bl**dy disastrous gig!

[lowdowner]

Ouch... <wince just thinking about it>

Just had an outdoors gig at a small local charity festival and our band pretty much ruined our set... we couldn't hear ourselves because of a problem with the monitors, but having said that the band before appeared to do a sterling job with the same set up so perhaps it's not an excuse.

We all sang off key, our timing was atrocious and there was no 'locking together'. To be honest we could all have been singing different songs at the same time and it wouldn't have been worse.

All that rehearsal and time spent stressing over the gig and I'm wondering what's the point?

I've not done many gigs - perhaps under a dozen - as I'm new to it, but they seem to be getting worse, not better

*sobs*

[Big_Stu]

If you've learnt anything from it, it wasn't that big a disaster?

Edited September 15, 2012 by Big_Stu

[JMT3781]

You aren't getting worse mate, as you get more experienced you're just spotting the areas you want to improve

[spongebob]

[quote name='JMT3781' timestamp='1347725011' post='1804378']
You aren't getting worse mate, as you get more experienced you're just spotting the areas you want to improve
[/quote]

+1.

[pietruszka]

It happens! It happened to me not too long ago, I've been playing 13 years. The trick is to crack on and do what you can, experience will most definitely help. Don't let it get you down, bad gigs happen but you will have more good ones than bad ones!




Dan

[lowdowner]

thanks for your comments guys - it's gutting because I was really grooving to the band on before us (they had a bass player who was relaxed, very much in the groove, and great vocals) and we then came on and murdered it

Oh well, I guess I just need to learn and move on...

Still feel gutted though

[Fat Rich]

Could have been worse, at least the charity didn't give the money they raised to you and your bandmates for music lessons

Not being able to hear yourself can cause all sorts of problems, again the more experienced your band is the less you'll be affected. You'll probably all spend more time on soundcheck next time and have a really good gig.

[JTUK]

Could have been a variety of things as playing with a P.A isn't easy.
You should now realise how to deal with a mix..and also how unprepared you were but you had to do the gig just to
see where you are in development.
It is possible that the soundcrew weren't that good either, but other more experienced bands dealt with it better.

First priority for a good show is to make sure you can all hear each other, it is so much easier that way, so if you can't,
go back to basics and sound levels until you can.

[bassace]

And you're always super self-critical when you follow another band, specially if you think they're good. Plus, playing outdoors isn't that easy. Crack on and see what you have learned from the experience.

[BigRedX]

If the audience didn't leave, boo or chuck stuff at you the chances are they won't have noticed anything was wrong.

Mark it up to experience - you know what to do next time - and move on.

[Len_derby]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1347729607' post='1804424']
If the audience didn't leave, boo or chuck stuff at you the chances are they won't have noticed anything was wrong.

[/quote]

Exactly right. I played a pub gig last night with a hastily trained dep on lead guitar. We had a few 'car crash' moments, but people still danced and (sober) strangers came up afterwards to say thanks. Let the audience be the judge.

[derrenleepoole]

Even though it feels painful now, you'll learn far more from this one bad gig, than loads and loads of amazing gigs. It helps to keep you grounded and focused and keeps you sharp. You and your band will be far better next time as a result of this experience.

Edited September 15, 2012 by derrenleepoole

[voxpop]

[quote name='derrenleepoole' timestamp='1347732372' post='1804471']
Even though it feels painful now, you'll learn far more from this one bad gig, than loads and loads of amazing gigs. It helps to keep you grounded and focused and keeps you sharp. You and your band will be far better next time as a result of this experience.
[/quote]

+1

We have all been through it. Learn from the experience and move on, next time you will deal with it in a more confident manner.

[stu_g]

if it really was that bad set that as a benchmark you never wish to return to and im sure you will all look back and laugh about "that gig" in years to come
and the more gigs you do the more you learn what works for the band
your next gig will be a good un im sure!

[xilddx]

[quote name='lowdowner' timestamp='1347724780' post='1804376']
Ouch... <wince just thinking about it>

Just had an outdoors gig at a small local charity festival and our band pretty much ruined our set... we couldn't hear ourselves because of a problem with the monitors, but having said that the band before appeared to do a sterling job with the same set up so perhaps it's not an excuse.

We all sang off key, our timing was atrocious and there was no 'locking together'. To be honest we could all have been singing different songs at the same time and it wouldn't have been worse.

All that rehearsal and time spent stressing over the gig and I'm wondering what's the point?

I've not done many gigs - perhaps under a dozen - as I'm new to it, but they seem to be getting worse, not better

*sobs*
[/quote]
And I bet the audience loved it

[BassTractor]

Man, I wish I could help.
Sadly, in 45 years of playing, I've never dropped a note, never played the wrong song, never playing at a different speed than the rest of the band, never had a sound guy get drunk during the break, never had any cables being pulled out, and always had a perfect mix in the monitor.

