outdoor gigs suck!

nikofthehill · #1 08-21-2001, 06:28 PM

i went to LA (Loyola Marymount) for a summer program. i didnt bring my bass because i didnt want to take it on the airplane. anyways, by the end of three weeks i ended up borrowing someone's bass and playing for the last dance/social/farewell. we played outdoors on small stage, and since i had no amp (the person i borrowed the bass from had a 15 watt Crate) i had to play directly through the PA. anyways i sounded like crap and couldnt hear myself very well. well the guitarist had a 150 watt amp, and the drummer was a counseler who we jammed with for the first time about 30 min before the performance. it just sucked. and this guy jumped up on stage and tripped over the mic cable, and fell back off stage. lets just say the guitarist slapped him upside the head pretty hard after the show. anyways enough of my ranting. here's a picture.

http://geocities.com/keredush/pic2.html

(its not my page)

Son of Spam · #2 08-21-2001, 08:17 PM

Ouch dude......only outdoor gigs I've played have been at Coffee Shops where its just me, my drummer, n my sax.

Sound Guy Paul · #3 08-21-2001, 09:53 PM

What is the thing right above the guitar amp and next to the guitar players legs, looks like an Eden Combo amp..........

Wil Davis · #4 08-21-2001, 10:56 PM

Outdoor gigs are all very well, but...

- Wil

Bass Guitar · #5 08-22-2001, 01:08 AM

Wil - that is a great picture of what you pray would not happen on the day of an outdoor concert!

Seriously though - outdoor gigs are FUN. Just because you have had a bad experience does not necessarily mean that you paint all outdoor gigs with the same brush. They take a whole lot more planning, and are a much more unpredictable as you have to contend with the weather as the post above shows so well, but when they go well, they go really well.

I just remembered that our church band played for this year's New Year church service totally outdoors, and it was great fun. We had great weather, families and friends were on picnic blankets, we sang songs and played for 3 hours straight, and we all did a countdown at midnight - it was great. Took a week of setting up, planning, hiring the right gear and lights, hiring a stage etc. but it was worth it.

So don't disregard all outdoor gigs based on that one experience.

Bass-A-Nova · #6 08-23-2001, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Son of Spam
Ouch dude......only outdoor gigs I've played have been at Coffee Shops where its just me, my drummer, n my sax.

I've always wondered about jamming in coffee shops, but I figured a bass would be out of place. Seems like it's always the James Taylor wannabe with an acoustic guitar...

**Josh Ryan** · #7 08-31-2001, 12:41 PM

I got bit by a dog at an outdoor gig once, but I got his tooth, and the food was really very good so it was OK. Me and the dog made friends after anyway. I gave him a burger, then we were cool.

Woodchuck · #8 09-07-2001, 08:36 PM

I once played a community BBQ,... in the the summer,....in Georgia! It was about 98 degrees with about 90% humidity. I had a Stingray at the time. The next morning, I found a note from it. It had run off.

bassturd · #9 09-09-2001, 11:01 PM

niko,

at least u got a stage to play on.

luisnovelo · #10 09-09-2001, 11:38 PM

I´ve only played outdoors once an it was quite good... I had been playing bass for a year, and had little experience, but we had fun and it was very relaxing.. We played for a dinner that a friend´s rugby team organized for their families, in a ranch in Argentina, at night.

My dad was there and told me that the bass was what sounded the best.
I was using a fender bxr combo (100 watts) and my sister sang, everything sounded well. We also used a 160 watt fender PA of mine to microphone the guitar and drums.

The gig got to be longer than expected and when the friend of mine who played guitar got tired, a guy from the rugby team took the guitar and we played a buch of gun´s n roses songs..

Bruce Lindfield · #11 09-11-2001, 02:14 AM

I've played quite a few outdoor gigs and they have all been great fun and some of my best experiences. Large stage, usually and big p.a.s, in wonderful Sussex of Kent countryside. Played one, just as the sun was going down in Goodwood in Sussex and the view was awesome. It's also great playing Latin music in the Sunshine with an enthusiastic crowd.

Woodchuck · #12 09-13-2001, 11:52 AM

After playing the Montreaux Jazz Fest in Atlanta for the past 2 years in a row, I have to say that they were great gigs. However, those are the ONLY 2 outdoor gigs I've done that I enjoyed.

negative57 · #13 08-04-2002, 08:44 PM

ive played two out door gigs, a party, which the house it was at wasin a valley, and a talent show to benifit my guitarist lil sis who is fighting leukemia. the talent show was awesome, it was sorta on a hill so the sound i got was awesome it was so nice, to abd we ahd to turn down so much, but the good thing is lil kids dont mind bass sound as much as they dont like disorted guitars i guess its easier on their ears

FretNoMore · #14 08-05-2002, 04:27 AM

outdoor gigs suck?

Any gig that's well prepared and planned is cool, and outdoor ones are even more fun.

From your description you were unprepared, unrehearsed and with the wrong gear - so why are you surprised it sucked...?

jondog · #15 08-05-2002, 04:54 AM

I once played an outdoor coffee-house show w/ a similar situation -- my bass but straight through an unfamiliar PA. My tone was horrible and I couldn't hear well and I was glad when it was over.

My band is playing outside at a Birthday party next weekend. 2 bands, so I get to use my friend's Ampeg 8x10 - Woohoo!

We're taking bets on how long it will take the cops to come.

My steinberger does not move no matter what the heat or humidity is, so it's going for sure.

The coffeehouse was my only outdoor show that out and out sucked. They're usually lots of fun, but it does get hot and my hands sweat a lot. I like the zing of new strings and they're usually dead after one show. Outdoors in the summer it'll only take one set.

Phat Ham · #16 08-05-2002, 05:11 AM

I've played two outdoor gigs. One sucked, the other was ok. Both just happened to be on the same weekend. The one that sucked was some picnic type thing that the University hired us to play. They didn't have a PA, so we borrowed a mixer and a couple monitors to face toward the crowd. Needless to say the sound stank, we stank, and the crowd stank. At least we got paid, and got free food.

The other gig was a battle of the bands that the University put on. The stage was nice and big, and the University hired a pro sound company. But man did they blow. They brought half the PA they should have, and they had no clue how to run sound. That gig could have been a lot better had the sound been good.

So overall my experience with outdoor gigs isn't too good, but I know it's not really because they were outdoor. It's more a coincidence that they both didn't go too well. Hopefully the next one will be better.

SCH · #17 08-07-2002, 03:17 PM

Most of my gigs are outside. I live in south Texas, and you can gig outside for most of the year. The advantages of an outdoor gig are:

1) Being able to breath. Cigarette smoke is generally not a problem.

2) The stage areas tend to be a bit bigger, so I don't have to worry about clocking the lead singer in the head with my bass.

3) Load in/out is usually easier.

The disadvantages are:

1) The heat. In the summer here it's really hot. I often have to wipe down me and my bass after every tune. You can get dehydrated easily.

2) You need more gear for amplification purposes.

3) The rare rain storm can really cause problems with all that electrical equipment.

I guess it evens out in the end. I think I prefer indoor gigs, but I'd rather be gigging outside than sitting at home.

FeTiS · #18 08-07-2002, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jondog
We're taking bets on how long it will take the cops to come.

good thinking on your part. just bet with your friends so you have to pay when you lose the bet AND pay the noise ticket you'll probably get. OR you could go the station and talk to the cops and get a noise permit for like 50 bucks. then they cant harrass you, and you can party all night.