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THE DRUMMERS GIG REPORT THREAD...........


race81

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In an effort to add more to the drummers forum here on Harmony Central. Im going to start this thread. Its intention is for us as drummers/percussionist, to share gigs/pictures/happenings/sessions/clinics, and all around fun of being in a band, or even filling in with other groups. It does not matter how big or small you gig is...the important thing is that we all share........everyone can learn something, no matter how big an artist they are........I will add as gigs come and go, and try to keep up.....

Lets keep it on topic everyone!!!!

Peace.wave.gif

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Awesome, Les! It's great to be able to read everyone's gig updates. Great idea.

I've had over a month off from my cover band, and we recently decided we're going to end it at after December. So our next show is 7/21 and I'm betting we'll be swinging for the fences. Better stock up on sticks.... thumb.gif

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This was from a couple of weeks ago. Subbing with that Jazz combo on a Saturday night! They never rehearse, just gig 'on the fly'. The leader (guitarist on the left) is good at leading us through stops, changes, endings, etc. Always a fun time!

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It will come .......trust me.....we have just started as a band so to speak...formed in nov of 2011. Started gigging in Feb 2012, and we are about 10 or 11 gigs in. Another gig scheduled in a couple of weeks. We did play on july 3rd at a rodeo....didnt have my camera....if you have ever been to a rodeo lately...there is some good sights. We showed up around six to set up and sound check....its 102 outside. We catch a break and they tell us to set up inside the FFA building. Its a nice metal building with big doors at each end, windows at the side. About a 40x100 size with ceiling fans. The entrance door at the front has a big sign that says....Ice Cream Inside, ....I couldnt find any. We set up and sound check, and surprisingly it doesnt sound half bad in there for playing in a tin can. We close the doors for an expected start time of around 9:30. We take a walk around, grab a cheeseburger and drink a cold one and shoot the breeze for a while, at the same time taking in the sights. Head back around 9:15 to prepare to go. Bass players remote dumped when he installed a new battery...small wire broke. Grab a cable and good to go..... Around 10:15 we get the nod to play, the crowd is sparse. We played around three sets, Other things going on at the same time as the band, no beer wagon, or crowd. Head honcho checked in on us from time to time, and apologizes for the lack of crowd....but seemed happy with our group. Only good thing about that night was we still got paid no matter what the crowd. Dead tired the next day for 3/4 the day...funny how the heat takes it out of ya and you dont realize it.....next gig I will have pics!!

Quote Originally Posted by rdrummer322 View Post
Great thread! Tyler, that was tight!
Where is that comedy you promised Race?
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Score +12 for the rodeo gig (never done that!). Have to check with Big Daddy to see if more points need awarded..
(wife always wanted me to do a circus gig, traveling on the circus train and all)..rodeo gigs? Got to be some serious points there.

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Doing a private party with an old band and everyone is pumped and onTime! We load up my kit and the PA and head out.Got to the place in penty of time,but the guy with the key is late.So a few phone calls later ,he's late but on the way.So I back the truck up close and lowered the tailgate and band just kinda hanging out.The guest start arriving ,still not in.We were the surprise ,because the main guy booked us last minute.Anyway we are the center of the action all of the sudden.When one girl about 13ish,I'm guessing,ask what kind of music do you play.Quickly I told her we were a Hanna Montanna tribute band! Her eyes light up and she was smiling big.Then all of us in the band burst out laughing.She gave me the evil eye all night.Any way the night before we had worked up Play That Funky Music,and it sounded really good.Well they had this big cake and they where standing in line.We busted out with Funky music and not one person moved.We were stunned.It just shows that funky music ain;t got nothing on white cake.

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Leaves Russell had a show booked at a beautiful venue right in the heart of Downtown Portland. This place was gorgeous. High ceilings, deep red curtains, candlelight... Our kinda venue.
Our manager had it worked out over a month in advance that it was a three band bill. An opener, Leaves Russell, and a closer. We were told to load in at 6pm for sound check (Doors open at 8pm. Showtime at 9pm) We arrived right on time to meet the soundguy. Immediately after we introduced ourselves he told us that we were the last band. Typically we let this kinda {censored} slide, but it was a Thursday night, and I've known the closing act to have a history of {censored}ing over other bands to promote themselves. I wasn't about to take the final slot on a weeknight. After a few minutes of the soundguy arguing with us about the order, and us completely unwilling to sway from what we originally agreed, we settled on us going second like we planned. Then he told us that the middle band doesn't get a full sound check. Just a line check. We showed up three hours early for nothing.

