OctopusGig@GI ME11YL UK Tues 8 Nov '11

Subject: OctopusGig@GI ME11YL UK Tues 13 Nov '11
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 02 Nov 11 - 05:49 AM

I can't find a thread for this and it deserves a mention. To expand my cryptic notes Cari Sayer's band Octopus Tree (5 people of whom 3 sing sometimes, 2 guitars, 2 fiddles, and one upright bass) have the headline spot at the Good Intent John Street Rochester Kent UK ME1 1YL on Tuesday the 13th November 2011. There will be light sound reinforcement mostly to help the voices since fiddles are so loud but also for sound shaping to compensate for people and furnishings soaking up the brightness.

Their stuff is mostly diddly-ish (gosh, there's a surprise with 2 fiddles), some Americana, but some European-mainland based and some Scottish/English too - but they are really quite good and deserve an ear.

The beer is always good at the GI and reasonably priced.

I don't know who has the support slot offhand.

Subject: RE: OctopusGig@GI ME11YL UK Tues 13 Nov '11
From: melodeonboy
Date: 02 Nov 11 - 09:39 AM

Steve May is the support act.

(Perhaps you quaffed slightly too much of that reasonably priced beer, Richard!)

Subject: RE: OctopusGig@GI ME11YL UK Tues 8 Nov '11
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 02 Nov 11 - 11:33 AM

And to repeat the correction that has made it into the heading, but not into my post nor into the heading of Melodeonboy's post - it's on Tuesday November the 8th, not the 13th.

Subject: RE: OctopusGig@GI ME11YL UK Tues 8 Nov '11
From: GUEST,Growler at Work
Date: 02 Nov 11 - 11:45 AM

It will be a night of quality music

Subject: RE: OctopusGig@GI ME11YL UK Tues 8 Nov '11
From: growler
Date: 04 Nov 11 - 05:22 PM

Octopus are headlining at the Good Intent Rochester UK, next Tuesday at 20.30 hrs. They are something special, with Steve May as the supporting act, it will be a night to remember

Subject: RE: OctopusGig@GI ME11YL UK Tues 8 Nov '11
From: growler
Date: 05 Nov 11 - 03:33 PM

Refresh

Subject: RE: OctopusGig@GI ME11YL UK Tues 8 Nov '11
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 05 Nov 11 - 07:53 PM

I have been doing that thank you.

Subject: RE: OctopusGig@GI ME11YL UK Tues 8 Nov '11
From: GUEST,TonyB
Date: 05 Nov 11 - 10:37 PM

There's six of us! We've a Bodhranist!

Subject: RE: OctopusGig@GI ME11YL UK Tues 8 Nov '11
From: melodeonboy
Date: 08 Nov 11 - 09:07 AM

It's this evening! Get there early for a seat!

Subject: RE: OctopusGig@GI ME11YL UK Tues 8 Nov '11
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 09 Nov 11 - 02:08 PM

Well I thought that was very promising. Sure, some rough edges but lots of good qualities.

Subject: RE: OctopusGig@GI ME11YL UK Tues 8 Nov '11
From: GUEST,Growler at Work
Date: 09 Nov 11 - 02:34 PM

If they dont go places, there is no justice

Subject: RE: OctopusGig@GI ME11YL UK Tues 8 Nov '11
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 09 Nov 11 - 06:44 PM

Outs were promising. Ins were ragged. Foldback (no room for it in there) might have helped some vocal pitches but most were good.

Subject: RE: OctopusGig@GI ME11YL UK Tues 8 Nov '11
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Nov 11 - 04:03 PM

Thanks again for doing the sound Richard, I was told by many folks it sounded well-balanced 'out front'. There were more rough edges than we usually have because we did have trouble hearing what each other were playing (I could hardly hear the bodhran or double bass at all where I was sitting on the stage), so will make provision for foldback in future.

But you live and learn, and I think we got away with it quite well.

All constructive criticism is gratefully received. Hope some of it was good!

Dean

Subject: RE: OctopusGig@GI ME11YL UK Tues 8 Nov '11
From: melodeonboy
Date: 10 Nov 11 - 04:30 PM

I really enjoyed it. The spirit of the music more than compensated for the rough edges. And I thought Richard did an admirable job with the sound and, to his credit, was very open to suggestions for tweaking it.

Well done, all. Bravo!

Subject: RE: OctopusGig@GI ME11YL UK Tues 8 Nov '11
From: growler
Date: 10 Nov 11 - 04:56 PM

Here Here

Subject: RE: OctopusGig@GI ME11YL UK Tues 8 Nov '11
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 10 Nov 11 - 06:21 PM

Or hear hear - it's what the soundman is there to enable.

My DI box (the big one we had to jury rig not to use) appears to be toast.

I can easily add foldback - the problem is space. The final frontier.

Very odd Dean, I could hear the bass perfectly (both with naked ears and with the cans on) - and I was only about 2 feet from you. I could easily bring bodhran up (indeed did in the second half) but had been asked to keep it down...

I prefer to have the desk opposite the stage, but in that venue it's hard, and the sound on the cans was very different from the FoH.

I would also like to refine the distinct sounds of the various guitars - but we ran out of time thanks to the naughty DI box.   

A policeman's lot is not a happy one.

But I thought you were generally good. I love Cari's fiddle sound and the sweeping elegance of her bowing so that notes swell rather than break in in a brittle manner.