Conference Gig

The gig was interesting, as usual.  It was a bit more work and therefore not as much fun this time, mostly due to the logistics of getting everything set up in the ballroom.  Many elevator trips, and we had to bring extra stuff this time (lights).  That's compared to parking in front of a bar and having to walk 10-20 yards to the setup area.  We started playing promptly at 10, to an empty ballroom.  I guess the guests were supposed to trickle in between 10-10:30, but that didn't start happening 'til the later portion of that window, so we all felt pretty stupid playing to nobody.  Oh, nobody except the bartender who was completely across the room.  When people started coming in we just started our set over from the top.

Sometime during the first song or two some young suit wearing manager type walked in and pulled me aside, saying something about no free beer not even if the staff gave it to us, they could lose their liquor license, etc.  He was extremely angry, but I think he was enjoying being on a power trip or something.  I didn't know what he was talking about really... three of us had beers and one of the guitar players got it for us, so I didn't know where they came from.  I thought I might tell that to the guy but pretty much anything I said could've made it worse.  So I just kept saying "yes sir, I understand, it won't happen again, blah blah blah" until he finally left.

I also got a dose of  group politics.  Not surprisingly, it's the two guitar players that are most at odds.  The bass player and drummer are both agreeable most if not all of the time.  And I as the keyboard am basically non-existent.

I didn't get home until 3 and not to bed til 4.  So Saturday was a waste for the most part.