tonybassplayer Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 [quote name='lee4' post='201000' date='May 17 2008, 12:55 PM']40th Birthday party last night.Big hotel,suprise gig for birthday boy who clearly wanted to be at home with a pizza and a dvd. Played 3/4 of our 2 set show and was asked to stop due to lack of audience interest.Most of them had left by 10:30 pm because they had young kids. We played well,tried out our new lighting rig,got fed and still recieved our pay at the end. We were the wrong band for the wrong party in the wrong venue.[/quote] Had a similar thing happened to a band I played in a few years ago. Mother booked us for daughter's 21st after seeing us in a pub and thought we were perfect for the party. The daughter wanted Take That and Boyzone. She got Free and Deep Purple !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 I joined a keyboards/drums/bass jazz trio backing a singer for a charity bash in Oxford last night. A few big names there. The event over-ran so instead of doing 2x45 with a break we were squeezed into 1x80. Girl singer was great, we didn't use a pad and busked all the way but by the end it was a bit hard. Then the owner of the venue came up and said 'you have my personal permission to carry on for another thirty minutes'. What a arse! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.sibs Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 had a weird gig last night.... it was at phibbers on holloway road road in islington, london. Very small stage, and pretty much half a drum kit (no hi hat clutch!!!) even though they said just bring breakables, but it was funny nevertheless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 Two gigs on the bounce; Friday at Mullens in Eastbourne and last night at The Hampden in South Heighton near Newhaven. Friday was OK but not great, mainly because Mullens always struggles for a crowd and what is a gig without enough punters?? Those that were there were very appreciative but it never quite got the party atmosphere that a good pub gig should have.. Last night's was a completely different story though... The Hampden always has a good crowd and the landlady is a real party animal which kind of sets the tone for the evening There are lots of musos that frequent the place, so you get plenty of chat afterwards about gear and gigs etc, which is cool. But all the other punters are there to have a good time, which they invariably do! Our singer was virtually 'sexually harrassed' throughout the 2nd set by 2 or 3 attractive young ladies who were out with a big growd celebrating a birthday!! They were hugging him, singing with him, dancing & joking with him and one very attractive brunette was even kissing him! Of course, all the band members thought the girls should be reported for their outlandish behaviour, but funnily enough, I didn't see our singer complaining? Finally got my sound right with my new SWR Triad as well, so all in all, a very good night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darwin Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 A weekend of contrasts.... Friday night was a Charity gig with 250+ people all up for a good time. Big stage, PA and professional lighting etc but we all struggled to hear each other on stage. After working wednesday and thursday night I was running on empty by the second set and struggled to keep my concentration leading to a few silly mistakes. A great night out though and my wife brought a load of her mates along who loved it - Her 'street cred' has been greatly improved by having a husband in a rock band Saturday night was a surprise 30th Birthday party in a village hall in the middle of nowhere. We played well (better than Friday night) but everyone stayed put in the bar so we played the first set to four or five kids. As usual with these gigs everyone decided to start dancing a couple of songs before the end when they'd had a skinfull then wanted more. We had several people ask for contact details though so we can't of been bad and with £100 in your pocket at the end of the night it's better than staying in watching Casualty !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 Annual playground fundraiser at our home village in Wilts. Our families in attendance which is always nice and a nice band social afternoon wandering around teh village looking at the scarecrows and Morris dancers ... Great village hall with an expandable "box" stage and some surviving stage lights ... only two with gels though I fell over the steps during teh stage build though, and broke a bit of the stage I was OK though ... First gig with both our regular guitarist (Dave) [b]and [/b]his regular deputy (Dai) on keys, guitar and mandolin. It's the Double D sized Big Band! Dai's been asked to join which is more a case of both of them playing when they are both available for the same gig. Hopefully that will be more often once we start getting first in their respective diaries. Multi band players eh? A busy afternoon with the families and scarecrows and late start setting up meant a bit of a rush and trouble with the sound. Not helped by the drummer leaving all of the PA leads at home - He was still celebrating Portsmouth's win when he packed his car. Hurrrrumph. I waved my Cardiff city flag a bit even though .... A quick zoom off brought back a different bag of leads from local source and pair of , er, not exactly brilliant, FOH speakers Note to self: get some jack to Speakon converters and pack them separately ..... As a result the FOH sound lacked a good deal of clarity - tricky when calling dances .. However we and the plucky crowd coped. I was debuing my new brace of Begatino 1x12 cabs (superb), my Stagg upright ("The Babe Magnet") a couple of pedals and a MDF rack to hold amp head, wireless and percussion box ... Oh and a new bass playing hat .... A fairly steep learning curve ensued but it all worked really well.. once I'd remembered to turn the amp master volume up from zero... So what with that and suddenly having an extra bloke playing chords and things on guitar, mandolin and keys I found I had to change what I normally play to give him some room ... That lets me sit back a bit and concentrate on the groove rather than adding in the