How was your gig last night?

[tonybassplayer]

A return to gigging after a seven week break for the function band I play in ( SOUL7 ) at a local hotel playing an early evening ( 4pm start ) wedding gig.

We had two deps ( guitar and drums ) who we had never played with before but we managed to get a 30 minute soundcheck to run through the starts etc which made it less scary.

We played really well but with the nice weather combined with the early gig most of the guests were outside where the hotel had set up a BBQ but better than not playing at all.

A charity gig with my other band ( Chasing Amy ) tomorrow and just need to learn a busking version of the intro to Sweet Child of Mine as they want to play it.

Hope the weather stays nice as it is an outside gig !!

[stingrayfan]

[quote name='bassninja' post='263936' date='Aug 17 2008, 01:26 PM']One bandmate not too happy with everyone else's sound, though. I'm considering either IEMs for him, or a bloody isolation booth, possibly in the car park.[/quote]
We've all been in bands with a person like that!

[waynepunkdude]

Last night was a mixed bag.

The bad stuff :

Parking Ticket

10 people there

Some guy saying I couldn't play the bass (I told him I already knew he didn't seem to care)

My bass tone was all over the place I still haven't found my sound on my Trace

Couldn't hear a thing on stage.

The good stuff:

The van trip on the way up we listened to Me First And The Gimme Gimmes and NOFX was rocking out.

Watching a solo guy on a keyboard open up with 'good to be back' by Gary Glitter then proceeding to do a cover of 'killing in the name of'

Watching an awesome Funk band the bass player was rocking a nice Warwick and he knew his way around the fretboard.

When confronted how all the band stood up for eachother.

Getting in the van on the way home turning the radio on and being greeted by the word "welcome to the XFM Punk show coming up Bad Religion and Lagwagon"

[Mr Fudge]

Cradley Heath Liberal Club. Although on a 6 week paternity break we had a wedding booked before I put my mrs up the stick again. I arrived at 7.45 ( rest of the boys had already set up) and promptly bi-passed the sound limiter. (ie found some other plugs). We finished playing at 11pm and I was at home for 11.20 to resume my fatherly duties. That's the beauty of being in a band with 2 other lads for 20 plus years, helping each other out is implicit.

Markbass SA450 had about it's 5th gig and I am really happy with it. Trialled my new toy, a Dunlop Q105 Bass Wah. I've used my guitar wah for years but never been totally happy with it for bass. I won the said crybaby for £36 on ebay and it's worth it's weight in gold. Can't wait to pair it with my DHA VT1 I'm expecting soon.

[Jase]

First weekend back after a month off........band members on holiday etc......

The Rhondda Hotel. The guy who does the sound is useless, I'd avoid playing there at all costs. The most unbearable onstage sound I've ever heard, what makes it worse is even when he realised there were various problems he had no idea how to sort them out...A continuous resonating kick drum, a ridiculous boingy feedbacking snare and a very poor DI signal from the bass (so I'm told)....who cares..... that's your job mate and by the way you aint doing it very well.

The Martyrs Club Merthyr Tydfil. Punters pleased, tidy enough sound (no sound guy, thank f***!) all happy!.

[Kiwi]

We played a marquee in Amberley Castle, near Arundel. A good test of the satnav this time, lots of twisty B roads and sudden changes in direction at junctions. I also had Borat's voice guiding me so there was lots of "et thee rounnnnd. About tek thee second exit. Pliz." and at the end of the journey he told me I drove like I had been drinking fermented wolf urine. Sheesh, everyone's a critic!

Anyway, the venue was quite stunning, the gardens were encased by a series of elegantly decrepid castle walls into which some more recent facility buildings had been set. The marquee was acoustically dead so we all had no problems with hearing ourselves. The stage was just about big enough width ways and the venue staff seemed very well organised. We had some lasagne for dinner which was very nice and when we started the first of three sets, the punters were up and dancing after the second song and they stayed on the dance floor for the whole night. Job done! There's lovely.

