vanblah
September 5th, 2007, 05:09 PM
So last night we played a county fair in a battle of the bands. We needed a quick short gig to break in a new drummer and bass-player and nothing puts on the pressure like a little music warfare.
Anyway, after months of hot, dry weather it decided to rain on us here in Memphis. Not a good kind of sit-on-the-porch-shootin-the-shit kind of rain ... a miserable pathetic constant drip kind of rain--it was the same temperature as piss (or so I imagine). It was just humidity falling out the air making everything damp and gross.
Half the bands didn't show.
Very little audience.
In other words it was the perfect gig for welcoming our newest members.
Just as I was about finished setting up, the stand that holds my laptop decides to collapse. Yes, I play two keyboards connected to a laptop as well as one outboard analog synth--my minimum setup. There were gasps ... there were curse words (not by me :Roll eyes: ). I blame the rain ... everything was slick with humidity. Luckily, the short USB cables helped slow the laptop down; but it still crashed to the stage with a ball-shrivelling thwack.
The laptop didn't even wince -- the OS didn't crash; in fact, it was still loading the piano sample that I use. I set the stand back up and nothing was amiss.
We played our three songs. We did all right ... new guys were excellent.
Break down.
Next band.
You know the rest.
There was only one thing that was totally awesome about this whole thing: the guys running sound. These guys made it all sound great despite the rain -- or maybe in spite of it. These guys treated the show as professionally as any other show and for what? Five no-name bands at a county fair in the rain in front of maybe 12 people.
I didn't get a chance to thank them after our set as they were busy with the next act and I just wanted to send out a thank you here just in case someone else might need it or could pass it along to someone who does.
Thanks guys.
PS - we didn't win but the girl at Pronto Pups loved us and is our newest fan.
Anyway, after months of hot, dry weather it decided to rain on us here in Memphis. Not a good kind of sit-on-the-porch-shootin-the-shit kind of rain ... a miserable pathetic constant drip kind of rain--it was the same temperature as piss (or so I imagine). It was just humidity falling out the air making everything damp and gross.
Half the bands didn't show.
Very little audience.
In other words it was the perfect gig for welcoming our newest members.
Just as I was about finished setting up, the stand that holds my laptop decides to collapse. Yes, I play two keyboards connected to a laptop as well as one outboard analog synth--my minimum setup. There were gasps ... there were curse words (not by me :Roll eyes: ). I blame the rain ... everything was slick with humidity. Luckily, the short USB cables helped slow the laptop down; but it still crashed to the stage with a ball-shrivelling thwack.
The laptop didn't even wince -- the OS didn't crash; in fact, it was still loading the piano sample that I use. I set the stand back up and nothing was amiss.
We played our three songs. We did all right ... new guys were excellent.
Break down.
Next band.
You know the rest.
There was only one thing that was totally awesome about this whole thing: the guys running sound. These guys made it all sound great despite the rain -- or maybe in spite of it. These guys treated the show as professionally as any other show and for what? Five no-name bands at a county fair in the rain in front of maybe 12 people.
I didn't get a chance to thank them after our set as they were busy with the next act and I just wanted to send out a thank you here just in case someone else might need it or could pass it along to someone who does.
Thanks guys.
PS - we didn't win but the girl at Pronto Pups loved us and is our newest fan.