The Gig Thread!

[S. Cane]

So, I thought it would be cool to have a thread for everyone who wants to share gig pics... I like this single thread structure!

These are from last Saturday night with Blue Maverick...

Rocking the SG...




I also brought a strat tuned in Open G for some Stones and related stuff...

[renderit]

And you gots the FYEA STINGUISHER for dem HOTLICKS!

[S. Cane]

Yeah, it's the law here, every bar has to display one by the stage. You know, fire prevention and all that jazz...

Anyway I always, invariably, think of using it to spray the crowd, just as the Ramones did (although it'd be much more fun with tear gas)!

[ch willie]

That ought to be the law everywhere. It’s a good idea.


Sergio, do you play mostly in one club or do you play a lot of different places?

[S. Cane]

That ought to be the law everywhere. It’s a good idea.


Sergio, do you play mostly in one club or do you play a lot of different places?

It's complicated, Willie.

Rock n' Roll ain't what it used to be, and the kids today are all about post-rap and new wave hip hop stuff, besides pop divas and such...

We do play a few places but we have to stay true to the rock bars. This one (it's called "After Pub") we play regularly.

[dirtdog]

One of my last gigs with the band before "retiring" in December.

[Frat Rettle]

One of my last gigs with the band before "retiring" in December.

I can't see any pics.

[Laker]

My jam session band was invited to play a local festival yesterday. It was a little different playing without our keyboard player but it turned out to be a lot of fun.

[ch willie]

My jam session band was invited to play a local festival yesterday. It was a little diferent playing without our keyboard player but it turned out to be a lot of fun.

There’s that bass!

[Laker]

There’s that bass!

I gotta tell you that our guitar player is playing his ‘66 Strat that he purchased new. Here and there I’ve played in bands with him since he purchased that Strat and it is one of the greatest sounding Strats you’ll find. He has other Fenders (and a few other brands) but that Strat just sings!

[ch willie]

I gotta tell you that our guitar player is playing his ‘66 Strat that he purchased new. Here and there I’ve played in bands with him since he purchased that Strat and it is one of the greatest sounding Strats you’ll find. He has other Fenders (and a few other brands) but that Strat just sings!

It looks well taken care of. Nice.

[S. Cane]

My jam session band was invited to play a local festival yesterday. It was a little different playing without our keyboard player but it turned out to be a lot of fun.

Pretty cool!!!

[ch willie]

My band is playing a cool gig at a lake on July 4th--there'll be hundreds of people there. We're doing about an hour show (my favorite gig length), and I'm incredibly excited about it. It's been 3 years since I played live. And this is the first time since 1982 that I've played exclusively as the bassist. We're a tight band and rehearsals have been going great. We're ready. This is a big deal for me since my last band ended in an acrimonious fuck-you fest. So this gig, minor though it be, is important to me because it gives me a chance to get the bad taste out of my mouth from my former band. I'm riding high on the many compliments people have been giving me on my bass playing--I needed a boost like this. I've learned about 50 songs over the last 4 weeks, ranging from songs by Journey (whom I don't like) to Gary Moore's Still Got the Blues. While I'd rather be playing original songs, it's been fun to learn all these songs, and I've even found an appreciation of songs that cause me to change radio stations when I hear them. Anyway, I'll let you all know how the gig goes. Just hope we're going to have good weather for it.

[Laker]

My band is playing a cool gig at a lake on July 4th--there'll be hundreds of people there. We're doing about an hour show (my favorite gig length), and I'm incredibly excited about it. It's been 3 years since I played live. And this is the first time since 1982 that I've played exclusively as the bassist. We're a tight band and rehearsals have been going great. We're ready. This is a big deal for me since my last band ended in an acrimonious fuck-you fest. So this gig, minor though it be, is important to me because it gives me a chance to get the bad taste out of my mouth from my former band. I'm riding high on the many compliments people have been giving me on my bass playing--I needed a boost like this. I've learned about 50 songs over the last 4 weeks, ranging from songs by Journey (who I don't like) to Gary Moore's Still Got the Blues. While I'd rather be playing original songs, it's been fun to learn all these songs, and I've even found an appreciation of songs that I usually change radio stations when I hear them. Anyway, I'll let you all know how the gig goes. Just hope we're going to have good weather for it.

Good luck with the gig and I hope you have a lot of fun playing it. For me, after nearly 60 years of being a musician, those few minutes on stage doing what I enjoy is worth the hours/days/years of honing those skills.

[ch willie]

Good luck with the gig and I hope you have a lot of fun playing it. For me, after nearly 60 years of being a musician, those few minutes on stage doing what I enjoy is worth the hours/days/years of honing those skills.

Thanks, Laker.

[dirtdog]

I can't see any pics.

OK, let's try this:

[ch willie]

Looks like fun!

[S. Cane]

Yeap, lots of fun.

Oh and Willie, can't wait to see pics of your next gig!

[ch willie]

Yeap, lots of fun.

Oh and Willie, can't wait to see pics of your next gig!

We had our first gig last night way out in the country. It was at a club at a marina on the Tennessee River. Lots of fun!

[ch willie]

Our keyboard player, singer, and I preformed at an open mic session at a local bar, a really cool place. We played three songs, and we got a good reception from the audience.

I really like mini-gigs like this. You get a chance to play, but you're on stage and off. No payment of course, but it allows the club owner to see what you can do. We hope to play a full band gig there in the near future. We had loads of fun.

[dirtdog]

Our keyboard player, singer, and I preformed at an open mic session at a local bar, a really cool place. We played three songs, and we got a good reception from the audience.

