How was your gig last night?

[stewblack]

Clutter free set up thanks to the pedal snake I bought from @Stealth

It's a Sunday afternoon pub gig in Swindon. Quiet in terms of numbers and a subdued audience obviously nursing hangovers, but we're winning them over. 

Football season is back so TVs on throughout which is a modern phenomenon to which I am slowly becoming used. 

[Bluewine]

The Harley Davidson Motor gig seemed cool until this morning. The whole thing was lame.

Blue

[seashell]

Well, I'm back depping with the Stones trib band because their main bass player has developed carpal tunnel syndrome. So I'll be keeping his seat warm until he gets that sorted out. Hope it doesn't take too long, poor guy. 

Anyway, last night's gig wasn't too bad considering I hadn't played with them for 6 months and they did a couple that I've never played live before.  I did the usual array of bum notes, but I think I think I got away with it. My good friend from my other band was depping on drums, so that made it more enjoyable because he really gets the Charlie Watts feel.  

We'd been warned in advance that the pub could be really rough, but it actual fact it was fine.  It's recently had a name change and is under new management which might account for it.  So that was good!  Not packed out, but enough in to create an atmosphere and a few up and dancing. Including a couple of blokes who were doing a sort of 'knees up Mother Brown' to 'It's Only Rock n Roll'. That really made me smile 🙂 

So not too bad all in all, and cash in hand at the end of the night. I'm looking forward to the next one - I think I'll play better having done last night's gig to get back in the groove so to speak.  

 

Edited September 22, 2019 by seashell
To correct the spelling of 'bass' :-D

[JapanAxe]

6 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

The Harley Davidson Motor gig seemed cool until this morning. The whole thing was lame.

Blue

Tell us more, Blue!

[Bluewine]

2 minutes ago, JapanAxe said:

Tell us more, Blue!

We played well enough, but the crowd got weak after the furst set. Plus we had a rehearsal the same morning from 11:00 -3:00.  Went home, closed my eyes for 30 minutes then took of for a 5:30-8-30.

Maybe I was just tired. And I have a 4:00- 7:00 today.

Maybe being 66 is catching up with me.

Blue

[stewblack]

1 hour ago, Bluewine said:

We played well enough, but the crowd got weak after the furst set. Plus we had a rehearsal the same morning from 11:00 -3:00.  Went home, closed my eyes for 30 minutes then took of for a 5:30-8-30.

Maybe I was just tired. And I have a 4:00- 7:00 today.

Maybe being 66 is catching up with me.

Blue

You're an inspiration to me to keep at it, I know I could have another 10 years at least in me if I look after myself 

[BrunoBass]

Saturday’s gig was one of those that make it all worthwhile. We played a 40th birthday party in a marquee at a local golf club. 

The first set went well, probably about a hundred people there and six-eight girls dancing from the word go. We had a hour break before going back on again at 11 for the final hour. By this point the crowd had doubled I’d guess, and everything was going really well. Like everyone else we build our second set up to a peak, with all the ‘bangers’ (as our singer likes to call them) one after the other. By this point nearby everyone was up and dancing and we were really cooking, the best we’d played in ages. We had a great night, made some new friends and were paid handsomely. As we were packing up one of the barmaids came over and said that they had a load of unsold bottles of beer. She couldn’t be bothered to carry them back to the main bar inside and asked if we’d like to split them. Nice bonus!

I played my RMI Boomslang Jive through my Genz Benz rig. I like a lighter bass for these longer gigs, especially as my dodgy shoulder gets ever dodgier. It sounded great, the whole room sounded great actually, with the solid floor, textile walls and ceiling, and a wall of bodies. Very happy, and a great way to finish off the festival / party season for us before we get back to the pub gigs.

Drummer’s eye view below ⬇️

Edited September 23, 2019 by BrunoBass

[BrunoBass]

On 22/09/2019 at 02:46, Lozz196 said:

Just back from a punk festival type gig in Great Portland St, London. Two stages, with bands although not starting at same times, on simultaneously, we were on the smaller of the two.

The event was run very professionally, everything was spot on even to the security team briefing which largely said “they’re gonna look like they’re fighting, they’re not, unless someone goes down and isn’t helped straight back up leave them alone they’re just having fun”.

Sound was good on soundcheck, the soundman clearly a guy who knew his job, which always makes for a good gig.

So we went on at 8pm for a 30min set and it was amazing, the room probably held 250/300 and they had to stop people coming in as it was so rammed. The mosh pit was exactly as the security team discussed, frenzied but friendly and the reception we got was out of this world. We had people come from as far away as Chester just to see us, and the comments from audience members throughout the rest of the evening were nothing short of amazing. Quite humbling really.

Sounds like a great night! 

[cheddatom]

Esquires in Bedford last night, I was on drums, 3rd act on a 4 band bill. Watching the first two bands it sounded to me like the drum mics were barely on. You couldn't hear the bass drum and there was no clarity to the cymbals or snare. The guitars were very loud so the drums did need reinforcement. When I finally got behind the kit it sounded just as terrible up there. I was having to use the headliner's gear and the bass drum was very quiet indeed, meaning it definitely need a lot of help from the PA, and it got none at all. It's not a big place so I could really tell there were no drums in the FOH

We played really well and went down well, so I'd normally just shrug it off, but as soon as the headline band came on there were the drums, booming out of the PA. Same sound man, same drum kit, WTF?!?

