How was your gig last night?

[cheddatom]

Nice 'n' Sleazy festival in Morecambe on Friday. Nice big room, decent sound. They asked nicely if I'd use the house drum kit, fair enough, but then as usual it starts to fall to bits as I'm playing. Still, we went down well. Back home at midnight

 

Under The Castle festival in Bolsover on Saturday. A fairly big tent with a temporary stage. The main bit of the stage looks decent, but the drum riser is sloping backwards at a fair angle. The sound guy looked significantly worse for wear and I couldn't hear any guitar for the whole set. Still, as usual, we went down well and got paid. Back home by 1AM

 

Curcus festival in Dorset on Sunday. We left stoke at 11AM and I was already knackered. 4 hours later we arrive at the festival and it's a lot smaller than I was expecting. It rained hard the whole time we were there, but the atmosphere was great. The crew were pros so the sound was incredible which makes a massive difference to me. Apparently we did 45mins but it felt like 20! Came off stage buzzing but a 4 hour drive in the rain back to Stoke soon wore that down. Back home by 1AM, up for work at 6AM

[neepheid]

Busy weekend...

 

Friday - Cafe Drummond in Aberdeen with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  A bit of a last minute gig (maybe someone dropped out, I don't know, I didn't organise this one) and very glad to get the 'Spoons off the mark in 2022 after COVID disrupted our previous plans in March.  It wasn't super busy (Drummonds is quite a big room) but the folk that were there seemed into what we were doing with plenty dancing going on.  Considering how long it had been since we played live last, I think we all played really well.  Played the Epi JC Sig that night, and it sounded great.

 

Saturday - The White Horse in Strichen with Nine Lives.  After a barren May, we're back to a gig every weekend this month - feast or a famine!  Was really worried at the start of the gig - no-one there apart from our entourage!  Thankfully it did pick up and was pretty lively for the second set.  Played a bit later than expected as some folk came in as we were finishing and expressed disappointment at this fact so we played a couple of extra tunes on the condition that they danced.  I still don't get why people are surprised the band is finishing at midnight - I'm pretty sure the rules are there so that nearby homes get some sleep, but drunk folk probably aren't great at seeing the bigger picture.  Played the G&L Tribute LB-100 and it was also excellent.  Was going to take the G&L L-1000 but it needs some seasonal adjustment and I didn't have time/CBA to do it before the gig.

 

Sunday - The Mormond Inn in Strichen with Nine Lives.  Yes, a world tour of Strichen (a small village in rural NE Scotland).  Outdoor gig, and we had a beautiful day for it.  Unfortunately I think this was an attempt to eke the Jubilee weekend out to the end and it was all a bit too much for the hungover residents of Strichen.  It wasn't very busy, played to maybe 20 folk on and off.  We were also pretty tired (this being the drummer and I's third gig of the weekend) but we made a good go of it.  Even though it was not very busy, one good thing came of it - a guy came across from one of the nearby houses, told us that he'd been listening to most of our set and thought we sounded tight (I'll take that, coming from a sober person), liked what we were playing and asked for a card as his daughter's 21st birthday was being arranged for later in the year and they were looking to hire a band for it.  Hope that comes to something.  Back to the Jack Casady for this one.

 

It's Monday morning and I'm leaning heavily on the coffee this morning, but I'll drag myself through it

 

This Saturday, back on it with Nine Lives and a new venue (for me, at least) - the Black Dog in Bridge of Don, Aberdeen.

[casapete]

Gig #2 for me this Jubilee weekend with my acoustic duo. 

This one on Sunday afternoon was a lovely do in a village on the Yorkshire Wolds. Originally planned to be an outside event,

it had to be moved inside due to the lousy weather. Felt really sorry for the organizers as they'd applied to have a street closed

off specially. We set up in the hall, and were second on the bill to a lady doing face painting!

As much tea/coffee and cake as we could manage as it was a BYO booze event, and they hadn't let us know! We just asked

for requests from the off, and (as has been mentioned on BC many times before) were surprised by the range of requests, and

how few of the older folk wanted 'old' old stuff, preferring 60's and 70's choices. We managed to play every one, including

'I don't want to miss a thing' by Aerosmith, ( which was suitably adjusted to a lower key, as it was a sitting down gig!).

Again, used my Ibanez electro acoustic straight into our Yamaha / Bose PA. Very echo heavy venue, so had to keep things

under control to avoid it getting too boomy.

A lovely audience, dancing and singing along from the outset, and quite a few business cards requested so a job well done.

[Stub Mandrel]

Yesterday, drove all the way to Bristol in hammering rain. Gig was  in a cocktail bar specialising in blues/jazz and soul. With our friends and family we outnumbered the clients, and for most of our second set we were effectively playing to an empty house 😞 Staff were really apologetic - blamed the rain and the jubbly, as people had started off getting hammered on Wednesday night and were partied out by Sunday...  Still, we sold a t-shirt, the few people who were in thought we were great and the staff were full of praise.

