How was your gig last night?

[Stub Mandrel]

Spoke to my brother earlier. His band closed out the local free festival, Cadstock... daily attendance is about 4,000.

 

 

[casapete]

I did two gigs this weekend, and they couldn’t have been much more different.

 

Saturday night I was playing at Burton Agnes Jazz and Blues Festival with blues trio The Alligators.

It was actually my final gig with them, as I’ve started a local weekly residency at a rock n roll club

and it was getting a bit much - I’m supposed to be semi retired for gawds sake!

Anyway the gig was okay - some great bands on before us including sax player Tom Waters (son

of pianist Ben Waters). A friend of mine was on directly before us doing some of his original stuff,

and then I joined him for a few covers to get the crowd dancing. 

 

Then our band got started at 11pm, to play for around an hour. Onstage sound was really loud,

so was glad I’d taken my old Barefaced Compact to use in addition to my Fender Rumble 500.

Played my sunburst P Lyte and it sounded good, just about keeping up with the guitar.

As is customary, we were joined by a couple of sax players towards the end, and it was in danger

of getting out of control. Managed to steer it to a conclusion, and I was quite relieved it was all over.

A really steamy gig, drove 50 miles home with the sunroof open. 
 

Sunday evening I was back in the familiar ‘Lookout on the Pier’ in Scarborough with our acoustic

duo. Really busy along the beach, blisteringly hot weather so parking wasn’t easy due to the 

crowds but we got set up and ready to play by 6pm. Loads of requests, with some good ones

including ‘Out of reach’, ‘Tears in heaven’ ‘Human’ (Rag and Boneman!) and ‘Iris’. 
Fender Kingman bass into Rumble 100 combo - nice and quiet after the previous night’s gig.

Couple of days off now - next gig Wednesday so will give my fingers a rest. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bluewine]

2 hours ago, casapete said:

I did two gigs this weekend, and they couldn’t have been much more different.

 

Saturday night I was playing at Burton Agnes Jazz and Blues Festival with blues trio The Alligators.

It was actually my final gig with them, as I’ve started a local weekly residency at a rock n roll club

and it was getting a bit much - I’m supposed to be semi retired for gawds sake!

Anyway the gig was okay - some great bands on before us including sax player Tom Waters (son

of pianist Ben Waters). A friend of mine was on directly before us doing some of his original stuff,

and then I joined him for a few covers to get the crowd dancing. 

 

Then our band got started at 11pm, to play for around an hour. Onstage sound was really loud,

so was glad I’d taken my old Barefaced Compact to use in addition to my Fender Rumble 500.

Played my sunburst P Lyte and it sounded good, just about keeping up with the guitar.

As is customary, we were joined by a couple of sax players towards the end, and it was in danger

of getting out of control. Managed to steer it to a conclusion, and I was quite relieved it was all over.

A really steamy gig, drove 50 miles home with the sunroof open. 
 

Sunday evening I was back in the familiar ‘Lookout on the Pier’ in Scarborough with our acoustic

duo. Really busy along the beach, blisteringly hot weather so parking wasn’t easy due to the 

crowds but we got set up and ready to play by 6pm. Loads of requests, with some good ones

including ‘Out of reach’, ‘Tears in heaven’ ‘Human’ (Rag and Boneman!) and ‘Iris’. 
Fender Kingman bass into Rumble 100 combo - nice and quiet after the previous night’s gig.

Couple of days off now - next gig Wednesday so will give my fingers a rest. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice pics!

 

Daryl

[dmccombe7]

9 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Spoke to my brother earlier. His band closed out the local free festival, Cadstock... daily attendance is about 4,000.

 

 

Nice one.

Dave

[dmccombe7]

8 hours ago, casapete said:

I did two gigs this weekend, and they couldn’t have been much more different.

 

Saturday night I was playing at Burton Agnes Jazz and Blues Festival with blues trio The Alligators.

It was actually my final gig with them, as I’ve started a local weekly residency at a rock n roll club

and it was getting a bit much - I’m supposed to be semi retired for gawds sake!

Anyway the gig was okay - some great bands on before us including sax player Tom Waters (son

of pianist Ben Waters). A friend of mine was on directly before us doing some of his original stuff,

and then I joined him for a few covers to get the crowd dancing. 

 

Then our band got started at 11pm, to play for around an hour. Onstage sound was really loud,

so was glad I’d taken my old Barefaced Compact to use in addition to my Fender Rumble 500.

Played my sunburst P Lyte and it sounded good, just about keeping up with the guitar.

As is customary, we were joined by a couple of sax players towards the end, and it was in danger

of getting out of control. Managed to steer it to a conclusion, and I was quite relieved it was all over.

A really steamy gig, drove 50 miles home with the sunroof open. 
 

Sunday evening I was back in the familiar ‘Lookout on the Pier’ in Scarborough with our acoustic

duo. Really busy along the beach, blisteringly hot weather so parking wasn’t easy due to the 

crowds but we got set up and ready to play by 6pm. Loads of requests, with some good ones

including ‘Out of reach’, ‘Tears in heaven’ ‘Human’ (Rag and Boneman!) and ‘Iris’. 
Fender Kingman bass into Rumble 100 combo - nice and quiet after the previous night’s gig.

Couple of days off now - next gig Wednesday so will give my fingers a rest. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gorgeous setting for a gig Pete.