bling elements ... We had a few punters checking us out for their weddings next year who left smiling, even though we picked on them a bit and sang Shotgun Wedding for the ones with the kids The organiser jumped up and played one number with us too - that kept him happy Great stuff and one of those nights when you know why you do it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 Two blinding gigs this weekend. Friday night at Cargo in Shoreditch - great club, plenty of punters (although not packed). Sound onstage was not great but it was still a great show for everyone. It was the first outing for my Aguilar 1x12 but I could hear more bass from the drum fill than my cab! Saturday we set out for Birmingham to play The Yardbird. We took to the stage at 10:30 and played the best show we've ever done. There were a few fluffs but the vibe was so good it didn't matter. The stage sound was excellent (the 1x12 is amazing!), the place was packed to the rafters with everyone dancing. The Yardbird is by far my favorite place to play at the moment. Can't wait to go back. A top weekend all round! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassninja Posted May 18, 2008 Author Share Posted May 18, 2008 Lewes Folk Rock Festival in East Sussex. The venue was an impressive old church. The other bands, punters, the organisers and crew were all helpful and friendly and there was (for once) a comfortable backstage. We arranged a driver for the night, so we could relax and concentrate on the gig itself, which made a nice change. The onstage sound was clear and comfortable, which helped a lot. All finished with an enthusiastic reception. Really enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakenewmanbass Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 The gig was fine, it was just that it was in Carlisle, nothing wrong with the place, its just five and a half hours from my house, and worse, I had to be back in London by 11:00 this morning. That was a tough 24 hrs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 [quote name='jakesbass' post='201704' date='May 18 2008, 07:38 PM']The gig was fine, it was just that it was in Carlisle, nothing wrong with the place, its just five and a half hours from my house, and worse, I had to be back in London by 11:00 this morning. That was a tough 24 hrs. [/quote] Wow The dosh/kudos/craic must have been good for you to say yes to that one .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakenewmanbass Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 [quote name='OldGit' post='201706' date='May 18 2008, 07:40 PM']Wow The dosh/kudos/craic must have been good for you to say yes to that one ....[/quote] Number 1 in your list OG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayfan Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 Just back from playing in the bar at Harlequins RL vs Hull at Twickenham Stoop. Good crowd, despite it being Sunday. People are clock-watching on Sunday and not drinking too much but we kept them there and got them dancing about and cheering for more. Done by 7.30pm which is a result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 [quote name='jakesbass' post='201708' date='May 18 2008, 07:41 PM']Number 1 in your list OG[/quote] Dep me in on those any time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Dave Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 Just back early from a support job to Wishbone Ash. Guitar player tried to get a laugh out of me cos I had the ZZ beard on - said over the Mic 'does your wife like it tickling her snatch'. I shouted 'No but yours did'. Place fell apart but he was none too pleased !!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 [quote name='Dr.Dave' post='201816' date='May 18 2008, 11:06 PM']Just back early from a support job to Wishbone Ash. Guitar player tried to get a laugh out of me cos I had the ZZ beard on - said over the Mic 'does your wife like it tickling her snatch'. I shouted 'No but yours did'. Place fell apart but he was none too pleased !!!!![/quote] Excellent answer!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 [quote name='Dr.Dave' post='201816' date='May 18 2008, 11:06 PM']Just back early from a support job to Wishbone Ash. Guitar player tried to get a laugh out of me cos I had the ZZ beard on - said over the Mic 'does your wife like it tickling her snatch'. I shouted 'No but yours did'. Place fell apart but he was none too pleased !!!!![/quote] ha ha one up to the bass player Zed Zed Top and Wishbone Ash? I'd have loved to have attended that gig .. Wishy are one of my fave bands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fudge Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 A bloke who is late 40's and who has been a regular attendee at gigs for 3/ 4 years now turned up with slightly longer and very badly dyed hair. I was almost sick in the toilets through laughter. I asked the singer to tell him to go home because I did not think I would be able to complete the gig. He then asked me to keep to tins of spam safe for a late night fishing expedition. At the end of the night 3 of us surrounded the drummer and chanted the sontaran battle cry at him for a few minutes (Dr Who a few weeks ago). Got in about 2.30am, woke up this morning still p$$$$$$$$$g myself over the prevoius nights antics. Watched Dr Who with my 2 sons. Business as usual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fudge Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 Can't own up to ZZ Top, but we do play this town aint big enough for the both of us donning berets and black gaffa tape moustaches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 (edited) A game of 2 halves. Played to about 30 people in Cellar 35 (I guess 50 capacity) an odd venue for us considering how loud we can get. We have done an acoustic set here previously and used a mate as sound guy. The same mate was there last night but we deliberately did [b]not[/b] invite him to help out this time and besides he was clearly inebriated. In the end with the aid of everyone and their dog putting in their tuppence we sound checked the 2 supports (our lead guitarist doing an acoustic tapping turn inc harp guitar + some talented lassies we know doing an acoustic