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Dead Man's Hand Gig Report - 10/12/2012

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(@jwmartin)
Posts: 1435
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Back to home turf for this show. We worked a few new songs on Sunday to prep for the show and decided 3 were good enough (Plush, Start Me Up, Let the Good Times Roll) while 2 others weren't ready for prime time yet (Twilight Zone, Beer 30). I made a couple of attempts at making the set list over the week, but it has gotten quite complicated trying to balance the flow of songs, the amount of songs each vocalist does and which guitar one of our guys is playing (he plays a Strat like Peavey and an Epiphone depending on the sound of the song). We try to keep guitar changes to 1 per set, but that sometimes means we get groups of songs that doesn't really go together. Plus, we are now doing Every Rose Has its Thorn with him playing acoustic and Folsom Prison Blues where I give my bass to the other guitar player and I play acoustic and sing. Plus, we wanted to get more new stuff toward the front and keep the older stuff that this crowd already heard at the end. So I need to write a piece of software to create our set lists.

Guitarist/singer (who lives on my side of town) and I took the day off work and got to the bar around 2 to set up. Our drummer recently traded his van for a covered trailer and, let me tell you, every band needs a trailer! He brought it to practice Sunday loaded with all the gear and I pulled it home and put it in my garage. It is so much easier to load than putting everything in separate cars. My son came with me and the 3 of us got everything pretty much ready to go. Our drummer had to work later than he planned, so they didn't get there until almost 6. The plan was to do a sound check and then I was going to go home and change. We were supposed to start at 9. By the time we got everything set and sound checked, it was 7. My wife had already left to head to the venue and didn't know I still needed clothes. I had to unhook the trailer and head back home. I got back around 8:15 and the place was pretty empty. We had talked to a guy that worked there earlier and he said there was a birthday party in the private bowling area with 53 people and they were going to be done around 9 and head up to the bar. We each also has several friends coming.

We started at 9 playing to a few of our friends. We did a few of our older ones, then our 4th song was one I sing, Running Down a Dream. I felt pretty good about it and we had made sure to check everyone's vocal levels before, so people could hear me. I did sing 2 lines from the 3rd verse during the 2nd, then sang the ones I missed in the 2nd during the 3rd. No one seemed to notice but me. I noticed more people showing up during our first set. We did Plush in this set and it went well, though there were some rough spots with the vocals. Our drummer is still getting the song down. We did Sultans of Swing and one of our guitarist/singer's friends yelled out "good singing, Jeff" after the song, which made me feel pretty good. I'm starting to get more confident with my singing and that is the best thing to help you improve. Somewhere in that set, I handed my bass off to our guitarist and picked up the acoustic and did Folsom Prison Blues. Other than singing the wrong line at the end of the 1st verse, it went really well. After the set, my wife said "I didn't know you sang like that, I did a double take when you started."

We played through about half our 2nd set and had to stop because our drummer started getting leg cramps again. We had done a long 1st set and planned on just doing 3 longer sets instead of 4 shorter ones. We were thinking that every time we take a break, that gives people an opportunity and reason to leave. It was at a perfect time because I was due to sing Every Rose next. It is the hardest song I sing because I have to actually sing and there are points in the song that are pushing my range. We came back and played a few before that one, then I introduced it as "this one was probably played at a few of y'all's proms." I got some comments from a few girls in the audience who I went to high school with about our prom. The song really came out well, probably the best I've sang it yet. We did our new one Good Times Roll, which has a lot of vocal harmonies and it sounded great. We are all starting to find our sweet spots with harmonies. We did Feel Like Making Love, with guitarist/singer and I doing the backup vocals while drummer sings it. That sounded better than we have yet too.

We ended up playing our last song around 12:15 because the crowd had dwindled away to just a few friends. We are going to talk to the venue about scheduling live music from 8-12 and if there is still a crowd at 12, we'll keep playing. Starting at 9 just gives people a chance to get comfortable at home and decide to stay in. It was our best show yet and our highest paying yet. The staff at the bar all love us, so I'm sure we'll be back there again.

Bass player for Undercover

 
Posted : 14/10/2012 6:42 pm
(@danlasley)
Posts: 2118
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Fantastic!

 
Posted : 14/10/2012 9:59 pm
 cnev
(@cnev)
Posts: 4459
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Sounds like a great show. +1 on Plush we do that one too and it's gone over well. Sounds like you guys are covering alot of bases with the songs.

"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!

 
Posted : 15/10/2012 12:41 pm
(@trguitar)
Posts: 3709
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Sounds like it went great! You guys are making me want to do this again. Might be changing to 9- 5 type job soon with weekends and holidays off as well as making my own schedule so who knows? If I lived closer I definitely would like to see a show! I do travel some, never know someday.........

"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --

 
Posted : 15/10/2012 4:57 pm
(@tommy-guns)
Posts: 314
Honorable Member
 

Awesome!!! :D You could switch guitars once per set but you have to have some stage banter for the 30 seconds or so dead time. Did I read that right you got to the bar at 2pm to set up for a 9pm show???

Ambition is the path to success...persistence is the vehicle you arrive in!!!

 
Posted : 15/10/2012 9:01 pm
(@jwmartin)
Posts: 1435
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Topic starter
 

Awesome!!! :D You could switch guitars once per set but you have to have some stage banter for the 30 seconds or so dead time. Did I read that right you got to the bar at 2pm to set up for a 9pm show???

Yep. It was only 2 of us from the band and my son setting up. We had everything ready by 4, but the rest of the band didn't get there until 6. We had to set up everything, including PA and lights.

And one of us usually talks through the guitar change. It usually falls to me. I always thought the bass player was supposed to be in the background, but it's usually me or singer/guitarist that talks between songs. Our drummer sings a lot, but doesn't talk unless he's responding to something someone else said. And our other guitarist never says a word. But it works and we are each learning a ton every show.

Bass player for Undercover

 
Posted : 15/10/2012 10:00 pm
(@tommy-guns)
Posts: 314
Honorable Member
 

Cool!!! Yes, you'll be learning a TON @ every show!! Soon you'll be setting up in under an 1 1/2 hrs w/lights & FULL PA. Once you get your routine down you'll see!!! Keep Rockin' Brutha!!!! :D

Ambition is the path to success...persistence is the vehicle you arrive in!!!

 
Posted : 15/10/2012 11:33 pm