I reckon it's a successful gig when nobody gets electrocuted...

Hackster · #1 05-04-2003, 01:09 AM

Played a "society" wedding reception tonight in a ritzy part of town. The wedding and reception were set up outside. We were to start right after the wedding was over. They had a huge open tent set up in a lush green pasture about a hundred yards from the house. They'd made great provisions for us; a 2-foot-high riser stage with plenty of room at one end of the tent, and two dedicated 30-amp circuits (with a breaker box, thankfully). There was a portable dance floor set up in front of the stage.

We've had monster early-evening thunderstorms here for the past two days. During setup and soundcheck this afternoon, the sky was looking ominous. After soundcheck I went home to shower and change, and checked the weather channel. Sure enough, there was a severe thunderstorm warning, and the radar showed two nasty-looking cells headed right for us. Oh, well...

So we started right after the wedding was over, when the 250-plus guests were hurrying into the tent from the wedding site down at the bottom of the hill. They were hurrying because the storm was starting to break. And break it did. As we launched into "Pride and Joy" the wind was already blowing rain onto the back of the stage-- of course we were set up on the northwest end of the tent, the direction the storm was coming from. Before the song was over it was like playing in a monsoon. So soon's we finished the song we announced we had to shut everything down 'till the storm blew over. One of my cabs on the other side of the stage got fairly soaked on the back and sides but the grille side was protected so that was okay. Keys player's rig got righteously moist, as did the homemade-wrapped-in-black-tape control box for our homemade lighting rig (*that* one I was most worried about). The nine guitars we had across the stage, as well as the rest of the amps and stuff, were pretty well protected. After the storm blew through (and a fella from the wedding family brought a tarp and hung it across the end of the tent behind us), we toweled everything off, flipped the breakers on and got back to work.

And we just tore it up. I don't know what it was, but we were more "on" tonight than we've ever been. It was just one of those nights. Gigged my new Godin A/E fretless for the first time, and everybody was carrying on about how great it sounded. I'd split my cabs on both ends of the stage for the first time instead of stacking them and that really seemed to help pull the groove together. The crowd was great and everyone seemed to be having a really good time.

I'm the one tasked with setting up the PA, and it was a real pleasure to be able to blast the monitors without having to dial out a bunch of feedback, thanks to being outside and having no reflections to deal with. Our mix was as good as it's ever been.

So... we got paid well to play for an appreciative crowd, got free food (excellent barbeque) and drinks, and had a great time. Plus, nobody got fried. So I guess it was a pretty good gig.

Thanks for readin' my ramblin'...

Microbass · #2 05-04-2003, 09:47 AM

Awesome! Always good to hear about a good gig, can't wait till I get back on my feet and go rock out...

Munjibunga · #3 05-04-2003, 11:53 AM

This rules.

Hackster · #4 05-04-2003, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Microbass
Awesome! Always good to hear about a good gig, can't wait till I get back on my feet and go rock out...

Sorry, man, I'm new here at TB, so I don't know *why* you're off your feet, but whatever the reason, get up and get back out there soon, OK?

Cheers,

bentem · #5 05-05-2003, 04:19 PM

Ive always wanted to play a wedding or bar-mitzvah typr gig. (mostly after watching "the wedding singer")

Microbass · #6 05-05-2003, 04:26 PM

Hackster, I aint really got a working band right now... Trying to improve myself as a bassist overall and then go out and find some dedicated muscians.

Blueszilla · #7 05-05-2003, 05:46 PM

Very cool!!

Weddings and private parties are usually very good gigs. Free food and drinks, don't have to play too much (lots of announcements, pictures, etc...) and good paying most of the time. Plus, at weddings most of the women are dressed very nice!!

Hackster · #8 05-05-2003, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Blueszilla
Very cool!!

Weddings and private parties are usually very good gigs. Free food and drinks, don't have to play too much (lots of announcements, pictures, etc...) and good paying most of the time. Plus, at weddings most of the women are dressed very nice!!

Heh... funny thing about getting paid... the groom gave our guitarist a check before the wedding... when Bob looked at it later (after the B&G left) the check was TOTALLY blank, including signature. Fortunately Bob got hold of him before they left on their honeymoon Sunday afternoon, so "the check's in the mail"... Guess he had other stuff on his mind, eh?