Low End Bee

Just to expand why I'm keen to try this. The pubs I'm looking at do not put on original bands. Then again I doubt they ever get asked either. Our particular show is very much a sweaty, intimate, energetic rock show with some good unchallenging 3 minute songs and lots of audience interaction. Perfectly suited to a boozy Friday night pub crowd who are used to seeing rock covers bands. But don't like the idea of having to get on a bus to see us and having to also pay at the door. The idea of these pub gigs just seems right. The age of the band is 37-50 and this is the typical of the age range I see in these pubs. It's not that we don't get paid at the originals venues. We do and it's better than a most seem to get paid. They also take up a lot of time arranging and there is rarely much walk up. A middle aged pub rock phenomenon would be hilarious too.

Photoshop is my friend

[quote name='Zach' post='1152529' date='Mar 7 2011, 02:36 PM']Have you suggested to the landlord (the tough one) that he comes down and checks out your gig at the other place? At least that way he can get a feel for the music/atmosphere/turnout, without having to go to the risk of putting you on himself. It's a slightly slower solution, but might help.[/quote] It's a busy Friday night. I'll just take him a photo of the pub packed out (hopefully!). We'll choreograph everybody to stand in shot

Here's mine in gig action recently.

[quote name='Beedster' post='1152617' date='Mar 7 2011, 03:58 PM']Totally agree, hadn't been on for a few months, came back, everything had changed and nothing worked. Couldn't even delete pics of our old drummer? What happened to it?[/quote] I can only think the staff they're making redundant are sabotaging it or it's being written off as a tax loss or something.

Reverbnation links in with Facebook nicely. Myspace is just a horrible mess now.

[quote name='jmstone' post='1152427' date='Mar 7 2011, 01:04 PM']Well, how about offering to do the first gig for free?[/quote] By chance I know exactly how much the band that were on were getting paid. I made him an attractive offer for our first gig in comparison to what he was paying that night. It was tempting to offer a freebie but I don't want to devalue us or other bands who deserve a few quid for hard work by playing for free. Plus our local landlords do talk to each other.

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='1152413' date='Mar 7 2011, 12:54 PM']In the best spirit of tributes, I shall simply rehash someone else's comment from a previous, virtually identical thread. [i]Most bands 'Original' songs would be more accurately described as self-penned. There is rarely anything original about them.[/i][/quote] "A good composer does not imitate; he steals" ~ Igor Stravinsky

[quote name='JTUK' post='1152343' date='Mar 7 2011, 11:25 AM']I think where gigs fall down is when people/bands don't realise bands are there to increase turn-over..almost entirely. They think it is some local service...[/quote] Exactly. We understand we're only really there to help them shift booze. I haven't tried to sell us to landlords as anything other than a band who will get people in the door, be professional, punctual and create a good atmosphere. I have desisted from telling them about our musical influences and creative processes. The one pub we are perfect for locally is being a tough nut to crack. As I said a heavy rock covers band were playing to 15-20 when I spoke to him. I said we could expect a much greater turn out and were willing to do the first gig at a discount to tempt him. "I dunno. I only know the covers bands. I think you'd be too risky"

There are a fair few pubs in my locality that have covers and tribute bands on. With the exception of a local festival tie in where we were asked to play one last year we've stuck to the specific music venues where the other original bands play. In house PA, pay at the door, 2 or 3 bands on type of venues. Now we did a rare local show recently to a fair few people who paid good money to see us and a few of them asked us when they could see us locally again. I couldn't give them an answer as it takes so much effort to rope people in when there is a charge on the door and you have to leave a big old gap to avoid audience pester fatigue. Anyway the long and the short of it is we're going to attempt to play the local pubs that don't have originals on and try and build up a following. We've got a booking for the 18th March. The landlord was sold when he found 80 odd people paid a tenner each to see us 5 minutes walk from him. Other venues are proving tougher to crack. Including the one who had a very heavy rock covers band on playing to only 15 people when I proposed it. Fear of the unknown I guess. We did discuss slipping a couple of covers in the set but have decided against it. We agreed it would be the start of a slippery slope and hold up the new material we should be writing. Anyway two 45 minute sets with a couple of the songs played first repeated later on and we'll see how it goes. We're giving the pubs an introductory rate for the first gigs they put on and then we'll see. Luckily we've got PA, lights and a varied set of 3 minute rock songs that most people will like at least a few of. Wish us luck.