Then the show started...
Turns out the first band up has the same name of another local Portland band. The band advertised was a heavy, almost industrial instrumental rock. Definitely not what one would expect to play at a Leaves Russell show. But the band that was actually booked was a cool, funky band... Kinda reminded me of Little Feat. The soundman was outside for about 90% of their set. The band had multiple lead singers, and there was no one to bring up whichever lead was up.
After they finished, it was our turn. We set our gear onstage, and waited for duder to mic up our gear and do our line check. The {censored}head was on the phone for a good ten minutes while we waited to do our line check. Once he finished with his call, he gave us our line check in front of the crowd with no house music playing. It was very uncomfortable, but we went on to play our set without any incidents.
Third band went up and started to play their set. After I finished packing up my drums I went over next to the soundbooth to watch the last band. Oddly enough, the soundguy was actually at his station this time. He turned out to be a real friendly guy, and loved Leaves Russell. I talked with him for a few minutes while the last band was playing. We eventually got on the topic of the band he should have been running sound for at the time. He told me that he was having a hell of a time getting the cello player to come through the system. She only had a mic on the instrument instead of an onboard pickup, and the mic was picking up the drums, and other amps onstage. He said "Here look at this" and boosted the cello channel on the mixer to the point of loud screeching feedback, then brought it back down, and continued to tell me about how the cello wasn't coming through the PA. He did this DURING THE BANDS SET! What a {censored}ing douchebag.
Finally the show ended, and it was time to settle up for the night. Our frontman was given the runaround from 3 different people trying to find the manager of the venue to get paid. Every one of them would say "Oh, let me text him and see if he's around." We got dicked around for over an hour before we just gave up and went home.

Out of all the gigs I've played, that was one of them.

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Nothing on tap for 2 weeks; the it's a travel gig 2 1/2 hours to our front-man's home town to a cool outdoor venue we play each summer. We're not local, but we're one of their larger draws, and it pays decent, plus we gain an hour on the return trip from the time zone change, and the venue has a 12 am cutoff for music, so it doesn't impact negatively much at all, and we get to run our entire rig.

Just turned down a gig for the side-project in August...6 hours away, with a $300 guarantee plus small cut of door after that for two bands we'd bring. If the 200 capacity club sold the gig out, we'd end up with about $60-70 per man, minus gas and food.
I ain't giving up the better part of two days for pocket change.

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This last month was busy for me, 14 gigs with 6 different groups. Played an after party for the flaming lips that was pretty packed and awesome. Yesterday I played with my jazz group downtown Topeka for an art walk, tonight will be 4 hours with my bluegrass/rock band, and tomorrow will be playing blues with the Brody Buster band.

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Quote Originally Posted by the DW View Post
eek.gifeek.gif

I have no conception of what it would be like to drive for 6 hours to get to a gig!

eek.gifeek.gif
Sure you do: it would suck.

But what makes this one suck is this private vintage cycle/scooter club has supposedly been after us for months and I kept saying to our booker...'I cannot and will not discuss further until I know it's guaranteed worth it money-wise', and he wasn't pursuing a firm offer...just pursuing a firm date.

I'd play for the right situation for that kind of pay...I've played, and on occasion will play for less, even...but only if it's a local gig. If I have to leave home at basically noon to get there on-time for a 6 pm load in to play a 9 pm start time, and we're going to spend the night, then wake up and drive back the next day, likely arriving mid-afternoon at the earliest, I've now lost two days. That costs significantly more.
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Rockin' out on Friday night. Contrary to popular belief, the 13th was not an unlucky night!

Not much stage to work with:
BRMahoganysstage.jpg

Thank god we're a power trio:
BRMahoganys-edited.jpg

My favorite compliment (selfishly): "You and the bass player are really locked in."
My favorite compliment (band-wise): "I can't tell your covers from your originals."*

*Whether you like the material we play or not, that tells me we've got a good mix of covers that compliment our original material and our "sound". It doesn't jerk our audience back and forth from watching an original band to a cover band. It's... just... us. And I dig that. thumb.gif

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