HarpNinja
1594 posts
Aug 21, 2011
9:31 PM
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I've sorta asked something like this before...well maybe more hinted at wanting to do this than asking these specifics, but...
For you solo types, how long are your sets? Could you do 3x60min like a band? My work/booking/and family would benefit from doing more shows closer to home...the ideal would be solo shows where there are usually blues or classic rock bands for $300 a night. I'd obviously ask for less, but I am worried that 3x60 would get old to people.
Any real-world input? Thanks!
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
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HarpNinja
1595 posts
Aug 21, 2011
9:35 PM
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Note: I have a full PA and lights and have played two sets solo (two separate gigs). It would be a Son of Dave meets Otis Taylor meets Blues Traveler kind of thing. I've been so busy with custom work that I haven't set up a recorder, but I plan on sharing tunes soon.
The only investment would be a POG of some sort to better track bass lines. I have a looper, etc (ok, maybe I want a stompbox).
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
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Honkin On Bobo
747 posts
Aug 22, 2011
7:44 AM
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I've never done this so i don'tknow that this is "real-world" input as much as it's just my opinion.
I love the harp as much as the next guy, but three hours of solo/one man band harp, would be a little much for me.
Busking is one thing as the audience is more transient, but in a club for a static audience, my opinion is it wouldn't fly.
I'm sure they'll be opposite opinions in here, but remember, there are people in here who would happily spend three straight hours watching a film on how to take apart and customize your harmonica.
It's not exactly a random sample of the music loving public.
Just my $0.02
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HarpNinja
1601 posts
Aug 22, 2011
8:32 AM
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My initial thought is while logistically easier, solo is much harder to sustain long term. It would be easier to bring a guitar player or bass player. I can emulate a bass, so probably guitar.
In that way, I can do half and half and do any featued sets solo.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
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Honkin On Bobo
748 posts
Aug 22, 2011
8:43 AM
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It would be great if Adam read this thread and weighed in, I mean, he's produced his own one man band CD, which he has undoubtedly supported by playing out. I'd love to hear how long he play's for with a typical show.
Half and half with a featured solo set seems like a great idea to keep things fresh.
Last Edited by on Aug 22, 2011 8:44 AM
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KingoBad
850 posts
Aug 22, 2011
8:48 AM
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I think the real key is if they keep inviting you back...
If they are our dancing and you are selling drinks, I don't think it matters...
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Danny
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toddlgreene
3229 posts
Aug 22, 2011
8:54 AM
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I don't think I could pay attention to a one-man band for more than an hour or so, and that's for someone with a phenomenal show. If I were doing the OMB thing myself, I'm not sure I would market myself for 3-4 hour shows, unless I brought in other players to break the monotony.
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Todd L. Greene
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LSC
70 posts
Aug 22, 2011
9:19 AM
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You perhaps should define what you intend to do a bit more. Some seem to have interpreted that you're thinking of playing nothing but harmonica for three hours straight which I don't think is the case.
Assuming that you're going to be singing, playing guitar and harp on a rack, in general, there is no reason a three set show won't work. I do it all the time and know a few others as well. The only thing is I wouldn't be looking for gigs in bars that normally hire classic rock. Totally the wrong environment and audience.
Your best bet is restaurants. The pay can be pretty good. The audience is constantly turning over so trying to entertain somebody for the whole three hours is not an issue. You need to watch volume carefully and understand that basically you're musical wallpaper. If you let it get to you it can be soul destroying. On the other hand once you learn the craft you'll be surprised how many people are actually listening. They'll hit your tip jar and give compliments. Some will even buy a CD if you have them displayed. You'll also occasionally pick up private parties, wedding receptions and the like which are great payers.
Another market might be small bars and pubs. You can be more of an entertainer in these sort of places. Farmers markets and craft fairs can sometimes be good if there is enough of a crowd. It's pretty much formalized busking, relying on tips, but a good place to get skills.
Like most everything else, playing solo is a learned skill. It's not just about playing, though it certainly helps to be good. It's also about understanding what your job is really and then doing it in a truly professional manner.
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LSC
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apskarp
533 posts
Aug 22, 2011
9:39 AM
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I'll second toddlgreene, my attention span isn't enough for even a full band for more than 60 minutes (except if it's REALLY good). But I guess the clubs might want to have 3 sets just to have some live music in the house. In that case it's not so important what you are playing as far as it has rhythm and it doesn't annoy the people.. ;) If it's danceable it's ok.
