Author Topic: The Saga of Orbert's Band (now with A New Development)  (Read 82065 times)

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Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #455 on: February 05, 2017, 03:30:41 PM »
Next practice isn't until Feb 25, so three weeks from yesterday.  Some people weren't available Feb 11, which is why we got together yesterday instead.  With three weeks until the next rehearsal, we took the opportunity to put five "all new" songs on the docket.  Songs that haven't been played by any previous version of the band.  We got some Gretchen Wilson (country chick), Prince, Michael Jackson, Pink, and Bruno Mars.  Tough stuff.

Offline pcs90

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #456 on: February 05, 2017, 03:35:17 PM »
And if it's fun to play, that's really what matters anyway!

Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #457 on: February 05, 2017, 09:29:19 PM »
A good challenge can be fun, and this stuff can be challenging.  But let's not get too crazy, either.  There's still a difference between playing songs I like and playing songs I don't really like but enjoy playing because the band I'm in is pretty good.  We could still be playing more songs that I like.

So my challenge to myself is to see how hard I'll work to learn songs that I don't even like.  And if I do well, I can score some major points with myself.  Then I'll owe myself something, to be named later.  It gets pretty complicated.

Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #458 on: February 25, 2017, 08:10:09 PM »
I seem to have scored major points with myself after all.  For clarification, see previous post.

Six new songs, only three of which I'd even heard before, only one which I really liked.  Not my usual bag at all, musically.  But it's a challenge.

Uptown Funk - Bruno Mars
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
Faith - George Michael
Here For The Party - Gretchen Wilson
Raise Your Glass - Pink
Kiss - Prince

We fucking nailed five of the six.  John kept screwing up Raise Your Glass because he couldn't get the weirdass syncopated chords.  He finally straightened it way out into almost straight 4/4 so he doesn't get lost.  It's a tricky riff.

Lots of keyboards, which is cool.  I definitely had my hands full a lot of the time.  Billie Jean was the only one I liked before, but Uptown Funk is pretty cool, the Pink song is fun, and even though I don't really like the George Michael, I just do the dramatic church organy stuff for the intro, then I'm out.  I'll be filling in some of the Latin percussion.  For a Country tune, the Gretchen Wilson song isn't horrible.  We rocked it pretty good, and I get to do Asian-American-Tonk pretty much throughout, which is fun.

The only one I'm still not sold on is the Prince tune.  Prince has some cool tunes for sure, but he's also hit-or-miss for me sometimes.  But it sounded pretty good.  We rocked it up a bit, made it sound like something.  The original arrangement is so sparse it's almost painful.  Definitely not my normal thing.

I'm madly in love with both of our lead singers, Jessica and Angela.  They're both such babes, so cool and so very talented.  It's a damned good thing that we're all married.  They sound fucking great together.  We could end up doing 100% songs I don't like and I'd probably stick around because I get to stand behind those two.  It doesn't get any better than this.

Offline pcs90

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #459 on: February 25, 2017, 08:52:46 PM »
Looks like it's a good thing you decided to stick with it!

Online hefdaddy42

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #460 on: February 28, 2017, 08:07:21 AM »
That's an interesting list.  Personally, I would have left out the Gretchen Wilson song (she isn't really relevant anymore - she definitely had a narrow window, and it is closed), and I would have picked a different Prince song for sure.
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Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #461 on: February 28, 2017, 10:09:55 AM »
We've got a couple of Country tunes on the list, all by female singers (since our lead singers are female), and this one happened to come up first.  I have no idea what's what in the C&W world, so I just worry about the tune.

Yeah, there are a dozen Prince tunes I would rather do than "Kiss" but whatever.  Somehow we settled on this one.  It wasn't as horrible to play as I'd feared.

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #462 on: February 28, 2017, 03:25:13 PM »
You guys should do "Sexy MF" by Prince.  That would be better.
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Offline Sir GuitarCozmo

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #463 on: March 01, 2017, 10:44:27 AM »
Depending on how rock oriented the rest of the set still is, and though it may be overplayed, "Let's Go Crazy" would be a fantastic opener.

Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #464 on: March 01, 2017, 11:58:55 AM »
It probably would, but dear lord, what an annoying song.  Catchy as hell though.

I have very little say in what songs we play, and for the most part, I'm okay with that.  I have no idea which songs are likely to win over an audience, which songs are overplayed, hidden gems, or anything else in terms of loud music for drunk people.  I don't listen to the radio much, and when I do, it's a classic rock station, so I have no idea what's popular.

All I know is what I like to play and what I like to listen to.  Since even the most accessible prog is not going to fly anyway, all that's left for me is whether or not I like playing it.  This is influenced by whether or not I like the song, but less than you might think.  I like to play; I like to interact with other musicians in real time; I like entertain people and be a part of something that sounds good.  And I get to do that.  All through school, I was in the bands, some orchestras, and the occasional vocal group.  I'm in the choir now, and have dabbled in praise bands of various forms.  In each of these, I'm part of an ensemble, a sum greater than its parts, and in each of these, I've had to learn and perform things I didn't like.  This is basically the same thing, and I even get paid for it now.

I know, I've recently whined about not getting to play many songs I like, and that's still true.  Given the choice between playing songs I like and playing songs I don't like, all other things being equal, I'd rather play songs I like.  But nothing else is equal.  You still have to play things other people like; stuff other people like to play, and stuff other people like to hear.  There's no market around here for classic rock bands, and sure as hell no market for live prog.  So this is my gig.

Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #465 on: May 04, 2017, 09:38:20 PM »
So our first gig is getting nearer.  June 11, we play a concert in the park, a 90-minute gig with no break.  For that, we figure we'll need about 20 songs.  Last practice, Jess had a wedding to attend (literally -- she was an attendant) so Angela sang both "Barracuda" and "Crazy on You" by Heart and fucking nailed them both.  Holy shit!  John also showed acoustic chops I didn't realize he had, nailing the acoustic intro to "Crazy on You".  We have something like 35 songs now, probably enough for a real gig, but John wants to add two more, just in case.

This Saturday, we attempt "Smokin'" by Boston.  I've had bursitis the past week and haven't played at all, which is somewhat concerning, but John really wants to get "Smokin'" on the list for June because he thinks our keyboard player is fucking awesome and wants to show him off.  I told the group last week that I'd have almost no practice time between then and when we play the song, but we'll see how it goes.  And it's a hard one.

And just to make things more fun, my main keyboard is fried.  My Yamaha POS has 100 or so buttons, most of which I don't use (built-in "styles" and rhythm shit and recording and playback and who knows what else) and a single large LCD display which tells me which patch I'm on, what my settings are, and all that.  Well, the display is what's fried.  It's all a brilliant bluish-white with just a hint of the dark writing that I'm supposed to be able to read.  The thing cost me $500 seven years ago, and some Googling reveals that it still sells for $500.  So that's interesting.  I've never liked the interface, but it was all I could afford at the time.  I still don't like the interface, and it's still all I can afford, but at least I know how to work with it now.  I actually think it's kinda funny that the price for seven-year-old tech would be down, but inflation has countered that, and the price is exactly the same as it was in 2010.  So I'll probably just get another one.

We just received word that we have a gig in July, too.  Another strange one, one of the local shopping malls had a contest where band submitted their "proposals" to the mall Facebook page, and whichever band got the most Likes wins.  We won.  So we play a three-hour gig in July (hopefully with breaks) at a shopping mall.  I don't even know if we're getting paid, but a gig's a gig.

We're getting really good.  I mean, damn.  Our singers are incredible, and the rest of the band isn't too bad, either.  Hopefully these silly gigs will lead to something.  Until then, I'm still having fun.

Offline pcs90

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #466 on: May 04, 2017, 10:28:13 PM »
I was wondering what happened to this thread!

