Like Mr Hodge said, might be time to start a new thread on the subject of a British (European, if Ingar can make it....) get-together.....
OK, it's October now....I suggest we aim for the middle of next year. That gives us PLENTY of time to get organised - or in theory, it should.
Basic idea as before - make a weekend of it - meet up Friday night for drinks and introductions, play guitar all day Saturday, go home Sunday.....that means two nights B&B (No, not blues'n'booze, I meant two nights in a bed-and-breakfast hotel/motel......)
So I'm making another suggestion, same as last time - Birmingham's pretty easy to get to from ANYWHERE, my idea was to find a pub with a function room we could hire for the day/night (11am to 12pm or thereabouts) and split the cost however many ways.....
We'd have to have some idea of numbers....who's interested? Put your name down!
We'd have to have some idea of WHEN and settle on a date.....some dates would be impossible for certain people - exams, etc....so the first thing to decide would be when, closely followed by where. If you're interested, give available/unavailable dates....we'll start with May to September, and gradually whittle it down to a date that suits as many people as possible....
Next thing to decide - equipment. What do we do about that? Are 30W amps gonna cut it in a large-ish room? Should we hire a PA and split the cost? Anyone got any thoughts on this, feel free to share them. Certain equipment we can share - for instance, I've got a mic and stand, and several blues harps....A C D E and G.....
And what about a song list? My suggestion would be, pick a song or three you know well - find a tab for it, and share it. We can decide between us who's playing lead, rhythm, singing, bass, etc....(and does anyone know a drummer?)
Guitars - I'd probably take 'em all - Fender Tele, Squier Tele (open G) acoustic and bass.....
Amps - I know nothing about using these with, say, a hired PA system - would you just plug into your amp, then into the PA? My technical knowledge in these matters is severely limited, so I'd really appreciate any advice!
There must be many minor details - anyone, feel free to chip in with info/suggestions etc.
So let's see if there's enough interest to make this happen - we've talked about it before, this time let's DO it!
**Patriotic Rallying Call** - those Americans are putting us to shame - they've had 7-8 Riverside Jams, it's about time we showed them us Brits can rock out too.......
So put your name down if you're interested and any dates you CAN'T make it and any other suggestions......
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Count me in Vic - any time during that period except the last week of August and the first week of September.
I've no real ideas about PA systems either, I'd turn up with a 30W Marshall too.
Best,
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
Vic, nice idea! If it is going to be considered as European, I'd like to go, too! :D
Probably I wouldn't play anything. According to my current "no0bz" level, I'm not able to play anything in the presence of other people. Perhaps the Frère Jacques...
But I will be glad to drink a beer with you and the others and talk on football or even music and guitars. (Of course, if I learn enough on music, guitar and English. Everybody can talk on football.)
Don't count me but I'd like to see to you and to the others. No problem in that period except some days on June and September (exams).
Nuno
PS. If I finally go, I'll carry a castañuelas (or equivalent small Spanish instrument) to you.
Count me in Vic--------cough! cough! one, two, three,
Let me tell how it will be
There's one for you, nineteen for me
Cause I'm the Taxman
Yeah, I'm the------------ "Opps! sorry Vic got carried away there" thought we'd already started mate.
Yeah! lets make it happen in 2008. if we can find a function room attached to a B&B pub then there would be no problems with drinking and driving and if everything works out with the jam sessions through the day on the Saturday and the landlord hasn't kicked us out we could maybe put on a show for the regulars on Saturday night. I've only got my acoustic but I could bring my 30 watt Carlsbro acoustic amp in the car. I'd love to have the chance of turning the volume up to "11" just once. I'll also have a word with my workmate Paul who I go to open mics with as he's got his own pa system and a drum machine. I'm also pretty sure Rodders would be interested too.
All the best,
Chris
The guitar is all right John but you'll never make a living out of it! (John Lennon's Aunt Mimi)
Sounds like fun, a wee bit far for me but I don't think you'll need more than 30-40W amps, unless there are going to be hundreds of people.
As for the PA, normally you'd just run the vocals through the PA and everyone else would play through their amps. If the room size/number of people in the audience requires you to run the instruments through the PA then you will want to mike the guitar amps and then run it into the PA. You can run the guitar straight through the PA but to my ears the tone sux that's what the amp is for.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Count me in as well. 8)
I think small amps would be more than adequate for this kind of thing, as for a PA and anything else I would judge that on how many people can make it first, a small mixer into a spare guitar amp can work wonders if there's not too many people involved. Unless the B&B is part of the same building it might be difficult to cart a load of equipment around in cabs. Or is it gonna be a sobre event :)
I need to check my calender but I think mid June is the only time I couldn't do.
Lee
Yes. I will be there. Wherever there will be.
Are you organizing the whole thing Vic ?
Let us know where and when.
I have a Marshall AS100D acoustic amp. that has jack input on channel 2 and xlr for mic and xlr input for mic on channel 3. So it can be used for either 2 guitars and 2 mic's.
The things a bit heavy but I will bring it with me, it should help out .
Be excellent to each other & party on dudes!
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=686668
Are you organizing the whole thing Vic ?
MOI? Are you serious? How much chaos do you think one tiny island can handle? My organisational skills begin and end with booze-ups in breweries............
At the moment, it's just a question of seeing if there's enough interest to make it a worth-while venture, if so, then we'll talk about the where and when - but if anyone's got any good ideas on either, now would be a good time to stick your hand up and make yourself heard.....
