That moment.....when the band are 'on it'....

SquadLeader

Gold Member
Did a gig last week opening up for Salford Music Festival.

We didn't hold much hope for the gig...Thursday evening at a venue called Wangies in a tough part of the Manchester suburbs (Patricroft).

But what an absolutely hidden gem. It was busy....very for a Thursday night, given that we expected ZERO people there.

And we absolutely rocked it. We've already been asked back to play a fully paid gig, and sold an absolute pile of our CDs on the night. The member of the organisation team for the festival who was present absolutely loved us (asked us to play other sets later throughout the festival....but we couldn't due to shift patterns sadly).

And I was told by a member of the public that I was 'metronomic'. Always blows me away such praise as I don't consider myself to be anything better than 'industrial' (ie. hard working, hard hitting, plodder)

Just what was needed...I was losing my vuvvavoom for the band of late (too few gigs....too many frustrations) and was thinking of calling it a day at the end of the year. Changed my mind now.

Anyone else had any great gigs of late ?
 
That is a great feeling. I'm still walking a few inches above ground from my gig on Saturday night at the Jersey Shore. A small faction of the crowd were shouting "More Larry!" It was only on the 2nd song too, and we started off fairly mellow, so it took me by surprise a little..

We had 2 different wedding parties really shaking it down on the floor all night, bridesmaids trying to commandeer the microphone. That actually wasn't too cool, she was very aggressive and entitled. At one point she picked up the guitarists backup guitar and was pretending to play it. That's going waay too far. There was no security. What are you supposed to do, stop the festivities and make a scene? I tapped her with a stick and the bass player yelled at her. Then when the guitarist realized it, and turned around and took it from her, she finally got the message.

But what a great gig that was. It's what I live for. That feeling is priceless.
 
Larry, you might be on to a great product to add to your event band offerings....'We will supply 'fake' instruments for 'air jamming' for the attendees".

Charge a rental fee of course...

guests have fun...maybe even organize a simple mass voting at the end of the gig to come up with a 'winner'...

...just put in riders that scale up the cost should anyone go 'Jimmy' on a guitar or 'Keith' on the faux set...
 
That is a great feeling. I'm still walking a few inches above ground from my gig on Saturday night at the Jersey Shore. A small faction of the crowd were shouting "More Larry!" It was only on the 2nd song too, and we started off fairly mellow, so it took me by surprise a little..

We had 2 different wedding parties really shaking it down on the floor all night, bridesmaids trying to commandeer the microphone. That actually wasn't too cool, she was very aggressive and entitled. At one point she picked up the guitarists backup guitar and was pretending to play it. That's going waay too far. There was no security. What are you supposed to do, stop the festivities and make a scene? I tapped her with a stick and the bass player yelled at her. Then when the guitarist realized it, and turned around and took it from her, she finally got the message.

But what a great gig that was. It's what I live for. That feeling is priceless.

It's a tough one that. People are having a great time and who wants to be 'party pooper'. But hell this gear we have is very personal, as well as to say expensive.

We organised a gig with a Green day tribute band called St Jimmy about 12 months back. They were really good. I'm not a fan of Green Day or tributes, but really I had to admire them. They were good musicians.

Towards the end a Chinese lad, who had had a bit too much to drink got up on the stage. These guys just rolled with it. Let him sing along, and for two songs let him sing. Really brilliant and this guy was just made up. Got photos, signatures, the full monte.

Difficult balance though.
 
I played a gig in Buenos Aries a few months ago to the most intense, fun loving crowd of kids that I have ever seen.

They had never heard us but they were chanting "Hey" on 2 and 4 by the second song (during breakdown parts etc). The crowd was an absolute sea of humanity and it was glorious.

BTW, these Argentine football kids have the most incredible endurance of any crowd ever. I swear those kids did not stop for a moment to even catch their breath. I myself had to stick my head under a faucet for for 10 minutes after the show to ward off heat stroke as it was so damn hot in there.

I"m still getting Facebook requests from that night. Yes, I live for those moments as well...
 
Jeez...getting spoilt.

We did another support slot (which I generally don't enjoy so much) on Saturday night and we all felt we were 'on it'. Great crowd, very responsive, and absolutely brilliant guys in the main band (999....a reasonably successful 70s/80s and beyond punk rock band). Can't speak highly enough of them. Lovely fellers.

And all of a sudden the tribulations of the band from a couple of weeks ago when I was somewhat frustrated, are behind us and it's onward and onwards (if not upwards) to opening for Sham69 this coming Friday :)

Snippet below....on amateur video which perhaps doesn't do the sound quality (or dare I say it our band) full justice. Nevertheless not bad I don't think and we were having such good fun I hope you can tell. I'm the fat bastard on the drums :)

See if you can spot my attempted tribute to a rather famous British comedy programme involving David Jason.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKbmsslSSGc
 
The ol' 'Fools and Horses' fill. Shame you didn't have room to do the whole thing.

Next time I'm on it !

It's going straight into it without pause...else it doesn't fit the gap :)

I'm not sure you can see me and the bassist absolutely wetting ourselves on the video....but we were
 
I just love it when you have those band jokes. The other day I was at a gig and some mates were playing. The rhythm guitarist broke a string so the lead one of my mates) started farting around with joke pieces, starting with sports fanfares followed by an impromptu Jazz medley. The band and most of the audience were wetting themselves until the venue brought out a spare house guitar. Probably the highlight of the evening!
 
I just love it when you have those band jokes. The other day I was at a gig and some mates were playing. The rhythm guitarist broke a string so the lead one of my mates) started farting around with joke pieces, starting with sports fanfares followed by an impromptu Jazz medley. The band and most of the audience were wetting themselves until the venue brought out a spare house guitar. Probably the highlight of the evening!

Couldn't agree more. Can sometimes make an evening.

We spent at least half an hour after this gig just laughing about that ONE specific moment. In fact I'm still laughing about it now. I don't normally play that needless to say :)
 
... A small faction of the crowd were shouting "More Larry!" It was only on the 2nd song too...

... It's what I live for. That feeling is priceless.

Maybe I'm mis-quoting, and maybe I really don't want to know, but I have to ask: did the crowd want more of your drumming or did they want you to disrobe?!?

I guess you had to be there to know for certain. ;-)
 
Hey, lookit that! Punk Rock on DW! Here I thought I was mostly alone in my love for all that dirty 2/4 nonsense.
 
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