Again, I thought this was going to make it to the worst gig ever. We just finished playing at a club called Webers. The stage (and I use the term loosely) was on the floor up against a four foot high divider. There was no room behind us (people actually stood behind the drums talking to me while I was playing) so we had to go with using two L1’s as a standard system with mixer, monitors and everything. We put one L1 on each end of the “stage” and we used two side wash monitors for the six piece band. Although this is not the ideal set up the sound was great. What started out as a potential disaster, ended up being another success story. This system is so versatile that used as a standard system it still blows the competition away. We had a great night and so did the patrons.
I just love this system.
Cliff I’m sorry but since buying the L1 I haven’t been able to post in “Your very worst gig (shudder) ever” discussion.
Rick

This was taken from the audience behind me.

We were surounded!It felt like we were at home having a party.

Jim enjoying the sound,even with the side wash and being that close to the L1.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Starvin,

Rick,

These are great photos. And I love those Drums (every time I catch them in a shot).

The playing in the crowd thing is always blast. Sometimes a warm feeling, sometimes a chill. Sometimes it is a chilling warm feeling.

quote:

Back in the long-haired days, I was doing a Jazz Fusion gig. I was nestled in the curve of a Grand Piano, in the middle of a restaurant. I was in the middle of one of those transcendental jam things when I thought I felt something odd behind me, but I was entranced and enthralled, and largely oblivious. By the end of the song, someone had put my hair into French braids.

Too funny. You were definitely in the zone that night ST.

No way could this have ever made the "worst gig" thread.
Good looking venue, good looking band, and smiling patrons.

I know what you mean too, about people talking to you while playing.
Since having no monitors blocking them and playing the TrapKAT,
dancers are always shuffling over and chatting with me during tunes.

It's kinda nice.

You have got to start taping some of these for us Rick.

Rick

Smashing. Yeah, baby!!

That looks great, a perfect situation.

We already got some great "worse" gigs, farm animals onstage and whatnot. I'll agree, your photos are definitely "not worse", looks like a blast. We often thought that putting the musicians inside the audience was a best situation for everyone and that the L1 actually allows this to happen.

Thanks for the photos.

Thanks guys
I really thought we were in trouble when we found our selves in this situation. We were about twenty feet apart from keyboard player to pedal steel player with an L1 at each end. The system performed wonderfully and I don't think we actually needed the side washes. All the comments were positive and the proof is on the audiences’ faces.
Rick

Finally, I have a story. But like you Rick, being an L1 user, this is a nightmare turned dream gig, so I put it here.

We'd had a gig booked at a bar about 40 miles away for a few months. The owner saw us in another bar, liked us and booked the gig. We showed up to play Saturday night and she told us that we were cancelled due to "an emergency". I didn't really see the emergency as the place was calm and quiet with a half a dozen regulars sipping a beer. She wouldn't eleborate. Our guitarist was just about to go ballistic, so I quickly said "okay, fine" and hearded the guys outside.

Rick said, "Look, I want to play some music, let's go to another bar in town and play for free, and tell them about this." I had already been to the other two bars in town looking for the one we were to play in and neither seemed too appetizing to me, so we headed down the road.

In the next town, we stopped in a bar that we are already booked into in December and told our story. The bartender said they had karaoke booked but some (slightly loaded) patrons yelled out that they'd rather have a band. I said, "No, no, we don't want to knock your karaoke guy out of a job, we just stopped in on the off-chance that you had nothing going on." Anyway, we then headed on down the road.

After looking thru the windows at two more bars in another town and seeing nothing going on, we wound up at a tavern (Dena's) along the highway that looked big enough to handle a band and we went inside. The owner, Dena, her boyfriend/bouncer, Mick, and about 20 people, regulars were milling around, talking, and playing shuffleboard. We told them our story. They said "fine, lets do it!"



They moved the pool table over and rearranged some tables and chairs, and helped us with our gear. As we continued bringing in all the small pieces of gear, they seemed apprehensive, asking about our total watts, how loud it might be, and how many electrical circuits we might require. We assured them we needed nothing more than what it took to run the poker machines and that we wouldn't blow them out of the room. As we set up, they oo'd and aah'd over our Bose Stuff, one girl mentioning her home Bose system and how incredible it is.

We were playing in less than 20 minutes and they were all gathered around the room watching. They got on their cell phones and eventually another 20 or so showed up. A good time was had by all, I've seen lots of pics, a smile on every face.

It was an amazing thing. Not having to pay us, the owners didn't scrutinize every note and every song. We, not getting paid, were very relaxed knowing that we were worth every penny. They were so happy with our music and the volume that they quietly passed a hat and paid us at the end of the night.



The real bonus though was just the happy faces, and this older couple who the locals say "never danced before!" were dancing to our old country songs. We got so many comments on the nice volume and the old songs. They asked us to come back and play for them on New Years Eve. I think we might just do that...at regular price too, not the usual outrageous NYE price.

It was the most enlightening gig I have had with this band over the last year, or maybe ever. We have learned something very important and can't wait to get out and do this again. We have plans to drop in on some unsuspecting bars and play again, for free.
What an adventure.

Rick, our guitarist has written his own version of this story, it's on our web intinerary.

Pete - GREAT story - very uplifting, restores your faith! Dig your song list too - like looking in the mirror...

Mike

Hey Drumr Pete!

Now THAT is a great story.

Nuthin' to add - just a great, great, story.

Thank you.

Pete
What can I say, just another class act by a classy bunch of guys.
Good stuff
Rick
PS. The smiles say it all.