Next Nik Everett Group appearance
 

Thursday May 12, 8:30p, Tin Angel Philadelphia.

We have installed a new drummer, Bobby Carburetor who is excellent, a natural, and should propel us along quite nicely. It's gonna be a good act, we're gonna entertain the people! As usual, we'll be "too loud for the room"!

when's the first Los Angeles gig?

Maybe you should be efforting that Smoothy.

Really man...! The airfare is not that much.

And an acquaintance of mine. Who has a very nice website about Philly music.

This is just entirely too cool!!

I'll have to see if I can do anything about getting off work for the gig!

Superb Wolf! Rob seems like a very good guy (he did not violate the no-assholes band policy) and is definitely quite talented.

SM, we are still looking for the ideal keys player, so if you'd rather play the semi-pro circuit, with the occasional lowbrow watering hole, here's that opportunity!

Another date announced: World Cafe Live (Upstairs), Saturday July 8. Co-bill with Cliff Hillis who I am excited to hear as well.

It's only $6 to get in that night, but fries are $10 at the Cafe.

Oh man, I don't know how I didn't see this the first time. I'm in! My preferred carrier is American Airlines, and my preferred accomodations are Marriot. I can forward you my backline requirements and travel info, if you want. Just let me know when the gigs are.

Of course, you'll need to include airfare for my keyboard tech too. This will be fun! see you at rehearsal!

-sm

Aw cmon!! My buddy has a Casio and I have an old Peavey 15" combo amp and an ironing board. We'll be getting $25 per for the small shows and $100 for larger ones. Maybe you can make a little more if you hawk CDs after the show.

And the songs are excellent and we entertain the people.

I tellya. I was mocked again tonight by my buddy who said that I smile so much on stage. I feel lucky and feel like it's a privilege to be there.

you know what? that rock! i can't tell you how many times I look with unabashed envy at guys who don't have to make their living playing, and as a result they just soak in the awesomeness of every moment of playing.

Long live the weekend warrior kick ass rock and roll hobby players.

:thumb:

Coast to coast talk is fine, but lets put together a tour with stops in the flyover zones.

:devil:

Let's make a big Cellar band. Any style is good. We could have a yearly gig/BBQ/beer bash.

I am envious of UT and sm -- it'd be nice to have regular paying gigs. I'm not sure why our band hasn't connected yet. I know the style of music hinders us as far as widespread acceptance, and we lack the firebreathing frontman that would get us noticed in wider metal circles, but we always get props for our shows.

I wish I could soak in the awesomeness OR get paid. I rarely get to do either -- too worried about not screwing up. How do you regularly performing musicians overcome the technical aspect of playing, clear your minds and just kick ass onstage?

Practice, practice, practice. There is no secret zen mind mode that will get you there, it's a function of technical fluency and musical confidence. I know what I can play, and I am confident in my musical choices, and it comes from hours and hours and hours spent with my hands on a keyboard. I'm sure UT is the same way with bass.

I'm a big believer in the 80% rule - the most difficult thing you attempt in a live setting should only be 80% of what you're able to do in personal practice. Leave yourself that level of cushion to account for nerves, bad sound, a drummer dragging a bit, the hot girl in the front row winking at you, any of a thousand things that will make the live performance more difficult than the private practice.

-sm

I'm totally an ear/feel player and so for me, practice is getting to the point where I know the song completely and can turn my brain off to the mechanical, and just turn on to the feel, the dynamics and such. Bass is not a chops-oriented instrument, and it shouldn't be IMO. That extra 20% is still needed though, because the bass is the foundation and has to be dependable if the band is to work right.

I am utterly self-conscious in real life, but on stage it all disappears and I am comfortable. Don't know why.

