Age gap working backwards...

[bassybill]

After my thread about me being lucky enough to work with younger guys, now I get a call for some gigs with my young pal's DAD (who is still younger than me, btw).

Three sets this weekend for weddings. Here's the set list - cheesy, but should be good fun.

1. Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra - Smoking Shuffle (3:16)
2. Tom Jones - It's Not Unusual (1:59)
3. Duffy - Mercy (3:41)
4. Michael Buble - Crazy Little Thing Called Love (3:10)
5. Amy Winehouse - Valerie (3:39)
6. Bryan Ferry, Roxy Music - Let's Stick Together (3:01)
7. Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours (2:37)
8. The Feeling - Love It When You Call (3:32)
9. Celebration (4:59)
10. Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel (4:54)
11. Take That - Shine (3:33)
12. Earth Wind & Fire - September (3:35)
13. Blues Brothers - Sweet Home Chicago (7:47)
14. Expresso Bongo Orchestra - Respect (3:07)
15. The Temptations - Get Ready (2:55)
16. Wilson Picket - In The Midnight Hour (2:35)
17. Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl (3:06)
18. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Proud Mary (3:03)
19. Dolly Parton - 9 to 5 (2:47)
20. Chic - Le Freak (5:30)
21. Jackie Wilson - Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher (2:58)
22. The Killers - Mr. Brightside (3:26)
23. Ben E. King - Stand By Me (2:54)
24. Tom Jones - Delilah (3:22)
25. Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls Of Fire (2:33)
26. Barry Manilow - Jump Shout Boogie (3:06)
27. The Beatles - Lady Madonna (2:18)
28. Billy Joel - My Life (4:43)
29. Tom Jones - Resurrection Shuffle (2:53)
30. Ray Charles - What I'd Say Parts 1 & 2 (5:07)
31. James Blunt - 1973 (Album Version) (4:42)

[MysticMichael]

Celebration is cheesy? It's Not Unusual is cheesy? Golly, you could've fooled me!

Hey, what about Proud Mary? And you call that a set list?



MM

P.S. What's with all the American tunes anyway? Is this what the world's come to?

[bassybill]

Originally Posted by MysticMichael

What's with all the American tunes anyway? Is this what the world's come to?

If you're going for cheesy, it has to be American, right?

[Exploiter8]

Just out of curiosity, how old are the bride and groom? Do you have a guess as to the average age of the guests? I'm not leading anywhere with this, it's just that I'm 51 and used to play weddings back in the 80's. I'm interested in what "works" nowadays!

Let us know how it goes!

Good luck with the gig!

X8

[bassybill]

Originally Posted by Exploiter8

Just out of curiosity, how old are the bride and groom? Do you have a guess as to the average age of the guests? I'm not leading anywhere with this, it's just that I'm 51 and used to play weddings back in the 80's. I'm interested in what "works" nowadays!

Let us know how it goes!

Good luck with the gig!

X8

I have no idea how old the bride and groom are, but with my main band we play this sort of stuff at weddings often for couples maybe in late 20s/early30s. And weddings are a family event, of course.

But there's no doubt that at most weddings (regardless of ages present), Chic would go down better with the crowd than death metal.

Lots of younger folks are into plenty of 70s and 80s stuff because the bulk of the music from their own era is pretty much crap. Sad, but true - and borne out by comments here all the time.

[totallyfrozen]

Wow! I don't know ANY of those songs. How freakin' old are you?!

Just kidding...that looks fun, man. I like alot of those tunes. EW&T "September" and the Stevie Wonder tunes should be a tons of fun. Those are the kinds of songs that lend themselves to the bassist wanking out a little bit toward the end of the song (ala T-Bone Wolk style).

Good times, bro!

[bassybill]

Originally Posted by totallyfrozen

How freakin' old are you?!

I'm ANCIENT. But not too old to enjoy getting paid £300/$500 at the weekend for some nice easy work, of course.

Good to hear you get the fun element in this stuff.

[chuck3]

some of those songs were on the set list in the first band I was ever in, when I was 12 years old in 1964. Others, when I was in my second, actively gigging band, when I was 15 years old in 1967. Others, in my current band (I'm 57 now, funny how that happens).

And they still rock, or at least should if played right!

[totallyfrozen]

Originally Posted by bassybill

I have no idea how old the bride and groom are, but with my main band we play this sort of stuff at weddings often for couples maybe in late 20s/early30s. And weddings are a family event, of course.

But there's no doubt that at most weddings (regardless of ages present), Chic would go down better with the crowd than death metal.

