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Could You Tone it Down a Little Bit?

#22
Ok before everyone starts getting too upset, this was a party for a fire department - we are basically their house band as they hire us for all of their functions. this particular party for whatever reason attracted some of the older crowd, and even the chief was joking with us that he couldn't wait for them to leave.. Everyone else was dancing having a great time, even most of the rest of the older crowd.

This lady came over just as we had started a song and just stood there the whole time, and when we were done, well, you heard her request. I did it covertly after she had already turned around, and it was really just to make my singer laugh (which he did). I put it up and in the 'Humor' section for the same reasons.

So if you find this offensive look away, change the channel etc and don't worry about Mable, she'll be fine ;)
 
#24
Yeah I get that her request was out of step with what most of the punters wanted and what you were hired to do, and we all feel the pain when people say dumb stuff.

But if someone involved with hiring you had seen what you did, they may well have taken exception to it. If you'd done that to one of my friends when they'd asked you nicely like that - even if they were wrong - I'd have had words with you, that's for sure.
 
#25
BritPicker said:
Yeah I get that her request was out of step with what most of the punters wanted and what you were hired to do, and we all feel the pain when people say dumb stuff.

But if someone involved with hiring you had seen what you did, they may well have taken exception to it. If you'd done that to one of my friends when they'd asked you nicely like that - even if they were wrong - I'd have had words with you, that's for sure.
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Maybe I didn't explain myself well enough ;)

We we hired by the fire chief, who has hired us for every party they've had for the past 2 years now. At the end of the night they booked us for their christmas party. Earlier in the night he and a couple of the firemen were hanging with us and when the seniors started arriving they were making comments like 'don't worry, as soon as dinner's over they'll all go home so the real party can start', and 'if they think the music's too loud they can turn down their hearing aids'. I know these guys personally and they would laugh their asses off at this.

Anyway I posted this as a laugh so anyone who's been in that situation where one person in the whole crowd (who's not the boss of course!) thinks that they have say over how things should be could get a laugh and not take it too seriously.

So relax, no senior citizens were harmed in the making of this film.
 
#28
Stingray5 said:
Maybe I didn't explain myself well enough ;)

We we hired by the fire chief, who has hired us for every party they've had for the past 2 years now. At the end of the night they booked us for their christmas party. Earlier in the night he and a couple of the firemen were hanging with us and when the seniors started arriving they were making comments like 'don't worry, as soon as dinner's over they'll all go home so the real party can start', and 'if they think the music's too loud they can turn down their hearing aids'. I know these guys personally and they would laugh their asses off at this.

Anyway I posted this as a laugh so anyone who's been in that situation where one person in the whole crowd (who's not the boss of course!) thinks that they have say over how things should be could get a laugh and not take it too seriously.

So relax, no senior citizens were harmed in the making of this film.
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Yeah I understood the situation. And from what you say, I agree with you that her request was not a reasonable one. However, her being in the wrong isn't an excuse for rudeness. And it could have backfired on you and your band.
 
#33
I read all the above about how you're hired for all the parties by the chief, but I still find it quite tacky, juvenile, and extremely unprofessional for flipping off an old lady that IMO politely asked you to lower the volume a bit.
 
#34
Some people don't have humor or understand silly antics. I guess we can't all be suit and tie professional musicians. Some of us have to be d-bags to make others look so high and mighty on their pedestal.

I'm with you dude. You fit with what the paying client wants. Your joke was private amongst those who understand you weren't being serious. I guess the "complaintant" failed to realize she could simply walk outside or leave. Please the crowd, not the individual.

Don't sweat the petty... pet the sweaty :D


Stingray5 said:
Maybe I didn't explain myself well enough ;)

We we hired by the fire chief, who has hired us for every party they've had for the past 2 years now. At the end of the night they booked us for their christmas party. Earlier in the night he and a couple of the firemen were hanging with us and when the seniors started arriving they were making comments like 'don't worry, as soon as dinner's over they'll all go home so the real party can start', and 'if they think the music's too loud they can turn down their hearing aids'. I know these guys personally and they would laugh their asses off at this.

Anyway I posted this as a laugh so anyone who's been in that situation where one person in the whole crowd (who's not the boss of course!) thinks that they have say over how things should be could get a laugh and not take it too seriously.

So relax, no senior citizens were harmed in the making of this film.
Click to expand...
 
