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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
My first big audience..HELP!
My first big audience..HELP!
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harpdude61
146 posts
May 12, 2010
1:03 PM
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Our little town in east TN is having a blues/ribs/beer festival this Saturday. racksbythetracks.com
Robert Bradley is the headliner, Devon Allman (Gregg's son)is the second act, and Matt Walsh kicks it off.
The organizer of this event also host open mics at his place and he knows how much I dig Matt's rockabilly blues style. Anyway he called Matt and asked if I could sit in for a couple of tunes. So I get a super nice e-mail from Matt inviting me to jam.
I am excited but worry a little that something might go wrong. I have played in front of a couple hundred people but most knew me. They expect 3000+ if the weather is good.
Any advice is welcome on nerves, set-up, sweating, attitde, etc..etc..
My biggest worry is hearing myself. I follow what I've read and heard that speaking volume is enough to play and let the sound system do the work. I agree. I have much more control, better tone, etc..if I play softly. My problem is that if I cannot hear myself well, I become a puffing race horse and catch myself winded and gasping for breath at places in the music that I normally would not.
I'm sure they will have a pro soundman, but I read on here that if he mics my amp that I need to stay out of the monitor due to feedback.
I will have my Double Trouble amp and either my Green Bullet or my new SM 57 (Thanks Greg). I do like the sound I get thru the amp if I turn the amp volume high and just a little up on the mic control.
Would love to hear from some of you pros that have done this many times.
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Buddha
1801 posts
May 12, 2010
1:06 PM
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"I am excited but worry a little that something might go wrong."
If you do that, then something will go wrong. Be excited about playing great. Be excited about sounding great. Be excite about everything being right.
Great music only comes to those who are strongly rooted in light or dark. The middle ground is what causes trouble. Pick a side and go kick some ass.
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"The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are." - Joseph Campbell
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harpdude61
147 posts
May 12, 2010
1:09 PM
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Thanks Chris....inspiring comments!
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toddlgreene
1324 posts
May 12, 2010
1:20 PM
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You can go thru the monitor with a mic'd amp, but not too loud, and any soundman worth his salt can set you up right-he may have to EQ the signal you hear in the monitor to clip the highs and mids a bit, and take the edge off the feedback if it occurs. Unless you're playing with others who have insanely loud stage volume, you'll hear that DT at least a little bit onstage-it's a fairly loud little sucker. Heck, I can hear my Epi onstage, even though it's not prevalent-hence the mic into the PA, then I can hang.
You'll do fine. Just have fun!
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Todd L Greene. V.P.
Last Edited by on May 12, 2010 1:58 PM
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ZackPomerleau
883 posts
May 12, 2010
1:59 PM
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Dude, use your nervousness to make yourself excited. It is no different than playing in front of a hundred people. Well, that's a lie. The bigger the crowd the easier it is I feel. It's just awkward playing for like two people.
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waltertore
551 posts
May 12, 2010
2:22 PM
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I don't care how well you are prepared, playing for the first time, and many times after that, on stages, takes getting use to. Just enjoy it the best you can and don't be too hard on yourself. It will most likely be a blur. It is easy to say "relax" and all that but it takes experience to reach this point. Everyone that plays from their heart has to go through this. There is no pill, or book to read to cure it. Kind of like watching your child go through the challenges of growing up. No matter how well you prepare them, they are going to have to struggle to learn it right.
Even if you are fairly experienced onstage the truth of the matter is this - festivals are nortorious for band onstage sound. I have been on ones that had 10,000 people down to a few hundred, and pretty much at all of them the sound is bad, even with the million dollar systems. the soundmen do a generic mix for the night. Top bands carry their own soundman due to this. Plus it is always a rush on, rush off scenario. That adds to it - no real time to get it set up right. On top of this you will just sitting in for a couple songs. That gives you very little control over anything. The band may be loud as hell and you just have to flow with it. The best sound I have found on festival stages is this - I get on, and test the monitors. I make my comments to the soundman. If he responds well to my ears all is good. If I hear a mix that still is not good to my ears, I have him turn off the monitors. That usually messes with them, but I insist. At least then I can mix my sound to my liking by how loud I play each instrument.
Walter
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Last Edited by on May 12, 2010 2:26 PM
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jbone
321 posts
May 12, 2010
7:21 PM
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man let me chime in here. over 20 years of very active playing- jams, sit-ins, bands, free agancy, there have been very few times my perfectionist self has not found SOMEthing wrong with what i just played. but somewhere along the way i just decided that, being less than perfect is the human condition, and i would just roll along with whatever came my way. not that i don't work to improve, always! but despite things being not quite to my liking many times over- sound issues, harp blowout, personalities, tempo, etc etc, - i have learned to just be in the moment and let go. if you do what you know is the right thing, it will be noticed and appreciated.
that DT is the small HG amp is it not? i'd put that thing up high, at least on a chair, and position myself so i was directly in its sound cone so i could definitely hear myself. let the sound guy take it to the mains and don't fret over monitors. and it sounds like you have an invite from a guy who appreciates you. hopefully that will reassure you that you're on the right track!
as for crowd size, it doesn't matter until they begin applauding and hooting and yelling. and at that point take it in as encouragement and keep going. they will like whatever you do if it's from the heart and halfway competent. look at tom petty and some of the other current stars who play atrocious harp but receive accolades even so. i rarely look close at the crowd, i'm busy staying connected with the band and my instrument. the rest just takes care of itself.
once the first note is struck, your anxiety will disappear.
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Kyzer Sosa
519 posts
May 12, 2010
7:47 PM
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pretend everyone in the crowd is naked and if you play your harp right... they wont be so shy about themselves...and if you hit the wrong note? hold it for 5 seconds...
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Kyzer's Travels
Kyzer's Artwork
Last Edited by on May 12, 2010 7:48 PM
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harpdude61
149 posts
May 13, 2010
6:41 AM
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Zack....you do have a valid point. It does seem harder to play in front of one or two people than 100.
Good stuff Walt and Todd.
jbone...I will make sure my amp is aimed at me.
Kyzer...if everyone else is naked I'll want to be naked too!
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hvyj
330 posts
May 13, 2010
9:00 AM
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Have spare harps for the keys you are going to play, and have them where you can get to them quickly and easily. You never know when you may jam or flat out a reed.
Use the SM57. It is less prone to feedback. Also, if you have problems with feedback when you are not playing, you can hold the mic with its face/grill pointing straight up in the air. That will usually cut the feedback.
Have a spare mic cord at the gig. If the cord fails (it does happen), you're covered.
Relax, go with flow and have fun.
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Joe_L
250 posts
May 13, 2010
11:25 AM
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Have fun with it. Try not to sweat it. Do your thing to the best of your ability. If you aren't leading the tune, focus on the leader. Watch them.
Since, you are sitting in at the invitation of someone. That person is the only one you need to please. They already trust your ability or they wouldn't have invited you. In essence, you are playing for an audience of one.
I hope that helps a little.
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ZackPomerleau
885 posts
May 13, 2010
11:34 AM
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harpdude, I'd say it is probably some psychological thing that reminds us we can't be judged by lots of people in such a way that if affects us, but for a smaller crowd those people can easily affect you.
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