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Thread: BTUTAL gig tonight

  1. #1

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    Default BTUTAL gig tonight

    Just finished the most uncomfortable, mind taxing gig I've played in a long time...

    First; it was outdoors, on a sidewalk downtown, surrounded by concrete and brick buildings. The sun was shining right through an alley onto us. It was 102F (in the shade) with 58% humidity. With the humidity and heat radiating off the buildings and street, the heat index was just slightly less than the surface of the sun.

    Second; the acoustics were seriously screwing with us. No one could hear themselves. My brothers 500W Hartke bass amp was 5 feet away, cranked up to "8" and pointed right at me, but I could barely hear it. I couldn't hear my drums directly....except for the sound bouncing off the buildings. I couldn't figure out why I was dragging behind the beat and was never in the groove. No matter how hard I tried to correct, I was always behind and the guitars & vocals were rushing. I was completely disgusted with myself and the others. At our first break, I spoke with some friends & people in the crowd. They said everything sounded "in time" (and actually good) from out front. My only answer is maybe I was hearing the delayed sound of the drums bouncing off the buildings and it was screwing with my head.

    Thirdly; we were all tired and cranky after working all day and rushing to get set up. I was also tasked at the last minute with being the "MC" for the opening ceremony of the VFW Color Guard before we played.

    Thankfully, we only played 2 one-hour sets. Also, it was so hot that not a lot of people showed up. We got lots of compliments, but If we did sound as bad as I suspect, not many were there to hear it. I'm glad it's over. I just hope the local public access TV channel that was filming the event didn't catch us...
    -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

  2. #2

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    Default Re: BTUTAL gig tonight

    I played what may as well have been an outdoor gig tonight. It was inside of a shop at a local wrecker company, but the doors were open and it was hot. My toms kept going out of tune on me, but I made it work. It does give me an excuse to get new heads though!
    Six Piece Mapex Saturn V, Five Piece DW Performance Series, NOS Slingerland Snares, Centent Ardor and Emperor Cymbals


  3. #3

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    Default Re: BTUTAL gig tonight

    All July outdoor gigs are "BTUTAL".
    Gretsch USA & Zildjian
    (What Else Would I Ever Need ?)


  4. #4

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    Such is life. The ups, the downs,...
    Wish it could all be up but apparently suffering is in the cards for all of us.
    Sorry to hear of your bad gig.

  5. #5

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    Default Re: BTUTAL gig tonight

    BTUTAL! Way to adapt and hang in there!



    Beatrice Nebraska, population was 12,459 at the 2010 census:



    I love Corn Hole'N and Hotdogs!:



    By the looks of the sun hitting the narrow alley ways pictured in the background, there doesn't look like much "air" flow between buildings. I bet you guys were sweating like hogs?? Suey!!


  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ricardo View Post
    All July outdoor gigs are "BTUTAL".
    The worst part was the mental aspect. The acoustics really did a number on my mental state (at least I'm going to blame acoustics ). At one point, I reverted back to quarter notes on the hats...boom-chic, boom-chic....just to try to keep us together. It really shook up my confidence. I felt like a complete novice....more than usual. It was like a musical version of "Pokemon Go" with everyone looking for the groove

    Quote Originally Posted by late8 View Post
    BTUTAL! Way to adapt and hang in there!

    I love Corn Hole'N and Hotdogs!:

    By the looks of the sun hitting the narrow alley ways pictured in the background, there doesn't look like much "air" flow between buildings. I bet you guys were sweating like hogs?? Suey!!
    The street runs north/south, so there was a little breeze...but it was a hot, moist wind from the south. The kind that makes it feel like you're fighting for air. We did each get a free gourmet hotdog...which was nice. I had a 1/4Lb polish sausage topped with pulled pork, chipotle coleslaw, onions and a dill pickle, all on a potato bread bun! A move that I regretted this morning...

    That blue building with the clock tower is the "Schmuck" building, LOL. Also purported to be haunted. Last year, I joined the planning committee for these monthly events, so now I get to help organize the events every month. The charity organization that funds it and organizes it asked me yesterday to be on their board of directors. We'll see how much time I have to spare.
    Last edited by N2Bluz; 07-22-2016 at 03:09 PM.
    -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

  7. #7

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    Default Re: BTUTAL gig tonight

    Quote Originally Posted by N2Bluz View Post
    The worst part was the mental aspect. The acoustics really did a number on my mental state (at least I'm going to blame acoustics ). At one point, I reverted back to quarter notes on the hats...boom-chic, boom-chic....just to try to keep us together. It really shook up my confidence. I felt like a complete novice....more than usual. It was like a musical version of "Pokemon Go" with everyone looking for the groove



    The street runs north/south, so there was a little breeze...but it was a hot, moist wind from the south. The kind that makes it feel like you're fighting for air. We did each get a free gourmet hotdog...which was nice. I had a 1/4Lb polish sausage topped with pulled pork, chipotle coleslaw, onions and a dill pickle, all on a potato bread bun! A move that I regretted this morning...

