Open Mic free-for-all... tell me your stories of starting out

Phil_aka_Pip

I get called up to play, there's another guitarist already up there who's been round the block a few times, he turns round and says medium-tempo 8-bar in D. Suits me I say, but it sounds all wrong. Turns out the bastard is playing a 12-bar in A.

spark240

ijonty said:

Here it is. Sonnet, and Ice Ice Baby: https://www.facebook.com/newmusiclondon/videos/615422568790772/ Plenty of room for improvement, but you've got to start somewhere, right?

Are you playing straight into the PA?...maybe use a pedal or a vocalist type FX thing to get some reverb and a bit of delay on the vocal and guitar doesn't look like the venue are doing much to help your cause....

ijonty

spark240 said:

ijonty said:

Here it is. Sonnet, and Ice Ice Baby: https://www.facebook.com/newmusiclondon/videos/615422568790772/ Plenty of room for improvement, but you've got to start somewhere, right?

Are you playing straight into the PA?...maybe use a pedal or a vocalist type FX thing to get some reverb and a bit of delay on the vocal and guitar doesn't look like the venue are doing much to help your cause....

I didn't really turn up with any kit at all, and the organiser had to get his electro-acoustic out of his car (I only brought an acoustic). You're right, I think in future, I'd get more involved by bringing my pedals and vocal pedal, but for this one, the challenge was just to get up there in the first place!

pmbomb

did our first as a "band" last week, I'd only ever played for friends before. 3 rock standards, 10 people singing along, 90 ignoring it, all to be expected. we rushed it I think, that's inexperience. let's call the standard "tolerable" but the crowd's on your side and it's fun. whether the band will last I don't know, we seem determined to implement every rock cliché in the book, including personal differences after a single 10 minute performance. que sera.

but it was a laugh, I'm up for more. taking it seriously would be the biggest mistake.

Nikc

Off out to give it another go - What could go wrong

ijonty

Nikc said:

Off out to give it another go - What could go wrong

Good luck!

Nikc

It went ok, different pub and people so out of yet another comfort zone but all was goodish. The evening ended with 8 or so of us having a jam across some three chord wonders - that was a fun

Guitar_Slinger

I've been going infrequently to jams near me for years, ran by the same group of people and although I'm right down the pecking order, the organiser picks me to play guitar or bass on something we played when we were in a band in the 90s.

There's another jam, walking distance from my house, ran by different people.  I keep meaning to play there but they play different songs, I always get there after the list's full and I don't know anybody to jump in with.  Last night was a miserable wet Monday and it was less busy.  I didn't play, but chatted to the organiser at the end and said I could play guitar or bass.  He said I should have told him, because the week before he played bass for the whole two hours, as they were all guitarists. I'm going back in a fortnight and will remind him.

Nikc

Did it again - almost like i've got the bug

ijonty

Nikc said:

Did it again - almost like i've got the bug

Nice one. So how many have you done now? Getting used to it? I did one with my full band the other week which was great. Messed up a few times (and some drunk bastard kicked out the bassist's cable at one point), but really enjoyed it. What songs are you playing?

Nikc

ijonty said:

Nikc said:

Did it again - almost like i've got the bug

Nice one. So how many have you done now? Getting used to it? I did one with my full band the other week which was great. Messed up a few times (and some drunk bastard kicked out the bassist's cable at one point), but really enjoyed it. What songs are you playing?

Ive done three solo now, I must be getting a bit used to it I keep going up  
So far i've played different songs, some REM, David Grey a little CCR, I played A team on Wednesday which I was quietly pleased with. 
Good to hear you're still stepping up - a band with you must be cool

ijonty

Nikc said:

ijonty said:

Nikc said:

Did it again - almost like i've got the bug

Nice one. So how many have you done now? Getting used to it? I did one with my full band the other week which was great. Messed up a few times (and some drunk bastard kicked out the bassist's cable at one point), but really enjoyed it. What songs are you playing?

Ive done three solo now, I must be getting a bit used to it I keep going up  
So far i've played different songs, some REM, David Grey a little CCR, I played A team on Wednesday which I was quietly pleased with. 
Good to hear you're still stepping up - a band with you must be cool

Well done. Band was great, it was actually our first performance, so a good way to start off our live career!

Nikc

and yet another under my belt - i went with songs i'd played before, looking for a confidence boost, which worked out pretty well

ijonty

Well done. How are you finding the vocals? Getting more comfortable?

Nikc

slowly but surely building confidence and getting better at using the mic

Nikc

An again - felt far more comfortable, got up twice and played slow dancing in a burning room to finish off - and it wasn't too bad at all

ijonty

Great. Just you and the guitar, or any kind of backing?

Nikc

One man alone with just his guitar
I definitely felt more comfortable might even claim to be enjoying it