I Hate Mornings

This is a guest post by Xander, who helped me create the gig, and had much more to do with the venue than I did.

Ben’s Big Gig was always going to have to rely on the nuts and bolts of traditional gig planning when it came to a space in which to hold it, but because of the interesting challenges that we were going to be bringing to the table, the venue was likely to be a huge component of that success. Thankfully, The North Wall was open to new ideas, enthusiastic and technically savvy, and it helped that they got as excited as we did about putting on something ambitious and new.

A good venue makes life much easier

As a venue we can’t fault the North Wall. It’s a flexible space with the ability to alter its seating as necessary to accommodate the staging area you choose, but in addition to this they were both able to meet our slightly odd requirement of ‘cabaret style’ tables in place of the front few rows and also to allow us a flexible arrangement in the upstairs gallery, which gave us the opportunity to hold back a few seats in case tickets sold out (which they did). This kind of flexibility was key to our success and is an advantage that smaller venues tend to have over some of the costlier and bigger spaces. They gave us the breathing space to get on with other stuff, variables that we wanted to control. The venue you use should be there to support you from the beginning, not just to take a cut of the tickets at the end.

These are things that any decent venue/space should, and usually will, offer but there are a host of other ways in which they enabled our slightly bizarre, but entirely successful venture into the world of Cabaret 2.0.

They were willing to take a risk

They said yes to staging an event which we were struggling to describe even to ourselves, and they threw themselves into it. This initial show of goodwill was a clear demonstration of the community collaboration that wove a thread throughout the entire process of putting on Ben’s Big Gig. We went to see them and we asked what was possible – they asked us what they could do, we asked them what we could do and together we decided that we could do brand new things and interesting things, ultimately because we’d started a conversation and got them engaged in the process.

We got them excited. ;)

They have an I.T. department

The fact that it was at the North Wall (and therefore connected to the associated St. Edwards School) meant that we had access to an IT department that was able to create a bespoke wireless network for the gig, open up ports on their ethernet network to allow for video streaming and generally offer support that you are unlikely to find in any other comparable venue. Without this, the process of installing, maintaining and running a network with the capability of live-streaming video feeds would have made the setup for the gig (a ‘one night only’ affair with a limited get in time) immeasurably more difficult. Past experience (#amp09, #tuttle, etc.) demonstrates that the creation of a bespoke network for one off events invariably frustrates and stretches the skills of even the most committed sysadmin. By having the IT department on our side (and it didn’t hurt to have a few alumni of the school in the band) we were able to bypass any ISP issues and corresponding teething troubles that might have turned up if we’d had to start from scratch.

Put more simply, the North Wall’s unique position as both a Community Arts Centre and a part of a larger network of facilities for a school had the result of boosting our technical resources ten-fold. The lesson from this is that if you can find an existing venue that can do what you want, use it. Eliminate potential problems through collaboration and communication and by working out what you want and looking around to see if anyone is already doing it, then ask them for help. Tap into existing resources: more often than not people are more than happy to help. That’s what they’re there for, and they will want to help you (Phil Campbell and his incredible Rezpondr related work at the gig are another great example of this).

The North Wall didn’t necessarily understand what we were doing to start with but they were nonetheless excited about it. That’s key: getting other people excited is what generates goodwill, asking them to help eliminates problems form the start and doing all of this together results in some form of success, without you having done anything but start a conversation.

They saw the big picture

They were enthusiastic about Ben’s Big Gig without being in any way irritated that a one off performance was consuming time and resources. In the conversations we started with the North Wall we were both excited about the possibilities for a whizzy, gadget-linked, internet-enabled gig 2.0. This enthusiasm translated very quickly into their support and assistance. Because we believed what we were doing was going to work, no matter how crazy it seemed to begin with, those around us were in turn inspired by our enthusiasm to do what they could to make it happen. Although this may sound a little like a business self-help book, the reality of your success really is directly connected to your belief that you can succeed. If you don’t believe in it then it’s likely that the venue won’t either. Aim high, talk to people, ask for help and get enthused.