Re: Keyboards:
If you can find one used, I highly recommend checking out the Roland VR09. All your essential sounds, very easy to navigate, and lots of live adjustments you can do with sliders and knobs (even has all the organ drawbars on it.) I am learning keys soon, and while I don't own this model it's definitely on my wish list once I can actually play fairly well.

Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #467 on: May 05, 2017, 01:29:46 PM »
With the lineup stabilized and no drama, there wasn't really much to talk about.  In the past, Anne, Steve, and Pat caused enough drama to keep things at soap-opera level, but we've finally settled on a very good group of people who get along and have their goals aligned.  Good for the band, not so good for drama.

Regarding the VR-09: Thanks for the suggestion.  Looks nice, but I need at least one board with 88 keys.  I still play gigs where I need a piano, or something close enough.  I already have a five-octave board, my Prophet-5.  If/when the Prophet dies, I'll be fine with 61 on top, but the Yamaha is my main board, and I need 88 keys.

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #468 on: May 05, 2017, 09:13:01 PM »
I need to see you guys when you play.
I don’t know what to put here anymore

Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #469 on: May 05, 2017, 10:38:36 PM »
Splent, you're on our Facebook page.  Get on there once and a while and notice that you're invited to our next Event.  And we'll be putting together another one for the July thing.

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #470 on: May 26, 2017, 07:38:42 AM »
I allow myself to post just to say hi, I like to read this "diary" full of various feelings and moments.

And mainly because I felt you were a little bitter and having a hard time earlier this year because of big changes in the songs and your place in the band.

I'll post in the musician thread maybe our story, because we faced some of the tough situations too, and sometimes it's better to know how to avoid hurting someone (our biggest exemple is that our keyboardist was our temporary singer and now that we found a great singer, he's disheartened).

Cheers ! And in a hurry to read your gig feedback
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Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #471 on: May 26, 2017, 09:53:58 AM »
Thanks!  Yeah, I used to pretty much dominate the Chat thread sometimes with all my updates, so I split it off into its own thread.  Then the band self-destructed again and rebuilt with people who actually get along, so without any drama or gig updates, both threads have a lot less traffic, LOL.  But the Internet is a weird place.

I was originally brought on just to play keys, but ended up adding background vocals because no one else can sing, and I can.  Since then, we've added a bassist who can sing, so that's cool, and with two strong lead singers, by time we have one of them doing backgrounds and our bassist also singing, they don't need me, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.  I've gotten to like singing with the band, and (IMO) am better than our bassist, so if it's the good of the group we're thinking of, it should be me.  But he's not horrible or anything, and it's less for me to worry about, so I roll with it.

Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #472 on: May 26, 2017, 10:03:19 AM »
Update on my keyboard:  I am an idiot.

John shot me a text (back when the fried keyboard display issue first came up) asking me what the model was, so I told him.  Then nothing.  Weird, and it left my mind going in all kinds of directions.  He's a millionaire and all the band equipment is his, and we're even upgrading a bunch of stuff, so I thought maybe he was gonna surprise me and buy a new keyboard.  The band would still "own" it, but I'd be playing it.  The band I was in back in the 80's had a similar arrangement.  No way could I afford a Prophet-5 synth, but "the band" bought one and I got to play it.

What he did was search the Internet for similar issues and solutions.  I'm an idiot for not even thinking of that; I completely forget about stuff like that, how easy it is to problem-solve these days by just Google-searching.  Anyway, I found a number of people who had similar issues, but the symptoms weren't the same.  Mostly, the screens went dark, or more commonly, half the screen went dark.  Mine got brighter, so bright that I couldn't read it.  After checking through a couple of those online tech help boards, I found one person with the same issue; her screen was so bright that she couldn't read it.  The answer had me face-palming, hard.