So I can't help you, but my guess would be that you're human, which must be nice, I guess.
My guess would also be that next time you guys will do everything, [b]everything[/b], to make sure you can hear each other, and you will do just fine.
My last guess is that this experience will help you grow. Good luck.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

best,
bert

Edited September 15, 2012 by BassTractor

[Dave_the_bass]

I'll chime in on this one to agree with everyone else.

What seems like a bad gig can sometimes be your perception.

The band I'm in played in Derby last weekend. From my position on stage my bass sounded off, my playing sounded attrocious, I couldn't hear the guitar for 90% of the set!

I felt it was the single worst gig the band had ever played. Oh how wrong was I?

We set a new band record for merch sales, I had to spend the majority of the rest of the evening fending of people complimenting us, and the venue were on the phone the following day trying to re-book us for later in the year.

Basically, seeing as though you're in the band, you don't get an opinion on how well a show went. The only people who are allowed an opinion on your shows are the crowd and the venue/promoter.

So chalk it up to experience and keep working on being as tight as possible.

[xilddx]

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1347745097' post='1804647']
Man, I wish I could help.
Sadly, in 45 years of playing, I've never dropped a note, never played the wrong song, never playing at a different speed than the rest of the band, never had a sound guy get drunk during the break, never had any cables being pulled out, and always had a perfect mix in the monitor.

So I can't help you, but my guess would be that you're human, which must be nice, I guess.
My guess would also be that next time you guys will do [size=6]everything, [b]everything[/b][/size], to make sure you can hear each other, and you will do just fine.
My last guess is that this experience will help you grow. Good luck.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

best,
bert
[/quote]

You're already addicted

[BassTractor]

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1347746672' post='1804664']
You're already addicted
[/quote]

Hehehe, glad you did spot it. Yes, I am, and am very grateful too.

best,
bert

[rogerstodge]

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1347745097' post='1804647']
Man, I wish I could help.
Sadly, in 45 years of playing, I've never dropped a note, never played the wrong song, never playing at a different speed than the rest of the band, never had a sound guy get drunk during

the break, never had any cables being pulled out, and always had a perfect mix in the monitor.

So I can't help you, but my guess would be that you're human, which must be nice, I guess.
My guess would also be that next time you guys will do everything, [b]everything[/b], to make sure you can hear each other, and you will do just fine.
My last guess is that this experience will help you grow. Good luck

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

best,
bert
[/quote]yup.. Same here

[MarkG3]

I'm pretty sure I'm not making this up, but didn't on a number of occasions The Beatles at stadium shows couldn't hear themselves over the screaming so at times they were actually playing different songs?

It'll be fine sometimes gigs don't go as well as we would of liked, but just maybe spend some time rehearsing and working through what could be improved and importantly what went well!

[Chris2112]

You may be surprised to learn that the audience probably didn't care, or notice.

Despite the time we spend in our bands, rehearsing the tricky Latin part at the end of Mark King's [i]The Essential[/i] or making sure the second movement of [i]Hemispheres [/i]is tight, Joe Public probably won't notice. Or care. As long as the vibe is good.

[gary mac]

I had the humiliation of cocking up Sex on Fire last night,had serious timing issues. No decent excuse just mental fatigue at the end of set three. Also played a few bars of Johnie B Good a semi tone up

Both simple numbers that I've played countless times without incident. Also both are numbers that I hate playing


I woke up a few times during the night berating myself and worrying about it.

Maybe instead I should congratulate myself on the other thirty eight numbers that I played perfectly well.



Think we tend to do this, give ourselves a hard time and forget the good work.


Let's hope your next gig is a good one

[lowdowner]

My painful memories include chopping two beats off the end of every few bars in snow patrol's 'chasing cars' (I was doing the vocals as well so there really *was* no excuse!), cutting the last vocal line off Elton John's 'your song' (though the back vocals continued unfazed!) and very possibly playing in completely the wrong key for some of 'shut up and drive' (though that track was such a mash up of random timings and notes it could have been anything to be honest!)

OK, after a night of reflection everything is back in perspective and I'll just going to try much harder to get it right next time. We live and learn.

Oh, and someone recorded it on video so I *know* it wasn't just my perception!

[gary mac]

[quote name='lowdowner' timestamp='1347787215' post='1804845']

Oh, and someone recorded it on video so I *know* it wasn't just my perception!
[/quote]

yes that can be a bit depressing sometimes, particularly when you actually think it sounded good.