Gigs you have to do but wish you didn't

Cirrus

My band are an alt rock band, and my guitar playing is mostly about single notes, double stops, whole swathes of playing nothing at all (I'm lazy) and the usual trope of electric guitar related shenanigans - feedback, echo etc. Our singer mostly runs around screaming and shouting and hanging off the ceiling.

As such, what I do doesn't really translate to acoustic guitar, and what the band does naturally doesn't, either. It's basically a different thing altogether that requires a different approach.

So when it comes to acoustic gigs, I think of them as something else and come at them from a different perspective. Sometimes they're great fun - the intimacy, and re-working songs in a different light.

I think the one coming up this weekend might not be. It's on a big stage, and there's a full drum kit, bass rig... and an acoustic amp for me to plug into. So the bassist, drummer and vocalist are going to be working on the exact stuff they usually use, and will perform in exactly the same way. And I'll be standing there trying to translate my parts for a different, much weedier instrument. It's going to feel like I've brought a packet of microwave noodles to a gun fight. 

And the absolute crowning glory of the whole thing is that we were supposed to get an early afternoon time to avoid a clash with a pre-existing plan, the band member liaising with the gig organisers didn't bother to say that, then after a month of cajoling he finally got in touch with them and said we need to have an earlier time... because I'm flying to Italy that night.

I'm not fucking flying to Italy. We've got a gig the next day. Absolutely retarded. And I'm gonna be the one being asked by the organiser where I'm flying from, what I'm doing out there... what a crock.

Danny1969

I play in an acoustic band, no drums or bass just me, an acoustic on another guy and piano. I don't play acoustic though, I just use an electric and a small amp
Just take an electric, some effects and a DI with speaker emulation. The whack a bit of treble off the acoustic amp and it should sound kind of palatable 

slacker

Imho tell the band you are taking your electric setup or the nonexistant flight to Italy is being brought forward and you will regrettably not make the gig.

Doing it in the ahem planned circumstances will make you look bad. 

Teetonetal

Take an overdrive to plug the acoustic into. Fatten it up and get some harmoincs. Nothing quite like an out of control acoustic in a controlled way

guitarfishbay

You've still got time to construct a cunning disguise for your electric guitar that looks like an acoustic.  Nobody will know.

This has holes in it.  Maybe something like this

ESBlonde

I'm not sure where the acoustic element is supposed to fit in here, you haven't made that clear. If the gig is advertised as such, well so be it, but to me it sounds like they just haven't got the right backline from your description. Take you amp (or a small combo) on stage and your pedal board.

Cirrus

It's advertised as an acoustic gig. I was pretty surprised when the backline details were sent to us last week. The tempation is to bring my Gretsch and point at the F-holes if anyone complains. 

Guitar_Slinger

Play a classical guitar, but still point the headstock ceiling-wise and gurn during double-stops. Also stand on one leg and wiggle your left hand furiously for at least five seconds after after each pinched harmonic, even if no squeal is forthcoming. Triple points if you have a combover.

Cirrus

Haha! Ok! Might also do the "leg on the stage monitor" thing during solos.

guitarfishbay

Guitar_Slinger said:

Play a classical guitar, but still point the headstock ceiling-wise and gurn during double-stops. Also stand on one leg and wiggle your left hand furiously for at least five seconds after after each pinched harmonic, even if no squeal is forthcoming. Triple points if you have a combover.

And you need to put a Ferrari sticker on the acoustic

Guitar_Slinger

Cirrus said:

Haha! Ok! Might also do the "leg on the stage monitor" thing during solos.

Leg up on a classical foot rest, surely?

Look Yngwie in Denmark Street up on YouTube.  I'm the one to his right and was close enough to see both scalloped frets and Ferrari sticker at the same time.  

Guitar_Slinger

guitarfishbay said:

Is that Optimus Prime?

Cirrus

Now we're arguing on Whatsapp about what songs are going to work acoustically. This is a sad, sad day.

AlexC

Is there anything against you using dirt, echo pedals, etc? Most of those MTV Unplugged things the guitarists seemed to have an acoustic and treat like it an electric as far as I could make out - Nirvana being an obvious example.
On a personal note - gigging once in a band with me and another guitarist. He broke a string two songs from the end. I hand him my Strat - we had no back up electrics for some reason - and I'm playing an electro acoustic playing into a Marshall. Sounded fine overdriven (and some great feedback if I turned around!)

Plectrum

I remember many years ago seeing Eric Sardinas at a guitar show playing acoustic slide blues through an over-driven Marshall combo. It sounded fantastic

PolarityMan

could you do something in a days of the new type vibe? that fits the full kit and electric bass with acoustics format pretty well

ICBM

Cirrus said:

It's advertised as an acoustic gig. I was pretty surprised when the backline details were sent to us last week. The tempation is to bring my Gretsch and point at the F-holes if anyone complains. 

I would do that .

Use some sort of multi-FX or pedal with amp simulation into the acoustic amp, but be careful - a lot of them don't like sustained electric-guitar type sounds even with that. If you don't have anything like that, just play clean and hope for the best… it will still be a lot easier than playing an acoustic, for that sort of style.

If anyone asks about Italy, just say "I'm not going to Italy. Who told you that?"

Catthan

I almost had to do a gig in Cali US next year.. Local lass getting married and counted on her dad's sh_tloads of £££ to get her UK band of choice all the way across.. (I hope said dad isn't a member here,,)
No particular issue with additional T&S costs, mind. 

The reasons why I had to do it was:
1. All monetary requirements were meant, no reason not to..
2. When the f_ck will I ever again get the chance to gig in Cali all expenses paid for?
3. It's not one you can dep out easily; Many would take it but you'd need the rest of the band to be ok spending days away with a diff. person. 

I didn't want to do it because it was the day I'm getting married.. 
For good or bad, my wish came through and I won't do it..