On the night, this belief, alongside the fact that it also translated directly into the crowd that turned up to see the gig, meant that when we asked the venue to do things they normally wouldn’t (keeping the bar open, having a live band play in the bar during the interval, leaving the artwork from the previous show on the walls to add to the ambience) they were prepared to take the gamble.

So, to recap:

Use what’s already there. Start conversations. Be enthusiastic. People will help you. You will succeed.

Last night I played my first solo set for months. I’ve been busy writing, and it was exciting to perform some new songs in front of some new people. Playing live always gives me an energy boost.

I couldn’t hang around for too long after my support slot, but I saw The Shanks soundcheck and caught Ute’s first two songs. And even in a boomy, miserable space like the Port Mahon’s upstairs room they both sounded great. The sound guy (who gave me a beautiful mix, and is therefore my new best friend) admitted to doing more studio engineering than live sound. Which meant that he didn’t go the usual route of trying to squeeze the loudest possible noise out of the old PA. Instead, he mixed everything down to the drums and made the best of the situation. I can hear the distant road drills out of the window this morning, so my ears took less of a beating than usual.

The Shanks peddle an intelligent, proggy, sort of rock. It has that familiar, foot-tapping sort of beat that makes you feel all comfortable then occasionally shifts up a gear to a much more energetic kind of vibe, with the bass and drums driving the song. On top of this solid foundation they throw harmonies, time changes and a bit of piano, and some strong (and often unexpected) vocals tie it all together. And I bet their set sounded even better than the soundcheck.

Ute were surprisingly good too. I say surprisingly, because I thought they were called ‘Uke’, and therefore that they had no Myspace, no previous gigs on the web and no mention anywhere. I assumed (as you do) that they would be a nondescript support band. In fact, I was sorry to have to leave two songs into their set. They have an acoustic guitar, bass, drums trio lineup, with 3-part harmonies, fuzz bass, amusing percussion and quirky lyrics. It’s as if Ben Folds Five were born ten years later in England. Or as if The Legendary Swordsmen were born five years later and were cool. Not really, but that’s what I thought at the time. I’m going to go and listen to Ute on Myspace now to see if they are actually any good or if it was just my post-gig-and-coffee adrenaline buzz that made me fall for them. ;)

As Tim Myatt often quotes Gary Glitter as saying, “It’s good to be back.” Playing live is seriously good fun, and it’s what I do best. I’m going to try to think of interesting ways of integrating the live thing with the online thing to create one enormous musical thing, maybe involving streaming video requests or something. Or maybe selling my shirts online. Nobody really knows. But it’s going to be great.

My old friend “Nick Gill”:http://www.nickfuckinggill.com was playing down at the Jericho on Saturday with a band called “Fireworks Night”:http://www.myspace.com/fireworksnight. They share a couple of members with “The Mules”:http://www.myspace.com/itsthemules, who I had heard great things about but never seen, and both bands were on the bill. The support act was some chap in a deep red scarf crooning deeply intimate, but unfortunately (for him at least) largely unheard words of wisdom. Playing the opening slot at the Jericho is tough. All you can hear is the assembling crowd ordering drinks and chatting at the back of the room. Scarf man held his own.

h3. The best arrangement in town

Fireworks Night sound great. And not just in a well-rehearsed, muso way. You can tell they are great musicians, but that’s not what they are peddling. They create original and appropriate textures and sounds for each song, partly with thoughtful arrangements and partly by using loads of different instruments. The basic line-up of acoustic, electric, bass, drums and violin is hardly used as the bassist switches to viola, the violinist stamps and claps, and Nick plays electric guitar (plus slide), banjo, ukelele and musical saw.

All those instruments could be the recipe for a right old noise-fest, but these guys (and girl) keep things under control. “Filling the gaps”, as Rick Danko probably said. And drummer Ed Seed is very good at leaving gaps and playing around the other instruments. It wasn’t until a few songs into the set that I noticed how metronomic the singer’s acoustic guitar playing was and when he got up again later as the bassist for The Mules, it all made sense. He was playing Scott Walker acoustic. Scott used to record in a vocal booth with an acoustic guitar, and provide the beat for the enormous orchestra on the other side of the glass. But he wasn’t a strummer. He would pick out these great open-string riffs which cut through the mix subtly and defined the rhythm against the wash of strings. So Fireworks Night is like a 1950s village band playing Scott Walker. Not a bad thing.

h3. But is it pop?

