To continue, the first gig went well for a band with a couple of rookie players in it. We had many positive comments and handed out many business cards with contact numbers on them.
We still had a lot room for improvement. Between sets I jotted down troubled areas in the actual music, thinking at the next practice it would be useful. At the next practice we took about 10-15 minutes to discuss the gig. The majority of the band was pretty pleased with the performance. Jerry admitted for a first time out we did ok. After saying that, he gave a list of stage presence issues such as breaks between songs, too much chatter on mics other than the lead vocalist, and being ready for unplanned events such as “Elvis” wanting to sing with the band. Jerry has an eye for details that make the band look professional beyond the music. The musical issues were easy to correct just by adding entrance cues on vocals and instrumental solos.
So we were capable of a 2 hour show (20 or so songs). This of course is not enough for a typical gig of 4 hours. The following practices consisted of a lot of site reading and some transposing to get in a good key for our vocalist.
In an earlier post I mentioned that Al, our keyboardist, had some surprises. Jerry had printed out a medley of Johnny be Good/Great balls of Fire. We played through it just the horns and rhythm section. Then we played it again with the full band. The vocal I was hearing I assumed was a CD of the Killer himself. As I’m playing I looked over to the rythm section and its Al belting it out just like Jerry Lee Lewis. That song continues to be a crowd favorite. He also does a Blues Bros. version of Jail House Rock.
Dave North arranged a gig at local bar that was hosting a dinner/dance for a maritime heritage group. This would require 3 sets of music. We had been continuously working expanding our set list and when the time came we were ready.
I had started to create posters to put around town just to insure a decent turn out. ---Being in a Band means more than showing up for practice and gigs. It requires that every band member adds additional value to him/herself by performing non-musical jobs. Jerry unselfishly allows the band to use his equipment and charts. I have some knowledge of the internet, so the web sites, email and production of fliers I could help with. Melissa was out trying to promote the band. Todd was able to design and build hardware for the band just because it needs to be done. In future blog entries the items he has built will be noted. Pete has designed the EPK for the band with his knowledge of ADOBE and graphic skills.
We set up in the bar which allowed us only a small area, but we would make it work. 8pm rolled around and we kicked it off to an enthusiastic crowd. It was a great night and we played well. We passed out more business cards. It was a great thrill to have people asking where we were from, how long we had been together, and most importantly how much we would charge to perform. The bar owner was impressed enough to hire us on the spot for a 4 hr gig in 2 weeks. I will end this post right here, on a positive note.
The next post will illustrate that not all gigs are going to be positive.
We still had a lot room for improvement. Between sets I jotted down troubled areas in the actual music, thinking at the next practice it would be useful. At the next practice we took about 10-15 minutes to discuss the gig. The majority of the band was pretty pleased with the performance. Jerry admitted for a first time out we did ok. After saying that, he gave a list of stage presence issues such as breaks between songs, too much chatter on mics other than the lead vocalist, and being ready for unplanned events such as “Elvis” wanting to sing with the band. Jerry has an eye for details that make the band look professional beyond the music. The musical issues were easy to correct just by adding entrance cues on vocals and instrumental solos.
So we were capable of a 2 hour show (20 or so songs). This of course is not enough for a typical gig of 4 hours. The following practices consisted of a lot of site reading and some transposing to get in a good key for our vocalist.
In an earlier post I mentioned that Al, our keyboardist, had some surprises. Jerry had printed out a medley of Johnny be Good/Great balls of Fire. We played through it just the horns and rhythm section. Then we played it again with the full band. The vocal I was hearing I assumed was a CD of the Killer himself. As I’m playing I looked over to the rythm section and its Al belting it out just like Jerry Lee Lewis. That song continues to be a crowd favorite. He also does a Blues Bros. version of Jail House Rock.
Dave North arranged a gig at local bar that was hosting a dinner/dance for a maritime heritage group. This would require 3 sets of music. We had been continuously working expanding our set list and when the time came we were ready.
I had started to create posters to put around town just to insure a decent turn out. ---Being in a Band means more than showing up for practice and gigs. It requires that every band member adds additional value to him/herself by performing non-musical jobs. Jerry unselfishly allows the band to use his equipment and charts. I have some knowledge of the internet, so the web sites, email and production of fliers I could help with. Melissa was out trying to promote the band. Todd was able to design and build hardware for the band just because it needs to be done. In future blog entries the items he has built will be noted. Pete has designed the EPK for the band with his knowledge of ADOBE and graphic skills.
We set up in the bar which allowed us only a small area, but we would make it work. 8pm rolled around and we kicked it off to an enthusiastic crowd. It was a great night and we played well. We passed out more business cards. It was a great thrill to have people asking where we were from, how long we had been together, and most importantly how much we would charge to perform. The bar owner was impressed enough to hire us on the spot for a 4 hr gig in 2 weeks. I will end this post right here, on a positive note.
The next post will illustrate that not all gigs are going to be positive.
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