I really like mini-gigs like this. You get a chance to play, but you're on stage and off. No payment of course, but it allows the club owner to see what you can do. We hope to play a full band gig there in the near future. We had loads of fun.

nice!

[Frat Rettle]

There ya go.

Thanks matey.

[Laker]

Our keyboard player, singer, and I preformed at an open mic session at a local bar, a really cool place. We played three songs, and we got a good reception from the audience.

I really like mini-gigs like this. You get a chance to play, but you're on stage and off. No payment of course, but it allows the club owner to see what you can do. We hope to play a full band gig there in the near future. We had loads of fun.

I love having musicians come in and play with my jam band; it’s the reason we are on that stage. I totally enjoy supporting a musician who wants to get up and play. Some of our guests are not very experienced and some are total pro players but we give all who get on stage with us the absolute best backing band we can. I haven’t been a musician for (as a pro) 55+ years to try to turn someone away from being as creative as they can.

[ch willie]

I love having musicians come in and play with my jam band; it’s the reason we are on that stage. I totally enjoy supporting a musician who wants to get up and play. Some of our guests are not very experienced and some are total pro players but we give all who get on stage with us the absolute best backing band we can. I haven’t been a musician for (as a pro) 55+ years to try to turn someone away from being as creative as they can.

My dream would be to own a club and be in the house band just to do stuff like that.

[Offshore Angler]

I love having musicians come in and play with my jam band; it’s the reason we are on that stage. I totally enjoy supporting a musician who wants to get up and play. Some of our guests are not very experienced and some are total pro players but we give all who get on stage with us the absolute best backing band we can. I haven’t been a musician for (as a pro) 55+ years to try to turn someone away from being as creative as they can.

Laker, we're at opposite ends of the musical spectrum! I can't stand to see open jams where a bunch of players, often of dubious talent try to put a coherent song together with no practice or rehearsal. It's like fingernails on a blackboard. OK, if it's competent jazzbo's doing variations that's another thing, but the average come-up-and-play-with-the-house-band deal usually devolves into a three chord, 4/4 wank-fest always on the verge of coming off the rails.

I get excited when I hear a great band play Beat It super tight, because as musicians we can all appreciate the work, dedication and talent and teamwork that requires.

And I've hosted a bunch of jams for this forum so it's not like I've pulled an opinion out of thin air.

[Laker]

Laker, we're at opposite ends of the musical spectrum! I can't stand to see open jams where a bunch of players, often of dubious talent try to put a coherent song together with no practice or rehearsal. It's like fingernails on a blackboard. OK, if it's competent jazzbo's doing variations that's another thing, but the average come-up-and-play-with-the-house-band deal usually devolves into a three chord, 4/4 wank-fest always on the verge of coming off the rails.

I get excited when I hear a great band play Beat It super tight, because as musicians we can all appreciate the work, dedication and talent and teamwork that requires.

And I've hosted a bunch of jams for this forum so it's not like I've pulled an opinion out of thin air.

I totally understand your position on jams and the opposite end of that musical spectrum. I’ve put in my time with well rehearsed, extremely tight groups where every gig we played I could sit on stage basically on autopilot. The last group like that was a ten piece horn group where we did TOP and Chicago type covers along with a lot of our own material (the band eventually did four CDs).

There is a group I’ve played with when needed that I have never, in the seventeen years I’ve worked with them, spent a minute in rehearsal with them. I enjoy listening to their arrangement and playing my interpretation of their songs. Many are originals so it keeps my ear sharp.

I would say that 90% of the people that do my weekly jam are players that I have shared the stage with over my 58 years as a pro player so it is more like a group of old friends that get together to enjoy an evening of working together.

[Offshore Angler]

I totally understand your position on jams and the opposite end of that musical spectrum. I’ve put in my time with well rehearsed, extremely tight groups where every gig we played I could sit on stage basically on autopilot. The last group like that was a ten piece horn group where we did TOP and Chicago type covers along with a lot of our own material (the band eventually did four CDs).

There is a group I’ve played with when needed that I have never, in the seventeen years I’ve worked with them, spent a minute in rehearsal with them. I enjoy listening to their arrangement and playing my interpretation of their songs. Many are originals so it keeps my ear sharp.

I would say that 90% of the people that do my weekly jam are players that I have shared the stage with over my 58 years as a pro player so it is more like a group of old friends that get together to enjoy an evening of working together.

OK, that I get. We have an annual deal like that here every Holiday season and we basically put old bands back together and everyone knows their stuff but we still have the occasional laughs and ball-busting when somebody gets lost for a moment. Good times.

I'm just not a fan of amateur-night type jams. We all know why the bars do them - and it ain't for the great music.

Chuck

[renderit]

...

[Laker]

OK, that I get. We have an annual deal like that here every Holiday season and we basically put old bands back together and everyone knows their stuff but we still have the occasional laughs and ball-busting when somebody gets lost for a moment. Good times.

I'm just not a fan of amateur-night type jams. We all know why the bars do them - and it ain't for the great music.

Chuck

The real key to what you’ve posted is the “everyone knows their stuff but we still have the occasional laughs and ball-busting when someone gets lost for a moment”. I think it is so great to be on stage doing what I love to do with friends that are so relaxed that we can have fun and make sport of these moments. I do have a young singer that is bringing her autoharp to the jam (she has sat in with us and has a good voice) that I will run through the PA and we’ll try to support her effort as she’s really a nice kid and encouragement is what has gotten me to this point of my musical career.