I had an outdoor gig on Saturday, working with four good friends who form an excellent covers band.
This was for Barlborough NHS, near Worksop and set in the field behind a local pub. Timed to run from 5pm until 11pm (and very strict noise regulations mean NO OVERTIME), the booking was via the band's singer's wife who works there. If the band are ever asked to recommend a disco, they always say me, but usually I am tied up at the hotel venue, but, for once, I was available (at least I was when they first asked me).
So I decided to arrive nice and early to do site visit as neither I nor the band had been told what to expect. I did get a message at around 11am telling me there wasn't much space. That was an understatement. A small marquee with a chessboard dance floor (more later) and enough space for me or the band, but not both! As I was there early, I struggled and got the basic set up done in one corner and managed to bend the walls slightly to get some elevation on the lights. Some, I angled upwards onto the marquee ceiling.
The band duly arrived about half an hour later and were pleased I'd got there when I did and had worked out what to do. Even better, the weather was set fair, so we unzipped the rear panel and opened it up, so the keyboard player and the drummer were actually outside of the tent on the grass!!! Their speakers were also ouutside, making things much less cramped.
Unfortunately, the field was on a slope and the ground was very uneven. So much so that the chess board dancefloor did its own dance as soon as anyone walked on it. Also, gravity dictated that dancers would gradually get closer and closer, so the band put some monitor speakers on the floor in front of them to create a barrier.
As time went on, the show progressed nicely. We were all invited to partake in the pub cooked burgers, hot dogs, chips with salad and an ice cream van available service free ice cream for afters.
A 30 minute slot at 8pm for me playing dancey stuff went well and the band took over at 8.30 for an hour. By heck, they were loud! A bit later, I noticed that the chess board dancefloor was starting to show some movement. Serious movement and the gaffa tape that they had used to try to stick it to the carpet flooring was sadly lacking. 6 inch nails would have been better!
The band got told off by the pub landlord for being too loud as two of the neighbours had complained. By the time I came back on, three chairs had been strategically placed on the dance floor crazy paving to stop people from falling into the great abyss below.
Indeed once the band had shifted their gear, most people preferred to dance in the space they had vacated.
All went well with all the usual cheesy stuff, apart from one bloke who wanted Duke Dumont and wouldn't believe me when I told him that I had played it. No you haven't he said, I've been here all night. Apart from the times I saw you wander off to the main pub for drink replenishment and to the used beer depository.
11pm came all too quick and I finished just as the clock ticked over. The statutory "one more" chant was repelled with the statutory turning off of sound system and the turning on of house lights. Well, if there were some I would have. Fortunately, there were lights in the tent that meant I wasn't packing up in the dark.
The poor pub manager then surveyed the wreckage of his dancefloor that he had lovingly bought especially for the occasion at a cost of £1,000. I offered to take it off his hands for fifty quid and he thought I was joking.
So ended a very good night with a quick pack up, until I realised that I had forgotten to pack one of my tables in first (I usually use the hotel's tables) and had to redesign the whole back of the car so I could slide it in along the side later.
A 30 mile drive back up the M1 / M18 later and I rolled in about 0045. The drive will stand me in good stead for the future as things are going to be a bit different soon. More news at the end of June.