How was your gig last night?

[StingRayBoy42]

19 hours ago, WalMan said:

Good night in Bognor despite the town being in virtual lockdown due to trouble there during the afternoon and early evening.

'Lockdown in Bognor' sounds like a Half Man Half Biscuit lyric.

Glad you had a good one!

[StingRayBoy42]

1 hour ago, lonestar said:

* unlike these lovely ladies photographed outside the venue about 7:30pm, who seemed to having a fine Saturday night out.

That skirt is so short, she could sit on a quid coin and tell you whether it was heads or tails.

[moley6knipe]

6 hours ago, Staggering on said:

Last week once again I was one of a few adults who fill out the cello and bass sections of my teacher's youth orchestra and it was a wonderful concert in the cathedral in North Bay Ontario. An entertaining mix from Bach to fiddle tunes and a couple of solo pieces as well and the crowd of about 350 loved it. The last number was a version of "Boil the cabbage down", an old fiddle tune, and for this piece about 9 of the youngest members were added and played like pros...from memory! In the second photo you will see a couple of the youngest musicians, they are 72 years younger than I am. 🙄  Loads of fun and I'm looking forward the next concert, probably in about 6 months, this one was a definite high point of the year for me and had some challenging music, I always learn a lot from these concerts.😊  

Next up are a couple of jazz gigs, a theatre show next week and three bluegrass festivals in the summer.

 

 

This is great. This sort of thing is SO important for keeping music alive. My lad’s been playing with the County Orchestra (he’s a single reed woodwind and flute boy) for years and the teachers play alongside the kids during the concerts too, it’s brilliant.  Good work!!

[Staggering on]

8 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

 

Which one are you then?

 

 

One bass player has a very good left hand shape, I'm the other one.🙄

[BigRedX]

In Isolation were at Ivory Blacks in Glasgow. Probably the most convoluted load-in I've encountered in recent years with the instructions we'd been given by the promotor being somewhat incomplete, so we drove around the "block" twice before I jumped out to ask the venue where we were supposed to go. Having road works obscuring the entrance to the back alley we needed to be on didn't help.

 

The venue itself was good with a decent sized stage and impressive old-school looking PA. Sound engineer was late and was very laid back in his approach, so although it ended up sounding good on stage and FoH we finished the sound check with seconds to spare before the doors opened. We were playing somewhat early and the turn-out was still quite sparse when we started, although there was a decent sized crowd by the end who had turned up to see the headlining band - a Joy Division tribute act. I'm going to start another thread about this because I wasn't entirely convinced by them and I wondering if as a musician I'm just being too picky. 

 

Even so plenty of people told us they enjoyed the set afterwards (there was one bloke who actually cheered when we started the song "Not Noticing") and we covered our expenses for the long trek from Nottingham. Next weekend should be a lot easier as we're in Coventry with Chaos Bleak.

[Greg Edwards69]

Back at Shoeburyness Conservative Club on Saturday night for the first time since covid started. Decent venue for bands as the stage end of the room backs onto the carpark, so it's a nice and easy load-in. The stage it a little too small for us though, so the singers go in front on the dancefloor.

 

I don't know if it's like other Con Clubs, but it always seems to be a "challenging" audience to crack. They seem quite content to sit and watch for the first half of the night and then you'll get a handful of people up in the second set - and if you're lucky, they'll start line dancing as well - to anything.

 

All of us made brain-fart errors in the first set, but they weren't too obvious and we managed to cover our tracks okay. I put it down to being extraordinarily warm in there - as after persuading them to turn on the aircon before the second set, we played far better.

 

Bit of a break now until a wedding gig in July. My brother is depping on guitar for that one, so we'll need this time to get him up to speed on a few things.

[msb]

Great night in the old dive we call the Land of Dreams , the long weekend made for a packed house , and a ton of players for the jam. There is a guy I’ve been trying to get up for ages , serious funk guy , and I finally convinced him to get up. He brought the funk. I’ve never really mastered the slap and pop approach and it was a joy to hear him just nail it. 
With authority.
Good to be schooled.

He can also sing like Sam Cooke. I’m hoping he’ll sing some next time.

Edited May 20 by msb

[dmccombe7]

4 hours ago, BigRedX said:

In Isolation were at Ivory Blacks in Glasgow. Probably the most convoluted load-in I've encountered in recent years with the instructions we'd been given by the promotor being somewhat incomplete, so we drove around the "block" twice before I jumped out to ask the venue where we were supposed to go. Having road works obscuring the entrance to the back alley we needed to be on didn't help.

