How was your gig last night?

[scalpy]

Bit of a dull gig last night. 40th birthday party, again, in an echo-y barn (again again again) and no one listened to us the first set at all. Everyone went outside to watch the rodeo bull shenanigans they put on the same time. Bit of a crowd the second half, but the venue is a cider factory and it was quite clear birthday boy was only interested in getting absolutely plastered, and his speech at the start of the 2nd set clearly indicated he was doing a good job in that respect. 
 

Then on to today’s adventure, band call 2 for footloose. Starting to manage to rein in the md and excitable drummer with the tempos. Not playing my finest but too tired from day job. A couple of notable moments, after the rehearsal we head down to the pit, being a former municipal swimming pool is was formerly the deep end. The recent weather meant it was trying to return to its former role. And our beloved md, forever tinkering with the drum part, adding triangle here, cowbell there, (yes we all said it) asked the drummer to do a suspended cymbal roll and a fill at the same time.  When the drummer replied he wouldn’t for the same effect with regular sticks the md asked- ‘do you have any double enders?’ Many double entendres followed. 

[Stub Mandrel]

On 19/10/2024 at 16:38, StingRayBoy42 said:

O'Neills Solihull tonight with the Saturday night covers band, usually a really good gig... fingers crossed!

 

I recently heard O'Neills are cancelling loads of gigs

[StingRayBoy42]

36 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

I recently heard O'Neills are cancelling loads of gigs

 

It wouldn't surprise me.

 

Shame, they're always really good gigs.

 

[Muzz]

A largely unheeded double over the weekend, which always tends towards a slump of the shoulders, but hey, we got paid. Friday night was in one of those increasingly rare pubs which are focused on live music (decent in-house PA, lights, small stage), which meant the load-in and -out was a Personal Gear Only delight, especially for me with just a rucksack full of Stomp/leads and my Mono. Sadly the crowd hadn't got the message (tho it was a grim and dreich night up in Darwen; even I didn't want to leave the house, and I was getting paid) and we played to a handful in the music side of the pub, while another handful of punters lurked around the bar side. The place was apparently open till 2:30am, so it may well have gone bonkers at 12:30, but by that time I was back on the road home. That evening's Pisht Mitherer was an older bloke who very very much wanted In The Ghetto, and seemed to think that by asking every ten minutes we'd suddenly all learn it by some kind of osmosis... The landlord (also a sound engineer, apparently) liked us enough to re-book us, and offered us a spot in next year's festival, so there's that.

 

Saturday was a chi-chi bar in a converted mill, up two flights of stairs, this one with the D drummer, so I had a multi-tasking shift on playing, singing and keeping him on tempo, task, and starting and stopping within a bar or so of the rest of us. Bloody draining, is what it is. It's one of those transitional places (we were packing up by half eleven, most people had moved on) where people come in (notably gangs of half a dozen ladies) to meet for a drink or two and then go somewhere else so there's very little chance of any engagement with the crowd - I say crowd, but it's a very big room with lots of booths, so the 25-30 average of people were very widely spaced. Then there's the stairs to be tackled at the end of the night, too...again, though, we got paid, and it wasn't a super-late one.

 

Next weekend is the Monthly Mither of the very lairy place on Friday (just for once I'd like to do a gig there without the 5-0 making an appearance; it's been three on the trot now), but then a private gig with the old trio on the Saturday, so that'll be a nice change.

Edited October 21 by Muzz

[cheddatom]

Stockton on Friday night. This is a fair old drive from Stoke. I'm not sure if I've fully ranted about our van #vantanamo on here before but it is absolute torture. Any other 6ft members here forced to endure a Transit Custom? Anyway this was a killer journey. We went straight to a premier inn to get keys and drop off bags. When we parked up the roadie flipped out. Apparently no-one told him we were staying over in Stockton so he'd not brought any toiletries or clothes! 🤣

 

The gig was at NE Volume Music Bar which is pretty cool. Stockton looked a little dire (and I'm from Stoke) so I didn't wander around town. A lovely rider of home made veg curry and an assortment of snacks and beers. The room was pretty full when we went on and they seemed to know all the words. Such a great feeling to be able to do this so far away from home! We played 1hr 30. It was incredibly warm on stage and I was fully soaked. I drank 2 litres of water and 660ml of Punk IPA on stage. I had a pint of beer after the set, then another after the load out. Too much information perhaps but I didn't need the bathroom until we got to the hotel! I was starting to get very worried but I guess I sweated all that out! 

