• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Festival Question

When Playing Multi Band Bills Outdoors

  • It Would Suck to Go UNDER the Allotted Time

    Votes: 8 8.0%

  • It would Suck a Little to go 2 minutes over

    Votes: 30 30.0%

  • It would Suck a LOT to go 2 minutes over, you greedy pigs

    Votes: 44 44.0%

  • You can go 5 or more minutes over, as long as you are good

    Votes: 8 8.0%

  • You should bring carrots

    Votes: 23 23.0%
  • Total voters
    100
#41
modulusman said:
To the OP if you want respect stop playing for free.
Click to expand...

The biggest acts in the region play this show. I had to beg for two years to even get in.

If I want respect, I probably need to get out of this market.

I don't want respect.

I just want to play, and get the same deal all the other bands get. No more, no less. I don't feel we should be at the very top of this market; neither do I feel we should be at the bottom.

We are a good, well-rehearsed band that sings and plays in tune and in time. We have picked songs that "go over," and we have day jobs.

I will turn 50 in July. I am under no illusion that I will someday become a star.
 
#42
duff beer said:
Speak for yourself...both bands I'm in have excellent tempo and rarely, if ever, play songs too fast. We recently did a charity gig with 6 other bands and were told that all the bands had 30 minutes max, no exceptions. Our set list came in a 28:15 in rehearsal, and we played it in a little over 29 minutes due to the singer talking to the audience between songs.
Click to expand...

The tempo we rehearse is usually the tempo we play. That is why we have been through so many drummers; the ones that couldn't do this have not been kept around. The drummer we have now is pretty good at it. Our guitar player used to speed up a bit for bigger shows, but he has four years of experience with us now, and has been talked to enough that he has gotten it under control.

I would say this 47 minute set is a 47 minute set, but I might be able to trim it down a minute or two without cutting anything.

We will see.
 
#43
Tituscrow said:
I'm a little perplexed as to why the OP is FORBIDDEN to talk to whoever is running the thing. This is a small-time, four band, free 'festival'....it's not like its Sonisphere, Hellfest or Download.

Surely asking to go on 5 mins earlier, if you are desperate to play that set list, doesn't seem like an excessive demand?
Click to expand...

I have been "forbidden" to do this by two band members, who think I act too nice.

I am in the middle of this. If it were up to me, there wouldn't be a problem, nor would their be a thread on talkbass. I am a team player, which means not only do I try and honor the wishes of the other members, but I also expect them to honor MINE.

There is give and take. I could tell them to bite me, and go ahead and talk to the stage manager, but there are good reasons not to do this.

I AM NOT THE BAND LEADER.
 
#44
fdeck said:
I'm guessing it's 45 on and 15 between sets? If so, then you'd probably be forgiven for going over by a couple minutes if you bring a bare minimum of gear so you can clear out quickly. It's not so much when you go off, as when the next band goes on.
Click to expand...

We have two bassists, but we are sharing an amp. I have left out the keyboard. We have a 12-string acoustic that can go DI; the basses can go DI if they like, and we have four vocal mics; three vocalists and a harp.

(this is simpler than my sharing my vocal mic for harp, as the harp is significantly louder in volume, and needs more effects)

We are very quick at setting up, and tearing down.

Again, all the scenarios people mention of bands going WAY over; starting late; showing up drunk, etc; people let's just assume none of these things are going to happen.

WORST CASE SCENARIO is going 2-4 minutes over.

Please answer with that in mind.
 
#46
Does Freebird HAVE to be ten minutes long, I would like it better if it was shorter anyway:)

Anyway, it sounds like you are trying too hard for a free gig. It's cover songs for a benefit, it's not like you have to show everything you do. It's about helping out the community first, having a good time doing it second, and hopefully making some good contacts third. I am not trying to belittle the band or the gig, but it is what it is. Somebody (probably many people) is working their tail off to organize this thing and the last thing they need is attitude.

My advice to you is show the comments in this thread to the other band members, and the almost unanimous recommendation to go under. If you are over by just a little, just cut a solo or a verse or two and you are there. I don't think missing a couple of choruses from the Freebird jam is going to make the whole show a fail.
 
#50
We have spent years practicing Freebird in the exact form we play it. We know EXACTLY what's going to happen, though every single segment of that jam, be it guitar, bass, or drums.

How on Earth could we cut it short by next Saturday?

Thanks for the suggestions, but no, shortening Freebird is NOT an option.

We are probably the only band left in the entire Universe fighting to play Freebird live.
 
#52
So here's the question - do you want to play the festival again?
We've all seen the "dickhead bands" that go over so somebody else gets squeezed. And "just 4 minutes" becomes "just 10 minutes" when somebody starts talking during teardown, and...
Do you want to be that "dickhead band"?

Alternately, are you OK being told to cut your set by 10 minutes (or 4 minutes) because earlier bands went over? If you're honestly OK with that, and if the sound man doesn't pull the plug, then go overtime.
 
#53
I think I'm just going to go ahead and ask the dude in charge, and if he says, "don't go over," we will cut a song.

If he says, "don't worry about 2 minutes," we will go ahead as planned, as long as something doesn't go wrong.

You do all realize, I always know how long our sets are, how long our breaks are, and that I am totally OCD on time, right? I've worked the same job for eight years, and I've never EVER been late.

In fact, I've only been late once or twice for my goal of arriving FIFTEEN MINUTES EARLY.
 
#55
mellowinman said:
I think I'm just going to go ahead and ask the dude in charge, and if he says, "don't go over," we will cut a song.

If he says, "don't worry about 2 minutes," we will go ahead as planned, as long as something doesn't go wrong.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a plan.

mellowinman said:
You do all realize, I always know how long our sets are, how long our breaks are, and that I am totally OCD on time, right?
Click to expand...

I thought you weren't the bandleader? Sounds very band-leader-ish...


mellowinman said:
I've worked the same job for eight years, and I've never EVER been late.

In fact, I've only been late once or twice for my goal of arriving FIFTEEN MINUTES EARLY.
Click to expand...

What's with all the shouting of late dude? Getting a little steamed? You need to mellow out some man.... ;)
 
#57
You might be on stage and ready to start on the dot but what about the other members. Do they share in your punctuality?

Well, at least when somebody in the back yells "FREEEEEEEBIRD", you can play it for them. :D
 
#59
Richland123 said:
You might be on stage and ready to start on the dot but what about the other members. Do they share in your punctuality?

Well, at least when somebody in the back yells "FREEEEEEEBIRD", you can play it for them. :D
Click to expand...

The guitarist and drummer are not the most punctual, but I feel pretty good that I can count on them for this.

We tend to get to gigs early, so we can not only do everything we need to do, but in anticipation of anything going wrong.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back