How was your gig last night?

[Thor]

2 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

Never stand right in front of your room filling rig!

 

I was doing a pub gig and all over a sudden my sound goes to hell in a hand basket. Turn around and the sax player has parked himself where you are standing.

 

Possibly not applicable to your gig if the PA is putting forth bass, but that's a mighty big monitor.

It was a proper luxury having that much room to play in, often some of the pub gigs we do my backside is literally touching my cab and I don’t get to here very much, do tend to feel it though🙃🤓

 

[dmccombe7]

Think Trading Standards is the way to go.

Not fit for purpose comes to mind. 

Dave

[cheddatom]

Melkweg was incredible, the crowd were crazy. They don't know us at all but they were moshing and shouting along from the off. The best sound we've ever had too.

 

 

[Lozz196]

Melkweg is a great venue, I really enjoyed playing there (and a Spinal Tap moment, I got lost in all the corridors backstage)

[MacDaddy]

1 hour ago, Lozz196 said:

Melkweg is a great venue, I really enjoyed playing there (and a Spinal Tap moment, I got lost in all the corridors backstage)

 

"Hello Cleveland!" 😂

[Gottastopbuyinggear]

On 16/10/2022 at 22:47, Stub Mandrel said:

A pub we've played a couple of times before, really small and challenging to set up in. Before we started it was prety much at capacity (that's not a huge number of people!)

 

Went really well. At the end we finished with Purple Rain and everyone was singing along to the wo-oh-oh-ohs. Never had so many people doing the rounds to say how much they enjoyed it and even buying us drinks. Even the landlord came and congratulated us all. Nice 😁

Where was that, Neil, out of interest?  We’ve played a couple of places that have been pretty challenging space-wise, but then there are five of us as you know!

[Rubbersoul]

3 hours ago, cheddatom said:

Melkweg was incredible, the crowd were crazy. They don't know us at all but they were moshing and shouting along from the off. The best sound we've ever had too.

 

 

Wish you guys would get to Belfast some time! 

[cheddatom]

30 minutes ago, Rubbersoul said:

Wish you guys would get to Belfast some time! 

Me too!

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, Gottastopbuyinggear said:

Where was that, Neil, out of interest?  We’ve played a couple of places that have been pretty challenging space-wise, but then there are five of us as you know!

 

The Exchange in Risca, great crowd, but a bloody great chunk of wall right in the middle of the bar room.

[Muzz]

Not a gig as such, but the singist/guitarist and I went to Lecce in Southern Italy to visit the drummer on a hometown visit...on Sunday night we went round to a garden studio belonging to one of his (pro) musician friends for a bit of a jam and to hang out. A couple of the host's friends came round and we had a good time, tho it was a 'never be the smartest person in the room' moment for me: when the four Italians got on the instruments, the first thing they jammed was Birdland...blimey, follow that... 😐

 

Oddly, tho, it appears Italian live music (in the South at least) is either sublime Jazz Fusion/Funk or full-on Country and Western...apparently that's where the money (and not much at that: £50 a man is good over there) is...

 

We did get a lot of positive feedback, and next time we go there'll be gigs to play...

Edited October 18, 2022 by Muzz

[Len_derby]

7 minutes ago, Muzz said:

Not a gig as such, but the singist/guitarist and I went to Lecce in Southern Italy to visit the drummer on a hometown visit...on Sunday night we went round to a garden studio belonging to one of his (pro) musician friends for a bit of a jam and to hang out. A couple of the host's friends came round and we had a good time, tho it was a 'never be the smartest person in the room' moment for me: when the four Italians got on the instruments, the first thing they jammed was Birdland...blimey, follow that... 😐

 

Oddly, tho, it appears Italian live music (in the South at least) is either sublime Jazz Fusion/Funk or full-on Country and Western...apparently that's where the money (and not much at that: £50 a man is good over there) is...

 

We did get a lot of positive feedback, and next time we go there'll be gigs to play...

Thank you, that is very illuminating! My covers band have fairly recently recruited an Italian as a drummer. He comes from Sicily and has come over to the UK to work for Rolls Royce. I now understand why he drums like he does 😆

[ricksterphil]

2 hours ago, Len_derby said:

Thank you, that is very illuminating! My covers band have fairly recently recruited an Italian as a drummer. He comes from Sicily and has come over to the UK to work for Rolls Royce. I now understand why he drums like he does 😆

I did a recording session for a singer/songwriter with an Italian drummer. He was a student so in his early twenties. Man he was good.

 

This is the track 

 

[cheddatom]

La peche in Montreuil, Paris last night. The smallest venue on the tour so far. They blocked off the road to park Steve Ignorant's bus. I thought they'd be worried about police but apparently the police avoid this neighbourhood. Soundcheck took forever but dinner afterwards was lovely. 

 

A huge old topless punk was kicking off during our set, trying to start fights with everyone. The venue staff refused to do anything about him but eventually Steve Ignorant himself came down and dragged the guy out of the venue. This was while we were still playing! Concentration was a challenge 

 

 

[cheddatom]

Les Tanniers in Dijon last night. This is a big warehouse covered in graffiti. They call it a "squat gig" and everyone there was crustier than your average punk. The Dressing Room was a large room upstairs full of bunk beds and one random guy who'd been told he could hang out there and stay over.

