Sometimes, it's tough

[danesdad]

I was at my inlaws and I went out to get pizza for the crew. I order the pizzas and step outside to wait and I hear live music coming from somewhere. I follow it about a block and, next to the river under a really small pavilion, is this band. There was some kind of festival going on (not sure what) but it was a really small town, and it was raining. Counting the vendors at the booths selling candy and other crap and me, there were 11 people watching these guys. They weren't all that great and they were playing the most trite classic tracks imaginable (Sweet Home Alabama, Don't stop believing...stuff like that). They were all crammed under that stupid little pavilion, trying to stay dry. But they were out there playing. God Bless em.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

I was at my inlaws and I went out to get pizza for the crew. I order the pizzas and step outside to wait and I hear live music coming from somewhere. I follow it about a block and, next to the river under a really small pavilion, is this band. There was some kind of festival going on (not sure what) but it was a really small town, and it was raining. Counting the vendors at the booths selling candy and other crap and me, there were 11 people watching these guys. They weren't all that great and they were playing the most trite classic tracks imaginable (Sweet Home Alabama, Don't stop believing...stuff like that). They were all crammed under that stupid little pavilion, trying to stay dry. But they were out there playing. God Bless em.

Nothing like a garage band trying to figure out where they’re going.
Usually only up, from here.
Yep! You gotta give em props for bein out doin it, no matter what.

 

[TWolf]

Everybody's got to pay their dues I guess

 

[dbase]

Well that's all nice and stuff .. but what became of the Pizza's ???

 

[Grumry]

We played in the rain yesterday. Great show, but I really hate rain.

 

[danesdad]

Nothing like a garage band trying to figure out where they’re going.
Usually only up, from here.
Yep! You gotta give em props for bein out doin it, no matter what.

Well, they were all in their 40s and 50s, so I'm not sure they were a garage band, but I do give them props for being out and doing it.

 

[danesdad]

Well that's all nice and stuff .. but what became of the Pizza's ???

fam ate one last night, I'm about to consume some leftovers right now.

 

[danesdad]

We played in the rain yesterday. Great show, but I really hate rain.

Hope you had more than a dozen in the crowd.

 

[danesdad]

What is the fewest number of people you ever played for?

 

[Bassbeater]

What is the fewest number of people you ever played for?

10-15 heads at a bar. I just did that thing you do with your eyes when you try to see the printed 3d image and de-focused the "crowd". I still got paid, and it wasn't raining. Could have been worse!

 

[Chango Malo]

gigs in the rain are where the best stories come from.
we were playing a "party in the park" deal; two stages with one band playing while another set up. It was cloudy and breezy all day with light sprinkles off and on. Just the perfect weather for a midwest middle of August party in the park where the cops fenced off the entire park with orange snowfence and declared the whole 11 acres "the beer tent". we were setting up just before dusk and the clouds were thick. The wind started picking up as the slider monkeys set levels and we kicked off. Crowd was three sheets to the wind and having a great time. It starts to rain for real as we kick off the second tune. Crowd loves it, wet t-shirts all around. Band loves it, wet t-shirts all around and there's a great big awning over the stages so as long as we stay off the front 5 feet of the stage we stay dry. That is until a big gust lifts the side wall and peels back half the top awning just as the rain starts pouring down. keyboard player grabs the giant garbage bag he keeps for just such emergencies and covers up toot sweet. Band stops. Crowd is yelling W*F? Bass player looks at me, shrugs, yells over at the drummer "let's go!" Tim starts pounding the living hell out of "when the levee breaks" and the crowd erupts as the rain starts coming down in buckets. The band comes in and the slider monkeys push the mains up as far they'll go. we didn't get very far into it when lightning struck the pole behind the stage somewhere. All I saw was what looked like the shadow from an old Lincoln arc welder x1000000 and BOOM! Every single person made like Fred Flintstone and boogied out of there as fast as they could. I had my guitar stuffed inside my 55 gallon garbage bag and was off the back of the stage heading for the van in about 2 seconds. Mark (the bass player) was already inside the van when I got to the parking lot.


how was the pizza?

