First proper gig - report

Magenta

Magenta

Platinum Member
I LOVED IT.

We played at a local arts & music festival yesterday. It wasn't a big affair, but there were a lot more people (not all of them family and friends), paying a lot more attention, than I'd been led to believe would be the case.

The atmosphere was delightfully warm and welcoming, and I'd felt far more excited than nervous, so I was able to relax and enjoy myself.

There were a couple of mistakes but none of them were mine, and our singer kept things together so well that they just didn't seem important.

What I am pleased about: I gave it my all, I really did (but see below);
Nobody asked me how long I'd been playing.
People LIKED us, and we may even be asked back next year to play at the Masked Ball, the closing event of the festival!
Oh, and I didn't drop a stick, or trip over. That's always a bonus.

What I am disappointed about: I genuinely thought I was slapping those puppies good and proper, but despite giving it my all, I still need to do more. Sorry, Andy :( but I'll nail it one day, I promise!
 
All the best drummers drop a stick at least once per gig. The ultimate drummers manage to make that stick drop occur *just* at the climax of their bands biggest tune. The absolute elite of drummers manage this feat at every important gig, and never at the crappy small pub gigs.

Or maybe that's just me...!

Congrats - live is an addictive feeling and very little can compare to a great gig and a responsive crowd :)
 
Magenta said:
What I am disappointed about: I genuinely thought I was slapping those puppies good and proper, but despite giving it my all, I still need to do more. Sorry, Andy :( but I'll nail it one day, I promise!
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That's nothing to be disappointed about, it's a confidence thing, & with every gig, that confidence will grow. If it was that easy, everyone would be doing it :)

Congratulations on your first real step on a long & enjoyable journey. Getting that buzz carries you through the more mundane aspects of growing with the instrument. Great start - when's the next gig?
 
Honestly Madge I am utterly delighted for you and impressed in equal measure, and envious too, but only a quarter measure.
 
Cymbalise said:
Congrats - live is an addictive feeling and very little can compare to a great gig and a responsive crowd :)
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While we were playing, although I was having the time of my life, I was anxious for it all to be over before it went horribly wrong, and once it was over I just wanted to do it again!

keep it simple said:
That's nothing to be disappointed about, it's a confidence thing, & with every gig, that confidence will grow. If it was that easy, everyone would be doing it :)

Congratulations on your first real step on a long & enjoyable journey. Getting that buzz carries you through the more mundane aspects of growing with the instrument. Great start - when's the next gig?
Click to expand...

I'll keep plugging away, and I WILL get there - wherever "there" is.

Hoping to do another jam night soon, which I'll enjoy a lot more now that we all feel comfortable with our identity as a band and we know that we work. We shall, of course, be appearing live at my house in June :)

JustJames said:
Honestly Madge I am utterly delighted for you and impressed in equal measure, and envious too, but only a quarter measure.
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Thank you, chicken - much appreciated. You've been a rock.

Photo:
 

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Great looking stage! You're looking good too, & so's the band (well, maybe excluding captain beautiful on guitar ;) ;) ;) Suggestion - bottles of Jack Daniels on stage look much more hardcore than spring water ;)
 
keep it simple said:
Great looking stage! You're looking good too, & so's the band (well, maybe excluding captain beautiful on guitar ;) ;) ;) Suggestion - bottles of Jack Daniels on stage look much more hardcore than spring water ;)
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Haga, you are bad!

As for the JD, it would have to be Bombay Sapphire for us, dahling :)
 
HAGA!!!!! great looking stage and looks like your having a good time. Glad to hear it went well. Bottle of something hard and a sack of dead clams are a must in the stage prop department.
 
Magenta said:
I LOVED IT.

We played at a local arts & music festival yesterday. It wasn't a big affair, but there were a lot more people (not all of them family and friends), paying a lot more attention, than I'd been led to believe would be the case.

The atmosphere was delightfully warm and welcoming, and I'd felt far more excited than nervous, so I was able to relax and enjoy myself.

There were a couple of mistakes but none of them were mine, and our singer kept things together so well that they just didn't seem important.

What I am pleased about: I gave it my all, I really did (but see below);
Nobody asked me how long I'd been playing.
People LIKED us, and we may even be asked back next year to play at the Masked Ball, the closing event of the festival!
Oh, and I didn't drop a stick, or trip over. That's always a bonus.

What I am disappointed about: I genuinely thought I was slapping those puppies good and proper, but despite giving it my all, I still need to do more. Sorry, Andy :( but I'll nail it one day, I promise!
Click to expand...

Excited for you....it's a great buzz in't it?

And the best of it is, that no matter who or what life throws at you, it can never take that feeling you had away :)
 
You're looking good too, & so's the band (well, maybe excluding captain beautiful on guitar

So Timmy T-shirt didn't get the dress code memo. You ladies all in your heels and sparkles and he a T-Shirt. Oh well looking that good you had to do well.
 
The Old Hyde said:
HAGA!!!!! great looking stage and looks like your having a good time. Glad to hear it went well. Bottle of something hard and a sack of dead clams are a must in the stage prop department.
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Gah, I knew I'd forgotten something!

SquadLeader said:
Excited for you....it's a great buzz in't it?

And the best of it is, that no matter who or what life throws at you, it can never take that feeling you had away :)
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Yeah :D

GRUNTERSDAD said:
You're looking good too, & so's the band (well, maybe excluding captain beautiful on guitar

So Timmy T-shirt didn't get the dress code memo. You ladies all in your heels and sparkles and he a T-Shirt. Oh well looking that good you had to do well.
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Thank you! He made a half-arsed effort for our Frock Rehearsal. Must have exhausted his supply of sparkles. Never mind.
 
keep it simple said:
Just noticed the badly set up Gretsch with pointlessly huge reso port. A backline kit I assume?
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Yes, and I was surprised how flat and unresponsive it felt to play, the snare in particular. Now I know why I've spent so long working on double-stroke rolls, because yesterday I learned to assume nothing.
 
Magenta said:
Yes, and I was surprised how flat and unresponsive it felt to play, the snare in particular. Now I know why I've spent so long working on double-stroke rolls, because yesterday I learned to assume nothing.
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Pillow - best practice pad ever. If you can diddle on a pillow, you can diddle anywhere :)


PSST: Was the snare a Gretsch too? If so, it probably needed new bearing edges ;) ;) ;)
 
keep it simple said:
Pillow - best practice pad ever. If you can diddle on a pillow, you can diddle anywhere :)
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Mussolini has made me do that. Hurts. Can do it if I absolutely have to, though :)
 
Well done, and looking good! :D

As for props, I've found you can hide things both ways. A Sprite bottle hides the same amount of gin and tonic, or just add some Cruzan to your partly-emptied Coke bottle.

Alternately, you can refill a bourbon bottle with iced tea or a Bombay bottle with water if that's more your speed.
 
STXBob said:
Well done, and looking good! :D

Alternately, you can refill a bourbon bottle with iced tea or a Bombay bottle with water if that's more your speed.
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Thank you :)

I have one or two empty Bombay bottles knocking around. It would look pretty hardcore to swig water out of them, wouldn't it?
 
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