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The glamour of rock and roll:
The Audience:
You went to see a band play in “Sound” in Leicester Square last December.
Muse, The Stereo MCs and Embrace all play there the next year, but tonight is a band that your mates are playing in, they’re headlining the same place where The Pepsi Chart Show is recorded.
We’ll call the band Parker.
Tickets say the doors open at 7:30pm, so you’ll leave about 7pm, get down the Leicester Square for about 8, wander in and get a beer, go chat to the boys in the band and then enjoy the show.
Get back home about midnight and, all in all, you had a top evening. Nice venue, beer was cheap and the band was kicking.
The Band:
You took the day off because this is a massive gig for you. You’re playing Sound, a major venue and it’s Friday and it’s 2 weeks before Christmas. You’ve spent 2 weeks previous emailing record companies, labels, music papers, making phone calls, letting everyone on the mailing list know you’re playing soon. (when you started out it was 9 mates watching you, but now you pull in 200+ on a normal gig night).
But today is the day.
You wake up in the morning to go buy things you’ll need (strings, drumsticks, batteries for wah-wah pedals etc) and have lunch. You feel nervous as hell because tonight is big.
The doors open at 7:30pm, so because you’re headlining you sound-check 1st.
Which means you have to be there by 3pm.
So you leave your house at 1pm and drive into London, once you’ve loaded all your gear up and found directions on how to get to Leicester Square. (Try parking in Leicester Square on a Friday, 2 weeks before Xmas around lunchtime.)
Once there, you have to carry your gear in (the drummer is laughing because the promotional company organising the event want every band to use the same kit, fair enough).
It’s now 3:20pm and you have to sound-check.
Drums 1st.
You sit and hit each drum in repetition, usually 20-30 times a drum whilst the soundman checks the mics are working etc. “Kick drum please”. “Now snare” “Now 1st rack-tom”.
Excitement is overwhelming.
The rest of your band sit on the floor and tune-up, fix strings etc.
Eventually you have done your drum-check and can sit against the wall, smoking and watching the other bands arrive. The other bands are polite but not overly friendly, “why aren’t they headlining?” “Why should Parker be headlining?”.
Why? Because you know, as a member of that band, that you have consistently blown every other band off-stage you’ve played with.
Sound-check almost over. Time to run through a couple of songs to check levels, you need more bass. Perhaps a little more guitar?
Ok, you’re finished now for sound levels.
Check your watch.
5pm. Christ, another 2 and ½ hrs until door-time yet.
Sound has a backstage! Cool, go back and dump your cases etc, hang your clothes up and enjoy a dressing room that actually is that. (you’ve only ever had a backstage area 3 times before, Dingwalls was pretty cool but this rocks)
Go get some food and keep phoning record companies, mates, strangers on the mailing list, parents and partners.
Right, 6:30pm now. 1 hr until doors open. Go back to the venue and sit around.
You’ve been here for 3hrs already and you don’t go onstage until 10:15pm.
Doors open at last!!
There are some people you know. They’re not mates, but you recognise them from previous shows. Wow, these are called “fans” and they pay to come and watch you, they enjoy your music.
This is a strange feeling, people you don’t know that come to see you every time and buy you drinks.
So you make damn sure they know you appreciate them, spend time chatting with them, even though your stomach is going a mile-a-minute by now.
8pm and the place is getting pretty busy, more people are here and your mates are starting to arrive. Race around trying to thank everyone for coming, the 1st band is playing and you don’t even notice them.
It’s now 9:30pm and the 2nd band are onstage.
You tell your mates that you have to get ready and go backstage. You got changed before the doors open, now you’re wearing your uniform of baggy cargo shorts and an old-school rock t-shirt that you always, always play in.
10pm. 2nd band are almost done “this is our last song next”
So you start to warm up. This is usually done by bouncing around and smoking lots and lots.
“Cheers”, with that the 2nd band are off and the stage-guys are changing the gear over.
You’re on in 3 minutes. You all stand in a group and psyche each other up, grinning like fools and bouncing from foot to foot
You’ve been here for 7hrs already, and now it’s the time that makes it worth every hour spent sitting against a wall.