 

[Grumry]

Hope you had more than a dozen in the crowd.

I was in monitor land but I think attendance was 800-1k.

It was a great turn out, and why ponchos are great for merch about 1 or 2 times a year

 

[Madhouse27]

Did you stick around for "Takin' care of business"?

 

[craigie]

I was at my inlaws and I went out to get pizza for the crew. I order the pizzas and step outside to wait and I hear live music coming from somewhere. I follow it about a block and, next to the river under a really small pavilion, is this band. There was some kind of festival going on (not sure what) but it was a really small town, and it was raining. Counting the vendors at the booths selling candy and other crap and me, there were 11 people watching these guys. They weren't all that great and they were playing the most trite classic tracks imaginable (Sweet Home Alabama, Don't stop believing...stuff like that). They were all crammed under that stupid little pavilion, trying to stay dry. But they were out there playing. God Bless em.

The band I’m in the process of joining has both those songs in the songbook. I can hardly ring myself to practice them. The bad company song I can’t even bring myself to listen to. I accept a couple of standard duds out of 130.
Edit: TCB is also in there lol

 

[Bodeanly]

There are times when playing in rain beats playing in heat.

As far as small crowds, I’ve played in fairly empty bars, but nothing is worse than playing outdoors and people are so scattered that it seriously feels like you’re being punished.

As for pizza, I think I may be lactose intolerant. I can eat it, but I get a cheese hangover that lasts for days.

 

[Fender_Bender]

Was there “a van down by the river” too?.

 

[40Hz]

I’d rather see an adequate band out doing it than have to listen to 100 top notch musicians sitting around grousing about why their bands aren’t. So more power to those guys.

 

[twinjet]

I was at my inlaws and I went out to get pizza for the crew. I order the pizzas and step outside to wait and I hear live music coming from somewhere. I follow it about a block and, next to the river under a really small pavilion, is this band. There was some kind of festival going on (not sure what) but it was a really small town, and it was raining. Counting the vendors at the booths selling candy and other crap and me, there were 11 people watching these guys. They weren't all that great and they were playing the most trite classic tracks imaginable (Sweet Home Alabama, Don't stop believing...stuff like that). They were all crammed under that stupid little pavilion, trying to stay dry. But they were out there playing. God Bless em.

There was a gig I played some time ago that started two hours after the dinner rush. We played until 11 pm and then only people in the audience were the bartenders, @Jonathan Eliot and another patron with his daughter. I don't think I've ever played for so few in my life!

 

[Wisebass]

Hi danesdad funny read so far!

They were all crammed under that stupid little pavilion, trying to stay dry. But they were out there playing. God Bless em.

Reading your thread title, I thought the story would end with:

… when I came back, my band had hired a new bassplayer!

Well, they were all in their 40s and 50s, so I'm not sure they were a garage band

I am 50 and in 3! garage bands! It" s cool, I don' t have to ask Dad! It' s my garage! And it' s a big one.

I can hardly ring myself to practice them. The bad company song I can’t even bring myself to listen to.

When someone needs to practice Sweet Home Alabama or any Bad Comp song…

let him go buy some pizza!

, I’ve played in fairly empty bars

Don' t worry. Even Gary Moore played "empty rooms" so many times times, he still had the the blues.

It' s much better than to be a band, that stays in reproom forever!


greetings


Wise(b)ass

 

[craigie]

Hi danesdad funny read so far!



Reading your thread title, I thought the story would end with:

… when I came back, my band had hired a new bassplayer!



I am 50 and in 3! garage bands! It" s cool, I don' t have to ask Dad! It' s my garage! And it' s a big one.



When someone needs to practice Sweet Home Alabama or any Bad Comp song…

let him go buy some pizza!



Don' t worry. Even Gary Moore played "empty rooms" so many times times, he still had the the blues.

It' s much better than to be a band, that stays in reproom forever!


greetings


Wise(b)ass

Just enough to actually get the correct bass line