[stingrayfan]

You're getting some nice gigs there Kiwi!

[bassninja]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='269316' date='Aug 25 2008, 09:37 AM']We played a marquee in Amberley Castle, near Arundel.[/quote]

Not far from the Ninjadome, Kiwi. Classy gaff.

We did an early slot at the Nyodema Festival on the coast. Pretty good playing. Guitarist fighting the monitors a bit and broke a string, so we finished one number early, which everyone was cool about.

Good soundman who knows us well, and usually gets a good sound up in a fairly short time. This time, though, he had new monitor cabs and could only squeeze an unpleasant upper-middly tinniness from them. No harm done, however and we schmoozed our way out of it fine.

Edited August 25, 2008 by bassninja

[tonybassplayer]

Just back home from playing at my first ever outdoor charity gig and it was awesome.

We played at the Jolly Sailor in Wakefield. I am not sure what size the pa etc was but it was very loud and clear and I am looking forward to seeing the dvd that one of the guitarist's partner took.

I must admit that it was a totally different feeling playing rock classics on a proper stage with a big rig than playing in my function band with vocals only pa !!

Not many pics until they are emailed over but this one for now

[attachment=12643:P8250003.JPG]

[Kiwi]

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='269341' date='Aug 25 2008, 10:41 AM']You're getting some nice gigs there Kiwi![/quote]
Yeah mate, the best is coming up though. A gig for Tony and Cherie Blair's hairdresser in mid-Sept at his Civil Partnership ceremony, and we'll be sharing the stage with Danny-from-McFly and Barbara I-Know-Him-So-Well Dickinson. We'll be trying to get President Blair on stage with us if we can. We've hit the big time now. lol

Bassninja - we did a gig in Bosham 6 weeks ago on the shore front at a wedding. Next week is Sevenoaks I think and then its a well earned overseas holiday for me, considering the otherwise fairly sh*t year I've had on the job front.

[Mickeyboro]

That'll be Dickson to you, sonny! (She's got a great bass player BTW!)

We played a marquee gig in the garden of a palatial bungalow for someone's 80th birthday party. Fortunately the age range of the 100 assembled was 8-80 rather than solely septuagenarians! Resisted the temptation to throw the drums in the outside heated swimming pool.

We were supported by a drag act (!) which did not please our smallminded singer at all. Still, even he warmed to the 'faggot' (not my word) in the end, but declined to take up my suggestion and ask him up for a duet. Funnily enough, we used to do 'Lola'...

Then some geezer who looked like Boris Johnson came up and booked us for £800 to play his party in a fortnight. Guess who was the only band member who couldn't make it? And what's worse, I'm doing a charity gig gratis with my other band, so no chance whatsoever of getting out with any dignity!

Still, that's the way the cookie sometimes crumbles

[bassninja]

Thursday night, a pub in the middle of LA (Little 'ampton)

Pretty decent turnout for a Thursday, with lots of players in evidence. This was one of the handful of gigs each year we now manage with the electric band that used to be my main gig. Must have been OK, since the locals bought us beers for the night.

All happy with playing and sound, and lots of nice dynamic jams. We even convinced the drummer to sing one... I think I'll strip down my pedalboard to just my DI/preamp, I hardly ever use the other stuff

Had to miss last nights acoustic gig, having broken down miles away from the gig, and RAC not able to get me back in time Fortunately, my other two oppos could cover it as a duo.

It will have been rubbish, of course

[thumperbob 2002]

Played a Private Function in Hessle for a guys 50th- the chaps a bit of a flash harry and drives an Aston Martin. Just when we were about to start Kippa our singer announces "Tony ( the guy who is having the party ) I think I have knocked your car outside- its an Aston, right?"

The guy looks worried.

Kippa continues "Yeah, I`ve knocked off your number plate, infact I`ve got it here."

He then produces a private plate, shows it to the audience ( about 100 )- cue much laughter- the plate says in DOT letters - TWAT.

