# Gig Pics from Saturday Night



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

We played to a home town crowd this past Saturday and well, it was a major success for us. It felt to me like I had stepped back in time to the mid 80s when bar crowds were bigger and more receptive. We actually sold them out of beer (except for a few Sleemans and some vodka coolers).

It was a great night for us.


----------



## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

Great pics! I need to get someone other then my wife taking pictures in the future. That or a better camera!

Looks like a nice big area to play too. What bar is that?


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

ne1roc said:


> Great pics! I need to get someone other then my wife taking pictures in the future. That or a better camera!
> 
> Looks like a nice big area to play too. What bar is that?


It's called the Ex Imperial. They have been getting bands in on weekends, but only on the main floor. We decided to play upstairs which is like a hall more than a bar.

Man, the crowd went nuts.


Just a real good feeling gig.


----------



## Coustfan'01 (Sep 27, 2006)

Nice pics ! Can't wait to gig again...Studying away from the band sucks a lot .

What style of music do you play ?


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Coustfan'01 said:


> Nice pics ! Can't wait to gig again...Studying away from the band sucks a lot .
> 
> What style of music do you play ?


Thanks. I was handed a disc today with more than 700 pictures from the show and some of them are fantastic.


We do covers from the 70s and 80s as well as songs from my CD. 

Covers include keyboard stuff like Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Supertramp and others as well as some "meat and potatoes" stuff like AC / DC.

It's a rock band.


----------



## Lee Bob (Mar 2, 2006)

How did you set up the gig? Did you contact the bar yourself or go through a booking agent?


----------



## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

Those are the kind of nights that playing is all about..... great pics, :rockon:


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Lee Bob said:


> How did you set up the gig? Did you contact the bar yourself or go through a booking agent?



We approached the bar. They have been trying to get some bodies in the place by having bands on weekends, but the main room downstairs is just too small for us to do our show. Everything you see in the pics is ours. We tie in directly to a 220 supply and bring in a full PA and lights.

We offered them a bigger show if they'd let us hold it in the upstairs hall and told them we'd draw. They were a bit nervous but now they're falling over themselves to get us back. We've got two dates booked there.


Agents have ignored my calls so far. They want to keep their full time bands working. Meh, their loss. We're not paying anyone 15% so far.


----------



## SCREEM (Feb 2, 2006)

nice pics, and great music no doubt...if the rest of the band can rock as good as you Mike:food-smiley-004:


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

SCREEM said:


> nice pics, and great music no doubt...if the rest of the band can rock as good as you Mike:food-smiley-004:




Thanks man,

LOL, I surround myself with better players than I am. I just steer the boat.


We do have our fun though.


----------



## Lee Bob (Mar 2, 2006)

Cool. Thanks man.



Milkman said:


> We approached the bar. They have been trying to get some bodies in the place by having bands on weekends, but the main room downstairs is just too small for us to do our show. Everything you see in the pics is ours. We tie in directly to a 220 supply and bring in a full PA and lights.
> 
> We offered them a bigger show if they'd let us hold it in the upstairs hall and told them we'd draw. They were a bit nervous but now they're falling over themselves to get us back. We've got two dates booked there.
> 
> ...


----------



## buckaroobanzai (Feb 2, 2006)

Tommyknockers do a kickass show.

Never thought I'd see a dance floor packed to "Smoke on the Water", but Mike & Co. pull it off.

Check ' em out if you have the chance.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

buckaroobanzai said:


> Tommyknockers do a kickass show.
> 
> Never thought I'd see a dance floor packed to "Smoke on the Water", but Mike & Co. pull it off.
> 
> Check ' em out if you have the chance.



Thanks man. Nice of you to say. 

I think we take some of these songs that everybody has done to death and try to do them just a bit closer to the original at least in terms of harmonic structure. Who knows. It's not that we're better players than other guys. I just have a high level of respect for the original artists.

Sometimes the songs that players take for granted (ANYONE can play that) are the ones that are consistantly played in a lacklustre way.

My favourite shows are the ones that take the most work, when we bring in the whole rig including lights. It feels like a mini-rock concert as opposed to a bar gig.

But, at the end of the day, it's all for fun and when it stops being fun, we'll stop doing it. I don't see that happening in the forseeable future.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

*Yup, I'm a pic ho*

We have the benefit of a few shutterbugs who like to come to our shows.


Gotta love digital photography.











Sean Jackson, guest vocalist (great pipes)


----------



## elindso (Aug 29, 2006)

Nice shots Mike.


----------



## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Great shots. Nice setup too! Lights and all.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Thanks guys,

Although it's much more work, I really prefer setting up our own lights. We very rarely take gigs where we can't bring in our own PA but often use the lighting they have in house.


I look forward to the summer bashes we host every year because those are all about putting on the biggest baddest show we can and that often includes grabbin a follow spot and some extra specials (rain lights etc).


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Nice pics there Milkman. Lot's of work to set-up those stages, but I know where you are coming from. It adds to the show, so worth the effort.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

GuitarsCanada said:


> Nice pics there Milkman. Lot's of work to set-up those stages, but I know where you are coming from. It adds to the show, so worth the effort.



LOL, thanks. It's worth the effort when you're playing the show, but if you try to justify it from a dollars and cents perspective it becomes evident why so few bands bother.

The clubs gush and fawn over the show, but they don't want to pay more.


I guess I do it for reasons other than money.


----------



## Marnacious (Dec 30, 2005)

Cool pics Milkman. Rock and Roll :rockon:


----------

