Fun gig last Friday...

[Pilgrim]

Last Friday my band played a benefit gig in a restaurant/bar. I decided to use my old 70's Univox Hollowbody bass, and I gotta say it sounded great. We're primarily a surf band with some classic rock...the band is Vintage Winds, which is code for old farts. Our drummer is 60, I'm 57 and the two guitarists are both 50-something.

I took my Digital-8 camcorder along, set it up on one side of the stage, and recorded the whole gig, then cut the video up and loaded some YouTube clips. I was very pleasantly surprised with how good the audio sounded given that it was recorded with a stereo camcorder. The stage in this place doesn't have any extra lighting, so the video is kind of dark, but I thought some you you might enjoy giving them a listen. I have more cuts to load yet, including Link Wray's Jack the Ripper and more surf stuff.

Oh, the Peter Gunn cut has both a guest drummer and a really good harmonica player that sits in with us occasionally. I'm on the left side of the screen, and due to the camera angle I'm not always visible.


Pipeline: http://youtube.com/watch?v=_f01NWETUDc

Secret Agent: http://youtube.com/watch?v=5HEgcBoxiyI

Rumble: http://youtube.com/watch?v=PIqPnZjY81M

Peter Gunn: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Yg2G7bA6GJ8

Edit: added two more today

Walk, Don't Run: http://youtube.com/watch?v=u3Icp0oLxz0

Wipe Out: http://youtube.com/watch?v=pUPbaxH7qUk

Oh, and we raised almost $500 in contributions to support a church that provides services to the homeless in town. We had some stuff to raffle off, and we gave people one ticket for any contribution, and another ticket for every additional $5 in donation. We're really pleased with the total we raised.

[Valerus]

You guys are awesome! I'm glad there's bands like you around

[Pilgrim]

Very kind of you!...thanks for the comment!

I'm fond of saying: If you want to hear surf music played right, come to the guys who heard it the FIRST time.

(aka: Old Farts.)

[Brian D]

Sounds and looks great!

I'm diggin' that Univox HB sound. One thing though, stop looking at the camera

[Shovelbone]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

Very kind of you!...thanks for the comment!

I'm fond of saying: If you want to hear surf music played right, come to the guys who heard it the FIRST time.

(aka: Old Farts.)

Hey Pilgrim
That Uni sounds pretty damn good! Good tone and nice videos!

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by Shovelbone

Hey Pilgrim
That Uni sounds pretty damn good! Good tone and nice videos!

Gracias! I'm still impressed by the sound I captured with the stereo mike built into that Sony TRV-330 camcorder.

Originally Posted by achtung jackass

Sounds and looks great!

I'm diggin' that Univox HB sound. One thing though, stop looking at the camera

Thanks! Check out Walk, Don't Run and Wipe Out - I just added them.

I did have to look at the camera occasionally to make sure no one had either stolen it or kicked the tripod sideways - it was in a walkway and I had the legs taped down.

[SirCanealot]

Whoa, you guys sound awesome! And especially that bass! So yummy! You got yourself grooving well with your drummer!

Not bad at all for a set of old farts! ;P

Naw, J/K. Stuff really makes me wanna dance in my seat! I'd be so pleased if I got to see a band like yours in England, but you just don't really get this sort of music in many places

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by SirCanealot

Whoa, you guys sound awesome! And especially that bass! So yummy! You got yourself grooving well with your drummer!

Not bad at all for a set of old farts! ;P

Naw, J/K. Stuff really makes me wanna dance in my seat! I'd be so pleased if I got to see a band like yours in England, but you just don't really get this sort of music in many places

Thanks! If you like it and there's no one playing surf in your area, why not start your own surf band? It's one style that no one thinks of playing, but people LOVE the music. It's also not super-difficult to play and gives you a chance to do fun stuff with reverb. If you're the only surf band in your area, I suspect you'll get lots of work.

[Basshappi]

Very cool Pilgrim, glad you had a great gig!

I have a deep and abiding love for surf music. In my last band we did a medley of Pipeline-Green Hornet - James Bond that was always a hit with the audience.

I would love to form a surf/spy band one of these days!


Cheers!

[lonote]

"Vintage Winds"...I love it, since my band qualifies (me:58, guitar, drums, harp: 50 somethings, singer 40 something). We are a blues band but we throw in a couple of surf tunes every now and then. You guys sound great and you did a great job with the audio/video!

[Pilgrim]

Isn't it amazing how people respond to a good surf tune? They just come to life. That makes it a really fun genre to play.