Serendipitiy

Downunderwonder · #1 04-05-2011, 09:45 AM

So we were playing last Friday for a Japan Red Cross fundraiser, our first time out in public. We're milling about outside and the drummer spots a bar manager walking by and "collars" him. "Hey man, we're playing later, come back and check us out as we'd like to gig in one of your bars".

He agreed to come by practice tonight to check us out at drummer's place. I'm thinking, yeah right, like that's gonna happen. But he brought a colleage and they were duly impressed enough to offer us the good cash to play funky B.S. improvisational jazz and drink his good wine. Score!

It gets better. The flatmates of the drummer come home and tell us the dudes went from the house to one of the bars and announced to a barman in big loud voices that they had just been checking out a "really cool jazz band" and they have "secured them". Booyah.

Disclaimer, I am card carrying member of the mediocre bassists club, a bass player's toenail on a good day, but when it comes to jazz I am the fuzz under a bass player's toenail. I really need to learn some more scales.

MAC1911A1 · #2 04-05-2011, 10:15 AM

Congrats Dude. That is cool. Hope all goes well for ya.

Kawai-chang · #3 04-05-2011, 01:42 PM

(Image of the cool Aussie Rules Football judge giving the double "gunslinger" sign for a good goal.)

Nicely done!

Phalex · #4 04-05-2011, 02:05 PM

Niiiice!

Last time we had someone come out to check out the band for a big money high profile thing there was a HUUUUGE bar fight.

They were not impressed.......

totallyfrozen · #5 04-05-2011, 04:06 PM

Congrats, wonder!
Sounds like a pretty sweet score!

Downunderwonder · #6 04-05-2011, 11:33 PM

Crazy thing is we have 6 weeks potentially and then the drummer leaves to marry a New Yorker and live in NY. This project was all his idea but either him or the piano player was always out of town, until 8 months ago. Part of me wants to do evil things to the New Yorker.

Mike11121 · #7 04-07-2011, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downunderwonder

Part of me wants to do evil things to the New Yorker.

Careful. I once did evil things to our drummer's "New Yorker", and it didn't end well. (was fun while it lasted though)

Downunderwonder · #8 05-12-2011, 02:46 AM

Update, drummer got married on Sat. out of here on Wed.

We managed to get another drummer to come along to our gig last night. He listened in and came over for a chat. Blah de balh, plays a bit of drums, love what you guys are doing, plays in a couple of original projects..blah blah, "I'm not quite up with all the changes you guys are throwing around"... blah blah..,

By the next beak I've remembered where I'd seen him before. Dude has serious chops. We convinced him to have a wee session this afternoon and while he's not quite as fluid as the original drummer he's got it all over me for groove. And he listens real good, and he nailed 7/4 to 4/4 and back.....booyah

He's going to be the new man.

Oh yeah, the bar sees us making them some real good coin once the ski season hits so we're confirmed adinfinitum, ftmfw.

rust_preacher · #9 05-12-2011, 03:05 AM

Have you already added to your raider: "The audience must be sloshed before we come on stage. We need to get sloshed as soon as we get off the stage."

But, Down Under, I guess that's just "de riqueur"?

Downunderwonder · #10 05-12-2011, 04:29 AM

There is definitely some truth to us sounding better the drunker the audience gets. Partly because the enthusiasm of drunken rich women is infectious to us all. Partly my own erring on the side of trying to only play "right" notes gets melted in the face of people obviously enjoying it so I play a lot better with a lot more energy which no doubt lifts the other guys also.

rust_preacher · #11 05-12-2011, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downunderwonder

There is definitely some truth to us sounding better the drunker the audience gets. Partly because the enthusiasm of drunken rich women is infectious to us all. Partly my own erring on the side of trying to only play "right" notes gets melted in the face of people obviously enjoying it so I play a lot better with a lot more energy which no doubt lifts the other guys also.

Right on, dude. We even belong to a couple of the same clubs on Talkbass...

Downunderwonder · #12 05-25-2011, 07:41 AM

Packed the bar tonight with conference group spillover from the official party (which had free booze). Job done.

It was the 1st gig with our new drummer. He nailed it pretty good for a guy with a big lump on his shoulder from falling down drunk last week. We did last weeks gig with a sub.