Did a gig Friday night, I say night we had to arrive mid afternoon to be set up and out of the way. Posh venue golf club spots hotel etc. Bloody stairs and a shared lift. I was asked to provide my PA which is old tech so bulky and heavy. Got it all in to discover they have a sound limiter!
I had a go at the singer that 'organised' the booking on the cheap and ended up straining my back humping in and setting up including mics for the singers! So I had a chair on stage to play from. Didn't get on stage until 10:20 and had to finish at midnight.
There is a reason good function bands charge money, waiting around, the right gear, etc. I'm sorry to have had to teach those lessons to experienced musicians again and my back is still sore.
Rant mode off.
Comments
Eqd Speaker Cranker clone
Monte Allums TR-2 Plus mod kit
Trading feedback: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/60602/
Function gigs and certainly weddings always have a lot of waiting around.
I'm not really interested in them anymore because they don't work for someone with a family.
Then you patiently tell them for a typical wedding you have to load in during the morning, set up and sound check then go home, then come back do the gig and load out at 1am in the morning. Imagine you had to pay 5 plumbers to do the same hours, on a Saturday ..... how much do you think that would cost you is my reply
On average, for a central or North London gig, and I live in Surrey, I'd leave home at 11am and get home at 1-2 am in the morning. Parking etc if you're playing at central London venues/hotels can be expensive and non-existant (you can't load up outside the Cafe Royal, not even for 5mins without getting a ticket) and some places won't allow you to use their facilities or allow you to come through the foyer in hotels etc so that means coming through the back, sometimes the kitchens and narrow galleys and without lifts. Oh, and sound meters. We'd sometimes bung the concierge a tenner to switch off the sensor.
I sympathise and rant away. I have but if I didn't like the majority of it, I wouldn't do it.
It just showed me how little respect people have for musicians and live music in general. Why the fuck do we bother. Even though I was a family member and guest I felt like hired help. If I ever do this type of gig again I'm going to charge 4 x what I did this gig
Rant over. I feel better now does the OP i.e. @ESBlonde do too after his
She looked at me like I was an idiot.
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
Hint: They're probably not anything to do with the band.
Eqd Speaker Cranker clone
Monte Allums TR-2 Plus mod kit
Trading feedback: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/60602/
If you're not happy with the pay, get a better booking agent.
R.
Eqd Speaker Cranker clone
Monte Allums TR-2 Plus mod kit
Trading feedback: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/60602/
Eqd Speaker Cranker clone
Monte Allums TR-2 Plus mod kit
Trading feedback: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/60602/
if guess they're quite personal though; mine is one from having fun, helping someone I care about, pushing my musical boundaries.
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
Probably the gig I mentioned was more personal to me as it was a family gig whom I expected would have had a little more appreciation to what I was giving them so not a normal reaction I would have usually. I personally didn't charge but I did get the other band members to be paid. Why should they do it for nothing
Musicians' Triangle.
Rules:
1. Everyone is inside the triangle somewhere.
2. It doesn't matter where, as long as you're happy.
R.
Eqd Speaker Cranker clone
Monte Allums TR-2 Plus mod kit
Trading feedback: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/60602/