HeavyJay

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' post='358229' date='Dec 18 2008, 08:15 PM']Well, I think everyone would (probably) have that little bit of adrenalin and be a little psyched up for it. What I find ,is I'll be a little nervous before gig but after the 2nd song I'm beginning to do lots of silly rock poses forthe rest of gig! However, I do what I was told by my mentor. Have 2 drinks before I go on. No more than that tho'[/quote] I mostly try to just power on through by belting out the singing and generally just rocking out with the playing but it takes me about 6 songs to settle into enjoying it without my knees being a bit knocky and having to force my breaths to be steady.

[quote name='crez5150' post='358211' date='Dec 18 2008, 07:28 PM']Blimey if your not used to it by now perhaps you never will be......... drugs or alcohol is your only hope... [/quote] I drive though, it's a bugger.

I've been playing for 16 years, gigging for probably 12 (not including school bands etc.) and gigging with my current band for about 8 months and I'm stil s****ing myself before tonight's gig! It's the same before every gig! What's wrong with me?

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='356327' date='Dec 16 2008, 08:00 PM']You're not getting worse ... the more you know, the more you recognise your own mistakes and realise how much further there is to go. I've been playing for just three years, so I remember hitting the same thing. My solution was to find some guitarists to jam (quietly) with. Nothing improves your playing like playing with someone else, and nothing boosts your confidence more than discovering that NO ONE else can hear your mistakes![/quote] Couldn't agree more. I reckon that pattern comes with learning anything, you learn something really simple that to your inexperienced mind seems great but as you become more ambitious more groundwork is required to progress. As an example, nearly everyone can play chopsticks on the piano but anything further requires deeper fundamental knowledge. In my opinion this is the point which makes most people quit learning something, if you can push through it, it's onwards and upwards from there. It might even be where the term "beginners luck" comes from[b]*[/b] There's nothing like playing in a band or even just with some other people, it gives you all sorts of skills like keeping rhythm and having to improvise to catch up if you make a mistake. [b] *This is almost certainly untrue[/b]

[quote name='Merton' post='352813' date='Dec 12 2008, 03:40 PM']We don't do obscure songs, as we're there to get the wedding crowd/party crowd on the dancefloor. We'd love to play Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Maiden) or Overture (early Def Leppard) but we'd never get paid at the end of the gig.[/quote] Schoolboy error mate, get the money first!

This just for people who are in cover bands: What is the most usual / obscure song that you play? Please state if it's in your usual set or whether you played it as a request. Ta. I'm in a 50s and 60s cover band and mine is No Depression by the Carter Family.

So with the exception of Jase (with his Phil Collins-like activity), would I be right in thinking that the Christmas gigging pattern seems to be gigs as normal (in inverted commas) up until the last weekend before Chrimble, then nothing until the second weekend in January (ish) with the exception of a new year do (if you're lucky enough to get one)? I'm of course being vague-ish about exact dates.

The band that I'm in are having a bit of a Christmas hiatus from the 20th of December until the 10th of January, just to kick back and chill for a while. We have (probably quite stupidly) turned down about 4 new year's eve gig opps so far, because my wife and I are having a party that night so it is off limits! Fancy dress and everything! Who amongst you is being dedicated to the cause and not letting up the pace over the festive period?

[quote name='Prosebass' post='350605' date='Dec 10 2008, 12:37 PM']A good game to play is with "babelfish" Choose a sentence and translate through 5 languages starting and ending with english , you get some mad outcomes... I know, I need to get out more... [/quote] A new thread topic methinks!

Did a college east / west fashion show many years back, we were the accompaniment music to the "west" bit of it (which we only found out about when we arrived). Pretty dreadful as it was organised by a load of disorganised students, we left after being threatened by some of the locals who'd shown up uninvited. I played a shopping centre in Castleford (Freeport if anyone knows it) under a bizarre tent-like bit of art that gave some crazy acoustics when combined with all the glass fronted shops. Recently played the opening of a support centre for kids with learning disabilities which was surprisingly successful, with the exception of the fact that it didn't have a bar! *gasp*. We had to high-tail it to the local before the set to stock up on Guinness.

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='329692' date='Nov 15 2008, 03:21 PM']I play in a covers band. I've always played in a covers band. Well I played in an originals for a few gigs but I replaced somebody else, so it was still a covers band for me. Anyway, you get to that bit at the end of the night where (yes I know it's cheesy...) the singer intros the band, everybody plays a little solo... except me. I don't have a clue what to play. I've never improvised in any meaningful way or played a solo in my life. Can anybody help me not look like an idiot? [/quote] I used to hate those band intro things. I'd just bang both hands hard on the strings a couple of times if asked. But if you must play something for decorum's sake, Oh Well by Fleetwood Mac is simple and groovy.

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='342767' date='Dec 2 2008, 10:53 AM']HeavyJay - you gotta post a pic mate! I never get this. Maybe I play the wrong venues, maybe I don't look of that persuasion, or maybe I'm just an ugly f***er![/quote] [url="http://www.josephrgannascoli.com/images/CAREER/sopranos/ep0605/snapshot20060417201938.jpg"]Me at a gig[/url] I couldn't resist, Sorry!

[quote name='Wil' post='342741' date='Dec 2 2008, 10:36 AM']Have you considered not wearing a dress?[/quote] With hindsight, the leather cap, bumless chaps and large mustache were a mistake!

I've only been gigging with the 50s and 60s covers band that I'm in since April but a number of times now I've been approached by men assuming that I'm gay. Last Sunday it was a large Glaswegian man who "sometimes goes both ways". Luckily I was saved by my wife popping in as he was being a little persistant. Another memorable one was a young naive looking chap who got his mate to ask me out between sets, I politely declined, gesturing at the prominant wedding ring on my fretting hand (not sure how he didn't notice it as he was sat about 3 feet away from where I was playing ) and spent the following set feeling very uncomfortable as the naive young chap stared unflinchingly at me throughout.