 

Back for the next two sundays, so hopefully it will perk up! Tiny area to set up, so next week smaller PA and just one-carry bass, amp and cab setup for me!

 

Still we got a good photo...

 

 

[jimmyb625]

Very local gig last night, with an outing for the 5-piece variant of the band. We were playing as a part of a town council organised weekend music festival, with various places across the town hosting events.

[Len_derby]

Yesterday was something a bit different. My originals-only band, Diamond Bridges, took part in The Rebel Ramble. This was a celebration of the 1817 Pentrich Uprising. A motley band, some dressed in period costumes, walked the route of the rebels from Pentrich in Derbyshire to Giltbrook on the Nottinghamshire border where they were stopped by a detachment of Hussars (in 1817, not 2022 😆). The organisers arranged entertainment at pubs and cafes along the route and we were invited to do The Crown at Heanor. There was a great atmosphere and everyone seemed to be having a good, if foot sore, time.

We did it as a freeby, but we made lots of new friends and plenty of cash was going into a jar for the local food bank.

 

 

[martthebass]

A very compact and bijou workspace for last night’s gig in a pub in Huddersfield, reminds me why I use short scales for most gigs. A bit of an adjustment after a run of gigs in larger clubs and bikers rallies. 

A good night was had by all though and the LL informed us of remodelling work, knocking out walls which will mean a decent stage area for the next one. Up at the Farmyard rally in Helmsley next week so plenty of shoulder room!

[Jack]

We were the first band ever at a seaside hotel that's just changed hands since the pandemic. Bit odd, we had to clear the filthy stage area ourselves, which we said we were doing this time and this time only and that in general bands expect it clear for them. We opened to literally nobody but as we started playing a small crowd came through from the bar. We found out at half time that this was actually the entire bar, very low turn out. Seems all the bars around there are losing customers to a big trendy stack that's just opened. People seem to prefer IPA, delicious street food and sitting on the beach over Fosters, peepeepeanuts and muted TV. Can't blame them. 

 

[musicbassman]

Depping with a band at a town centre pub in Littlehampton last night.

Jeez, talk about rough!. I didn't know there were such dodgy places in West Sussex!

Full of pi55ed up blokes and toothless old tarts - a fight had just finished when I arrived to set up, and it looked like people had been drinking there all day

Someone threatened the singer with a fist unless the band played some Pink Floyd......

Charming !  😳

[ezbass]

18 minutes ago, musicbassman said:

Depping with a band at a town centre pub in Littlehampton last night.

Jeez, talk about rough!. I didn't know there were such dodgy places in West Sussex!

Full of pi55ed up blokes and toothless old tarts - a fight had just finished when I arrived to set up, and it looked like people had been drinking there all day

Someone threatened the singer with a fist unless the band played some Pink Floyd......

Charming !  😳

This comes as no surprise to me, the south coast seems to be where a lot of undesirables end up either by choice or local authority relocation, due to circumstances. The last time I drove through Hastings there was a particular vibe along the front that did not make me want to stop and this was during the day.

[dmccombe7]

Emergency Exit punk band at Graeme Hotel in Falkirk last night.

Odd gig as audience seemed to come and go in crowds. No rhyme nor reason it seemed to go from busy to quiet and back to busy thru the full night (2.5hrs)

Feedback was great and we were persuaded to do 5 encores by the enthusiastic audience including bar manageress and bar staff altho last one was a repeat song from first set.

Got a request from a very nice looking young lady to see if she could come up and sing some Joni Mitchell. Had to decline tho.

Once again at this gig someone collided with the vocal PA cab at my side and i had to stop playing and catch it from falling. It turned out to be the bar manageress who did apologize profusely. 😂

Dave 

[Franticsmurf]

3 hours ago, martthebass said:

 reminds me why I use short scales for most gigs.

I started using a headless bass for exactly the same reason. 😀

[King Tut]

Friday night I was depping with a covers band I used to be a member. A private party at a hotel in Clapham, just outside Bedford. Just before I arrived I got a text from the singer saying her hubby (guitar and PA) had just turned up at Luton. She’d texted him the postcode to their son’s cricket match on Sunday. To make things worse the A6 was shut due to an accident. We managed to start on time and a had a good gig. Alls well that ends well!

Edited June 13, 2022 by King Tut

[dmccombe7]

35 minutes ago, King Tut said:

Friday night I was dropping with a covers band I used to be a member. A private party at a hotel in Clapham, just outside Bedford. Just before I arrived I got a text from the singer saying her hubby (guitar and PA) had just turned up at Luton. She’d texted him the postcode to their son’s cricket match on Sunday. To make things worse the A6 was shut due to an accident. We managed to start on time and a had a good gig. Alls well that ends well!

Bet that was a scary moment for you all. Well done getting started on time. 😂

Dave

[BreadBin]

Afternoon gig in a town market yesterday. Our fourth one together, and was really quite excellent performance-wise. Sadly only two microphones on stage so I had to project loudly over my bandmates left shoulder!