Walk onstage (you’re barefoot because you cant play in shoes or socks).
You take your seat behind the drum-kit, peering out into the audience. You can’t see a damn thing, the lights are in your eyes and all you can see are the backs of your band-mates.
Set-list on the floor to your left along with a couple of pints of water.
“Saints & Cynics” starts up and you go for it like a man possessed.
After the 1st song finishes, they’re cheering and whistling. This is awesome.
Next song now, “Mrs Jones”. Getting very hot, lights just behind you making you sweat as you play along.
Sometimes you can see past the lights and see people singing and dancing with you.
25 mins into the set now, pint drunk and t-shirt stuck to you like a wet-towel.
You finish the set and start to walk off, but they’re shouting for more.
You go out back and collapse on the floor, sweating out of your skin and trying to catch your breath from 45mins of drumming like a maniac.
They’re still shouting.
Should we go out again?
Damn right, this is our very 1st encore and you play another 2 songs and then finished.
It’s now 11pm and you are backstage again.
Sitting on the floor, sweat in your eyes and desperate for water. You go back out to say thanks and hi to your mates. People are clapping you on the back and shaking your hands, telling you how much they enjoyed it.
Then everyone has to leave because it’s 11:30pm.
Now you pack up all your stuff and spend 45 mins loading out to the cars.
You drive home again and get in at 1-2am, you need a shower before sleep.
You get to sleep about 3am.
And then you get up for work at 7am and spend the day staring at the monitor thinking about how awesome and fantastic last night was.
THAT is why I play in a band, and that is what we’re doing on Sunday supporting another reasonably-big band.
I love music and I love playing.
Hope to see you there sometime.
The Audience:
You went to see a band play in “Sound” in Leicester Square last December.
Muse, The Stereo MCs and Embrace all play there the next year, but tonight is a band that your mates are playing in, they’re headlining the same place where The Pepsi Chart Show is recorded.
We’ll call the band Parker.
Tickets say the doors open at 7:30pm, so you’ll leave about 7pm, get down the Leicester Square for about 8, wander in and get a beer, go chat to the boys in the band and then enjoy the show.
Get back home about midnight and, all in all, you had a top evening. Nice venue, beer was cheap and the band was kicking.
The Band:
You took the day off because this is a massive gig for you. You’re playing Sound, a major venue and it’s Friday and it’s 2 weeks before Christmas. You’ve spent 2 weeks previous emailing record companies, labels, music papers, making phone calls, letting everyone on the mailing list know you’re playing soon. (when you started out it was 9 mates watching you, but now you pull in 200+ on a normal gig night).
But today is the day.
You wake up in the morning to go buy things you’ll need (strings, drumsticks, batteries for wah-wah pedals etc) and have lunch. You feel nervous as hell because tonight is big.
The doors open at 7:30pm, so because you’re headlining you sound-check 1st.
Which means you have to be there by 3pm.
So you leave your house at 1pm and drive into London, once you’ve loaded all your gear up and found directions on how to get to Leicester Square. (Try parking in Leicester Square on a Friday, 2 weeks before Xmas around lunchtime.)
Once there, you have to carry your gear in (the drummer is laughing because the promotional company organising the event want every band to use the same kit, fair enough).
It’s now 3:20pm and you have to sound-check.
Drums 1st.
You sit and hit each drum in repetition, usually 20-30 times a drum whilst the soundman checks the mics are working etc. “Kick drum please”. “Now snare” “Now 1st rack-tom”.
Excitement is overwhelming.
The rest of your band sit on the floor and tune-up, fix strings etc.
Eventually you have done your drum-check and can sit against the wall, smoking and watching the other bands arrive. The other bands are polite but not overly friendly, “why aren’t they headlining?” “Why should Parker be headlining?”.
Why? Because you know, as a member of that band, that you have consistently blown every other band off-stage you’ve played with.
Sound-check almost over. Time to run through a couple of songs to check levels, you need more bass. Perhaps a little more guitar?
