Playing friend's apartment?

Vic Winters · #1 10-14-2006, 04:42 PM

A friend of mine lives on the second floor of an on campus apartment. Not big too big, not too small. I jokingly said I wanted my band to play his apartment. He said he wouldn't mind. I don't believe he has an RA in the building. Should I go through with this? It started off as a joke, but the more I think about it, the more I like the idea. Sure it will be pain moving all the stuff, and it would be cramped, and I'm pretty sure we'd get complaints and have campus security show up in a matter of minutes. But it feels incredibly punk rock. You know you shouldn't, but you do it anyway just for the sake of doing it.

What should I do?

Words of wisdom? Voices of reason? Similar stories?

spudmaster34 · #2 10-14-2006, 04:51 PM

well, this is the closest to a similar experience I have had, and it is pretty far from what you are talking about:

I was at an overnight lacrosse camp, ages 11-28, I was 12. In order to beat the lights out by 11 rule, some of the older kids would have parties in the bathroom because you were allowed to have the lights on in the bathroom. This became a problem for my roommate who had to piss. so he oppened the window and...

As I said, pretty far from what you are talking about, but amusing anyways

triode6L6a · #3 10-14-2006, 05:00 PM

One of the great things about being young is that you can do silly things that will bring grins and chuckles to you and your friends for the rest of your lives.

What's the worst that can happen? The police show up and ask you to turn it down.... or end it early.....maybe even a noise citation?

What's the best that can happen? An amazing spontaneous party that folks will talk about for the rest of the semester..... and maybe even get your band a few paying gigs.

I'm 50....been playing since I was 12..... and I've never played a gig I regretted......and plenty of those ended with the police asking us to turn it down.....no big deal..... it usually took them an hour to get there anyway...and they were always nice dudes.

You only live once..... and your only young once. Sounds to me like the possible payoffs are worth the possible consequences. Go for it! And takes lots of photos and video.

Disco_Gee · #4 10-14-2006, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by triode6L6a

One of the great things about being young is that you can do silly things that will bring grins and chuckles to you and your friends for the rest of your lives.

What's the worst that can happen? The police show up and ask you to turn it down.... or end it early.....maybe even a noise citation?

What's the best that can happen? An amazing spontaneous party that folks will talk about for the rest of the semester..... and maybe even get your band a few paying gigs.

I'm 50....been playing since I was 12..... and I've never played a gig I regretted......and plenty of those ended with the police asking us to turn it down.....no big deal..... it usually took them an hour to get there anyway...and they were always nice dudes.

You only live once..... and your only young once. Sounds to me like the possible payoffs are worth the possible consequences. Go for it! And takes lots of photos and video.

+1

Your other option is to do what my mate does. Whenever he throws a party at his house he notifies all the neighbours about 3 days in advance to let them know that there will be a party. People are less likely to complain if they know ahead of time. You could even just invite the people who are likely to complain. They may come along and have a blast

bassman1185 · #5 10-16-2006, 01:29 PM

I played in an apartment this summer. It was one of the most fun shows I've ever been a part of.

Lower-Than-Low · #6 10-16-2006, 07:31 PM

Go for it! I'd do that without a second thought if my band were together.
If the cops show, ask them what they want to hear and if it's something you can play, rock out for em. They may even join the party.

Whatever you do, rock hard and stick it to the man.

ScubaSteve · #7 10-16-2006, 09:15 PM

My band rented a generator and we played a show in the parking lot behind our high school. Cops showed up and told us to go away after a few songs, but it was pretty awesome and there was much talk of it the next day at school.

markjazzbassist · #8 10-16-2006, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by triode6L6a

What's the worst that can happen? The police show up and ask you to turn it down.... or end it early.....maybe even a noise citation?

