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Friday night happy hour residency
https://www.stickist.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2417		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Olivier [ Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Friday night happy hour residency
I had been toying with the idea of singing and playing in a bar for some time. Especially since our county law has banned smoking from bars and restaurants.

So last week I had a contact with the owner of an irish pub in my hometown. These people love live music and they nicely indulged in having me play a friday night happy hour gig (6-8 pm).

Well I just got back from the gig and it was a blast, although very difficult at the beginning. Cold fingers, lots of noise coming from the audience (mainly conversations), but the Fishman solo amp cut nicely through this and after a beer, I was more at ease. I sang and played a little more than an hour and wasn't so sure if the audience actually liked it (some applause but mainly people talking very loud), until the manager came to me at the end of the set with a bottle of fine whisky, telling me I could come back and play any time. So we settled down for the weekly friday happy hour gig and here I am: a resident "stickiste d'ambiance" at the Café du Cerf in Neuchâtel http://www.cafeducerf.ch/index.htm One jolly nice place!
Author:  EricTheGray [ Fri Dec 04, 2009 2:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Friday night happy hour residency
A very big congrats to you! I have been enjoying your videos and I'm glad that others are going to now enjoy your playing live. Great work!

-Eric
Author:  greg [ Fri Dec 04, 2009 2:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Friday night happy hour residency
Congrats on the gig, Olivier.

Singing will always win them over better than instrumentals...

Smoking ban in bars just took effect here too, so maybe I'll be back at my old haunt Miller's, sometime.

Note to Manny. I believe this thread qualifies for the "venue" subheading, first one since April!
Author:  LADC [ Fri Dec 04, 2009 7:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Friday night happy hour residency
I wanna go!

What a fun place to gig.
Author:  Olivier [ Sat Dec 05, 2009 2:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Friday night happy hour residency
greg wrote:
Singing will always win them over better than instrumentals...[/color]


Thanks Greg for the good words and having Manny dispatch my post to the right place.

Singing also hides the mistakes, especially in the first 2-3 songs when one is warming up ;-) .

Now I wonder what is the right PA level in such a gig. People are obviously there to have a good time and share, so I think the music shouldn't prevent people from understanding each other or have them scream their lungs out to be understood.

Is there any rule of thumb, here?

Greetings from cheeseland

Olivier
Author:  grozoeil [ Sat Dec 05, 2009 3:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Friday night happy hour residency
I experimented something funny in those busy crowded places like that. When you play a lot on dynamics and sometimes plays very soft, people tends to talk softer too (and the even may listen to the music) :mrgreen:
Author:  88persuader [ Sat Dec 05, 2009 3:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Friday night happy hour residency
Good for you Oliver. From watching your videos you seem like a natural for that type of gig. Keep it up!
Author:  Olivier [ Sat Dec 05, 2009 5:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Friday night happy hour residency
grozoeil wrote:
I experimented something funny in those busy crowded places like that. When you play a lot on dynamics and sometimes plays very soft, people tends to talk softer too (and the even may listen to the music) :mrgreen:


I tried that too, but the place being packed, it didn't work and since I wasn't playing very loud, I had trouble hearing myself well in the soft parts. I think next friday I'll take my in-ear monitors. I'll also plug the DI out of the Fishman into the house P.A.

Bonne journée à Toulon!

O.
Author:  88persuader [ Sat Dec 05, 2009 1:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Friday night happy hour residency
Olivier wrote:
grozoeil wrote:
I experimented something funny in those busy crowded places like that. When you play a lot on dynamics and sometimes plays very soft, people tends to talk softer too (and the even may listen to the music) :mrgreen:


I tried that too, but the place being packed, it didn't work and since I wasn't playing very loud, I had trouble hearing myself well in the soft parts. I think next friday I'll take my in-ear monitors. I'll also plug the DI out of the Fishman into the house P.A.

Bonne journée à Toulon!

O.


You may want to try hooking up an iPod through your amp and playing some pre-recorded Stick or acoustic guitar music during your "break" at your normal playing volume. Then you can walk around the room to see how well you're being heard.
Author:  Olivier [ Sun Dec 06, 2009 4:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Friday night happy hour residency
88persuader wrote:
You may want to try hooking up an iPod through your amp and playing some pre-recorded Stick or acoustic guitar music during your "break" at your normal playing volume. Then you can walk around the room to see how well you're being heard.


Very good idea, I'll try this. Thanks Ray.

O.
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