How was your gig last night?

[mcnach]

17 hours ago, musicbassman said:

Careful guys - with these attitudes to punters.

It's something I used to be very guilty of myself in the arrogance of my younger gigging days - regarding any customers as 'dim punters' if they didn't react favourably to your playing or ignored you.

It's better to try and engage with these people - so if you're going to put a PA speaker 12" from their faces when you're setting up then you could at least suggest with a smile on your face that they might like to move tables "as it might get a bit loud and we don't want to deafen you" or something like that. OK, they may not be the sharpest tools in the box but they're still human beings and people usually respond favourably to someone taking even the slightest interest in them and their wellbeing. And then it all helps create a good atmosphere in the place which is beneficial for all.

Just a thought, nothing personal.

 

Very good point.

Some bar bands arrive at a bar as if they were the stars of the evening. That attitude is not helping them, or indeed other bands. Most of those people may not be there *to see you* particularly, and even if they're a bit dim at times, it's them who spend money at the bar which in turn pays you. 

[mcnach]

9 hours ago, 12stringbassist said:

Believe me, I tried. We played a selection of crowd pleasers that usually can't fail. and they just stood with their backs to us. I tried the cheerful tried and tested between-song patter and .... nothing. Maybe they just were not up for a band.

I did give the couple a big smile as I brought the gear in and say hi. I think a bass rig, monitor, a few bags and a couple of guitars coming through the door and being plopped down a couple of feet away would be a clue to most people.

 

It would definitely be a clue to me but... the bottomline is they're the customers, and you an employee of sorts.

[The59Sound]

With regards to band's setting up and people not getting the message to move - stop being so British! I always ask people if they could please move because we're setting up on stage and we need to make room for the equipment. 99% of people move when you ask them - strange that innit?!

Happens all the time at the supermarket too - someone will want something from the shelf you're looking at but will never ask for you to move!!

[cheddatom]

It's the British way. Instead of politely asking them to move, just get too close to them and say "oh, sorry, sorry"

[Bluewine]

4 hours ago, mcnach said:

 

Very good point.

Some bar bands arrive at a bar as if they were the stars of the evening. That attitude is not helping them, or indeed other bands. Most of those people may not be there *to see you* particularly, and even if they're a bit dim at times, it's them who spend money at the bar which in turn pays you. 

Agreed,

If you play as many bar gigs as me and you've been around for a few summers, you don't come in like "rock stars".

It should be clear you are part of what we call " the help ". Your no different than the bar staff or those washing dishes.

Blue

 

[The59Sound]

When I was younger, I had a mate who would roadie for me at gigs - yes, just me. I got to be 'that' rock star... haha! Everyone in that band hated me. 

[BigRedX]

First gig with using my Burns Barracuda Bass VI playing with post-punk influenced Hurtsfall. 

Very much a last minute booking and one that saw me frantically fine-tuning all my Helix patches two days before the gig. A couple of the songs could have done with another evening in the rehearsal room to finesse their structure but on the whole everything went really well. Loads of nice comments about both the band, my bass and my playing!

[sonsman]

Did a wedding in a barn on Dartmoor on Saturday. When we got there the 'stage' was a farm trailer. By the time we got it dressed and the lighting sorted it didn't look too bad.

The stage was on the bouncy side which is why my Ashdown cabs are side by side rather than stacked. I didn't fancy them falling four feet off the back of the trailer!

We do quite a few rural weddings in large marquees and barns in what often feels like the middle of nowhere but always find we have a good night. The next one is in a marquee on a farm in mid Devon the weekend after next - apparently we'll have a 'proper' stage! 

[BigRedX]

And here's some photos of the gig:

 

[Bridgehouse]

^ That bass looks properly ace!

[Staggering on]

Sunday gig with the seven piece "little big band".We played the same venue as we did in March("Jazz at the Junction" held in a Legion hall) and had another full house of about 100 in a smallish room and they loved it.We did our usual two sets of swing charts and then a shorter Dixieland set where I switch to tenor banjo and one of the band plays tuba.We got another standing O at the end and will be booked back and we got paid.

The big thing for me was the gigging debut of "Marilyn",the Englehardt Swingmaster blonde bass I got a few weeks ago.I usually use my Yamaha SLB200 EUB with this band but decided to introduce Marilyn to the world at this gig and it was great.I ran through my K&K Pure preamp into our Bose PA(which can be set for different types of basses including acoustic upright) and the sound was perfect and I had lots of good comments about the sound and the sheer visual impact of that big blonde bass. I used the K&K Double Big Twin pickups that came with the bass(it is ten years old) but will be using the new KNA DB-1 pickup next time, I got it too late to be used for this gig.