"Did you try adjusting the contrast?"
"How do you do that?"
"It's one of the knobs on the back"

I couldn't believe it would be that simple, but it was.  The knob had gotten bumped.  And the really scary thing was that I'd jumped all the way to replacing the keyboard, knowing that it wasn't really that expensive but repairs would be, when all it was was playing with a knob on the back, which I didn't even realize was there.

The good news is that everything seems to be fine now, and I don't have to buy another keyboard.

Offline pcs90

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #473 on: May 27, 2017, 08:13:31 PM »
Haha!
That kind of stuff happens to everyone at some point. At least you figured it out before you bought another keyboard.

Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #474 on: June 12, 2017, 11:18:20 AM »
Gig Report!

We played our first gig in eight months, and the first one with the new lineup.  We kicked off the summer "Concerts in the Park" series in the band's hometown (where John and two other band members live) so it was an outdoor gig.  5:00 to 6:30 pm, no break.

The good:  Under a gazebo (shade!), and plenty of power.  Some thought had apparently gone into the design, with an eye towards relatively big events.  Also a nice breeze which kept up throughout.

The bad:  92 degrees out, and the sun was getting lower, to the point where most of the "stage" was actually in the sun by the end of the show.  I was wearing shorts and I could feel the sun on the backs of my legs.  Temperature was down to 90 by time we finished.

P.A. cut out a few times, due to overheating.  Bass rig finally failed right as we were starting the last song.  This was at 6:27.  We (the bassist and sound man) tried various things, but no luck.  We really wanted to get that last song in, but at 6:35 the guy from the park district came up and told us we should just call it a day.  So we ended with a whimper, not a bang.  Sorry folks, it looks like we're done for today, thanks for coming out.  Found out later than something in the bass amp head had literally melted down.  Casualty of war.

Some fan pics (better ones to come):



Orbert (hidden behind stack, of course), JT (drums), David (guitar), Jerry (bass), Angela (vocals), John (guitar), Jessica (percussion).



It was nice in the shade, with the breeze, but some people braved the unfiltered sun.

Offline pcs90

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #475 on: June 19, 2017, 05:51:50 PM »
The heat is even worse down here in TX. It can regularly get well over 100 degrees in parts of the summer. Definitely not fun and it's easy to start feeling like not doing anything at that point.

Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #476 on: June 22, 2017, 08:26:49 AM »
Gig pics!





Yeah, hot as fuck, but there's still nothing like an outdoor gig.



Actual group shot with the entire group.  Orbert (keyboards), David (guitar), JT (drums), Angela (vocals), Jerry (bass), Jessica (vocals), John (guitar)


Our quest to get decent gig footage continues to elude us.  Jerry set up two GoPros, one on each side of the stage, and the idea was to cut between both, and possibly also fan-shot video (there were many friends with camera phones), and add soundtrack from the board.  It would've been sweet; he has access to some pretty nice video editing equipment.

One GoPro completely failed, and the other died after the first 2.5 songs.  The GoPro that didn't die right away was on the left stack, so no Orbert in the shot (of course!), and the feed from the board didn't work.  What the fuck?  So we still have basically have nothing.

Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #477 on: June 30, 2017, 03:24:39 PM »
The curse continues.

Today was to be the second gig with the new lineup, an outdoor Friday Afternoon thing with the band set up in the parking lot. A big tent for the band, but nothing really for the crowd, so if it rains, you get wet. As of yesterday, the forecast said 90% chance of showers this afternoon, with some lightning. Owner had to make a decision, couldn't wait til day of, because then he'd have to eat the costs for all the rental stuff. So he cancelled the event. As of this morning, it still said 60% showers this afternoon. Then it said 40%, then...

It's 4:30 now.  We should be set up and getting ready to play the fucking gig.  It is not raining, though it is mostly cloudy.  It looks like the rain won't come in until at least tonight.  Shit!  We could've played the gig.

Offline Sir GuitarCozmo

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #478 on: June 30, 2017, 03:33:40 PM »
Very frustrating.

Offline BlackInk

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #479 on: June 30, 2017, 04:20:19 PM »
Was almost expecting  that someone left the band or something when I started reading.

