MorrisrownSal Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 I played a gig with my friend Mike last night. It was here: http://libertyhouserestaurant.com/ This was the set list: It was sedate;we are meant to be kind-of background music. Our set list choice reflected. We deviated from the set list dramatically. At least half the songs we ended up playing were not on the list. I played a Farida LG2 knockoff with a Baggs M1A. It sounded fine until I hit the boost for solos, and then the high E string would develop a mind of its own, with BAMMM super loud notes that were not balanced with the rest of the guitar. I did have the Baggs screws sunken as far down as they could go. Anyways, no help. Lightning zings at will striking patrons who twitched, dropped forks, and looked around for dying cats. We were treated like "the help". Enter here. Not allowed to give you a beer. play exactly from 7 - 10 with two 15 min breaks (that part is easy). But unlike any of my music gigs in Brooklyn bars (or hopefully the one we'll play on the beach this weekend to a group of Irish cops and firemen), the patrons couldnt have cared less if they were hearing piped in MUZAK or Chris Stapleton live. I know the fault is ours for not connecting. We tried. The third set finally some folks came up and hung out by the bar near where we were set up and peppered us with requests. But the first two sets, and the type of cold corporate place we were at, made me want to never gig again, and just stay home on my office and record. I'll get over the crappy gig... Share your crappy gigs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 I go back a fair ways, and it sounds all too familiar. Very much agree about the corporate thing - best avoided unless the $ is really good. Crowds that tend to frequent that kind were never to my liking. Stoners used to be LOTS better than drunken eaters - don't know if that still applies. Then there's the no smoking thing that gives the crowd a slightly different demographic and vibe, which - I guess - can be better or worse for musicians, depending on who you are. Not out there, so to speak, much these days and generally it's OK w/me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 Oh theres many like that. Sometimes you have ladies jumping around wanting to throw their bras off, other times youre just wall paper music. It just depends on the crowd and vanue. I try to mitigate it by refusing to play in full 'resutaurants'. Ill do pubs that serve food, but not restaurants, as that group of people want to eat, are usually qute dull and not interested in the music. When you have a crappy gig, just move on, and when i know its a dead audience what i do is treat it as a rehearsal, even try some numbers which were half ready to see how i sound infront of an audience. Knowing there will be little consequence as they wont care anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 Not playing much these day... last "God let this gig end" event was a small pub we had just started to play at across town. I knew the owner, we actually grew up in the same neighborhood and went to school together. We were not BEST buds, but we were always friends, and he used to come to the gigs when I was in a few popular bands back in the day.. So I figured this would be the PERFECT place for a guy like me and my duo partner and well, Mark, (owner) seemed to think so too. the idea was we'd book a sat night once every 6 to 8 weeks. Swell! but didn't end up working out.. The first gig there was great.. it is not a big place, but we jammed it. It was hopping all night long. The second booking was a sub. for another duo that we know who asked us to take a gig due to a conflict one of them had. A Sunday afternoon weekly CAR SHOW the pub hosted (Weather Permitting). We were told it was a great time. Lots of people, classic cars, free pizza and snackies, we play in the pub from 2 to 5 a DJ works the outside.. we get $175 and drink for free.. Sounded marvelous.. The day comes, and it pours in the morning, by noon time, the rain had stopped but the skies were not looking promising at all. So I called "hey, is this still on" he insists the clouds will clear and it will be a good afternoon.. Well,, it wasn't... the skies didn't clear and threatened rain all day long. But - the show must go on.. We get there at 1, set up and start at 2 on the nose.. -- The pub was empty except for a few regulars, and a hand full of my fam and friends who, God bless their hearts, show up every time I play somewhere. It took FOREVER to get to 5 when we could mercifully pack up and get the hell out of there. As we're packing up, (and I knew this was coming) I get the "Well, I know we agreed to $175.. but......" he gives me 100 bucks.. my duo partner, while a real nice guy, was really not all that pleased that we go boned out of 75 bucks... he refused to accept any further gigs there.. I didn't really blame him, I was a little miffed too, and I did tell the guy, "the weather has nothing to do with what we do Mark..." "yea, I know, I'm sorry but I have to keep costs in line with what comes in.." -- ya, sure you do.. so how much less did you pay your bartender????