dontregartha

So this was the Friday before our Silverstone gig - the regular Band 'Tess and the Durbevilles opening at Chilfest' <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=316&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ftessandthedurbervilles%2Fvideos%2F822316595421654%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="316" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>

I'm in discussions with Yamaha (Ampeg's distributor via the dealer) so will let you know. For the record I got it out today and thrashed the crap out of it and it was ok... but on a gig??

"our set list? - yes mate - its in the car... i'll get it in a minute" then avoid him all evening. DJs always nick your set.

Thanks Dave - Its what Bass was invented for! 😀

Silverstone Woodlands campground in the big top tent VIDEO-2022-07-02-23-57-31.mp4

Well I'm asking for my money back

Sorry to be a party pooper, but I have an RB210 and it's a complete dog. Twice now its packed up on me - once on a pub gig where the output just quit - the repairers replaced the speakers under warranty. And on Saturday on the biggest gig in recent times on the Big Top stage at Silverstone Woodlands F1 campground - I loaded it in plugged in my Pbass and got crackly farts. Had to DI last minute. I need something I can rely on. I get that they will fix the stuff under warranty, but do I need to carry a back up to every gig?

I have one of these. It failed on a gig - just cut out intermittently. Sent it back for warranty repair - it needed new speakers. Got it back last week and it failed again on the sound check of a massive gig i was playing - ended up DI-ing Big shout tomorrow with the dealer Lovely looking - a bit heavy and the 500w output is only possible with an extension cabinet.

I've played big stages before, but not to crowds like this - two or three thousand folks, and they kept on coming - the Craft Beer Stage at the Silverstone F1 Grand Prix Campsite - Silverstone Woodlands with my 70s Disco Funk Band - FUN.K. Top sound guys - we couldn't get there early enough to do a sound check and had to make do with a line check during the 20 minute switchover between the bands - got the 10.00-11.30 Friday night slot and the crowd were on it big style singing and roaring for more. Still coming down.

An interesting two nights. First night played a Northampton town centre pub that was on my hitlist for a cull as its a miserable load in and the past two times, been pretty empty. One of the singers ( he has a cool AllenHeath rack mount rack mount desk with remote mixing via ipad) anyway instead of turning up early he fetches with just an hour to go. We're all wired in and ready to go and we then have an hour of fannying around - ringing out the mikes - at 8.30pm with a full pub, not great ad for a band. He's trying to mix the whole thing up so its as loud as f... In the end he can't hear himself and ends up shouting. The gig was good in spite of this and the bar was unusually busy. Happy bar manager. Next day singer calls in sick "my voice is screwed and I won't make it tonight" Our other singers (we go out with two) are either booked out or away. So i spend the rest of the day trying to find help, but on Easter weekend that's a non starter. I have never cancelled a gig in over 45 years - (I played with a busted finger after trapping it in a car door once and dragged myself out of bed during a bout of flu ) so I wasn't going to cancel now. In the end I said I would sing (not easy when playing disco/funk) but in the event the other singer stepped up and saved the day. Good gig, happy landlord, but some staffing issues to be addressed over the next couple of days.

Great weekend - played the Malt Shovel in Northampton - lovely little pub, nightmare for get-in as there is no parking and its on a busy town centre gyratory system - miss the spot and you're in for a 5 minute drive round again. Having said that the manager provided a couple of free drinks each on the house and the money was reasonable having showed as a 5 piece as one of our singers was sick. Second gig the CrowPie in Rugby - again very hospitable team - free drink each. The house was pretty thin on the ground a crowd of about 20 very drunk blokes left over from the afternoon - good natured but noisy. Luckily we had about 20 friends turned up and a handful of locals wheeled in. The money was good for a pub gig, though I wondered whether they would try and mitigate the poor showing with some negotiation, but within two mnutes of the last song, the manager came beetling across with the receipt book, a wad of cash and a note requesting two more bookings. (Will talk to them about marketing ot better next time).

Played a gig in Wellingborough with the new band Fun-k This was our fifth gig and we've been loading the set with new material. It's starting to really gel and the band works well together. I managed to do the whole two sets with my in-ears (previously always ended up pulling them out) not quite there on the monitor mix, but our new male singer is a whizz with audio (an Allen & Heath Q-pac remote rack mixer ) - but getting there. Nice to be able to hear what's going on.

Thanks for the ideas - I'll give them a try - its buried under piles of junk at the moment but I'm due a clear out on Saturday morning.

Did a surprise Birthday Party on Saturday in Wellingborough at a health club - they have a function room with pretty good acoustics, but its over the pool area so it smells of bleach. I show up at just after 5.00 to find THIS on the stage... All Gaffa'd down - no sign of the DJ, no sign of anyone We ended up setting up to the side, which in the event was good as we were able to evaporate after the live set while mr 'yes indeedy' played on into the night. Gave the DJ our set list so he wouldn't play our numbers.... the tart played almost every single one... Good night though, good money, good crowd.... and a crack at the BUFFET!!!