That definetely sucks about the gig though.

Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #480 on: June 30, 2017, 06:39:11 PM »
It's 7:30 pm, and it's sunny out.  The sun is starting to go down, but we could've played the gig.  But the owner had to make the call.  He made the right call given the information he had.  We did the same thing two years ago, when we "almost" had our debut gig, then got rained out.

Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #481 on: June 30, 2017, 07:41:27 PM »
But we are not without drama!


Our last rehearsal was not quite stress-free.  Things have been really good overall lately, as far as personalities within the band seeming to mesh, musical styles working, basically everything other than musical proficiency level.  We've all gone on record saying that we'd rather play in a band of guys (and girls) that get along than play in a musically gifted band made of up personalities that just don't work.  So far, the compromise has swung back and forth a bit, but right now I'd say it's the best it's ever been.  Everyone gets along, and we're all pretty good, too.  Well, at least no one sucks.  Or so I thought.

So we had one rehearsal to throw 10 more songs together, go from the 90-minute bag that we had to a something like three full sets for today's gig.  They were all songs we'd at least played through before, before we'd cut the list down to the 90-minute set we played last Sunday.  Now it was time to add them back, and see if we have three full sets.  We do.  We got through the songs, not all silky smooth like we would've liked, but close enough for rock and roll.

After running through a song, one of the singers said something about how it felt a little fast.  I agreed, so did a few others.  We run through it again.  Just before counting it off, JT says under his breath "Tempo is not the biggest problem this band has right now" and then click! click! click! click! we start the song again.  What the fuck?  I might have been the only one who heard it, or at least the only one who remembered by time we finished playing the song, because when we finished the second time it was better, and we moved on.  No one said anything.  But it was kind of an assholish thing to do.  If there's something you want to discuss, say so.

After practice, Angela and Jessica tend to be the first ones to leave.  They have the least gear to pack, and also tend to have the most other stuff going on on their schedules.  The girls leave, David leaves, and for a minute it's just me, John, Jerry, and JT, the "core" of the band, the elders.  We have seen singers come and go, and lead guitarists come and go.  JT takes this opportunity to point out that David thus far has not thrilled him.  He's shown himself to be a very nice guy, but decidedly on the mediocre side as far as pure guitar talent goes, and he was brought on mostly for lead guitar.  I have to agree.  So does John.  I don't specifically recall what Jerry said, but he's not an idiot.  So there it is.  My position is that he's not great, but he's not horrible, and we've played one gig together.  He feels a bit unseasoned to me, which is weird because he supposedly has some years in the biz, same as we all do.  But I'm willing to see how much he changes, improves, over the next four to six months.

John called me today.  We commiserated together about today's gig that was cancelled, but that's not why he called.  JT has contacted John more than once, since that last practice, to restate how strongly he feels about replacing David.  Whoa!  I'm nowhere near that point, and either is John, and either was JT or so we thought, but I guess we were wrong.  He wants to pull the trigger, now.  We just fucking finally put a working lineup together again after 8 months, and he wants to find a new guitarist?  Fuck.  I say give him some more time, John says give him some more time, JT thinks any more time we put in is wasted, because he just doesn't see the potential.  I can completely see that position.  I just don't care.  I'd rather play in a band with David, actually play gigs, than replace him and spend another six to eight months not playing, while we bring yet another new member up to speed.  Fuck that.  If it comes to that, I'm okay with David.  He's not the best lead guitarist we've had, in fact he's probably the worst, but he's okay, and okay is good enough for me right now.

I tell John that that's my position, and it is his as well.  I tell him that I'm curious what Jerry says, and I'm sure that Jerry is the next call he'll make (it is), but what he chooses to share with me regarding that conversation is up to him.  We leave it at that.

Offline pcs90

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #482 on: July 01, 2017, 11:42:28 AM »
The other thing I wonder is, if David stays, does that mean JT would leave the band? Then either way you will need to find a new member.

Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #483 on: July 01, 2017, 06:41:00 PM »
True, and I hope that that's not what's going on here.  Last year, I was blindsided at a band meeting when Jerry said he was just about 50-50 on whether he stays or goes, he's so sick of all the drama in the band.  All the behind-the-scenes shit.  Well, it must've really been behind the scenes, because I had no idea.  Just as I had no idea that JT has such a huge problem with David as lead guitarist.  If JT actually draws the line, says that either David goes or he goes, I'm not sure how I'd feel, or how I'd vote if it came to that.  For now, I just hope that it doesn't come to that.  Until then, I learn my parts, I play my parts, I fill my role in the band and then some, and nobody can ever say otherwise.

Next gig is a week from today.  The gig in the shopping center parking lot.  Fuck, look at us.  From a Sunday free concert in the park, to a gig in the parking lot of a small dive in a small town that got rained out, to the parking lot in a shopping center an hour from here.  Trying to stay positive.  I still get to do what lots of people can only dream about; I get to play live rock and roll for people.  Well, when we don't get rained out, and the P.A. doesn't overheat, and the drummer doesn't have kidney stones, and...

Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #484 on: July 07, 2017, 12:28:08 PM »
The gig in the mall parking lot is tomorrow.  There was a "tentative" practice on the calendar for tonight; a few months ago, there was some doubt as to whether or not we could put together enough tunes in time.  After the gig in the park and the one rehearsal where we pretty much nailed down 12 more songs, John started pulling the extra practices off the calendar.  But the gig last Friday got cancelled, so tomorrow would be nearly three weeks since we've played together, and some of the band wanted to rehearse tonight.  John explained that he'd pulled the rehearsal for primarily personal reasons.  He's the one who packs up and moves the P.A., board, and of course all of his guitar gear, and he didn't feel like setting it all up for one practice, then packing it all up again to haul out to the mall tomorrow.  I'm with him on that; I was fine with no rehearsal.

But the singers wanted to rehearse, to brush up on things, David wanted to rehearse, and honestly, more rehearsal is not a bad thing.  It's just the timing.  So we compromised.  Tonight is a "minimal gear" rehearsal.  The old board is still down in the practice room, as are the floor monitors (since we all use in-ears now).  We'll practice using that.  I'm not hauling my synth and sax, just using the Yamaha and bringing my amp.  John has a single-keyboard stand I can use.

And I'd still rather go home and get stoned tonight than rehearse.  I have not succeeded in getting myself fired up for this gig.  I will feel differently tomorrow, of course.  I always do.  Gig day, I'm ready to play.  I have a 100% track record on that.  It will of course turn out to be fun, the weather is supposed to be perfect, and since it's a shopping mall, I'm hoping there will be babes to scope out.  Rock and roll.

Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #485 on: July 08, 2017, 10:24:04 PM »
Gig Report

It's called Rock & Shop.  It happens in a pretty big shopping center, not a mall like a big enclosed building with lots of stores inside, but a strip mall, or rather a collection of strip malls covering a lot of space.  Over 80 stores total, T's and L's where the different buildings come together, and places where you drive between the buildings.  We were in a crook in an L, a plaza-like place set aside for such events.







I was in my usual spot in the back corner, and behind me was about a foot and a half drop.  Since there were cords everywhere, I made sure that most were on the ground, but kept a line running across the back, serving as a warning track.



True to the contract, all power came from a single outlet and extension cord.  I honestly did not believe that there would be enough power for everything, but there was.





It got so hot that some of the plastic faceplates on the wireless mic rack melted.





Of course, they were sitting in direct sunlight for about five hours.




