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"Check In" here before and after your gigs, Set #2, the sequel!

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#783
I'm in a house situation in a little rustic campground/hangout waaay out in the sticks. It's an easy job with low expectations, perfect for getting back into a groove after more than 10 years of playing maybe 3 times a year. This is our second weekend open and last weekend was really tight and sounded good from the stage and from the crowd reaction, was also coming across well to them.

Last night however, not so much. At least for me. It was like my timing was off by half a tic and I could not get it back all night, and this is easy stuff even for someone of my hack standing. The 3 guys up front never seemed to notice, but I kept getting questioning looks from the drummer when I'd be late on a stop or early jumping in, or...you get the picture. It was like my internal clock was wonky and to be honest, it's the first time I've ever had this happen. I've birthed my share of clams trying to stretch in rehearsal, or trying to follow a song for the first time when the only clue I have is what I can hear as it's being played, but if I've had some time to learn stuff I generally get it nailed down pretty tight. Last night was an exception that more than proved that rule, and it bothered me to no end.

I've been playing in group situations for a looong time and like I said, this was a first for me. I've had nights where I hit a rough patch but it usually only lasts a tune or two, or no longer than to the end of that set, but last night it was something I couldn't shake no matter how hard I wanted to. I'm wondering if it's age related (I'm old as dirt), or if I let a bad start get under my skin and just never got it out, or what.

We go again tonight so I'll know in a short while if it's a fluke or something more.

While opinions or like experiences are (as usual) welcome, writing it out is more to make it real to me than anything else.

Thanks for providing a place to let me vent.
 
#784
Apparently the simple act of writing it, then coming back later to read just how pathetic it sounded as an excuse for a bad night was enough to shake the demon. Last night was textbook right, start to finish. We even had a couple of folks get up and sing/play with the band and we pulled it off like we'd been doing it forever.
 
#785
Okay had a gig Friday rain held off long enough for us to load in. My drummer was running late the keyboard player tries his cell no answer. So I call his house and his wife answers I say hi is Bob home? And she says no he went out who is this and I said it is Rt from the PHOENIXBAND and he isn't here yet when did he leave? And she says uh oh he must have forgot! He is at his brothers house helping him move some stuff! She saids give me your cell and I will call over there and have him call you. So he calls he is in upstate NY about a half hour from the gig but his drums are home and set up! So I tell him I will take my brother home and get his Pearl traveler kit and to just get here since the gig was in my hometown and he still leaves there as well all of 4 blocks from the place we hit his place grab his kit and set up. Our drummer gets there in 20 minutes driving like a mad man sits down and the show goes off without any other problems. Place was packed and we played till 2 home by 2:30 You know I did not mention it before as a problem but I guess this would be during the second song in the second set I snapped the E string on my Charvel/ Jackson digging in a little bit to much I guess Lol.
 
#786
Played my second show with this band that I sat in with last weekend. Talley so far, 2 shows, zero rehearsals. Playing with these guys is a blast. No set lists, everybody just hollars out a tune and the key it's on and were off. It's big fun playing with older guys that have been around forever and can pull this off. Some are songs I don't know, some are songs I've never heard before. It's a lesson under fire, but I'm not wasting money driving back and forth to practice, and the crowds love it.
 
#787
Yes flying by the seat of your pants is cool when you have the guys that can pull it off. We have done the same thing many times including a recent gig where no one brought a set list it was funny (thought you were bringing them) came out of everyone's mouth
We also live with no band practices even for new songs everyone learns their part from the same video or recording and we hit the crowd with it live.
 
#788
If your going to be in the Detroit area Friday (April 15th) , stop by and I'll buy you a beer (or whiskey). We're playing at PAYCHECKS in Hamtramck. This is a little bit out of our norm, usually we play at Irish Events or Irish Bars for 4 hours. This is gonna be a fun one set show for us. So we can play loud and wild cause we don't have to save any energy for the 3rd set.
--Matt
 
#789
Thursday night will be my first gig with the band I joined a few weeks ago. It will be at one of the biggest live music rooms in town and a promotional tie-in to an upcoming big-name show so hopefully a big turnout and everything goes well.

Then the next night, a wedding dance with the same band.

This isn't the ideal scenario because we will be using a sub on keyboards both nights as well as getting me up to speed. But the sub is a long-time player as am I so I'm sure we can pull it out.

Will file reports on both, next week.
 
