Saturday 12 August 2017

1st Gig


Hello and welcome to this... blog. I'm not sure what generally goes on in blogs but this will be a place where the band can write about whatever takes their fancy.. so expect anything! Literally anything at all!

Seeing as we just played our first gig I thought I'd kick things off with the thoughts going through my head as we played or first song live.. ever. Enjoy... or not I guess depending on your mood..



The reassuringly even wood of the stage rests beneath my feet as I scamper about
wondering what I'm missing. Twizzle, twizzle, twizzle. The various knobs around the
drum-set inhabiting the rear of the stage need adjusting to the perfect, optimum level.
A quick glance up and everyone else on stage is not near as frantic against the backdrop
of darkened silhouettes waiting in judgement.
Drumsticks! Of course i'm missing that slightly essential item to play the drums.
Quickly I'm dashing in the back room and out again leaping through the tangled,
forest of wires which make up the floor of the stage and back behind the kit.
Back to frantic twizzling I suppose until everything is just right.. except that
cymbal stand. Why won't it stay completely still? It does look a bit wobbly.
Just a few more tightens and it should be fine.. Everyone is turning towards me with
a questioning look of expectation: clearly they want me to hurry.
"Are you ready?"
"Yeah, for the line check?"
"Yer.. I don't think there's a line check."
"What?!"
Ah shit first no sound check now no line check. Well there's only so much that can
go wrong on a first gig. I give the bass drum a few kicks and hit the snare a
couple of times to confirm with myself that this drum-kit does make sounds
before giving a nod of confirmation.

Rob begins far too immediately and I'm in drum mode, ticking down until the rest
of us come in and.. Bam! I've started and my first thought is how awesome the new snare sounds
crackling out as it gets belted in the intro. Wait that cymbal hit felt a bit
weak.. I look up and the pesky cymbal stand has already decided to flip the crash
back over itself away from me. Of course this now initiates a chaotic few moments where I
have no idea whether to keep trying to hit the rebellious thing or just depend on
the ride.. Somehow I manage to decide to do both as we belt on into the verse.

Muscle memory and vain pride motivate me to keep using the crash despite it's
awkward state but it soon becomes obvious that I'm going to have to abandon this
dumbass strategy. By the chorus I'm all about the ride and find some breathing space
to actually think about what everyone is doing. It all sounds good from what I can
tell and I'm sure the mass of blackened blobs beyond the stage light are
enjoying themselves wonderfully.

Soon though it's back to chaotic neural patterns as I try to figure out in
approximately 1 second how to play our cymbal-heavy intro with just a ride.
For some bizarre reason this appears to go well and I can feel myself really
getting into the music.. except is this too slow? This has got to be too slow.
How is no-one else in the band glaring at me yet? This is a snail's pace
compared to practice- I'm pretty sure the entire audience is leaving in disgust.
And... calm down.. breathe.. listen to Dory... just keep playing.. the blobs are
still with us.

The second chorus is coming to a close.. this is where I get my little break..
HOLY SHIT YES. Thank christ I can actually adjust that cymbal! Tom laughs
as I grin at the finally well-positioned, glimmering sheet of metal. I celebrate by
smashing it as I come back in mid-bridge and it gloriously stays where it's supposed to.
Wait a sec.. that kick drum sounds a bit off. I look down to see the pedal veering off
to the right, completely inconsiderate to it's supposed job of smashing repeatedly
into the bass drum in front of it. Great.. and we're off into the final, loud, smashing chorus.

Come on pedal.. stay with me.. don't fuck off now.. I find myself staring keenly
at my feet as Rob comes over in some sort of guitar inertia for some serious guitar-
drummer stare-off time. I'd love to join, I'm never one to miss a guitar-drummer stare off
but that pedal is inching away just a little bit.. Stay with me pedal, stay with me
cymbal- we're heading into the crescendo and... made it! Haha! That was excellent!!
The blobs are all still here! Time for some serious fiddling before the next song begins
as the music quietens down and John begins segregating the crowd into people who know us
and people who don't..


Wow you made it to the end of that?! Check out the grand band blog for more things you weren't really looking for!

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