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How was your gig last night?


bassninja

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Played my very first jazz gig last night, with a trad jazz 7-piece. We did a fair few swing numbers that the client had requested beforehand, and I have played swing on a couple of big band shows, but never done a gig where the band was actually billed as a 'Jazz Band'. I am completely new to trad jazz as a genre. It was also the first reading gig where I used my iPad rather than paper sheet music.

Well I can report that it went very well. Although I 'fell off' a few times, I got back on track quite quickly each time. Despite there being at least 3 deps in the band, it was pretty tight. I enjoyed it enough that I would do it again. Full disclosure: my lowest-paid gig in quite a while, but that's jazz for ya!

Pics or it didn't happen - well here's the stage setup:

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I did a solo acoustic guitar gig (rare for me) for my mate's 30th birthday. It was full of people we both know but not in the context of music, so they were all a bit surprised to hear me playing and singing.

Went down really well tho, and I could only get off stage at the end by telling people my parking was about to expire!

Job done. A lot of very happy drunk people judging by the photos emerging on Facebook...

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Last gig was an odd one: the band were definitely rusty but it seemed we could do no wrong despite our best efforts! I forgot lyrics, drummer had a 'mare on a new track, endings messed up. None of it mattered as every track was enthusiastically applauded by the good-sized crowd. I swear the average punter hears the original recording in their heads!

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Last gig on Saturday was a blinder. Played our home town venue, lots of friends in the audience and everyone was really up for it. We played well with none of the repeat niggles/errors that sometimes take a shine off the evening. Seemed to be a lot of bass players in the audience and I had four or five separate people comment on my bass tone and playing and have been all puffed up like a peacock since. Great night.

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[quote name='DaytonaRik' timestamp='1453107884' post='2956306']
Last gig was an odd one: the band were definitely rusty but it seemed we could do no wrong despite our best efforts! I forgot lyrics, drummer had a 'mare on a new track, endings messed up. None of it mattered as every track was enthusiastically applauded by the good-sized crowd. I swear the average punter hears the original recording in their heads!
[/quote]

Sometimes I think the same thing. My covers band spends hours frying to replicate well known recordings to the nth degree, and then no one in the audience seems to notice (or care) if one of us makes a cockup, which isn't an in frequent occurrence.

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Saturday night - was apprehensive due to it being mid January, cold night and first gig since NYE. Fortunately it was very busy and a really good crowd. We played pretty well too, some new tunes are bedding in and had a good sound which added to the enjoyment. Best of all i didn't lock my keys in the boot like on NYE so that felt like a win as well.

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[quote name='blue' timestamp='1442712480' post='2868959']
From what I have read there are business and cultural differences between our 4 hour bar gigs and your 2 hour pub gigs.

Culturally it's the hours,over here 4 hours is all we know and we think nothing of it.

It seems like playing 4 hours doesn't fit the traditional pub business model.

Playing 4 hours is not a big deal.

Blue
[/quote]there's no way I would be in a band if I had to do 4 hour gigs.. Respect to you sir.

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[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1453023388' post='2955507']
Played my very first jazz gig last night, with a trad jazz 7-piece. We did a fair few swing numbers that the client had requested beforehand, and I have played swing on a couple of big band shows, but never done a gig where the band was actually billed as a 'Jazz Band'. I am completely new to trad jazz as a genre. It was also the first reading gig where I used my iPad rather than paper sheet music.

Well I can report that it went very well. Although I 'fell off' a few times, I got back on track quite quickly each time. Despite there being at least 3 deps in the band, it was pretty tight. I enjoyed it enough that I would do it again. Full disclosure: my lowest-paid gig in quite a while, but that's jazz for ya!

Pics or it didn't happen - well here's the stage setup:


[/quote]

Nice looking little set up. Certainly better than standing in and inch of piss, like some of the places we play.

Blue

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[quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1453149196' post='2956920']
there's no way I would be in a band if I had to do 4 hour gigs.. Respect to you sir.[/quote]

It's not for everyone.

It balances out in the summer with festivals where you play 1.5 hours and for a lot more $$.

To me, there's nothing cooler than playing for 1.5 hours,sound and lights provided and everyone in the band walks off with $500.00.

