Finally joining the 'covers/function' scene

[Musicman20]

Ive had a good chat with the band after using my Sansamp BDDI with very little grit just through the PA. and they were impressed.

They even asked if I wanted to try just DI'ing at gigs and using the quality monitors to save on taking yet another rig (although my TC RS212 would be a decent smallish one cab solution).

The Tech 21 VT Bass Deluxe is looking like a very good idea now!

Edited March 15, 2010 by Musicman20

[Malc62]

[quote name='Bilbo' post='770365' date='Mar 10 2010, 01:42 PM']Don't play 'Mustang Sally' [/quote]

And think twice about "Angels".

If you're on the wedding circuit, make sure you have either a dress suit or an outlandish band uniform so that you don't look as if you've just walked in off the street.

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='Malc62' post='775563' date='Mar 15 2010, 07:23 PM']And think twice about "Angels".[/quote]

5 or so years ago you HAD to play Angels at most of our gigs. Now no one wants it, and in fact we had it written in to our of our contracts that we wouldn't play it.
Same with any Robbie stuff really.

[Conan]

[quote name='Musicman20' post='772953' date='Mar 12 2010, 04:56 PM']Ah yes: Snagsby Band Links in my signature [/quote]

Christ man! They're based in SUNDERLAND!!!!

Still, if they venture this far north I'll pop along and heckle you!!

Edited March 15, 2010 by Conan

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Conan' post='775577' date='Mar 15 2010, 07:33 PM']Christ man! They're based in SUNDERLAND!!!! [/quote]
I'm glad you brought it up first. ha ha.

I'm sure they're lovely lads.

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='775584' date='Mar 15 2010, 07:36 PM']I'm sure they're lovely lads. [/quote]

How sure?

[wateroftyne]

I'm being diplomatic.

[Musicman20]

Hhaha.

We definitely do not play Mustang Sally or any Robby.

[Bigwan]

[quote name='Musicman20' post='775103' date='Mar 15 2010, 12:04 PM']The Tech 21 VT Bass Deluxe is looking like a very good idea now![/quote]


+1 to that! The least gear you can get away with in a covers band the better IMO. Use the PA, keep stage volume down (because punters will want to talk to you mid song and get annoyed when you don't listen/can't hear!), walk in and, more importantly, out at the end of the night with your 'rig' in one hand.

Any ETA on the VT deluxe I wonder...

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='Bigwan' post='775952' date='Mar 16 2010, 08:33 AM']walk in and, more importantly, out at the end of the night with your 'rig' in one hand.......[/quote]

.....and get black looks from your band mates when you go and sit in the car while they carry the rest of the back line and PA out lol.

My one trip rig is pointless as well all carry whatever needs carrying, and thats everything. In fact even my quick setup is wasted as i then have to do something else rather than go to the bar.
Bloody guitarists with their 2 amps and 3 guitars each :-(

Edited March 16, 2010 by dave_bass5

[JTUK]

too true...
I used to have 4 items and set-up was a doodle..in 10 mins from car to playing.

Now we (I) want to do things properly and have a rehearsal regime and all... and the stuff we carry...FFS..!!!
Still, the extra effort is worth it and everyone chips in.

We like the money but it isn't about that... been there, done that and got thoroughly pissed off with it, to the point where I put the bass down for about 18 months and turned down ALL gigs. I'll want to avoid that again..

[dave_bass5]

Yeah, as long as everyone chips in its not so bad. Its when one person decides he has to go to the toilet for 30mins while its all getting done that annoys me. Especially as im done in a 5 mins myself.

I must admit i tend to back off carrying any guitarist related stuff these days if i can. Happy to carry the PA etc because we all use it but no one, other than the drummer, has ever taken my gear out to the car. And its the lightest.

I guess that leads nicely in to the fact that you all have to get on in a band etc etc.
Luckily we all do to a certain extent. We have fun and do enjoy most of the gigs. If its a crappy social club we make the best of it. Even if the gigs not going well we have a laugh between sets (or even between songs, and that hacks me off ;-)

End of the day i'm now playing covers for the money. If I didnt get paid I probably wouldn't do it but personally i would feel the same about originals as well.
Im in my 40's and have spent a lot of money over the years, and wasted a lot of time. Ive never wanted to really make it big time, ive always valued a steady income from a day job but have always enjoyed gigging. Now its nice to be getting some of that money back, doing what i enjoy and playing songs i enjoy, and that include Mustang Sally.

[JTUK]

Yeah... now I am back and refreshed I am willing to chip in and get what needs to be done, done... and thankfully so do the others, also, drummers haven't clue about PA and lights and stuff..so I don't carry his trap

Reading some of the stories here, I guess my band is lucky... 4 of us get on great and are on the same wavelenght in what we want to do and how etc..the drummer we pulled in from another scene so he sometimes doesn't get what we are doing, but he plays great and is a good lad so all is forgiven. How this would be someway down the line, I don't know, but by that time, we'll pay him what he needs and so he can then make his choice. To be fair, I think he needs the money apsect of it more than we do..we want to do it right, for us..that is, but as it is going so well, we don't want to mess it up...

Everyone has been round the block few times...nobody has to make it too hard. The least a band should expect is that everyone does what they say they will do...if you don't have what you want agreed, then 'misunderstandings' can happen.

[Musicman20]

I can definitely say this is a positive experience.

My playing has come on more than I imagined in the past month! Thats from playing 2-3 times a week for a few hours and trying to play every track fingerstyle. 1 year ago my plec skills were very very good, and my finger skills were a little weak.

Now my fingerstyle has really come on, in so much that I am starting to prefer it with certain types of music. It 'feels' better for some reason, especially with those fingerfunk style tracks.

I have also started to roll off tone on my P's about 1/3-1/3, which I never did before. Last night I really wanted my flats on the bass just to have that perfect P thump, but Im waiting for the stock Fender strings to wear out first.

The stock strings are a higher gauge to what I am used to, so no doubt when I stick my TIs or a set of lower gauge DR stainless strings on, Ill be even quicker than I thought.

Those lessons I had when I was 13/14/15 are paying off.