That's because when your up there you know what you're doing, UT. Confidence makes comfortable. :jig:

Little notice dep't: pending good weather, which it looks like there will be, it turns out we are playing a benefit show this Sunday. Washington Crossing Inn, Washington Crossing PA. Routes 532 & 32. About a mile south of New Hope, PA. It's a BBQ from 1 to 6 pm and we go on at 2. It'll be a warmup for the Tin Angel show. The benefit is for the flood victims in the area.

I think we are gonna do our weird take on "Ring of Fire" (Johnny Cash) which will knock people out.

burn burn burn!

And this has nothing to do with the current image of the day. Totally coincidental, I mean it!

Did the weather gods smile on the bar-b-que? I got my own Burn, Burn, Burn via the sciatic nerve but percocets made for a comfortably numb weekend. :gray:

We did do "Ring of Fire" and it was very nice, but the picnic-goers at this particular event took little mind. It turned out not to be a benefit, but a picnic celebration for the flood victims and the rescue workers and the FEMA people.

Doesn't matter because we have fun every time regardless.

Good thing you guys don't do "Before the Deluge", then...

we played an outdoor gig last saturday in a snowstorm. we didn't play that well, considering it was 30 degrees and blowing snow, but the crowd was all about it. it even cleared up midway through the set, and the rest of the bands (who had cancelled that morning), came through on their end of the bargain. a good time had by all.

Ahhh...springtime in the Rockies. :biggrin:

Shredding below freezing - isn't that dangerous? :D In theory I could play some songs with mittens on.

Dangerous in the sense that when the snow melts you're basically standing on a bazillion watts of electricity with all the cords right underfoot. The only thing that we were totally safe from was playing all the right notes with numbed fingers. Actually trying to play fast was like trying to have a boxing match underwater. Lotsa effort to make things move.

Mike's wife shot video. I'll try to find a still or two and post it in the GH thread.

I'm really getting excited about the next show. Friday July 8, World Cafe Live. Come out and see us! I'll pay for your ticket if you ask nicely! Parking is really easy.

We will now be working as a trio, since guitarist Tom has decided the long commute was too much with his work schedule. This should let me expand what I do a little bit, and we are going to do two sets, with Cliff Hills in between.

We'll do the quieter stuff for the first set and the louder rockin stuff for the second set.

We have a potential NYC gig on Saturday 7/23 at the Rockwood Music Hall. Breakingnews, I don't know if you read this thread but if you do, it's in the east village, do you know the place?

exactly how nicely do i have to ask for you to pay for my plane ticket?

Too nicely I'm afraid!

let me check with the wife.






sorry, she said i can't cancel the Puerto Vallarta trip unless someone else was paying for the plane tickets. think you guys might be able to play in mexico that week?

I PM'd breakingnews and he says he'll be there if I buy the first round. Done and done!

We are thinking about renting a big 15-passenger van and driving all of us, plus anyone else who wants to go. It'd be an interesting Saturday night. 2 hours up, play for 45 minutes, a round of drinks for everyone but the driver, maybe stay for the next act or something, and then 2 hours back.

Mmm beeeeeeer ...

There are some great bars right in that neighborhood, if anyone wants to hang out afterward.

It is also a stone's throw from the infamous Katz's Deli, where you can get a disgustingly greasy hot pastrami sandwich until all hours of the night, as well as this other place that boasts what many people say is New York's best gyro sandwich.

For anyone interested in this Friday night, I will personally refund your cash ticket if you just come shake my hand. (Remind me I said this, because my mind will be elsewhere) We go on at 9 for the first set, probably play 45 minutes to an hour; then Cliff Hillis does about 45 minutes to an hour; then we go on for a second set, maybe around an hour and 15-30. We're supposed to go until 1, which is clearly insane. We probably only play until then if there are two encores.

The excellent news for the band is that keyboardist Leigh Goldstein is back with us. He is a total pro and his parts really fill out these songs beautifully.

