"One hour to prepare? No Charts? I'll do it!"

[Nick von Nick]

This weekend, I had the great luxury of playing my most under-prepared gig ever. I was a nervous wreck, but it was a blast!!!

[5:30 pm]
An old bandmate's act couldn't muster a bassist (the person they planned on having bailed hours before the show). Needless to say, I stepped up to the plate. It was pretty simple rock/punk music, but with only an hour to learn eight songs before the show (and no charts), my brain was in overdrive. The bandleader and I discussed basic logistics, and by 6:00, I had YouTube links to all the songs I had to learn. Naturally, I was completely unfamiliar with any of these songs!

[6:00 - 7:00 pm]
In one hour, I charted/arranged everything as quickly as possible, knowing that I'd be pumping roots most of the time. Fortunately, only a couple of the songs had unison parts.

[7:30 pm]
I get to the venue at 7:30 sharp, but it took me nearly 20 minutes to find a place to park. When I finally entered, the band and I quickly went over any open questions. I brought along my Rickenbacker 4003 and my beat-up PJB Briefcase as a monitor. I knew the venue and knew I could DI. I didn't have any time to think about a more sophisticated setup as I was already running late when I left.

[8:15 pm]
Showtime! I muddle through as best I can, but remain strategically tucked away in the back. Thank goodness for my quick arrangements; I would have been completely lost without them. With wanton disregard for harmony, I played in true punk fashion, pounding out roots and sneering the whole way through. After 20 minutes, I was covered in sweat, grime, and whatever seeps from the ceilings of old dives. When all was said and done, one of the guitarists turns to me with a smile and thanks me for saving the day.

What a night...
~Nick "Klaus" G.

 

[pacojas]

don't be surprised if they offer you the position full time!

 

[elgecko]

Trial by fire...apparently, you're not a witch.

 

[DWBass]

Congrats. I've done a few of those over the years. Sometimes they are train wrecks and sometimes miracles happen!

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Congrats. I've done a few of those over the years. Sometimes they are train wrecks and sometimes miracles happen!

This weekend, I had the great luxury of playing my most under-prepared gig ever. I was a nervous wreck, but it was a blast!!!

[5:30 pm]
An old bandmate's act couldn't muster a bassist (the person they planned on having bailed hours before the show). Needless to say, I stepped up to the plate. It was pretty simple rock/punk music, but with only an hour to learn eight songs before the show (and no charts), my brain was in overdrive. The bandleader and I discussed basic logistics, and by 6:00, I had YouTube links to all the songs I had to learn. Naturally, I was completely unfamiliar with any of these songs!

[6:00 - 7:00 pm]
In one hour, I charted/arranged everything as quickly as possible, knowing that I'd be pumping roots most of the time. Fortunately, only a couple of the songs had unison parts.

[7:30 pm]
I get to the venue at 7:30 sharp, but it took me nearly 20 minutes to find a place to park. When I finally entered, the band and I quickly went over any open questions. I brought along my Rickenbacker 4003 and my beat-up PJB Briefcase as a monitor. I knew the venue and knew I could DI. I didn't have any time to think about a more sophisticated setup as I was already running late when I left.

[8:15 pm]
Showtime! I muddle through as best I can, but remain strategically tucked away in the back. Thank goodness for my quick arrangements; I would have been completely lost without them. With wanton disregard for harmony, I played in true punk fashion, pounding out roots and sneering the whole way through. After 20 minutes, I was covered in sweat, grime, and whatever seeps from the ceilings of old dives. When all was said and done, one of the guitarists turns to me with a smile and thanks me for saving the day.

What a night...
~Nick "Klaus" G.

View attachment 755922

You da man... Please take an "I am a Bass God" t-shirt out of petty cash.

 

[hrodbert696]

Keeps you on your toes! Nice job.

 

[Pentatonic]

Good going.

 

[StyleOverShow]

There's something to say about a little pressure and keeping it simple. Well done you.

 

[plankspanker13]

Congrats. I've done a few of those over the years. Sometimes they are train wrecks and sometimes miracles happen!

