The audiences we've played it to for the past four years would NOT agree with you.
It's easily our most successful song, and has been thoroughly tested.
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Festival Question
- Thread starter mellowinman
- Start date
The audiences we've played it to for the past four years would NOT agree with you.
It's easily our most successful song, and has been thoroughly tested.
Why ask at all? Because I wanted input from other players. I got some, and I appreciate it.
As I said, I am not in charge. I am the one with the time OCD in this band. The other three members wouldn't even ask. They would just DO IT.
I actually cared enough to ask.
Guess this is stated before, don't play over your time slot. I have been running a festival for 18 years and at my festival you will be cut of mid-song. Cut another song, and be invited back to the festival.
My 2cents...
Cheers
Tore
My 2cents...
Cheers
Tore
If I ever find out they're not, I will drive up to Montana so you can smack me around a bit.
This is one of the big free shows of the year. The paid show is Three Rivers Fest, and the event organizer decided to reward the acts who did well in the Whammy Awards from our local music paper.
So the same few acts play the big awards show; play something called the Down the Line shows at the Embassy Theater, and play Three Rivers Fest. I can't get in on any of that to save my life.
Two years ago, we did the other big free show, IPFW Rock the River, and the local Rock Radio people all said we were a fantastic act, and they can't believe they haven't heard more about us.
It resulted in us not being asked back last year, or this year. We did NOT go over our time, either.
In fact, we were punctual, well-organized, and promoted some of the other bands with OUR stage time, and stayed and watched and photographed some of the other bands, AND handily won their "who was your favorite band" poll.
We did a show on the local radio, two shows on local TV, got a write up in the music paper, and still are lucky if we get a couple of bar gigs a month, including going to places a couple of hours away.
This is a tough town if you aren't "in," and it's hard to get "in" when the same handful of acts just stick around year after year, with their well-established fan base.
The only thing we have done well is get better, and tighter. We moved up quite a few notches, drum-wise, and that has helped. We are trying to compete in the one area these other acts have had us beaten in: longevity.
If a music career was my first priority, I would leave this town, and pursue faster markets. Back in Minneapolis, I struggled hard, but I had an original band, not a "sure thing cover band who plays mostly hits."
Even then, I got better gigs, because the bar scene was just a lot better. This band would KILL up there, but I have a wife, and a house, and land, and too many animals, and we have jobs, and retirement funds, and this thing called LIFE.
Back to this show; from what I can tell, most of the people talking about it are using terms like "so and so band is going on AROUND such and such time," and I do believe it's looser than what the people on this thread are advising me, regarding their shows.
Believe me, if you tell me a show is tightly structured, and I have to stick to a time, I will come in UNDER time every time, and if you tell me I have to play an EXACT time, and it's a big enough deal, I will hit it on the dime.
As of right now, we have no plans to cut any songs, and I might tell them if they need us to cut, to make the sign when we have TEN MINUTES left, because we are playing the entire Freebird, and NOBODY is cutting any PA's or anything like that.
I can't even believe anyone does that, because it makes the whole festival look bad.
I'll do that, and hopefully, post great videos. It is next Saturday, June 8th.
Well it sounds like it isn't well organized and if none of the bands are getting paid I wouldn't worry if you go over by 2 minutes. We are playing 2 festivals this year. One we are the opening mainstage act with the headliners being Confederate railroad and Diamond Rio. We will definitely be watching our set length on that one. The other festival we are the Headliner on Saturday night. WE have a 2 hour slot with a cutoff of 10pm. If we don't start on time it won't be our fault and we still get paid.
There's going over by 2 minutes and then there's going over by two minutes after having already played eight whole minutes of not everybody's favouretest song ever, the longest most boring predictable jam ever jammed to some, are we getting the point yet, Freebird?
It only takes one non Freebird fan in charge to ruin your next decade.
It only takes one non Freebird fan in charge to ruin your next decade.
I object to the frivolous use of the word 'jam' in this thread.
Copying a song, note for note, beat by beat, in an attempt to replicate an original is not jamming.
I have to say, if any band - especially first on the bill at a free festival - went in to a ten minute cover of Freebird, I could pretty much predict it would be a sign to head to the beer tent.
Copying a song, note for note, beat by beat, in an attempt to replicate an original is not jamming.
I have to say, if any band - especially first on the bill at a free festival - went in to a ten minute cover of Freebird, I could pretty much predict it would be a sign to head to the beer tent.
Well, again, video does not lie, and in four years of playing out, every single time we play it, a crowd gathers, and goes insane.
If it caused crowds to disperse, we wouldn't play it.
I was just putting myself in the position of a punter on a warm, sunny day at an open air music festival. Opening band playing a bog standard set of rock covers coming towards the end of their time slot. They have about 10 minutes left and launch into Freebird. I'd look at my mates, my mates would look at me, and we'd telepathically know that it was time to beat the between-bands rush to the beer tent.
But then us Brits aren't known for going insane to Freebird.
But then us Brits aren't known for going insane to Freebird.
That would be my response as well. "You've got 10 minutes left and you're gonna spend it on THAT?" Outta here.
I think as musicians we overestimate the tastes and disciplines of average Joe at a cover show. It doesnt take much to please these types. Just think about the ridiculous requests a lot of us get. Many times its songs we would never do.
Free Bird , for whatever reason still appeals to the masses. We always have people asking us to play it. Who knows maybe someday we will.
Blue
I'll jump in. Sounds like you guys will do fine. Try to stay close to your time slot. I am wondering about pulling off 10 songs in 45minutes? Does your version of FreeBird really last 10 minutes? If it does, it will give you 35 minutes for the other 9 songs. I really don't see that happening fo most any band, and I am under the impression you guys are a "jam" band.
My band has done quite a few opening concert slots. A few years ago, we did 21 songs in a 70 minute set. Of course, most of them were short 2 - 3.5 minute oldies but we went from one song to the next with very little chit chat in between.
We are not a true "jam" band. We play a lot of songs that have their normal running time of 3-4 minutes. We play a few songs that are extended by a minute or two. And then we have two long songs; Freebird, which we play note for note the same exact way every single time we play it, and Voodoo Child (Slight Return,) which is our only actual "jam" song. This is a song where the drummer and I improvise, while our guitar player goes nuts, does tricks, plays with his teeth, etc.
You wouldn't think we'd get away with any of this stuff, (and if we were in England, I guess we wouldn't!) but our audiences have been something towards fanatical when we have a good crowd to begin with.
It becomes very difficult to justify our set list if the venue is near empty.
We have really great nights, and we have not-so-great nights. I frequent these same clubs when other bands play, and I'm not seeing a lot more success from most of our competitors.
One or two have a following that sometimes transcends the clubs' normal clientele, but most are doing no better or worse than us.
Few SOUND as good, though.
I was just putting myself in the position of a punter on a warm, sunny day at an open air music festival. Opening band playing a bog standard set of rock covers coming towards the end of their time slot. They have about 10 minutes left and launch into Freebird. I'd look at my mates, my mates would look at me, and we'd telepathically know that it was time to beat the between-bands rush to the beer tent.
But then us Brits aren't known for going insane to Freebird.
We don't have a punter. We just go for it on 4th and long.
If you play freebird around here, you'd better be doing it as a joke............. On another note, I watched a band in New Orleans try it once. It was spot on accurate and well played.....and they got booed off stage.
