Mersh gig report/pix

[Brian Krashpad]

So anyhow, some commercial touring rock/country band was short a bassist. They advertised on our local band website. Some guy (who from all appearances online is a total a-hole) told them he'd play the gig, then backed out at noon Friday.

So I called them up, said if they could get me cheats or at least put me so I could see the guitarist's hands and shout out a key I would try to muddle through if they were desperate and didn't want to be a man short. But I made clear I was not from a commercial background and would not actually know how to play any of these songs from memory/past experience, and also that whatever I played it would definitely NOT be whatever was on the record of the original. They said they didn't play anything like the records anyhow (which is just as well since I'm a clean slate).

So I shows up with my bass rig and talk to Dean the lead singer/lead guitarist/bandleader. He says the guy who flaked has promised a replacement who's "been in Blackfoot." (If you don't follow southern rock, Blackfoot was a pretty big band from this area of Florida.)

So I says I'll be happy to bow out to anybody with more experience with this stuff than me, but Dean says hang out and let's see if the guy shows. He offers me money just for coming out, but I say it's not necessary. He gets a call and it appears the replacement guy is on his way. Dean says, do you play guitar too? I say yeah, I got guitars and rigs back at the office, 10 minutes away. He says, go get a guitar rig and we'll give you $50 to sit in on guitar.

Now, they didn't really need a second guitarist, he was just being nice. But I figured it'd be fun so I say I'll go run and get rigged up for guitar, but I won't takle the bass rig out of the van in case we need it.

So I run by my office. Unfortunately both of my LP's are at the house, so I grab a couple Teles instead, and my Schecter Tempest Special. For my amp I grab my 60's Sunn 200S head and my little DIY 2x12 openback cab, and run back to the frat house.

I get back and the bassist has arrived. As it so happens he mentions nothing about having been in Blackfoot, but he has been in bands locally I knew, some of which did covers, so I knew he'd do a better job than I, and figured I'd just have fun playing guitar and make $50. Sure it was a 1/3 pay cut, but they didn't really need a second guitarist and were just being nice, they'd sound better with the other guy on bass than with me, so it was a win-win.

We go and set up in the frat "party room," on the lower level in the back. Unfortunately the bandleader sets up stage right, so I can't see his guitar neck, even though I asked to be put on that side of the stage for that very reason.

Here's the stage setup, stage right with PA head sitting atop Dean's Peavey ValveKing 1x12 being adjusted by the drummer:



Here's stage left, with my rig on the outside edge:



More story and pics to come. Feel free to comment on my poseritude in advance.

[Brian Krashpad]

Setting up:



Here's Dean:



Bassist:

[Brian Krashpad]

Under the circumstances, it went great. It could've gone better if I'd been put stage right like I asked, but I just laid out if I wasn't figuring something out right quick.

We did 3 sets. They loved it. Dean is a great guitarist. We musta had a couple dozen people up on stage multiple times.

[Brian Krashpad]

Frat boys like to give high-5's. Here's the drummer about to get one.



I swear during the last set I got two high-fives between every song.

[sunvalleylaw]

I like the posertude displayed lower center of the 7th pic down. ;-)

[Brian Krashpad]

I like the posertude displayed lower center of the 7th pic down. ;-)

There were tons of hotties there. Quite the opposite of my usual gigs. Other than one ludicrously good looking girl introducing herself and her friend to me between sets, nothing like anyone hitting on anyone in the band though. Frats here are notorious for treating bands like hired help (which of course they are); these guys were nice enough but I bet there would've been major repercussions if anyone had at all pursued any of the wimmin there.

[Brian Krashpad]

[marnold***]

OK, what in heaven's name was he wearing a Bill Schroeder Packers' jersey for?

[Brian Krashpad]

OK, what in heaven's name was he wearing a Bill Schroeder Packers' jersey for?

Because it was Florida in the summer and the shirt he started out wearing got sweaty, I think.

[M29]

Hello Brian,

Looks like a great time!

How do you like the SUNN 200S? I have been giving some thoughts on getting a SUNN tube amp. Our bass player had a 200S and our guitar player had a 1000S in a band I was in back in the late 60's early 70's. We really liked them then but I don't remember how they sounded other then (loud)!. Our guitar player played his on 9 and 10 in the basement when we practiced. I remember breaking a couple cymbals during these times. Oh those were the days...

M29

[Brian Krashpad]

Hello Brian,

Looks like a great time!

How do you like the SUNN 200S? I have been giving some thoughts on getting a SUNN tube amp. Our bass player had a 200S and our guitar player had a 1000S in a band I was in back in the late 60's early 70's. We really liked them then but I don't remember how they sounded other then (loud)!. Our guitar player played his on 9 and 10 in the basement when we practiced. I remember breaking a couple cymbals during these times. Oh those were the days...

M29

I really like mine. Since I got it a couple years back it's become my main amp in all 3 bands. It's loud enough without being deafening (I usually play with it about on 7 or so) and has some breakup but for modern rock you need to push it with pedals. I love the tone, classic amps at not-collectible price!

Only downside I know is that it's uber-simple. The 200S just has volume, treble, and bass, plus a couple "boost" switches (I keep the bass one on and the treble boost off and never mess with them). No effects loops, no master gain, no onboard effects, etc. But I like simple amps. Set and forget!

[Brian Krashpad]

[Brian Krashpad]

[Brian Krashpad]

If you look real carefully you can see that's me onstage behind them. Though I'm not sure why anyone would want to look past them.

[sunvalleylaw]

Ahh, sorority girls. Pretty fond memories I have of that short period in life.







Things haven't changed that much, eh?

[Brian Krashpad]

Ahh, sorority girls. Pretty fond memories I have of that short period in life.

Things haven't changed that much, eh?

I was surprised how similar it was to back when I used to go to frat parties. I was never in a frat though. But back then (about the time you were in those pics above, and a bit before) they had "open rush" at UF so dorm rats would go to frat parties to drink free beer with no intention of pledging.

It seemed like this place was running an open beer-bar in the room we played that night, I can't remember them ever asking any of the kids for ID before they handed out beers. And given that the drinking age in Florida has been 21 for a number of years now, statistically about 3/4 of that crowd was probably underage.

Last pic:

[sunvalleylaw]

Yep, same as at the University of Washington, way back when. Back then, behavior was less extreme than it has become, and people tended to look out for one another or for others going too deep. Kind of a testing ground for people about to be legal drinking age. At least it was like that where I was. Our house was considered the "milk and cookie boys" house on campus and it was a standing rule that all women be escorted home and other old fashioned and maybe patronizing rules like that. Didn't mean that there wasn't a lot of fun going on before everyone went home though.

[Spudman***]

Steveo
Aren't you dating a little out of your league?

[sunvalleylaw]

LOL!!! I was wondering if anyone would hit that! She was attending a senior dance next door in this old hall filled with ballrooms where the dance we were attending was held. It was the same event as the pic two up from that one. Just had to grab a shot. She was a nice lady.