#792
Okay, here in NJ we got hit with the tail end of the storm the people in the south were dealing with. As I loaded my bass in the car the rain was coming down in sheets sweepng across the streets driven by 50 mph winds. I thought this is crazy and that I was sure it would be a empty house we would be playing to. I left a little early to give myself sometime to get there, thinking about the detours from local flooding that lay ahead. But the trip went smooth other than one large puddle I went through on the GSP I arrived at the club and parts of the parking lot were under water I found a parking space towards the back of the club because, get this the parkng lot was full of cars! Yes I mean the place was packed! I could not believe our fans had risked so much to come to see us! I made it to the club into a sea of faces I knew and some I didn't. The area for the band was cleared out and I saw the owner at the end of the bar smile and give me a big thumbs up.The other members were thinking the same as I was and thought we would have played to n one as well. I set up quick and played to a packed house of screaming fans and friends. Since I felt it would be a slow night I did not risk taking out my video camera and I could kick myself for that however, A person who came out with his two sons to see us, brought a video camera and recorded a few songs which promised to send to us. So the video is pending and I will post it when we get it. We were also approched by a woman who wants us to play at her kids wedding! What a great night it turned out to be after all! Most of the people stay for the entire show which I never thought would have happen. It was still rainning as I loaded up the car this morning, but half way home the rain stopped and it became warmer out. We finshed at 1:45 after two extra songs at the end of the show, We love it when they don't want us to leave. Got in at 2:29AM . On vacaton this week so no shows this weekend.
 
#793
Had a gig last night in Hamilton, Ont. Interesting gig, there was a freak-show performer in the basement of the venue before we played (we were headlining). He did some things that I can never unsee.

Here's a video from the show.
 
#794
jaywa said:
Thursday night will be my first gig with the band I joined a few weeks ago. It will be at one of the biggest live music rooms in town and a promotional tie-in to an upcoming big-name show so hopefully a big turnout and everything goes well.
Click to expand...

Huge, massive downer gig. We played well enough (the first two sets anyway), but the crowd was small and totally disengaged in a place where my new band told me they have traditionally pulled very well. The last set was totally amateur hour as the singer basically said "eff it" and took requests from the dozen people who were still left around... which meant much half-assed muddling through tunes we barely knew. Was seriously questioning my decision to leave my old band after this night and even more so when we wound up playing not only Sweet Home Alabama but Freebird and both very badly (one of the bene's of leaving my former band was going to be never having to play Skynard again... oh well). Thursday night and a $5 cover was a really bad combination. Thank God we weren't playing for the door.

Then the next night, a wedding dance with the same band.
Click to expand...

Totally different story. Young, good looking crowd with money to spend (garter auction raised $1,000 cash on the spot), lots of people, most of whom stayed till the end, lots of dancing. Free food and beer for the band. I personally didn't play as well as the night before but we had a heck of a lot more fun. Biggest downer of this gig was my IEM belt pack dying halfway through the 2nd set (battery) which made things pretty dicey for a few songs. Great paying gig and only a 15-minute drive from my house so really nothing to complain about.
 
#795
Just played a show with my band "Meet At Sundown" at a place called "The Boondocks" the name is not ironic in anyway..

poor turnout but great stage, great sound, and great staff.. we put on probably our most energetic show.. and our guitar player thinks he broke his hand cuz he punched his guitar during a song.

i was disappointed with my energy after our last show so i really stepped it up this time. and boy am i exhausted.

oh and Link Removed
 
#796
Played my second gig Friday night with a new project called FUTBALL. We rehearsed only twice in Dec/Jan and our first gig was 2 weeks ago. It's been a LOT of fun, no pressure, playing what we want to play, etc.

Last set was:
War Pigs
Paranoid
Black Dog
Moby Dick
Living After Midnight
Breaking the Law
Iron Man
The Rooster
Man in the Box
Comfortably Numb
Voodoo Chile
Killing in the Name

Just killed the place!
 
#797
sobie18 said:
Played my second gig Friday night with a new project called FUTBALL. We rehearsed only twice in Dec/Jan and our first gig was 2 weeks ago. It's been a LOT of fun, no pressure, playing what we want to play, etc.

Last set was:
War Pigs
Paranoid
Black Dog
Moby Dick
Living After Midnight
Breaking the Law
Iron Man
The Rooster
Man in the Box
Comfortably Numb
Voodoo Chile
Killing in the Name

Just killed the place!
Click to expand...
Luv this set list! Kickass!
 
#800
So other than sound that could have been better it was a fun gig, low turnout but it was expected. Most of the bands were cool and did hang out and support each other. And the biggest thing it was nice out all night. Weather was one of the biggest things we were worried about.
 
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