Well the day finally arrived for my final night with ReTrio. They had recruited Glyn on guitar and so they expected to do the next gig at Burwell with him and Steve.
5:15pm I ran round to Chris's to meet up with him and Ian sharing a car to the gig. We made good time to Bottisham arriving about 6pm aiming for an 8pm ish start. Modern building with a reasonably large concert room with vaulted roof - usually good for vocals. Right from the off the lady meeting us explained that they didn't expect many to turn out tonight. We were to set up on the dance floor in front of some curtains which would be good to absorb slap back from the rear wall. As we set up I tweaked the Bose analogue input levels down half a notch to 5 to de-risk input overload - they had crept up at the last couple of gigs! Ian had forgotten his mic stand so I lent Chris my spare straight stand and Ian used Chris's boom. Otherwise set up was without incident and it all checked out well sound wise if a little loud. I decided to take the volume down a notch on the PA for the performance. My throat was still a little bunged up several weeks after the onset of my cold and I kept my mic up a bit to give some scope for close mic low volume singing if things got worse.
As we got some beers in a few folks arrived including a character dressed in 1950's 'teddy boy' gear. I asked him if he was expecting some rock and roll and he revealed he was the local retro DJ specializing in analogue sound based on his massive vinyl collection. He reeled off a few numbers he would like to hear and as we did most of them so it seemed we were on the right track for this gig. There were probably only 10 in the room as show time approached and Chris was all for doing the gig in civvies. I persuaded them to get changed saying that even if there were only a few we should give them the best show we could. We compromised by making ties optional!
At 8:15 we struck up with FBI playing to maybe 15 spread round the room and standing at the bar. The sound was ok but not great with a slight middley harshness (from the hard floor?) - but quite workable. We got a good round of applause from the few and pressed on with a typical set. We continued to be well received and a few more arrived so I stepped up the bantering. They seemed to like this and we got some good audience interaction going and towards the end even a few dancers came up to "Runaround Sue". Even though we would be a little over time I kept us going through "All Shook Up" to prolong the dancing and try out some audience answerbacks - which they got the idea of towards the end. We finished to strong applause from the increased crowd of about 20 now! The ted DJ came over to me and said we were really good and could we fit in "The Wanderer" - yes I said if you can feed me some words. He reeled off the first verse and I tried to run that through my head as another chap came up to say the band was great and could we do a Stones number - 'Honky Tonk Women. I said? 'Fantastic' he said!
As we resumed I was determined to make my last gig go well and resolved to do a strong last walk with "Apache" The dance floor was ideal for this - slightly slidey! So I announced I would show the audience how to dance and took to the floor. I found for the 'guitar up' bits on F, I could do the walk and then slide towards a table of ladies on my left and then alternatively slide to another table of ladies on my right. I could see this was getting some traction and I hyped it up (slightly tongue in cheek) right up to the end. We were rewarded with such big applause from such a small audience that it genuinely surprised and delighted us in the band.
Apache End
I bantered us on through the set fitting in the requests and doing generally dancier material. I do recall that "Wanderer" went well enough despite lots of mumbled words! I got some strong sing-a-long going with "Daydream Believer - Sweet Caroline" And some dance action with frenetic Creedance performances, e.g:
Proud Mary Solo
We finished the set with "Hot Love into East Anglia Girls" again to very strong applause. The word must have got around the venue as we now had about 25 people to play to!
We opened with "Great Balls|" for set 3 Good choice as we got some sing-a-long join in from the teds at the bar. Somehow I messed up the beginning of "Dance the Night Away"!! Not that noticeable out front but it put me at odds with the bass line. I suppose my re-synching gave the dancers a little more time to get up before I started the vocal! Anyway they loved our long non-stop sequence and we had lots of dancing and singing from our small audience out to enjoy themselves. As we cruised towards the end Ian asked for one last rendition of "Penny Arcade" and that also went down well with the sing-a-long crowd. I opted to do a number from a 'local band made good' next with "Another Brick in the Wall" - this was as close as we got to a ballad on this night!
Another Brick Extract
Next it was "Mustang Sally" to fill the dance floor again and then. as we approached 11:30pm, I announced "Johnny B Goode" as the final number. Well they surprised us again with just about everyone out on the floor doing wild dancing. We did our outro's for the final time with Chris showing off his 'well rounded bottom' and Ian 'rattling his pots and pans' and me getting the timing right on my final guitar solo as we hurtled to the end and a fantastic reception. For such a small crowd they made a lot of noise so I told 'em they were "Born to be Wild" and we encored it with gusto. We were well over time as we finished and had to decline more encores as we left the playing area on a high note.
Even though it was late we were inundated with well wishers who were making kind remarks about the professionalism and sound of the band. Chris issued some cards to prospects and the ted DJ thanked us for a great song selection. I was amazed at all this and put it down to the thought that they must be used to having downbeat old country acts at this gig. Eventually we were able to get away and get changed and set about pack up. We got all the gear in the cars and then I found Chris and Ian at the bar negotiating a return gig. I had to be driving to Bristol the next morning so I organised a little round of handshakes we wished each other well and I left them to it. Strange feelings of relief mixed with nostalgia driving home - thinking of the many bands I had been in over the last 50 years and how they had usually ended amicably. The vids were rougher than I expected but give a flavour!
Chris texted the next day to say I would be a 'hard act to follow' and hoping we can remain buddies - which was just the ending I wanted! But 'no rest for the wicked' as, in the morning, I had to unload the band gear and load up some back line and guitars for my niece's wedding band practice in Bristol.
