Ross Brown Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 We were asked to do a wedding gig in September. We are a classic rock (75%) and Blues (25%) band. They asked us to play quietly during the dinner and then play dance music after dinner etc. We dont have a lot of quiet music. We have slower songs but not sure they are quiet and good dinner music. Should I suggest we play a CD during dinner and let them pick the songs that play? Just starting to think about this and would appreciate any insight. "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 May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 You can use a line our singer uses often...."we are room 3 ....try the fish!" I wouldn't want to play thoughout dinner even more if you are not that kind of band, cd would do wonders, or like we are doing for our big gig, and ipod pilled up with tracks. 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...
yourlord Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 It sounds like they picked a rock band to play an easy listening engagement.. square peg, round hole.. unless you want to learn a whole set just for this gig, i'd turn it down.. Feel free to visit my band's site Delusional Mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMPires Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 As the drummer in my band would say, i'm not a performing monkey...if I were i'd charge much more. 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...
jlrush Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Keep the gig, turn it down, and walk out with the money. A job's a job, and alot of weddings are always like that. I've had to do this for several weddings and we were'nt exactly playing polkas. In the end it'll be a good experience and you'll still get to make that good wedding money. The only reason I would turn this gig down is if you don't play any dance music, but I'd bet you do. Visit my band's new web site. www.themojoroots.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 To quote from Muddy Mudskipper, "If you want to make it in this world, kid, ya' gotta adapt! Ever breathe oxygen, son? Me? I'm hooked! Get it?" Dinner hour music is easy. Pull out a Real Book and just play Satin Doll over and over. Or have the guitar player grab an accoustic and play Beatles covers. Pretend you're on MTV Unplugged, but treat it like in the early days when they really did unplug on MTV Unplugged. Nobody is listening anyway. They actually don't want to hear you...not just yet, anyway.... They're eating dinner, chatting, etc. You could almost do a lip-synch thing and get away with it. Endless guitar and bass blues tunes, or jam out on a IIm/V7 thing. Drummer might even want to skip this part unless he knows how to really use brushes. If you play guitar also, then a pair of guitars might be fun also. Fall back on bass lines here and there to mix it up a bit. Sit down for this part of the night. Use a music stand. Nobody will care one wit. Just no foul language, minimal dB, and you're golden. Who is Muddy Mudskipper? Oh, you kids just don't know anything anymore.... http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=47415496 Peace Paul K Things are just the way they are, and they're only going to get worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicklab Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 I used to do wedding videos and I saw and heard it all. And believe you me, I have heard WAY TOO MANY wedding bands. But I've heard some laid back, instrumental renditions of pop/rock songs that went over really well as dinner music. Some things that might work? "Ain't no sunshine" "I can't make you love me" "Little wing" "Stormy weather" "Riviera paradise" "Yesterday" They come across like standards, but they're basically pop songs. Obligatory Social Media Link "My concern is, and I have to, uh, check with my accountant, that this might bump me into a higher, uh, tax..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky McDougall Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 I think it is very difficult for a full band (drums,bass, lead guitar) to play quietly for a nice sitdown dinner where everyone would like to carry on a conversation without screaming. I would either play CDs or have a smooth jazz guitar and/or keyboards only. Can your band learn 10-20 songs in time that fit that requirement? I would go with appropriate CDs. Rocky "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb, contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groover Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 I had a gig like this several years ago. We had a sax player so all we did was bring some chord charts and improvised with the sax player doing the melody. We didn't rehearse this set but they were all easy chord charts and familiar melodies. Drummer used brushes and rods. It was loads of fun making it up on the fly and everyone was too busy with the food and conversation to notice any flubbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenLoy Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Bring the Real Books and break out some quiet standards. Think early 60's Miles, MJQ, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Tell the drummer and singer to take a break and play instrumentals: guitar, bass, and keyboards. I have heard of bands that refused to play dinner sets, "We are an eight piece soul band with horns. You heard us play at a club. We don't do background music." Or you could figure out a way to do this and it could be a good career move. I typically make three or four times as much playing a wedding as I would get playing a club and I get fed dinner on top of that. Two wedding gigs a week pays better than six nights a week in clubs. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Bring the Real Books and break out some quiet standards. Think early 60's Miles, MJQ, etc. My thoughts exactly. To quote from Muddy Mudskipper, "If you want to make it in this world, kid, ya' gotta adapt! Ever breathe oxygen, son? Me? I'm hooked! Get it?" Quote of the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 We were invited to do a PTA dinner a few years back. It was a Friday night, and half the committee were fans. We were told we could rock the last hour. They also asked us for an hour of lighter music. We worked up classic rock songs that fit, and the guitarists switched to acoustics (with pickups). We turned down low and did our thing - most of the songs wouldn't have worked as well in the "full noise" setting - Wish You Were Here, I've Just Seen Her Face, Hide Your Love Away. The oddest thing was playing Wonderful Tonight (which we weren't all happy about doing) and seeing couples dance slow. It felt so ... so ... warm. That said, I'd be fine if you wanted to play recorded music. They could pay you less since you aren't playing, but my guess is that you'd be OK with that. Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke73 Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 I play in a rock/blues band which is mostly electric and fairly loud. We did a corporate dinner gig a while ago (that paid very nicely). We sat in the corner of a nice restaurant that our client had booked out. We left our drummer at home - took two acoustic guitars, me on bass, and one singer. Kept the volume low and provided a few hours of wallpaper music. Mostly we did "acoustic" versions of many of the songs we already knew - a mix of covers and originals. It went down a treat! Go for it. http://www.myspace.com/twoshortrocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewbubba Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 As a bass playin' friend of mine once said, "I'm a musical wh*re; I'll play anything for money". I'd play the dinner music. That said, I'm playing a wedding next week. Thankfully, we are only playing 30 minutes prior to the ceremony and then a couple of songs during the ceremony. Odd selection of songs, too. I'm doing a fretless solo on top of a vocal-less "Blackbird" (bride is entering to this??!!), throw in some "You Really Got Me" by Van Halen, and "I'm Gonna Be (500 miles)" by The Proclaimers, Bon Jovi, Queen, Journey, and Stevie Wonder. Odd set list. A stiffy somewhere in the city sewer system... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cthulhu Fhtagn Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 We lucked out. The wedding we got potentially booked for wanted a nice, quiet, jazz band to play background music during the reception. There is an area up front that people can dance on. The groom stated in no uncertain terms that he wanted to get married, have the reception, eat dinner and get everyone the hell out. I'm thinking the in-laws (who are signing my check) may have different ideas. Also, we got booked because we don't do the Chicken Dance, the Electric Slide, the Hustle, the Maccarena or most other ralibad, drunken reception fare. The last reception I was at (about six years ago) the DJ played "Nookie" like five times. This would be our bands first "scale" gig. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 As a bass playin' friend of mine once said, "I'm a musical wh*re; I'll play anything for money". On the other hand, Our Fearless Leader is a Gig Skank; he'll play any gig for free. Things are just the way they are, and they're only going to get worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 Man, y'all have no imagination. Immediately, I'm thinking the quiet part of "Break On Through", any Dire Straits (sans vocals), any Steely Dan (sans vocals) would make very nice dinner music. The important thing to remember here is to shut your mouth and play chill. A bunch of loud, obnoxious music I USED to make with friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 Unplugged with acoustic guitars sounds like a great plan and a good chance to practice in front of a live audience, who as you say, won't be listening. Davo "We will make you bob your head whether you want to or not". - David Sisk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 Man, y'all have no imagination. I know what works. And BenLoy's suggestion is what works for these situations. People eating dinner at a wedding reception can listen to "Freddie Freeloader" for 20 minutes and not care. When you want to spark conversation amongst the people you play "So What" because the slightly hipper members of the crowd that own A Kind of Blue will tell everyone at the table what song is being played at that moment even though he couldn't name "Freedie Freeloader" which was played just moments prior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 Bump - you're missing the point. We are a classic rock (75%) and Blues (25%) band. I'm making suggestions within the context of their band - stuff they might actually know... Not many rock/blues bands I've ever heard can just break off some Coltrane at the drop of a hat.... A bunch of loud, obnoxious music I USED to make with friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted May 14, 2008 Author Share Posted May 14, 2008 Bump - you're missing the point. We are a classic rock (75%) and Blues (25%) band. I'm making suggestions within the context of their band - stuff they might actually know... Not many rock/blues bands I've ever heard can just break off some Coltrane at the drop of a hat.... bingo "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...
Flemtone Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 We've done this a bunch of times and the best mix we've come up with has been programmed CDs during the 'dinner hour', with a mix of quieter rock, folk, instrumentals and standards (mostly Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Count Basie, Nat Cole, Ella, etc). Most weddings will have a variety of attendees and Auntie Grizelda will want to talk to the others at her table without having to raise her already-wheezy voice too loud. This is only a matter of courtesy. More than likely, she won't be staying too long after dinner anyway, so that would be a better time to bring the brewtalz. Ya gotta please everybody, so we always suggest this to The Happy Couple (since they're so busy with all other aspects of the reception, we take this off their hands - they are usually VERY happy for this advice!) Besides, this is when the band gets fed! Can't give that up for anything. "We'll do it...but we must be fed." Good luck! Play. Just play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil W Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 You might be a classic rock and blues band now but the gig is in September: plenty of time to put together some nice quiet instrumentals and to expand your repertoire and get more lucrative dinner gigs. Play some simpler jazz tunes (or country or rock ballads or even folk), standards like Sonny or the ones mentioned or even noodle on a short chord sequence for a while. If the drummer can play quiet with brushes and the guitarist knows how to turn down it'd be fine otherwise adapt your line-up accordingly as has been mentioned. http://philwbass.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMPires Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 Oh I miss that point the gig is in september...you have plenty of time. 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...
natobasso Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 One word: Jazz. Bass is key. ---- Warmoth custom 4 string * Quilted maple top/mahogany * Maple neck, ebony board * Audere preamp; Lindy Fralin pickups * Badass bridge; Hipshot tuners. Thx Joe Mergens at Mojotone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted May 14, 2008 Author Share Posted May 14, 2008 One word: Jazz. "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...
natobasso Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 I'm being serious! Just get a Real Book and read through some charts. If they don't want loud rock, give them jazz. Or play your normal tunes and have the drummer use brushes. Or just do a cd during dinner. No harm there since most people won't be paying attention to the music anyway. Bass is key. ---- Warmoth custom 4 string * Quilted maple top/mahogany * Maple neck, ebony board * Audere preamp; Lindy Fralin pickups * Badass bridge; Hipshot tuners. Thx Joe Mergens at Mojotone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewbubba Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 You have lots of time to learn some slow songs. You have 3 months! A stiffy somewhere in the city sewer system... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moot Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 Always play a CD during dinner. Always eat and drink for free. Always tell the bride how beautiful she is and the groom what a lucky stiff he is. Always flirt with the single gals. Always thank whoever hired you and ask if the music is okay. When they're ready to dance - always rock. "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...
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