How was your gig last night?

[dmccombe7]

2 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

 

Thanks Dave,

 

I think New Years Eve gigs are " slam dunk" for most bands. For me the fact the dep drummer did a good job was a huge relief. I'm looking forward to doing more shows with him.  Our band leader thinks he's a good fit for the band. They think he has the right stage presence for the band . He just needs to do a few more gigs with us to get more familiar with the songs.

 

Tips were generous an extra $125.00 for everybody. We don't do this but a punter walked the tip jar around the room. We also give some of the tip money to the bar and wait staff.

 

Happy New Year !

 

Daryl

I like that. Giving some of the tips to the bar staff is a very nice touch.

Towards the end of our gigs we always thank the venue, organiser, bar staff and of course the audience for spending their hard earned cash to buy tickets for the show.

Dave 

[Norris]

2 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

I think New Years Eve gigs are " slam dunk" for most bands. For me the fact the dep drummer did a good job was a huge relief. I'm looking forward to doing more shows with him.  Our band leader thinks he's a good fit for the band. They think he has the right stage presence for the band . He just needs to do a few more gigs with us to get more familiar with the songs.

 

That sounds very positive!

 

3 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

Tips were generous an extra $125.00 for everybody. We don't do this but a punter walked the tip jar around the room. We also give some of the tip money to the bar and wait staff.

Nice - and very good of you to share it with the staff

[Bluewine]

11 minutes ago, markbunney said:

Played at The Allington ACA near Maidstone for NYE and it was absolutely dire!

 

It was a ticketed event and there were less than 50 people in a massive room, including 10 kids!

 

We’d been booked for ages, for a decent fee, but it was a long night with no atmosphere, especially with having to do 3 x 45 minute sets which kills any momentum.

 

Apparantly there had been some politics with the committee, which had led to a lot of people celebrating elsewhere, and people not wanting to pay £20 a ticket to go somewhere that they go to for free every other week when the pubs in town had bands on with free entry for NYE.

 

That said, we played well and a few people complimented us at the breaks, and also apologised for the lack of people there.

 

Took both of my Ibanez 5 strings, but just used the EHB all night.

 

On to the next gig and don't look back. Very unusual for a New Years Eve gig to sink. Nice basses.

 

Happy New Year Marksbunney

 

Daryl

[dmccombe7]

2 minutes ago, Norris said:

Coke has a lot to answer for too. It turns people into arrogant a***holes. We've played a few times in places where there's a bit of a "culture" - only the once though. We don't need that kind of hassle.

Altho i come from a background of rock music, bands and bikes i've never really found myself around people that take drugs so i never really know how they react especially coke. My friends were more beer drinkers than hell raisers. (see who gets that 😎)

Dave

[Lozz196]

I’ve found that it’s the so called “normal” people who when they take stuff like coke that then become a-holes, punks/skins/bikers/metallers, whatever they’ve been taking whenever I’ve been around I’ve never seen anything like that. Even the hardened football hooligans on the punk scene seem to be able to keep themselves in line when drunk/drugged.

[Bluewine]

6 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

I like that. Giving some of the tips to the bar staff is a very nice touch.

Towards the end of our gigs we always thank the venue, organiser, bar staff and of course the audience for spending their hard earned cash to buy tickets for the show.

Dave 

 

 

Dave, I think this was our 4th year playing The Precinct on New Year's Eve. I think the owner is a cousin of our band leader.

 

Another nice touch, the chef prepared meals for the band after the show.

 

Daryl

[Bluewine]

10 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Altho i come from a background of rock music, bands and bikes i've never really found myself around people that take drugs so i never really know how they react especially coke. My friends were more beer drinkers than hell raisers. (see who gets that 😎)

Dave

 

I don't notice any drug activity within the band, however I do get concerned with the amount of alcohol consumed. 

 

Daryl

[Norris]

17 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

My friends were more beer drinkers than hell raisers. (see who gets that 😎)

The ZZ Top song or the Motorhead EP? 😂

[Bluewine]

30 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

We've turned up to venues and played to 27 people. We even asked the organiser if she wanted to go ahead and she was up for it so we have a view that if people have paid good money then they get the full show and we just go for it. We always enjoy it and as it turns out so did the people that actually turned up. Paid rehearsal aint such a bad thing. Enjoy every gig is our motto. (well at least try to 🤩)

Dave

 

Agreed, you really have to make the best of it. All bands are going to be faced with a gig that goes south sooner or later. Just don't carry around a lot of guilt over it. It's usually  not the bands fault 

 

Daryl

[tauzero]

24 minutes ago, Norris said:

The ZZ Top song or the Motorhead EP? 😂

 

Or Sweet?

