irritations durin a gig

[dreadheadbass]

ok bassheads what little things get on your tits when your playing live? it can be anything it doesnt have to be major just the little things that do your nut in when you take center stage mine are the following...

1: dreadlocks up the nose i could probably tie em back but its not cool

2: that idiot who always wants you to mosh with him durin a tricky fill or solo where were you when i was stood bored playing the simple parts of the song?

3: sweaty fingers yes it makes your fretting hand super fast but it also makes your thumb slippery to anchor on the strings

4: guitarist tuning up or down after or before a song buy a hipshot or carry a second de'tuned guitar for god's sake your making us look unproffesional

5: soundguy who keeps turning you down the bass is fancy and i want it to be heard i'm part of the RYTHM section you numpty turn me up!!

6: needing to pee halfway through a set this can lead to some very weird onstage dancing

7: sneezing both hands are tied up with frets and strings so that snot can only go one way.... over you and the audience

8: drummer re-aranging his ride symbal angle after every song c'mon its not like the ride is small and hard to hit a blind man with no arms could hit it i'm pretty sure an angle of 0.2 degrees aint gonna make it play any different

over to you guys what bugs you onstage?

[ProgRapture]

1. Singer who runs around and gets in the way. You know, you don't have to be the stage presence for all 4 of us!
2. Bad soundmen. I get compliments for how cool my bass playing LOOKS, but no one could hear me...
3. 13 year old emo cover bands who pull in a bigger crowd than we do. Nothing against them, but as a music major who plays prog metal and writes my own music, it's depressing. Everyone in the 18-24 year old range all have jobs and can't make it to our shows. Jerks.

All I got for now.

[dreadheadbass]

the dude who comes up to you after the show and says "i loved your band what do you play again?" grrr i'm the bass player you numpty the singer even introduced me "and on bass tonight the might spider monkey himself jaaaames!" were you not listening??

the bass player for the other band who thinks he's the best bassist since jaco even though he's only playing root notes n daddy bought him a musicman grr kids with expensive toys i had to save up for months to buy my 1st bass

the dude who hijacks the mic to make an anouncement halfway through a song yeah thanks for that i'm sure you could of delayed "last orders at the bar" for 3 more min

crowds that refuse to jump around or participate in banter ok being moody and "deep" doesnt mean you cant jump around to good music

[hartke20g]

i never quite understood why everyone thinks it's unprofessional to tune on stage. not only do many people buy pedal chain tuners, but not everyone has a 2nd instrument to have on the sidelines. and i've also never heard of any band getting negative comments from tuning during their set.

not being able to soundcheck properly
i bought a 25' cable specifically to be able to go out onto the floor before the gig and help everyone set their levels, but either someone shows up late, or only the first band gets to soundcheck. i think every band should be able to have their own soundcheck.

not exactly gig related, but no one wanting to listen to my song ideas
c'mon, i play all your up tempo, angsty punk rock, let's play something different that people other than 16 year old 'punks' like. it's not like they're listening anyway. and we need interludes and song transitions.

[Jazzdogg]

Twelve Peeves:

1. When someone is allowed to sit in with the band, and we end up lowering our standards because of their skill level, they don't know our songs, etc.

2. Vocalists who crank the volume of the stage monitors up to stun level.

3. Too much time between songs.

4. Incoherent or unprofessional ramblings over the microphone.

5. Inattention to dynamics.

6. Wanker guitarists who are preoccupied by their pedalboards.

7. Divas who don't want to do their fair share during load-in or load-out.

8. Musicians who are late coming back from breaks.

9. MUI - musicians under the influence to the extent that they become musically or socially inept.

10. Drunks who shout requests for songs that are obviously not consistent with our style or are inappropriate for the venue.

11. Breaktime storytellers who don't know when to shut up!

12. Rehearsing and writing set lists predicated on four 45-minute sets, and playing two very long sets instead.

[roger winkler]

ALL OF THE ABOVE, AND A WHOLE LOT MORE THAT I CAN'T THINK OF RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I'M TO BUSY LAUGHING MY #SS OFF.

[OtterOnBass]

Waiting for my part to start, and then starting, only to realize that my volume knob is off.

Overzealous soundmen turning off the mic as soon as you step back. Then you step forward to finish speaking/ tell the punchline and it's still off.

[Slax]

Originally Posted by hartke20g

no one wanting to listen to my song ideas
c'mon, i play all your up tempo, angsty punk rock, let's play something different that people other than 16 year old 'punks' like. it's not like they're listening anyway. and we need interludes and song transitions.

My god. I've had so many problems with that! So many people I've been in bands with dismiss me as a song writter because I play bass and therefore have "no idea what songs should sound like" it's terrible. My last band, I hate to say, but I was one of the best song writers in it. (Or most crowd pleasing songs confirmed this... )

Another thing I hate, as stated before, is sound guys who hate the bass because a lot of popular modern music don't employee it so highly. Well, I'm here for a purpose, give me reason for going to the show!

[EADG mx]

1) Bandmates playing between songs

2) Bandmates adjusting gear between songs - that's what sound check is for!

3) +1 vocalists with too much stage presence

4) Bandmates who rush tempos

5) Bandmates who don't realize that there are other dynamics than just double forte :rollno



on solo gigs:

6) People who talk (wait until I'm done, go outside or stfu)

7) People who don't listen (oh wait.. that's everyone. )

[Atoz]

Originally Posted by EADG mx

1) Bandmates playing between songs

Lead guitard

Originally Posted by EADG mx

2) Bandmates adjusting gear between songs - that's what sound check is for!