5:15pm I ran round to Chris's to meet up with him and Ian sharing a car to the gig. We made good time to Bottisham arriving about 6pm aiming for an 8pm ish start. Modern building with a reasonably large concert room with vaulted roof - usually good for vocals. Right from the off the lady meeting us explained that they didn't expect many to turn out tonight. We were to set up on the dance floor in front of some curtains which would be good to absorb slap back from the rear wall. As we set up I tweaked the Bose analogue input levels down half a notch to 5 to de-risk input overload - they had crept up at the last couple of gigs! Ian had forgotten his mic stand so I lent Chris my spare straight stand and Ian used Chris's boom. Otherwise set up was without incident and it all checked out well sound wise if a little loud. I decided to take the volume down a notch on the PA for the performance. My throat was still a little bunged up several weeks after the onset of my cold and I kept my mic up a bit to give some scope for close mic low volume singing if things got worse.
As we got some beers in a few folks arrived including a character dressed in 1950's 'teddy boy' gear. I asked him if he was expecting some rock and roll and he revealed he was the local retro DJ specializing in analogue sound based on his massive vinyl collection. He reeled off a few numbers he would like to hear and as we did most of them so it seemed we were on the right track for this gig. There were probably only 10 in the room as show time approached and Chris was all for doing the gig in civvies. I persuaded them to get changed saying that even if there were only a few we should give them the best show we could. We compromised by making ties optional!
At 8:15 we struck up with FBI playing to maybe 15 spread round the room and standing at the bar. The sound was ok but not great with a slight middley harshness (from the hard floor?) - but quite workable. We got a good round of applause from the few and pressed on with a typical set. We continued to be well received and a few more arrived so I stepped up the bantering. They seemed to like this and we got some good audience interaction going and towards the end even a few dancers came up to "Runaround Sue". Even though we would be a little over time I kept us going through "All Shook Up" to prolong the dancing and try out some audience answerbacks - which they got the idea of towards the end. We finished to strong applause from the increased crowd of about 20 now! The ted DJ came over to me and said we were really good and could we fit in "The Wanderer" - yes I said if you can feed me some words. He reeled off the first verse and I tried to run that through my head as another chap came up to say the band was great and could we do a Stones number - 'Honky Tonk Women. I said? 'Fantastic' he said!
As we resumed I was determined to make my last gig go well and resolved to do a strong last walk with "Apache" The dance floor was ideal for this - slightly slidey! So I announced I would show the audience how to dance and took to the floor. I found for the 'guitar up' bits on F, I could do the walk and then slide towards a table of ladies on my left and then alternatively slide to another table of ladies on my right. I could see this was getting some traction and I hyped it up (slightly tongue in cheek) right up to the end. We were rewarded with such big applause from such a small audience that it genuinely surprised and delighted us in the band.
Apache End
I bantered us on through the set fitting in the requests and doing generally dancier material. I do recall that "Wanderer" went well enough despite lots of mumbled words! I got some strong sing-a-long going with "Daydream Believer - Sweet Caroline" And some dance action with frenetic Creedance performances, e.g:
Proud Mary Solo
We finished the set with "Hot Love into East Anglia Girls" again to very strong applause. The word must have got around the venue as we now had about 25 people to play to!
We opened with "Great Balls|" for set 3 Good choice as we got some sing-a-long join in from the teds at the bar. Somehow I messed up the beginning of "Dance the Night Away"!! Not that noticeable out front but it put me at odds with the bass line. I suppose my re-synching gave the dancers a little more time to get up before I started the vocal! Anyway they loved our long non-stop sequence and we had lots of dancing and singing from our small audience out to enjoy themselves. As we cruised towards the end Ian asked for one last rendition of "Penny Arcade" and that also went down well with the sing-a-long crowd. I opted to do a number from a 'local band made good' next with "Another Brick in the Wall" - this was as close as we got to a ballad on this night!
Another Brick Extract
Next it was "Mustang Sally" to fill the dance floor again and then. as we approached 11:30pm, I announced "Johnny B Goode" as the final number. Well they surprised us again with just about everyone out on the floor doing wild dancing. We did our outro's for the final time with Chris showing off his 'well rounded bottom' and Ian 'rattling his pots and pans' and me getting the timing right on my final guitar solo as we hurtled to the end and a fantastic reception. For such a small crowd they made a lot of noise so I told 'em they were "Born to be Wild" and we encored it with gusto. We were well over time as we finished and had to decline more encores as we left the playing area on a high note.
Even though it was late we were inundated with well wishers who were making kind remarks about the professionalism and sound of the band. Chris issued some cards to prospects and the ted DJ thanked us for a great song selection. I was amazed at all this and put it down to the thought that they must be used to having downbeat old country acts at this gig. Eventually we were able to get away and get changed and set about pack up. We got all the gear in the cars and then I found Chris and Ian at the bar negotiating a return gig. I had to be driving to Bristol the next morning so I organised a little round of handshakes we wished each other well and I left them to it. Strange feelings of relief mixed with nostalgia driving home - thinking of the many bands I had been in over the last 50 years and how they had usually ended amicably. The vids were rougher than I expected but give a flavour!
Chris texted the next day to say I would be a 'hard act to follow' and hoping we can remain buddies - which was just the ending I wanted! But 'no rest for the wicked' as, in the morning, I had to unload the band gear and load up some back line and guitars for my niece's wedding band practice in Bristol.
No comments:
Post a Comment