 

One for The Road festival at Fulford Arms in York on Saturday night. A shorter 45 minute set at this one. I was cajoled into using the house drum kit again. I need to remember why I usually refuse. The hi-hat stand was basically broken and the bass drum wouldn't stay still. Terrible sound after a rushed line check. This is all stuff that would ruin my night years ago but we're so used to it now. We smashed the set and went down really well, although I don't think there was anyone there who wasn't already a fan. Long drive back to Stoke got me to bed at 2AM Sunday morning

[taunton-hobbit]

10 minutes ago, cheddatom said:

 I'm not sure if I've fully ranted about our van #vantanamo on here before but it is absolute torture. Any other 6ft members here forced to endure a Transit Custom?

 

Don't know they're born, these modern kids - I used to get Chris Squire, his bass kit (2 speakers), most of the drum kit & some other bits in the back of a mini van (bass drum on passenger seat, natch. ........

 

😎

[cheddatom]

15 minutes ago, taunton-hobbit said:

Don't know they're born, these modern kids - I used to get Chris Squire, his bass kit (2 speakers), most of the drum kit & some other bits in the back of a mini van (bass drum on passenger seat, natch. ........

 

😎

 

The old transit was fine. This "upgrade" has all sorts of tech under the front seats. If you sit in the back, you can't get your feet under the front seat. If you sit in the front and there's no-one next to you, you can just about fit on an angle. Unfortunately I have either the bassist or the front man sat in the tiny middle seat to my right. My shoulders touch the window and my fellow passengers' shoulder. My feet are jammed against the bulkhead and my left knee is crushed against a cup holder. I am quite a big guy. It only takes 45 minutes for my knees to start hurting, then it's my hips, then my upper back cramps up. Stockton on Friday was 4.5 hours on the motorway. with one stop. This is why I call it Vantanamo

[Huge Hands]

9 minutes ago, cheddatom said:

 

The old transit was fine. This "upgrade" has all sorts of tech under the front seats. If you sit in the back, you can't get your feet under the front seat. If you sit in the front and there's no-one next to you, you can just about fit on an angle. Unfortunately I have either the bassist or the front man sat in the tiny middle seat to my right. My shoulders touch the window and my fellow passengers' shoulder. My feet are jammed against the bulkhead and my left knee is crushed against a cup holder. I am quite a big guy. It only takes 45 minutes for my knees to start hurting, then it's my hips, then my upper back cramps up. Stockton on Friday was 4.5 hours on the motorway. with one stop. This is why I call it Vantanamo

As a teenager I remember doing a gig in Stockton in the early 90's (we only lived in Gateshead so it wasn't that far).  We borrowed a Sherpa van (the smallest one).   I was in the middle seat, but even at 15 I was already my current 6'3".   I think my Dad was our roadie on that gig so drove the van, but for him to change gear I had to sit diagonally with my feet in the passenger footwell and the bass player sat in the passenger seat next to me with his feet on the dashboard all the way.  He was about 15 years older than me and a serving police officer, so I figured we'd be ok with that configuration if stopped, (but not so good if in a wreck).  Thankfully we didn't but it was a challenge even for that short distance.....  

 

Wouldn't get away with it now. 

[Ed_S]

Very rare dep gig for me on Saturday; a private birthday party at a village hall, playing a drummer-less acoustic-ish mix of covers and the band's originals. The audience seemed mostly disinterested, and somebody had brought along a pogo stick to entertain the children so the entire set was accompanied by a sound not dissimilar to an industrial stapler... sadly not in time with the music. In any case, I was happy with how I played and kinda enjoyed the novelty and general stupidity of the whole situation, plus I was ferried door to door and given a big block of chocolate as a thank you. One of their singers seemed quite keen to do some more acoustic stuff and said she'd be in touch, which would be fantastic if it actually happened as she's got a great voice.

[Leonard Smalls]

46 minutes ago, Huge Hands said:

Wouldn't get away with it now. 

Back in the day most of the band were in the back with no seats, just lying on top of the cabs...

That wasn't so bad if we were in our usual roadie's hand painted black transit cos at least you could see out of the windscreen and the cabs were a handy flat surface to roll up on...

But we once had a gig in Bournemouth and had to hire a van. The only one available was a Transit Luton so being in the back was a bit rubbish, especially as it took 3 hours from London with absolutely no clue where we were or ability to speak to the two lucky souls in the front!

[dmccombe7]

25 minutes ago, Leonard Smalls said:

Back in the day most of the band were in the back with no seats, just lying on top of the cabs...