[martthebass]

27 minutes ago, Franticsmurf said:

I started using a headless bass for exactly the same reason. 😀

I used to use a Status Streamline but it didn’t fit in with the look of a Glam Rock band so I ended up with one of these...

[alant]

New venue for us last night and I understand first band in the pub since new landlady a few months ago.

Was a good crowd, mainly down to our vocalist being local and she had invited most of them.

Landlady was very happy so should hopefully be getting a re-booking soon.

 

 

[yorks5stringer]

Home Farm Festival yesterday near Yeovil. 40 minute set and we did 39 minutes as I was near  a laptop on stage and could see the clock, bottom right! It's great to get on a big stage, have someone else do the sound and not worry about that aspect. Took my MB CMD121P and NYC121 so I had my stack behind me...because I could ! GIg seemed over in a flash, get off the stage ASAP as there was just a 20 minute turnaround.

 

Today just got back from a more chilled gig at a Country House Wellness Centre playing 2 sets between 12 and 3.00 pm. We were well fed and  watered, venue next to a cider farm. Not quite sure what some of the many children there thought of the lyrice to John Prine's  "Inspite of Ourselves". We normally suggest parents block their kids ears for this one. The verses are alternately sung by a guy and a girl if you are unfamiliar with it...:

 

She don't like her eggs all runny
She thinks crossin' her legs is funny
She looks down her nose at money
She gets it on like the Easter Bunny
She's my baby I'm her honey
I'm never gonna let her go

He ain't got laid in a month of Sundays
I caught him once and he was sniffin' my undies
He ain't too sharp but he gets things done
Drinks his beer like it's oxygen
He's my baby
And I'm his honey
Never gonna let him go

In spite of ourselves
We'll end up a'sittin' on a rainbow
Against all odds
Honey, we're the big door prize
We're gonna spite our noses
Right off of our faces
There won't be nothin' but big old hearts
Dancin' in our eyes.

She thinks all my jokes are corny
Convict movies make her horny
She likes ketchup on her scrambled eggs
Swears like a sailor when shaves her legs
She takes a lickin'
And keeps on tickin'
I'm never gonna let her go.

He's got more balls than a big brass monkey
He's a wacked out werido and a lovebug junkie
Sly as a fox and crazy as a loon
Payday comes and he's howlin' at the moon
He's my baby I don't mean maybe
Never gonna let him go

In spite of ourselves
We'll end up a'sittin' on a rainbow
Against all odds
Honey, we're the big door prize
We're gonna spite our noses
Right off of our faces
There won't be nothin' but big old hearts
Dancin' in our eyes.
There won't be nothin' but big old hearts
Dancin' in our eyes.

In spite of ourselves

 

[Woodinblack]

I hated how rushed we were at home farm (not this year, on a previous occasion). Still, glad it went well, I know quite a few people performing there. Probably should too as it is within walking distance from here, but too expensive for me!

[knirirr]

Not bad this afternoon. We had a dep. drummer with whom I've never played before but he was rather good.

There was one missed ending cue (the trumpeter likes sudden endings) but we must have covered it up well enough as the public I spoke to didn't notice.

 

[warwickhunt]

2 minutes ago, knirirr said:

Not bad this afternoon. We had a dep. drummer with whom I've never played before but he was rather good.

There was one missed ending cue (the trumpeter likes sudden endings) but we must have covered it up well enough as the public I spoke to didn't notice.

 

 

Blimey we have one missed ending cue EVERY SONG... even without a dep drummer!    

[yorks5stringer]

2 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

I hated how rushed we were at home farm (not this year, on a previous occasion). Still, glad it went well, I know quite a few people performing there. Probably should too as it is within walking distance from here, but too expensive for me!

All performers get a plus one ticket, had I known you were interested you could have had mine....

[Woodinblack]

No problem, I had a gig last night in Weymouth anyway.

 

gig went ok, except when the second half started I realised the camera wasn't on and went over to turn it on, but the bass was feeding back because of the backbeat so I muted it.

got back and started the next song and the sound was really down, checked leads and everything. Suddenly remembered I had just turned the volume on the bass down!

really good gig, they loved us but shame there wasn't too many people.

one guy came up half time as he wanted to know how the strings on the EHB attached!

[stewblack]

A Sunday early evening Bandeoke for me this weekend. 

A pub in somewhere called Wantage 🤷‍♂️. First time there, booked despite the landlord being somewhat sceptical, and it went down a storm.

Another one on the list.

[Davy]

First gig in 3 weeks last night with my classic rock covers band "Fossil".

 

A new venue for us(The Benton Ale House in North Tyneside) and a new start time of 8pm rather than the usual 9-9.30pm start.

 

I was pleasantly surprised by the turn out and everyone stuck around even after we started playing! 😁

 

Got a lot of positive feedback and were asked to come back again.

 

It was also nice to get back in the house an hour earlier than normal! 😊

 

We're off again next weekend but then back into the usual 2 gigs a weekend after that.