Ok, you’re finished now for sound levels.
Check your watch.
5pm. Christ, another 2 and ½ hrs until door-time yet.
Sound has a backstage! Cool, go back and dump your cases etc, hang your clothes up and enjoy a dressing room that actually is that. (you’ve only ever had a backstage area 3 times before, Dingwalls was pretty cool but this rocks)
Go get some food and keep phoning record companies, mates, strangers on the mailing list, parents and partners.
Right, 6:30pm now. 1 hr until doors open. Go back to the venue and sit around.
You’ve been here for 3hrs already and you don’t go onstage until 10:15pm.
Doors open at last!!
There are some people you know. They’re not mates, but you recognise them from previous shows. Wow, these are called “fans” and they pay to come and watch you, they enjoy your music.
This is a strange feeling, people you don’t know that come to see you every time and buy you drinks.
So you make damn sure they know you appreciate them, spend time chatting with them, even though your stomach is going a mile-a-minute by now.
8pm and the place is getting pretty busy, more people are here and your mates are starting to arrive. Race around trying to thank everyone for coming, the 1st band is playing and you don’t even notice them.
It’s now 9:30pm and the 2nd band are onstage.
You tell your mates that you have to get ready and go backstage. You got changed before the doors open, now you’re wearing your uniform of baggy cargo shorts and an old-school rock t-shirt that you always, always play in.
10pm. 2nd band are almost done “this is our last song next”
So you start to warm up. This is usually done by bouncing around and smoking lots and lots.
“Cheers”, with that the 2nd band are off and the stage-guys are changing the gear over.
You’re on in 3 minutes. You all stand in a group and psyche each other up, grinning like fools and bouncing from foot to foot
You’ve been here for 7hrs already, and now it’s the time that makes it worth every hour spent sitting against a wall.
Walk onstage (you’re barefoot because you cant play in shoes or socks).
You take your seat behind the drum-kit, peering out into the audience. You can’t see a damn thing, the lights are in your eyes and all you can see are the backs of your band-mates.
Set-list on the floor to your left along with a couple of pints of water.
“Saints & Cynics” starts up and you go for it like a man possessed.
After the 1st song finishes, they’re cheering and whistling. This is awesome.
Next song now, “Mrs Jones”. Getting very hot, lights just behind you making you sweat as you play along.
Sometimes you can see past the lights and see people singing and dancing with you.
25 mins into the set now, pint drunk and t-shirt stuck to you like a wet-towel.
You finish the set and start to walk off, but they’re shouting for more.
You go out back and collapse on the floor, sweating out of your skin and trying to catch your breath from 45mins of drumming like a maniac.
They’re still shouting.
Should we go out again?
Damn right, this is our very 1st encore and you play another 2 songs and then finished.
It’s now 11pm and you are backstage again.
Sitting on the floor, sweat in your eyes and desperate for water. You go back out to say thanks and hi to your mates. People are clapping you on the back and shaking your hands, telling you how much they enjoyed it.
Then everyone has to leave because it’s 11:30pm.
Now you pack up all your stuff and spend 45 mins loading out to the cars.
You drive home again and get in at 1-2am, you need a shower before sleep.
You get to sleep about 3am.
And then you get up for work at 7am and spend the day staring at the monitor thinking about how awesome and fantastic last night was.
THAT is why I play in a band, and that is what we’re doing on Sunday supporting another reasonably-big band.
I love music and I love playing.
Hope to see you there sometime.
Islington in October, not too sure of the date or the name of the place (been there before but cant remember it).
Might be supporting Haven at The Astoria, depends how we get on Sunday with them.
A nice little support slot with a rising band would do us lovely, so let's see what comes.
Might be supporting Haven at The Astoria, depends how we get on Sunday with them.
A nice little support slot with a rising band would do us lovely, so let's see what comes.
Any news of any gigs in London in the near future?
Set-list for Sunday's gig:
Saints & Cynics
Mrs Jones
Bunny
Walk Away
Lonely Hearts
Another Lost In Vain
If You Like
Whatever Wherever Whenever
Onstage at 9pm, soundcheck at 5:30pm.