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
I might well be interested Vic - hopefully my various domestic trauma may be done with by then, and I might be able to get some practice in and play............hope so.
Im away at Easter but most of the rest of the year should be ok, given enough notice. Im on a forum based on a shop in the midlands, maybe some of there members may be able to give some venue ideas?
Gordon Smith GS1.5-40 Marshall VS65R
Im on a forum based on a shop in the midlands, maybe some of there members may be able to give some venue ideas?
That sounds worth a try.....
Surprised, in one sense, there's so little interest so far - then again, we've talked about this before, and nothing's happened.
So, so far, there's.....
Me
Alan Green
Dogsbody
Rodders
Lee N
Darth Ordinary
Nuno
and that's it? COME ON! There are HUNDREDS, if not thousands, of us Brits here - where are you all? LET'S HEAR FROM YOU! If you think this is a bad idea, or it's not for you, then please, say why - but let's have some feedback!
Greybeard thought about flying in from Bavaria last time - and Arjen from the Netherlands. Nuno's willing to come from Spain .....so where's that famous British sense of adventure? If we'd been this apathetic a few hundred years ago, we wouldn't have colonised the Isle of Wight yet......
COME ON! Let's hear from you! Even if you don't think you're good enough - and let's face it, who amongst us is a guitar maestro, with the possible exception of Alan? It's just a bunch of (cyber)mates getting together and having a laugh, a few drinks, and playing some songs.....song suggestions would be appreciated, too......
So let's get together and jam....and let's hear from you Brits! (And Europeans.....)
It's a bit of fun, a chance to put faces to names, and a chance to play some songs in an environment where no-one's going to laugh if you make a mistake....so what have you got to lose? If there's enough of us, it shouldn't even cost more than a couple of quid apiece to hire a room....
So put your name down......and this time, let's make it happen!!!!!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
I haven't been here long and I haven't been playing long at all but there's a very slight possibility I might come depending when/where etc. Don't put me on the list just yet though :)
Vic;
One of the unfortunate realities of setting up a Jam is that you need a Host. The Host picks the time and place, and entices as many people to show up as possible. I recommend that you do that, and then see who commits to the event.
And if you pick Easter Weekend, there is an outside chance that BabyDoc and I will be in the country, probably based out of Manchester.
Dan - thanks for the input.
Doesn't seem like anyone wants to take the resposibility of hosting an event like this....but if no-one steps up, the chance will be lost yet again. So, OK, I'll put my name forward as host IF - and only if - the event is held within walking distance of my house.
I suggested Birmingham because, well, let's face it, anyone can get to Birmingham from anywhere in England - or Scotland, or Wales, or anywhere else in the British Isles, for that matter....fairly easily. IF I was hosting said jam/get-together, I'd want it to be pretty near me so's I could arrange all the logistics..... a place to stay, a place to play, etc.....but I'm nowhere near Birmingham!
Host's responsibilities? Well....I would imagine that things like train timetables, food, accomodation etc would fall into that category - making sure that everyone has a place to stay overnight, etc, etc, and a million things besides - I'd gladly host the first UK GN get-together. As long as someone else did it the year after, and someone else the year after that, etc.
What I COULD do is find a pub with a function room that would let let us play all day and all of the night....well, at least till the early hours....for no cost whatsoever. What I could do is arrange accommodation at reasonable rates for anyone staying overnight or for a couple of nights. And, given enough notice, I could lay on, as host, food for everyone.
What I COULDN'T do is arrange to supply amps, etc - everyone would have to bring their own amp. And mic, if possible.
BUT....all this is merely conjecture, pie-in-the-sky, at the moment - if there are enough people interested, well OK - let's make plans. If there's not enough people? Well.....file under "Internet BS".......
What I've suggested above is just one idea - anyone has any better suggestions, feel free to submit them.....
And don't be backwards at coming forwards.....any and all ideas gratefully received.
So - what about it, UK members? And Nuno? Arjen? Greybeard? let us know what you think? PLEASE, let us know what you think - otherwise this'll never happen!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
I'll be totally honest, for this year at least, I would not want to be host of any kind, I really don't have the time.
My thoughts.. From personal experience of these kinds of things, there will always be a few that say they are going but end up not making it right at the last minute. If you are acting as host I think you should keep that in mind so that you don't end up getting upset with people if you feel like you've put a lot of unappreciated effort into it. Just IMO, but anyway.
Vic if you act as host and want it only in your area, i think that's fair enough. Birmingham would be easier for me personally but to be honest, If I'm traveling 150 miles or 250 miles it don't make a lot of difference, whatever way I look at it I won't be able to just quickly nip home because I've forgot something :)
I think as host, if you arranged function room, digs, decent directions and somewhere for those of us driving to leave our cars (if parking might be a problem in your area) then that's enough. Food might be good but we're all big enough to feed ourselves if we have to. I could bring some equipment as long as there is somewhere to put it overnight, I wouldn't want to leave anything in the car unattended.
If it turned out to be a full on party with fifty people or just half a dozen guitarists chilled out, having a jam, talking, getting to know each other, I personally would have just as good a time at either one of them. A big event might be nice but I don't think it would really matter if it wasn't.
Lee
Small event, big event....wouldn't really matter to me, just a few mates getting together, a few beers, playing some guitar.....
That's the real point isn't it? Just the getting together?
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
