How was your gig last night?

[EBS_freak]

My gig was a bit like this - 

[bassfan]

7 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

My gig was a bit like this - 

Where’d you get that! ?? Just been told our gig next week is Halloween themed.... can’t do this again.... The makeup runs. 😂🎃

[EBS_freak]

26 minutes ago, bassfan said:

Where’d you get that! ?? Just been told our gig next week is Halloween themed.... can’t do this again.... The makeup runs. 😂🎃

 

https://www.festivalofun.co.uk/Ghost_Face_-_Officially_Licensed_Scream_Mask/p5573329_18630893.aspx

Although I think my other half does the look a lot better...

(She's got better leggings, better footwear (my back couldn't take those... especially on the cobbles)... and above all, a better figure!) - but I have got the white bass... which looks great for the all black and white look.

Have to say, the mask is great for visibility... I was MDing on the night so needed good visibility to see what was going on.

Edited October 20, 2019 by EBS_freak

[Al Krow]

12 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

https://www.festivalofun.co.uk/Ghost_Face_-_Officially_Licensed_Scream_Mask/p5573329_18630893.aspx

Although I think my other half does the look a lot better...

(She's got better leggings, better footwear (my back couldn't take those... especially on the cobbles)... and above all, a better figure!) - but I have got the white bass... which looks great for the all black and white look.

Have to say, the mask is great for visibility... I was MDing on the night so needed good visibility to see what was going on.

Your other half is in your band? Very jealous! 

[EBS_freak]

4 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Your other half is in your band? Very jealous! 

No - she's not musical at all. She just wears the outfits better.

[radiophonic]

We did The Berliner (Nottingham) as part of Oxjam Beeston Takeover. The venue was rammed all day and the crowd were noisy and appreciative. The catch for this one was that our drummer let us down and we had to use a dep, in the form of the band's previous drummer from 2 years ago - crucially he left the band before I joined, so we'd never played together before. We had one practice, 3 runs through of the set and crossed our fingers. He's a good player, but his feel was very different and with no monitors, there were one or two squeaky moments - as in 'all I can hear is me and the drums, so is he playing something different or changing early or making a mistake?'. Nothing catastrophic but it kept me on my toes and I modified some parts on the fly*. Despite all this, the audience were on our side and we got away with it. We actually got to hang out afterwards too, which rarely happens and greatly enjoyed The Madelaine Rust's headline set later on. 

* I've just seen the video the drummer made (he archives everything he plays on with hi-res audio). I'm blaming a couple of crazy drum fills for both my flubs and I definitely don't need to worry about my tone or how loud I am ever again!

Edited October 21, 2019 by radiophonic

[stewblack]

You know how in some venues you seem to hear the distant strain of Duelling Banjos? 

My gig was like that. 

[mcnach]

Radge Against The Machine back in action

Great evening supporting Hybrid Theory (Linkin Park covers)

 

 

[Marillionred]

5 hours ago, paul_c2 said:

That's a good recording for a mobile phone - do you know what kind it was?

Sorry - don't even know who's phone it was - hijacked from Faceachebook lol

[KevB]

7 hours ago, Marillionred said:

40 minute set at The Star, Beeston, Nottingham as part of  Oxjam. First full-band gig for a year, but surprisingly tight! Great responsive audience. Played through the house backline, a lovely small Mark Bass combo and got a great punchy tone from it.  Short clip from someone's phone video - thank you whoever you are 🙂

 

Nice to see the keys player really give it his all there... 🙂

Yes, I know Roxette doesnt have any keys. I was hpoing to get out to Beeston last night but time beat me. I'm sure I saw you guys at the beer fest at the Harrington Arms in Sawley years ago but I could be confusing you with another band?

[Marillionred]

Just now, KevB said:

Nice to see the keys player really give it his all there... 🙂

Yes, I know Roxette doesnt have any keys. I was hpoing to get out to Beeston last night but time beat me. I'm sure I saw you guys at the beer fest at the Harrington Arms in Sawley years ago but I could be confusing you with another band?

He he.....normally Nick is pretty busy, but Roxette does give him a break - he was setting up the patches for the next song. First time live for that particular keyboard and he's still getting used to it 🙂

It would be nice to play a few more beer festivals, but no we didn't play that particular one KevB.

[stewblack]

6 hours ago, BrunoBass said:

Well, that escalated quickly...

We had a decent gig, really rocking by the second half, the whole pub up and dancing. All good. But then with about four songs to go the pub practically emptied, we finished and got no encore. The first time ever we haven’t heard ‘more, more’ at the end of the set. Oh well, no biggie, it means I get home quarter of an hour earlier. 

After loading out we were outside by our cars, discussing why the pub emptied like it did. I mentioned that we were very loud (we were, something about the room made the drums sound very, very loud). The drummer only hits things with one level of velocity, so the obvious answer of not hitting the drums quite so hard doesn’t register with him. Consequently me and the guitarist had to turn up a bit, but nothing drastic. Drummer then starts getting defensive, saying he had to play loud to compete with the amps, ignoring the fact that we were loud to compete with him. He’s a difficult character at the best of times but he then started acting like a stroppy teenager and getting pretty het up. It ended by him getting in his car, calling us a pair of ****s and speeding off. 

So as of this morning I don’t even know if we have a band anymore. Guitarist has tried to contact him this morning but no response. The sad thing is I’m actually not that bothered if it’s over, I don’t need that kind of hassle.

Ouch! I know we musicians are delicate flowers, quick to rise to any perceived negative notion of our role in a performance, but that sounds like an overreaction. Wonder if discontent has been brewing? 

[casapete]

I’ve been playing in Scarborough the last two nights.

Friday was with my acoustic duo at a great venue on the harbour called ‘The Lookout’. Capacity crowd all out for a good time, with great food and drinks. We did it as a request night, and managed most of them, ranging from ‘Girl from Ipanema’ through to some rock and blues stuff. One of those evenings when everything lines up just right, so got a good buzz from it. We got two more gigs in early 2020 from it too.

Last night was a completely different scenario. Town centre hotel function room for a military reunion dinner dance. 3 piece band with me standing in for someone. Got the dance floor busy (eventually) and finished around 12.30 ish.  Whilst loading out we commented on how many drunk numpties were passing the hotel, one of whom had deposited a pot plant on our van. Loads of people around, and as we drove away me and my friend commented on how intimidating it felt to be amongst stuff like that. Have now just heard on the BBC news that a 26 year old man was stabbed right outside where we playing (about 30 mins after we left) , and has since died of his injuries. Whatever is going on with the world now where situations like this can escalate so quickly into such a tragedy? So very sad.

[Woodinblack]

7 hours ago, BrunoBass said:

Drummer then starts getting defensive, saying he had to play loud to compete with the amps, ignoring the fact that we were loud to compete with him.

It ended by him getting in his car, calling us a pair of ****s and speeding off. 

Well, our drummer is to loud and in general the evening would end by him getting in his car calling us all ****s and speeding off, but that is just him in a good mood!

[Bluewine]

First gig with our new lead guitarist and vocalist. He replaced a 14 year founding member.

Initially I had my doubts. It was a private retirement party at Ron's Cozy Inn. I assumed it would be a group of uninterested friends & family. I was wrong. Great crowd and they were gracious and engaged us. Our new 25 year old guitarist had great stage presence and a real good feel for 70s style blues rock.

Plenty of space for us in the bar. The place was brand new really a great looking room. The band was well lit , we looked good.

The drummer from 80s hit makers The Bodeans was there and sat in on three Tom Petty songs.

This was a 6-10 gig and a 40 minute commute. Good pay and good tips.

 

Blue

[SICbass]

11 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

This was a 6-10 gig and a 40 minute commute. Good pay and good tips.

 

Blue

What’s not to love? Right?

[bagsieblue]

Last night at Waterloo Music Bar Blackpool - I joined Soldato a few months ago.

The Massive Weekend, with my NS2000 upgraded with active EMG's and a SNC preamp. Can knock down walls with this set up!

Check us out on Facebook & Youtube etc......

[BrunoBass]

3 hours ago, stewblack said:

Ouch! I know we musicians are delicate flowers, quick to rise to any perceived negative notion of our role in a performance, but that sounds like an overreaction. Wonder if discontent has been brewing? 

Maybe... Definitely an overreaction, and as today has worn on and I’ve had time to think about it the more angry I am about how he reacted. If someone has a problem we deal with it in a mature manner. Being called a **** by a bandmate is unnecessary and unacceptable. I’m pretty easy going usually and I’m normally happy to work things like this out and move on, but being the character he is I think this will fester to the point that the continuation of the band is probably untenable. I don’t need the grief - this is supposed to be fun.

[paul_c2]

9 hours ago, BrunoBass said:

Well, that escalated quickly...

After loading out we were outside by our cars, discussing why the pub emptied like it did. I mentioned that we were very loud (we were, something about the room made the drums sound very, very loud). The drummer only hits things with one level of velocity, so the obvious answer of not hitting the drums quite so hard doesn’t register with him. Consequently me and the guitarist had to turn up a bit, but nothing drastic. Drummer then starts getting defensive, saying he had to play loud to compete with the amps, ignoring the fact that we were loud to compete with him. He’s a difficult character at the best of times but he then started acting like a stroppy teenager and getting pretty het up. It ended by him getting in his car, calling us a pair of ****s and speeding off. 

