Live Performance & Production > Backstage

Looks like it is going to finally happen

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Nobody Told Me:
Congrats on the gig, ZombieCat.  Enjoy your time onstage.  But be warned, performing in front of a good crowd can be a terribly addicting thing.  In a good way! :thu:

ZombieCat:
Thanks Nobody, I am really looking forward to it. The songs are easy ones so I can "rock out" without fear of screwing up too badly. Now I just have to figure out what to wear.  ;)

I have heard it is extremely addictive which might be just what I need to get kicked started into forming a band.

rhat:

--- Quote from: ChordGirl on April 16, 2010, 05:10:24 AM ---
--- Quote from: ZombieCat on April 16, 2010, 05:01:44 AM --- The only true open mic we had out here (which is now no longer) was anti-amp so I never got to play that one.

--- End quote ---

Well, that's silly of them, but I can see that happening.   


And, for real....  don't worry about your stage experience posting over there.  From what I can tell, the people there really do like to help.  So, even if you're just thinking about getting to the stage, it's a great place for feedback.    :)  You just have to know that compared to most of the people, you're the noob!!!.  LOL!!  --just teasing ya!  We all start somewhere. 
 

--- End quote ---


Have fun and enjoy yourself.   

As for the amp thing,, I can see why a place would go anti amp.   So many guys who want to sit in
tend to make way too big a deal about the gear part of it. Nothing is worse than a guy who thinks he
needs to load in his amp and a ton of effects pedel to play a couple or three songs with the backing
 band.   We had a guy do that to us on one of the last jam nights I played before heading back to
MI.   It was a total distraction for the crowd and the guy ended up wanking up the rest of the night.
We could not get rid of him.   With an electric jam... typically the best way is to just plug into the amp
thats on the stage and play a few and the guy who holds that house seat will sit out.  If its an extra
who knows he is going to be up alot ,, he typically will be invited ahead of time and told to bring an
amp... they are typically called special guests.  If you are invited to sit in ahead of time , check with the guy who invited you on how they want to handle the amp deal.  Again have a good time.   jam nights can be a lot of fun and the good ones tend to almost turn into scripted shows.. with a group of special guests who rotate through the lineup for the night.  Its a good way to meet musicans and a good way to become a known factor.  Its also a zero comittment deal , so that works better for some guys than a real band.

ZombieCat:
I totally understand an open mic being anti-amp but it was the only open mic in my area that would let you do your own thing (poetry reading, music, dance, you name it just no amps). For the others with set lists, just not my thing as I really do not want to get up and play Mustang Sally (yes that really was on the list at both places). The one that had an okay set list (lots of classic rock: Doors, Zeppelin, Who, etc) was more of an old boys club where it was set up for a close group of people to get together and jam. I tried talking to the guy in charge about their back line, how things were handled, etc and he just kept blowing me off both time I went.

I have a feeling if I do well with my friends band, I will get to sit in more often so that will help with playing out.

rhat:
Yea i can fully understand why stang is on the set list.  Its a simple song that spans like 40 years of
cover bands.   When you work a set list up for an open jam night you have to keep it simple and you
need to play stuff that flys with a wide age demographic.  If you sat in at the jam night where I play
keys ,, you would do stang and sweet home too.  We also have a set of blues thats easy for guys to
jump in on, which we feel is important so that a good player can get up and look good and not have to
be an insider to get the crowd going. 

The house bands plays the first set.  We try to set the bar pretty high right out of the gate. A typical
opening song for us is my music by loggins and macina and then do an eagles tune both
having harmony on the vocals.  the known factors tend to get in early in the show... then the middle is
all stuff where its easy to new guys to sit in.


We will do stuff you choose if you give us the key and at
least a couple guys have played it before.  Toward the end of the show , the house band tends to take
back over and do some of the songs off the hosts CD.   We try to be as guest friendly as we can and
still have it be a good show for the people in the bar.  While I have heard people complain about how
its run and structured ,,, It does have a repuation as a really good night of music and not an amateur
hour.  The backing band has some guys who have charted and had major record label deals.  While we do
alot of old rock,,, we are also old guys. and tend to attract an older crowd.  Its hard to put on a good
jam night ,,,,,and make it work.  If a bar has a host and backing band that can pack the place week in
and week out ,, they dont like to mess with the format too much. 

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