[markbunney]

18 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

 

Agreed, you really have to make the best of it. All bands are going to be faced with a gig that goes south sooner or later. Just don't carry around a lot of guilt over it. It's usually  not the bands fault 

 

Daryl

Yes, have definitely had worse gigs and played to less people!

 

It was nice to play on a stage and have a bit of space, and the organisers were very friendly and offering us free drinks etc.

 

That was a nice change from our last gig where we had our fee withheld until we had paid for the two pints of coke that we had had (but that’s a different story!)

 

 

[Norris]

10 minutes ago, tauzero said:

 

Or Sweet?

They were just hellraisers, not beer drinkers too iirc

[Obrienp]

1 hour ago, Norris said:

Coke has a lot to answer for too. It turns people into arrogant a***holes. We've played a few times in places where there's a bit of a "culture" - only the once though. We don't need that kind of hassle.

Muddy got it right: “Champagne and reefer, ain’t going to touch no cocaine”. However, can’t afford the former and it’s been more than a few years since the latter. I tend not to worry about people smoking some weed. Generally it makes them pretty mellow, although there is always someone who reacts differently. I get decidedly unsettled if it’s obvious that harder drugs are in use. Of course, alcohol is the cause of the most amount of aggro in society and obvious drunks are concerning at a gig, especially if it’s young men. 

[dmccombe7]

1 hour ago, Bluewine said:

 

I don't notice any drug activity within the band, however I do get concerned with the amount of alcohol consumed. 

 

Daryl

Wasn't suggesting your band Daryl it was in response to @Norris observation at his gig.

Dave

[Bluewine]

13 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Wasn't suggesting your band Daryl it was in response to @Norris observation at his gig.

Dave

 

I know, my comment was just a general response. 

 

Here's another Pic with a fan from last night.

 

Daryl

[tauzero]

1 hour ago, Norris said:

They were just hellraisers, not beer drinkers too iirc

 

And star chasers, as in "we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars".

[bigthumb]

Pretty much all our gigs are carbon copies of the ones before. The usual mix of uninterested pub goers, drunken tosspots and thankfully a few who appreciate half decent live music to make it seem all worthwhile but mainly nothing much to report here!

So our NYE gig was a at a sports and social club in Warrington, new to us so no idea on what to expect. A sold out ticket event of 200 mixed aged partygoers so it was going to be a mixed bag of reactions. Probably not going to be everybody's cup of tea but heyho. 

 

Understandably started a bit subdued but it was a good (polite) crowd. Second set improved and just got better and better. We played well, PA was great and was well enjoyed by all with some very positive comments. The best gig I've done for about 15 years I should think. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rosie C]

We had a bonus gig today. Given that we are a Blackmore's Night style renaissance-folk-rock band, the chance to play in this genuine Tudor manor house was irresistible. 2 hours of ballads accompanied by octave mandolin, interspersed with seasonal tunes on recorder and tambourine. 

 

We have an invite back, and we've also agreed in principle to use the location to record videos for our forthcoming album of renaissance tunes & ballads.

 

The venue:

 

The owners suggested we play by the log fire and so we did our first ever acoustic set. 

Edited 1 hour ago by Rosie C

[JapanAxe]

Final 2025 dep gig on lead guitar with a pub covers band. Ticketed NYE pub event with family members on the guest list. All went really well and had to remind myself that a lot of the gigs can be grim with a really late drive home.

 

Looking forward to 2026 with at least 3 happening band projects!

[Stub Mandrel]

18 hours ago, ezbass said:

he looked up my bass, a Maruszczyk

 

Anyone who Googles that on NYE needs examining. 

[Stub Mandrel]

Well I nearly had a gig today. Got a dep sorted, unknown band at two hour's notice 40 minutes away, and had to pick up my gear with a detour.

 

Driving across I got a message from a disconsolate BL who'd had his band replaced by another.

 

Possibly dodged a bullet, even though it was a good paying gig, I knew a lot or could busk most of it but in retrospect two or three hours prep rather than an hour would have been needed.

[mep]

Last night we played The Burton in Brixham. Our 2nd NYE there. The last one wasn't great, so we were hoping for more this time. We only got this one recently as we were booked for the 20th December originally and were offered this foe double pay and a crate of Bus so took it. For the most part a good crowd and some enthusiastic dancing in the 2nd set. I dressed up with a festive Santa Hawian shirt and matching bucket hat, with my shades to finish the look. A good couple of sets by us with only a few 'moments'. Back home by 1.45am. My usual rig of StingRay, RM 500 evo II & BF210. foot wear were my slip on Skechers. Got a couple of months off now before the next gig.