[taunton-hobbit]

Many years ago I dig a regular gig with half my amp stack on standby until I actually walked on to work - at that point the sound went from moderately loud to full chat.............my stage guy just threw the switches.........

😎

[KevB]

18 hours ago, Bluewine said:

We played well enough, but the crowd got weak after the furst set. Plus we had a rehearsal the same morning from 11:00 -3:00.  Went home, closed my eyes for 30 minutes then took of for a 5:30-8-30.

Maybe I was just tired. And I have a 4:00- 7:00 today.

Maybe being 66 is catching up with me.

Blue

I'd point blank refuse to do a rehearsal session on the same day as a gig, especially a 3 hour one. Band leader needs to look at themselves on this.

[Lozz196]

2 hours ago, BrunoBass said:

Sounds like a great night! 

It was, and all bands on the bill that I saw had a great gig as well which made it even better.

[Lozz196]

2 hours ago, cheddatom said:

Esquires in Bedford last night, I was on drums, 3rd act on a 4 band bill. Watching the first two bands it sounded to me like the drum mics were barely on. You couldn't hear the bass drum and there was no clarity to the cymbals or snare. The guitars were very loud so the drums did need reinforcement. When I finally got behind the kit it sounded just as terrible up there. I was having to use the headliner's gear and the bass drum was very quiet indeed, meaning it definitely need a lot of help from the PA, and it got none at all. It's not a big place so I could really tell there were no drums in the FOH

We played really well and went down well, so I'd normally just shrug it off, but as soon as the headline band came on there were the drums, booming out of the PA. Same sound man, same drum kit, WTF?!?

See that’s wrong isn’t it, I know some may say the night is all about the headliner but I don’t get that, the soundman is being paid for a whole evening, he should therefore work for the whole evening and apply the best sound possible to all the bands. Glad you went down well despite that.

[Stub Mandrel]

30 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

See that’s wrong isn’t it, I know some may say the night is all about the headliner but I don’t get that, the soundman is being paid for a whole evening, he should therefore work for the whole evening and apply the best sound possible to all the bands. Glad you went down well despite that.

I suspect @cheddatom can guess exactly why the sound improved for the headliners...

[taunton-hobbit]

3 hours ago, taunton-hobbit said:

my stage guy just threw the switches.........

As I said........... 

😎

[cheddatom]

I thought I'd done a thread on this before but I can't find it. I'll start one now

[Bluewine]

5 hours ago, KevB said:

I'd point blank refuse to do a rehearsal session on the same day as a gig, especially a 3 hour one. Band leader needs to look at themselves on this.

Extenuating circumstance.

Blue

[knirirr]

Not strictly a gig, I suppose, but I went to a jam last night and played with some decent musicians, and succeeded in getting away with sounding reasonably competent. The audience seemed to enjoy it as well. So, progress!

[cheddatom]

A small pub in Chester last night with my band Dandelion meow meow. A very small audience, and I've been knackered all week. I was expecting to have a bad night but playing with this band is just too much fun. So funky!!!!

[nightsun]

The monthly blues jam last night.  Not many jammers this month but a very appreciative audience...no other bassists, so the fingers are a bit achy today.

[lurksalot]

7 hours ago, cheddatom said:

A small pub in Chester last night with my band Dandelion meow meow. A very small audience, and I've been knackered all week. I was expecting to have a bad night but playing with this band is just too much fun. So funky!!!!

where was that dude ? 

[dave_bass5]

Played at the Hop Poles in Enfield last weekend. First gig with new band line up. We were ok but the venue was empty. Something going on down the road apparently. As we have only played closed gigs in the past we couldn’t get a following along, but despite the emptiness and poor acoustics the bar staff said we were great and we will be back asap .

[Lozz196]

Played Monkeys Music Club in Hamburg last night. We’ve played there before but it’s always been mid-week so although the gigs have been good it’s never been spectacular. Well last night changed that, it was just amazing. Despite a long day (up at 5am for the plane) we were fully fired up and the packed crowd responded well. I should point out we were 2nd band on of 4. All bands played well and a great night was had by all, back at the hotel for 2am and am already awake, adrenaline probably. Flight back home at midday. Yes a long way to come for one gig but totally worth it.

[stewblack]

Irish bar in centre of Bath with my originals band. Packed, dancing, cheering and even singing along. Can't ask for more really. 

[Len_derby]

A birthday party gig with the acoustic blues trio. The client had seen us by chance at a gig we played earlier in the summer and he came up to us afterwards and booked us. The location was his big house high above Matlock with stunning views of the surrounding hills. It was a bit breezy but he was very accommodating and gave us a a big conservatory to play in. We went down very well, had full run of the food and drink (hog-roast) plus at the end of the  night the biggest payout we've had so far this year. The load-in wasn't great because of some steps and a steep driveway but you can't have everything.