This is a classic case of what I call "volume wars". (I know its not the real 'volume wars' which occurred in the music industry in the 1980s). HOWEVER it appears as if you fell into the trap, by turning up yourselves. The correct thing to do is to recognise it and actually all turn down, to the point you can hear each other, then use the headroom in between that volume and your max achievable volume to either make the music dynamic; or to make it louder (more spl) but know that you're making it deliberately louder for the sake of it.

This can't simply be something which is discovered at a venue, although some venues are better than others at damping down volume or producing annoying peaks at certain frequencies, etc. If the drummer - or any band member - isn't aware of this, then they need to learn (or be replaced). Drummers have a disadvantage that the playing of their instrument results in an inevitable acoustic volume; while electric bass/guitar can adjust the acoustic volume down and down.

[Maude]

We had a great gig last night. We hadn't gigged for 6 weeks and the end of this band may be looming due to a few factors, so I had been thinking maybe life without this band wouldn't be so bad. Wrong! We had a brilliant night, great atmosphere, everyone up dancing and a good showing from a couple of the local scooter clubs. I was buzzing but my knees aren't thanking me today from all the dancing. 

Another thing that made it great was the new PA speakers we tried. We pay our own soundman who provides all the PA, we normally use subs, with tops and four floor monitors, all powered. Our soundman is getting on and has expressed his need to pack it all in soon, he has given us a deadline next year, one of the reasons the band may end. The subs are just too heavy. He bought some powered Yamaha speakers, I don't know which ones, and we tried them last night. He gets panicky about new stuff so I said I'd bring my amp in case they didn't put out enough bottom end and he ended up bringing the subs and it was all wired up just in case, and it put him at ease. He's a brilliant bloke, just gets a bit on edge sometimes. Well they were fantastic, incredible bottom end and clear mids and treble, so we now know we can gig with just a pair of tops with everything, including bass and drums, through them easily, obviously we'll still need floor monitors, but this has hopefully got him reconsidering jacking it in, as he's as much as part of the band as the rest. 

Someone in the crowd who was in  another band came up to him to complement him on the sound and said it was the best sound from a band he'd heard in a long time. When our soundman told him my bass amp and and the subs weren't even on the chap had to come over and see as he couldn't believe it. To our soundman that's like someone coming up to me and complimenting me on my playing so hopefully he's back in the game. 

Our drummer who has arthritis issues in his shoulders said he may call it a day when John (soundman) quits as it hurts him to play now even didn't mention the arthritis last night and was quite positive about the future. 

So from trudging to a gig convincing myself the end was near and I'd be OK with it, to finishing the encores with everyone buzzing and looking to the future of the band in the space of three hours. 

Gigging is definitely a lifeblood and I need it 👍

[stewblack]

1 hour ago, paul_c2 said:

This is a classic case of what I call "volume wars". (I know its not the real 'volume wars' which occurred in the music industry in the 1980s). HOWEVER it appears as if you fell into the trap, by turning up yourselves. The correct thing to do is to recognise it and actually all turn down, to the point you can hear each other, then use the headroom in between that volume and your max achievable volume to either make the music dynamic; or to make it louder (more spl) but know that you're making it deliberately louder for the sake of it.

This can't simply be something which is discovered at a venue, although some venues are better than others at damping down volume or producing annoying peaks at certain frequencies, etc. If the drummer - or any band member - isn't aware of this, then they need to learn (or be replaced). Drummers have a disadvantage that the playing of their instrument results in an inevitable acoustic volume; while electric bass/guitar can adjust the acoustic volume down and down.

I got a friend a dep gig with one of my bands. Afterwards BL said he was good but way too loud for us. I told him and got him a second go. 

He played more quietly. Now he's the regular dep. 

Good drummers can adjust. Team players play for team. 

[BrunoBass]

1 hour ago, stewblack said:

Good drummers can adjust. Team players play for team. 

⬆️ Spot on 

[Bluewine]

5 hours ago, SICbass said:

What’s not to love? Right?

Right, the crowd had a good time. 

Blue

[radiophonic]

Does anyone who played Nottingham Oxjam on Saturday night know if the bass player from Branflakes posts on here? It's totally not my kind of music, but I caught the end of their set and he was absolutely steaming it on a white Stingray. Super tight walking lines and the face of a man possessed. 

[Stylon Pilson]

13 hours ago, BrunoBass said:

Maybe... Definitely an overreaction, and as today has worn on and I’ve had time to think about it the more angry I am about how he reacted. If someone has a problem we deal with it in a mature manner. Being called a **** by a bandmate is unnecessary and unacceptable. I’m pretty easy going usually and I’m normally happy to work things like this out and move on, but being the character he is I think this will fester to the point that the continuation of the band is probably untenable. I don’t need the grief - this is supposed to be fun.

I don't understand why you're talking about the continuation of the band being untenable? Sounds like all you need is a new drummer. One who knows how to control his volume, and his temper.

S.P.