From: someone@anywheret.net   
      
   "JimD"  wrote in message news:2018083109574525258-email@nowherecom...   
      
   > Played a winery last eve, outside, on a patio, duo, me and the occasioanal   
   > " other guy " from my band. It was his gig. His normal guy duo partner is   
   > still sick.   
      
   > It went well.   
      
   That sounds like a pleasant departure.   
      
   > Here's the thing, a most amazing thing. Woke up this morning ... realized   
   > no one ( in the group ) complained about volume.  No, this is too loud,   
   > that is too soft ... not a word.   
      
   Cool - sounds almost like... reform ;)   
      
   > Did we use some magic new setup ? Nope. Stupid simple Mackie pa head and   
   > two Behringer speakers on poles behind us.   So, where was the " I can't   
   > hear the music comments " ?   Nowhere. Was there more music ? Nope.  I   
   > even totally stopped playing now and then and we just sang with the bass,   
   > or totally acapella.   
      
   > Was my guitar somehow magically filling up the sonic space ?  Or the other   
   > guys bass ?   
      
   > Get serious.   
      
   Seriously interesting!   
      
   > What I realized in the cold morning light is that band girl is a   
   > complainer.  She's constantly second guessing the levels of everything.   
   > Well, eh, sorta.  What she really seems to want is LOUD.  The levels I'd   
   > chose to play at aren't, don't ever, seem to be loud enough for her.  We   
   > weren't any different level wise at all last evening. No one said they   
   > couldn't hear the drums :-)   Why, because there weren't any. So now,   
   > thinking about the tracks. If we use them, as We normally do, then this   
   > bitching starts, that this instrument or that instrument ON THE TRACKS   
   > isn't loud enough ..... . but whatever I do live on my instrument is TOO   
   > LOUD.   
      
   Last year it seemed like it would have been anyone else but!   
      
   > I have a theory.  She, and her friends in the audience can't bring their   
   > minds around the idea that the  "tracks " aren't karaokie, aren't the   
   > record.  So, no you don't hear every tiny thing that was on the record.   
   > Not because the " tracks " aren't loud enough, rather because the tracks   
   > AREN'T the RECORD.  They are just simple bass lines, some piano, basic   
   > drums and some occasional fill in synth parts.  They arent the original   
   > record, so listening to them as tho they are will leave you unsatisfied.   
      
   NOW you're on the  right 'track', no pun intended ;)   
      
   The tracks aren't the record, but even more important is that they also   
   aren't Live, yet they're being *presented* as though they are in an   
   otherwise Live performance!   
      
   > Leave the tracks completely out, go to just one or two live instruments,   
   > and all that complaining stops.   
      
   I can sure dig that!   
      
   > Then again it never was the general audience complaining. It was her, and   
   > her friends. Btw, she was there last night, and we had her up to sing   
   > twice. She was great as usual. Amazingly tho she went right thru several   
   > songs with just us playing guitar and bass.   
      
   Sort of 'downsizing'? ;)   
      
   > Waiting to hear what she thought about the gig.  I'm gonna ask her if the   
   > " tracks " were loud enough. Or the drums ?   
      
   > Yes, it's dawning on me where the ever present complaints about monitors   
   > and levels is coming from.   
      
   Why not just let her tell you on her own without any coaxing?   
   More accurate results that way ;)   
      
   > It was so nice, such a change to not hear that ( this was too loud, that   
   > wasn't ) stuff for days after each gig.  Not one word last night about   
   > critizing the volume. And there won't be any today, as I'm not gonna   
   > complain to myself, and " other guy " is a total mercinary. All he had to   
   > say last night after the gig was how easy it went, and how much we made it   
   > tips.  He was PAST happy.   
      
   Isn't it Awesome when things go Right for a change?   
      
   > No, we don't NEED the tracks. I can do any of these gigs acoustically,   
   > sans tracks.  But I like the tracks. So does nearly everyone I know .....   
   > Except Other Musicians.   
      
   In other words, those who know...and maybe even care.   
      
   > What the hell is their issue ?   
      
   > Fear, obviously.  But what the hell ( again ).  What I do doesn't affect   
   > their gigs at all. But they affect mine if they spend all their effort   
   > convincing my girl singer there is something wrong with our sound. Or if   
   > she herself actually believes that.   
      
      
   Jim   
      
   Sounds like it's all a matter of belief.   
      
   Ouisie   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)