Well this weekend was our first night out at the Hideaway Lake campground in Yorkville IL. We arrived at about 4pm to set up. We found on arrival that no one had cleaned it up since who knows when, so before we brought the gear in our wives swept the place out (we know we are very lucky to have them) while we moved the picnic tables around and other things that were in there for storage purposes. There was soo much dust that I thought the drummer was going to look like "pig pen" from Charlie Brown after the first set. Anyway I am pleased to announce that the singer showed up on time and helped with loading in and out and we made it a point to tell him we appreciated it.
Last Saturday the singer had to leave early from band practice and my sister (who plays keys) stopped by to listen in. She can really play the keyboards well and we were having trouble getting the different parts down on "Freebird" and with the singer gone I asked her to step in. Everyone was impressed with her abilities and my wife said we totally blew her away playing it. Since her and my dad were planning on coming out this Saturday night I thought it would be pretty cool if she came up as a "special guest" to play the keys on "Freebird" and surprise my dad and everyone agreed.
Saturday Night:
We did sound check and we were getting this hum and feed back from the lead singer's wireless mic. I put down a line with (100 mph) tape where the feedback starts and told him to stay in front of the line. Didn't help...it kept buzzing even in front of the line. When I played the intro to "Feel Like Making Love" I started on (1) fret too high so when I came in on the “D†chord it sounded really sour. The other guitarist who has played Steve Martin's "King Tut" about a thousand times totally hosed the intro as well. I got to hand it too him though. He started...screwed up...started again...screwed up and did it again and nailed it. Then he said in the mic "I got it!!!" and everyone applauded. I thought that was cool...here he took lemons and really turned it into Lemonade and got the whole crowd right back on board behind him. We were pretty much off and on all night and filmed some of it. I plan to sit down and view it tonight. The other guitar player already watched most of it and said "there are some good parts and some…not so good parts." Anyway we called my sister up to play the keys and everything was going cool up to the intro to the solo part when the keys really went loud and drowned everything out (even the drums). I asked the singer "does she seem loud" and he went back there and turned her down. I guess she couldn't hear herself so she kept turning the volume up.
Overall I thought it was a positive (learning) experience there were twice as many people hanging around outside (40 ish) the building listening as there were inside (20 ish). My wife said that may be due to the volume level and people could not carry on a conversation inside.
Here are some things we decided before we played any gigs. (1) Never let anyone...unless you REALLY know them, play with you on any song. If we do she had better be HOT and the instrument will be a tambourine or some other shaker instrument. On Saturday night we had someone come up after our first set and asked to play harmonica on a blues tune. He began to name the key of the harmonicas he had and I told him we tuned down a 1/2 step and it would sound off. He said "I can improvise." (Ha Ha) I don't think so... (2) If a fight breaks out you stop playing IMMEDIATELY and wait for security to escort them out before you start again. So far we have not had to implement Rule #2.
Surprisingly when we were loading back up (2) people asked if we could play a (4) hour gig in Sept for a VFW Bike Rally. We gave them our number and info so we'll see where it goes.
Sunday Night:
We decided to play at the singer's birthday party. We were all tired from the night before and I didn't get to bed until after 1am. We got his condo's clubhouse around 1:30pm and began loading in. We decided to try something else to combat the feedback/buzz problem and set up the monitors standing up right next to the drummer facing out to the audience. EUREKA!!! No buzz, No Feedback and with the volume level of our instruments (mine at 3) I didn't even need earplugs. We played like a totally different band; thankfully we filmed this one as well. It was like night and day (literally). Just goes to show you...you just have to get back on the horse and try again. The singer's dad came up to us and "paid" us at the end. He gave us each a $2 bill and a REAL Eisenhower silver dollar. We are planning on signing and then framing them for remembrance of our first "paid gig." We also got another offer to do a block party in Sept as well.
Rock On!!!
Ambition is the path to success...persistence is the vehicle you arrive in!!!
Excellent report! And a creative solution with your monitors. Reducing stage volume should be the #1 goal of any stage setup.
-Laz
Sweet! I knew when I met you a year or two ago that you easily could be in a heavy band. This one got me laughing:
"The other guitarist who has played Steve Martin's "King Tut" about a thousand times totally hosed the intro as well. I got to hand it too him though. He started...screwed up...started again...screwed up and did it again and nailed it. Then he said in the mic "I got it!!!" and everyone applauded."
All in all, sounds like a great playing weekend. Hope you get that Sept. gig. I wish our band would make business cards to hand out to people who may have interest in other gigs. Definitely tell me the next time you are playing North of Tinley Park.
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
I think the bike rally is somewhere near you...Glendale Heights maybe?? I will keep you posted. King Tut exhibit is in Chicago so at least were current. Now if we can only get the King Tut exhibit people to plug our gig...hmmmm :)
Ambition is the path to success...persistence is the vehicle you arrive in!!!
The singer's dad came up to us and "paid" us at the end. He gave us each a $2 bill and a REAL Eisenhower silver dollar. We are planning on signing and then framing them for remembrance of our first "paid gig."
Congrats Tommy on the gig and thanks for the great report.
You know, that $2 bill and Silver Dollar may not sound like much, but it is a great feeling to get paid for playing music.
Now you are a PRO. A starving pro maybe, but a pro all the same. :D
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
Thank you all for the responses. I will keep you all up to date on our progress, hopefully we will go pretty far w/this.
Ambition is the path to success...persistence is the vehicle you arrive in!!!
I wish our band would make business cards to hand out to people who may have interest in other gigs.
Our model train club had a box of 500 done up for $25 and it took less than a week to get them.
We used to just print them up on a computer with blank card stock, but getting them done at Staples (I think) was cheaper and better quality.
I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep
