Well this past Saturday was our first gig, first time together for everyone. Entertainment for the other guitarist's block party. We have only been together for about 6 weeks now and this date was already set so him and I have been getting together (2) nights a week and the full band on Saturday afternoons 12-5. We decided to play (2) sets (25 songs) for about 2-2 1/2 hours.
Well the day of the gig we all decided to get meet up @ 4pm to set up, sound check etc. At 6:30pm the singer still had not shown up and we were all finished w/sound check and I was asking "Where is Axl Rose at?" Finally about 7pm he showed up and we were to start about 8 (ish). Before we were about to go on the singer said we were all going to get together for a "group shot." I thought he meant a picture with everyone but it turns out Jack Daniels. I declined, told him I would after were done. The singer was already pretty lit.
Second song was "Sweet Home Alabama" and just as I started playing the first fill which runs down the neck of the guitar after the first verse and he starts singing the second verse. So we all stopped what we were playing and fell in line with what he was singing. Now I know that that was probably not the way to go because all night we played "stump the band." We didn't know during the songs if he was going to start singing the chorus (again), move onto the next verse or yell "Tom, make that thing sing !!" What ??? I just got done with the solo ???
The second set he had was walking around with the bottle of Jack Daniels and taking swigs off of it. Needless to say the band leader is going to have a talk with him.
The leader has received a lot of positive feedback as to song selections and how we played, but everybody said the singer needs to lose the bottle. Overall I'm very happy with the band and we always talk about playing and being as professional as we can be. None of us drink during practice and are very committed with good work ethics. I'm just hoping this was an isolated incident due to stagefright.
Tom
Ambition is the path to success...persistence is the vehicle you arrive in!!!
Well hopefully you guys can work it out. Maybe you should all work out a set of rules for you guys. You understand the problems that you've had, So I would have someone type out stuff like...
1. All band members should arrive for set up ___ hours before each gig.
2. All band members will refrain from drinking alchohol before each gig
3. etc
4. blah
5. you get the point
Once set in stone no one should have a reason to act unproffessional. I've seen this kind of thing set in action once before, after a similar incident, and from then on things went smooth. All it takes is a little law and order.
Who needs a signature?
I mean really...
It's almost always lyrics...
or a cliche...
or garbage about me...
Lets just save YOU from the pain, ok?
Hey Duffmaster,
That's what I'm hoping for. We are playing at a campground every other Saturday from July - Sept so I think a little law and order should suffice. Either that or we will have a "Behind the Music" story by the end of summer.
Ambition is the path to success...persistence is the vehicle you arrive in!!!
Sorry to hear about that Tom. But atleast its just one guy and not everyone. We had a similar problem when I was in a little band a decade and a half ago. But then they canned me and went on to play some terrific gigs with Molly Hachet (I think it was) and a few other big acts. Now I am older and wise enough to admit that I was screwing up. Hopefully it wont get to that point with your guy.
Take care
Geoo
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)
Tommy
Thanks for the great gig report. I think it is important to tell what gigs are really like. Unfortunately, your experience is pretty common. I too was in a party band a few years back. We we all pretty bad, but our singer was the worst. It was just as you described, you never knew what the guy was going to do. He would sing verses out of order, forget his lines completely, swear at the crowd..... Got in a fight with the bartender once and got hauled off to jail. :roll:
I hate to say this, but I really doubt this guy will change. If anything, you can expect even worse as time goes by. First gig most people want to make a good impression. Next time he won't care at all.
But again, thanks for telling it like it is. Playing in a band is rough for many reasons, alcohol being one of the major problems most musicians have to deal with from time to time.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
the band i'm in is a very serious band, and we have rules, and the number one rule is no drinking before or during a gig, it is impossible to have good show if your drunk, thank god
we don't have that problem, i love to drink beer, but the band comes first 8)
even god loves rock-n-roll