#35
Plays_For_Dog said:
Some people don't have humor or understand silly antics. I guess we can't all be suit and tie professional musicians. Some of us have to be d-bags to make others look so high and mighty on their pedestal.

I'm with you dude. You fit with what the paying client wants. Your joke was private amongst those who understand you weren't being serious. I guess the "complaintant" failed to realize she could simply walk outside or leave. Please the crowd, not the individual.

Don't sweat the petty... pet the sweaty :D
Click to expand...

Thanks for getting it. This was just a brief moment in time - I was recording a set of me and my drummer at this gig and watching it back I found this - It was just a silly moment between me and my singer. The woman was walking away and no one else saw me. It was an inside joke, like one of those movie moments when the guy envisions doing something to a person that pisses them off. I figured working bassists would get it and get a chuckle out of it.

We play so many gigs and always get odd walk-up requests be it to turn up, turn down, bizarre song requests etc - sometimes you just need to blow off some steam.
 
#36
Granted, I've never flipped off an audience member at a gig and when that old woman asked me to turn the drums down @ the VFW Hall I just said, "OK, I'll tell the drummer." But I also think that EVERYBODY posting in this thread who has played a gig and/or been in a band KNOWS that we often cut up on stage to make the other band members laugh a bit. Whether you can find the humor in it or not, Stingray did say that he was just tyring to get the singer to laugh...not to make a fool of the woman in front of the whole party.
Personally, I didn't think it was all that serious. Besides, if Stingray lost his gig because of it, he wouldn't have posted the vid for us. So no harm; no foul. Pull your oversized headstocks out of your butts and relax...it was just a joke.
 
#38
I find that a lot of the problem is in the mid to low mid frequencies as a whole. And in the construction of said venue.

An inexperienced sound person ( or an ignorant patron ) will tell you, the bass player, to turn it down.

The problem isn't volume. Particularly, if you have multiple guitarists or a keyboard.

Everyone needs their sonic space to cut through and balance the mix. I usually as the guitarists to roll off their low mid frequencies so they aren't crowding and muddying the play zone for the bass. I likewise, roll off my bass frequencies so they don't blend in with the kick drum.

The other big key and this is huge musically, is to create a part that plays off of the other parts rather than sits on or doubles the part. Now, I know their are certain types of music where this is necessary, ( but those bands typically are paid to be as loud as is human and/or electronically possible). When parts become distinct from each instrument the heavy sound wall spreads out. All of this can be accomplished without turning the entire volume down to zero at an average size venue that is expecting live music....

:bassist:
 
#39
totallyfrozen said:
But I also think that EVERYBODY posting in this thread who has played a gig and/or been in a band KNOWS that we often cut up on stage to make the other band members laugh a bit. Whether you can find the humor in it or not, Stingray did say that he was just tyring to get the singer to laugh...not to make a fool of the woman in front of the whole party.
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Been playing since 1967, and been in more bands than I can remember. Sure, we joke amongst ourselves ... "alright boys, turn it down to 11 for the nice lady". And then we turn it down. The simple fact that the finger was caught on video indicates to me it was not as discreet as the OP thinks. Another clue is when the dancers on the floor are dancing half way 'cross the room ... tells us we're too loud. It isn't always sheer volume, the acoustics of the stage and/or room might call for lower volume settings. In any case, ignoring audience preference regarding volume is amateurish and immature. It would get me fired from my band.

That said, I really don't give a flip what other bands do. But the OP put the post up with nothing but the clip ... and expected EVERYONE to cheer it on. :rolleyes:
 
#40
If the bar owner asks, or one of the staff - yes.

But one lady does not an audience make. If someone complains about this, signal the bartender to ask if you're too loud. If he says play on? He's got his finger on the pulse. Bummer, lady.

If the venue can't handle the volume levels you're playing at? Turn down, have your drummer back off a little, and if it's a problem, find another place to play next week.

But if the staff is happy, the beer's moving, and the lowest common denominator says to turn down because she's trying to sip on a glass of red before going home to catch the Golden Girls marathon on WeTV?

Not saying that's necessarily the case, here. But the bar sounded pretty freaking loud. Of course, that could be because Stingray5 ALREADY DEAFENED THEM WITH TEH BASS THUNDARRS.

Better go run out and find an old lady to help across the street, or randomly call your Mom just to tell her that yes, you're eating. Get yourself back to a karmically neutral state :)
 

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