Last night blew chunks

Loose Cannon · #1 03-18-2007, 03:59 PM

So, last night we played at this place we had been once before and they had invited us back for what was supposed to be a St. Patrick's Day party. We were all pumped up, thinking it was going to be packed and be a great gig. Well, it didn't turn out that way....

The crowd was lame in terms of number of people and enthusiasm to dance. The electrical system in the building was doing weird things with the PA, making erratic buzzing. I mean, it would be quiet one minute and the next it would buzz loudly and we hadn't touched a thing! ( We had similar issues last time and this time it was better, but the PA is fine everywhere else.) We heard there was a girl who came frequently who was killed in a car crash a few days ago and that many regulars just weren't going out like they had, but St. Patrick's Day and the place wasn't even a third full?

The sound onstage was never right, although out front the mix was awesome and several people said it sounded great to them, but overall it was a disappointing night. We were paid $50 more than what we asked for,and they asked about openings in our schedule, but we didn't commit to anything yet. I guess it was a letdown because last week at a different place we absolutely ruled and last night should have been a lot of fun too. The guitar player seemed to be taking it personally.

I know this has been covered before and I've been at it long enough to know sometimes things just go that way, but if any of you can offer some words of encouragement for him, I think I might print off the replies to let him read. I know we have a good band (finally!), and many of you have been there, done that, would like to know what you do or say to yourself to get the ambition back.

theshadow2001 · #2 03-18-2007, 04:31 PM

My advice is to get over it! I have played some absolutely fantastic gigs and some real bad gigs too and everything in between. I remember playing a place it was packed it was a great gig it got us in touch with a booking agent it paid well and it was only 45 minute journey to the venue. What more could you want. The next time we played that spot a few months later it really really sucked. Especially on crowd terms. No one there place was quiet a bit cold and just an overall a let down. What can you do just keep on trucking.

IanStephenson · #3 03-18-2007, 05:33 PM

We played a gig last weekend at a venue that was totally jumping 4 months ago when we played. The place was dead apart from the 8 or 9 people who followed us from home (it's about 40 minutes drive from our fan base, so only the hardcore fans made the trip - afterall they can see us locally anytime), and one table of drunks who heckled us all night. Turns out the place is great Saturday, but every band dies on Fridays, and we got booked for a Friday this time around. Fortunatly the owner totally understands this and was pretty sympathetic (Saturday next time!!).

It happens. We can have a run of 4 or 5 GREAT gigs, and then we get a totally wipeout. I hate it - we don't get paid enough to make those kind of gigs worth it. Just got to get used to it. Our singer takes it pretty personally too - which doesn't really help.

Our St Patricks gig was looking pretty rough for the first two sets, but in the third something kicked in, and the crowd really turned around and were really behind us - isn't alchol great!

Ian

west*coast*bass · #4 03-18-2007, 05:36 PM

Crappy gigs are as important as the good ones...

tzadik · #5 03-18-2007, 05:49 PM

What did you do to promote the show?

ibnzneksrul · #6 03-18-2007, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by west*coast*bass

Crappy gigs are as important as the good ones...

I would change that around a little to "How you deal with crappy gigs is as (or more) important as how you deal with the good ones."

They are going to happen, guaranteed. Learn from the experience and move ahead.

Bo_H · #7 03-18-2007, 06:12 PM

A bad night of gigging beats a good day at work. You'll recover nicely, I'm sure.

Loose Cannon · #8 03-18-2007, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassbobo5

A bad night of gigging beats a good day at work. You'll recover nicely, I'm sure.

Is that a fish story?

Loose Cannon · #9 03-18-2007, 06:45 PM

I learned a long time ago how hard it is to read a group of people. My first job out of high school was a tour guide at Fantastic Caverns at Springfield, Mo. Fun job, low pay! The tour is via a Jeep-drawn trailer and sometimes the groups would ask so many questions at a stop, your tour would start to run overtime, but you would think, "They are enjoying it so much, they will tell their friends. More visitors=good for the business!" Other times, at the end of a stop's presentation, you could hear a pin drop. (Literally; a cave is quiet. Know what I mean?) At the end of a tour, people would come up and say, "You did such a great job! You explained it so well!! We're so glad we came..."

People are funny.

Most of the places we have been playing are near area lakes. Everyone tells us that as summer gets nearer, the crowds will really pick up, and I don't doubt it. I know it's going to be a good year, I just want to get my guitar player past this one. He does half the singing, owns the PA, I can't kick him out!!!!