Could have easily gone the wrong way but our chap Kippa knows how to read an audience.

Anyhow the gig went fine- our tightest gig yet- my rig -Marshall VBA 400 rig and Marcus Miller- sounded superb as always. I am always a little unsure whether to use both pickups full on or focus on the neck pickup- it sounds great both ways- but I always use the bass passive and never use the active circuitry.

Roll on Sundays gig ( our other monthly residency )

cheers

Bob

[ZMech]

well I played my first gig on thursday, and learnt the hard way the lesson of 'never play a song you can't play perfectly'. The night before the guitarist showed me the bassline to killing in the name of, which I'd never bothered to learn due to the effort of tuning to dropped D. So at the end of the gig we decided it would make a good closing song, and all was fine and dandy up to the guitar solo, when both the guitarist and I realised that I didn't know the bassline for that bit! Thankfully I had the sense to just play a modified version of the main riff, so I don't think most people noticed (I hope!).

I also realised that playing ska music is suprisingly boring. Other than that it was pretty good though.

[beerdragon]

we had a good night at a pub a few miles away, well, it went alright apart from breaking an A string, thats the second A string in a matter of a couple of months, coincidence i suppose. although i do it em hard with a plec. i only have the one bass so i had to change the string on the spot. the k/board player and singer did a jim reeves number while they waited for some reason, got the punters laughing though. time to buy a back up bass i think. the landlord likes us and gave us another booking in january.

[ARGH]

I got paid,Im so great.....Pudsey friday...Stanley tonight..teaching on Tuesday,recording Monday and Tuesday....

Last show with guitarist,6 years with the band...Gonna take a break for a fortnight,then plow on with the new one....get through Xmas and autumn,and see what digs up then.

Need to service the car,Jims started building my headless,and I CANT wait to f*** off on holiday.

Edited August 31, 2008 by ARGH

[Sarah5string]

F*cking brilliant

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=26314&view=findpost&p=273521"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...st&p=273521[/url]

[Shaggy]

Brynamman RFC, S Wales - The first gig in over a month I've not had to unpack / pack in the BLEEDIN' RAIN!!! A proper "summer" night at last, everyone outside talking and drinking, great vibe in the air, then the dance-floor bouncing once we were on. Bizarrely, the speed knobs on my RD Artist started glowing bright purple, realised there was a UV light over me. Good gig AND a suntan! Bargain!

[john_the_bass]

Good - did a wedding in a huge marquee in the huge garden of the bride's father's huge house. We usually use 15s for our Pa but had borrowed a set of 12s and set the sub up as well so we got a lovely sound and a fairly good reception although it would have been nice to have been offered a drink of water or something and it breaks my bloody heart to watch them bin the half-eaten buffet

[yorks5stringer]

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='273619' date='Aug 31 2008, 11:47 AM']Good - did a wedding in a huge marquee in the huge garden of the bride's father's huge house. We usually use 15s for our Pa but had borrowed a set of 12s and set the sub up as well so we got a lovely sound and a fairly good reception although it would have been nice to have been offered a drink of water or something and it breaks my bloody heart to watch them bin the half-eaten buffet [/quote]

We did a wedding on Friday night and we've one tonight as well, yes, a Monday Wedding! But we always write into the contract we need to be fed and watered: if not the wedding buffet then seperate meals. If we playa Function in a Restuarant we are often told just have anything off the a la carte, which is nice.....

[Bassmouseman]

Corporate event, stepping in for a friends band as their bass player decided to leave a week ago! not my usual sort of gig. It was outside, cold and wet but the booze was flowing and everyone seemed to have a good time!

