Your Own Review(s) Of Your Gig(s)? (Page 1 of 2)

Fine with me, BGD. Just don't be too hard on yourself! Sunday was just a suggestion anyway.

Bill

I haven't gigged since university days (late 70's) but there certainly is one "performance" I recall from Grade 12. If I'd thought through the outcome, I never would have done it.

During Grade 12 winter carnival, my school had a talent night. I entered as a solo act, and did a 3-song tribute to my fallen hero (Jimi Hendrix) who had died 2 years before. After doing "The Star Spangled Banner" and "Purple Haze", I finished with a Hendrix-style version of "O Canada", closing it with the opening barres of Brahm's Lullaby. I was the typical angry young man, who viewed my country as an apathetic nation asleep at the switch. Well, sir ... the fireworks from that!

A sound lecture in the Principal's office the next day by senior staff left me no doubt as to what their opinion was of my disrespect for our national anthem. And looking back, they were absolutely right. It's a memory I'll always have, but more important is was a lesson I truly needed to learn.

Wow! I sure appreciate the candor, guys! I once (and posted about it here, I believe) tried to sing and play "Legend In My Time" - The Johnny Cash version - and couldn't keep myself from tearing up and consequently choking up, as it was not long after his passing that I did that. I finally just said "eff it!", cleared my throat and did "Under The Boardwalk". One person told me I was short-changing the audience when I tried to do the tune, "so take it out of your song list."

TF: Did you introduce what you were about to do, or did the audience "get it" on their own? Also were you regularly in the Principal's office? Pretty brave (as well as angry) "young man".

grah1: Did the audience really notice the mistake or was it just you who did? In other words, did they throw fecal material onto the stage? I remember something a pilot once told me (and I am sure you've heard it as well) "Any landing you walk away from is a good one." No matter, you got it right (to your own satisfaction) the second time, so you must have had a kind-hearted audience.

Doug_S: That's a self-criticism I don't think I've ever heard before. and I had to read it twice before I "understood" it. Are you saying you don't practice enough, and so leave out much of the instrumental "break"? If that's the case, I would love to have seen the faces of your fellow musicians when they realized it. "There's FIVE more bars!!!!"

Anyway, these are all just my opinions and y'all know that "opinions are like a**holes, everybody's got one."

I'd love to hear/read more, because one of my favorite things to do has always been playing (and talking about) music. I can talk to you about Beethoven all day long, for instance.

Thanks for sharing!

Bill

Bill it  was  only  me  and  the band that  realised what  had  gone  wrong the audience  seemed unaware .
I think we are  always  our  own worst  critics, which can be  a  good  thing  as it  keeps  you  humble .
I  would  hope  never to become  a prima donna  like  some I  have  observed  .
A  few  years  back I was in the  same show  as  a famous  Greek TV personality  who  played a rock star in his show ,he arrived  sat on top  of  the  courteously bus refusing  to ride inside it ,  spent most  of  his set  riding a  skate board  round  the  stage  and shouting at  the  sound  guy  when he  felt  his  mic wasn't  right ,at  the  hotel  he just  disrespected his  band  and wouldn't speak  to  us  "mortals"  What  an A*****e!!!!!!! this  was  some  one  who  really  needed to  look inside himself and take on board  criticism.

Good Morning, Doug and Grah1!

Doug, sorry. Sometimes it takes me a couple of times, but usually I do finally get it. I see what you're saying and yeah, backgrounds would certainly help, I would think. Do you just get asked up from the audience and are therefore "put on the spot"?

Grah1, then that's great, right, and you were asked for a reprise of this very fine tune? Is it possible the guy was just getting into character? (Your prima donna, I mean) or was this guy a complete piece of shit? I guess only you would know, so I'll go by your description of him.

I just looked at your location and it says "Snowy Settle", which I at first read as "Seattle", but you're in the UK, right? ANy of your stuff on YouTube, my friend?

Again, thanks for everyone's candor. I don't think you'd tell these things to me if I weren't a fellow musician and I know to appreciate that.

Bill

As folks are bringing up old stories from the past, I'll add one.  It happened 30 years ago on March 1st (my birthday).  I've never gigged much (not since my high school days when I was a drummer) as I prefer to just sit and pick around a campfire with other musicians. However, the winter of '84-'85 I agreed to play at a local watering hole/restaurant.  The deal was $50 and all I could drink to play from 9-12, however, if there was a good crowd, I could make another $20 if I played until 1:00 am. 

The first time I played, several of my kayaking buddies showed up and as they were all heavy drinkers, the bar owner was happy with the money she made and the waiters liked the good tips.  I was heavy into whitewater boating back then and told the owner I would only play one Saturday night a month through the winter when it was too cold to spend every weekend on a river somewhere. Each time I played, there was an ad in the paper for "River Rat" night as I mostly played originals I'd written about river running. Sometimes I was joined by a couple other pickin' friends to add banjo and bass to the mix.  In mid-February, I got a call wanting me to play again in a couple weeks.  I agreed, forgetting that the date was on my birthday.  When I realized it, it was too late to change the gig.

I was setting up equipment when a couple paddlers from the Cincinnati area walked in. I asked what they were doing in my little town and they told me the word was out that I was playing and it was my birthday so they came to help celebrate. Although my drinks were free, I told the bartender to give them each a drink and put it on my tab.  Soon there were boaters from around Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia joining the crowd and I bought each one of them their first drink.  One kayaker even cut his Florida vacation short to be there.

