How was your gig last night?

[BigRedX]

Most of the venues I am playing now have "green room" which is for all the bands to use for relaxing, getting changed and storing cases and gear when not playing. One venue even has separate changing rooms for the headlining and support bands. I've not seen the headliner's room, but the support band's room is tiny. Whilst you could get a 4-piece band in there it would be so cramped that no-one would actually be able to get changed and one person would be in the toilet!

[casapete]

We played at an open mic type evening yesterday. It’s a weekly session at St John’s pub in Hull,

and run by an old friend of ours who is a sound engineer, and a lovely bloke.

Anyway, each week they have an act on first ( who get paid) followed by various folk doing

their thing, be it covers / originals / spoken word etc. Our friend has been asking us ( acoustic duo)

to do the opening set for a while, so we relented and gave it a go. 
There was a great PA to use ( QSC etc) so a fairly easy job to set up in the tiny room. We did an hour

of various stuff, working from a set list rather than our more usual requests format. I actually found 

it a bit daunting being in such a small room, crammed with people including a lot of musos. 
We settled into it after the first couple of tunes, opening with an instrumental version of ‘ I heard

it through the grapevine’ and then working through some blues, country and rock stuff. It went 

very quickly, and we got an encore too so people seemed to like what we did. It made an interesting

change from our usual gigs so glad we did it - we’ve been asked back so happy days. 
 

Fender Kingman bass / Rumble 100 / Clark’s boots

 

 

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 13:31 by casapete

[Bluewine]

8 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

A proper dressing room. Far better than a cupboard at the side of the stage for 5 to share. 😂

Dave

 

How about backstage at Lucy's at Wisconsin State Fair. We were sitting on folding chairs in the dirt next to several garbage dumpsters.lol

 

Daryl

[Bluewine]

2 hours ago, casapete said:

We played at an open mic type evening yesterday. It’s a weekly session at St John’s pub in Hull,

and run by an old friend of ours who is a sound engineer, and a lovely bloke.

Anyway, each week they have an act on first ( who get paid) followed by various folk doing

their thing, be it covers / originals / spoken word etc. Our friend has been asking us ( acoustic duo)

to do the opening set for a while, so we relented and gave it a go. 
There was a great PA to use ( QSC etc) so a fairly easy job to set up in the tiny room. We did an hour

of various stuff, working from a set list rather than our more usual requests format. I actually found 

it a bit daunting being in such a small room, crammed with people including a lot of musos. 
We settled into it after the first couple of tunes, opening with an instrumental version of ‘ I heard

it through the grapevine’ and then working through some blues, country and rock stuff. It went 

very quickly, and we got an encore too so people seemed to like what we did. It made an interesting

change from our usual gigs so glad we did it - we’ve been asked back so happy days. 
 

Fender Kingman bass / Rumble 100 / Clark’s boots

 

 

 

 

 

Nice pics. You guys always look distinguished and " well heeled ".

 

Daryl

[Bluewine]

6 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

Sometimes its a choice between cupboard or disabled toilet. That's when we clarify our contract that states changing room. 

Most venues provide decent changing areas that we can lock and have enough space for 4 guys and a lady. 

Because we all wear outfits for the show we need somewhere secure to leave our normal clothes when on stage.

Some would add that my stage clothes are my normal clothes but that's only at weekends and what i wear at home is my business. (see my avatar) 🤣

Dave

 

Dave,

 

2 months ago we played The Anodyne in Milwaukee.  Big " green room" with a private bathroom. We had an opening act and we were to be on stage at 8:00. Some day I'll have to share the story of why I was walking around in that bathroom completely naked at 7:50.

 

Daryl 

Edited Wednesday at 18:14 by Bluewine

[Bluewine]

6 hours ago, BigRedX said:

Most of the venues I am playing now have "green room" which is for all the bands to use for relaxing, getting changed and storing cases and gear when not playing. One venue even has separate changing rooms for the headlining and support bands. I've not seen the headliner's room, but the support band's room is tiny. Whilst you could get a 4-piece band in there it would be so cramped that no-one would actually be able to get changed and one person would be in the toilet!

 

The dressing / green room provided to us at Edison Hall. Not bad at all.

 

Daryl

[dmccombe7]

2 hours ago, Bluewine said:

 

How about backstage at Lucy's at Wisconsin State Fair. We were sitting on folding chairs in the dirt next to several garbage dumpsters.lol

 

Daryl

Rock & Roll Daryl. 🤣

Dave

[dmccombe7]

2 hours ago, Bluewine said:

 

Dave,

 

2 months ago we played The Anodyne in Milwaukee.  Big " green room" with a private bathroom. We had an opening act and we were to be on stage at 8:00. Some day I'll have to share the story of why I was walking around in that bathroom completely naked at 7:50.