We are gonna make the first set be "softer", the second set be "louder" songs. The second set will include a set of crazy covers to see what happens to the midnight crowd. By the time we get to "Let's Spend the Night Together", I hope a lot of the audience has been beered up. Even though this is a University City location and sorta middle-brow.

if i lived within 500 miles i would be there and there would be no need to refund my ticket price, but nooooooooo you can't tour the southwest, 'cuz we're not cool enough for you. ;)

Man I would be there in an instant.

l123, it's a "west" thang. he don't get up here either. :grr:

It's true! - we're doing a party in MD, a show in NY, we're now booked for a Thursday night in New Hope PA and in September in Wilmington DE. So we're, like, regional now! Or something! Kinda sorta! :biggrinha

I can see it now The Cellar Tour 2005 ! you can head south and hit kitsune 's town, head west to see BusterB, troubleshooter, Zippy, NBN, plthijnx,clodfobble (and maybe hit the SXSW fest), keep heading west to phoenix for me, over to LA for Radar and Smoothmoniker , stop off in silicon valley for a "pecker check" on rocksteady/gwennie . on the return leg you've got mrnoodle, bigv, perth, and marichiko in CO, Case in the middle of nowhere, elspode, sycamore and cowhead not far from there. head north and see labrat in iowa city, keep going north and play for warch , then swing back around to see Dar in chicago, keep going until you bump into Brianna and then head back home.

it's doable.

a tour like that would sure make those forks folks jealous.

Yeah, doable!

And why would all the other utensils at Forks be jealous? I think they'd make a bitchin' crew of roadies!!

i'm going to try to make it. it's on my way home, sorta. depends on what time i get out of work. you'll know i'm there if you see me. if you don't see me, i didn't make it.

That's cool J - seeya if I seeya! I think you would like what we do.

Darn my work schedule ... I would enjoy seeing you play again.

And I wouldn't ask for the cover refund.

Well it was a fairly low attendance gig, but fun. The guitarist from the Flaming Caucasians is an old friend of Nik's and we got him up on stage to riff on a few songs.

sorry i didnt make it. stuck at work too late. balls.

i'll try to get to the next one.

Next one is kinda weird - Thursday June 21 at a place called "Havana" in New Hope. Most of us aren't that close to there, and it's a Thursday.

Dammit. I haven't seen the Flamin' Caucasians in forever ... but the question has to be asked ... which guitarist?

The last guy was Bill ... and the one before him ... I am getting old, aren't I? Paul, maybe? I spent a lot more time talking to Dave, Bernie, and Chip.

Wouldn't that be JULY. :confused:

Oh yeh!

The Havana and NYC dates were cancelled... the next date is in September in Wilmington.

If you are an excellent guitarist with high harmonies, contact me.

that sucks. it sounds like you now have a gaping void in the band UT. good luck.

Eh. It's a wash. Keyboardist Leigh decided that he couldn't do it any longer, so we have decided to fill out the sound with a guitarist instead. We were gonna do the dates as a trio, but instead we decided to forge ahead and build a better group for the fall.

I hope you guys can sort things out. Maybe you should play a few gigs further North while you iron out your new sound.

Oh, and which Flaming Caucasians guitarist: Dave. Somehow I missed that question before.

It would be great to be a Flaming Caucasian because even though they have to play pretty much the same sort of stuff, they get tons of work and can actually make some money at it.

I have left the Nik Everett Group and there will be no more appearances!

My next musical incarnation will be the subject of another thread. As soon as I figure out what it will be.

aw damn, dude. i hope you get back to gigging soon, i enjoy hearing about the shows, even if i can't get there to see them. :devil:

Hopefully you had a good time, which is the most important thing about local music.

It sure ain't about the money ...

Stevie boy is batting 1000 again! Never ceases to amaze the masses with his band endeavors. Hang in there undertoad, been there before and damn glad when it was over! I'm back on top again, and ain't it grand!

Welcome to the Cellar, stagepresence1. :)
Back on top of what?

Probably a good move, UT. Seems he had organizational issues getting a group that was cohesive offstage. You need a gig where your time is productive. ;)