So 3 1/2 hours of waiting around before we play, and those 45 mins will fly by.
Is it worth it?
You better believe it.
Saints & Cynics
Mrs Jones
Bunny
Walk Away
Lonely Hearts
Another Lost In Vain
If You Like
Whatever Wherever Whenever
Onstage at 9pm, soundcheck at 5:30pm.
So 3 1/2 hours of waiting around before we play, and those 45 mins will fly by.
Is it worth it?
You better believe it.
The glamour of rock and roll:
The Audience:
You went to see a band play in “Sound” in Leicester Square last December.
Muse, The Stereo MCs and Embrace all play there the next year, but tonight is a band that your mates are playing in, they’re headlining the same place where The Pepsi Chart Show is recorded.
We’ll call the band Parker.
Tickets say the doors open at 7:30pm, so you’ll leave about 7pm, get down the Leicester Square for about 8, wander in and get a beer, go chat to the boys in the band and then enjoy the show.
Get back home about midnight and, all in all, you had a top evening. Nice venue, beer was cheap and the band was kicking.
The Band:
You took the day off because this is a massive gig for you. You’re playing Sound, a major venue and it’s Friday and it’s 2 weeks before Christmas. You’ve spent 2 weeks previous emailing record companies, labels, music papers, making phone calls, letting everyone on the mailing list know you’re playing soon. (when you started out it was 9 mates watching you, but now you pull in 200+ on a normal gig night).
But today is the day.
You wake up in the morning to go buy things you’ll need (strings, drumsticks, batteries for wah-wah pedals etc) and have lunch. You feel nervous as hell because tonight is big.
The doors open at 7:30pm, so because you’re headlining you sound-check 1st.
Which means you have to be there by 3pm.
So you leave your house at 1pm and drive into London, once you’ve loaded all your gear up and found directions on how to get to Leicester Square. (Try parking in Leicester Square on a Friday, 2 weeks before Xmas around lunchtime.)
Once there, you have to carry your gear in (the drummer is laughing because the promotional company organising the event want every band to use the same kit, fair enough).
It’s now 3:20pm and you have to sound-check.
Drums 1st.
You sit and hit each drum in repetition, usually 20-30 times a drum whilst the soundman checks the mics are working etc. “Kick drum please”. “Now snare” “Now 1st rack-tom”.
Excitement is overwhelming.
The rest of your band sit on the floor and tune-up, fix strings etc.
Eventually you have done your drum-check and can sit against the wall, smoking and watching the other bands arrive. The other bands are polite but not overly friendly, “why aren’t they headlining?” “Why should Parker be headlining?”.
Why? Because you know, as a member of that band, that you have consistently blown every other band off-stage you’ve played with.
Sound-check almost over. Time to run through a couple of songs to check levels, you need more bass. Perhaps a little more guitar?
Ok, you’re finished now for sound levels.
Check your watch.
5pm. Christ, another 2 and ½ hrs until door-time yet.
Sound has a backstage! Cool, go back and dump your cases etc, hang your clothes up and enjoy a dressing room that actually is that. (you’ve only ever had a backstage area 3 times before, Dingwalls was pretty cool but this rocks)
Go get some food and keep phoning record companies, mates, strangers on the mailing list, parents and partners.
Right, 6:30pm now. 1 hr until doors open. Go back to the venue and sit around.
You’ve been here for 3hrs already and you don’t go onstage until 10:15pm.
Doors open at last!!
There are some people you know. They’re not mates, but you recognise them from previous shows. Wow, these are called “fans” and they pay to come and watch you, they enjoy your music.
This is a strange feeling, people you don’t know that come to see you every time and buy you drinks.
So you make damn sure they know you appreciate them, spend time chatting with them, even though your stomach is going a mile-a-minute by now.
8pm and the place is getting pretty busy, more people are here and your mates are starting to arrive. Race around trying to thank everyone for coming, the 1st band is playing and you don’t even notice them.
