Old Dog Learns New Trick
Posted: Sat May 27, 2023 12:12 pm
Been a little slow around here, so I thought I'd regale you with a narcissistic, self-aggrandizing, and barely interesting tale of my journey into my most recent musical first....
After hundreds of gigs playing and singing in bands, trios, and duets, I finally had my first solo show last Thursday. It was supposed to be a duet, but unfortunately, my partner in this gig had to bury his mother that day (unfortunate for the death, not missing the show....how could ya'll even think that?). So, it was either cancel the show or do it by myself.
Been thinking about doing some solo stuff for a while, so I took the plunge and two months short of my 66th birthday and over 50 years of playing gigs - it was finally going to be all about me...wait....I mean ME!
Have to be honest, as it got closer - I was getting nervous. Not about the singing, because I know that no matter where I play - I'm at least the third best singer within 10 feet of me....so I've got that going for me. But, as a life-long electric player, I'm not used to having to be there all the time, on every beat, you know....like bass players (I have to admit, I do have a begrudging respect for them being there every beat despite their lack of ability to play an actual guitar). This was going to be on one of my acoustics....also known in my office/music room as the lonely, we get no respect, haven't been opened in months, why does he hate us so much?, least exciting of the 6 string world (unless of course, you're Tommy Emmanuel - that freak of nature).
Anyway, it was either going to be the Martin D-35 that's been languishing in my closet since 1978 - coming out for the occasional trip to the coast, or just showing it to people who want to see a guitar with no pickups and a hole in it......or, the Maton - an Australian-made guitar that I just had to have after playing one on a cruise ship (what happens on a cruise ship, stays on a cruise ship).
Because the Maton is a single cutaway and is a little smaller than the monstrous dreadnaught that is the Martin - it got the nod. Plus, it plays really well for an acoustic.
I've known this show was coming up for a couple of weeks, so I set about the task of coming up with enough songs that I could play and sing to fill up a 3 hour show. With no solos, a three-minute song somehow only takes about a minute and a half to play, so the song count needed to fill that allotted time is, through some fluke in the musicverse, about 8 times more than you think.
But alas, there's a little device known as a looper. This little one-button pedal has the ability to play back exactly what you just played, allowing you to play a solo over the top of it.....and all you have to do to make it work is to somehow use your foot to activate it exactly on the 1 of the upcoming measure, while your guitar starts a pickup on the 2 and the vocal has a pickup on the 3 of the preceding measure. So, two hands, one mouth, and one foot trying do three different things at three different times. And that’s to start the recording. If you want to play that recording back later in the song, you have to double-tap that sucker to get it to stop recording (which is certainly not the tempo that your hands and mouth are traveling when that action needs to be done).
Whew! Finished, right? Not so fast there big fella…..now you’ve got to go through the whole process again trying to time the playback while doing all that other stuff that you did to get it started in the first place. At this point, the crowd thinks you are trying to play, sing, and stomp roaches up there.
I worked with the Looper for several hours to get to the point where I could use it successfully…..as a paperweight.
But I digress. After coming up with a list of about 70 songs and the ability (if not the courage) to use the looper on a few of those to drag things out a little, I practiced and practiced until that giant-stringed acoustic had my fingers screaming that they wanted the Les Paul and the Telecaster back with the light gauge strings. Sorry boys, this is a finger-picking (did I mention that I almost exclusively finger pick on acoustic?) show and to shut up, suck it up, and do their job…..whereupon, they went on strike and refused to pick my nose or scratch my butt until they got a break.
Now on to the technical portion of this tale of my “coming-out of the closet” as an acoustic performer. Because of my incredibly bad back (going to the neuro-surgeon in a week or so to see if he can invade my spine to give me some relief…and give himself a new bass boat), I was trying to keep the equipment list as light as possible. The venue has a couple of QSC K12s hanging over the stage, which is plenty for this place. They also provide a mixer, but I decided I wanted more control than just three band EQ and one effect, so I set up my little XAir12 for my massive two-input setup. The Maton went into my tuner and the Ditto Looper straight to a Hi-Z input on the mixer. Added some reverb and chorus to the guitar and some reverb and a short delay to my mic. Bypassed their board and went straight into the mains.
Still had to carry mic stands, my Roc-n-Soc tall pneumatic stool with footrest and backrest, cables, mixer, iPads, etc….but I didn’t want to have to take a powered monitor, so this was not only my first solo show, but also the first time that I’ve used in-ears. Didn’t even use an Aux, just came out of the headphone jack to my KZ KS10 in-ears. Side note, the KZs are cheap and sound better than the Shures that cost 3-4 times as much. I’ve ABed ‘em and they are hands down better and the earpieces hold their shape wonderfully. I’ve been wearing ‘em to the gym for months.