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buc McMaster Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 Back in the day I was a third of a three-piece band doing 80s rock.......13th Floor Elevators, The Clash, Golden Earring, John Cougar.......almost all in-your-face, rowdy, rockin' stuff. We played a new bar to a full house, bouncing off the walls on a Friday night, got paid and got booked for another round the next month. Between this booking and the date the joint changed ownership and definitely changed clientele.........a little secret we didn't know until we showed up for the gig. During load-in we were kind of struck by the folks filtering into the place......big hats, silver-tipped boots, pie pan buckles......hmmm......doesn't look like the same crowd that was here last month....... By the time we hit the first chord the joint was packed, and by the time we finished the first song they were heading for the door. The set ended with perhaps three drinking customers and the staff hanging around the bar, staring at us slack-jawed. Ha! We'd played our usual "kick the hell out of the walls" stuff but it seems that's not exactly what the cowboys were expecting. The manager laughed as much as we did, paid us for the night and we loaded up and went home early. Didn't get booked at that joint again......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 Back in the day I was a third of a three-piece band doing 80s rock.......13th Floor Elevators, The Clash, Golden Earring, John Cougar.......almost all in-your-face, rowdy, rockin' stuff. We played a new bar to a full house, bouncing off the walls on a Friday night, got paid and got booked for another round the next month. Between this booking and the date the joint changed ownership and definitely changed clientele.........a little secret we didn't know until we showed up for the gig. During load-in we were kind of struck by the folks filtering into the place......big hats, silver-tipped boots, pie pan buckles......hmmm......doesn't look like the same crowd that was here last month....... By the time we hit the first chord the joint was packed, and by the time we finished the first song they were heading for the door. The set ended with perhaps three drinking customers and the staff hanging around the bar, staring at us slack-jawed. Ha! We'd played our usual "kick the hell out of the walls" stuff but it seems that's not exactly what the cowboys were expecting. The manager laughed as much as we did, paid us for the night and we loaded up and went home early. Didn't get booked at that joint again......... Amusing anecdote, Buc. A comedy of errors for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gfa Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 It's a shame I wasn't there, would've been jumping up and down to hear someone playing Ryan Adams, Jason Isbell, Townes, Tom Waits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 I have a whole list of those shitzky gigs! But that gives you some great stories......later. One that comes to mind: For what seems like a minute, I was a lead guitarist in a blues band and one of the gigs was a Monday night bar treated as a paid rehearsal. One of the patrons booked us for a 'blues festival' outdoor concert. Outing in the country! Took the Better Half and my Australian Cattle Dog that I had at the time. Directions....... I was given the road but not the actual property number as the local Council had refused permission for a private 'festival'. I drove over every effin hill in the area looking for the place, couldn't see anything, getting shytey, about to give up and came across a driveway with 2 guys holding shotguns and a sign about the 'blues festival'. Oh Oh! So because it was an illegal event, they couldn't have any directions, signs etc, and these 2 would hide in the trees if any cops came. Then it started pouring. Drove up this rocky and muddy track to a paddock where a semi trailer with a low loader was the stage! Someone had thrown a few poles up to hold a tarp. Very glamorous! Anyway, had to lift the gear up over a lip of the trailer as there were no steps, set up the amp, grumbled a bit to the others in the band, started playing, kept playing until we finished out part of the gig, went over well, got asked to a post gig celebration over the other side of the paddock where a whole lot of old buses with annexes were parked. Went to look for the Better Half to tell her, not happy as she had mud on her coat and the dog wouldn't stop eating sheep shite while my band was playing.... So we walked in to the bus with my other band members and their families and the bus was the office/crash pad/drug den and the final straw for the Better Half - the change room for the group of strippers...... I don't remember much after that except all of us leaving in a convoy of cars and vans and driving round and round and round and round these hilly roads in the dark.... BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted July 15, 2017 Author Share Posted July 15, 2017 Kidblast... last year we played at this one place, and the owner complained about my partner having four beers. I had one. I tipped the bartender really well at the get go. I had about twenty friends show up for dinner and drinks. Mike had the same. The owner pulled the same thing with partial pay, and complained about a few free drinks. We don't play there any more. Buc and BK... amusing as always. And thanks GFA. Tonight I'm bringing my HD28 and getting my Irish on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted July 15, 2017 Share Posted July 15, 2017 So he would rather have