Really intense gig?

TrooperFarva · #1 10-02-2006, 07:01 PM

Anyone ever have a really intense gig? There's a band that I'm going to try out for this Thursday. I learned 3 of their songs so far, they're not all that complex. I just spoke to the guitarist, and he said if all goes well at the audition, their band was asked to play the closing night of CBGBs, and they'd want me at that gig. But that's 11 days away. My gigging experience is pretty minimal, I definitely never played a gig of that status, so I'm a little worried. Any ever experience a similar situation?

Rich600 · #2 10-02-2006, 07:13 PM

Is this intense as in "im gonna snort beer and smash the kit after the first song" or intense as in you're pooping yourself cos its a big gig?

chaosMK · #3 10-02-2006, 11:30 PM

Ive had a few intense gigs. One was stumbling through a pretty technical prog metal set after 3 rehearsals at a huge outdoor party (my first show on bass ever, we opened with a cover I had never even heard before). Another time when my current band was new, we had a 2 hour slot to fill with about 45 min of music. In about a week we came up with another 30 min of songs and performed them. Stuff like that happens all the time... playing a sick 7/8 part of a song for the first time (the whole band new to odd time sigs, aside from me).

I am sure a lot of people have more harrowing tales. The point is, you survive them. Good luck!

ZombieGhosTrain · #4 10-02-2006, 11:49 PM

I'd jump on the chance to gig...get more experience, and hey, its closing night at CBGBs! Good luck!

j-bass-kreep · #5 10-03-2006, 01:02 AM

I had one on saturday , It was 12 songs to learn in 4 days and I was nervous as hell . Im now sick and have to do two zoology reports feeling like crap. Play the gig just remember to enjoy yourself don't let your nerves get to you .

Brad Maestas · #6 10-03-2006, 01:28 AM

I just played there on Saturday. They asked us to keep playing and although we had some extra tunes up our sleeve, we hadn't really planned on playing more than a couple since there were so many other bands that night. We ended up busting out three tunes that the drummer had never played and one that none of us had played, only heard. I like those sort of scenarios because they're challenging. Just like your situation!

I say jump in while the gettin's good. Any experience is good experience!

Psychicpet · #7 10-03-2006, 01:47 AM

my best advice for cramming a bunch of new tunes is to CHART THEM FIRST!

now, not crazy intense charts but just simple skeletons:

ie.

Intro // VS1 // VS2 // CH1 // instr. // VS3 // BRDG // CH2 // CH3 // OUTRO

something even basic like that, but without your bass in your hands!!!!!
sit and listen to all of the tunes and get to know the form first THEN pickup your bass and learn the tunes.

big helps are to mark the key the tune is in, when you're in (at the top, after 4 bars,after 1st verse, etc.) and how it ends.

DEFINITELY DO THE GIG though if you get it!!!!

It's music! It's fun! not as fun as hoppin' on the good foot to do the bad thing but it's just about that much fun!!

Stanley Design · #8 10-03-2006, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich600

Is this intense as in "im gonna snort beer and smash the kit after the first song"?

You've seen our band? Who are you?..........We play that sort of gig all the time, and we do snooters with every beer we drink whether we are playing or not. (purposely foaming up beer so we can snort it) sweet.

lowenduser · #9 10-03-2006, 07:21 AM

Just after being e-mailed this pic of U2 - check out Edge (right hand side) - talking of intense gigs!!

PalaNIN · #10 10-03-2006, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psychicpet

ie.

Intro // VS1 // VS2 // CH1 // instr. // VS3 // BRDG // CH2 // CH3 // OUTRO

something even basic like that, but without your bass in your hands!!!!!

Any reason why you shouldn't have your guitar in your hands while doing this? Apart from the fact that you can't really write stuff down if you're holding it...

Psychicpet · #11 10-03-2006, 12:49 PM

it's less distracting when you don't have your bass in your hands, as well, it's just a better habit to listen to the song a few times without your instrument in your hands to fully get the vibe of it and arrangement,etc., before you try to learn the parts.

DemoEtc · #12 10-03-2006, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psychicpet

it's less distracting when you don't have your bass in your hands, as well, it's just a better habit to listen to the song a few times without your instrument in your hands to fully get the vibe of it and arrangement,etc., before you try to learn the parts.

I agree. It's like it let's your brain absorb the overall 'shape' of the arrangement. Sometimes with instrument in hands, the "what notes, what riffs?" part of the brain takes over and starts to pull riffs and runs together end to end - like making a detailed drawing before the rough sketch. It can be done, but if there's a time constraint, better to get the whole picture before adding details.

Psychicpet · #13 10-03-2006, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DemoEtc

I agree. It's like it let's your brain absorb the overall 'shape' of the arrangement. Sometimes with instrument in hands, the "what notes, what riffs?" part of the brain takes over and starts to pull riffs and runs together end to end - like making a detailed drawing before the rough sketch. It can be done, but if there's a time constraint, better to get the whole picture before adding details.

Absotively!

much more concise

TrooperFarva · #14 10-03-2006, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich600

Is this intense as in "im gonna snort beer and smash the kit after the first song" or intense as in you're pooping yourself cos its a big gig?

A little bit of both, but mostly the latter. I'll probably go for it if it's offered to me.

Matt Till · #15 10-04-2006, 01:01 AM

Well, maybe not huge to some, but in the doom metal scene: I was asked to play bass for a band, and their first show they had lined up for me was Emissions from the Monolith (the biggest doomfest of the year). It would have been in front of 500 people. That gig would have been after one week (that means two practices) so I told them to stick with their first bass player.

!danny! · #16 10-04-2006, 01:51 AM

is it just me or can anyone else see what looks like hitlers head in the middle of that u2 picture.

Britsie · #17 10-04-2006, 06:06 AM

It's music, not brain surgery. Take into account the suggestions given above and have fun.

PalaNIN · #18 10-08-2006, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by !danny!

is it just me or can anyone else see what looks like hitlers head in the middle of that u2 picture.

OH. MY. GOD. That freaked me right out.

Peter Ferretti · #19 10-09-2006, 11:01 AM

Hitler Lives...or he has a twin. Becuase that is a darn near splitting image.

Rich600 · #20 10-09-2006, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todd Stanley

You've seen our band? Who are you?..........We play that sort of gig all the time, and we do snooters with every beer we drink whether we are playing or not. (purposely foaming up beer so we can snort it) sweet.

haha sounds awesome man! I really wanna get a band going again, a proper intense one, but up here there just isnt the muscians, or ones that are into that kinda of music.