Lots of younger folks are into plenty of 70s and 80s stuff because the bulk of the music from their own era is pretty much crap. Sad, but true - and borne out by comments here all the time.

Granted, the vast majority of my wedding entertaining experience is as a hired DJ and not so much a band member but I don't think that really makes a difference. IME, if they can dance to it, it'll go over pretty well. Kool & The Gang songs tend to do well too. They have several very well known hits that do great at weddings.

IME, generally people want to have dance music that spans several generations so that all their relatives can "get down" too. I've really only done one wedding (a real "trailer trash" event) where I was told that AC/DC was what they wanted and they didn't want any of that "faygit, n**ger music". I didn't want to get beat down and buried behind the barn so I just played Classic Rock and Hard Rock. Usually, as long as people are dancing no one seems to care much what you play. Weddings can be a ton of fun if you don't mind Uncle Phil telling you to "turn it up!" and 5 seconds later Granny B telling you to "turn it down!"

I ALWAYS get my money up front, btw! Gimmie $500 NOW for the first 4 hours. After that, you'd better get your wallet out again if you want the show to go on. Once my palm stops getting greased, the CDs stop spinning. I think we were chargning $120/hour for anything over 4 hours. It was an organized business; I was part of a DJ company.

[somegeezer]

Originally Posted by bassybill

I have no idea how old the bride and groom are, but with my main band we play this sort of stuff at weddings often for couples maybe in late 20s/early30s. And weddings are a family event, of course.

But there's no doubt that at most weddings (regardless of ages present), Chic would go down better with the crowd than death metal.

Lots of younger folks are into plenty of 70s and 80s stuff because the bulk of the music from their own era is pretty much crap. Sad, but true - and borne out by comments here all the time.

Nonsense! I'd have Death Metal played if I were ever married. ;D

[bassybill]

Okay, here goes. I hope my dodgy wrist is up to getting through that set. I'll check in later and tell you all if it was fun or torture (or maybe a bit of both).

[Exploiter8]

I'm betting it was FUN!

X8

[bassybill]

Originally Posted by Exploiter8

I'm betting it was FUN!

X8

It was fun!

Pros - fun set, nice pay, good dancing crowd (with some excellent chicks ), cool guys to work with, caught up with a girl singer I haven't seen for a while, and Phil the band leader is a monster boogie piano player as well as good front man/singer. Also, my wrist held up well and I didn't do too badly for a first date with this particular band.

Cons - room acoustics were a nightmare, huge reverberant cavern of a place with stone floor, high ceiling and no soft furnishings to speak of. One of those rooms where the on stage sound was really loud but you still couldn't hear a thing.I tried all the usual EQ tricks to get rid of the mud with some success, but it was far from ideal. Oh well, can't have everything.

Two more sets with the same outfit tomorrow - a low key set in the afternoon with just four of us and then the full eight piece outfit again in the evening.

[VinKreepo]

Originally Posted by bassybill

I have no idea how old the bride and groom are, but with my main band we play this sort of stuff at weddings often for couples maybe in late 20s/early30s. And weddings are a family event, of course.

But there's no doubt that at most weddings (regardless of ages present), Chic would go down better with the crowd than death metal.

Lots of younger folks are into plenty of 70s and 80s stuff because the bulk of the music from their own era is pretty much crap. Sad, but true - and borne out by comments here all the time.

AMEN!

[Exploiter8]

COOL!

I hear you about the bad acoustics...built in reverb!

Thanks for the update...Enjoy!

X8

[bassybill]

Originally Posted by bassybill

It was fun!

Pros - fun set, nice pay, good dancing crowd (with some excellent chicks ), cool guys to work with, caught up with a girl singer I haven't seen for a while, and Phil the band leader is a monster boogie piano player as well as good front man/singer. Also, my wrist held up well and I didn't do too badly for a first date with this particular band.

Cons - room acoustics were a nightmare, huge reverberant cavern of a place with stone floor, high ceiling and no soft furnishings to speak of. One of those rooms where the on stage sound was really loud but you still couldn't hear a thing.I tried all the usual EQ tricks to get rid of the mud with some success, but it was far from ideal. Oh well, can't have everything.

Two more sets with the same outfit tomorrow - a low key set in the afternoon with just four of us and then the full eight piece outfit again in the evening.

Oh, and by the way - turned out the bride and groom were maybe late twenties, just judging by looks.

[bassybill]

Originally Posted by Exploiter8

COOL!

I hear you about the bad acoustics...built in reverb!

Thanks for the update...Enjoy!

X8

Thanks, buddy - much appreciated.