Not a very good pic but you can see Marilyn waiting in the background while we finish setting up before the gig.

 

     

[BigRedX]

16 hours ago, Bridgehouse said:

^ That bass looks properly ace!

Thanks!

Just seen some videos from the gig and it sounded pretty good too. 

[FinnDave]

Just back from the second of this weekend's gigs. Friday was with the Wirebirds in Marlborough, bit of a schlep getting there and back and not many people there, stage volume was too high for comfort even with my 20db ACS pros in. But it was my second outing with the six string I bought a week ago, so starting to get more comfortable with it. 

Tonight was closer to home, near Didcot with the Mighty Cadillacs as a 4 piece. Venue was a music-oriented social club, plenty of dancing to old rock n roll and rockabilly - bandleader was coming out with songs from his extensive back catalogue which none of the rest of us knew but we busked them well enough.

Altogether a decent weekend's work. My 8 day old Ibanez 6 string bass now has three gigs behind it. I've not got any more lined up for a few weeks, so I'll be changing the strings tomorrow and checking the set-up.

Friday night I played the Ibby SR 506 through an Ashdown Rootmaster 800 into Barefaced Super Compact, only difference tonight was that I used my ABM 600 instead of the Rootmaster. Yesterday's gig involved a bit of a carry, so the lighter amp was chosen. I think I prefer the tone of the ABM, but it's a close call.

[stewblack]

Curious one last night. One of our singers evidently infected us all at the rehearsal midweek. She's now fine but the rest of the band were coughing and wheezing and generally feeling sh|te. 

We got through the evening but I've now done eight or nine gigs since joining this band and have yet to play to an audience. I've been paid each time and there's always been a plausible reason for the lack of punters but it is bloody strange.

Actually asked the band leader whether they ever played to an audience before I joined and he was curiously non committal. Next week we're at a lively city centre pub so I'll be interested to see if we're avoided again.

[Dad3353]

3 hours ago, stewblack said:

...a plausible reason for the lack of punters...

Maybe they've all been 'floored' by whatever got to the singer, and the word has spread..? 

...

 Good luck with the next gig. 

[stewblack]

7 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

Maybe they've all been 'floored' by whatever got to the singer, and the word has spread..? 

...

 Good luck with the next gig. 

Ha - the word is out, plague band in town.

[Bluewine]

The Vista King Boat  Cruise on Lake Michigan was actually a good gig and I hardly ever say that.

It was a good gig because it was sold out at $22.99 per ticket.so the pay was top rate. I think it sold out because we did it on at Saturday night instead of Friday night.

After 3 disasterous gigs for me I was finally happy with my sound. I had my MXR M-80 Bass Distortion pedal on most of the night with  gain and level down pretty low 

Great enthusiastic young crowd. Very engaged with the band thanks to our front person whose also our star lead guitarist.

We came out " Blazing" from our first song till the last.

We played non- stop for two hours. Our front did an excellent job calling up songs. All up tenpo recognizable standards including if you can believe it, Sunshine Of Your Love, Boots Are Made for Walking and our take on Superstition. No originals or slow tenpo songs all night.

It's so much easier and effective to manage 2 hours of material as opised to 4.

Blue

Edited August 26, 2018 by Bluewine

[Al Krow]

4 hours ago, stewblack said:

Curious one last night. One of our singers evidently infected us all at the rehearsal midweek. She's now fine but the rest of the band were coughing and wheezing and generally feeling sh|te. 

We got through the evening but I've now done eight or nine gigs since joining this band and have yet to play to an audience. I've been paid each time and there's always been a plausible reason for the lack of punters but it is bloody strange.

Actually asked the band leader whether they ever played to an audience before I joined and he was curiously non committal. Next week we're at a lively city centre pub so I'll be interested to see if we're avoided again.

Stew - are you guys playing originals or covers?

[stewblack]

Hi Al, it's a covers band. They've been  going for years get lots of gigs, always rebooked. I assume  I've  just hit a weird patch  with them where there has always been something unusual happens which means no one turns up.

[Al Krow]

2 minutes ago, stewblack said:

Hi Al, it's a covers band. They've been  going for years get lots of gigs, always rebooked. I assume  I've  just hit a weird patch  with them where there has always been something unusual happens which means no one turns up.