[quote name='BOD2' post='328972' date='Nov 14 2008, 11:29 AM']Have a look here - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=20269&hl=band+lighting"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...l=band+lighting[/url] If you have any questions arising from that then post them here and someone should be able to help.[/quote] Many thanks.

I'm in a 50s and 60s covers band who play pretty small pub and club gigs with the occasional wedding and function thrown in. We're looking to invest in a budget lighting rig as some of our gigs would be greatly enhanced by it. Because we're trying to maintain a fairly authentic look, I'm worried that if I get coloured lights it might look a bit too disco but if I just use white lights, we might be a bit washed out (and possibly a little holy ). My thoughts are to have some lights shining in from each side of the band, some lights either pointing at the drummer or shining up behind him, and some form of light in the faces of the two front-persons, probably from t-bars. Any advice on this would be gratefully received. Thanks to BOD2 for directing me here.

Forgive me if there is already a thread about this, I had a look around and couldn't find one. I've read the article on the wiki about this (http://wiki.basschat.co.uk/info:industry:stage_lighting) but I'm after some more specific advice. Please feel free to share general comments and experience about your own lighting solutions also. I'm in a 50s and 60s covers band who play pretty small pub and club gigs with the occasional wedding and function thrown in. We're looking to invest in a budget lighting rig as some of our gigs would be greatly enhanced by it. Because we're trying to maintain a fairly authentic look, I'm worried that if I get coloured lights it might look a bit too disco but if I just use white lights, we might be a bit washed out. Any advice on this would be gratefully received.

I generally make sure I'm all tuned up (a number of times in an OCD kind of way), definitely go for a whizz and make sure my tie is straight! Other than that, as long as I've got a pint of Guinness next to me I'm good to go! Anyone else want to share their pre-gig rituals? From the mundane to the bizarre, all welcome! I used to know a drummer that needed to do press-ups before going on, drummers eh? Disclaimer: Shamelessly nicked thread idea from the TalkBass.com forum.

[quote name='Mrs Tinman' post='312189' date='Oct 22 2008, 03:29 PM']Can I ask why this would be? I found it a little tricky to start off with due to the difference in size/height off the road from a 'regular' car but I wouldn't be without our Espace now, particularly because of their 'safety' rating (or whatever the correct term is) and the fact that we can fit so much in it. Bit of a b*gger to park though [/quote] You sure can. We don't have any kids (yet ) so the space would be very much surplus to requirements for the most part. She's also quite environmentally conscious so the (inevitable?) extra fuel that an estate or MPV would consume wouldn't sit well with her either. All that coupled with the fact that some of the places she has to park for work are pretty tight starts to make them nonviable. Personally, I'd buy an S-Max or a Shogun or even a Mercedes Vito but I'm not just buying for me!

[quote name='fingerz' post='310017' date='Oct 19 2008, 08:16 PM']I also have an Octavia. Boot is bloody huge so no puttin the seats down for my rig. When you have to leave gear in the car its all covered under the shelf - even if it is for 5 mins while you check logistics of a gig/rehearsal location before unloading. X-long histox bass case will go in the boot. Good boot if you want a saloon shape motor. VW/Audi bits too so runs a dream. Mine's oretty basic inside but economical as you like. Good to read about all the gig wagons on here... Has anyone noticed how our cars are worth about half the value of our bass rigs?! Mint.[/quote] I've been trying to avoid going for enormous estates or MPVs because I think my wife would be a bit embarassed driving one. The Octavia seems like a good compromise that still looks like a normal car but would do the hard case in the boot without seats down job. I've got a friend who drives one so I might do a dimensions test with his!

[quote name='Born 2B Mild' post='309789' date='Oct 19 2008, 01:00 PM']A big difference, I find, in car/bass transportation, is the use of gig bags instead of hard cases. I'll get cases in boots in gig bags where a hard case will not fit. I only use hard cases when my gear is in the band's trailer with all the other gear. In a car. a well padded gig bag is perfectly adequate. I notice in the latest issue of BGM a range of hybrid gig bags that look neat [url="http://www.monocase.com/mono-bass-guitar.asp"]http://www.monocase.com/mono-bass-guitar.asp[/url] I have a compact estate BUT I get my gig rig in the boot WITH the spring-loaded cover pulled across. This included two 35" neck bass guitars in gig bags, plus triple stand, two cabs & amp. But then, I have purposely chosen a lightweight rig (Shuttle & Bergantinos).[/quote] I'm always a bit reluctant to use gig bags because I'm a bit clumsy and keep smacking my bass into steps and walls and door frames etc etc. Sincerely glad of the hard case or I'd have been picking up bits of stingray by now.

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='309749' date='Oct 19 2008, 11:49 AM']Back to the OP - any cars where you can fit a standard sized rectanglular bass car width-wise in the boot? I can get everything I need for a gig (inc PA) into my Audi A4 estate but I can't fit a blimmin bass case on its own in the boot! Edit: I guess most bass players when buying cars ask: "how do you get the seats to fold flat?" [/quote] I have a mk1 focus at the moment and with the seats down it is perfect. Similarly to yourself it fits pretty much nothing in the boot with the seats up. When buying it I took my bass case with me and made the sales guy drop the seats to check dimensions!

Does anyone know of a car that fits a bass (in hard case) in the boot?

[quote name='yorks5stringer' post='300080' date='Oct 5 2008, 07:48 PM']Then just come and see the Idle Hands, dates on this site! [url="http://www.myspace.com/idlehandstrio"]http://www.myspace.com/idlehandstrio[/url][/quote] You need to amend your signature now!