I’m a sucker for pop, and I think it’s because of my bad memory. If a song doesn’t treat me like a child and constantly reinforce its message with catchy melodic hooks and a repetitive structure I forget it almost instantly. And that’s unfortunately what has happened with Fireworks Night’s songs. I went to bed the evening of the gig not being able to remember a single chorus, title, or even line. I was quite upset, because I wanted to relive the best moments in my mind. In the end I settled for a vague wash of acoustic and musical saw. I remember every note of that.

This happens a lot. My memory for lyrics is terrible, as anyone who has seen me sing will know, but give me a catchy melody and I’ll be humming it for weeks. But Surely that’s the point. Melody originated as a way of patterning words to make them easier to learn. Rhyme is a memory aid. Regular rhythm organises words and phrases into processable chunks. Call me a square, but I like my songs hummable.

h3. Signal vs. noise

Most small venues mix bands too loud. The drummer smashes his kit through the PA, and everything else is mixed over it. Thankfully, Andy was doing the sound at the Jericho and Seed doesn’t smash the drums as much as stroke them (at least in this band), so the mix was perfect. Sitting a couple of metres from the stage, I could pick out the ukelele from the guitar, the violin from the viola and the musical saw from anything. And I left without the usual Saturday night ringing in the ears.

I love it when a band sounds good, and easy on the ear. Not like “The Best Hammond Jazz Album… Ever”, but when musicians take pride in their arrangements and mixes. I also think it does no harm when a band looks the part. The thinking has been done for you, and you can relax. Fireworks Night showed what is possible with only a small dress-up box. It’s amazing how far a waistcoat and a moustache will get you.

h3. Great band

Fireworks Night are a thoughtfully entertaining indie band with a fascinating and full sound. And you can quote me on that.

Like the dork that I am, I turned up on time for the open mic night at “The Ex”:http://www.thex.co.uk/. The listings said 8pm. I nursed a pint of “Hobgoblin”:http://www.wychwood.co.uk/ and read two issues of “(title)Nightshift”:http://nightshift.oxfordmusic.net/phpbb3/ until James the sound man arrived in a “Marconi’s Voodoo”:http://www.myspace.com/marconisvoodoo hoody and announced that he was running the night because “the landlady’s got rabies.” Not a good start.

h3. The people

Despite the shaky intro, it ended up being as fun as an open mic can be on a Tuesday night. Some old guy with a beer gut plays Ry Cooder covers on a spotless 12-string; some young guy with a beer gut plays %(title)The Drugs Don’t Work% on a spotless 6-string; James the sound man plays %(title)Dungeons and Dragons%-inspired metal and complains that acoustics aren’t as good as electrics. I made it through %(title)I’ve Got This Funny Feeling I’m A Living Legend% and %(title)Dressing Up% on my battered Brazilian nylon-strung guitar with the fly stickers.

h3. More open mic reviews to come…

I plan to play a different open mic night every week for a while. Oxford has loads (a quick glance through the “(title)Daily Info”:http://www.dailyinfo.co.uk/events.php?colname=Gig&period=7 gave me the “Bookbinders”:http://oxford.openguides.org/wiki/?id=Bookbinders, “Far From The Madding Crowd”:http://oxford.openguides.org/wiki/?Far_From_The_Madding_Crowd and The Ex, and I’m sure there’s one on George St on a Thursday), and I bet there’s a decent crowd of locals at each. Maybe I’ll start one at Wolfson…

h3. The verdict

On a standard night, when the landlady has recovered, I bet the Tuesday night open mic at The Ex is a good laugh. There’s a two-song limit, but if you stay late enough you might get another go. Top tips: bring a few friends to keep you company, and don’t get there before 9pm. Oh yes, and the last bus back to town leaves shortly after 11pm.