 

The sound crew didn't know which channel was which, messed about for almost an hour until we gave up saying "that'll do". When we went on it took 10 minutes for them to get the acoustic guitar to work again, so what was the point of soundcheck? We struggled through, the crowd got into it, then halfway through the set we switch back from electric guitar back to acoustic. The channel was muted and the sound man was nowhere to be found. When he finally appeared, he couldn't get it to work, and angrily blamed our guitarist. The only option was to play all the acoustic songs on electric. 

 

It was still a great gig, but very hard work!

 

 

[cheddatom]

Alte Hackerei in Karlsruhe last night. Another small and sweaty one. Excellent catering, they cooked burgers or wurst to order for both bands and all the crew. Free beer all night. Awesome sound and I played the best I have so far

 

 

[BigRedX]

@cheddatom Brilliant stuff, sounds like a great tour. How many more gigs have you got?

 

Regarding the catering, I'm surprised that Steve Ignorant and his band aren't strictly vegan or at least vegetarian...

[Franticsmurf]

Not so much a gig, but my first formal audition ever! I've been playing for 30+years but always in bands that I've either formed or joined as a mate of someone already in there - a kind of "yeah, he's ok" free pass. When I've depped, it's been through word of mouth. Last year I had an informal audition for a band I now play with but that was very much a friendly chat and a once through of a couple of songs. Last night I tried out for an established band getting back together after lockdown having lost their rhythm section to Covid. I was one of two bassists and two drummers, each pair with an hour to prove themselves. I've posted elsewhere that playing live doesn't make me particularly nervous, but last night the nerves made themselves known. Add to that not being able to find the rehearsal room (it was hidden inside a large warehouse) and having to ring one of the band for directions. 

 

But as with most things, it was fine once I'd set up and played the first song. The opposition and the other drummer didn't turn up so we had a two hour jam session (I'd learnt most of their set rather than just the five they said they try with me) and it felt good. And this morning, I got the nod that I'd made the grade. 😃

[Lozz196]

Great news @Franticsmurf, well done

[Muzz]

Wednesday night, depping in to co-host a jam night at a bar...I've played there before, both with the full band and I've turned up to the jam night to play a few, but this was the first time co-hosting and getting paid for it for a loooong time (the price of being in a busy steady band for more than a decade) - I'd forgotten how much fun busking can be, luckily the main drummer was great (a couple of others not as good, but we muddled through), so playing songs I've never played before (probably eight or ten), or even heard before (three of them) was a good workout...

[cheddatom]

23 hours ago, BigRedX said:

@cheddatom Brilliant stuff, sounds like a great tour. How many more gigs have you got?

 

Regarding the catering, I'm surprised that Steve Ignorant and his band aren't strictly vegan or at least vegetarian...

They are! There were vegan burgers and wurst

 

Last night was Weisbaden, great gig, although Steve collapsed early in their set. He seemed to get it together after 5 minutes to cool down but we were all worried. It's a pretty intense tour and I think at his age it's taking its toll.

 

One more date in Prague tonight and then a long drive to Rotterdam tomorrow 

 

 

[King Tut]

Played a local pub last night depping with a covers band I used to play regularly in. Used my AVRI Jazz with QPs through my Veyron tube into my Schroeder 1212L. I’ve been experimenting using different mid frequency centres on the Veyron and finding that using the lowest (220 hz I think) cuts me through the mix the best. Bass dialled right back, plenty of mid and top to taste and I had a corking tone. We had a good crowd and played and went down well, and home by 1140pm Happy Daze!

[tony_m]

Following a break in rehearsals due to Messrs Drums, Rhythm Guitar, and Lead Guitar all going down with the 'Rona, our occasional tour of local village halls resumed last night. After a less than stellar rehearsal on Thursday, we were all a bit unsure how things would go, but it turned out to be possibly our best gig yet! Certainly sounded and felt like it from where I was stood, think our uncertainty sparked a useful degree of "What the heck, just go for it!" in everybody instead of the usual fretting about trying to get everything Just So. Only a couple of minor whoopsies, including Mr Drums throwing in an extra flourish in the intro to a number which doesn't have any such flourishes in it at all - fortunately everybody rode it out nicely while me and him exchanged "Oops, what was that all about then?" looks and tried not to laugh too much. Great response from the small but perfectly formed crowd, got paid more than we were expecting, and didn't get too wet loading in or out. One nice fella insisted on buying us all a drink afterwards (think he was a bit surprised at the request for four J2O's and a lemonade), while another nice fella told us (and his wife) that we were "Ten times better than [A N Other local band who seem to think they're God's Gift]" - reckon may just have to get some t-shirts printed up... 🤭

 

 

Roll on next Friday when the tour continues at another hall we've played at before, so hoping for another good crowd (as long as the hall in question have sorted out their finances and paid their electricity bill by then anyhow!) 😬

[Mickeyboro]

3 hours ago, cheddatom said:

They are! There were vegan burgers and wurst

Vegan burgers ARE the wurst! 😂

 

[JapanAxe]

Rock’n’roll in a nice suburban pub. All went well until I was asked to sing a song the guitarist didn’t know. I had set up the singer’s spare guitar via a pedal into the PA, which gave a barely acceptable sound. But a combination of no bass, unfamiliar guitar, and out-of-tune 2nd guitar from the singer made for a performance I found excruciatingly embarrassing.

 

I won’t be doing that again!

Edited October 22, 2022 by JapanAxe

[Rubbersoul]

Had our EP launch in Belfast last night. Absolute mayhem as usual. Fantastic fun but sadly my amp decided enough was enough and died on me. Very sad.