"Check In" here before and after your gigs, set 3 - everyone's drunk now! - Page 14

KenHR · #**261** 12-14-2012, 08:19 AM

Playing tomorrow evening at Pinhead Susan's in Schenectady. It's a great place to play and the management likes the band, so this will be a really comfortable gig. Good food and beer, too, which is a big-time plus.

jaywa · #**262** 12-14-2012, 08:53 AM

Doing a sub gig on Saturday night with a horn band that I used to sub for pretty regularly but haven't done anything with for about the last 3 years. I still have their book and thankfully very little of their show has changed so with a couple nights of woodshedding I should be good to go. They're also using a sub guitarist who happens to be in my main band so that will help too. Private party at a university... should be a good time.

KenHR · #**263** 12-17-2012, 09:09 AM

Gig on Saturday was all right. We got enthusiastic reviews from management.

On a personal level, I was all over the place. Missing cues and flubbing changes every other song, plus I blew my voice out early in the first set...thank god I don't sing too often in this group. Not sure what was wrong with me; in part, I've already checked out in my head, plus I think my replacement was in the audience and that messed with my head a bit, etc.

Just one more to go with these guys, on new year's eve. I'm going to be really sad to walk away from the regular gigs, but I know in the end it's going to be better for my headspace...so much outside the shows wasn't working for me.

Bassmanbob · #**264** 12-21-2012, 10:13 AM

Playing at Traditions Square in Port St. Lucie tonight. It's December's West Fest 6-9PM.

So it's outside and supposed to be 45 degrees F tonight. Oh joy! And if that's not enough, if the kick drum is steady at just the right tempo, the stage is wobbly enough to have the PA speakers move back and forth like a metronome.

rtslinger · #**265** 12-21-2012, 12:29 PM

I have a holiday party gig we are doing on the 22nd this Sat night looking forward to it this place is one we have played in since our start in 2003 and consider it our home bass (sorry habit) home base lol

Bassmanbob · #**266** 12-22-2012, 06:09 AM

The gig last night went well. It got pretty cold (for South Florida); it was around 45 F by the time we finished loading out. I wore three layers of clothing, then my jacket for the last set. I noticed that with each layer, my bass sat higher and higher. More people came out than I had expected, and all who showed had fun.

Next gig is New Years Eve... also outside.

judeix808 · #**267** 12-23-2012, 10:35 AM

Nice little gig at the local Farmers Market yesterday morning-early afternoon. Tips were a lot better than I expected.

Got another gig tonight (the bar we're at is trying to get a Sunday Night Country Night going). Hopefully the turn out is better than last time. We'll see. Gonna explore ways to help with the attendance.

rtslinger · #**268** 12-24-2012, 09:50 AM

Okay the Holiday party went great place was packed I had to park across the street in the gas station! We had a late start 10PM due to all the table set up in the stage area but all went smoothly when the people were asked to move because they were there to see the band. Here is a vid from the show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN_qih23pbM

every one have a great holiday season RTS

jjk2007 · #**269** 12-29-2012, 08:55 PM

Getting ready to start playing down at the Public House in old town Temecula. It's a fun spot for sure! 8-midnight....here we go!

Here's a quick shot I took during one of our breaks.

jjk2007 · #**270** 12-30-2012, 10:17 AM

Getting ready to head out in a while for a noon-4 gig at the Bel Vino winery here in Temecula. Haven't played here yet but it should be fun, and the pay is nice too. I'll get some pics up later in the day.

Edit: Here's the setup for today

ewe2 · #**271** 12-30-2012, 01:46 PM

Gig on Saturday was great. Everything was last minute, including the first practice/soundcheck we'd been able to have for 20 years but astonishingly it was like riding a bike, we just clicked and very quickly sorted out arrangements. I've yet to hear the recording but the performance was fun and relaxed. I'm quite relieved.

Bassmanbob · #**272** 12-31-2012, 03:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjk2007

Getting ready to head out in a while for a noon-4 gig at the Bel Vino winery here in Temecula. Haven't played here yet but it should be fun, and the pay is nice too. I'll get some pics up later in the day.

Edit: Here's the setup for today

Wow. How many bass drums does your drummer need?

Ok. How many of you thought I was serious? Actually, that looks like a cool place to play.

KenHR · #**273** 12-31-2012, 08:27 AM

Last gig with the cover band tonight.

jjk2007 · #**274** 12-31-2012, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassmanbob

Wow. How many bass drums does your drummer need?

Ok. How many of you thought I was serious? Actually, that looks like a cool place to play.

Ha! That was at one of our local wineries. We have a several mile stretch of road that is just one winery after the other. This one was called Bel Vino and it was a good time for sure. Those were a bunch of wine kegs behind us.

alkanetexe · #**275** 12-31-2012, 01:46 PM

My band is opening up for Great White at Hooligan's in Texas tonight. I have a keyboardist buddy who's in town for Christmas break and he's been practicing with us for a couple of weeks to help out with a couple of keyboard-heavy songs.

Apparently he didn't realize we were opening for a national act until yesterday, and the pressure seemed to get to him, but he said he was still up for going out with us, so I really hope he does well. I've known him for years and have all the faith in him, but I hope he doesn't decide at the last second that he's not ready.

Also (pardon me for letting the teenager show in my writing), there's another band playing between us and Great White, and their drummer and I have been talking about going out soon, but we won't have seen each other until this show. She's going to be in the audience when I'm on stage. Talk about nerves...

Bassmanbob · #**276** 01-01-2013, 12:09 AM

Happy new year. Gig went well. Good night

KenHR · #**277** 01-01-2013, 09:16 AM

The last gig with the cover band was great. One of the better gigs we had, and saying good-bye to the band, the band spouses and the folks in our little following was more emotional than I thought it'd be.

Some fun stuff went on. The strap on my bass slipped off halfway thru "Hey Soul Sister" and I ended up playing 2/3 of it balancing my axe on my knee while standing on one foot (quite an accomplishment considering the alcohol intake).

After our second set, a guy at the bar (a drummer, to boot) pulled me aside and had a lot of nice things about my playing. "You play the hell out of that thing, man, you have your own style!" Which was awesome to hear (I really don't have fantastic technique, imo).

At the end of the night, our lead guitarist's wife wished me a happy new year and said I was "one hell of a bass player" and that I'd be missed in the group. "Well," I said, "I'm sure whoever is replacing me is as good or better." She shook her head, rolled her eyes and said, "I wouldn't say that. REALLY wouldn't say that." So that kind of started my new year off on a positive note....

KenHR · #**278** 01-02-2013, 10:11 AM

Apparently the replacement bass player still needs a bit of propping. I got asked by the (now) former band to fill in this Saturday and I accepted.

Hey, it's cash.

Bassmanbob · #**279** 01-02-2013, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenHR

Apparently the replacement bass player still needs a bit of propping. I got asked by the (now) former band to fill in this Saturday and I accepted.

Hey, it's cash.

It's always nice to be asked back.

KenHR · #**280** 01-02-2013, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassmanbob

It's always nice to be asked back.

Absolutely.

Every band member is a class act, and for the type of music they play (classic rock, modern country), they're really good. Probably one of the best-sounding (from a balance/dynamics/volume perspective) and best-rehearsed (i.e. no one is learning a song at practice...and they'll work for 20+ minutes to get a pivotal passage of a song nailed for maximum impact in performance) groups I've been in. It was a really difficult decision to leave, but I told them I'd be happy to sub whenever needed.