 

Daryl 

I think today is a good day for that story Daryl. I'm intrigued now. 😂

Dave

[dmccombe7]

43 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

 

The dressing / green room provided to us at Edison Hall. Not bad at all.

 

Daryl

Now that is class.

Dave

[StingRayBoy42]

2 hours ago, Bluewine said:

 

We were sitting on folding chairs in the dirt next to several garbage dumpsters.lol

 

And they say it's not a glamourous business!

[Bluewine]

6 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

I think today is a good day for that story Daryl. I'm intrigued now. 😂

Dave

 

 

The story actually evolves around what comes with age.

 

Don't ask how it happened, I don't know it just did.

 

I didn't realize it when I left home for the show.  I had put my underwear on backwards. I knew something didn't feel right by the time I arrived at the gig. 

 

I was tired and a little confused . I just said " screw it" entered the bathroom and took all my clothes off and put my underwear on correctly . Lol

 

I guess that's rock & roll.

 

Daryl

[dmccombe7]

5 hours ago, Bluewine said:

 

 

The story actually evolves around what comes with age.

 

Don't ask how it happened, I don't know it just did.

 

I didn't realize it when I left home for the show.  I had put my underwear on backwards. I knew something didn't feel right by the time I arrived at the gig. 

 

I was tired and a little confused . I just said " screw it" entered the bathroom and took all my clothes off and put my underwear on correctly . Lol

 

I guess that's rock & roll.

 

Daryl

😂😂😂

I remember years ago one of the older guys i worked with came into work and after a visit to the loo he realised he'd put on his wife's underwear. The obvious Scottish sarcasm followed and when asked how he managed that he explained. 

"It was still dark when he woke up and didn't want to wake his wife. His underwear was in the drawer next to his wife's and he opened what he thought was his drawer and took out underwear not aware he was in the wrong drawers. (excuse the pun)

He was almost retirement age so we all believed it was a genuine mistake so think yourself lucky it was only a minor mistook you made Daryl. 🤣

Not 100% sure why he even told us. ? Think i would have kept my mouth shut.

Dave

[mcnach]

5 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

😂😂😂

I remember years ago one of the older guys i worked with came into work and after a visit to the loo he realised he'd put on his wife's underwear. The obvious Scottish sarcasm followed and when asked how he managed that he explained. 

"It was still dark when he woke up and didn't want to wake his wife. His underwear was in the drawer next to his wife's and he opened what he thought was his drawer and took out underwear not aware he was in the wrong drawers. (excuse the pun)

He was almost retirement age so we all believed it was a genuine mistake so think yourself lucky it was only a minor mistook you made Daryl. 🤣

Not 100% sure why he even told us. ? Think i would have kept my mouth shut.

Dave

 

 

by mistake... yeah right

[Bluewine]

9 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

😂😂😂

 

Not 100% sure why he even told us. ? Think i would have kept my mouth shut.

Dave

 

Dave,

I'm not sure why I shared the story either. I think it evolves around age.lol

 

By the way Dave, our band leaders parents and good friends of mine are off to Scotland next week. They've never been and are super excited.

 

 

Daryl

 

[dmccombe7]

5 hours ago, mcnach said:

 

 

by mistake... yeah right

And there's that Scottish sarcasm making a return trip. Couldnae beat it wie a big stick. 🤣

At the time i was very young and just accepted it as fact. How my views have changed over the years. 🤣

Dave

 

Edited Thursday at 18:00 by dmccombe7

[dmccombe7]

1 hour ago, Bluewine said:

 

Dave,

I'm not sure why I shared the story either. I think it evolves around age.lol

 

By the way Dave, our band leaders parents and good friends of mine are off to Scotland next week. They've never been and are super excited.

 

 

Daryl

 

If they need any advice where to visit i'm happy to share my travel experiences. I think i've been to almost every area of Scotland over the years. Apart from the extreme islands of course.

Hopefully they get some decent weather as most years its wet and windy or sunny and windy or wet and sunny or any combination. I once had a weeks holiday at Loch Ness, 1st week in June and it snowed the first morning then glorious warm sunshine in afternoon and i mean jeans and T-shirt stuff and then rained late evening. Cannae beat the Scottish weather. So far this year its been a glorious Spring and typically 20 oC during the day which for us is a heatwave. 🤣

Dave

[dmccombe7]

1 hour ago, Bluewine said:

 

Dave,

I'm not sure why I shared the story either. I think it evolves around age.lol

 

By the way Dave, our band leaders parents and good friends of mine are off to Scotland next week. They've never been and are super excited.