Lead guitard, drummer. Our drummer once stopped 3 seconds into a number and started adjusting his head tension!

Originally Posted by EADG mx

3) +1 vocalists with too much stage presence

Wish our vocalist HAD stage presence.

Originally Posted by EADG mx

4) Bandmates who rush tempos

(cough) drummer... (cough)


I personally don't commit any of the above sins, I'm just a lousy player.

[Pillz]

Originally Posted by dreadheadbass

6: needing to pee halfway through a set this can lead to some very weird onstage dancing

+1 to that.

Also being incredibly dehydrated on stage to the point where if you don't get water in you, you possibly might pass out mid set.

[makaky]

Some amputated tumor shooting at the band with a water pistol

[Steve]

SKYNYRD!!!!!

[dreadheadbass]

that total **** with the lazer pen who keeps shining it in everyone's eye's its one of the reasons i strapped a maglight to the head of my bass to blind the little ****er

people who request encores after you've just played an hour and a half solid if you want an encore you can wait 10 min while i go off for a pee, a beer, a ciggerette and a sit down then i'll do your bloody encore!!!

audiences that clap waaay out of time c'mon even our drummers timing aint THAT bad

people who headbang to ska i'm pretty sure your suppose to skank to ska music not start a mosh pit

[Just J]

Originally Posted by hartke20g

not being able to soundcheck properly
i bought a 25' cable specifically to be able to go out onto the floor before the gig and help everyone set their levels, but either someone shows up late, or only the first band gets to soundcheck. i think every band should be able to have their own soundcheck.

Ugh. I got wireless so I could stand on the floor and check levels. They're talking into the mics "the mics are too loud." How about you shut up and play so I can check the relative levels. Ironically enough I heard more than once that the vocals weren't loud enough.

not exactly gig related, but no one wanting to listen to my song ideas
c'mon, i play all your up tempo, angsty punk rock, let's play something different that people other than 16 year old 'punks' like. it's not like they're listening anyway. and we need interludes and song transitions.

Same issue, guitarist only wants to play what he suggests. We had requests for disco/funk standards like Brick House, You Dropped a Bomb on Me, etc. He suggests "Paralyzer" by whoever it is, "that's kinda disco rockish." No, are you listening? The requests were specific.

Guitarists with erratic volume. This pisses me off to no end, they use pods, it stores the volume levels, EVEN THEM OUT. Of course you want a setting to give you a little more juice when soloing, but there shouldn't be a 30db difference in your tones. And for the love of god turn your guitar up and use the volume pedal. I get sick of hearing "I'm as loud as I can go" when the guitar is set to 6.

Band members with no feel of time/rhythm. Having to tell someone "you're late" a dozen times because they are playing a half beat late, then having to argue with them because they think their right only to play the song to show I was right is annoying, and a friggin waste of time.

Band members who don't practice in their free time. I shouldn't have to correct your form on a chord one day only to have you screw it up the very next day. I shouldn't have to remind you what chords to play in a 3 chord song. I shouldn't have to argue with you about how you're coming in late when I corrected you on it 2 days ago. We shouldn't have to show you a chord, you should know what a Cmaj in the first position is. You should have more dynamics and fluidity to your playing by now.

Noodling, running your mouth, not paying attention between songs. I shouldn't have to run to the other side of the stage to get your attention so we can start the next song.

Taking 45min-hr long breaks. 30 mins is enough time for you to wander around and play rock star between sets.

Ok, enough for now...

[Johnny Mack]

genres have certain fun/enjoyment requirements? and isnt ska a form of what is now called punk? some of you guys seem to have anger issues or something... relax.

[jomahu]

Originally Posted by dreadheadbass

audiences that clap waaay out of time c'mon even our drummers timing aint THAT bad

this made me laugh. we do a lot of different rhythms in songs, so it's always funny when people have a hard time clapping along.

not exactly a peeve, but there's always a moment in the crowd when they realize that it's all chicks on stage, and then...the whispering starts

[Fretless1!]

Opening bands taking waaayyy too long to set up and tear down. Move! Break down off stage.

Opening band taking waaayyy too long to set up and tear down and then leaving after their set. Where the Hell are you going?

Anybody that asks to sit in, especially if they're not helping me load, set up, or at least buy the band a round. If I wanted you up here, boy, I would have asked you already.

Or even worse, after asking to sit in and sing, they don't have a clue how the lyrics go and want you to help 'em out. Why are you HERE?

After telling someone you are an original band and you only play your own music, they still insist on asking if you play Skynyrd or Stevie Ray or Bob Seger. What did I just say for the third time in a row?

Y'all know "Crank That"? Yeah, baby, we just played 3 sets of Southern Rock, Country, and Blues. I think we can pull a little Souljah Boy out of our butts! Ready fellas? 1,2,3, 4...

Guitarists on "10" with their 100 watt amp pointed at the back of their knees.
Me, "Dude, point that up at your ears or put it in a chair where you can hear better. You're killing me."
Twanger, "Oh, man, I hate pointing my amp at me, it sounds terrible."
Me, "Yeah, goofball, what do you think I've been listening to all night?"

It's all fun and games, ain't it!

[Lex P.]

Drunks coming up to the stage and grabbing your set list. Then pretending they can actually read while they sway in one spot! I now place it where they can't get to it.

Lex

[wingnut]

1. Guitards who tune after every futher mucking song!
2. Guitards who loudly noodle while everyone else is still trying to tune and get their levels right.
3. Too much volume, it's not friggin Shea Stadium it's a bar.