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Thread: so heres what happens when you choke on a gig.

  1. #26
    Registered User Liadan's Avatar
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    Default Re: so heres what happens when you choke on a gig.

    Worst choke I experienced during a gig - played a show one time where we ended up deciding to use a drum track (bad idea from the start). I was on electric bass. The acoustics in the place were terrible and we were all having a hard time hearing that track. Our singer came in at the totally wrong place, and because of a time change coming up, we had to just hang her out to dry when that happened. Me and the 2 guitarists just kept looking at each other like, what are we going to do?! Moral of the story: using a drum track is a terrible idea.

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  3. #27

    Default Re: so heres what happens when you choke on a gig.

    My worst gig, to date, happened two years ago. Me and a piano player had been playing without any amplification up to that point. She was asked to provide free music at a cancer treatment fund raiser in a church basement. Yup, tile floor, low ceiling, concrete walls. There was one mic on a mic stand.

    I was trying to mic both the mandolin and my voice which means you hold the mandolin way up high when playing a break. Well, in trying to adjust the mic downward a little bit, the clamp broke. What to do? I wound the mic cord around the boom and let it dangle straight downwards. Thus, I had to bend over to sing into it and still try to maintain my composure. I didn't. I messed up nearly every solo and ended my portion of the set early.

    Lesson learned? Do not depend upon the "house" to provide adequate equipment. I bought my own Carvin PA, mic stand, mics (x2), and now will either not use the house or else send my PA's signal to the house after I set the mix on my PA. Life is too short to either give up on playing out (that was one option) or trust in someone else's equipment.
    "Those who know don't have the words to tell, and the ones with the words don't know so well." - Bruce Cockburn

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  5. #28

    Default Re: so heres what happens when you choke on a gig.

    Quote Originally Posted by journeybear View Post
    Dang! Wish I'd tuned in soon enough. Now I'm not sure whether or not to share one of my (many) examples of, ah, substandard playing.

    If you's like to sens me a link so I can assuage my curiosity, I promise it will not go further.
    Done

  6. #29
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: so heres what happens when you choke on a gig.

    Thanks for sending me the link so I could see what all the fuss was about and join the converstion. Also, as a longtime (and apparently dedicated) blunderer, I thought my expertise in the area might be useful.

    I didn't hear anything terrible, other than a somewhat rocky start. You may not have played what you had intended or hoped for, but the solo was solid and fit in well. There were worse aspects at play, particularly the mix, which had the bass singer and guitarist too high, and the overall blend rough.

    A little sef-deprecating humor is always fine and welcome, even encouraged - don't want to get above your raising, as the song goes - but there's no need to beat yourself up. This time, anyway. Thanks for sharing. Perhaps a thread could be started in which people may offer examples of meandering mandolinning, for humorous and instructive purposes. I'm sure many of us have plenty to offer along these lines.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

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  8. #30
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: so heres what happens when you choke on a gig.

    I have more than enough videos of me screwing up on stage. A few weeks ago I started a break, changed my mind and was standing there striking drone strings (actually half of the double stops I was trying to play) until I could catch up with myself. Amazingly enough it didn't sound too awful. Screwing up just keeps getting easier for me. It's developing into an art form.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

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  10. #31

    Default Re: so heres what happens when you choke on a gig.

    Quote Originally Posted by MikeEdgerton View Post
    ... Screwing up just keeps getting easier for me. It's developing into an art form.
    Hey that's one of my specialties too. You know what 'they' say, half the battle in any art is just figuring out ways to cover up one's mistakes.

    But back to the original topic, I'd agree with others who said that it seemed like the band members couldn't hear each other (or even their own instruments/voices).

    Seems to me that any problems noted were probably caused by technological issues with the amplification and monitors etc in such a large venue, rather than a musical-ability issue.

    Kinda hard to make stuff sound right when one has to rely on pure muscle memory only, when unable to hear anything on a stage that has lousy sound. "Been there, done that", long time ago, no video record of it though.

    In the OP's video, as I remember it from when I saw it a few days ago, the live audience seemed happy and enjoying the music, and that's really all that matters anyway.

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  12. #32
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: so heres what happens when you choke on a gig.

    Quote Originally Posted by MikeEdgerton View Post
    Screwing up just keeps getting easier for me. It's developing into an art form.
    It sure does, and is. And I actually prefer hearing someone mess up - well, briefly, with a quick recovery - than play absolutely flawlessly, because for the most part, other than if you are listening to an extraordinarily accomplished musician, it means the performer is either playing it safe or sticking to some tried-and true, over-practiced routine, rather than engaging in making a foray into unexplored territory, that is, being innovative. I will grant that there are benefits to practicing your part in order to achieve a level of expertise, but you don't want to fall into the pitfalls of precision to the extent that your playing becomes rote.

    I played in a live jam/variety show last night, and was having an awful time getting going. This was with some guys I've played with a bunch of times, one of whom I'd had a band with that broke up about three years ago. So though I knew the material - except for one song, which I mostly laid out on - I was pretty rusty. I had to find time to run each song through my mind in the brief moments between songs so I could at least hit the ground running. Still, I was messing up way more than I'd like to have been, even on simple songs. When a song came up that I knew my participation would be unneeded, I took a quick break, got a beer, and returned for the next one. That helped immeasurably. I got the inner critic to shut up a bit, got a little looser, and bolder, and things got a whole lot better. The second set (after the second beer ) was even better. Well, it also helped that the female singer from the old band came on board, and we were on surer ground. But sometimes you just have to cut yourself a break and let the chips fall where they may.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

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  13. #33
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: so heres what happens when you choke on a gig.

    Here's what I mean. This is the last song of the night, by which time I should have been at my peak. This is a Tom Waits tune we've revved up a bit. I know this inside and out. Still, I got a little off track toward the end of the first pass. I jumped right in for the second round - since you automatically get to start with a clean slate - ending with what I often do when I'm a bit unsure - go the other way, fast and furious. If it's all a blur, they can't tell what's going on for sure. Right?
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    Last edited by journeybear; Jun-22-2018 at 3:23pm. Reason: further musings
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

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