It’s now 9:30pm and the 2nd band are onstage.
You tell your mates that you have to get ready and go backstage. You got changed before the doors open, now you’re wearing your uniform of baggy cargo shorts and an old-school rock t-shirt that you always, always play in.
10pm. 2nd band are almost done “this is our last song next”
So you start to warm up. This is usually done by bouncing around and smoking lots and lots.
“Cheers”, with that the 2nd band are off and the stage-guys are changing the gear over.
You’re on in 3 minutes. You all stand in a group and psyche each other up, grinning like fools and bouncing from foot to foot
You’ve been here for 7hrs already, and now it’s the time that makes it worth every hour spent sitting against a wall.
Walk onstage (you’re barefoot because you cant play in shoes or socks).
You take your seat behind the drum-kit, peering out into the audience. You can’t see a damn thing, the lights are in your eyes and all you can see are the backs of your band-mates.
Set-list on the floor to your left along with a couple of pints of water.
“Saints & Cynics” starts up and you go for it like a man possessed.
After the 1st song finishes, they’re cheering and whistling. This is awesome.
Next song now, “Mrs Jones”. Getting very hot, lights just behind you making you sweat as you play along.
Sometimes you can see past the lights and see people singing and dancing with you.
25 mins into the set now, pint drunk and t-shirt stuck to you like a wet-towel.
You finish the set and start to walk off, but they’re shouting for more.
You go out back and collapse on the floor, sweating out of your skin and trying to catch your breath from 45mins of drumming like a maniac.
They’re still shouting.
Should we go out again?
Damn right, this is our very 1st encore and you play another 2 songs and then finished.
It’s now 11pm and you are backstage again.
Sitting on the floor, sweat in your eyes and desperate for water. You go back out to say thanks and hi to your mates. People are clapping you on the back and shaking your hands, telling you how much they enjoyed it.
Then everyone has to leave because it’s 11:30pm.
Now you pack up all your stuff and spend 45 mins loading out to the cars.
You drive home again and get in at 1-2am, you need a shower before sleep.
You get to sleep about 3am.
And then you get up for work at 7am and spend the day staring at the monitor thinking about how awesome and fantastic last night was.
THAT is why I play in a band, and that is what we’re doing on Sunday supporting another reasonably-big band.
I love music and I love playing.
Hope to see you there sometime.
The Audience:
You went to see a band play in “Sound” in Leicester Square last December.
Muse, The Stereo MCs and Embrace all play there the next year, but tonight is a band that your mates are playing in, they’re headlining the same place where The Pepsi Chart Show is recorded.
We’ll call the band Parker.
Tickets say the doors open at 7:30pm, so you’ll leave about 7pm, get down the Leicester Square for about 8, wander in and get a beer, go chat to the boys in the band and then enjoy the show.
Get back home about midnight and, all in all, you had a top evening. Nice venue, beer was cheap and the band was kicking.
The Band:
You took the day off because this is a massive gig for you. You’re playing Sound, a major venue and it’s Friday and it’s 2 weeks before Christmas. You’ve spent 2 weeks previous emailing record companies, labels, music papers, making phone calls, letting everyone on the mailing list know you’re playing soon. (when you started out it was 9 mates watching you, but now you pull in 200+ on a normal gig night).
But today is the day.
You wake up in the morning to go buy things you’ll need (strings, drumsticks, batteries for wah-wah pedals etc) and have lunch. You feel nervous as hell because tonight is big.
The doors open at 7:30pm, so because you’re headlining you sound-check 1st.
Which means you have to be there by 3pm.
So you leave your house at 1pm and drive into London, once you’ve loaded all your gear up and found directions on how to get to Leicester Square. (Try parking in Leicester Square on a Friday, 2 weeks before Xmas around lunchtime.)
Once there, you have to carry your gear in (the drummer is laughing because the promotional company organising the event want every band to use the same kit, fair enough).
It’s now 3:20pm and you have to sound-check.
Drums 1st.
