The Classic Rock Wedding
Mar. 19th, 2006 10:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
waitingmanWell, we have had our wedding. Parts of it were even white... the dress, the cake, 99% of the guests.
As is the case with all these gigs, for my foil & I, it was a case of hurry-up-&-wait, then it all seemed to be over in about 15 minutes - with the participants catching us musicians on the hop with the speed they moved from signing the registry, to walking down the short red carpet, thus signalling the end of the ceremony. No time for planned guitar changes, just finish one piece & straight into the next, on the same instrument & a wing & a prayer. Not that there was anything religious about the event - celebrant & secular was the order of the day.
The prospective crowd of 'about 200' turned out to be about 80 - still more than 2 acoustic guitars could hope to cover, but the wind off Farm Cove was blowing in the right direction & we were heard by enough of them to consider our efforts worthwhile. We were also secure in the knowledge that, at midnight the previous evening, we'd finished polishing the recordings of the repertoire - which we gave to them as our wedding gift.
In return, they called both of us up to the main table during the speeches & presented us with gift-boxed bottles of pretty decent red wine (sometimes a reputation is a wonderful thing to have...). Unexpected... & a pleasure - we were only doing it for the fun & the free meal.
Our verdict - job done pretty well, but as previously mentioned, not one for the CV.
Today was a much-welcomed & needed 'Nothing Day'. After breakfast at my local cafe, with my favourite waitress in attendance, I came home & blissfully did bugger all... Apart from fielding a visit from the newest Mammmy, who presented sound arguments & plenty of food for thought, but pledged support "whatever my decision".
Now to forget about the working week.
As is the case with all these gigs, for my foil & I, it was a case of hurry-up-&-wait, then it all seemed to be over in about 15 minutes - with the participants catching us musicians on the hop with the speed they moved from signing the registry, to walking down the short red carpet, thus signalling the end of the ceremony. No time for planned guitar changes, just finish one piece & straight into the next, on the same instrument & a wing & a prayer. Not that there was anything religious about the event - celebrant & secular was the order of the day.
The prospective crowd of 'about 200' turned out to be about 80 - still more than 2 acoustic guitars could hope to cover, but the wind off Farm Cove was blowing in the right direction & we were heard by enough of them to consider our efforts worthwhile. We were also secure in the knowledge that, at midnight the previous evening, we'd finished polishing the recordings of the repertoire - which we gave to them as our wedding gift.
In return, they called both of us up to the main table during the speeches & presented us with gift-boxed bottles of pretty decent red wine (sometimes a reputation is a wonderful thing to have...). Unexpected... & a pleasure - we were only doing it for the fun & the free meal.
Our verdict - job done pretty well, but as previously mentioned, not one for the CV.
Today was a much-welcomed & needed 'Nothing Day'. After breakfast at my local cafe, with my favourite waitress in attendance, I came home & blissfully did bugger all... Apart from fielding a visit from the newest Mammmy, who presented sound arguments & plenty of food for thought, but pledged support "whatever my decision".
Now to forget about the working week.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-19 03:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-19 04:02 pm (UTC)Ah well, there was fun to be had & pretty girls in designer dresses to look at... No day is wasted.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-19 07:21 pm (UTC)Over and above the gratification of making my living with music (again, if I could support myself doing RSL gigs, I'd probably go for it at least in the short term), I like the joy that's generally involved in such occasions, and consider it usually worth the stress of the lead-up. Besides, there's always the option of doing more stimulating/substantial/what have you things in one's spare time - I, at least, tend to do that at the moment (for less horribly ill values of "at the moment," at least), around non-musical employment, and I'd rather be working in the industry if I could.
On the other hand, I can say that with all the wide-eyed idealism of someone who's never supported herself solely on wedding gigs. My tune might change if I actually had to do it...
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-19 08:36 pm (UTC)Now that's what I'd call an interesting gig!!!
I don't mind doing these things as one-offs & the challenges involved in performing & (re)arranging music outside my normal repertoire are what I enjoy most (ask Reynardo about my infamous Sci-Fi big band gig). I suppose I just don't like live music to be a background feature for people to talk over &/or ignore. I don't want to be the centre of attention, but I do like people to listen to what's being played. Otherwise, just put a CD on...