stingrayPete1977 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Did a wedding gig last night, bride and groom both musicians, the bride runs a local music school and most of the guests were something to do with musical endeavours. I was a bit reluctant as this band is not a wedding band and it was a monday night just after new year but turns out they loved it! Had a break while the DJ took over to find this... [URL=http://s997.photobucket.com/user/stingraypete/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150105_221212_zpsxbibbbow.jpg.html][IMG]http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af100/stingraypete/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-01/20150105_221212_zpsxbibbbow.jpg[/IMG][/URL] It was going to be a full hot meal all paid for by them along with all our drinks but the chef had gone home it was running so late! Nice to be appreciated by people who know what a chore setting all the kit up is even if you are being paid, they didn't even stand in the doorway when we were packing away which felt weird after all these years fighting through with all the kit. Here's to fellow musos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Thought this was going to be a trick thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 How many spent the gig observing your fingers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1420570962' post='2650800'] Thought this was going to be a trick thread [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 [quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1420571357' post='2650805'] How many spent the gig observing your fingers? [/quote] They loved my double bass and strangely my playing of it! There was even a music stand on show but no one walked out, if anything they were a room full of actual professionals that use a stand on most gigs so not having one would have looked amateurish like I did with my chord chart on the floor for one song, lol. Very nice appreciative crowd rather than a pub full of 'experts' pulling your performance apart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I hope you were only a 4 pce as you only got one 1/4 sandwich each Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 We are a trio, they were all mine, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1420571761' post='2650814'] Very nice appreciative crowd rather than a pub full of 'experts' pulling your performance apart [/quote] Don't worry, that would have been later on various Musicians sites....lol... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 Haha I never thought of that, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Ace! The little things make a difference, like when a venue gets a few soft drinks in for the band. It's not just the cost, it's not having to queue up for ages at the bar and just feeling like you're appreciated and looked after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toneknob Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Did you play Green Onions? Or something by Salad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1420571761' post='2650814'] ............ Very nice appreciative crowd rather than a pub full of 'experts' pulling your performance apart [/quote] That's what you go for.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 I wasn't naming names but.....lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1420717595' post='2652439'] I wasn't naming names but.....lol [/quote] I know what you mean but around here things can get ...er... 'competitive' and I know who has an ego and who doesn't... I just find it funny that they want to keep it a secret. They are the ones that dream up these dramatic ideas and want to make a 'statement' etc etc.. They are the bands you look out for Of course, musicians have egos.. half of it is all about 'look at me, I'm up here doing it' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 My experience is that even musicians at a wedding are wedding guests not an audience. They're off duty. The last time I was at a wedding my only thought was, "why didn't my band get the gig". The band was OK and you could dance to them so we did. That was it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No lust in Jazz Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 When playing I'm usually more concerned with my band playing the material correctly and not pratting about between numbers; the general ambition is that people will dance and enjoy their evening, but we get asked to play wedding gigs, rather than us seek them out. so hopefully they know what they're about to receive. I'm well aware of musical factions, but it all comes back to playing music to the best of your ability. A few years ago, one of my bands attended the local 'muso venue' on the open mic night, we played Zappa's Zoot Allures, a structured piece, with no 'jamming' or noodling solo BS, this killed the 'muso' conversation and 'attitude' that night, oh, how we laughed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I've done a couple of weddings where the groom and some of his mates had been in a band together before and have done a short set between our 2 sets. It had been agreed in advance and we loaned our gear to them, no real problems either time though I recall on one of them the singer getting a bit over-exuberant with our singer's mic stand which got him a bit twitchy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 The thing is we are not a wedding band or even one aimed at dancing really! The bride chose us after coming to a gig or two and the muso types in the audience are not so much pub and function giggers like many of us here but rather piano teachers and classical guitarist etc. Many of them came up to us during and after saying they enjoyed/were enjoying it which is nice compared to the usual drunken ranting of "play sex on fire!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 [quote name='KevB' timestamp='1420730507' post='2652718'] I've done a couple of weddings where the groom and some of his mates had been in a band together before and have done a short set between our 2 sets. It had been agreed in advance and we loaned our gear to them, no real problems either time though I recall on one of them the singer getting a bit over-exuberant with our singer's mic stand which got him a bit twitchy. [/quote] Bride sang a song to start the set, groom started on drums for the second one, both a surprise for everyone but us, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1420740183' post='2652899'] The bride chose us after coming to a gig or two [/quote] We were booked by the brides Dad for her big day after he saw us at a gig. It only took 2 numbers to clear the room. I warned them! I knew that would happen! I told them when he booked us that a Chicago Blues Band (even a good one) wasn't the right band for a wedding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 [quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1420759027' post='2653250'] We were booked by the brides Dad for her big day after he saw us at a gig. It only took 2 numbers to clear the room. I warned them! I knew that would happen! I told them when he booked us that a Chicago Blues Band (even a good one) wasn't the right band for a wedding. [/quote] This is why we insist they come and see us... and even then if they have too many demands, I'll talk them out of it. Admittedly 'they' ( the father of the groom ) did come and see you, but our price for weddings and parties tends to put 'pub band wedding' prospects off...and that is one of the reasons for the price.. plus the fact that we don't do a typical wedding set anyway. I guess we don't want too many weddings.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 We don't advertise ourselves as a wedding band either, I was amazed when i joined that they had done any. It didn't look a wedding set list to me and it's the same one whether we are doing pubs or weddings albeit with a few tweaks. However between myself and the drummer we've got about 5 or 6 new songs into the set over the past couple of years which do make us a bit more wedding friendly in my view. Pretty much all the weddings we have done has been the result of someone involved in the wedding approaching us at pub or private party gigs, as happened to chris_b. It's still no guarantee of success. Just because the happy couple like what you do doesn't mean the rest of the guests will. No matter how well you perform it's always a bit of a crap shoot as to how you go down at weddings if you are not a wedding band by design to begin with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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