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I've been doing it all wrong it seems.


leschirons

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Got a call from a pro guitarist who'd taken a couple of gigs on but had no band. We both knew the same vocalist /sax player (also pro muso) and he'd been roped in so he just needed a rhythm section. He said he knew a pro drummer that was up for it. Set list to be decided.

When we finally meet up to discuss a playlist, I'm handed a sheet with 14 numbers on it. I thought that would be the first set. Wrong. That was the total play list for what turned out to be nearly two hours playing and, on the second gig (tonight) we didn't get to the last number.

The band went down a storm two nights running. Okay, the songs were stretched out some with funky intros and some fairly long sax solos but I got paid more than in my usual band, played only 13 songs and had a great time.

I'm used to playing between 35 and 40 numbers usually. This is the future. It's up there with garlic bread.

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9 hours ago, bazzbass said:

why would he book two gigs without being in a band? or were they booked before his last band split up?

so you only played for an hour? or did you stretch 13 songs out to two hours? either way good deal hehe

But, you know the rules, pics or it didn't happen :)

Here's the poster. Testament to a thrown together band with the "and friends" namexD As chris_B rightly pointed out, took the gigs and then put the band together.

Here's the second set, which lasted 50 minutes.

Purple rain, Stormy Monday,  It's probably me, Put it where you want it,  N'oubliez jamais and You can keep your hat on. Last two as the owner is a Joe Cocker freak.

First set was eight numbers. Everything had a long intro, a couple of sax and guitar solos and all had a very extended and real easy jazzy feel. Sax player / vocalist is an excellent front man. Loads of audience interaction with a few jokes thrown in. Just went with the flow.  I loved it. As usual, my name wrongly spelled.xD But then I'm only the bass player.

Cherry on the cake for me, was a fabulous drummer.

29249737_1982159241876350_8484360061007402163_n.jpg

Edited by leschirons
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There seems to be some kind of weird 'honour' in playing very long sets. I say they're vastly overrated.I'd much rather watch a great band for 30 minutes than a mediocre one for two hours. Some covers bands in particular seem to think that quantity is the equal of quality. it is not.

6 minutes ago, leschirons said:

Cherry on the cake for me, was a fabulous drummer.

That's a sweet cherry. Makes life much, much easier. And more pleasant. :)

Edited by discreet
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1 hour ago, chris_b said:

Get the gig then put the band together. If you know good musicians then this is no problem.

how cool is that hehe I wish I was in that position. I am in a different position where a few venues have offered me gigs, as long as I find two other bands to share the bill with.

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11 hours ago, leschirons said:

Got a call from a pro guitarist who'd taken a couple of gigs on but had no band. We both knew the same vocalist /sax player (also pro muso) and he'd been roped in so he just needed a rhythm section. He said he knew a pro drummer that was up for it. Set list to be decided.

When we finally meet up to discuss a playlist, I'm handed a sheet with 14 numbers on it. I thought that would be the first set. Wrong. That was the total play list for what turned out to be nearly two hours playing and, on the second gig (tonight) we didn't get to the last number.

The band went down a storm two nights running. Okay, the songs were stretched out some with funky intros and some fairly long sax solos but I got paid more than in my usual band, played only 13 songs and had a great time.

I'm used to playing between 35 and 40 numbers usually. This is the future. It's up there with garlic bread.

 

One of the bands I've played with, we had a pool of about 25-30 songs between originals and a few covers... The lengths of the songs cold be altered dynamically to suit the length of the gig... if people seem to be enjoying it, we make them longer... guitar/sax/trombone solos, often with call/response elements between them can transform a 3 minute song into a 12 minite epic that gets people sweaty and having fun. Amazing. 

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10 hours ago, bazzbass said:

why would he book two gigs without being in a band? or were they booked before his last band split up?

so you only played for an hour? or did you stretch 13 songs out to two hours? either way good deal hehe

But, you know the rules, pics or it didn't happen :)

A friend of mine does it all the time. He knows enough people that who he knows can just turn up and play. If one person can't do it, then he knows several other people.

I've done some nice gigs with him, there was a Christmas market in Birmingham, best of all was a bandstand in the middle of a lake in Worcester.

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11 minutes ago, FinnDave said:

I survived five hours or more rehearsing yesterday with a Precision, so I should be up to the task (remaining upright, that is!)

Good work. I find gigs always seem longer than any similar-length rehearsal but I suppose that's understandable...

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19 minutes ago, discreet said:

Good work. I find gigs always seem longer than any similar-length rehearsal but I suppose that's understandable...

Interesting, it works the other way for me, rehearsals can seem to go on forever, but gigs just fly by! Yesterday's rehearsal (and the other 3 I've had with this band) are the exception, they are as enjoyable as a gig.

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