Just got the photos our mate Paul Slattery took at our last gig. Lots to wade through. Just thought I'd share a couple.

Still got those neon strings Nigel?

Here's what I said on 24th Jan.. "I've just picked the RV4 Rickenfaker up from a service. The E string was rattling a bit behind the fret so I guessed (correctly) that the nut was cut too low on the bass side. They've put in a tiny ebony wedge under the nut that has sorted this completely. Also done were a truss rod tweak, fret dress, all pots, switches and jack upgraded, copper shielding of the cavity and interestingly the neck tone control changed to a variable coil tap. It really has completely upped the performance of the bass in every way. I'm chuffed to bits. The action is now fast and low. There were four Ric's in the shop. Two 4001's and two 4003's and the tech said it blew them all away in playability. He was very impressed with it. Hence him doing lots of extra stuff to it that I didn't ask for at no cost! It still sounds more like a turbo charged precision and nothing like a Ric though which is OK by me." I don't know how to say this but it appears to have relegated my much loved US Precision to a back up at the moment. I love this bass now. They're great but they do need a bit of money spending on them. Well worth it though. Really chunky, growly sound that sits well in the band mix. Live band video will be up soon.

There's an download update on the Zoom site that helps a bit. [url="http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/download/software/q3.php"]Q3 update[/url] I find they work well if you use them right up close to the band. Set up on a tripod a distance away and it's not very good.

[quote name='3V17C' post='1148303' date='Mar 3 2011, 01:04 PM']Stryper.... with a 'y'![/quote] I saw their very short set at Reading

[url="http://www.rockandrollconfidential.com/hall/"]Bad band promo shots[/url] I have to share this for anyone who missed it last time I posted it.

[attachment=73741:g34.jpg] This one?

I remember from my youth working part time in a music shop the horrors that were bought in. It was the late 70s and 'vintage' stuff was just starting to be appreciated. Examples. A 50s Les Paul Junior with three badly routed pickups, lots of switches and big brass bridge and nut. Hand painted Psychedelic paint jobs on 50s & 60s Fenders. Re-shaping of bodies by cutting off bits. Lots of stripping of finishes with a bit of DIY varnish for the natural look. I recall us playing cricket with an old Burns bass of some sort as it was considered only fit for the skip as they were so unfashionable.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1147989' date='Mar 3 2011, 08:31 AM'][i][color="#0000FF"]I have no provenance but this guitar was once owned by one of the bass players from a 70s punk band[/color].[/i] I've been racking my brains, trying to remember a 70s punk band with more than one bass player ...[/quote] Delta 5

18"? Pfft. Gonna get me a set of 21's with some low profile cabs.

[quote name='Norris' post='1147086' date='Mar 2 2011, 01:37 PM']Genre: Rock covers G/B/D trio[/quote] Interesting choice of chords. We tend to stick to A/D/E originals.

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='1147195' date='Mar 2 2011, 02:58 PM']I'm not in a band at the moment. But if I was I'd be slapping the singer for forgetting where the bridge goes in 'Take Me to the River'. What a cock. So I'm leaving. What do you think?[/quote] I'd be careful. I reckon that Al Green can handle himself.

Time to move on. Doesn't sound like much fun.

I used to be in a band with a singer/guitar operator who was a nightmare. It's too dry...it's too wet...can I have more vocals?...can I have more drums?...can I have more guitar?...can I have more bass?....this monitor's too loud now.....Can you make me sound bigger?.....can I have a more reverb?...can you make it more sound more natural? It used to drive me and the sound person mental and cocked up the sound no end.

Surely all controls should be set to 11... Genre - Unfashionable. original power pop/rock Orange Terror through TC cabs with the tweeters off. Varies between venues. a rule of thumb I'll go for. Bass - flat, Mid 2.5/10, treble 6/10. Not that the eq makes a lot of difference on the OTB. Gain 6/10 P bass, 4/10 Retrovibe RV4. I 've only one guitarist to 'cut through' and he leaves me lots of space (or he's too lazy to play all the time) so I don't need the mids. I'm sure I'd boost them if we had a second guitarist or keys player.