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Gigging with a Greenhorn

samson3382

samson3382

Apr 26, 2009
1,100
1,308
Boise, Idaho
www.myspace.com
#1
I did my first official "gig" tonight with a band I joined about a month ago.

Back up to audition night.

I show up and completely click with the guy (guy A)who is the foundation, the creative BL. His stuff is a bit more unorthodox than the other (guy B)singer/songwriters stuff. Takes a bit more practice. We've practiced as much as life allows, even started shooting a video and did some photo shoots. He gets how music and life work.

Now let's back way way up.

This is the first band I've ever joined, that I didn't have an in. The first band I've joined where my reputation didn't procede me.

I'm no sound guy. I don't aspire to be a sound guy. But I'm known to have a good ear for it. I try to learn whenever I can. 20 years of experience running sound from the stage while playing bass and singing and 6 years of research on TB taught me a thing or two as well.

All I'm saying is if I advise someone not to run 3 eight ohm speakers off a 4 ohm stable PA they typically take my advice.

Or if I say, (to guy B) "hey you can have this 6' monster 1/4 " speaker cable, just make sure you don't use it for your guitar"
I really want the best for you, because you were using guitar cables as speaker cables before...

If I change your (guy B) smiley face EQ on your 30+ year old peavey PA that your using as a vocal plus Martin acoustic guitar amp, because it's feeding back in obvious nasaly frequencies, I'm not being malicious.

It's that I'm used to fellow musicians trusting me, and I haven't necessarily learned my boundaries with this new dynamic of musicians.
(DONT TOUCH MY ****) right?

Then we're going into one of guy Bs songs in "2nd capo". I'm transposing whatever that might mean to him at the time and plinking along quietly with the intro. Trying to make sure that when we all come I'm dead on. He stops the song as says "no no no I want to do the intro myself":banghead:

I hope its just something that'll just take time...

Thanks vent over.
 
#7
I know my bass and I know my equipment. If someone has a suggestion I haven't thought of and has more experience than me, I have no problem thinking it over and trying it out. If someone said "your guitar cables are going to go up in flames because of this," I'm inclined to listen. But then, I don't like fires unless they are in pits, places or stoves.
 
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#9
@samson3382 - YIKES !!
I completely empathize... as I age (gracefully I'm hoping) I meet musicians who simply have no concept of the mechanics, physics, technology, mixing and dynamics of sound reinforcement and seem to have less-and-less tolerance for those "experts"!

Everything from using a "Y" cable to merge 2 signals ("Why not?", they ask.. "It's a Y-cable!!") to why can't I run 200 feet of 16-gauge power cable from the generator to run my 4000 watts of stage lighting, to your example of using speaker cables as guitar cables!

My favorite - with the advent of the digital era - is folks who insist on RTA'ing a room before every gig, auto-setting the 31+ band EQ in their DSP, not changing/re-working the individual channel EQ's on the mixer, then shoving a BBE in between the two units ('cus they like them) and then wonder why the PA sounds like poo!! Thought about the root cause simply escapes them!~

This is the type of "expert" that led me to stop doing independent SR for bands/festivals... everyone's a freakin' expert, and ya know.. I might actually know something [MORE] about that 10,000 watt PA system I unloaded and proceeded to set up, than YOU do!! LOL
It never ends..
 
#11
Resurrecting my own dead thread instead of starting a new one.

Still trudging along with these guys. I guess I'm spoiled from working with "pros".
We've had a couple decent gigs, but almost never a smooth night.
There's ALWAYS some issue, capo lost on stage at the last second, shoddy jacks, cords, pedals, one guy has no guitar amp, thinks his acoustic sounds fine direct, I could go on.

Last night I ran sound, with a small pa I have access to. Quiet gig, should have been cake, but these guys make it very difficult. Can't even lay out a stage, decide who will stand where.
I had my rig, two mains, one monitor, mixer, everyone's mics and stands, mic'd guitar amp, done 20 minutes before showtime.
All they had to do was get ready, we still started late.

Then struggling all night, "can't hear myself" then it's too loud, meanwhile I'm trying to play bass as well. And there wouldn't be a gig without a PA, so do not complain that my monitors aren't good enough, when you have $0 invested in the gear. Of course thankless as well, and left a general bad vibe with me.
 
#12
Talking to myself I know, it's just good to say I suppose.

I have to remind myself I've only known these guys 6 months. They don't have 17+ years of experience with me to give them confidence in my abilities, like most others I play with. They also don't have the confidence to level with me, tell me what they want, what they need.
 
#16
Always keeping my options open for other playing opportunities. However, at age (nearly) 66, I don't want to be constantly gigging, so the commitment level works for or me. Believe it or not, the playing is pretty fun until the guitar solos kick in.
 
#17
pcake said:
just curious... why are you still playing with these guys? sounds like they're going to give you high blood pressure, drive you crazy and make playing a lot less fun.
Click to expand...
One of the guys is VERY good, he's got some achievements under his belt, I see potential.
He's also gotten me in on some of his previously solo gigs that pay very well and are in beautiful places. But yeah, at what cost?
 

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