[Kiwi]

A jam packed weekend for us. We had a 9:30am rehearesal start on Saturday practicing a song we've sort-of-written/adapted for a charidee gig until about 3:30pm when we had to load up the van. We've had our mackie sub woofers being repaired for the last 4 weeks after they overheated, so the load in was pretty easy with just the wedge monitors. One of the monitors overheated 2 weeks ago as well so that's gone in for repair too so we're borrowing the soundman's spare wedge which is identical to ours. Mackie have apparently accused our soundman of thrashing the PA but he also does sound for the Mighty Boosh amongst others in addition to owning a Mackie PA which is apparently running fine so their claims seem a bit thin. We've told Mackie we were now aware that their PA's have a very well documented record of overheating and cutting out and from what we can see, there's no way of telling what the cause is. Besides which we expect a PA that is fit for purpose and capable of being operated in a variety of situations without burning out.

Anyway, we gigged at a posh public girls school this week for another wedding. No changing rooms had been arranged which we felt was a bit slack. But the kitchen staff were very helpful and we got a slap up BBQ meal (with nicely marinated chicken, prawns, vegie and steak kebabs with lamb koftas, salad and french fries). The punters were up and dancing from the second song which was good but they didn't have as much energy or interactivity as previous crowds. They were a friendly bunch though but some of them got well trollied.

So I got home from the gig and was back up for a 9:30am recording session for the charidee gig. I managed my part in 1 take but the drum part needed more work so we re-recorded it about 6 or 7 times. Thing was that as we played each take the unventilated studio and our lack of sleep caught up with us and the more takes we took, the sloppier we got. I recorded using the Celinder Update J as there was a bit of slapping involved (Gospel feel was the order of the day). I realised it would have been nice to record with the Alembic but the preamp/power supply is still being tweaked. I finished at 5:30pm but the guitar/keys/singers parts needed recording too. We had a great studio called Funkyjunk on Hornsey Road. Packed full of early 80's recording and processing gear, the bloke who runs the place must be some kind of collector.

[tauzero]

Did a naming ceremony and engagement party on Saturday night. Technical problems early on - the guitarist has had problems with the sound cutting out for a while now and had bought a couple of leads in the belief that that would solve the problem. He should have bought a new amp - the jack socket had partly disintegrated. So he borrowed the keyboard player's amp, she went through the PA (and consequently couldn't turn up too loud as it distorted), and we carried on. Most of the evening consisted of people remaining firmly fixed to their chairs, but there was the occasional minor surge onto the dance floor (completely unpredictable which numbers were likely to get them up, there wasn't even any consistency about genre). Still, the happy couple were, er, happy, so that was all right.

And I've volunteered to fix the guitarists's amp, so it'll get a decent service as well as a new socket.

[Steve_nottm]

Pretty good last night.

Was doing a friends band a favour and stepping in at a weeks notice due to previous bass player deciding he didn't fancy it any more. Only a short set but still mildly challenging (I seem to be doing a lot of "helping out at short notice" so getting the hang of it now.

Played at a venue in Nottm called the social (for anyone who knows it). first band up and went pretty well. I've been doing covers for a while now so not done an originals gig and I enjoyed the different atmosphere.

Next one with them is next week, then we'll see what happens regarding them booking more.

[yorks5stringer]

[quote name='yorks5stringer' post='274248' date='Sep 1 2008, 09:16 AM']We did a wedding on Friday night and we've one tonight as well, yes, a Monday Wedding! But we always write into the contract we need to be fed and watered: if not the wedding buffet then seperate meals. If we playa Function in a Restuarant we are often told just have anything off the a la carte, which is nice.....[/quote]

Typical, last night's gig wedding in a well known Castle near Tadcaster. Asked nicely for our promised food early, they brought us 1 sandwich each (ie 2 slices of bread cut into 4) and a bowl of chips for us all. No plates, cutlery or serviettes which I know is very r&r but not when you are wearing a Dinner Suit. Had to scoff this in 10 minutes as the guests then arrived and we were due to play. Gig went well but only a few got up to dance: the first set was during them eating and then for the dancier set they seemed to prefer to sit and talk. Still we got paid and a fairly early night.

Edited September 2, 2008 by yorks5stringer