to him (kept my cool) and pointed out we had entertained them all night, gone beyond our contractual agreement, playing 1x45 and 1x55, at an earlier than agreed time and were in fact not c*nts.  This took him back and he muttered about timings etc and that he'd speak to the management about us never playing there again.  I (still) politely pointed out it had nothing to do with him and would he retract the comment about me/us?  At this point his friends shouted him down and said that he should shut up and I walked away.  

 

I realise pubs sell alcohol and alcohol loosens the tongue and brain but sadly I'm finding more and more of a lack of respect for bands/performers.    

[Newfoundfreedom]

13 minutes ago, warwickhunt said:

Did 2 gigs yesterday (2 today), first one went off fine (other than me jumping off stage mid song and misjudging the height to go flying).  Second gig, we had taken at the last minute to help a pub out and we'd agreed that we couldn't get there as early as we normally would be we'd get there as soon as and should be on stage for 21:15.  All went swimmingly, on stage for 21:07 and punters were dancing most of the night and screaming out for songs (90% of which we knew and did).  All good then...

 

As we packed up one particular regular was mouthing off as loudly as possible that he was going to ensure we got our money docked because we arrived late and we only did 1 encore (we had already played 55 mins instead of 45).  I politely ignored him as he got louder and proceeded to tell all and sundry that we'd never work again in this bar unless we got straight back on stage and played another set... LOL thought I.  He then upped the volume and turned to point at me and vehemently shouted "They're a bunch of c*nts...and he's the f*%king biggest c*nt"!  

 

I stepped across to him (kept my cool) and pointed out we had entertained them all night, gone beyond our contractual agreement, playing 1x45 and 1x55, at an earlier than agreed time and were in fact not c*nts.  This took him back and he muttered about timings etc and that he'd speak to the management about us never playing there again.  I (still) politely pointed out it had nothing to do with him and would he retract the comment about me/us?  At this point his friends shouted him down and said that he should shut up and I walked away.  

 

I realise pubs sell alcohol and alcohol loosens the tongue and brain but sadly I'm finding more and more of a lack of respect for bands/performers.    

 

Sadly this is not unusual. I worked the doors for about 6 years and had to deal with people like this on a nightly basis. It's one of the reasons I won't do night time pub / club gigs now. I'm afraid there's absolutely no way I could keep my cool and deal with the situation as diplomatically as you did. Well played. 👍

[dmccombe7]

48 minutes ago, warwickhunt said:

Did 2 gigs yesterday (2 today), first one went off fine (other than me jumping off stage mid song and misjudging the height to go flying).  Second gig, we had taken at the last minute to help a pub out and we'd agreed that we couldn't get there as early as we normally would be we'd get there as soon as and should be on stage for 21:15.  All went swimmingly, on stage for 21:07 and punters were dancing most of the night and screaming out for songs (90% of which we knew and did).  All good then...

 

As we packed up one particular regular was mouthing off as loudly as possible that he was going to ensure we got our money docked because we arrived late and we only did 1 encore (we had already played 55 mins instead of 45).  I politely ignored him as he got louder and proceeded to tell all and sundry that we'd never work again in this bar unless we got straight back on stage and played another set... LOL thought I.  He then upped the volume and turned to point at me and vehemently shouted "They're a bunch of c*nts...and he's the f*%king biggest c*nt"!  

 

I stepped across to him (kept my cool) and pointed out we had entertained them all night, gone beyond our contractual agreement, playing 1x45 and 1x55, at an earlier than agreed time and were in fact not c*nts.  This took him back and he muttered about timings etc and that he'd speak to the management about us never playing there again.  I (still) politely pointed out it had nothing to do with him and would he retract the comment about me/us?  At this point his friends shouted him down and said that he should shut up and I walked away.  

 

I realise pubs sell alcohol and alcohol loosens the tongue and brain but sadly I'm finding more and more of a lack of respect for bands/performers.    

That's not so good after you'd done more than contract. Sorry to hear this kind of thing. I guess you move on and put it behind you.

Not sure how i would have raected under those circumstances but i hope it was as you did..........controlled. Well done on that.

Dave

[musicbassman]

Well done, @warwickhunt, remaining cool and ultra professional is usually the winning hand in the long term.

 

.....can be REALLY hard sometimes, though ! 😕

[Lozz196]

Makes me glad I do gigs on the punk/Oi/psychobilly scene. Very rarely any bother and if there is the crowd tend to police it themselves by letting the bothersome know they’re out of line, hardly ever a need for any venue security to step in.