Dave

[asingardenof]

On 14/07/2025 at 02:42, Bluewine said:

 

To this day many times when I think I've lost my signal I find out my tuner was engaged. Lol

Finding out that's the case when you're about to go into a solo is such fun!

[asingardenof]

19 hours ago, Muzz said:

Played a rare gig with backline and without inears over the weekend...never again (if I can help it). I'd forgotten what a rare thing it is to have a decent onstage sound (I didn't have one, obv), and obviously everything was wayyyy too loud...pfffttt...

 

Once you've gone inears (with your own mix), it's tough to go back...

I think that's a bit beyond the wit of our lot, and while I'm not against it in principle I really, really, really, hate having things in my ears. I can't do in-ear headphones or earplugs, for example.

[casapete]

2 hours ago, asingardenof said:

I think that's a bit beyond the wit of our lot, and while I'm not against it in principle I really, really, really, hate having things in my ears. I can't do in-ear headphones or earplugs, for example.

I’m exactly the same. Even though I know IEM’s are undoubtedly a good route to take,

I know they’re just not for me I’m afraid. Fortunately doing what I do now, it’s not a 

problem - with the acoustic duo I mostly use a Rumble 100 combo, and anything else

with electric just the 500 version. Loud gigs are definitely now a thing of the past for me,

which I’m very happy about as I still have a reasonable quality of hearing left! 

 

[casapete]

8 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

Gorgeous setting for a gig Pete.

Dave

It’s a lovely gig Dave. We don’t do it much in summer as it’s too busy, but once the season is over 

we generally do one or two gigs a month there. The views both behind us and in front are fantastic,

as the venue is on a pier sticking out in the harbour. Only thing to sometimes spoil it is when you

come out to find your car covered in seagull sh*t! 

[dmccombe7]

1 hour ago, casapete said:

It’s a lovely gig Dave. We don’t do it much in summer as it’s too busy, but once the season is over 

we generally do one or two gigs a month there. The views both behind us and in front are fantastic,

as the venue is on a pier sticking out in the harbour. Only thing to sometimes spoil it is when you

come out to find your car covered in seagull sh*t! 

Next time place a bag of chips on the car 2 down from yours and it'll be fine. 😂🤩😎

Dave

[super al]

I'm a lil' late with this but my main squeeze (Felis Leo) had a gig on Saturday afternoon.

 

A bit of background...the only promoter who will offer us a gig in town offered us a gig at a village pub, seven bands starting at 3pm. The gig was offered and Paul deals with it, we all say yes after a day of back n forth. Paul gets back to the promoter with a yes and gets told the gig's been offered elsewhere as we took too long. Paul takes umbrage at this and we get the gig, we're the first band on and we've got 30 mins! Paul is a quiet fella and slight but he don't do flaky.

 

I've promoted the hell out of this one as I always do and we get the occasional comment about how much we promote our gigs, I usually have a day off work during the week and post loads. 

I get to the venue and the rest of the band and our 1 fan are there saying "we're not sure if we're playing" 🤔 they then show me the poster and our logo and the band after us have been removed and these posters are all over the pub! Jon, our singer, said we're not on the Salisbury Gig Guide either! Brian the SE said our name was on his list so we started to set up under a tiny gazebo (the only shade in 30+° heat 🥵).

 

The 3pm start time also came and went as the guys were still setting up, there was a pile of cardboard next to their van and it was pointed out to me that the PA speakers were brand new (and big!).

Quick soundcheck, everything good and away we go!

 

The sound on the tiny stage was just mash potatoes, I was stood next to my cabs so found it hard to hear myself. There seemed to be a humming noise coming from a new speaker and Brian was fiddling with the back of it. I looked at the (sparse) audience and they seemed to be enjoying it, nobody was covering their ears or wincing so it must be ok. About 10 minutes into the set Brian goes to his van and comes back with the instructions for the new speakers! I kid you not, proper Spinal Tap moment... I'm looking at him reading and then looking at the band and...it was just a weird, tense gig, difficult to explain but you don't know if there's a problem or not and you're just trying your best to get through it 😂

 

Anyway, the gig went great! There were some small teething problems but our 1 fan who filmed some of it said we sounded really powerful (big, new speakers), the bassist of another band said we were really tight (should've bought him a drink but didn't 😄) and other comments were really positive. Maybe the tension and playing by your wits is the way forward 😬

 

We broke our RnR rule by wearing shorts I'm afraid, Darrell the drummer is allowed shorts but we're not...it was hot though! I used my lakland 55-02 through a TC electronic BH 550 into a pair of Barefaced one10s propped up on one corner due to an uneven stage surface (dead grass 😂). 

[Staggering on]

Simply Blu Trio, three members of our 5 piece bluegrass band playing at The Block bistro in North Bay Ontario last night. We have played here before and do a mix of standard bluegrass songs and a few others including some Gordon Lightfoot and keep it light and friendly, it's not a show as such just background music for the diners and it went over well with some nice comments afterwards. We had a request for Ian Tyson's Four Strong Winds from a lady celebrating her birthday and although we had never played it together we picked a key and ended up surprising ourselves with a very nice version of it with three part harmony!  Smallish crowd but early gig (6-8:30, two sets) and we will be back next week for something new, a lunch time gig.  😊