Coffee House Players

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Comment by Edward Sparks on March 4, 2013 at 4:45am

SJ, welcome to the group!  Looking forward to hearing your input and experiences! 

Comment by Reg Hayes on March 2, 2013 at 9:01am

I just had to share this experience. 

Last evening the trio I play with at a weekly jam were invited to play at a local Legion Hall.  Here is what we were told:

"This Friday night some of the guys...are coming by.  It is very casual just a drop in affair so if you are around or know someone that wants to come and play let them know. They also started serving fish and chips or wings from 4:30 to 6:00."

We were told the music would start anytime after 06:00pm.

Off we went, had some fine fish and chips - the wings were good too.  About 06:00pm we were approached by the Legion organizers and told the others hadn't arrived yet but if we wanted to play, we could set up and start things off.  Rather than set up in the larger room with the massive PA, it was decided we should set up in the more intimate bar area.  Well, we travel with enough gear to cover most situations so it wasn't a big deal to get a couple of our mics and stands and using my small mixer patch two mics and two guitars into my Roland AC 60.  The bass player used a small portable bass amp anyway.  Away we went, playing three or four songs so we could check out the crowd and venue and they could see if they liked us.  Good fun.  May be some money at future events.

Then, while we were playing, some of the other musicians showed up.  It appears they had been given a 06:30pm start time. They seemed surprised to find us there and as they brought in their gear, we were still playing.  One of them walk up in front of me while I was playing the intro to Lulu's back in Town, thrust out their hand, and said "Hi".  I said "I'd shake your hand but I'm playing right now."  Flabbergasted, I continued the song but the first verse slipped my mind.

I thought we must be finished our set and would move out of the way so they could play.  I was moving my mic and stand when the other group members wanted to know if we would leave the stands for them.  We told them they were ours and that the venue only had one mic stand and we hadn't used it.  Then one of them decided we were unfriendly and didn't play the same music as them so they were going to leave.

To shorten the story, eventually we all moved into the room with the PA and I managed to patch everyone in and set some sensible levels.  We played all evening and a good time was had.

So what is the moral of this tale.  Be prepared for anything when you go to a gig.  Their can be equipment that isn't supplied and / or confusion about what is happening.  If you want to have fun, be ready to look after yourself and your needs.  Know how your gear works and understand what a mixer / PA do and how they work.  Otherwise you are stuck.  The other group brought mics but no stands.  You cannot depend on the charity of others.  They also didn't understand the simple etiquette of not interrupting a fellow performer in the middle of a song and that maxim "you shouldn't cut off your nose to spite of your face."

Why did we play this gig?  Not money, there was none and not fame but to have fun.  Why else would we lug our stuff out for an evening.  We enjoy singing together.  I've been paid more for playing at a Funeral Service than I have for many gigs.  But there ain't no one else to play with at a funeral.

Comment by Edward Sparks on March 2, 2013 at 7:03am

Welcome Terry! Love to se this group grow! Looking forward to hearing your input and experience here too!!!

Comment by Edward Sparks on March 2, 2013 at 6:20am

Jim Yates, welcome to the fold! Looking forward to hearing your input and experiences here!

Comment by Edward Sparks on February 13, 2013 at 6:30pm

Sounds good to me George...who knows you may start a new movement of covering lesser known songs by well known artists! My band has been doing "B" sides by acts like the Beatles for years! People look up and say "I remember that one!"

Comment by Edward Sparks on February 13, 2013 at 6:21pm

Welcome Luis! Looking forward to hearing about your experiences and your comments!

Comment by George Quinn on February 6, 2013 at 5:50pm

Here's my take on the open-mic versus straight gig.  As I have not sung in public since college, and then I was part of a nine-person folk group (Early Morning Rain, 500 Miles, etc.), I wouldn't want to expose myself (in all manners) for 45 minutes, nor could I get the opportunity.  If I want to start playing in public, open mics seem the only way.  

My niche would be 60's pop music, 2 minute songs done either as the original version or my own arrangement.  The opening song is the only one I'm sure of, a relaxed version of Pin Ball Wizard done with my Leon Redbone voice.  After that, maybe a Syd Barrett song (The Gnome, played as recorded), a Zappa song (Let's Make The Water Turn Black, as recorded),a Kinks song(Autumn Almanac, original and close with Spanky and our Gang's Give A Damn.

The narrative that would connect the songs is based on a Randy Newman interview in which he compared the pop scene of the sixties to human evolution, and how he and Nilsson and Brian Wilson among others were a branch of homo sapien that became largely extinct, while country-rock survived to the 70's and anthem rock (Hold Your Head Up) evolved into the arena rock of the 80's.  

Essentially, I'd like to become a cover act of little known 60's gems (Bee Gees Kilburn Towers, a number of Nilsson songs, a lot of Randy Newman songs, lesser known Beach Boys, and some Beatles songs.

Any thoughts?

George Quinn

Comment by Edward Sparks on February 6, 2013 at 5:43pm

Welcome George! Looking forward to your comments and sharing your experience here!

Comment by Jud Hair on February 5, 2013 at 8:14am

Thanks Reg & Rick !! Great advice and some things I hadn't necessarily thought about.  Glad I stopped by and asked the questions ... :-)

Comment by Rick Heenan on February 5, 2013 at 7:53am

Don't forget to plug as many vendors as you can too.  They are less apt to complain about you if you plug them.

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