Gig....after a long absence.

[Paulabass]

l haven’t been posting much for the last 16 or so months for covid reasons. I live to gig, and the gigs have been few and far between.
First bar gig last night in...I don’t remember how long. Small local bar with a busy patio.
I brought my smallest rig- One Bergantino 12, GK MB500, and 58 P-bass replica. Fun gig, short hours and low pay. Played into overtime cause more audience arrived late, but we were enjoying ourselves.
It was nice to have drunks smacking my mic into my face after almost two years of virtual shows. One more empty theatre gig and I’m gonna puke (we did 5 this year).
Onward, and upward- This evening we have a ‘middle of the bill’ blues festival, next week the Leathertown Festival (reduced size over the previous 25 years), and a few small gigs booked.
Stay safe my friends.

 

[Paulabass]

Empty theatre gig. Cameras don't applaud.
Empty club gig...just the silent surviellance of the cameras.
Empty rib fest gig, shot in a tennis bubble.
Another empty theatre. A least they don't throw tomatoes.
You can sense my despair.

 

[Paulabass]

Ok, I did do one thing during covid. Girlfriend said- Let's buy motorcycles. So at 63 we went to bike school and we got our licences.

 

[basswhisperer]

Congratulations and welcome back. Nice to hear about the return of normalcy. You have managed something many are still hoping to achieve. Thanks for sharing some important changes in your world.
I think riding has similar mental and physical coordination requirements to playing music, as well as the deep mental and physically soul pleasing results. Just remember to ride like you are invisible. In my neck of the woods, about half the drivers are distracted, and half of those that aren't have the idea that they are the center of the universe. Practice swerving and threshhold braking. Now you also live to ride.

 

[Element Zero]

Im happy you’re back doin what you love.

 

[hrodbert696]

Good to be back, isn't it? Congratulations!

 

[Skeezix]

Bassists who ride Motorcycles

 

[nixdad]

Thanks for posting, Paula.
I understand you've had a very rough year, but you persevered! Coming back and playing to empty venues isn't fun, but it's a step in the right direction, and at least it's a gig. You've refocused, you're doing things for you, and things will continue to get better.

Looking forward to more posts.

 

[Wherestheone]

Good to be out playing "live" in whatever form that's starting to look like eh? Thanks for sharing!!

 

[lbbc]

Thanks for sharing. My band has done 9 gigs this summer and have 7 more booked til the end of the year. It's great to be back out there...even if it's not the best money and smaller crowds (60-100)...at least we're doing what we love!

 

[CosmicRay]

Ah yes! To gig again once more!
A few pics from some recent gigs....


JT Farmhouse Riverhead L.I. NY

Jerry Jam 15 Middle Island L.I. NY

Rockaway Hotel Rooftop Rockaway Beach NY (overlooking Atlantic Ocean)

A private party on L.I. NY

These are a few from our last four gigs. I've done about 9-10 since getting back into it in June.
At this point in normal time, it would have been about 25 to 30 gigs.
But hey, at least gigs have returned!

(ps - I'm sporting the COVID-19 haircut. Or lack thereof....LOL)

 

[Gothic]

Congrats on getting back on the lighted stage! I'm envious!

Ok, I did do one thing during covid. Girlfriend said- Let's buy motorcycles. So at 63 we went to bike school and we got our licences.View attachment 4386110

Are those 250 Viragos? I had one and, despite being the smallest bike I ever had, it was so much fun! I loved that little thing to death (literally, it died horribly on me one day!).

 

[Paulabass]

Congrats on getting back on the lighted stage! I'm envious!



Are those 250 Viragos? I had one and, despite being the smallest bike I ever had, it was so much fun! I loved that little thing to death (literally, it died horribly on me one day!).

Yup, Viragos. We bought two! I'm enjoying the hell out of it and it's fast enough as my started bike. Don't know where I'm going from here. Not a Harley.

 

[BassCliff]

Hi @Paulabass,

It's good to see you back at it. Plus you're getting your knees in the breeze too! Very nice.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[Bunk McNulty]

Your story makes me realize how incredibly lucky I've been this summer to work regularly in real time, in front of real audiences. All of which, I'm afraid, is going to go away as winter approaches. Got 6 gigs left on the 2021 calendar, nothing at all after Thanksgiving. Lot of places in central MA and CT don't want to book, because they're so unsure of what the future holds. And now I really want a motorcycle!

 

[dadglasser]

Congratulations and welcome back. Nice to hear about the return of normalcy. You have managed something many are still hoping to achieve. Thanks for sharing some important changes in your world.
I think riding has similar mental and physical coordination requirements to playing music, as well as the deep mental and physically soul pleasing results. Just remember to ride like you are invisible. In my neck of the woods, about half the drivers are distracted, and half of those that aren't have the idea that they are the center of the universe. Practice swerving and threshhold braking. Now you also live to ride.

Also practice panic down-shifting and accelerating. A motorcycle safety teacher told our class, way back when I was about sixteen, that our natural instinct or reaction is to slam on the brakes. Sometimes, that is the absolute worst thing to do as it may place or keep you in the path of an oncoming vehicle. In some situations, it is safer and more longevity-producing to downshift, hit the gas, and get out of the way.

I haven't ridden in years, but his advice served me well at least a couple of times. Have fun and be safe.