That wasn't so bad if we were in our usual roadie's hand painted black transit cos at least you could see out of the windscreen and the cabs were a handy flat surface to roll up on...

But we once had a gig in Bournemouth and had to hire a van. The only one available was a Transit Luton so being in the back was a bit rubbish, especially as it took 3 hours from London with absolutely no clue where we were or ability to speak to the two lucky souls in the front!

Happy Days 

Dave

[Dad3353]

1 hour ago, Leonard Smalls said:

Back in the day most of the band were in the back with no seats, just lying on top of the cabs...

That wasn't so bad if we were in our usual roadie's hand painted black transit cos at least you could see out of the windscreen and the cabs were a handy flat surface to roll up on...

But we once had a gig in Bournemouth and had to hire a van. The only one available was a Transit Luton so being in the back was a bit rubbish, especially as it took 3 hours from London with absolutely no clue where we were or ability to speak to the two lucky souls in the front!

 

Luxury. 'Back then', our 'tour bus' was an Ariel Square Four; we had to run alongside, each with an element of the drum kit tied with shoelaces to our backs, swerving around the telegraph poles, in t'rain, with no shoes, from Norwich to Cardiff, most week-ends. 

 

...

 

 

[Huge Hands]

1 hour ago, Leonard Smalls said:

Back in the day most of the band were in the back with no seats, just lying on top of the cabs...

That wasn't so bad if we were in our usual roadie's hand painted black transit cos at least you could see out of the windscreen and the cabs were a handy flat surface to roll up on...

But we once had a gig in Bournemouth and had to hire a van. The only one available was a Transit Luton so being in the back was a bit rubbish, especially as it took 3 hours from London with absolutely no clue where we were or ability to speak to the two lucky souls in the front!

Ha ha, I actually meant we wouldn't get away with sitting in those positions for a journey now in terms of cramp and DVT, but I know what you mean!

[cetera]

I depped for the 1st time with the fantastic Duran Duran/Spandau Ballet tribute show 'From Gold To Rio' at Market Drayton theatre on Saturday night. Great band, soooooooo much fun and basslines that kept me concentrating for the full 2 hours!

 

Looking forward to my next dep with them in December now!

[BigRedX]

In the late 80s the band transport was an ex-coal board minibus with benches down each side in the back. All the gear went in the space between them and those unlucky enough not to be able to sit in the front (usually myself and the drummer) spent most of the journey sliding up and down the benches as we went round each corner. Also since everything in the back was on display someone always had to be in the van whenever we stopped for food and toilet breaks.

[casapete]

Couple of gigs at the weekend.

 

Friday night was playing at a wedding with the blues band - I know, I couldn’t quite get it either.

Venue was a nice country hotel that I’ve done many times before in my old function outfit. 
Arrived in good time to find another band soundchecking, hadn’t realised they were on as well.

Good thing though, as it meant we could set up in front of them, play an hour as guests arrived

and then quick pack down and out. We played the more commercial stuff in our repertoire and

actually got a few up dancing, but it was a bit of a  strange situation - the bride and groom are

fans of ours so they called the shots on who they wanted I guess. I used my Precision Lyte

into the Rumble 500 combo, and it was fine as usual. We got packed down fairly quickly,

and then myself and the drummer availed ourselves of the rather nice hot buffet whilst 

listening to the function band. Home by just gone 10pm so not too shabby. 
 

Sunday evening was another of our trips up to Scarborough with the acoustic duo to play at

The Lookout cafe bar on the pier in the harbour. Weather was great despite storm warnings,

and another full house at the venue including an old friend who sometimes joins us on

bigger gigs playing keys. Usual request format , with standout tunes being some jazz

standards ( All the way, Moon River and They can’t take that away from me ), our version

of ‘Green Onions’ (which I’m unsure that the requestee knew was a Hammond organ feature),

and finished up with some Floyd - ‘Wish you were here’ into ‘Another brick in the wall’.

Another enjoyable evening, and we return there in a couple of weeks. 😊

 

 

[leschirons]

7 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

 

Luxury. 'Back then', our 'tour bus' was an Ariel Square Four; we had to run alongside, each with an element of the drum kit tied with shoelaces to our backs, swerving around the telegraph poles, in t'rain, with no shoes, from Norwich to Cardiff, most week-ends. 

 

...

 

 

Ariel Square four? You were spoilt rotten. 1968? Ford Thames van? Two seats? We were a trio! I had to sit on the engine cover in the middle!! Arse already on fire when we arrived at every gig!!!!!