Blue

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A weekend of two halves for my band. Friday night was a pub in rural Bedfordshire which appeared to be entirely populated by New Zealanders. Landlady's birthday, lots of people, great party atmosphere, dancing barmaids, lots of fun. Saturday night played a large bar in Watford to about eight people. We still put on a good show and our overall playing was one of our best performances, just a shame there weren't many people. The landlord said afterwards ' why the f*** did I book a band as good as you for January? '

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Played a posh function with a scratch band - yes, you read that right. Did the same job this time last year. All good musicians in our/their own right, but only 2 rehearsals. We got away with it, and the band have been asked back for next year's event, but not very satisfying.

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Awful in a word. Unusually it was booked through an agent - one of the few times we've use one in years. Had no idea of the audience which turned out to be a Masonic "social" night. We play a mainly soul/funk set which i suspect isnt their usual diet - the room was really bright, the peeps were really white and them and us just wasn't a good match. At one point a few people danced but i think they really wanted to hear Dire Straits, Chris Rea etc.

On the upside the hotel manager used to work cruises, understood the biz and provided great food, salmon, club sandwiches, coffee, tea and water and was a nice fella.

You win some and in this case you lose some.

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Posted elsewhere, but repeated here for context (and it's so very rare that we gig at all..!), so ...

Just in from out first gig of the year, in a local youth centre. Here's some snaps, and a comment or two roughly on topic...

Just for fun, and too late for the Basschat Photo Challenge on Pink Floyd cover covers, here's the loaded truck...



... and again. Only local, so not 'optimised' loading..!



More to the point, here's a stage view of the place, capacity about 100 or so ...



Here's the stage layout; the HK tops and subs in the foreground. He's busy cabling up the mics...



A view from the console, slightly eccentric so as not to take up audience space...



...and the final stage. The acoustics are for the opening act, a couple of blokes doing '70s hits revisited. They sang well...



There we are; a pretty average venue for the stuff we do. The sound man put a pair of overheads, a kick and a snare mic. Two mics on the Mesa-Marshall half stack stage left, another on the Marshall half stack stage right and a DI for the bass. Two vocal mics, 3 wedges for monitoring; two in front and one for me beside the drums. About 1/2 hour for the sound check, running through a pretty dynamic number (Walk Unafraid, REM...) to check it out.
Yes, our backline is quite meaty. Yes, Some of our repertoire has cracking rimshots, a bit of 'blast beats', some cymbals crescendos. It's not that loud that ear defenders are required (although the venue does provide 'em for those wanting 'em...). The bloke on the console didn't ask any of us to turn down (nor to turn up..!); he handled it from the modest but satisfactory console. Our foldback was excellent (basically, just the vox...), the evening went splendidly, the 30 or so folks that came out on a wet Friday evening to attend a free concert were enchanted, and the organisers were equally well pleased with our prestation. No snags, no technical hitches, no swollen heads; a modestly great evening was had by all. We were well fed and watered, too ('dip' aperitif starters, fish or classic lasagne, several cheeses, green salad, home-baked apple tart... Yum..!).
So... Yes, we have around 500w of valve backline. Yes, we play pop-rock that sometimes can get noisy (Highway to Hell as an encore following on from Killing in the Name Of..?). No, it's not too loud; that would be silly. Do we need all of this..? We think so, as this is the sort of places we normally play. Do we send out a tech sheet with our needs..? If it'll help, yes, but our needs are extremely modest. Do we need uber gear supplied..? 'Twould make no difference if we did, as we wouldn't ever get it. No, HK is fine for us (that's what we rehearse with...). If there's less than that, we'll do without; we play the same, anyway. The only thing we need to have right is getting the vocal across, as our singer is excellent, and deserves it.
There you are, then; a rare glimpse into the murky world of The Daub'z. Others may have other needs, and that's fine too, of course. B)

Edited by Dad3353
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[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1453634393' post='2961168']
Awful in a word. Unusually it was booked through an agent - one of the few times we've use one in years. Had no idea of the audience which turned out to be a Masonic "social" night. We play a mainly soul/funk set which i suspect isnt their usual diet - the room was really bright, the peeps were really white and them and us just wasn't a good match. At one point a few people danced but i think they really wanted to hear Dire Straits, Chris Rea etc.

On the upside the hotel manager used to work cruises, understood the biz and provided great food, salmon, club sandwiches, coffee, tea and water and was a nice fella.

You win some and in this case you lose some.
[/quote]

A few years ago we made the mistake of taking a gig at a country music venue because the band booked cancelled.

Were a 70s style rock and blues band. Nothing much of any good happened that night. The pay was decent.

Blue

Edited by blue
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