Ross Brown Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 My experiences so far. (keep in mind that my experiences are very limited, so please feel free to disagree or correct or support). I played bass for several years when I was 19-22 years old. Did some giggin. Been playing again for about 4 years. I am 47 years old now. We have played a handful of gigs and have been rebooked at each venue. Half of the fun I have comes from getting out and playing, meeting (sometimes very) different people and laughing. The other half is the music. I am fascinated by the gig. There are so many facets to getting out and playing all night long in some of the venues. This past Friday night we played a hole in the wall tavern. You would almost walk past it if you didnt know where it was. The sign on the door says Bikers Welcome. No Colors. No Clubs. We played this place before and I had trouble getting enough sound out of my rig. I used the advice from this forum and boosted the mids (a lot), moved my amp and the room shook all night long. Several members from two other local bands were there. One was off and the other had played somewhere else earlier. I also got some good help with my rig sound from one of the drummers (sorry). He actually was helpful. Biggest hairiest biker I ever saw took an interest in my wife as she was dancing. After a while he looked at me and asked if I minded if he danced with her. Reminded me of the Can we dance with your dates? scene from Animal House. She told him sure, but if you try grinding on me, we are done! He was actually a pretty good dancer just looking for some fun. My wife loves to dance and she had fun too. There were two fights, fairly minor. Bouncer was good at calming drunks down. There was way too much flesh showing. Tops were off and rear ends were waving at the singer. Crowd was into the music. As rough as this bar is, I am sure it is nothing compared to others. It sure is fun to play. I thought I would list a few of the things that I have learned so far about giggin. I hope that those with much more experience than I will join in and share their wisdom: 1. Just because the music is very loud, doesnt mean you will be able to hear it. I was shaking the room and I had trouble keeping time with the drummer because (I think) sound waves were going everywhere. 2. The best technical performances do not always equal the best shows. A week ago I played a gig with very few off notes. Was not the best show. No real energy to the place. 3. No matter what the band agrees on as to how to end a song, someone in the band will forget. Be prepared, it will be OK. 4. The drummer may end a song with two verses left. When the drummer stops, the song is over. Similar to the axiom The song is in whatever key the bass player is playing in. 5. Naked women is not always a good thing. 6. Drunks will trip over your monitors and a good singer can catch them and not miss a beat. If you move the monitors the drunks get closer to the bass player. Dont move the monitors. 7. Guitar solos are too long right at the point in which they seem too long. This occurs to the bass player about five minutes before it occurs to the guitarist. Sometimes it occurs to the drummer long before that. He may just stop playing. 8. Singers will forget words. Be prepared to cover for them. 9. Apparently some people think it is perfectly normal to bring a tambourine to a bar and play along with the band. 10. In tight quarters, it is perfectly normal to play the crash cymbal with the headstock of your bass at least 3 times in a night. No one (except the drummer) will notice. 11. When you play so loud that the room shakes, the mistakes are even more special... I hate that part. It is good for the concentration though. Please add more. "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMPires Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 6. Drunks will trip over your monitors and a good singer can catch them and not miss a beat. If you move the monitors the drunks get closer to the bass player. Dont move the monitors. www.myspace.com/davidbassportugal "And then the magical unicorn will come prancing down the rainbow and we'll all join hands for a rousing chorus of Kumbaya." - by davio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rizzo9247 Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 12. Be aware of the house sound guy and try to get on his good side so you can avoid something I like to call "the second sound check". This is where the first song is filled with hand gestures trying to adjust something. Makes you wonder what they were doing the first time. 13. I disagree with number 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted August 20, 2007 Author Share Posted August 20, 2007 yes... forgot this one... "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greyvagabond Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 13: At a gig of 4 bands (including yours), one band will be very cool and fun and friendly, one will be very quiet, and one will think their band is WAAYYY better than your band. Party with the first band; this is how scenes are made. Be nice to the second band; its good karma, and you never know what kind of gig/story/contact you may get out of it. F*** the third band; they suck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 14: The less money you make on a gig, the more hours you will play and the more equipment you will need to bring. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMPires Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 Following 14, you will end up taking your pa 2 8x10 3 basses, the whole drum kit for a reception that lasts 5 hours for which you didn't get paid for and still have to pay for the whiskey. www.myspace.com/davidbassportugal "And then the magical unicorn will come prancing down the rainbow and we'll all join hands for a rousing chorus of Kumbaya." - by davio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil W Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 :grin: http://philwbass.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theTragicRich Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 I'm with you on the "fun" of the gig. The band I'm in right now is bent on recording an album. That's all fine and good, but to me, I'm in a band to get out and play! Doesn't matter if we release an album and people like it, if we can't get out there and play. Part of that "fun" is interacting with people before and after the gig. Anyways... the last band I was in, was a punk/ska band. One of our shows we had a decent crowd and one of the guys right in front of us was drinking out of a pitcher of beer. I didn't do any singing, so I was able to stand right out in front, to which he thought what a great opportunity to try and offer me some of his beer. I shook my head no... he got closer... I shook my head no again, and took a step back. He then made his way to the guitarist and poured some on him (I don't know if any made it into his mouth). 15. I love beer, but I love my bass and equipment more and I'm not about to ruin it with some Pabst Blue Ribbon... even if it was free. The musicians on stage are very capable of drinking their own beer. There needs to be signs similar to "Don't Feed the Bears"... "Don't Pour Beer on the Bassist". [Carvin] XB76WF - All Walnut 6-string fretless [schecter] Stiletto Studio 5 Fretless | Stiletto Elite 5 [Ampeg] SVT3-Pro | SVT-410HLF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brocko777 Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 15-ish... Be prepared to have someone call out a song that has NEVER touched the songlist and go into it. You then get to scramble all those years of playing songs you never used to put together 'something' that resembles the tune. (very exilarating by the way!) Ex #5 is as close to an oxy-moron as possible... cuz it is NEVER the one you want, and it is ALWAYS the one that no-one wants! Don't have a job you don't enjoy. If you're happy in what you're doing, you'll like yourself, you'll have inner peace. ~ Johnny Carson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewbubba Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 10. In tight quarters, it is perfectly normal to play the crash cymbal with the headstock of your bass at least 3 times in a night. No one (except the drummer) will notice. Guilty! A stiffy somewhere in the city sewer system... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMPires Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 The ugliest/drunkest lady on the place will fancy the singer, and will try to sing with him...???The bass player will be pushing her away. Not because he thinks shes a bad singer... But because he cares too much for its gear to let it be ruined by some drunk bird. www.myspace.com/davidbassportugal "And then the magical unicorn will come prancing down the rainbow and we'll all join hands for a rousing chorus of Kumbaya." - by davio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TreR1969 Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 15-ish... Be prepared to have someone call out a song that has NEVER touched the songlist and go into it. You then get to scramble all those years of playing songs you never used to put together 'something' that resembles the tune. (very exilarating by the way!) OH MAN...that is so true. At our gig Saturday night we went from playing covers by bands like Disturbed and Korn...to goofing off when one of our guitarists randomly started playing Staying Alive by the Bee Gees...I was like "WTF???" The other guitarist shrugged his shoulders, laughed and we all chimed in for a pretty decent rendition of the song...all things considered. My doctor says I'm A.D.D. - I just like to think of it as "multi-tasking"... Ibanez SR-505 Ibanez SRX-595 (sold...) Peavey Tour 700 Hartke 8x10 Boss GT-8 multi-effects board Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bottomgottem Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 Great thread! #16. There is almost always a local "celebrity" [read: karaoke champ] in the joint. Someone will try to encourage you to let them "sing a few". If you choose to allow this, you must learn Mustang Sally or Piano Man. In every possible key. My whole trick is to keep the tune well out in front. If I play Tchaikovsky, I play his melodies and skip his spiritual struggle. ~Liberace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted August 21, 2007 Author Share Posted August 21, 2007 Great thread! #16. There is almost always a local "celebrity" [read: karaoke champ] in the joint. Someone will try to encourage you to let them "sing a few". If you choose to allow this, you must learn Mustang Sally or Piano Man. In every possible key. The girl with the tambourine came up to the microphones during Mustang Sally. Guitarist shielded it from her. She was too drunk to get around him. We also agreed early on the no ones "friends" are singing with us unless they come to practice twice a week. "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcadmus Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 These all serve as fresh reminders of why I don't do club dates anymore. "Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted August 21, 2007 Author Share Posted August 21, 2007 These all serve as fresh reminders of why I don't do club dates anymore. I can see that I probably will look for different venues in years to come, but for now it really is fun for me. "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted August 21, 2007 Author Share Posted August 21, 2007 11a. When your bass is turned up so loud that the room shakes, you quickly realize that there is a difference in muting strings at low volume verses high volume. Be ready. 17. Sometimes you will play a very cool song that everyone in the band loves to play and no one else will seem to have enjoyed it. You will hear the crickets chirping. We just kill the place (and not in a good way) with Willie the Wimp and The Thrill is Gone. On the other hand, they love Jonnie B. Goode, go figure "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 It's still more fun than any other profession I can think of despite all the weird things that happen. Or maybe because of those things. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted August 21, 2007 Author Share Posted August 21, 2007 so true... "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athanacropolis Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 Always annoying is that one band, usually the first on a bill of three or more, that plays way over their set time, making your set 20-25 minutes tops when the tim comes to play. Thanks guys! Kalta Eye The Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted August 22, 2007 Author Share Posted August 22, 2007 18. You will feel important on songs that start without bass. ie just drums and guitar, then after a few (or more) measures the bassline starts. (Think Allman Brothers. "One Way Out") To me, is is as close as I come to showing off. The whole sound changes when the bass starts. Makes up for those other songs in which less is more.... "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moot Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 19. The drummers problem with flatulance can be comedy gold as you watch the reaction on the dancefloor. "He is to music what Stevie Wonder is to photography." getz76 I have nothing nice to say so . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trucks Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 Tambourine LMAO!! :grin: Soundclick Myspace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Ferrington III. Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 Always annoying is that one band, usually the first on a bill of three or more, that plays way over their set time, making your set 20-25 minutes tops when the tim comes to play. Thanks guys! Wow, when I used to play in Sydney, if a support band went over time, they simply got docked by the headliner. And usually told, rather unceremoniously, to get the hell off the stage. Band MySpace My snazzy t-shirt empire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bennardo Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 I second that opinion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bennardo Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 14: The less money you make on a gig, the more hours you will play and the more equipment you will need to bring. I second that opinion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeronyne Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 13. I disagree with number 5 If you disagree that naked chicks at a gig are not always a good thing, then you have no imagination. http://www.pyzamstuff.com/funpix/people/moshzilla.jpg "For instance" is not proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 13. I disagree with number 5 Work a geriatric ward or a nursing home for two or three days. You will come to know the truth of that statement. Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker Posted August 23, 2007 Share Posted August 23, 2007 20. When your band has played so wonderfully that you think the Fame Fairy is just about to whack you all on the head with her magic wand, no one in the audience will say a thing to you about it. When you all play so bad that half the patrons have been knocked off their feet by the suction coming from the stage, you will invariably be told, even by folks who aren't falling down drunk, how great you all played. I don't know why it's true, but I know from experience it is. Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.