[Gasman]

Have you ever been to Marnhull? Have you even heard of it? Before I joined this band I hadn’t, but there’s an RBL club there in deepest North Dorset, and we’ve gigged there regularly, most recently being last Saturday. Its location is down a country back-road in the middle of nowhere so there aren’t any noise problems, but this time there were many ‘road’ (eg lane) closures for repair, and rumours of severe flooding in the area were rife.

 

Anyway, I got there with no trouble and we set up in good time for a band chat and a few bevies before kick-off at 8.30. At this point the club organiser decided to alter our timings from 8.30-9.30 + 10.00- 11.00 to 8.30 – 10.00 and 10:15 – 11:30 so more raffle tickets could be sold, I think. After an exchange of views (especially as it’s the lowest-paying gig we do) we agreed to shift everything to the right by 15 minutes as a compromise, sticking to 2 x 1 hour sets.

 

That said, the club is in a very up-together building with great acoustics, enthusiastic dancers and (amazingly) a nice green-room right next to the stage area, letting me change into my ska hat and shades out of sight before my sax set.

 

I’m currently using the Squier Mustang bass procured from @WoodinBlack of this parish for the first set, replete with flats, changing to my H-B Mustang-a-like with rounds for the stompy second set; amp is AG700 with a Darkglass 212N 1000w cab and Nux radio link. For the saxoholics, I use my least-valuable but ear-splitting 1969 Conn 10m Tenor with Nux radio mic to ponce about with out on the dance-floor.

 

In the end it was an enjoyable evening, with our drummer’s young teenage grandson playing ‘Wipeout’ with us to open the second set. It was his first ever public performance and that’s a real drum workout – kudos to him!

 

My Satnav has an obsession with back-roads, so it decided to send me home via lord-knows-where to get onto a main road. This is bandit country, total darkness, no houses, and as it happened some prodigious flooding lurking around 90-degree bends, which had drowned several small saloon cars. Fortunately, the Jeep Cherokee once again justified its £710 road tax and got me through, no problem!

 

Pix are of the stage setup pre-start with our lady singist checking the set-list, and then a long view of the hall with our promo poster!

[Bluewine]

10 hours ago, Ed_S said:

The audience seemed mostly disinterested.

 

That's the hardest pill for me to swallow.  It's usually when we book gigs at venues that don't really have that live music loving  clientle .

 

Daryl

[Ed_S]

39 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

 

That's the hardest pill for me to swallow.  It's usually when we book gigs at venues that don't really have that live music loving  clientle .

 

Daryl

 

Yeah, it's a tough one for sure. I'd like to think that some of a performance like that still lands with the audience and perhaps gets reflected on in favourable terms after the fact, but without question it can be dispiriting in the here-and-now when it's happening to you on stage. Because I was personally having fun playing with some different people in a style that I really enjoy but rarely get to take out, I was still fully invested in keeping the energy in the performance, even in the face of general apathy. If I get a call to do some more (hopefully in a more suitable venue with a more appreciative crowd and fewer pogo sticks) then we'll know it helped to sugar the pill.

[asingardenof]

10 hours ago, Bluewine said:

 

That's the hardest pill for me to swallow.  It's usually when we book gigs at venues that don't really have that live music loving  clientle .

 

Daryl

It's what makes performing at some WMCs a bit hit or miss. If they have a mixed crowd then it can be a good night; if their membership is of the more elderly persuasion then if we haven't brought our own enthusiastic crowd then it's effectively a paid rehearsal even if the room is full.

[Gasman]

Addendum to my post above - just received a pic of me being a saxonob again, complete with hat and shades, band's playing 'Geno'. Our gitrist is a teacher, and obviously agrees that 'academic inspiration, I gave him none..."

 

Edited October 22 by Gasman
more info added

[Bluewine]

Big Gig this weekend.  Maple Road is headlining The Bend Theatre.  That means we get the big catered dressing room. 

 

Daryl

[ezbass]

3 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

That means we get the big catered dressing room. 

Sweet!

[scalpy]

Further to recent posts about preparing for this week’s run of shows, a quick update. The pit, having dried out for the time being is fully operational but a tad dark. Using the iPad for the part means I’m not getting the same view of the fretboard so have made some rudimentary fret markers….

 

Meanwhile the md’s tempos continue to be excitable- the indicated bpm for the last song in the first act is 144, the guitarist measured it as 178. The dancers on stage must exhausted.