I always like monitoring what’s going to the mains (that’s the soundguy in me), so getting the mains output via the headphone jack was perfect and didn’t require a headphone amp or a wireless system.
At this point, everything was ready to go.
Haven’t mentioned it, but the venue is a restaurant/bar with an outside patio – that’s where I was. On a Thursday night, most of the crowd is way back from the stage. The little bit of crowd that is close are folks just waiting for their table. So, I probably could have played the same 10 songs over and over without anyone hear the same song twice. However, I actually had some folks come out and spend the entire evening – so, I’m glad I had 70 songs ready.
Got there early, made several trips to my truck to bring in the gear (why so much crap for a solo show?), got everything setup and sound checked and sat back and waited for my big moment.
Have to admit, I was excited that I had the crowd’s attention as soon as I sat down. Unfortunately, I realized that it was because I forgot to zip up after the pre-show tinkle…anyway…..
Everything started fine and I even pulled off using the looper on a couple of songs. As more friends showed up, I was more at ease. It’s always easier to play when someone is paying attention – even if it’s only a few. In the second set, a couple of 20-something girls way in the back were singing along with Long-Haired Country Boy, then came right down front and sat in front of the stage and listened. Another couple sat right up front also, so now I had them along with a table of friends hollering out requests – getting feedback from the crowd always makes things better. The show just got better as it went on – taking requests…telling them I didn’t know that song…you know the drill.
Tip bucket started getting some action. Not sure if it was because they liked what they heard or they felt sorry for the old, bald, fat guy trying to make a buck at something he clearly wasn’t cut out for….but, once again, I digress.
Scheduled show time was until 9pm, but the folks I was playing to were sticking around and we were having some good banter back and forth – so I ended up playing an extra 15-20 minutes.
Tore it down, loaded up, got my check, and counted the tip jar. All of the cash was actual American currency with no counterfeit bills or notes with suggestions that I put my voice to better use like scaring pigeons away from buildings. The check from the venue was deposited in the bank the next day and it didn’t get kicked back.
So, all in all, my first solo show was a reasonable success – no one got hurt and of all the tomatoes that got thrown, not a single one was rotten! And I love tomatoes.
After hundreds of gigs playing and singing in bands, trios, and duets, I finally had my first solo show last Thursday. It was supposed to be a duet, but unfortunately, my partner in this gig had to bury his mother that day (unfortunate for the death, not missing the show....how could ya'll even think that?). So, it was either cancel the show or do it by myself.
Been thinking about doing some solo stuff for a while, so I took the plunge and two months short of my 66th birthday and over 50 years of playing gigs - it was finally going to be all about me...wait....I mean ME!
Have to be honest, as it got closer - I was getting nervous. Not about the singing, because I know that no matter where I play - I'm at least the third best singer within 10 feet of me....so I've got that going for me. But, as a life-long electric player, I'm not used to having to be there all the time, on every beat, you know....like bass players (I have to admit, I do have a begrudging respect for them being there every beat despite their lack of ability to play an actual guitar). This was going to be on one of my acoustics....also known in my office/music room as the lonely, we get no respect, haven't been opened in months, why does he hate us so much?, least exciting of the 6 string world (unless of course, you're Tommy Emmanuel - that freak of nature).
Anyway, it was either going to be the Martin D-35 that's been languishing in my closet since 1978 - coming out for the occasional trip to the coast, or just showing it to people who want to see a guitar with no pickups and a hole in it......or, the Maton - an Australian-made guitar that I just had to have after playing one on a cruise ship (what happens on a cruise ship, stays on a cruise ship).
Because the Maton is a single cutaway and is a little smaller than the monstrous dreadnaught that is the Martin - it got the nod. Plus, it plays really well for an acoustic.
I've known this show was coming up for a couple of weeks, so I set about the task of coming up with enough songs that I could play and sing to fill up a 3 hour show. With no solos, a three-minute song somehow only takes about a minute and a half to play, so the song count needed to fill that allotted time is, through some fluke in the musicverse, about 8 times more than you think.