 

The venue itself was good with a decent sized stage and impressive old-school looking PA. Sound engineer was late and was very laid back in his approach, so although it ended up sounding good on stage and FoH we finished the sound check with seconds to spare before the doors opened. We were playing somewhat early and the turn-out was still quite sparse when we started, although there was a decent sized crowd by the end who had turned up to see the headlining band - a Joy Division tribute act. I'm going to start another thread about this because I wasn't entirely convinced by them and I wondering if as a musician I'm just being too picky. 

 

Even so plenty of people told us they enjoyed the set afterwards (there was one bloke who actually cheered when we started the song "Not Noticing") and we covered our expenses for the long trek from Nottingham. Next weekend should be a lot easier as we're in Coventry with Chaos Bleak.

Played there a few times and the SE used to be first class but he retired and lately the people they've brought in haven't been up to the mark in our opinion.

Hope you didn't go round the buses only lanes on that street. The restricted lanes are a pain in the a** and when trying to find venue you get easily distracted and miss the many many signs on that street. 

We've decided not to play there again for those reasons, sound isn't great and parking and traffic management is a nightmare.

Shame as it used to be one of the best rock venues in Glasgow.

Dave

[BigRedX]

12 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Played there a few times and the SE used to be first class but he retired and lately the people they've brought in haven't been up to the mark in our opinion.

Hope you didn't go round the buses only lanes on that street. The restricted lanes are a pain in the a** and when trying to find venue you get easily distracted and miss the many many signs on that street. 

We've decided not to play there again for those reasons, sound isn't great and parking and traffic management is a nightmare.

Shame as it used to be one of the best rock venues in Glasgow.

Dave

 

The SE we had was good and we sounded excellent on stage and FoH, but he arrived late and was overly methodical in setting up (slow). If he'd turned up on time it wouldn't have been a problem and he could have taken as long as he wanted.

 

We'd been warned about the bus lanes and took great pains to avoid them. The problem was the loading instructions were incomplete so we didn't know we needed to turn off Midland Street to find the loading entrance, and it wasn't helped by road works and barriers around the turning.

[dmccombe7]

2 hours ago, BigRedX said:

 

The SE we had was good and we sounded excellent on stage and FoH, but he arrived late and was overly methodical in setting up (slow). If he'd turned up on time it wouldn't have been a problem and he could have taken as long as he wanted.

 

We'd been warned about the bus lanes and took great pains to avoid them. The problem was the loading instructions were incomplete so we didn't know we needed to turn off Midland Street to find the loading entrance, and it wasn't helped by road works and barriers around the turning.

Last 2-3 times i played there the sound engineers were poor but they were straight out of Uni. Had all the theory but no practical experience and working under pressure. We also had some electrical issues with the mains causing loud buzzing on valve amps at one side of the stage. Plugged into the other side of stage and was fine. Weird one as i expected them all to be on the same ring mains ? We also had the front multicore box failed last two times i was there. It just needs a bit of money spent to get it back up to a decent standard again. I think covid hit it quite badly like many venues i guess.

Those road works were there the last time i played there which was not long after covid lifted. Also along the street under the bridge.

Glasgow is becoming very much like most other large cities and just making it difficult to access for gigs. Lot of bands won't play Glasgow or Edinburgh because of it all ULEZ, Bus Lanes, Parking restrictions, roadworks. Jings i've become Victor Meldrew in my old age. "I don't believe it" 

As long as the gig went well for you that's the main thing.

Dave

[woodyratm]

The bus gates around Ivory Blacks are rough. I was down for a weekend away and parked in the NCP down the road from IBs. 
 

Pretty sure i went through a bus gate trying to get out. Saying that, nothing has come through the post yet.

[dmccombe7]

8 minutes ago, woodyratm said:

The bus gates around Ivory Blacks are rough. I was down for a weekend away and parked in the NCP down the road from IBs. 
 

Pretty sure i went through a bus gate trying to get out. Saying that, nothing has come through the post yet.

I think its only during daytime from 7am to 7pm but don't quote me on the times.

Dave

Edited May 20 by dmccombe7

[dodge_bass]

Depped for a pro Pink tribute band at a great venue in Newcastle. Here’s a little headstock footage of the one “bass solo” esque moment plus a rocking end to the song. 

