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beginner forum: for novice and developing blues harp players >
Gear, gigs, blather
Gear, gigs, blather
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SuperBee
4466 posts
Jan 30, 2017
1:35 PM
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Hey folks.
We played at a wedding on the weekend. That was different. Really nice people, everyone wanted to get down and have fun, even the ladies who kept requesting Brown Eyed Girl. They started out asking to sing Mustang Sally. Which we let them do because it was a wedding and they were part of the family/friends so not just random interlopers, seemed right to do our best to be accommodating. But brown eyed girl we couldn't do. This band is not a classic hits jukebox. Probably get a lot more work if we were.
The couple were not so young but seemed young to me. I dunno, they could have been mid 30s?
Anyway, they wanted us to play from 6.30 to 7.30 while they had dinner. Of course speeches went over time so we played from about 6.45
It was a large domestic kind of room. Maybe 25' x 40', timber floors and other rooms attached, I mean large openings to other rooms, like a galley kitchen and large serving space up the back and a 10'x15' lounge to the side, a large deck and entrance off the other side.
I used my 15w combo and it was certainly loud enough during the dinner set. I had to be careful to keep it down. Standing so close to the amp I found I often couldn't really tell how loud it was but stepping out front a little I could hear it was much louder on the floor than it seemed to me at the mic. I kind of managed to form an impression of the relativity to help me judge what I was doing. I was keeping an eye on body language in the audience too.
We took a long break after that set while they did more wedding stuff. They fed us and gave us drinks. We could've eaten as much as we wanted and could have hit the drinks harder but I think that would have been a bad idea.
The plan was we would play 2 'dance' sets, but again there was a late start and we understood the finish time was not negotiable so we just played right through in one long set, at the end of which they wanted us to keep going. We did go on for 2 more songs than planned which took us to about 10:15pm. Bandleader had to balance desire to deliver value to customer against interests of band members who had been told 'that won't happen' when fears of wedding gigs going to 'all hours' were expressed.
I used a mic I haven't used much at all in the 4 or 5 years I've had it. It's a nice clean foil label JT30 shell refitted with a '59 CM 99H86 element. I always thought the thing lacked bottom but after Saturday night I've decided it's actually pretty cool. Just noticed it was a bit slippery to hold when my hands got sweaty at one time. It's summer here and it did get warm in the band corner.
Oh, the mustang Sally girl sat her wine glass on my amp. I moved it to the window ledge. She wasn't staggering or anything but she was rather animated.
I also bought a multiple outlet power supply for my pedals. Because I used the ampeg jet I wanted to be able to use my reverb pedal and my delay. I am so sick of running separate power supplies, or alternatively relying on batteries for these that I shelled out for a Cioks power supply. Great! One lead out to the zone under my vocal mic and good reliable connection to the pedals. One less thing to be distracted by. I may yet set the pedals up on a board, but I don't use many. It's rare I use the reverb pedal because my 410 has good on board reverb. But I may get a 'terminator' box or equivalent, I like to have a delay, and I have a goofy uni vibe pedal which I'd probably use once a night if it was there. As it is I usually can't be bothered so it sits unused.
So that's the story. I enjoyed it. And to be part of someone's wedding felt kind of privileged actually. Definitely quite different to playing in a pub. And I can say that my 12" 15-ish watt combo was pretty much up to the task, without any reinforcement from PA. Just in some of the more dense songs it was a bit lost in the mix but it was obviously still audible on the floor.
This weekend we are playing on a big pro stage outdoors, an afternoon gig. I think we have to incorporate CBG into the act. Seems our Sunday sessions may have helped get us the gig, there is some connection between the proprietors of the venues. Our fee is still floating around the same mark though this is worth $500. I think we've set $400 as the low water mark. If we have to provide PA it's like another band member because there is cartage and set up/break down, as well as capital/depreciation. It really adds a lot of time to the job. The wedding stuff paid better because it's a private negotiation. I doubt there'll be a lot of that.
The new songs I had to play here;
Sweet Home Chicago I'd be happy to play anytime now. The Little Junior Parker approach is good.
Key to the Highway I'd like to do a little more work on but it was ok.
Stormy Monday I did zero prep for and I thought it was my best work of the night.
T-bone Shuffle really just required me to get that hook sorted and play it on a D harp. I wondered briefly if it might sit better in another position on another harp but in the end I had no time to think it through. So I went with what I knew. The only reason for doubt is that the action all revolves around the 3 hole bends and my mind thinks I'd have been more comfortable on something lower than a D harp. But then again I play a LOT of D harp and i seem to manage.
I'm in the Mood: I just had no idea what to do. Iirc I resorted to fills. I think I'm going to do more fills rather than chugs in these songs where I'd rather not play at all. I think it's not an option to totally lay out, because there are too many songs like that. If I was singing I'd definitely not play harp on them, but I'm not singing either. So the alternative would be standing around. Which would be better than detracting from the songs but I need to find a way to add value which is actually good. Hard when there's no practice sessions.
By the way, this is almost exactly the same experience I have at open jams. I am very rarely satisfied unless I'm leading the song. I tell myself it's because the others don't really understand how to play with a harp in the band, but I think it's probably up to me to find a way to work with that. Ron Sunshine laughed when I asked him what to do about it, and said 'stop going to those kind of jams'. But he also said to listen to the Tbird's sugar coated love.
Ok, thanks for reading. I gotta get to work.
Last Edited by SuperBee on Jan 30, 2017 1:36 PM
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MindTheGap
2081 posts
Jan 31, 2017
1:12 AM
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That was a good read, thank you.
We thought about getting into playing events like weddings and suchlike. Lots of positives. But in the end the need to play a range of requests put everyone off. Although, as cool dudes we aren't supposed to like playing Mustang Sally are we? But I do, I can't help it.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Jan 31, 2017 1:13 AM
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SuperBee
4467 posts
Jan 31, 2017
4:21 AM
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I don't actually know how to play it and I couldn't quite followvthe other night. Just when I thought I had it, it changed. Possibly because they were following singers who didn't know either.
I'd play it if I could. Probably should learn it I guess.
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MindTheGap
2082 posts
Jan 31, 2017
4:51 AM
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It's surprisingly long between changes! I remember the singer (for who it's a fav) having trouble coming in at the right place, for ages. But it's worth it - it seems to flick a switch in peoples' heads. I guess people of a certain age remember it from the original, people of another certain age remember it from The Commitments. It's also satisfying to drum to - all those snare drum fills and stops/starts, and also good to play bass to.
Plus, traditionally being in the key of C, a legitimate use of the F-harp. How often can you say that? :)
Brown eyed girl is a good song too, although not sure how a harmonica fits with it. Awkwardly I'd have thought. At least those are great songs though. It was the thought of Tie a Yellow Ribbon and suchlike that put us off. Otherwise I liked the idea of playing to a bunch of people who are predisposed to having a good time, and being in a good mood. Plus a mix of ages.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Jan 31, 2017 4:55 AM
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