You sit and hit each drum in repetition, usually 20-30 times a drum whilst the soundman checks the mics are working etc. “Kick drum please”. “Now snare” “Now 1st rack-tom”.
Excitement is overwhelming.
The rest of your band sit on the floor and tune-up, fix strings etc.
Eventually you have done your drum-check and can sit against the wall, smoking and watching the other bands arrive. The other bands are polite but not overly friendly, “why aren’t they headlining?” “Why should Parker be headlining?”.
Why? Because you know, as a member of that band, that you have consistently blown every other band off-stage you’ve played with.
Sound-check almost over. Time to run through a couple of songs to check levels, you need more bass. Perhaps a little more guitar?
Ok, you’re finished now for sound levels.
Check your watch.
5pm. Christ, another 2 and ½ hrs until door-time yet.
Sound has a backstage! Cool, go back and dump your cases etc, hang your clothes up and enjoy a dressing room that actually is that. (you’ve only ever had a backstage area 3 times before, Dingwalls was pretty cool but this rocks)
Go get some food and keep phoning record companies, mates, strangers on the mailing list, parents and partners.
Right, 6:30pm now. 1 hr until doors open. Go back to the venue and sit around.
You’ve been here for 3hrs already and you don’t go onstage until 10:15pm.
Doors open at last!!
There are some people you know. They’re not mates, but you recognise them from previous shows. Wow, these are called “fans” and they pay to come and watch you, they enjoy your music.
This is a strange feeling, people you don’t know that come to see you every time and buy you drinks.
So you make damn sure they know you appreciate them, spend time chatting with them, even though your stomach is going a mile-a-minute by now.
8pm and the place is getting pretty busy, more people are here and your mates are starting to arrive. Race around trying to thank everyone for coming, the 1st band is playing and you don’t even notice them.
It’s now 9:30pm and the 2nd band are onstage.
You tell your mates that you have to get ready and go backstage. You got changed before the doors open, now you’re wearing your uniform of baggy cargo shorts and an old-school rock t-shirt that you always, always play in.
10pm. 2nd band are almost done “this is our last song next”
So you start to warm up. This is usually done by bouncing around and smoking lots and lots.
“Cheers”, with that the 2nd band are off and the stage-guys are changing the gear over.
You’re on in 3 minutes. You all stand in a group and psyche each other up, grinning like fools and bouncing from foot to foot
You’ve been here for 7hrs already, and now it’s the time that makes it worth every hour spent sitting against a wall.
Walk onstage (you’re barefoot because you cant play in shoes or socks).
You take your seat behind the drum-kit, peering out into the audience. You can’t see a damn thing, the lights are in your eyes and all you can see are the backs of your band-mates.
Set-list on the floor to your left along with a couple of pints of water.
“Saints & Cynics” starts up and you go for it like a man possessed.
After the 1st song finishes, they’re cheering and whistling. This is awesome.
Next song now, “Mrs Jones”. Getting very hot, lights just behind you making you sweat as you play along.
Sometimes you can see past the lights and see people singing and dancing with you.
25 mins into the set now, pint drunk and t-shirt stuck to you like a wet-towel.
You finish the set and start to walk off, but they’re shouting for more.
You go out back and collapse on the floor, sweating out of your skin and trying to catch your breath from 45mins of drumming like a maniac.
They’re still shouting.
Should we go out again?
Damn right, this is our very 1st encore and you play another 2 songs and then finished.
It’s now 11pm and you are backstage again.
Sitting on the floor, sweat in your eyes and desperate for water. You go back out to say thanks and hi to your mates. People are clapping you on the back and shaking your hands, telling you how much they enjoyed it.
Then everyone has to leave because it’s 11:30pm.
Now you pack up all your stuff and spend 45 mins loading out to the cars.
You drive home again and get in at 1-2am, you need a shower before sleep.
You get to sleep about 3am.
And then you get up for work at 7am and spend the day staring at the monitor thinking about how awesome and fantastic last night was.
THAT is why I play in a band, and that is what we’re doing on Sunday supporting another reasonably-big band.
I love music and I love playing.
Hope to see you there sometime.