+1

live it up. PUNK ROCK FOR LIFE!!!

fenderx55 · #9 10-16-2006, 10:38 PM

We threw a kegger last weekend (unheard of in NYU housing), had the in my bathtub, and when the RAs showed up, my beligerently drunk roommate hit on them and told them to meet us at the bar. good times. We weren't even written up.

jady · #10 10-17-2006, 01:02 AM

DONT DO IT DONT DO IT DONT DO IT

let me know how much fun you have when you do

leftyforlife · #11 10-21-2006, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by triode6L6a

One of the great things about being young is that you can do silly things that will bring grins and chuckles to you and your friends for the rest of your lives.

What's the worst that can happen? The police show up and ask you to turn it down.... or end it early.....maybe even a noise citation?

What's the best that can happen? An amazing spontaneous party that folks will talk about for the rest of the semester..... and maybe even get your band a few paying gigs.

I'm 50....been playing since I was 12..... and I've never played a gig I regretted......and plenty of those ended with the police asking us to turn it down.....no big deal..... it usually took them an hour to get there anyway...and they were always nice dudes.

You only live once..... and your only young once. Sounds to me like the possible payoffs are worth the possible consequences. Go for it! And takes lots of photos and video.

well said,
and i completely agree

GROOVEjunkie · #12 10-24-2006, 01:17 AM

Any chance of the drummer finding some bongos and the guitarist(s) going acoustic? Of course we bassists will plug in and just play with a lighter touch

Armueller2001 · #13 10-26-2006, 04:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by triode6L6a

What's the best that can happen? An amazing spontaneous party that folks will talk about for the rest of the semester..... and maybe even get your band a few paying gigs.

Dont forget about the girlies

pmaraziti · #14 10-26-2006, 07:34 AM

Do it... as well an other suggestion.. play the best tunes at the beginning in case police shows up...

if you were doing it in a condo, I'd suggest to invite immediate neighbours over !

Have fun !
Paolo

Bruce Lindfield · #15 10-26-2006, 07:40 AM

I can remember when I was a student the band I was in rehearsed on the stage in a local Bingo Hall and one Sunday we were jamming away and I realised there was a Policeman standing right in front of me shouting!!

So I was the only one looking that way, but the others carried on - eventually I stopped and got the two guitarist's attention.

So we said that we had never got complaints from anybody nearby before and the Policeman said that he could hear us 3 miles away in the local Police Station!!

lowtide · #16 10-26-2006, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vic Winters

A friend of mine lives on the second floor of an on campus apartment. Not big too big, not too small. I jokingly said I wanted my band to play his apartment. He said he wouldn't mind. I don't believe he has an RA in the building. Should I go through with this? It started off as a joke, but the more I think about it, the more I like the idea. Sure it will be pain moving all the stuff, and it would be cramped, and I'm pretty sure we'd get complaints and have campus security show up in a matter of minutes. But it feels incredibly punk rock. You know you shouldn't, but you do it anyway just for the sake of doing it.

What should I do?

Words of wisdom? Voices of reason? Similar stories?

Do what U2 did in the 80s . . . lock yourselves up on the roof and jam so loud you make the news.

triode6L6a · #17 10-26-2006, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

So we said that we had never got complaints from anybody nearby before and the Policeman said that he could hear us 3 miles away in the local Police Station!!

Now that's some good jammin!

SherpaKahn · #18 10-26-2006, 10:42 PM

Go for it! I played an apartment gig in June to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma foundation, (my brother was on their team for a marathon), and it rocked! There's something great about playing on the same level as your audience, especially when that audience consists of your friends and is slightly inebriated. It was a blast, that gig was. We only got half an hour to play before it was too loud and too late, but it was totally worth it. Plus the band before us was quite a neat folk act, too.

-Stephen

markjazzbassist · #19 10-26-2006, 10:44 PM

so did you end up playing in the apartment? details please.

Jiggybass · #20 10-26-2006, 11:34 PM

Do it! Playing in apartments rule! We got through eight songs before the cops shut us down, but we got to finnish the song!

I think they liked it, but there were noise complaints, so they had to shut us off. It was fun.