We finally got a chance to play in front of animals that have only two legs rather than the usual canines we play to at my house.
The event was our drummer's birthday and he threw a quick/barbeque/party together last week. As usual our other guitar player had a million excuses why he might not be able to play which kind of annoyed me but he eventually did show up. The problem with his non-commital attitude was that we didn't have a set list prepared the day before when we practiced so we didn't really know which songs we were going to play.
I ended up putting one together right before I went to the party and showed it to everyone once we were on stage (so much for planning).
The guy that does the sound for the open mics the guys go to, did the sound that's what his profession is so we had a good sound system setup and someone to actually run it so that was nice to not have to worry about. We didn't run the amps through the PA so if there was any thing we could have done differently was to turn the amp's down a bit because the vocals at times were lost in the mix, but it's all good it's rock n roll. Also being outside we had guitars on either side of the stage but it was tough to even hear the other guitar from where you were.
There were a bunch of musicians on hand and about 30 or so people at the party when we ended up playing. We were playing outside but had no lights so we had to play before the sun went down.
A couple of guys got up there and played before us and we got up around 6:30 or so on stage to play. My buddies always give me crap about not playing with them at the open mic on Tuesday's and they think it's because I'm some how scared to play but it really isn't. I know the crowd was pretty small but I felt absolutely no nerves at all I mean zero, no anxiousness nothing.
I even sang my two songs (and I know I can't sing)and still no nervousness as a matter of fact I think I was kind of strutting around goofing off playing make-beleive-rock star.
We played about 13 songs I think broken down in two sets. Well one bigger one and then 3 -4 more to end it. Not alot to say about them they seemed to go over pretty well although it was hard to tell because it wasn't the type of crowd that I'd want to play for. In that I mean I don't think they were all into our music style but we got applause and claps and everyone told us afterwards we sounded great so all in all I have to happy about it.
OK I have to admit there was like 2 seconds of apprehension in me and that was when we got to Badge. I play the arrpegiated chords under the solo and there is a fair amount of string skipping and when I first learned it I was always very nervous I'd miss a note or hit the wrong one which I did alot of. For some reason that still sits in the back of my head a little. I'm to the point where I don't really think about it much now but when we got close to that part in the song the nerves perked up there for a minute but once we got into it I was fine.
I have to say for the most part it was a success except for one accident I had packing up. I had brought me EPi LP as a backup just in case I broke a string or something but the soft carrying case I have the zippers are broken and it doesn't close so I had to be careful when carryingit. Everything was fina and I had all my gear in my car when I went to put the LP in the car and I lifted it and I wasn't paying attention and it slipped out of the case and hit the pavement on the top side of the body that would be close to the low E... chipped the paint and the binding..OUCH I wanted to scream but there's not much I can do, so I've decided to jack the price up $200 and sell it as a road worn guitar HA.
Here's what we played. It wasn't supposed to be in the order but it pretty much was.
Born to be Wild
Badge
Hollywood
Sunshine of your love
Hashpipe
White Room
Living After Midnight
Use Somebody
Rock n Roll and noise pollution
Tie your mother down
It's Not my time
You got another thing coming
Beer Drinkers/Hell Raisers
Blue on Black
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
OK, would you be nervous if you played in front of this crowd!?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgSptNx19AI
Can you imagine?
It's the rock that gives the stream its music . . . and the stream that gives the rock its roll.
I'm not sure when there is that many people it all becomes a blur so I'm not sure. If it was tomorrow yea if I play a little moe in front of people probably not but who knows.
I've been a hundred times more nervous playing in front of a few close friends at our practices than I was playing in front of strangers so maybe if the crowd was filled with all my close friends I might be a bit nervous.
Eric played that alot diferent than the original. He played the arrpegiated part himself after the solo.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
congrats!!! this has been a long time in the making. Sounds like a great time was had, aside from the LP dropping contest. Yikes! Still, though, this was a long time in the making. 3 years and a few cast member switches, or something like that? Glad it finally happened. I'm especially impressed with the ease of singing you described. Strutting around like a rock star. Happy times. 8)
Nice set too. Lots of variety. Some new stuff in there, too. Well, new for me is anything within the last 20 years. I had to youtube a few of these songs to know what you played. :oops:
so, did anyone stick you guys up on youtube yet?
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
As usual our other guitar player had a million excuses why he might not be able to play which kind of annoyed me but he eventually did show up. The problem with his non-commital attitude was that we didn't have a set list prepared the day before when we practiced so we didn't really know which songs we were going to play.
Sack him - he's going to let you down. Get someone who wants to play.
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
Congrats Chris! :D
And good idea on your "new" road worn guitar!
Glad you finally got to play a show! That looks like a great set. Did anyone record it?
Thanks guys hopefully we will play again soon I would have a Labor Day party at my house but I don't have a great place to set the band up other than in the room we practice which doesn't leave enough room for people to come in and listen or the garage which would be OK maybe but it faces my neighbors and the sound would project right out the doors into the side of their house and I don't think they will be happy. Could possibly do it ont he deck in the back but I have another neighbor who's house is close to the back too so I'm not sure.
We had a bunch of other songs that we didn't play that we could have so next time I'd like to move up to 20 or so songs.
I have some videos now of some practices and I'll see if any are worth posting. There are some videos of that night but I am not sure if they got any of us.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Thats Awesome!!! Good luck with your project and the part about being "road worn" really made me laugh :D
Ambition is the path to success...persistence is the vehicle you arrive in!!!
Yea thanks Tommy but at the time I was almost ready to cry, well not really more mad than anything else
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Nice set list, Chris. Bound to be a few mishaps, especially with a first performance...main thing is, you got through 'em OK and you got to play....and I'll bet you want to do it again!
: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.)
Suprisingly there were few if any screwups. I know on one of the lines I sang in Hashpipe I kind of forgot the words but just made something up and I don't think anyone noticed and one other time I was a tad slow on a chord change which I know no one could have heard as for the other guys it was really hard to hear everyone outside so I can't comment much different than playing inside, but I didn't hear anything too bad.
So there was nothhing remotely close to any train wrecks or even oops moments so that's good.
Vic interetsing question. Yea sure I want to play again but it isn't like oh-my-god I have to do this right now. It defintely was fun but since the crowd was pretty small I didn't really get any vibe from the audince to really get me going so it was lamost like practicing in my basement. Maybe that's why I didn't feel very nervous and I'm a nervous type by nature so it was even suprising to me.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Two Judas Priest songs eh? Great stuff! So glad to hear it went well. Its always nice to get that first one under you belt. Main thing is that you had a good time doing it. That's all that really matters!
Teamwork- A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.
hello cnev - i dont get much time to check the forum these days, but on a quick "fly by" this thread caught my eye.
Im glad you finally managed to get a public perfomance in and credit to you for having no nerves - i know i physically shook with nerves on my first couple of months gigging.
ill look forward to the next gig report.
Al
"I like to play that guitar. I have to stare at it while I'm playing it because I'm not very good at playing it."
Noel Gallagher (who took the words right out of my mouth)
Al, thanks I was a bit suprised about the nerves myself since by nature I'm a bit shy and reserved. I think it was that I was doing this with the group that made it seem less stressful. I know If had much more nervousness when I've played for just a couple of friends to the point of almost freezing up.
Unfortunately the next gig may never happen now.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