I guess the main thing here is to get money, not so much to make "art" - both for the club and for the artist. Around here it's always 1 hour sets - you might have two gigs in a row at the same place (friday & saturday), but it's rarely more than one set per band in each night. I've heard of deals where the one set is payed in advance, but the bartender might extend it to second set if the drinks are selling well.
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Youtube
Hoodoo Sauna
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oldwailer
1681 posts
Aug 22, 2011
9:45 AM
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I'm primarily a guitarist/singer who does a little harp to break things up now and then and I haven't played a lot of solo gigs that went that long, but I have done a few.
I really don't think the guitar/singer thing is that much different--I'd just have to be a lot better on harp to carry a whole gig on just the harp and voice. With looping and back tracks, (which I don't do), I don't see why a person couldn't do it--I'd sure as hell pay to hear Son of Dave or Brendan Powers or Adam for 3 hours--and I'd have a good time doing it!
Maybe I'm just not that good or whatever--but I find that the audience changes over every hour or so anyway, at least for the type of venues I play--except for a few hard-cores that hang in to the end and then buy a CD--they're usually the amateur musicians who ask for lessons and such--(musicians are usually the best audience for what I do).
I think the advice to go for the small bars and restaurants is good--but there are exceptions--one of the best places I ever played was a huge biker bar where they loved anything remotely blues--which is just about all I do these days. . .
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Oldwailer's Web Site
Always be yourself--unless you suck. . .
-Joss Whedon
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lumpy wafflesquirt
413 posts
Aug 22, 2011
2:01 PM
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I recently went to what was supposed to be a jam session, but I was the only player. There weren't that many punters either but I played an hour and a half or so of varied 'easy listening' music on a mixture of diatonic and chromatic. It went down well as 'wallpaper music'. I couldn't have played for much longer as I had played virtually every tune I have practised.
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"Come on Brackett let's get changed"
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Kingley
1617 posts
Aug 22, 2011
2:48 PM
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Personally I couldn't bear to listen to more than about three songs by a solo harp player. I watched Son of Dave on YouTube and after less than three minutes was bored silly. I suspect that most paying audiences would not want to see a solo harp act. Except of course for some of the fanatics at blues festivals or harmonica conventions.
I dislike the whole backing tracks/ loops thing in live performance. I want to see musicians playing instruments not machines. It's ok on a YouTube video or on a CD, but not something I'd ever want to see live.
Even in the context of a full show by a band, I think one solo harp number is more than enough.
Last Edited by on Aug 22, 2011 2:49 PM
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MrVerylongusername
1880 posts
Aug 22, 2011
2:58 PM
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Even Son of Dave seems to acknowledge the problem, since his shows involve far more theatrics and dialogue with the audience than usual. His show is at least 30% working the crowd and he is a master at it.
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Matzen
223 posts
Aug 22, 2011
4:18 PM
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I also don't think I could sit through much more than an hour of the one man band thing. I think you'd be able to do more sets with a duo?
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eharp
1432 posts
Aug 22, 2011
4:21 PM
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there was a local dj in detroit (npr station wdet) that played blues as a solo act- guitar and harp. what made him special, imo, was his ability to tell stories, explain the history, and give some good background information.
never saw anyone leave his show early.
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kudzurunner
2657 posts
Aug 22, 2011
4:34 PM
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I'll be happy to weigh in. First question: It's one thing to play "solo harp"; to stand at a mic and play, with no rhythm accompaniment. It's another thing to do what I and Deak do, which is carry a strong beat on some sort of drumset. That latter element immediately lets us, at least potentially, substitute for a duo or trio.
I'm still in the process of convincing myself that it's possible to do what I do and get people to pay me for it. At this point, I've proven to my own satisfaction that I'm a solid opening act and a solid one-set festival act, with a powerful 45-60 minute set. The one-man thing has turned out to be a great addition to my "here's what I can offer" toolkit as a teacher of clinics. But that's one sort of gig--the away-from-home sort. When I play here in Oxford, the bread-and-butter gigs at a local BBQ joint, I play with a guitar player.
I haven't done many two-set gigs, although I've done a couple. 2 x 60 minutes is a lot, especially when you're pounding on the drums. I just don't think most people want quite that much solo harmonica! I did 2 x 60 at Buddy Guy's Legends in the summer of 2010 and I was scraping the bottom of the barrel by the end. I've worked up quite a bit more material at this point, but two 60s is pretty much the limit of what I'd want to do. There's no place to hide or coast, really, when you're playing solo. Lips, even well conditioned ones, can get tired. I just played 2 x 40 at a community center in South Carolina and it went well. I took a solid break and had a couple of drinks and the second set was fun--the right kind of fun, where quality of execution is increased rather than decreased by the booze.
If you add one piece, like a guitar, it's suddenly a whole different ballgame.
One thing I tried in SC that made a huge difference was varying the sound: I put down the harp mic, shifted my left foot from the big kickdrum sound to a shaker pedal, and played acoustically on the vocal mic. Later I stood up altogether in the middle of "Sweet Home Chicago" and just banged out the groove on harp with no percussion. Both those texture vary-ers were good reset buttons that, I think, left both performer and audience refreshed. I still don't vary positions enough; I need to work more 3rd and 1st position into the mix.
So varying the texture and instrumentation is part of how you make it work. I've got a big chromatic on order and will work that into the show by and by.
When you're playing solo, recognizable melodies are good--they work even when there's no harmony behind them--and of course a strong groove is a must, or at least it is for what I do. I'm trying to pitch what I do somewhere between beer-mug raising bar boogie and showcase-style transfix-em-to-the-seats stuff. I do NOT mind if people are talking loud and drinking while I play. If people are enjoying themselves while I play, that's great.
Actually, I'll add a third dynamic: the singer-songwriter who tells funny little stories between sets. I do a bit of storytelling to introduce songs and it seems to work well. It breaks up the (relative) monotony.
In answer to HarpNinja: 3 x 60 as a solo harp act is just too damned much harp! Much better, as you've surmised, to bring a guitar guy or bassist in for some portion of that.
Last Edited by on Aug 22, 2011 4:40 PM
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dougharps
95 posts
Aug 22, 2011
9:34 PM
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I may have posted about this before:
A singer, guitar, rack harp player in Champaign-Urbana had a weekly Tuesday night gig at a local club. He consistently brought out a crowd every week because he would do a solo set, then be joined by a local singer/guitar/drummer/sax/trumpet/keyboard player, etc, for two sets. Many of the guest artists fronted their own bands. The variety in an acoustic duo format was great to hear, and you heard local performers in a different setting. He did this in addition to other band playing.
Mike, it seems like there should be a lot of talent in your town, and you probably know a lot of people that could join you for two sets and a cut of the money.
Just an idea to consider...
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Doug S.
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HarpNinja
1605 posts
Aug 22, 2011
9:49 PM
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Thanks!
Right now, I think I can do some 2x60 or 1x60 sets in my hometown for pay. I would use a looper, multi-fx rig, and a stompbox. I will also include some basic hand percussion instruments.
I've been working 50/50 on covers and originals. Songs range from solo harp, to looped harp, to acapella, to harpboxing (only two tunes totally live).
The real sticking point is whether I just do whatever I want or really pair it down to an "image". I think my demeanor leans towards doing a trance blues thing like Otis Taylor but with a smile. Son of Dave is too much of a character for my personality.
I can either take the gimmick of covering pop music or being more rootsy. I think I'll be rootsy and add pop as I extend my sets. Actually, with my guitar player, I can do both!
I really enjoy the coverband I am in now - Blues Traveler meets pop music, but I only play 1-3 times a month like that and it is a different scene. I miss the small bars and blues crowds. My coverband is solid enough that my rehearsal energy can go to a solo/sometimes duo project.
If put on the spot, I could fill 45min-60min right this second. After a weekend of rehearsal, I could push two hours and worry more about stage show than learning tunes.
FWIW, I came up with a slow blues today that is just harp and stompbox. I'd YouTube it, but I don't have a way to amp the foot stomping. Otherwise, everything has been really influenced by Otis Taylor and SOD. The covers are more SOD and my originals are more like a happy OT.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
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2chops
22 posts
Aug 23, 2011
6:39 AM
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Adam brings up a good point about tired lips. The 1st time I did my solo act at a small pizza shop, I learned quick the importance of working the crowd. This is easy for me cause that's part of my personality. But even with that, my lips started to get the shakes at about the 45 minute mark. I worked this into the shtick. But as a solo gig, for me an hour is all I care for. I've done 90 minutes with 1 10 minute break. But man was I gassed.
I've recently started sitting in with a small group that does a lot of jazz style stuff. Key boards, sax & drums. So my Bb in 3rd position is getting a good workout. Which brings up the topic of variety. These guys have forced me to expand my previous repatoire'. They also have me doing vocals on a few tunes. Again, I'm really being pushed out of my comfort zone. So...
Now when I do my solo thing, I can add the jazz and vocals to break up my previous "harp attack" routine. Work on your vocals. I've never heard you sing, but trust me, you're probably better that you think.
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