No, to be honest, been too busy - but thanks for the nudge

After reworking almost 50 numbers over the last 6 weeks, we started our main campaign last night. We had a couple of gigs last week, but that was with a dep keys player, who although great wasn't up speed on the details of the new arrangements. Last night we went out with our new singer who is an audio wiz so the sound was awesome. The venue was weird, well received and the pay was good, the hospitality ace, but its a snooker and pool hall - so half the audience is shooting pool. We were pretty tight - soul/funk/disco and listening back to the recording, we delivered a good show. Can't wait until we've gigged it a bit tighter.

Rose and Crown Rushden - pig of a place to play - the only place open late. BUT the door staff clear a way through and even lent a hand once.

Rose and Crown Rushden - pig of a place to play - the only place open late. BUT the door staff clear a way through and even lent a hand once.

Not bad for a cat... Sounds like you had a great time.

Even worse than that is when you order and pay for a meal out of your own pocket because you came straight from work on a Friday. You say - could you make sure it comes out before we go on and with enough time to wolf it down, and then the staff forget your ticket and you chase it up, they say... we didn't know what table you were sitting on, so couldn't find you - 'I'm WITH THE BAND...you know that pile of kit just THERE' I did get my money back and a fresh comp dinner, but I wonder what would go down if you said, 'oh, the gig... we didn't realise you wanted to go on at 9.00pm' On the other side of the coin, we play a venue, where the Landlord offered us food, a drink on the house and didn't charge us for the two rooms in the pub/hotel that we crashed in that night.

I'd like one of those for our guy... play in a fishtank dude

Our gig last night was a petty crap pub gig. The load in is always difficult, stuck in an alcove - in front of one of many screens showing football, having to turn it off and move complaining drunks. Then fight your way in with the gear - give us a break guys ffs! Did the first set , but found that my DI had been turned down 'as it was clipping' and the guitar player turning up and up - playing rhythm at lead volume. Second set - I have a bass solo a-la Louis Johnson - I turned up into the headroom I'd bought back in the break, only for the guitar player to up his so the scratches were louder than the solo on stage. Then someone behind the bar put on the bloody jukebox on... Difficult load out with the disco banging away and everyone in the village standing in our way - broken glass, very drunk people, blood flying all over from a headbutt on the door step, get home at 2.00am and best of all it's INVAPAY! - so that'll be mid January then.

After a week on the lash with several work dos and starting to come down with a cold, I was a bit jaded this weekend. Friday started with an MK pub gig at the Eager Poet in Neath Hill - despite our facebook campaign, the pub didn't really advertise so we ended up with about 80 in the room - completely knackered afterwards, but it's just up the road from me so I was home by 1.15am. Saturday - the weather was cold, I was cold and we were squeezing past the punters in the Walnut Tree, Blissworth, a pub- restaurant/hotel/function venue. The place was busy and when we got going I went onto auto pilot - our dep drummer was there in the audience and said my bass was 'spot on' - just proves you don't always have to be 'in the room' Half way through the second half, a middle aged lady in a long spangly trouser suit did a spectacular vomit all over the floor by the bar where the folks from the Christmas party where walking through. It took ages before one of the staff turned up with the mop - and the band played on! At the end I was seriously knackered and only just managed to finish the load out. Listening to the recording just now - the band sounds great and very tight. Just two more gigs before Christmas.

There's a practical aspect to this. When I used to produce awards dinners (1000 diners - celeb presenter etc.) I always ensured there was a crew meal laid on for the gap between the rehearsal and the show, just to keep the crew from disappearing off to the kebab shop. Sandwiches, chips, cakes and lots of soft drinks and coffee do just fine. Same now with the band - if we get something like that I'm happy. One big dinner we played, they laid out plates and bowls of mayo and ketchup in our dressing room - then removed them as 'they weren't for us' - we all packed up and went down to the local 'spoons - if I was the the organiser, I wouldn't want the act dissappearing like that - but most of us had come directly form work - I'd driven 60 miles - and were starving. When an event is costing £50-60k to stage, you are a real pillock not to spend £60 on a plate of sarnies and a bowl or two of chips for the band.

Every now and then you get a real standout gig. Last night we played the MK11 club - we got the gig after a successful support gig to the Sugar Hill Gang earlier in the year. This time we were the headline act and did a two hour set - the house was packed, great house PA and light show. Depping on drums for us was our old mate, Stuart Russell (Drizabone) - who kept the joint jumping to some excellent four to the floor. The clip below shows a flavour of how we went down - it was like this all night. The venue were well pleased and we're due back at a later date.