Some thoughts on solo performance...?

[ernstinen]

Mar 15, 2009, 5:03pm, suzdoyle wrote: Hey, if you can't laugh about these things, why bother playing? !! True, Suz!One of my last gigs with a "casual" band (private parties, etc.), was at a nice restaurant, but in a different room from the catered crowd that was having dinner.Since I was playing left hand bass and keys, I had a monophonic Roland SH-101 that had great bass sounds.The problem is, when you play bass on an analog synth, you have to screw down the filter pretty low, to get a good bass sound for these type of gigs.I already blew up a Moog, and the Roland was fine UNTIL this gig.It started making real wild noises and basically freaking out! Since there was no audience in the room at that time, as an experienced, demented performer will do, I MILKED IT for all its worth! I played songs on a dying Roland synth, and after every song the band was in stitches. We were laughing so hard, we couldn't even play. I put the Roland in arpeggiator mode, and it was even funnier! We were rolling on the floor while the crowd was eating dinner, not knowing what the hell was going on.When they FINALLY came into the room for the dance set, I tried to play bass and key parts on my Roland JV-90, but it sure didn't sound like my SH-101! Oh, man, I've got hundreds of gig stories from this era, like when a bride got on the drum kit and was so drunk she fell off the back of the stage. I think that video was on "America's Home Videos."Experience on how to handle these things are essential! Ern

[partyofone]

Oh and btw.. Ern what a cool version of Witchita Lineman.. beautiful chords and voicings.. truly gorgeous.The whole vibe and aesthetic of that piece reminds of some Joni Mithchellhaunting...

[mojobone]

That track was originally posted in a thread about how to make a piano/vocal demo do the heavy lifting; all the elements of the hit version are there, in simple form. Brilliant.

[elser]

Sometimes things line up in amazing ways. For instance my gig last night (Saturday the 14th) and the direction of this thread.This is what happened, I was playing at Harvey's Tahoe with this guy who's had a sit down in there for about 5 years. It's cover material but he's a pretty good songwriter too so he had this big producer guy come in to see him last night.I just started with these guys, we had a two hour rehearsal and then this was my 3rd night with them. So, we played the first set and it turned out to be one of the worst sets I've ever played in my life, my amp sounded like crap and I just wasn't into it.So we took a break and I went away for awhile. When I came back one of the band members comes up and says "dude, your amp sounded like an earthquake comin through the ceiling so I shut it off!". So I turned my amp back on, and sure enough, it's fried.Well the band leader has a 30 watt practice so I get that goin and we play the next set, for the big producer guy. During this time 5 of my friends come in to see me with the band I've just started with.We take our second break and I go sit with my friends, and then we get up for the 3rd set and I'm standin on stage messing around with the 30 watt practice amp and one of my friends walks up and says "dude, fly check", so I look down and sure enough my fly's down..... it's been down for the previous 2 sets. All for the big producer guy.Well what I really need to say is that, after my amp broke and I was stuck with the 30 watt practice amp, I was suddenly forced into a position where I could not be apathetic, I had to be creative and in the moment in order to make this little amp and myself and the band sound good. Exactly like what Ern was going through with his keyboard issues.And after I found out that my fly was down, I could not stop laughing. So it actually turned out to be a really fun night for everybody. We kept it real. I guess being really open with and communicating with your audience is a powerful thing. And overcoming what ever obstacles are thrown your way. The big producer guy loved it, the band leader said he'd never heard that little amp sound so good, and my friends said it was obvious I was new with the band but it still sounded great.I think regardless of what venue we're in, whether it's playin in bars, or arenas, or making music on our computers and sending to tv music supervisors,...there's always a way to stand out and be noticed, and take advantage of what life throws us, and try to make people feel something.I think

[ernstinen]

Great story, Elser!Here's a tip about tube amps: DON'T put any drink on your amp!I was doing a solo gig once, had a glass of beverage sitting on top of my amp, which was elevated on a stand.As I was singing a song and playing my guitar, some people at a table nearby started saying "Hey! Your amp is ON FIRE!"I turned around, and sure enough, there were flames coming out of the back! --- What happened was some condensation from my beverage dripped down on the tubes, and they cracked and flames were coming out of them! The amp was fried.I played the rest of the night with my guitar plugged into the P.A. Ern

[suzdoyle]

Great stories, Ern & Elser. !! True life is always weirder than anything one can make up, eh?!Suz

[mojobone]

I generally find that if I'm having a bad gig, it's because I'm taking it, and myself too seriously; all I'm gonna remember, (all anyone will remember, really) when I'm sittin' in my rocker at the Old Musician's Home, is whether we had a good time.

[mazz]

Mar 15, 2009, 8:16pm, partyofone wrote:Wow this is developing into a very cool thread/discussion. Lots of little gems...Jamie, I too was always distracted by bad live sound. My last band ended up by and using in ear monitors finally (talk about a pain in the butt trying to get the sound guy at your local watering hole to hook them up and actually find the right connections).What KILLS me the most about clubs is the utter lack of acoustic treatment. Most rooms could sound 80% better with a simple dose of broadband absorption by way of mineral wool or rigid fiberglass panels. It really isn't expensive at all and would make the engineers job so much easier. I think someone said earlier that most bad sound is the fault of the room.It's hard for tweakers like us to get into a Zen space when performing, but necessary.Most bars added music at some time thinking that it would help sell drinks. They put a postage stamp sized "stage" in one corner of the room (a room with flat walls, hard floor and maybe some big windows!!) and then complain when the band is too loud! Usually less thought is put in to the music than the decor. If you want to hear a club owner laugh, ask them to spend some money to make their room sound better! Sorry to be so pessimistic but, until you get to play better venues (In SF it would be Slim's, Fillmore, Warfield, and a few others) you might as well forget about sounding as good as you know you could.Sorry to be so pessimistic but I've had long experience in the trenches and am very happy to have (hopefully) retired from that game. I just couldn't take what I knew was bad sound coming out of the PA and off the stage anymore. The studio is my home!!I honor all of you who still go out and gig despite the substandard working conditions! There's a place at that big bar in the sky waiting for you!!! Peace,Mazz

[southpaw]

Quote:I generally find that if I'm having a bad gig, it's because I'm taking it, and myself too seriously; all I'm gonna remember, (all anyone will remember, really) when I'm sittin' in my rocker at the Old Musician's Home, is whether we had a good time. hey thanks again everyone, great stuff! I will probly be referring to this thread and the pearls it contains for a good while. Jamie

[sgs4u]

My friend Rachel did her first gig as a solo act last night. She says it didn't go all well. She took some video and I think all of us solo performers could all learn from it.