apskarp
141 posts
Mar 26, 2010
7:55 AM
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Tomorrow is the big day, our band's first gig takes place in Oulu Spring Blues 2010!
On wednesday the press was invited in the venue and I was asked to join the "house band" for that press event. We played 4 of my songs there + did some jamming. One of my songs was even broadcasted live to the local radio station!
I think that press event was the first "real" performance I have done with my songs and harp. (Of course I was earlier this year in "Ain't Nothin But" club jams and sang some songs of mine, but it's not really the same thing as having a band who can actually play them).
There were articles in few of the local newspapers and actually in one newspaper that is the biggest in northern Finland, so the advertisement for tomorrows gig is really good! Actually one paper even recorded some video clip that can be found from the net: http://www.kaleva.fi/lukijavideo/nayta/1651
I didn't know that they were recording video, I thought they just took some pictures. The clip is from the jamming session and I regret that it was in the key of C as I'm not very comfortable with my F-harp, but at least I know now that it's important to practice that key too.. ;)
There will be 3 bands besides us playing. The venue is very nice club that used to be a film theatre, so it's really a great place to perform:
http://www.teatteririo.fi/ohjelmisto/oulu_spring_blues.html
I made a new year's promise to have my first performance this year but I couldn't imagine that the very first gig would be on such a classy place. And I certainly couldn't anticipate to get my song on a live radio broadcast too! I'm really happy about how things have worked out!
I will write something about how it went after tomorrow.. :)
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apskarp
143 posts
Mar 27, 2010
11:32 PM
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Ok, gig is done and it was Awesome! We were the third band to play and the venue was full - something like 200 people or more, which is a big audience in a city this size (not to mention it was a Blues event).
I used Marble Max which was mic'd to PA and the sound was good on the stage and what I heard it was very good tone for the audience too.
Although it was a first real performance I was happy to notice that I didn't freeze. We made some minor mistakes etc but the overall atmosphere was great! We got lots of positive comments after the gig - and not just from the audience but also the other bands said it was really fantastic set we played. And you could really hear from the comments that the people really meant what they said.
I was very happy to hear that people liked the songs a lot and they also listened to the words. The whole set was played in finnish, and the rhythm and intonation of the language is different compared to english language which makes it sound a little bit different. But people really liked it. Actually somebody from the audience told me that he has had a bit difficult to listen to some bands that sing in finnish but our songs were good. I also heard many comments that people were commenting on the songs as we played that they really have a meaning, a story to be told. The lyrics are pretty personal to me and they always include something from my own life so it was really great that they were so well received.. Some lady even told me that "it was great to hear some blues with a taste of life".
So our first gig was really a best start a band can have: Advertisement on the newspapers, live performance on a radio, and a gig in a full club with an audience that really appreciated our songs. Musically this week has been a real breakthrough for me. I'm really committed to hone my crafts and I appreciate that we have forums such as MBH to support our path on the harmonica playing & the Blues.
Perhaps I'll put some songs on the youtube later and link it to here.
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captainbliss
11 posts
Mar 28, 2010
12:30 AM
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Congratulations!
Look forward to watching if / when you post stuff on YT.
xxx
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apskarp
144 posts
Mar 30, 2010
3:42 AM
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Here's a review of the event from Finland's biggest Blues portal: http://blues-finland.com/articles/oulu_spring_blues_2010.html
It is in finnish, of course, but you could use google translator to read about it. In short, the article gave very good comments both from the event and also on our performance. The interesting thing is the discussion whether the blues can be sang in finnish - the reviewer concluded that at least in our case (Hoodoo Sauna) it seems to work! This might be an interesting topic to discuss here also..
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apskarp
150 posts
Apr 03, 2010
12:11 PM
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Hello,
I linked few Youtube recordings from the gig to our band's myspace pages: www.myspace.com/hoodoosauna
Videos are a very good way to notice where you need improvement, I learned a lot by watching that gig about the performance and the playing. I would appreciate feedback from you as I'm sure fellow harpists have a good eye on some things that you are blind yourself.
Thank's!
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eharp
604 posts
Apr 03, 2010
1:23 PM
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i couldnt understand a single word? ;-)
you guys sounded very good. nice mix.
as a performance...i would suggest all of you moving around a little more. dont glue yourself to one spot.
you should "feel the groove" as rick estrin is fond of saying. watch him and gruenling. you can tell the music truly moves them.
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congaron
771 posts
Apr 03, 2010
2:48 PM
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Good job! Congratulations!
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clyde
26 posts
Apr 03, 2010
3:39 PM
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apskarp,
very nice! very tight band.... you play fine and i can tell you stay within yourself. after listening to you guys i think you will be the better judge of what you need to change or improve.
perform in a style that is comfortable to you. watch your vids and listen...then follow your path....not someone elses.
nice tone
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apskarp
151 posts
Apr 03, 2010
10:53 PM
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Thank's guys! That moving around thing was the first comment from our bassist too.
Some guy from the audience told me also that we should stay in the path we have selected. I think he meant the singing in finnish and the style of music we play..
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apskarp
157 posts
Apr 07, 2010
1:17 PM
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About the tone in the vids. I used cheap Superlux D112 bullet mic, Artec analog delay and 7W Marble Max mic'd to the PA. I've found the Superlux to be surprisingly good mic taken into account it cost only 49 euros. Actually I think it has about as good tone as some Green Bullets I've tried. The harps were Special 20 (C), MB (F) and Lee Oskar (A) used in 2nd position.
The sound was captured with regular handheld camera so it's not that great, but I got good comments on the tone from the other harpists in the event so I believe it really was a good tone also to the audience. Max worked very well as a monitor too.
The other harpists used Sonny Jr, which sounded very good to me - and the other harpist used some amp head from the 50's with some guitar cabinet he got to loan from somebody, it sounded surprisingly good too.
We didn't really have a proper sound-check and with the harpists it was almost non-existent. Perhaps it is like the harpist from the other band said that sound people think that harps are just some toys and it is far more important to take care of the guitar sounds.. :) Well, I'm glad the harps did sound very good that night regardless of those prejudices.
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