by Matt on June 8, 2008
The gig on Friday Night was pretty standard. Although the singers were so into it we lost 20% of the set to audience chat. It was a slow start but they mobbed the dance floor for the last number so I think they appreciated it.
The venue was in a marquee - I say marquee, but this monster had a full bar, casino, toilets (proper ones with tiled floors as appose to holes in the ground), stage, lighting rig and double glazing doors. It was therefore the king of marquees. : )
Personally I think that’s a fair bit of bargaining. : )
by Matt on June 6, 2008
I’ve got a gig playing lead with my old group the Big Swing tonight. I had to leave because of my move to London in September but I said I’d help them out and dep if they ever needed it.
It’s only been a few months since I handed my notice in but it will be a little strange going back. I was a member of the band 6 months after it’s birth (now it’s 4 years old) and I wonder what changes they might have made. They’re a pretty good group, made mostly out of guys who do it for a laugh, but the brass section is good and they’re a great group of lads.
I’ll be in Cardiff most of tomorrow but I’ll try and post about the gig when I get back.
by Matt on March 14, 2008
The big band gig I did last week was a really good one.
The audience seemed to love it as the evening was filled with copious applause, 2 standing ovations and 2 encores.
The only thing they seemed a little unhappy about was that we didn’t come out for a 3rd.
However, after a gig we did in the old days where half of us didn’t have music when we started a 3rd encore the band have since gone by the principle “leave them wanting more”.
This is the second gig we’ve done at the Skakesperience in Stratford and it would seem, the second success.
Good Times!!
by Matt on January 21, 2008
Tomorrow I start my first Big Band with pupils from the school I work at. Of course the trumpet section is made up of my pupils but it’s the first time that I’ve had a complete horn and rhythm section at my disposal!!
…I like to think of them as a small army…
Anyway, I spent most of the weekend arranging a Big Band piece, simplifying it for them and mixing some play along CD’s for them on my Macbook. So I’ll get to see how that goes down tomorrow.
It’s quite challenging stuff bearing in mind that they are between the age of 8 and 11 but have a look at the marks my last 10 year old got on his grade 4 and the age of my grade 8 student on my Tuition Page and you’ll see I like to challenge my pupils.
Of course there’s Plan B in the form of All Blues. Good Old Miles Davis!!
by Matt on January 10, 2008
I’m currently in Liverpool and attemptin to restart an old project with a few musicians here.
It’s refrehing to get some time to play and more importantyly not to play. Since I left college Im on the up. I think this is due to the fact that I’m well rested and not destroying my chops on a weekly basis. For example; in my second year I had a day where I would play for the Jazz course Big Band in the Morning (2hrs), Wind Band in the afternoon (2:00 hrs) and then play lead in the BMus Big Band (2hrs. After which I would jump on a train to a Big Band outside of college (2hrs).
I would be destroyed at the end of it. And because I was an idiot I’d be in the practice room at the next day at 8 o’clock getting frustrated about bad chops!
Being able to rest is helping a massive amount. I was quite happily popping out F’s and F sharps at a big band rehearsal the other night and I had a nice string of well controlled double G’s. So I’m well on track to get my double A’s back.
Good Times.