Hey - in which case it does sound like a bit of weird patch. I get that originals bands can sometimes end up playing to audiences of 3 people, but that's very much more unusual for covers bands methinks. In which case, my best advice would be to just stick with it and maybe treat any such gigs as "paid rehearsals!"

[KevB]

Back on the horse slightly. First gig in nearly a year and first ever with new band. It's looking more like a vanity project/mates thing than a serious gigging band but part of the reason I left last one was they played more often than I really wanted, tough to find the right medium. Still, see how it goes. I've been offered possible other work in a duo with backing tracks so I could end up doing both as neither project will be out every weekend. Also first time for the McMillan 12 step at a paying gig and went reasonably OK, a few fluffs here and there but not bad.

Other band members seemed to think it was OK (we'd only rehearsed once in 2 months prior to gig so was always going to be  a bit rough) and by start of set 2 we were pulling a decent crowd in considering other music events were going on elsewhere within walking distance of the pub. I knew I was short of match fitness when my left hand cramped up halfway through War Pigs and I had to improvise for a while without using my index finger which had locked up solid. Its a bit of a restart for the band as they haven't gigged since the original bassist left last November so we've had flyers printed and will start hitting the road soon to try to drum up a few gigs though most places will probably only be taking bookings for 2019 by now. Might pick up a few cancellations perhaps.

VG newark by

Edited September 10, 2018 by KevB

[Bridgehouse]

Playing at 3 today. It’s wet. Real wet. Like waterproof gear and cagoule wet...

 

[seashell]

Two more gigs done as dep with a Stones trib band.  Friday night was really brill! Pub gig, loads of punters in, great atmosphere.  Screens were still on showing the aftermath of some football match or other, but no-one was looking at them. Everyone was watching us, hurrah! Absolutely played my socks off, and thought we all sounded great. Loads of compliments afterwards.

Last night... not quite so good.  Gig in a pub garden - absolutely freezing.  Nice friendly landlord, but the 'gazebo' he promised was more like a nylon roof on stilts. No side protection at all - thank goodness it wasn't raining.  Fair play to the punters who remained for the whole set. I wouldn't have! It was so perishing cold my fingers were a bit numb and I wasn't playing with any precision at all on the fast bits. 

Added to which, while we were waiting to go on and had stacked all our gear up at the side of the performing area, a dog whizzed on the keyboard player's speaker!  I've heard of playing to one man and his dog, but never expected the dog to make his opinion known in quite that fashion 🙂
 

 

[dontregartha]

On 20/08/2018 at 20:04, sonsman said:

Did a wedding in a barn on Dartmoor on Saturday. When we got there the 'stage' was a farm trailer. By the time we got it dressed and the lighting sorted it didn't look too bad.

The stage was on the bouncy side which is why my Ashdown cabs are side by side rather than stacked. I didn't fancy them falling four feet off the back of the trailer!

We do quite a few rural weddings in large marquees and barns in what often feels like the middle of nowhere but always find we have a good night. The next one is in a marquee on a farm in mid Devon the weekend after next - apparently we'll have a 'proper' stage! 

Wow - you're fitter than me carting two Ashdown cabs about...! I've recently got myself a tiny Fender Rumble 100w combo - I stick it on a chair at the side of me and DI into the PA. I like gigs 'down on the farm' Hay bales and trailers and too much cider.

[dontregartha]

OK - a weekend of two halves. Friday night we played to a full house at a swanky cocktail bar in town. When packing up the manager goes missing and we were hanging around to get paid. This gig was booked as one of three as a loss leader (we've had two or three good paying bookings out of this - but for the money and the money the venue makes out of it - its taking the michael big time.

The bar prices (£7 a pint!!!!) are ridiculous and the band sit out in the car park down the road with a few cans - never had an offer of a drink, we even get charged for softs (£2.50 for a coke) so the carry out in the car park is the order of the day. 

So the geezer coughs up and says ' we're not sure that Live music is right for this venue' and we're going to cancel the next couple of bookings - apparently the owner clocked us as she drove off in her Cayenne and moaned that we weren't putting the fee back across the bar. There's a place just down the road that might be getting a good deal from us for one of those other nights - we can probably sell those at twice the rate we were due to be paid, but we might just want to prove a point.

Saturday was just the other end of the spectrum - The Red Lion at Rothwell - the landlord welcomed us in and the place was rammed. Lots of friendly faces and a great reception. The venue had a wedding on with a great young soul band that although it was a private event, the punters in the garden could hear it all - but we still had the pub bursting at  the seams.