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Gig Disasters and Other Stories
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jacubert
Artisan Contributor
Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:03 am Posts: 724
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Gig Disasters and Other Stories
"Simplify, simplify, simplify" is my new mantra - please slap me if I forget.
My band Apothecary played a festival last weekend with three other bands. We knew we only had 30 minutes to set up. Our set list only required a minimum number of keyboard sounds - mostly electric piano.
Normally, I use a laptop on stage to control Mainstage because I am addicted to several plugins. My brain screamed "use the hardware keyboard, leave the computer at home." My heart imagined someone in the crowd saying "You know, the keyboards sound OK, but would be so much better with more velocity levels on the piano..."
So, I dragged everything - hardware keyboards, laptop, POD for the Stick (serving double duty as an audio interface). No time to set up my monitor, I plugged everything in and prayed. The Stick worked perfectly although I could not hear myself all that well. No sound out of the keyboard. The laptop screen was in direct sunlight - I had no time at all to troubleshoot. I unplugged the computer, grabbed a cable and plugged in the output of my trusty, reliable Yamaha S80. I have never had any problem with this keyboard ever although I had almost forgotten how to use any of the features since it has served as a MIDI controller only for years.
The first tune (Touch the Sky) was Stick only and we played it reasonably well given no one could hear anyone else - it was well received. I relaxed a little and set up my sound for the next piece which was all keyboards. My right hand started the fast intro unison run of "Corn on the Cobham" with my left hand comping on the Yamaha - wow, something sounded way off. Incredibly, the Yamaha was not in standard tuning. I played the entire piece on my monophonic lead synth praying that restarting the Yamaha would fix things for song number 3. No such luck. The Yamaha was a minor third lower than standard tuning. There was no way I could safely transpose in my head on the fly. Panic started to set in. Anna (our violinist) said - let's play a Stick only piece.
Meanwhile, some kind soul went and found a replacement keyboard for me while I tried to focus on playing. There was nothing I could do at the moment but focus on playing. Miraculously through my problems and problems the drummer had with his bass drum pedal we managed to get through the rest of the set and the replacement keyboard was set up for the last song. It was only 61 keys and no weighted action but I was grateful to have anything.
Now, the stage banter was left to me as usual but I was not in the best frame of mind. I actually ended our set by saying "Thank you for your attention!" - very rock and roll of me. As it turned out, another player at our rehearsal space had used my keyboard (with my permission) but had set the master tuning down a minor third and forgotten to reset it. I knew so little about the keyboard at that point, I did not know how to reset the master tuning.
Lessons learned? After 8 years of using laptops on stage, I am done. I love my plugins but the audience does not know the difference. Reliability is now my number one concern. I am also going to learn my hardware keyboard backwards and forwards.
The Stick worked flawlessly and thanks to Greg Howard's lessons, Free Hands Academy, and recent intensive practice, I was not panicked about my Stick playing for once.
Next installment: Playing a brand new tune at an Open Mic actually pays off....
_________________ Grand Bamboo Stick, PASV-4 10-string Plum Railboard 8-String NS Stick Ash/Wenge Alto Stick, Padauk, Stickup Stick Guitar Bamboo EMG
http://jeremycubert.com https://jeremycubert.bandcamp.com/ https://soundcloud.com/jeremycubert
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Sun Oct 06, 2013 8:26 am |
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mattio
Member
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2009 7:07 am Posts: 70 Location: Seattle, Washington
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Re: Gig Disasters and Other Stories
I have a similar story using a setup with a bank of keyboards, tone modules, laptop and multi-port midi interface and having one of the tone modules go haywire producing transposed notes. Another vote for simplicity and doing away with sequenced backing tracks. Focus on the music and the playing, though I have started experimenting with live looping . . .
_________________ "Let's face it. We would all play like him, if we could." -John Coltrane on Stan Getz Tarara 188 - Railboard R6248
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Sun Oct 06, 2013 10:53 am |
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AnDroiD
Elite Contributor
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 12:42 pm Posts: 2530 Location: Jersey
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Re: Gig Disasters and Other Stories
"Corn on the Cobham" didn't catch that the first time around. "Cacophony Confections"? you guys are a trip. man, i can tell u so many times when i've had to abort all gizmos and paraphenalia and just "play it lean and mean". it's good to know the tunes w/out the sinister footwear. haha. mebe that's what FZ was talkin about. actually wrote a tune "Out of Order" where the lyrics are "no user servicable parts inside, please refer to qualified service personel" in an authoritarian FZ voice. to only have to pick up the trombone and blow again...is it worth it? yes. nuthin like the rush of things goin wrong...
_________________ Peace, Marty "The present day composer refuses to die" -Edgard Varese
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Sun Oct 06, 2013 8:16 pm |
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jacubert
Artisan Contributor
Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:03 am Posts: 724
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Re: Gig Disasters and Other Stories
Mattio - I have never tried sequenced tracks and I don't think I will now! I have thought about looping and there is a rudimentary looper in my POD HD500 I may try at some point.
AnDroiD - we have fun with the song titles! The problem here was my hardware backup was set up wrong because I hadn't bothered checking it out ahead of time. Lesson learned. Now to decide whether to stick with my 50 lb Yamaha S80 or try something like the Casio PX-5S (I have a PX-350 which has an amazing weighted action - same as on the PX-5S).
_________________ Grand Bamboo Stick, PASV-4 10-string Plum Railboard 8-String NS Stick Ash/Wenge Alto Stick, Padauk, Stickup Stick Guitar Bamboo EMG
http://jeremycubert.com https://jeremycubert.bandcamp.com/ https://soundcloud.com/jeremycubert
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Sun Oct 06, 2013 8:28 pm |
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Stickrad
Elite Contributor
Joined: Wed Mar 20, 2013 4:54 pm Posts: 1633 Location: Hobart, Tasmania, AU
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Re: Gig Disasters and Other Stories
My first real solo Stick gig was a disaster. I tried to fit all my bedroom practice into it and of course I came to a grinding halt before someone said, 'Is he still going..? I even tried to sing and play, Bowies' Loving the Alien, no less. I sounded like a wounded Bard mumbling to myself, pissed as a newt in some lonely highland shack... So pissed off afterwards, it was the catalyst I needed to kick my own arse into the real world of performing.
_________________ Stickrad
https://www.facebook.com/stickradmusic/ https://www.facebook.com/southernstickevents/
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Mon Oct 07, 2013 2:47 pm |
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