set) and us and got it sounding ok-ish (we had to dial back as the house PA couldn't compete with our back line) then up steps matey (previous claims to have been credited as engineer on a Jamiroquai album seem to hold water with our singer ) reset everything and decided that despite having 16 channels to play with he'd set it up so that all 3 acts use 3 channels all night and he'd tweak everything on the fly - the fact that we'd set the desk up on my amp smack bang in the centre of the "stage" didn't deter him. The tapping set went ok as the place was pretty quiet and the PA wasn't all that necessary but he manged to cock things up so much during the 2nd support that the 2 lassies just had to give up half way through their last song - he'd managed to drop the lead vocals and couldn't get them back coz he'd lost the plot. Needless to say when it came to us I respectfully suggested that he [i]go fourth in jerky movements[/i] and we'd set our own sound - he did. All was going swimmingly until our singer ran out of steam and called a mid way break, which was a bit odd as we knew we were running out of time due to the sound checking fiasco. 10 mins later we were back with a revised set but it just didn't feel right and the PA kept cutting out. His twin brother stepped up and took over vocals for our final anthemic song. This was my 1st outing for my newly acquired MM SUB which sounded great and really cut through miles better than my Ibby could have. My only real gripe was that due to space constraints I had to stand 1 foot away from and in front of one of the PA speakers so my mix was... well... sh*te. Edited May 18, 2008 by Ou7shined Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 [quote name='Mr Fudge' post='201862' date='May 18 2008, 11:47 PM']Can't own up to ZZ Top, but we do play this town aint big enough for the both of us donning berets and black gaffa tape moustaches.[/quote] hey matey, I followed your link to your website and it tried something that raised a "site tried to load a virus" flag in Norton and spyware ... Freespace will do that sort of thing sometimes .. better to shell out 30 quid and move your site to paid for space .. helps Google too ... OG ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EntropicLqd Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 Played Saturday night and a Sunday afternoon in the New Roscoe in Leeds. Saturday night we had about Ooooh all of 20 people in. Goodness knows where everyone was. They were a right miserable bunch as well. We played OK but the on-stage sound just felt a little off. I did make a couple of inquiries during our break and the punters (such as they were) said the sound was fine and we were playing really well. Sunday afternoon, which is always deader that dead, rocked. The whole band played really well and the sound both on stage and off stage was mint. The 6 people that were there were really getting into it as well; which made the whole thing much more fun. I had to super glue my thumb together on the Sunday though (more as a preventative measure than anything else). The difference in sound between the Saturday and the Sunday was weird though as we left the gear there overnight and simply turned up and played. I suspect that we were actually slightly quieter on the Sunday; but I couldn't swear to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fudge Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 [quote name='OldGit' post='201880' date='May 19 2008, 12:19 AM']hey matey, I followed your link to your website and it tried something that raised a "site tried to load a virus" flag in Norton and spyware ... Freespace will do that sort of thing sometimes .. better to shell out 30 quid and move your site to paid for space .. helps Google too ... OG ...[/quote] we have got an official site that my mate Paul H on here sorted for us. www.thebusbybabes.net I use the freewebs thing because I've found it very simple. I suppose I ought to get of my backside in gear and sort out a new format. The official one is obviously a bit more serious but there is a link to the freewebs one which is fyll of sh*te. Cheers.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 [quote name='Mr Fudge' post='202112' date='May 19 2008, 02:11 PM']we have got an official site that my mate Paul H on here sorted for us. www.thebusbybabes.net I use the freewebs thing because I've found it very simple. I suppose I ought to get of my backside in gear and sort out a new format. The official one is obviously a bit more serious but there is a link to the freewebs one which is fyll of sh*te. Cheers....[/quote] ha ha yeah I've seen that one before - hard to forget Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 Morning all! The Academy Theatre in Barnsley last night. First gig in nearly two weeks. I HATE gaps like that. They drive me nuts. Anyway... nice little theatre run by lovely people. Capacity 150-ish. The only downer was that I was under the impression that a PA was provided... not so. We were using ours. What a faff. Ah, well. It did mean that I got to give my new MESA M-Pulse 600 head a good workout, as out PA isn't really up to handling the bass... and I LOVE IT! Ran it flat, tweaked the mid a bit, and that was me done. I even experimented a bit with the compressor, which is like rocket science to me. A tiny bit really made a difference. That Schroeder cab filled the hall effortlessly. Anyway... the gig was fab. Decent turnout, considering it's our first time int he area. and they even rebooked us at half-time, so we could tell everyone we'd be back in January. It's ANOTHER two weeks until our next gig, which is a hometown theatre. We haven't played locally for months, so hopefully it'll be a good'un. Here's some soundcheck photos: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niceguyhomer Posted May 24, 2008 Share Posted May 24, 2008 We did our Elvis gig last night - 'bout 300 people there from all walks of life - Hells Angels too. Storming night, severe hangover this morning coupled with the worry that the rest of the band want to do the Elvis thing semi-permanently. A little less constipation if you please.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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