That's awesome Brian. Sounds like a great gig and one that could possibly have a huge crowd. New venues are always fun too. Keep us posted on how it goes.
I just confirmed a booking for a gig in early July. It's in a city that's about a 2hr drive (one way), which will be the greatest distance we have played out. It's a small bar that has live music every weekend. Seems like a cool, "blue collar" type of place. Here's the "odd" part; the weekend we're playing, the city will be having their annual music festival. There will 1,000s of people in town for the festival. The bar we're playing is right off of downtown, but literally 10 blocks away in the city park, Blackfoot and Molly Hatchet will be playing.
I expressed concern about having to compete (albeit indirectly). The bar owner is super nice, and she assured me that the place will be busy from "overflow". I figure it's either going to be a "bust", or a really good opportunity for us to gain exposure to a new market. I'll just keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.
-Brian
"Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"
Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!
"I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham
That's awesome Brian. Sounds like a great gig and one that could possibly have a huge crowd. New venues are always fun too. Keep us posted on how it goes.
That's a really long way to travel for a gig. Have fun.
Yeah, that will be a loooong drive home. We really don't want to travel that far, but it's more for the fun and meeting new people and a new place. We'll get exposure in a metro area that has way more potential and (hopefully) a culture that's more receptive to unique music....as opposed to classic rock cover bands. They seem to be excited about booking us after hearing some of our stuff. It seems to be EASIER to book gigs the farther away we go. It's like there's a preconceived notion that a band from far away is somehow better than a local band. I even notice the local bars tend to hire more bands from out of our area. Maybe it's the novelty or variety of it?
-Brian
"Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"
Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!
"I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham
I hope you are pleasantly surprised. I totally get your concern, too. Those weekends are a crap shoot that you will be overlooked or over flowing. The latter is a great thing.
Either way, even though it's a long drive, it'll be a quiet one on the way home.
Signature here
Very cool Brian! A 4 hour round trip but I think the "pay-off will be good. The overflow may hinder parking too? That would me my second biggest concern over the distance traveled. Good luck and look forward to your thoughts when it's all in the "bag".
Actually, we have a gig the last weekend in July at a bar about 25miles away. That one will be more unique; they fill the entire beer garden with soap suds, LOL. I've been assured that the stage will be protected with an air curtain (not the first time they did this). People wear swimsuits and party/dance all night in a huge mountain of suds. THAT one definitely has potential to be "interesting", LOL.
-Brian
"Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"
Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!
"I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham
I need GPS coordinates of the soap sud party...
Six Piece Mapex Saturn V, Five Piece DW Performance Series, NOS Slingerland Snares, Centent Ardor and Emperor Cymbals
I'm still a little nervous about the suds. I can't see how you could avoid NOT getting suds on the equipment. We'll have to avoid walking through the beer garden...and that's impossible. I can clean my drums, wouldn't hurt them, but the electrical equipment with slides, switches, jacks, and guitars are another story. I'll probably bring some tarps and a big pile of old towels to wipe ourselves off before touching our stuff. However, I would LOVE to set my old Exports up in the crowd and play drums covered in soap suds, LOL.
-Brian
"Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"
Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!
"I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham
Gretsch USA & Zildjian(What Else Would I Ever Need ?)
Brian, I have a kit you can use. Better leave now.
Signature here
-Brian
"Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"
Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!
"I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham
I'll come sit in. I don't have a bass player, but I have these guys!
Six Piece Mapex Saturn V, Five Piece DW Performance Series, NOS Slingerland Snares, Centent Ardor and Emperor Cymbals
you'll need to do this number (bubbles start @ around 3:00)
Were driving 2 hours this Friday for a show in S.C.. Just a thought you guys could chip in and get a couple of rooms and come back the next day refreshed.
RDM/Damage Poets
UFiP TAMAHA Zildjian
REGAL TiP
AQUARIAN
Congrats that Sounds like a blast. 2hrs away I would spend the night at a local motel or something though.. not making that drive after playing a few hrs.
Ludwig Classic Maple 22x16,10x8,12x9,16x16
7" Moon Gel Practice Pad
Sabian HHX Legacy
Decide whether this is love for the craft or simply an ego thing
http://www.redskymary.com/ NOT MY BAND, JUST A GREAT LOCAL BAND WHO SHOULD BE SOOO MUCH BIGGER IMO
With 7 guys in the band, staying in a motel would cost more than we get paid, LOL. A couple guys have friends/family about an hour away from the gig, so that's an option. I don't mind the drive, just as long as someone is riding with me to keep company. You never know what you'll run in to at 3AM on a highway in the middle of Nebraska. Sasquatch, aliens, Warren Buffet........gives me chills.
-Brian
"Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"
Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!
"I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham
LOL To me, in Canada, a two hour drive to anywhere...is...like..normal!
all thr best...
One of the country music bands I was in had many, many gigs where we spent more time driving than we did playing. I remember one night when my best friend rode with me and we rolled back into home town about 3am. The local police officer stopped us and claimed that I didn't give a turn signal at the stop light. I knew that I did because I saw him sitting a half block away.
I told him, you don't need to make up an excuse for stopping me. It looks odd in a small town like this for two guys behind tinted glass (previous owner did the tinting) driving in at 3am. He laughed and told us to have a nice morning.
GeeDeeEmm
UPDATE:
We played our gig last night (the one in the original post). It went really well. There was not a huge crowd, but we played outside in a small beer garden and it was full. There was no one inside the bar, they were all outside listening to us. Most importantly, the people that were there stayed all night and were really getting into ALL the music we played. We got tons of complements, not only about how good they thought we sounded, but also how much they loved our wide variety of music styles. Lots of dancing, hootin' and hollerin' and crowd interaction. Everyone was asking where we were from and when we would be back. We sold lots of our band's logo bumper stickers and koozies. The bartenders said everyone told them that "we were the band they want" playing there.
There was one fight that broke out in the crowd. We actually stopped playing in the middle of a song. Our guitar player announced over the PA that if they're going to fight, we're packing up and going home, LOL. It didn't take long for things to self rectify, and we started right back up where we left off.
Another odd thing happened. The place was only 1 block from major railroad tracks. About 10:00 we played Folsom Prison Blues (as usual). At the end of the song, exactly as we ended the song and I was doing a roll on the cymbals, a diesel train came by and blew their horn, LOL. The timing was perfect and the crowd went nuts, LOL. First time that's ever happened.
-Brian
"Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"
Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!
"I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham
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