Played to (apparently) 6,000 people on Saturday

Cirrus

At Witney Music Festival. It was a really nice day, free festival in a park so I guess everyone and their dog turned up. Most surprising. Biggest crowd I've played to by a factor of 20. I think the 6,000 figure is optimistic, I'd have guessed 2-3.

It did confirm one thing I've always suspected - the bigger the crowd, the less nervous I feel.

Oh, and the band on after us "didn't realise there weren't amps provided".

Danny1969

Well done dude, 6K is a lot but even 2 or 3 is amazing

RedRabbit

Congratulations.  Makes the 250-300 we played to at a festival last year seem fairly insignificant!

I'm with you on being less nervous with bigger crowds.  A sea of faces is much easier to play to than a handful of punters.  Being able to pick out the guy in the corner who'd rather be somewhere else leaves me feeling very exposed.

ICBM

I've played to 150,000 people and live national TV .

Only accidentally and for a very short time, but it was a lot of fun. I didn't even know about the TV until afterwards either!

The most for real is a couple of thousand I think - I don't know for sure since it was also at festivals and it's difficult to tell how many there are out there. I agree about it being easier to play to thousands than half a dozen. It also helps that these are generally big stages where you're well above the crowd level so you don't have some passive-aggressive punter standing in front of your monitor trying to stare you out during the song...

viz

We've played to 2 people in a pub, both of whom were behind the bar. It was awkward.

thomasross20

Lol!!!

Nice one, guys - I'm well envious!

maltingsaudio

Had a mate who was there said you were amazing! Actually they were ther and said it was a great day.

Most I've played to is 4.6 million viewers but in reality it was one camera man and his dog ( I mean the producer!) for the TV program Champions which no one remembers an inter town Its a knock out in the 90's.

I have however mixed bands for large numbers of people and the nerves can be quite the same. less so for smaller gigs

PolarityMan

sweet..well jealous!

Danny1969

In 2008 we were hired by Portsmouth City Council as the band to play at their big FA Cup winners parade. They expected about 30, 000 people but on the day over 120, 000 showed up. I took this photo on my phone when I walked onstage, all I could see was a sea of people in front of me and the noise was incredible

@maltingsaudio

You can just about see our FOH guy in the raised mix tent. He mixed it on a Yam PM5D which he hadn't used before so it was nerves for him as well. The jenny gave out after one song and they had to re jig spurs to make more power available to the PA

The following gig a week later was in a pub to about 120 people

lustycourtier

Cirrus said:

It did confirm one thing I've always suspected - the bigger the crowd, the less nervous I feel.

 This. Im never nervous at any gig, but the bigger the easier. Maybe that the sound is better managed etc also. The only thing that bothers me is knowing family friends etc are present in said crowd.

DesVegas

Nicely done!! Have you a shot of the crowd/your view ala Danny1969?

Cirrus

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tdzgsv5b8mavpik/20150530_194637.jpg?dl=0

Alas, only this one from a bit later when it had clouded over. Hopefully we'll get a video soon.

Tomorrow we're playing in leicester and TBH I'd be amazed if anyone other than the other bands were there... and even they might have buggered off by the time we're on.

DesVegas

Looks like a great set up.  Congrats

Drew_TNBD

This is all awesome

I think the biggest crowd we've played to is probably about 500, when we opened for Pelican in 2012. Most of the time it's 70 people in a sweaty venue! I love playing small pubs, to 20 people, where you're down and dirty in the crowd. No stage, no barriers. It's a great feeling!

Phil_aka_Pip

viz said:

We've played to 2 people in a pub, both of whom were behind the bar. It was awkward.

I've been there too. Actually, the club owner was also in there (not behind the bar), he enjoyed us and told us we were well tight, and found it hard to believe it was our first gig. IIRC 'twas at The Old Trout in Windsor, spring 1989.

lloyd

Excellent work!