Needless to say it was a wild night, with constant requests for river songs along with a few covers to keep the local patrons happy.  I played the extra hour but should have stopped earlier as I had been over-indulging in adult beverages and could feel my lips growing numb and began slurring words, all to the delight of the crowd.  When the evening was over, the bartender added up my tab and found that after deducting my pay, I still owed them $4.  I'll have to say, it was one heck of a party and one I've never forgotten. =)

Bill theres  a lot  of my  stuff on you  tube ,reverbnation  and  sound cloud some  solo   some  with  GB Blues band

A few years back I often played at my good fishing buddy John Locke's open mic venue.  One of the attendees would occasionally record some of the performances and post them on youtube under "englishmanjohn".  Here's one of my originals from back in 2008:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHsenGdNw2g

From that song you should be able to link to some others under my given name "Ken".  I think there may be a couple of my river tunes ("Bluestone" and "Quetico" come to mind) as well as several other originals I played back then. Thanks for your interest Bill.

By the way, I used to twirl my sticks back in the day too.  Actually I was a lot better drummer than I am a guitar picker. I played in some rock bands and even spent a couple years playing in a 17-piece big band. (Still love those big-band songs from the 40's) I even taught drums for a while (mostly rudimental drumming to junior high kids). Attending my first bluegrass festival put an end to my drumming days. Folk and bluegrass became my passion, sold my Ludwigs and never played again.

DE

DE

Gents and ladies I would like to introduce myself and rub electronic elbows and swap lies, swat flies sing lullabies eat French fries, laff share and mingle with musicians that care,,,,,,,play at the fair, take chances, dare themselves bare their insides talk of the soul or splain to me the difference between a f hole and an A hole, but focus on the guitar on the latter.  Bit of a clown, played a bit with some guys, but moistly drank my path to AA and that isn't a 707 but could be an 86 in some cases. Live rurally in a log cabin, girlfriend who I have driven out by leaving strings and pics, slides and harps, a music room that looks klike a Rock and roll heavy metal band got out of hand, resophonic steel guitar was the last straw, has no musiclove unless she is in control, Too bad she is leaving I could be famous  for 15 minutes at 65 yrs old that many minutes is a day when we were young and bored, aot a stella guitar 16 yo bd present, heard it was the choice of the old blues men, course I didn't have a clue back then, my folks said is that the cheapest one? My dad sais sold American, at least its cheaper than a gun. My career took off like a bullet with no powder, no electric amp, lungs and a camp...fire.  In my head visions of the thousands that would come to see, a 16 yold trying to master the chord C. Oh the imagination took over as I played the local festivals and remember once playing in a milk truck van with hippies peaking on LSD, I was Segovia Hendrix,Clapton, Lennon, Don Ho Larry welk, they were trippin in the dark, they would appreciate tuning up Oh wow! FAROUT, Heavy, So cool a wandering Jesus, a blathering fool.  They may still be there my shot in the dark at stardom and in that hour it was there. They were seeing notes and feeling the sound better appreciators Ihave never found. Me, drug-free as beer was not a drug back then, blew my ego and not my mind. Loving people and one of a kind.  By the way, name is Lee Truman, human being. Disabled retired, time, to explore music some more. play acoustic one man band harp Dylan was my start, but I go back to Kingston trio, Chad Mitchell, Washington Square folksters Ramblin Jack, Donovan, Jesse Winchester, John Sebastian, old blues fender resophonic Taj Majal, Rollimg Stones, Beatles blegrass, Roots Music, black white or regqae, Keb Mo, traditional country
Williams , George Jones, cASH, tHE bAND,  TOO MANY TO LIST JAMES TAYLORJ NEAR THE TOP. TO GO ANY FURTHER WOULD MAKE YOUR EYES DROP.  Its not all of me,but a fair share. not looking for fame not lookin for money, just that sweet feeling I long to play with like minded folks, entertain people or on a nice day, find folks that love creating or recreating a tune, to while away a Sunday afternoon.  I just have not found that combination to commit  to 4njoy the dream I have. I have a place beautiful log home a porch a half a dozen guitars, banjos, electric pianos computers recording stuff, not professional, but know computers, basics of recording, but too many hats is not my goal.  Want to put my head into band of equals not EGOS, for the hell of it, the fun of it the fellowship  whatever, need not be clever.  AT anyrate Chordie is the best thing to come along since sliced Wonder bread and what would take a semitruck of song sheets fits nicely in a 100 dollar Kindle, which iw my girlfriends so I WILLSQUINT INTO MY SMARTPHONE.  GLAD TO FIND THIS FORUM ENJOYED YOUR TALES OF DERRING-DO AND BOOGALOO. SAY HELLO, EMAIL proofed@yahoo.com or under my name on facebooki   LEE Truman  I have several FACEBOOKS that keep coming back  look for flimflamsamiam@gmail.com and that is current   Happy Trails

Greetings Lee, and Welcome to the Chordie Forums!  It's about time you made the jump from "lurker" to "Family" I'd say.... you got all the qualifications. 

Loves Music of all kinds...............................Check
Correct age group (over ten and still breathin')........Check
Not too shy...........................Check
Hasn't offended anybody seriously since 2012 (exceptin' maybe girlfriend)...... Check

Yup, you oughta fit right in!  Pull up a stool and make yourself comfy!

Doug

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Since I wrote that, I put all four of my guitars (2 basses and 2 6 strings) in here with me, along with  2 amps (the LINE 6 and the Fender G-DEC.) I'll move the bar stool in here tomorrow and I'll be set for my lessons. I'll shoot y'all a couple of pics so you can see how crowded it is now that the "girls" are back here with me. The other three were missing Jasmine, so that's settled too.

But.... no more excuses for the short "wanna do it" span. Now it's not "wanna" it's "gonna". Got my 4th Jamplay lesson tomorrow. I'm starting from scratch and hopefully will unlearn some bad habits in the process. It will also give me the chance to actually sit and play comfortably along with my friend Peter Benson, who has some great stuff on YouTube.

Thanks

Bill