    That blue building with the clock tower is the "Schmuck" building, LOL. Also purported to be haunted. Last year, I joined the planning committee for these monthly events, so now I get to help organize the events every month. The charity organization that funds it and organizes it asked me yesterday to be on their board of directors. We'll see how much time I have to spare.
    The "Schmuck" building? Bawhaha...Now that's too funny. I like this picture of you guys. The kit is just too freaking cool for words! As far as the "slapback" sound bouncing off the walls of the buildings...that drives me nuts and I've been similar situations with echoes and reverberations and "dumbing down" the playing was a wise decision.


  8. #8

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    forget the heat, that many stringed instruments would drive anybody over the top whacko!
    RDM/Damage Poets
    UFiP TAMAHA Zildjian
    REGAL TiP
    AQUARIAN

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by slinky View Post
    forget the heat, that many stringed instruments would drive anybody over the top whacko!
    Well, as of an hour ago, it appears we have one less, LOL. Our one dedicated lead player decided he wanted to go a different direction I guess. That's OK. He didn't sing or play any other instruments anyway and rarely showed up at practice or to load equipment. Mostly just showed up to play gigs. We still have 2 solid lead players. He was a part-time member for quite a while, then decided he wanted in all the way about 6mo. ago. He's got a lot of stuff going on outside the band, so I anticipated this all along. I THINK we can still get by as a 6pc band .

    He's a darn good guitarist and a really good guy. We'll definitely be LESS of a band without him and miss him, but he needs to do what he feels is best. Our primary singer has been saying he wants to cut back on his responsibilities....so maybe we'll try to pick up someone who can really sing well...ohhhh, and pick a real 5-string banjo! Then again, we'll make more $$$ as a 6pc..
    Last edited by N2Bluz; 07-22-2016 at 05:30 PM.
    -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

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by N2Bluz View Post
    Then again, we'll make more $$$ as a 6pc..
    That's the right way to look at such a situation, lol
    Six Piece Mapex Saturn V, Five Piece DW Performance Series, NOS Slingerland Snares, Centent Ardor and Emperor Cymbals


  11. #11

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    Eeek. Sounds painful. One of those 'please just let me get through the night' kind of gigs. I'd love to hear you guys sometime - I'm betting I'd love y'alls music.

    Tex

  12. #12

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    It happens. Hate it when it does. All you can do is learn from it and move on.

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by N2Bluz View Post
    The worst part was the mental aspect. The acoustics really did a number on my mental state (at least I'm going to blame acoustics ). At one point, I reverted back to quarter notes on the hats...boom-chic, boom-chic....just to try to keep us together. It really shook up my confidence.
    That, in and of itself, shows your professionalism. You knew what needed to be done and did it. Can't ask for any more than that!

    Keep your confidence up. You earned it!
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  14. #14

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    Thanks, guys. As it turns out, my sister-in-law recorded 2 songs on her iPhone. It was DEFINITELY the acoustics on the street. Everything sounded fine from out in front. Actually, the mix sounded pretty good. We did have a few issues rushing in spots, but it was only slightly and we corrected pretty well. For the most part, we sounded pretty tight.

    I'll have to file this one under "odd venue acoustics". Short of mic'ing all the instruments and using earbud monitors, I'm not sure what we could have done. Ultimately, I think that's the answer to 95% of the venues we play. We just don't have the funds. Maybe we should have set up at the end of the street..so the sounds projecting down between the rows of buildings and not bouncing back to us at odd angles. Maybe with more experience, I'll be able to "read" the venues better and take preemptive measures. In the meantime, this has been a valuable learning experience.
    -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

  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by N2Bluz View Post
    I'll have to file this one under "odd venue acoustics". Short of mic'ing all the instruments and using earbud monitors, I'm not sure what we could have done. Ultimately, I think that's the answer to 95% of the venues we play. We just don't have the funds. Maybe we should have set up at the end of the street..so the sounds projecting down between the rows of buildings and not bouncing back to us at odd angles. Maybe with more experience, I'll be able to "read" the venues better and take preemptive measures. In the meantime, this has been a valuable learning experience.
    See what you did there? Used your experience to ensure improvement the next time and from then on. We never stop growing, do we? It's all good!!!
    Signature here

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