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This turned into quite an event. We were due to play our first gig as a three piece. Vocals, 2 x guitars and b vocals with pre-recorded drums (Superior Drummer 3), bass and keys, all played by myself and the other guitarist. 5 minutes before we were due to go on our singer got a message to say that her young daughter had been taken into hospital following some kind of allergic reaction. Naturally there’s nothing that you can do except tell her to get to the hospital asap.
We explained to the pub manager what had happened, he was naturally understanding, but I said that I had a recording of her vocals that we could add to the mix (it’s just something that I recorded in the rehearsal room to help me mix the backing tracks). I explained to the audience what had happened and off we went End of the first song and fantastic applause, so we carried on. Two 45 minute sets later and everyone’s having a good time. We’d told the manager that we’d naturally be playing for free but he insisted on giving us £100 and is looking forward to having us back.
News from the hospital this morning is that the singer’s daughter has stabilized but it may have been a first asthma attack, which is not great but I suppose it could have been a lot worse. Hopefully she'll be on the mend soon.
Well done, though on your quick thinking and commitment.
This is why the singer plus backing tracks is taking over.
We’ve gone from being a 5 piece to a 3 piece plus backing tracks whilst the money has mostly stayed the same (we have now taken on additional gigs for less money in smaller venues that we couldn’t have otherwise played). The sound is better balanced, we’re all direct to PA so it's basically just a case of adjusting the master volume to suite the venue size. We rehearse less. We were paying £120 per month for a weekly rehearsal spot which we’re now about to cancel. That’s £1,440 pa (£480 each) which we’re saving. When we do need to rehearse we can hire the smallest of rooms as and when we need it. Sound levels / quality on stage is much improved, we played last weekend’s gig using an old pair of Adam A5 studio monitors on high stands. The lights are sync’d to the backing via MIDI / QLC+ as is the switching of my Helix. I now just play and interact with the audience, no more looking down and tap dancing.
Of course I would love to be playing with a proper band made up of competent musicians who were always available to gig and rehearse, who knew their parts, playing on stages that were big enough to accommodate us and for the sort of money that allows us to operate at profit – but sadly that isn’t the case. At least this way we can carry on doing what we enjoy.
As for "when am I ready?" You'll never be ready. It works in reverse, you become ready by doing it. - pmbomb