JW - 6/3/2012

Blew through modified versions of the planned third and fourth sets without too many problems, so not much to say on that front.

In preparation for our first show with this line-up, we had the full PA set up.  It was nice, easier to hear everything than usual, and didn't sound any louder than usual to me.

It was also my first practice with my new, significantly more powerful, Gallien Krueger amplifier, as well as bringing my wireless set up.  Left the pedal board at home, as I'm getting everything I need from the amp or the compression effect that the wireless tends to have.

For next week's session, we'll be focusing hard on vocals, which is a more-than-welcome development from my perspective.  Andy will be out of town next weekend, so a full band practice is out, and everybody still wanted to fit as much working time in as we can before our first show.  One of my old bands (Mirage) was much more vocally oriented than this group, and we did two or three pure vocal sessions in the year-and-a-half or so that I was with them, with substantial benefits.  Considering that JW isn't vocally oriented in the first place, it shouldn't take too much doing to step up our game in that regard by putting some focus on the subject.

Andy made reference at one point to the six years they'd been together, and Dale had once said he and Keith had been working together for about ten years.  Now I've got some idea as to how long this group has actually been around.

We talked a bit about the place we're going to play and the set up needed for it.  Sounds as though we're going to be bringing a lot of lighting for a such a small place.  While the stage is small, it's also high enough off the ground that you don't want to fall off, and with the lighting, it's hard enough to see that Andy actually did fall off at a previous performance there.  Keith also referred to changing shirts at least every set because it gets so damn hot with the lights, so I'll want to make sure I have clothes in reserve as well.

I've been reading up on stage presentation due to my excitement about getting out in front of an audience again, and have learned some useful things in the course of it, but I still don't feel as though it's likely that any suggestions I have will be given a lot of consideration by the group, so I'll have to bring what I can to the table and make the best of it, hoping to influence by example.