people over served, where he's responsible? Dope... have fun with Irish, wearing a kilt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The dman Posted July 15, 2017 Share Posted July 15, 2017 I played an upscale country club a couple weeks ago and the first set was total crickets, I thought "Oh man I'm bombing here". I took a break and when I came back the alcohol must have kicked in with the patrons because all of a sudden the crowd was engaged and ready for a good time and the last set was a nothing but a good time. After it was over some patrons and employees came up to me and were thanking me because they enjoyed it, apparently a lot of the acts they have there are boring and me I like to have a good time but that first set was like sticking pins in my eyes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted July 15, 2017 Share Posted July 15, 2017 So he would rather have people over served, where he's responsible? Dope... have fun with Irish, wearing a kilt? W T F Kilts ??!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 16, 2017 Share Posted July 16, 2017 I have hundreds but here are 2 more: Drummer in rock band I was in about 250 years ago it seems, asked us to play at a 'big birthday bash'. We all arrived at the allotted time/place to the quietest suburban street I have ever seen/heard! We were told to setup in this rumpus room addition to the house, lugged the Marshalls in....ha ha ha, drummer's kit already set up. Waited and waited and waited for the crowd, but only a couple of children and a couple of grandmothers stared at us, but the drummer said to start, we did, and I think after screaming a lot, the crowd cried. A little blues band I played in grew to a 6 or 7 piece with sax, trombone, piano and usually we all left the wives and girlfriends at home but for some reason to do with the horoscope they all came to this new gig we scored on a Sunday afternoon. Nice little family day except the bass player's wife came back from the bar and asked her hubby to go back to get her drinks - 3 topless barmaids! And then all the women had a hissy fit...... BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 W T F Kilts ??!? Scotish, Irish, I dunno the diff,, I'm over here in the US, what do we know?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelT Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 1. Our singer had promoted a party on private party where there were going to be a few kegs and a band. He posted that it was $5.00 to get into the private party, on private party. The problem was that this property was in a dry county, alcohol was being provided and people were paying to get it where alcohol was being served. Police showed up and he and property owner were arrested before we even got started. 2. Showing up at a gig and chicken wire was on the windows. We said we were in trouble if there was chicken wire was in front of the stage because we didn't know Rawhide. 3. Showing up at a small club and being asked to set up only half of our PA because of the room, then asked to be set up the full PA (both sides) the next night. 4. Having to start setting up on a Tuesday at 3 or 4 AM (after a few of our band members had been drinking most of the night) after the current band is done playing and torn down. They played Sunday and Monday, we played Tuesday through Saturday. Then finishing Saturday night, packing up, driving 6 or 7 hours to a club, setting up in a modified barn with little to no air conditioning in July or August, playing all night, then packing up and driving to Kansas City (12 hour drive) Monday at about 3 AM to setup at the club that afternoon and playing the following night through Saturday. I'm still mad at our agent for THAT routing! 5. Playing at a club Wed-Sat and hardly anyone shows up. We didn't know this club was going under and a new club had opened in town. Everyone was at the new club and we didn't get much a crowd for the first three nights so Saturday, he told us that we were fired and to pack up our stuff because he was bringing in someone else that night. Our agent booked us and his contract was with the agency and us. He then said he wasn't going to pay us for the nights we did play and wasn't going to pay for our hotel room either. So, we had to call our agent and have him come down and "negotiate" with the club owner. We got paid, our hotel room got paid, including Saturday night, and the club sat dark on a Saturday night. 6. While we were all in favor of a wet t-shirt contest at a club we played in Michigan, we weren't in favor of it being done ON the stage near amps, microphones, guitars and monitors. It took some explaining to the club owner that it was not only just dangerous to our equipment and the club. Once we said there could be water and electricity, electrical shock and death, he understood and moved it to the floor in front of the stage. Those are the worst I can think of out of a few hundred I've played. Most of them went pretty well, with the occasional hiccup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 Proud to hear someone else has experienced the chicken wire👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelT Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 Proud to hear someone else has experienced the chicken wire👍 I live in Kentucky, so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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