The Other Gigs
Last month I chronicled what I thought might have been the worst gig I ever played. I was sick, I couldn’t sing, I couldn’t remember stuff, and to top it all off, I nearly lost my car key. I mentioned that the second gig was better. I was pretty much over my cold, but my voice was a long way from being back. Still, it was a private party, generally the best gigs. They pay better and end earlier than others.
Set-ups and break-downs can be unpredictable, as can the “stage” setups. This one was no exception, and the gear had to be carted in over some hilly terrain, but it wasn’t really bad. There was no stage, just a porch area. The weather was cooperative, and though I still wasn’t at the top of my game, a good time was seemingly had by all.
Gig number three was at a private club, the San Francisco Yacht Club, but wasn’t in San Francisco at all. It’s in Belvedere, on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. I’ve lived in the area for 43 years (this November 1) and this was the first time I’d ever been to Belvedere. It sounded like a pretty upscale place, and it was. As afternoon gig, I looked forward to being home for dinner after being fed a nice lunch
Lunch was indeed nice, but the gig turned out to be outdoors, our setup being along the rear outside wall of the club. For shade, we had one of those “EZ-Up” shades, about ten feet square. Great for about half an hour until the sun moved. Of course, I was the one suddenly in the sun. My hat and a double-dose of sunscreen would keep me from getting a sunburn, but it was over 90 degrees, and without shade, it was really unbearable. There’s something about gigs in hot weather, they tend to tire me out, especially my feet. Although the overall sound wasn’t bad, I was really happy when the gig ended.
The final gig of the four was a classic bar gig. It was a small room with a small, odd-shaped stage, not facing the main area of the bar. One of the problems with a small stage is that Void, the band I was playing in, had never learned the idea of scaling back gear for the small room. It was one of my gripes and was one of my reasons for my departure. Somehow, we shoehorned it all on, but there was another problem I quickly noticed. There was very little light. This was a problem in two very different ways.
Early in the first set, I noticed that my volume was low, even though my levels were all set well above what should have been needed. And it kept getting lower and the sound was getting progressively worse. Between songs (and during them) I tried to figure out what the problem was. When I’d ruled out the likely suspects, it dawned on me to check the cable from my effects to my amp. It turned out that in the darkness, I’d accidentally grabbed a speaker cable instead of a guitar cable. Yeah, that’ll do it.
Shin the Musician
Last update: October 5, 2024
The John Shinnick Web Site
This isn't really a pic of the dark stage, but it's an amazing simulation.
I begged Eric to let me run out to my car to grab a proper cable. (The bar was too small to have a place inside to store such things.) Problem solved, but it was still dark. Guitar fretboards have markings in very predictable places so the player can see where their fingers should go. I couldn’t see them. I made countless mistakes due to this. I just hated this. But I soldiered on. Attendance was generally poor, though it picked up at the end. Break-down was really difficult because at 11:30, people weren’t ready to go home. I was in bed at about 2:00, needing to be up at about 8:00 to play bass in church the next morning.
So, what did I learn? Four different gigs in four very different venues. Little redeeming value and tons of headaches. But if nothing else, it was a great reminder of why I left regular gigging. I have one last gig with Void, subbing on bass. Bass is an easier gig because there’s less gear to schlep around. But I still prefer playing on my porch. I have to move a chair, a small amp, a guitar and some accessories about 25 feet each and I’m ready to go.
Oh, one last positive thing came out of the disastrous first gig. It showed me the value of having a flashlight app on a cell phone. I found a freebie and that very night I used it to reset my gas shutoff valve.
The recording, lyrics, and back story to "My Brain Is Too Small", a song I wrote and recorded in 1990.
The video, lyrics, and back story of the song I wrote and performed for my retirement party in 2006.