Anyway, it was a good gig, a fun gig.  They always are, especially outdoors.  It was a little warmer out than they'd predicted, at least in the lower 80's when it was supposed to be in the mid-70's, but it wasn't bad, and the weather meant that the scenery was very nice.  I mean, it's simple mathematics.  Most people who go shopping are female, and when it's warmer out, they wear less.  Once we started playing, it was like a parade, a steady stream of people walking by, stopping, sometimes for just a minute and sometimes for a while.  Once again, I'm reminded that this is why I love rock and roll.
« Last Edit: July 10, 2017, 07:37:19 AM by Orbert »

Offline Orbert

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #486 on: September 04, 2017, 08:00:18 PM »
Gig Report

Our first real gig.  In a bar, not a park, or a shopping center, but a bar, on a Saturday night.  First real gig for this lineup, anyway.





Orbert on Keys, David on Guitar, Angela on Vocals, JT on Drums, Jessica on Vocals, Jerry on Bass, John on Guitar



Nice venue.  Two guys own the place; one mostly runs the bar and stuff, the other guy thinks he knows how to run sound and lights.  He does, but not very well, and he doesn't really listen to feedback.

Apparently, "Smokin'" by Boston does not have a minute and a half organ solo, at least not one that anyone heard.  "Call Me" by Blondie does not have a synth solo.  He's one of those that thinks that running sound means playing with the faders all the time.  Asshole.  If you know what you're doing, set it and (mostly) forget it.  Concentrate on effects and staying on top of things.  His idea of effects is putting echo/reverb on everything so it sounds cool to him.

Listen to the fucking song, and listen to the fucking band.  The acoustic guitar came through, which is cool.  Keyboards not so much.  "Separate Ways" by Journey has that killer synth intro, then once the guitars came in, keys were gone, actually pulled back rather than just falling back into the mix as they should be.  We probably could've run sound ourselves from on stage better than he did.  Once you get your levels, you shouldn't have to twiddle with things all night, but he's a twiddler.  And he didn't seem to give a shit about keyboards.

But whatever, a gig's a gig.  They loved us, they want us back, but since the house sound man is one of the owners, I don't know if we even have the option of bringing our own guy.  If we do, it would come out of our end of course, but it might be worth it.

Offline pcs90

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #487 on: September 14, 2017, 09:47:06 PM »
Probably worth  bringing someone to mix sound if you can get away with it. I mean, a lot of people won't notice either way, but for those who do (not to mention yourselves) it'd make a pretty significant difference I'd think.

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #488 on: September 14, 2017, 10:06:59 PM »
I agree.  We just did a gig on Tuesday, and the sound man is the same guy who worked with us at the shopping center gig.  The difference is like night and day.  When we have the option, we always have someone running sound for us because you can't leave mixing a seven-piece band, including five vocalists, to amateur hacks who only think they know what they're doing.  Pictures from that gig, as well as a writeup, are coming soon.

Our next gig - for better or worse - is back at the same place as above.  We don't have the option of bringing our own sound man, even if we pay for him.  (Owner doesn't want anyone else messing with his gear.)  But the gig is to help support Hurricane Relief, and we're opening for a Led Zeppelin Tribute band, the same one we opened for last October.  They told us at the time that they thought we were great and we could open for them any time, and here we are, doing a benefit thing on the same bill.  So fine, we only play 90 minutes, get some more exposure, and help out Red Cross Hurricane Relief.  I'm not gonna whine about playing there if it's for a good cause.

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Re: The Saga of Orbert's Band (consolidated)
« Reply #489 on: October 06, 2017, 10:33:09 AM »
Wow, this thread has gotten much less interesting now that the lineup has stabilized and there's no intra-band drama.  I never did get around to the writeup for our last gig, which went well and seems to have gained us some new fans.  We are building quite a following two counties over.  Which is better than not having a following at all, I know, but driving an hour each way to these one-nighters is a pain.  Oh well, it's rock and roll.

Tonight's the Hurricane Relief gig.  They've added another band, a David Bowie tribute band.  We still open, then the Bowie tribute, then the Zeppelin tribute.  We start earlier, and our set has been shortened to 75 minutes, but that's fine.  It just means less work and I get home earlier.