I was lucky enough to get a gig last-minute over the weekend--first one in a while--so I decided to vlog about my experience. Hopefully this helps others as we slowly start to play out again...eventually.
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Double Bass First Gig Back
- Thread starter pdbass
- Start date
I had my first gig back since March 6th on Saturday May 23rd. It was a concert, but without a live audience, it was streamed. I had a lot of fun, and it seemed well received. Unfortunately, myself and only the guy running the stream wore masks, audio guy-no mask, bandmates-no mask, organizer mask on unless he was talking (which defeats the purpose of the mask). I wanted to scream and walk off, but it was a paid gig with people I enjoy working with. I have a few more gigs coming up, but we'll see if the brakes have to go back on again.
I think I’m going to use this opportunity to wear a modified Mexican wrestling mask a la Los Straightjackets style for future gigs.
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Cool masks, but of no use whatsoever for mitigating the spread of disease.
I plan on adding a mouth and nose portion in either the same or in a coordinating color. I think it’ll be cool and will totally go with our rockabilly/surf vibe.
Yep, I can relate. I've been doing work in the studio this past week, and the first day was a bit ROUGH on my hands.
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I don't know when I'll feel comfortable playing inside again, but I'm starting to feel OK about playing outside with cats...
+1 That's the approach I'm taking. According to the scientists, being outside in fresh moving air and keeping some distancing is Much Safer than being in an enclosed space with other people.
Have a gig coming up where they are going to put us in the back of a large truck and drive to 4 different City parks, 30 minutes play time at each stop. The gig after that we're on an elevated stage in a City park. The City is drawing 6' diameter circles on the ground for the audience to social distance.
I have a gig scheduled for July 11! It'll be my first since March 14, unless something else pops up. I'll probably hit a few open jams before then. Yippee!
The gig will be in a biker clubhouse - useful tips, humorous comments welcome! I already plan to do the Pee Wee Herman Tequila dance if anything goes awry. For those of you who haven't seen it:
The gig will be in a biker clubhouse - useful tips, humorous comments welcome! I already plan to do the Pee Wee Herman Tequila dance if anything goes awry. For those of you who haven't seen it:
Got a gig end of July as well. I think it's outside, looking forward to it. We usually play a pretty big festival in August and I think the lady that puts it on is going to have just a few of the main bands and live stream it, so that will be fun as well. Camp with just the bands and have a good time.
Did an outdoor distillery gig on June 13 out in Maggie Valley. Rusty is an understatement. Figured I was good without a mask since the patrons were pretty far away and I brought my own vocal mic. There happened to be a set break performance from the Ghost Town Gunfighters, and the narrator lady just grabbed my mic and started using it for their show... 
I just rubbed some hand sanitizer on it and tried to forget about it.. meh..
I just rubbed some hand sanitizer on it and tried to forget about it.. meh..
Great playing! Your practice room looks cool as well. Nice paintings & Impulse CDs. I am going to play music with another person for the first time in all this on Sat. for a live stream. It will just be fore 7 or 8min but I am looking forward.
Had my first gig yesterday (also my birthday!) since March 7. It was a last-minute deal at a local restaurant downtown where I’ve had a regular gig for the past 20 years until this spring. It was a combination of surreal and familiar, with some musical highs and lows thrown in. First, I had to make sure all my gear worked, and that I remembered how to set it up. While loading equipment into the car, I felt a combination of deja vu (from having done this several thousand times before) and surreality (as it had been enough time since I did it last that I forgot what order I always loaded things in). We were supposed to be playing outside under a tent in the street next to the restaurant, but when we arrived there had been a mix-up and no tent, so we reluctantly had to play indoors, though masked with all windows open, good ventilation, and few patrons inside (most were at tables outside). I’ve been practicing somewhat during lockdown, so my chops seemed relatively intact. The first few tunes felt so good, just like I’d never left. As we all became a little more musically adventurous, the effects of the layoff started to show in the form of somewhat “frayed edges” to my lines and solos. By the end of the 3-hour gig I was definitely feeling the fatigue in my fingers and pain/stiffness in my left shoulder, arm, and neck.
Bottom line; it was great to be playing again and to know that I haven’t completely lost it. Wasn’t real happy about playing inside, but decided to take the risk given the physical situation and also really wanting to help the restaurant get back on its feet. I’ve got a few more gigs coming up; all outdoor concerts and hence weather dependent, and hoping that the flow of gigs continues. It’s awfully hard for me to maintain a consistent practice schedule without gigs on the horizon.
Bottom line; it was great to be playing again and to know that I haven’t completely lost it. Wasn’t real happy about playing inside, but decided to take the risk given the physical situation and also really wanting to help the restaurant get back on its feet. I’ve got a few more gigs coming up; all outdoor concerts and hence weather dependent, and hoping that the flow of gigs continues. It’s awfully hard for me to maintain a consistent practice schedule without gigs on the horizon.
