Tour Talk

I stand...well, I SIT...corrected

I did a wintertime party gig w/a band...when we got there we discovered we were s'posed to play OUTSIDE in like 25-30 degree weather!!! There was a nice bonfire for the guests, but we were about 30 feet from them, & the wind was just whipping through.

There was a stage & everything, with these 3 lil propane heaters that just glowed. I stood next to one, & as I was playing, my bass went all outa tune. I tuned it 3 times during the 1st set.

1st song of the 2nd set, you guessed it...a busted bass string. The cold/hot/cold/hot as I played near the damned heater just messed it all up.

Finished up with a 3 string bass...we got a $50 tip.

It wasn't worth it.

Then there was the night I got to the gig, got almost set up...then drove 45 minutes back to the house to get my guitar...damn am I glad I was 2 hours early to begin with...made it back with about 10 minutes to spare.

So last Wed, the local pub asked me to do a solo gig on Fri (last night). Haven't played for quite awhile, & thought it sounded like fun. Been pushing it kinda hard lately, & haven't been able to sleep much either. Got there last night, & started to set up, after working all day on a huge deck job, & I was tired before I even began.

I was putting the mic in the stand, & got a leg cramp. Caused me to lean into the mic stand. The mic popped out of the stand, & hit me just below my right eye. It cut me, & I was bleeding. Ppl asked me what happened & I told 'em the bartender hit me for hitting on her.

My voice was not in good form, cuzza the lack of sleep, I suppose, & since I haven't been playing much I had blisters before the 1st set was over.

All in all, it wasn't a very fun gig. On top of it all, my guitar started getting all floopy, like there's a short in it by the jack on the inside of the box. Every time I started to play an energetic strum, it crapped out on me. Like right in the middle of "Closer to Home (I'm Your Captain"). So I had to play softer stuff. The ppl seemed to like it, though. (Normally, I'd have had a backup guitar, but of course I didn't need it last night, right?) Sheesh! I could just kick meself in the ol' buttocks for it all.

The guy I met through BM was there. I felt like a crumb for not doing better. Eh...it happens sometimes, right? He seemed to think I was okay, but I know I could have, nay, should have, done better.

Got home around 1:30, got up at 5 to go fishing, & got nothing at all after 4 hours of it (in my defense, everyone else I talked to got bupkiss, too)...GRRRRRRrrrrrr...I don't think this is turning out to be my millenium.

I think I'll take a nap & go back out this evening to try out some of that night fishing. Wish me luck!