THIS

It happened to me in August of 2009. No advance time to prep, and no charts. I simply agreed to meet the rest of the band at the venue, and was enjoying a plate of wings, when they walked in. They sat at the table next to me, and I soon heard nervous conversation about "hoping the bass player would show up." Apparently, it was dark enough in there that they did not see the gig bag propped up next to me. I leisurely finished my food, drained my beer, turned to them, and said, "to the observant goes the prize," and proceeded to pick up said gig bag. I got 30 seconds (each) of briefing on their 8 poppy & punky original tunes, and proceeded to kill it on each and every one of them, even adding fills and glissandos, where apropos. This happened to be the debut gig of my first US-made G&L bass, a 2TS JB-2 with a vintage tint neck.

After 35 minutes, we had finished, and there was a lot of applause, and even a "bass playa!" shout from the audience. We proceeded to whip out 2 easy covers as encores (the titles escape me, now, but I seem to recall one of them being "Satisfaction"). When I unstrapped my instrument, the manager came to the stage with a pitcher of Stella, and handed it to me, saying that I'd earned it.

I never heard from the band again. They were early 20's, and I was mid-40's, at the time. A month later, my daytime career nosedived, but the most fortuitous e-mail exchange happened, and I began a phase of heavy coverband gigging for the next year and a half. 2011 saw things slow down; just a few hired-gun gigs, but 2012-2014 saw me in another heavily gigging coverband that was a tangent of the 2009-10 one. I left, as 2015 started, due to some changes happening in my life, but still get the occasional sub call from them, as well as the 09-10 band leader.

Prior to 2009, I was not a frequent gigger. In fact, there was only 1 true coverband gig in my experience (a one-off in 2007), and several dozen all-original and mixed orig/cover gigs, only a handful of which actually put money in my pocket. In late 2015, I can honestly say that I do not miss frequent gigging all that much, because there is a recent enough body of work out there. I like to think that this body of recent live coverband work started on that hot August night. Since then, I have gained 2 more USA JB-2s (the first one having been sold to cover bills, during the worst year of my life, 2011), and multiple amp rigs. Maybe 2016 will see a return to more gigging, once my relocation is completed.

The moral to the story? Never underestimate yourself, or what doors may open by taking an otherwise throwaway gig.

 

[BassCliff]

Hi Mr. @k.graz,

This weekend, I had the great luxury of playing my most under-prepared gig ever. I was a nervous wreck, but it was a blast!!!

[5:30 pm]
An old bandmate's act couldn't muster a bassist (the person they planned on having bailed hours before the show). Needless to say, I stepped up to the plate. It was pretty simple rock/punk music, but with only an hour to learn eight songs before the show (and no charts), my brain was in overdrive. The bandleader and I discussed basic logistics, and by 6:00, I had YouTube links to all the songs I had to learn. Naturally, I was completely unfamiliar with any of these songs!

[6:00 - 7:00 pm]
In one hour, I charted/arranged everything as quickly as possible, knowing that I'd be pumping roots most of the time. Fortunately, only a couple of the songs had unison parts.

[7:30 pm]
I get to the venue at 7:30 sharp, but it took me nearly 20 minutes to find a place to park. When I finally entered, the band and I quickly went over any open questions. I brought along my Rickenbacker 4003 and my beat-up PJB Briefcase as a monitor. I knew the venue and knew I could DI. I didn't have any time to think about a more sophisticated setup as I was already running late when I left.

[8:15 pm]
Showtime! I muddle through as best I can, but remain strategically tucked away in the back. Thank goodness for my quick arrangements; I would have been completely lost without them. With wanton disregard for harmony, I played in true punk fashion, pounding out roots and sneering the whole way through. After 20 minutes, I was covered in sweat, grime, and whatever seeps from the ceilings of old dives. When all was said and done, one of the guitarists turns to me with a smile and thanks me for saving the day.

What a night...
~Nick "Klaus" G.

View attachment 755922

I love stories like this, even if they're trainwrecks, which this totally was not. Bassists of lesser caliber could not have pulled this off. Great job!

