our band practice was THIS BIG

Phil_aka_Pip

We've got to play in (wouldya believe this) an OLD FOLKs HOME this Sunday! Apparently the Ents. Sec. (or whatever they call him) is up for getting people to play for the inmates, and our bandleader thinks there may be a steady but not necessarily lucrative market for it, which could easily lead to louder and better paid gigs. Anyway the upside is we won't have to take in a large PA or a lot of heavy backline. I'm going to use my 5W combo. Another reason for us doing it is that our repertoire is mainly pop hits from 1958-1962, and we think a lot of the inmates will remember them, hopefully with some fondness.

Mr Bandleader has visited the venue so he knows the size of the room. Small, apparently. We will have very little space to set up in. so we tried setting up our band practice with similar space restrictions. We put Mr Bandleader's 1x12 combo stage right of the drummer right up next to him, Mr Bass player's 1x12 combo stage left of the drummer right up next to him, with my 1x8 combo sitting on top of it. A powered wedge sat in front of the kick drum pointing away from it. We heard the vocal as "spill" but it worked.

Putting everything as close as possible tightened the sound up and made us sound more coherent. I actually heard Mr Bandleader's rhythm playing a much more easily, and because Mr Bass player had his combo by his feet and mine on top of it he turned up slightly, which vastly improved his sound. I think physically we sounded better, but we also played better because of it.

At the gig, I think we mayl end up using 2 wedges, if the number of beige woolly cardigans soak up the sound of the forward facing wedge so much that we need one pointing back at us too.

Other considerations: may be not beer spilled on the pedalboard, just dribble. And do we need more than 3 numbers (by the time we've play the 3rd they'll have forgotten the first) ??

 

Chuffola

Haha! Sounds like an excellent idea. 

Make sure you update us when its over.

And watch out for the groupies...

not_the_dj

A guy I used to work with did a Buddy Holly tribute with backing tracks and got loads of regular work at old folks homes.

RocknRollDave

Don't underestimate the PA kit you'll need - most of them will be half deaf. Have you ever heard how loud a TV is set to in an old folks' home?!

Phil_aka_Pip

RocknRollDave said:

Don't underestimate the PA kit you'll need - most of them will be half deaf. Have you ever heard how loud a TV is set to in an old folks' home?!

But it's always the people with hearing aids who tell you you're too loud!

Danny1969

My wife works as an activities and entertainments coordinator for an old folks home. She books all kinds of acts from solo singers to whole choir groups. It's not that well paid, about £40 for half hour but there's a lot of homes to work

EricTheWeary

They used to have regular singers and other acts at the care home my father in law was in. I think about £200 for an hour of Frank Sinatra songs. The chap I saw was very engaging and friendly with the residents, having a little dance with the ladies.

Phil_aka_Pip

I'm the youngest in the band. The rest are already pensioners (although nowhere near needing to be "cared for"). Mr Bass player has only recently retired, Messrs Drummer & Bandleader will both be 70 next b'day (I think). If Mr Bandleader can be as good with the inmates as the chap @EricTheWeary saw, then maybe we stand a chance of doing a little business in future.

RocknRollDave

^ Unfortunately, by the sound of it you also run the risk of not being let out again at the end of your set!

Phil_aka_Pip

RocknRollDave said:

^ Unfortunately, by the sound of it you also run the risk of not being let out again at the end of your set!

None of us could afford to live there. Unless they took our instruments & amps as payment ...

Phil_aka_Pip

Phil_aka_Pip said:

Putting everything as close as possible tightened the sound up and made us sound more coherent. I actually heard Mr Bandleader's rhythm playing a much more easily, and because Mr Bass player had his combo by his feet and mine on top of it he turned up slightly, which vastly improved his sound. I think physically we sounded better, but we also played better because of it.

At the gig, I think we mayl end up using 2 wedges, if the number of beige woolly cardigans soak up the sound of the forward facing wedge so much that we need one pointing back at us too.

tbh, the above was intended as the main point of the thread. Who else thinks that trying to make the band sound as if it is coming from a single point source is a good idea?

ESBlonde

I know a piano/sax singer duo that regularly topped up their daytime income doing two or sometimes three care homes in a day for one day a week. Easy listening but easy money too for that married couple.

Good luck @Phil_aka_Pip

maltingsaudio

Phil_aka_Pip said:

Phil_aka_Pip said:

Putting everything as close as possible tightened the sound up and made us sound more coherent. I actually heard Mr Bandleader's rhythm playing a much more easily, and because Mr Bass player had his combo by his feet and mine on top of it he turned up slightly, which vastly improved his sound. I think physically we sounded better, but we also played better because of it.

At the gig, I think we mayl end up using 2 wedges, if the number of beige woolly cardigans soak up the sound of the forward facing wedge so much that we need one pointing back at us too.

tbh, the above was intended as the main point of the thread. Who else thinks that trying to make the band sound as if it is coming from a single point source is a good idea?

Actually in a small ish room won't make a great deal of difference think of it as the noise coming from the radio or TV. Its also much easior to control so everything should be sweet

Phil_aka_Pip

@Chuffola It went fine. I used my 5W combo with the vol pot at 12 oclock. They liked it.

PolarityMan

I'd have taken this rig:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/MarshallStack_Slayer.jpg

thomasross20

Hahahaha!!

Chuffola

Good stuff Phil. Sounds like a hoot.

Phil_aka_Pip

Chuffola said:

Good stuff Phil. Sounds like a hoot.

I came away feeling as if I'd played well. Everything seemed to be so much better when doing it for real compared to a band practice night. A lady resident (old, natch, but in full possession of her marbles and mobile enough not to need a walking stick let alone a zimmer frame) came up and told me: "The whole band sounds good, but you in particular played beautifully". That was nice of her. I don't think she was aiming at a quick bunkup behind the rubber plant by the entrance either.

We're playing an afternoon gig in the bandleaders local pub next week. IMO we need the bandleader to change his attitude - on several things, but this in particular: he thinks that playing in the pub at the same volume as we played in the old folks gulag will do. I say it won't, even if our intention is not to play at stadium volume. He also thinks all the gigs we will do will be for "background sounds" while people talk over us. Whereas in some pubs at least they will want us to be more of a dance band and play with a little more gusto.