But alas, there's a little device known as a looper. This little one-button pedal has the ability to play back exactly what you just played, allowing you to play a solo over the top of it.....and all you have to do to make it work is to somehow use your foot to activate it exactly on the 1 of the upcoming measure, while your guitar starts a pickup on the 2 and the vocal has a pickup on the 3 of the preceding measure. So, two hands, one mouth, and one foot trying do three different things at three different times. And that’s to start the recording. If you want to play that recording back later in the song, you have to double-tap that sucker to get it to stop recording (which is certainly not the tempo that your hands and mouth are traveling when that action needs to be done).
Whew! Finished, right? Not so fast there big fella…..now you’ve got to go through the whole process again trying to time the playback while doing all that other stuff that you did to get it started in the first place. At this point, the crowd thinks you are trying to play, sing, and stomp roaches up there.
I worked with the Looper for several hours to get to the point where I could use it successfully…..as a paperweight.
But I digress. After coming up with a list of about 70 songs and the ability (if not the courage) to use the looper on a few of those to drag things out a little, I practiced and practiced until that giant-stringed acoustic had my fingers screaming that they wanted the Les Paul and the Telecaster back with the light gauge strings. Sorry boys, this is a finger-picking (did I mention that I almost exclusively finger pick on acoustic?) show and to shut up, suck it up, and do their job…..whereupon, they went on strike and refused to pick my nose or scratch my butt until they got a break.
Now on to the technical portion of this tale of my “coming-out of the closet” as an acoustic performer. Because of my incredibly bad back (going to the neuro-surgeon in a week or so to see if he can invade my spine to give me some relief…and give himself a new bass boat), I was trying to keep the equipment list as light as possible. The venue has a couple of QSC K12s hanging over the stage, which is plenty for this place. They also provide a mixer, but I decided I wanted more control than just three band EQ and one effect, so I set up my little XAir12 for my massive two-input setup. The Maton went into my tuner and the Ditto Looper straight to a Hi-Z input on the mixer. Added some reverb and chorus to the guitar and some reverb and a short delay to my mic. Bypassed their board and went straight into the mains.
Still had to carry mic stands, my Roc-n-Soc tall pneumatic stool with footrest and backrest, cables, mixer, iPads, etc….but I didn’t want to have to take a powered monitor, so this was not only my first solo show, but also the first time that I’ve used in-ears. Didn’t even use an Aux, just came out of the headphone jack to my KZ KS10 in-ears. Side note, the KZs are cheap and sound better than the Shures that cost 3-4 times as much. I’ve ABed ‘em and they are hands down better and the earpieces hold their shape wonderfully. I’ve been wearing ‘em to the gym for months.
I always like monitoring what’s going to the mains (that’s the soundguy in me), so getting the mains output via the headphone jack was perfect and didn’t require a headphone amp or a wireless system.
At this point, everything was ready to go.
Haven’t mentioned it, but the venue is a restaurant/bar with an outside patio – that’s where I was. On a Thursday night, most of the crowd is way back from the stage. The little bit of crowd that is close are folks just waiting for their table. So, I probably could have played the same 10 songs over and over without anyone hear the same song twice. However, I actually had some folks come out and spend the entire evening – so, I’m glad I had 70 songs ready.
Got there early, made several trips to my truck to bring in the gear (why so much crap for a solo show?), got everything setup and sound checked and sat back and waited for my big moment.
Have to admit, I was excited that I had the crowd’s attention as soon as I sat down. Unfortunately, I realized that it was because I forgot to zip up after the pre-show tinkle…anyway…..
Everything started fine and I even pulled off using the looper on a couple of songs. As more friends showed up, I was more at ease. It’s always easier to play when someone is paying attention – even if it’s only a few. In the second set, a couple of 20-something girls way in the back were singing along with Long-Haired Country Boy, then came right down front and sat in front of the stage and listened. Another couple sat right up front also, so now I had them along with a table of friends hollering out requests – getting feedback from the crowd always makes things better. The show just got better as it went on – taking requests…telling them I didn’t know that song…you know the drill.
Tip bucket started getting some action. Not sure if it was because they liked what they heard or they felt sorry for the old, bald, fat guy trying to make a buck at something he clearly wasn’t cut out for….but, once again, I digress.
Scheduled show time was until 9pm, but the folks I was playing to were sticking around and we were having some good banter back and forth – so I ended up playing an extra 15-20 minutes.
Tore it down, loaded up, got my check, and counted the tip jar. All of the cash was actual American currency with no counterfeit bills or notes with suggestions that I put my voice to better use like scaring pigeons away from buildings. The check from the venue was deposited in the bank the next day and it didn’t get kicked back.
So, all in all, my first solo show was a reasonable success – no one got hurt and of all the tomatoes that got thrown, not a single one was rotten! And I love tomatoes.