For those who've been doing this a while, it's not uncommon to get a last minute call like this. I got a one hour notice probably because I was really close. I showed up for a gig in a high school gym having no idea what the gig was about, what we were playing, or who was going to be in the band other than the guy who called me, who I really trusted. It turned out to be a full blown musical production variety show with a bunch of impersonators, play-off and play-on music, with no charts, all done on the fly by the band leader who just gave us song titles, keys, and then counted us off. It was a two hour harrowing, fun, seat-of-your-pants experience. At least with cover music you've got a fighting chance if you've heard it before.

Then there's those last minute calls for a bar gig when you've got five sets of music to do, no rehearsal, no charts, where the guitar player and/or the keyboard player is flashing me Nashville Numbers. Those are always a ton of fun too. I've learned a lot of songs that way.

Mr. @k.graz, keep up the good work. You do us proud.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[BrewsterRooster]

Great work! Those are best when they turn out to be satisfying experiences, but even when they don't you've always got the seeds of a good story for years to come.

I've mostly had positive experiences with these. I just call 'em "grabass gigs" - closer to pure improv, even, than an actual pickup gig. Just a week ago I was called to sit in for a set with a long-established local act (45-50 years running, if I understood correctly). I was aware of the act but had never seen them personally. Walked in with a bass, waited for the second set to start, plugged in and threw down. We did about ten tunes, of which I knew four. Some old country, some 60s pop, a jazzy version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow with a bunch of substitute chords and weird reharmonizations - it was definitely keeping me on my toes. As per the comment above the keyboardist played with his right hand and covertly flashed me some Nashville numbers with his left. Crowd was pushing 300, the vast majority of them on the dance floor for the entire set, so they apparently liked what they heard. Regardless, I was never so happy to hear "Play That Funky Music" called as I was that night. Got to cool out and drop it into auto pilot for a few minutes.

 

[twinjet]

I used to play with a blues guitarist years ago in Juneau, AK. He did plenty of the twelve-bar stuff, but he also did SRV, Tom Waits, and some other obscure tunes that required a good ear. We both moved out of town (to the same place, no kidding ) and after a year and a half of not playing together he asks me to sub in on a night as it were still fresh in my mind! No problem, let me grab my Fender bass...

Overall, went pretty great. Drove the crowd nuts for us, got paid, blues guitar loved the sound... never got called again. Oh well.

 

[AntLockyer]

I sometimes get called by a local guy. No set list, no charts. A lot is 12 bar but he'll say something like "Do you know knock on wood?" I'll say not really, he'll say "It's in E, 2, 3, 4"

Those gigs are fun!

 

[two fingers]

Way to get it done!

I've had a few of these over the years. Some are the longest and worst nights of your life. Some are pure magic.

You're a good guy for taking it on.

 

[Angry Mob With Pitchfork]

There's nothing like playing roots with conviction & authority.

Epic.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Congrats! Sounds like a fun gig and great way to stretch your bass playing/performing skills.

I would have loved to have had that opportunity, though I'm not sure whether I'd have taken it or not. If begged and payed enough I would have, but I pride myself on not effing up. There's little to know chance I'd have been able to do that sans effing up .

Closest I've come to that kind of thing is playing with a guy I still play with a few times a year. He decides to do things on stage quite often... pull out a cover I never played in my life, one of his songs I've only ever played once, things like that. He'd often change the arrangement of songs whenever it struck him to do so (I think he was just messing up), rearrange the set without telling anyone, extend solos and turn them into jams. Never had to be on my toes as much as when I played with him.

 

[Roxbororob]

Great thread. Inspiring stories OP and all. Mine doesn't compare but is along the same lines. Recent band audition...BL sends me set list. I arrive prepared but we dont play one song from the list. Whole jam is impromptu on the fly, out of the air (for hours with no replays).... Maybe the best, most exciting jam in my life, whole band wants me, Im in.

 

[Deleted member 261632]

Seems like you've pulled it off. Nice one and congrats!

 

[dbase]

Mr. K.Graz, I am the complete opposite of you. I practice weeks before the gig, have all the music in set list order, polish my bass, check out my amp, make sure I have all my cables, arrive in plenty of time to set up and I still suck.

 

[MaxThroughput]

This is an awesome story. They brought in a ringer and you kicked ass! This is what music should be about, doing what it takes to entertain the crowd; Leaving the politics and bs behind.