Bluewine Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 On 15/06/2024 at 17:47, Bluewine said: Car Show gig was ok. 11-2. Certainly nothing to write home about. Daryl 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers_Williamson Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 Is that proper Lake Placid Blue? 1 hour ago, Bluewine said: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 On 16/06/2024 at 11:20, SumOne said: My feedback to the band will be that DJs (or at least good ones) read the crowd and play music to keep the dancefloor busy. Likewise, some flexibility in the band setlist would be good. In the now-sadly-defunct covers trio I was in for years, we never had a setlist per se, just a pool of maybe 75 songs we could play on the night, so the singist/geetard/BL could call it as he felt the audience wanted it. He was very, very good at it, too; it's an overlooked skill, and an important one for being all things to all gigs... 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taunton-hobbit Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 11 minutes ago, Muzz said: DJs (or at least good ones) read the crowd And this is the problem with 'prepared' sets (IMO) - it can all turn into a car crash, with the best of intentions - 'they' don't want to hear stuff they don't want to hear (if that makes sense?) 😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 Tis indeed a skill that`s often overlooked. Sometimes, in my bands of yesteryear, I shudder at what people thought were good set-lists, and especially at what people thought were good encores. Sometimes even the arrangements of the setlists were questionable. Being able to work a good set whilst playing is def a skill. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 (edited) In my experience, a blended approach is best. I like to have a set list, and it's carefully thought out and curated. I'm not afraid to change it on the night depending on what happens though. If the police enter the venue for an inspection and we're away to start a new song, you can bet your life that we'll just jump straight into "Breaking the Law", for instance... Also, no-one wants to wait for a committee meeting to come to agreement on the next song. Seen that happen before with bands without set list, cringe. Edited June 19 by neepheid 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 That`s great @neepheid, I`d love to see that happen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 6 minutes ago, Lozz196 said: That`s great @neepheid, I`d love to see that happen Done it a couple of times. One time they knew exactly what we were up to, got a nod from them on their way out 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 44 minutes ago, neepheid said: Also, no-one wants to wait for a committee meeting to come to agreement on the next song. Seen that happen before with bands without set list, cringe. Yep we've had that issue on occasion where the set was too long and we were running out of time to finish for the night. We end up debating what song is dropped. I just stand at the side awaiting a resolve altho sometimes i don't hear what song we're doing next. We now have songs marked on the set list that we will drop for whatever reason. I've already covered the issue of adding more songs to an already long setlist without dropping other songs. Its no wonder we run out of time at the end of the night. I live in hope and dream of the day we stick to 2x1hr sets. Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 (edited) Generally if in the break it looks like we might run long we agree on songs to be dropped in readiness. What does bug me sometimes is one guitarists inability to look up during an encore to agree with nods & mouthing across stage a follow up from the 3 or 4 available on the list. I can be looking across trying to catch his eye for an eternity, before the inevitable debate at the end of the first song to pick a second, instead of keeping the flow going. Our sets have got a lot slicker in recent months. Years ago in originals bands we would always have the first two or three songs of each set queued. In recent years doing covers that had become far less so, but we now have the first 3 or 4 ready to go for each set, but the rest also run pretty tight - to the extent that I normally have a couple of pints of water on stage and used to get through them, but in recent times have been lucky to get a quarter of the way into the first glass Edited June 19 by WalMan spelling 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franticsmurf Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 For years I played in a band whose BL was excellent at reading the audience on the night. While we stuck largely to 'the set', the order often changed and there was a pool of additional songs we could launch into if necessary. He inevitably got it right. But then something changed and he became really bad at reading the audience. There would be noticeable gaps between songs and we'd either end up doing songs from his solo act or from the repertoire of songs he was teaching students at the time. For some reason he got obsessed with playing Sweet Caroline in every set. Nothing wrong with the song as such, but as a Blues Rock band it stood out badly. His justification - they all loved it and anyway someone asked for it. The former excuse was hard to argue against as, inevitably after the juice of the barley had flowed, people would sing along to it. But no one ever requested it within my earshot or eyesight. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 2 hours ago, Lozz196 said: Tis indeed a skill that`s often overlooked. Sometimes, in my bands of yesteryear, I shudder at what people thought were good set-lists, and especially at what people thought were good encores. Sometimes even the arrangements of the setlists were questionable. Being able to work a good set whilst playing is def a skill. For Bluesfire Alex has got quite good at calling it as we go along. We haven't got enough to do that with Bendricks yet, but that's where we plan to get. We pick things up quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 2 hours ago, neepheid said: Also, no-one wants to wait for a committee meeting to come to agreement on the next song. Seen that happen before with bands without set list, cringe. Edited 2 hours ago by neepheid We had a brief debate about the encore last gig. I wanted something dancy (Let's Stick Together) Al wanted purple rain. He said Let's do both and it worked (but lasted 15 minutes... 🤣) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 That's the importance of a BL to call it, usually the singist, and even if the two don't coincide, the person who's singing gets precedence, because we can play all the set anytime (mostly), but the singist will know if their voice is fraying, and will drop something they think is too taxing...it's a truism that the punters listen to the singist the most... No debates on stage, just a call...sometimes, if the song had a guitar intro, the BL would just start playing it... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dclaassen Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 I always appreciate some kind of heads-up…either calling/announcing the next song or a guitar intro. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluewine Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 On 19/06/2024 at 03:10, Piers_Williamson said: Is that proper Lake Placid Blue? Now that you mention it , it does look very Fender Lake Placid Blue. Daryl 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluewine Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 This Saturday we're playing Strawberry Fest. Sponsored by C.Weislers. Huge event with lots of walk by traffic. We start at 2:00. There will be a covered stage. Dep drummer, no rehearsal with him. We'll be winging it. I need this gig money. I have property taxes due on 7/31. Daryl 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluewine Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 On 19/06/2024 at 08:42, WalMan said: Generally if in the break it looks like we might run long we agree on songs to be dropped in readiness. What does bug me sometimes is one guitarists inability to look up during an encore to agree with nods & mouthing across stage a follow up from the 3 or 4 available on the list. I can be looking across trying to catch his eye for an eternity, before the inevitable debate at the end of the first song to pick a second, instead of keeping the flow going. We've been playing a lot of the same stuff for over 15 years. However, our material is pretty much wide open. And we never play anything the same twice. I posted a video of us performing Neil Young's " Ohio". We've been playing it for years but not like the video. It was basically a jam format. When it works it's very cool. When it doesn't it's a drag. Daryl 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Smalls Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 Just done my "blues jam" in the local church... We were meant to noodle for 1/2 hour to get other folk to come along and play too but ended up doing 2 hours. A bloke joined in on harmonica too so it all worked quite well despite every "song" being based on a groove I started. We even managed a little blues guitary version of Sylvester's "Do Ya wanna Funk", which is probably one of the only times it's ever been played in a church! Used the ACG into Helix/BBE pre/DBX comp/Crown Power/Markbass 2x10, sounded funky... 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 Our Fête de la Musique passed off rather better than we had feared, given the level of information and organisation experienced beforehand. The town square parking, just in front of the Mairie had been cordoned off; we learned that we should show up at 14h00. I collected the Trafic we'd been lent, we loaded up at 13h00 and were well on time, to find that the 'stage' (a curtain-side trailer...) was due at 15h00. In the end, and in view of other timing issues, we decided to set up on the pavement, and leave the 'stage' to the other group, supposed to arrive at 17h00. Meanwhile, a 'boom-boom' disco DJ was set up in front of us, on his own little trailer, and spend the next couple of hours blasting out '1...1...1...1...' Big Beat disco stuff, more appropriate (if ever such stuff could be so called...) for a midnight 'after-rave' party for sozzled ado's on the beach. Once the noise came to an end, the other group arrived, loaded into the 'stage', and spent half an hour doing a sound check, from a tablet. That finished, we were asked to start; it was now 20h00, and the bright, almost hot, sun had become overcast, with even a slight chill. Never mind, we played our set (cut down to be under an hour, as we no longer have a second guitar...). Well received and applauded, all were happy with our prestation, but I found that 'in-ears' are fine for hearing my own drums (e-kit through a laptop running Superior Drummer 3...), but the acoustic isolation removed 'live' feedback from my fellow musicians. Next time, I'll either use 'open' 'phones, or set up a drum monitor fixed to the rack. Lesson learned. With our shorter set, I had energy enough to get through (the repertoire is made up of 'energy' numbers, followed by 'recovery' ones...). We finished, and packed away the gear into the van whilst the other group roared into life. I was able to carefully edge the van through the crowd (lots of kids running around, having a great time...) and got a passage though the barriers to drive home. We unloaded just in time before it started to rain; the lads went back to continue the fête and I made myself comfortable back in my armchair. Altogether positive; could have been better, but I'll take the modest win. It was heartening to see the townsfolk enjoying the occasion, helping out with erecting the marquees for the barbecues, filling the pavements with customers for the bars and cafés, the whole town enjoying a simple village fête. That's what makes it worthwhile. 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyb625 Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 A local one for us, playing at a tea room (yeah, we're that rock and roll). Still, the audience enjoyed it and hopefully the link below works... https://www.instagram.com/stories/knutsfordtearoom/3396275720256766434?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igsh=MWhoa2I4a2ZsNnFyaA== 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 Saturday night was a wedding, very definitely NOT our usual gig as a rock covers band but the couple had come to see us and knew what they were getting. A cross section of ages but we’re old, so… Got in and set up. Not a huge room and I was worried that it would get loud. Thankfully it stayed under reasonable control and sound was sorted reasonably quickly with no sound check. The good thing was it wasn’t just the bride and groom getting into it and we had a good to excellent response all night. Lots if dancing and singing and ended up running over with a number of ‘encores’. singer from one of my function deps was effusive about our vocalist and how tight it all was, which was nice. Also funny to watch a couple of younger guys in their glad rags stood mouths agape at the widdly harmony guitar solo in Final Countdown 🤣 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StingRayBoy42 Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 9 minutes ago, WalMan said: Saturday night was a wedding, very definitely NOT our usual gig as a rock covers band but the couple had come to see us and knew what they were getting. Sounds a lot like my gig last weekend - glad it went well! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted June 23 Share Posted June 23 6 hours ago, Dad3353 said: Our Fête de la Musique passed off rather better than we had feared ... I've just learned the tragic news that J, the key organiser of the events of yesterday's fête, hung himself last night, and died. No idea as to why; those that finished the evening with him remarked nothing untoward; he was extremely active and engaged with the day's activities, which all went off smoothly. Maybe more forthcoming in the next day or two, from those closer to him, but, for now, a complete mystery, and, of course, one heck of a 'downer' for all who knew him. For my part, I can't even begin to imagine what could possibly have brought this on; I, with many others, spent most of the day with him, setting up and enjoying the fête. We are all shocked, and deeply saddened. Damn and blast..! 1 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyb625 Posted June 23 Share Posted June 23 Very sad. My condolences to all affected. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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