From: someone@anywheret.net   
      
   "JimD"  wrote in message news:2018090822500011093-email@nowherecom...   
      
   > well, today's duo was certainly interesting.   We checked the db level   
   > during setup did a few tunes ... 90-95 -ish onstage.  85 -ish in the room.   
   > That was on average tunes, not something especially loud or anything.  So   
   > ...........   
      
   That's not too bad for SPL.   
      
   > I did the first set applying all the suggestions I've been given over the   
   > last week or so .... backing tracks not loud enough, my live guitar too   
   > loud, live vocals too loud.   
      
   > Boy was that uncomfortable.   
      
   I can imagine! Taking an audience poll of sorts, and not having any idea   
   what to expect.   
      
   > By the first break, my duo partner girl was ready to quit and go home.  I   
   > ask her outright if that's what she wanted to do.   
      
   > At that point she backed off a bit, and we did a second set.  On that, I   
   > moved things back a little to what I hear as a good balance.  Odd, thing,   
   > the audience improved. It's a tourist place, people come and go all the   
   > time.  First set they mostly moved right past us, didn't stay, didn't   
   > linger.   
      
   Oh, that's got to be 'encouraging' - it'd bum me out big time, like voting   
   with the feet with the apparent message being YOU SUCK! even if they didn't   
   really mean it! Sort of like what goes on at church with the   
   band...definitely something I do not need - I don't know how, much less why   
   you keep putting up with it, at gigs no less...it's depressing!   
      
   > Ok, the last big data point was at the very end.  A nearby outdoor event   
   > got cancelled due to weather, and we ended up with 3 tour busses that were   
   > going there but came to us ( inside ) instead. They were younger people,   
   > and we broke from our normal tunes, did bar rock stuff for them ... and   
   > cranked the volume noticably.  They loved it.  As did the owners, who   
   > stood in the back and watched all this transpire.   
      
   Wow! Like hot and cold showers for inmates at a nuthouse!   
      
   > Lesson ?    Well, for one, if we play as loud as we started, our normal,   
   > older tourist crowd will disappear.  But, if we have ( and did at the   
   > end ) a younger crowd then sure, crank it.   
      
   The lesson I get out of it is obviously, unless you enjoy those   
   rollercoaster rides of anxiety, stress, and depression, don't subject   
   yourself to that Needless Crap!   
   PICK your audiences so you don't have to keep doing all that adjusting and   
   readjusting, and bending over backwards in an effort to try to make things   
   work with all those ridiculous variables...Originals will do wonders to   
   realize that objective!   
      
   > It all comes down to who we're playing to.   We can go either way.  And   
   > did today. Ended the day with old Skynyrd, ZZ Top and Eagles tunes.  But,   
   > that's not the normal audience.   
      
   It all comes to CHOOSING who you're playing to!!!   
   Unless of course, you prefer the excitement of the Terror and Instability of   
   Uncertainty.   
      
   > The game is to work the crowd you have.   
      
   I'd rather have the crowd I enjoy working with!   
      
   > Play at a volume level that fits the crowd you have.   
      
   But not at the expense of hearing loss.   
      
   > Pick songs that match their tastes.   
      
   Unless they're Meaningless, Mindless, Soulless, Zombie Robot Crap!   
      
   > This thing that we need to be loud when we have an audience of seniors is   
   > just stupid.  We need to be loud when we have an <30 crowd. And we need to   
   > play Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan for them.   
      
   I deserve better than that, and so do you!   
      
   Write albums, Perform Originals, and your audiences will be your FANS, and   
   Love and Encourage you and the Vibe will be Amazing!!!   
      
   > it's all about being versitile enough to work the CROWD YOU HAVE ........   
   > not play loud and think that will somehow change older country music   
   > lovers into what they aren't.   
      
   Versatility is great, but it shouldn't have to be a matter of survival! Not   
   for a Labor of Love!!!   
      
   > After the duo, I also did a solo today. Had time to get home, eat, and   
   > make the second job. Tired now.  Tomorrow off, then it all starts again.   
      
   I'd say that unless that's what you want, you've got a Lot of Incentive to   
   do Originals!   
      
   > After today, I think band girl is beginning to come along on the volume   
   > thing.   
      
   That's good, that the Truth is getting through.   
      
   > Oh, and one of our competitors ( solo dude ) watched almost our entire duo   
   > show today. He said, right in front of band girl that we were a noticable   
   > notch better than several of the other acts that work that place.   
   > Afterwards I was like " yeah, did you hear that ... we are doing fine,   
   > getting more work than we can do ... how about we don't try and kill it by   
   > listening to people who don't know what they are talking about ".   
      
   For that very reason, I stopped listening to people by the time I was in the   
   first grade, and I've only refined the technique more and more since then ;)   
      
   > She seems ok, at least on the phone this evening.  Maybe we won't break up   
   > after all.   
      
      
   Jim   
      
   It doesn't appear that there's any legitimate reason to.   
      
   Ouisie   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)