On Saturday Random Numbers played our first ever wedding – we were being paid so we felt under a lot of pressure. We arrived at 11:30am to set up at the Blackwell Grange (the very hotel where Paul Gasgoigne was arrested earlier in the week). But 1pm we were just about ready which gave us about an hour to sound check, go through a few tracks we felt needed it and then set our lights up. We had to be out by 2pm – the wedding was taking place at that time just next door. We played two sets (8:30pm – 9:15pm and 10:30pm to midnight) and it couldn’t have gone better. Two people asked us for bsuiness cards so hopefully we’ll get some more gigs out of it. However, it’s not exactly something we do for the money. We got £400 between us for about 12 hours work!! Didn’t get away until 1am – not back in Leeds until 2am and then suffering from sound sickness today. Is it all worth it?
wedding gig
When we were young!
We used to play a version of The Killers’ When we were young. We have not played it for more than a year – maybe longer. I think I was the main one who said we should drop it. I just didn’t think it quite worked. However, today I came across a recording we made that was sitting in my ITunes collection. Actually, it’s not bad. Not bad at all.
I’ve put it here for you to listen to:
Maybe we’ll start playing it again!
Gig in Maguires
The Backissue gig in Maguires went great. Stage was small and because I am reaonably considerate I squeezed myself (and kit) a little too tightly into a small space. Half way through the gig – when it was too late - I realised that it was going to affect my play a little and also it was making my arms stiff from being in a slightly awkward position (as the actress said to the bishop!!).
Sex on Fire went down perhaps best of all the tracks. Though generally pretty much everything went well. And at the end of the night the owner paid us (always a good sign) and asked us back – so I look forward to playing there again in a few months.
You tube clip of Zombie by the Cranberries
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kDzj6kPMT4
You tube clip of Times Like These by the Foo Fighters
upcoming gigs
Backissue
30th Jan – McQuires pub in Leeds
27th Feb – Primrose pub in Leeds
Random Numbers
13th Feb – Blackwell Grange Darlington (private – wedding)
15th May – Darlington (private – wedding)
19th June – Darlington Forum
A couple of videos from our annual Xmas party -
Common People – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2p9imZfgMQ&feature=channel
Run – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKLoqLoHaBo
I Predict a Riot – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRypTWczT8E&feature=channel
Recording is quite poor quality – just a camcorder at the back of the room. Gives an idea though.
Steve
Random Numbers’ Christmas Party
On Monday 21st we held our annual Christmas party at Darlington’s Forum venue. We sold about 140 tickets and most people showed up despite the snow and the sub-zero temperatures: -8 is really quite cold for the UK.
The gig went quite well. We messed up a few openings but people didn’t seem to mind. We managed to play the Pogues’ Fairytale in New York despite not having rehearsed it properly since last year. The venue was freezing cold apparently but hot enough on stage under the lights 
My favourite tracks were Street Spirit (Radiohead), Common People (Pulp) and Losing my Religion (REM). It was a great way to end the year and we’re looking forward to our first wedding appointment in the New Year!!
photo
At the Dec 10th Random Numbers gig in Darlington there was a professional photographer. Not particularly there to see or photograph us of course, but he was there, and he took this shot of me. I like it. Almost every other shot of me has been taken using a mobile phone.
best gig yet
Last night Random Numbers (or the Ramdon Numbers as we were advertised!!) played our second gig in three days. In contrast to the last which was to about 300 people who were largely disinterested, last night there were about 100 – but what a gig!! It’s the quality of the audiance not the number that matters. Last night we had about 60 people dancing constantly throughout the second set and even invading the stage (in a nice, though slightly worrying way). I think we can start to relax now and hopefully enjoy our regular christmas spectatcular in Darlington on the 21st.
Random Numbers gig
There have been a couple of gigs that I didn’t have time to report on. Backissue played a pub in Leeds and Random Numbers played St Pat’s in Thornaby. However, last night I played with Random Numbers in Darlington to my largest ever crowd (250-300 people). We were the entertainment at an awards dinner. Setting up was slow – we were using our new lights for the first time, additional speakers to fill the cavernous hall, and two overhead mics for the drums. From arriving at the venue to being ready to do the sound check it took three hours. The sounds check took another 30 mins or more. Then we were ready - time for pizza to pass the time ….
The gig was great – technically. Though playing to a crowd who were there to see an award show and have a dinner was not as rewarding as a normal gig. By the end there were probably less than 50 that remained. But it was a good tough gig to get under our belts and the new equipment all worked a treat.
Now just one day to recover and another gig on Saturday.
kick-drum pedal adjustment
I have a DW7000 pedal. It’s a very good pedal; cost about £100 I think. But recently I have been unhappy with my kick-drum technique and I put it down to the pedal. It feels very wrong. In fact, I have even started using the cheap and nasty pedals in the rehearsal studios rather than my DW7000 because they feel better. It’s the settings. But how to set it up better?
I recently came across ome advice that worked and I would like to share. A pedal has quite a few adjustments – there is the height of the beater, for example. But the two settings I want to focus on are at the top and bottom of the tension spring which is on the right-hand side of the picture above.
The advice I came across was as follows: first, adjust the setting at the top of the tension spring that controls how far the beater comes back in the relaxed position. Set it so that it comes quite a way back, not unlike the example in the picture. Then put your foot on the pedal and just let it rest – dead weight. The pedal should depress and the beater should go about half-way to where it would strike the drum head. Adjust the setting at the bottom of the spring if this is not the case. If it goes too far, increase the tension and vice versa.
I set my pedal up like this and I had a really great session last night. The pedal felt as good as it was when I first bought it. If you are unsure about how to set up the kick-drum pedal I recommend you try this technique.