 

 

Daryl

 

I think we've all experienced putting some form of clothing on backwards at some point in our lives. When its underwear you have no option but go commando to sort it out. 

Its life and as long as we can all laugh at it then just enjoy the fun memory.

That and the fact i like a good fun story when its someone else that's being laughed at. 🥰

Dave

[mikebass456]

Always better to have put it on backwards in the first place, than to wake up the next morning with it all the wrong way round and no recollection of why.......

[Leonard Smalls]

14 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

putting some form of clothing on backwards

 

Our singer back in 1988-ish was particularly keen on putting things on upside down... Here he is wearing a Buckaroo Banzai (worrafilm!!!) sweatshirt as trousers:

 

[dmccombe7]

2 minutes ago, Leonard Smalls said:

 

Our singer back in 1988-ish was particularly keen on putting things on upside down... Here he is wearing a Buckaroo Banzai (worrafilm!!!) sweatshirt as trousers:

 

Think the difference here is he chose to wear it that way to make a statement rather than mistookenly 🤣

All credit to him there. 

Dave

 

[Norris]

It's been a long time since I saw a drunkard thrown out for wanting to start a fight. Tonight's gig was a smallish social club too, so it was an unexpected bit of entertainment for us to watch while we were playing.

 

I managed to pick up a cold from the great unwashed last weekend, and have battled with it for several days, so wasn't quite as bouncy as normal. I forgot to take any photos. I even made a few cock-ups in the first set, which was highly unusual.

 

We got a young guitarist up to play All Along The Watchtower. Wow he was good for 17 (?). He's off to music college in September and I'm sure he'll do really well, such a nice talented lad. It was very gracious of our guitarist to let him up to play on his guitar (the one I made for him too!). However after the next break he pulled out all the stops to avoid being upstaged. It was a great set - I just wish I was feeling a bit better.

 

The room was carpeted with upholstered benches, etc. That made the sound very dry, which took a bit of getting used to. I could hear every little nuance of what I was playing, even though I could feel the speakers shifting air on the backs of my ankles (warm enough for shorts!).

 

Sire P7-5> GT-6B > Rumble

Custom Converse One Stars

Coop Cold & Flu Max Strength tablets with Decongestant, washed down with a large shot of Aldi's "Black Label" whisky - which is actually quite palatable

[dmccombe7]

Did a charity gig tonight with BLOCKBUSTARZ for the Heart & Chest Foundation. We don't usually do charity events but as our singer is a nurse and it was done thru her work we said we would. We halved our normal fee to help things along for them. The organiser was hugely thankful.

Venue was up two sets of stairs 1 floor up but that wasn't too bad. Large stage too that we weren't expecting.

1st set was a bit slow altho we had dancers for most of the songs. Few wee mistakes tonight which is unusual for us but they were on the new songs that we've only played once before so reasonably OK that we know what went wrong with them. Nothing drastic just the band noticed but we covered it well.

Lots of people taking vids during 1st set so that was good to see. 

At the break the club organiser came into the dressing room and asked if she could book us and arrange something before we left tonight. Now booked into the club in April 2026 at full fee. She was surprised at the fee but in a good way and said she has more expensive acts in the club but they normally use a local agency so the costs would be higher.

Anyways 2nd set and things just went up a notch with the floor full from the 2nd song to the end with lots of singing along and specific dance routines for Time Warp and Tiger Feet.

Lots of great feedback at the end too which is always good to hear. Few guys from the club even gave us a hand to take gear out to cars.

 

Sandberg VM4.

Shure wireless.

Keeley Bassist comp.

Handbox WB-100 Amp

Mesa SW 210/115 cabs

 

Lovely warm tone with lots of depth and top end mids as and where required. I've returned to the HB amp again and loving the tone. That's the last 3 gigs now.

Might take a look at a Barefaced cab possibly a 212 cab. Think it would sound great with the HB and even the Mesa TT800.

 

Easy drive home altho i got lost at roadworks in Livingstone and took a wrong turn. Thank feck for Sat Nav. 

 

Next week its Beat Generator in Dundee. Love the venue but those 3 flights of stairs are a killer for us old folks 🤣

At least its only backline tho.

Dave

[Bluewine]

4 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

 

Anyways 2nd set and things just went up a notch with the floor full from the 2nd song to the end with lots of singing along and specific dance routines for Time Warp and Tiger Feet.

Lots of great feedback at the end too which is always good to hear. 

 

 

 

 

I need a gig like this. I'm still recovering from last week's disappointment.

 

Daryl