dave_bass5 Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 Guys This summer we started playing holiday camps in the south east mainly and what a change its made to the WMC's we have done for way too long. For some reason my main band hasn't had a lot of weddings this year so we have been stuck in the WMC's and we all know what that means. A couple of the camps have been pretty bad as far as audience goes. half empty places. i guess thats the trend now but its nice not having to pack up at the end of the night for a 2 hour drive home. We've seen some sights as well. Good fun but its annoying being introduced as "tonight's cabaret" We played Rockley Sands in Dorset on Sat. first time there and we had to take our vocal PA as their systems not working properly. We were worried we wouldnt be loud enough but we had a great sound though and even though its a hollow stage i found i had to turn down to 3 on the master otherwise i was too loud but it was never boomy. We all agreed it was one of the best rooms we had played in. It holds about 650 i believe but we were playing quiet and when i walked to the back of the room the sound was still loud and clear. so, anyone else doing these sort of gigs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 (edited) Blimmey , how things have changed....! When i used to play at holiday camps [in the days of Dick Turpin] Musicians used to bang on about how many campers they had shagged that week...[or at least girls] Or how many bottles of nasty cheap cider they had necked the night before [or even that lunchtime] How good the sound was...? nah...never came into it. But it was good fun....36 week season's...7 days a week...! And after that straight off to Dubai for a winter season in the sun.. I think for young Bassists comming through...a season at a camp is good experiance and a good way of getting your ears and your chops together.. This could become a interesting thread...life at the camps. Garry Edited November 14, 2007 by lowdown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted November 14, 2007 Author Share Posted November 14, 2007 I don't think i could stand a season. Its not the camps. spending that long with the band would drive me nuts ;-) we are very new to this, only done 7 this year (all in our late 30's early 40's so not new to gigging) and i think it would be very soul destroying doing more than a few at a time but we have enjoyed them. I look forward to hearing the stories as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synaesthesia Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 [quote name='dave_bass5' post='88355' date='Nov 14 2007, 12:43 PM']I don't think i could stand a season. Its not the camps. spending that long with the band would drive me nuts ;-) we are very new to this, only done 7 this year (all in our late 30's early 40's so not new to gigging) and i think it would be very soul destroying doing more than a few at a time but we have enjoyed them. I look forward to hearing the stories as well.[/quote] I don't have a band that does this but I've depped a bit at Holiday camps. Hard to work the crowds, and when you have to play to a bunch of 3 year olds and the song is "It's raining men" and the singer's going "Girls, you are going to get wet now...." it all gets a tad surreal. If you treat it as paid work and you are not looking for re-affirmation of self esteem, they are nice welcome breaks for me. The again I don't do it week in week out. But if you have to then it's a job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB1 Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 (edited) MB1. The Camp with the difference,never mind the weather,when you come to Tommys,the holidays forev v v v v v v v v ver!.........................WELCOME! Edited November 14, 2007 by MB1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 We've had the misfortune to play at a couple of holiday camps fairly recently, albeit fairly involuntarily. Awful, awful crapholes. Better than WMCs? Maybe, but I avoid them like the plague too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted November 14, 2007 Author Share Posted November 14, 2007 I must admit none of these places would be my choice for a holiday and i get the impression a lot of the people there feel the same. We just feel that is more of a social thing for us. Normally the drivers cant drink, we pack up at the end of a gig and drive home. with the camps we can all have a few drinks and just leave the gear set up until the morning. we always get a caravan (and they are nice ones so far) so we can sit around and chill out. plus the playing time is quite a bit shorter than what we would do at the WMC's. And yes, there have been a few times where we could have lived the RnR dream if you know what i mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 My thoughts at this distance, since I did a season with a band who filled in for the main bands night off mid week, are that it was hard work mainly because for us it involved a long travel, load in, play, late finish, load out & travel home in the early hours & having to get up a cople of hours later to go to the day job. Otherwise, for what we were doing it was just another very regular gig with the audience changing every couple of weeks. I do remember hanging around watching the stupid games played about halfway through the evening by the punters. This regularly involved one where two couples had to pretend the dance floor was an alligator filled swamp and the only way across was to build a bridge with their clothes. It was particularly memorable the evening a very nicely proportioned female redcoat who was leaving joined in to help out a chap who couldn't get a partner to join in with him. Instead of the usual half hearted attempt that generally managed to get about half way across with a t shirt, a couple of pairs of socks and perhaps a pair of jeans before it ground to a halt we were treated that night to the sight of the two of them getting across the dance floor in seconds flat pretty much ripping clothes off each other & standing proud & starkers Happy days for a bunch of younger (in those days) old pervs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outsider70 Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 I spend the summer months playing in the camps, we have a great time! Normally do 3-4 in a row and then return home until the next weekend! I treat it as a job, and try to stay out of the way backstage cos theres too many hyper kids running riot, and too many moody star struck entertaiment staff!! Through the winter months we do the WMC stuff, not half as much fun. Roll on summer!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 [quote name='dave_bass5' post='88355' date='Nov 14 2007, 12:43 PM'].... don't think i could stand a season. Its not the camps. spending that long with the band would drive me nuts....[/quote] Try 9 months! A long time ago, I played the American airbases in Germany. 5 x 3/4hr sets a night, 6 on Friday and Saturday with Sunday off. It certainly gets your chops and stamina together. The R&R was pretty good too! All in all, a great time.... (wistful expression)!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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