 

 

[Gasman]

By general band member agreement on the night, Mustang Sally's gig on Saturday was 'the worst we've done', but paradoxically the punters loved us and the 80-year old birthday boy whose party it was seemed delighted to hand over the wedge at the end. I've been trying to work out what went wrong to make us feel as we did - we're normally very tight. The venue didn't help - a large sports hall with high ceiling and a solid floor - took ages to get the PA right, by which I mean not feeding back randomly - after a generous 2 hour set-up. Maybe the other thing upsetting our vibe was the over-ambitious inclusion of several new numbers which I'm ashamed to say were under-rehearsed but thrown into the mix on the basis that 'the endings and verse/chorus structures will sort themselves out'. That's a recipe for disaster, as we found out.

 

'Footloose' is a speedy number, but not SR71 Blackbird-on-afterburner fast, leading to a triple- instead of a double-coda then a collapse into a silence that would have gone down a storm in a Trappist monastery. As for 'Money for Nothing' with me on bass+lead vocals, I actually got it all right only to find that after the last verse about banging on the bongos our gitrist had forgotten the need for a final chorus and had gone straight into that riff instead, leaving the rest of us wondering how to stop, but no worries, it just dribbled out like an old guy's piddle in a handy hedge after one too many Mackesons...

 

Perhaps I'm being too hard on us - it was first gig for a month due to cancellations, I was feeling very tired and wobbly due to some meds I'd had to take that day, there's angst about the new PA which some members feel is no improvement on the old one but £4k dearer; in the end I guess it was just another day at the office, to be forgotten as quickly as possible! 

 

 

[Franticsmurf]

12 hours ago, Gasman said:

By general band member agreement on the night, Mustang Sally's gig on Saturday was 'the worst we've done', but paradoxically the punters loved us and the 80-year old birthday boy whose party it was seemed delighted to hand over the wedge at the end. I've been trying to work out what went wrong to make us feel as we did - we're normally very tight. The venue didn't help - a large sports hall with high ceiling and a solid floor - took ages to get the PA right, by which I mean not feeding back randomly - after a generous 2 hour set-up. Maybe the other thing upsetting our vibe was the over-ambitious inclusion of several new numbers which I'm ashamed to say were under-rehearsed but thrown into the mix on the basis that 'the endings and verse/chorus structures will sort themselves out'. That's a recipe for disaster, as we found out.

 

'Footloose' is a speedy number, but not SR71 Blackbird-on-afterburner fast, leading to a triple- instead of a double-coda then a collapse into a silence that would have gone down a storm in a Trappist monastery. As for 'Money for Nothing' with me on bass+lead vocals, I actually got it all right only to find that after the last verse about banging on the bongos our gitrist had forgotten the need for a final chorus and had gone straight into that riff instead, leaving the rest of us wondering how to stop, but no worries, it just dribbled out like an old guy's piddle in a handy hedge after one too many Mackesons...

 

Perhaps I'm being too hard on us - it was first gig for a month due to cancellations, I was feeling very tired and wobbly due to some meds I'd had to take that day, there's angst about the new PA which some members feel is no improvement on the old one but £4k dearer; in the end I guess it was just another day at the office, to be forgotten as quickly as possible! 

 

 

Sometime you can over think things - I am guilty of that and have been the pain-in-the-bottom 'that didn't work and this was too fast and that could be tighter' voice in the van on the way home 😂. Bottom line is they enjoyed, you got paid and the things that didn't work as well are things that can be polished and fixed.

[Franticsmurf]

13 hours ago, dodge_bass said:

Depped for a pro Pink tribute band at a great venue in Newcastle. Here’s a little headstock footage of the one “bass solo” esque moment plus a rocking end to the song. 

 

Ohh, I like that. I'll have to try fixing my GoPro to the headstock next time I play.

 

Nice playing, by the way.

[PaulThePlug]

@dodge_bass... Smile says it all, looks 'n sounds like a blast!

[cheddatom]

The Tivoli in Buckley on Saturday. If you play there and go to the back stage room, you'll notice a little piece of cardboard with the words "Mind your head Tom" written on it perched just above the doorway. That's from last time we played there in November when I walked into the door frame with the top of my skull which sent me to the floor and gave me some dizziness and a lasting headache. Well, I didn't notice, and I did it again, even worse. My head still hurts today! Anyway, I played OK. We were supporting The Men They Couldn't Hang who have a big following, but I reckon there were less than 100 in, which feels pretty empty in "The Tiv" which is a huge room. It was quite reassuring that the crowd for the headline act was basically the same size as for us.

 

Rescue Rooms in Nottingham on Sunday. This is one of my favourite venues to play, just great in every way. It was an early start - doors at 5, we were on at 6, then The Men They Couldn't Hang on at 7, all done for 9pm. The room was packed and we went down really well. Loads of compliments, loads of merch sold etc. so job well done.

 

I thought this photo was cool, even if I do look a bit confused. I'll blame that on the concussion

 

 

[dodge_bass]

43 minutes ago, Franticsmurf said:

Ohh, I like that. I'll have to try fixing my GoPro to the headstock next time I play.

 

Nice playing, by the way.

Thanks! Yup you can get little clamps that just attach on the end. Very useful little things

[WalMan]

13 hours ago, Gasman said:

By general band member agreement on the night, Mustang Sally's gig on Saturday was 'the worst we've done', but paradoxically the punters loved us and the 80-year old birthday boy whose party it was seemed delighted to hand over the wedge at the end. I've been trying to work out what went wrong to make us feel as we did - we're normally very tight. The venue didn't help - a large sports hall with high ceiling and a solid floor - took ages to get the PA right, by which I mean not feeding back randomly - after a generous 2 hour set-up. Maybe the other thing upsetting our vibe was the over-ambitious inclusion of several new numbers which I'm ashamed to say were under-rehearsed but thrown into the mix on the basis that 'the endings and verse/chorus structures will sort themselves out'. That's a recipe for disaster, as we found out.

 

'Footloose' is a speedy number, but not SR71 Blackbird-on-afterburner fast, leading to a triple- instead of a double-coda then a collapse into a silence that would have gone down a storm in a Trappist monastery. As for 'Money for Nothing' with me on bass+lead vocals, I actually got it all right only to find that after the last verse about banging on the bongos our gitrist had forgotten the need for a final chorus and had gone straight into that riff instead, leaving the rest of us wondering how to stop, but no worries, it just dribbled out like an old guy's piddle in a handy hedge after one too many Mackesons...

 

Perhaps I'm being too hard on us - it was first gig for a month due to cancellations, I was feeling very tired and wobbly due to some meds I'd had to take that day, there's angst about the new PA which some members feel is no improvement on the old one but £4k dearer; in the end I guess it was just another day at the office, to be forgotten as quickly as possible! 

 

 

I once came off stage at the end of a first set where I was a long term dep trying to talk a dep drummer through stuff and an utter car wreck of a set to be greeted with “you guys are BRILLIANT “ 🤦🏼‍♂️No accounting for taste. I suppose they must still have been able to discern the songs being murdered 🤷🏼‍♂️🤣

[dmccombe7]

2 hours ago, Franticsmurf said:

Sometime you can over think things - I am guilty of that and have been the pain-in-the-bottom 'that didn't work and this was too fast and that could be tighter' voice in the van on the way home 😂. Bottom line is they enjoyed, you got paid and the things that didn't work as well are things that can be polished and fixed.

Yep must be a bass player thing as i'm the same but i accept that if we go down well and we have a lot of dancing and feedback at the end is good plus we get rebooked then we are doing something right. 

Dave

[Muzz]

It's the curse of pub/covers bands: you play like a bunch of individuals who've never met before and there's punters who loved it, the other side of the coin is a great gig without a note dropped, you're all nodding at each other at the end like the Muppets used to do coming off stage, and no-one in the audience blinks an eye...

[WalMan]

After a difficult week when we lost my mother unexpectedly - saw her Saturday and Sunday morning, leaving her with a cheery “see you next week”, to 9 Sunday evening in A&E talking DNR’s with the doctors 😢 - last night it was a blessed relief to get out to a gig with a great crowd singing and dancing.

 

Sound seemed pretty good though one of the guitarist’s boost setting for solos could probably have done with a bit more.

 

Drummer’s stool broke halfway through a song in the set and he had to finish the night on one of the pub’s chairs as the stool was not repairable.

 

I clearly dug in too hard even with the IEM’s as I have a big old blister on my index finger.

 

https://fb.watch/shD9Bhs2So/?

 

 

[Woodinblack]

11 minutes ago, WalMan said:

After a difficult week when we lost my mother unexpectedly

 

Sorry to hear about your mum.

[JPJ]

Sorry to hear about your loss, losing a parent is never easy, but in this case it sounds like it was quite a shock. Good on you for getting back out there and doing what we all love to do.