Muff's Modules & More

radiodread87

Ok so title says it all. When I am in my own little realm at home making music I am always really happy with the sounds and love my modular sounds/keyboards etc.

I have played in bands all my life and played guitar since age 7, organ since age 10 and everything but drums in between (sitars everything I love sound no matter where it comes from and trying to learn a new instrument just so I can make the sounds is for me the best part, the modular though is a particularly tricky "instrument")

So I have a gig coming up at a local small club that I frequent which plays alot of alternative stuff, my GF is into Metal so we head down there every other week to check out the local acts and have a headbang (metal isn't exactly my thing but I can dig on anything that people put energy into)

This local club has decided to put on an electronic music night which basically apart from myself consists of mostly laptop DJ's doing the usual Drum'n'bass and dubstep stuff so popular at the moment.
While I do mess around with sounds from these genre's it isn't exactly my focus as I get annoyed very easily sitting down and working in Ableton for any length of time (apart from setting up silent way tracks and then tweaking the modular)
They have given me the first slot on the bill and I have an hour long set but all of a sudden for the first time in my life I have been struck by a feeling of overwhelming under-confidence in my material and I am really worried that I will look like a complete dick up there and that noone will really like what I am trying to do.
This is new to me as I have always felt very confident in my musical abilities no matter who or what I am jamming on but something about the whole bombastic nature that surrounds all the DJ's there really is making me second guess everything I do when trying to put this together and its completely screwing up my creative workflow.

I dont expect to do the same sort of stuff that they are or even to get the same level of response when they are playing stuff that is really popular but I really would love to perform and show some sounds that I love, even though I know it will be less popular with the crowd I just dont like the thought of being Booed off or heckled (have dealt with it before when I played in a Floyd tribute band and people would get tired during the Weird bit of Echoes and start carrying on and it made me feel rather shitty but at least when the other parts came in I knew that I could rip their heads off with my strat)

Do any of you fellow wigglers ever feel this way? or am I just being over paranoid. I should probably just pop a Zoloft and not give a shit but I cant understand why all of a sudden this is getting to me so much..

any thoughts fellas I really appreciate all the support that people have given me around here and everyone is always very positive in what they have to say, the old "dont have anything nice to say then dont say anything at all thing" but as anyone who plays live knows it can be absolutely brutal. help

Ockeghem · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 5:46 pm Post subject:

You don't say whether you will play the modular, or acoustic set?
Anyhow hope it goes well. I have a DJ gig for 80-year-olds this Saturday, and you know how rowdy they can get, at least until the nurse has to whip up some happy pudding... Mr. Green

drewtoothpaste · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 5:48 pm Post subject:

Go for it dude. It's interesting to see what you like about your work vs. what other people respond to. The only suggestion I would make is valium or whiskey instead of zoloft, SSRIs can take weeks to kick in.

radiodread87 · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 5:52 pm Post subject:

pulse_divider

clarke68 · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:15 pm Post subject:

I can definitely relate to the insecurity part, but not to the "I actually have a gig this weekend" part. Here's a couple of random thoughts that you are free to take or leave at your discretion:

1. Totally okay that you're nervous/insecure/etc. All that means is that you care about what you're doing, and you care about what people think. You said, "I am always really happy with the sounds and love my modular sounds/keyboards etc." It's going to hurt if people don't like what you're doing, that's the hard part, but the fact that you care is healthy.

2. It's good that you're going first! It's not like you're following some kid who'll have the crowd all pumped & dancing...you could be like the trippy warm-up guy.

3. An hour is a long set, even for someone great. Not saying you aren't great, I haven't heard your music, but to entertain a crowd for an hour with a modular you have to really bring it. Better to play a shorter set and leave them wanting more than the opposite.

4. Have a "fall back" plan in case it starts going bad. I'd say hit 'em with your favorite/best stuff as soon as you can in the set...if they dig it (or even if they don't hate it), awesome. If it starts to get hostile, turn on some beats. Seriously. Even abstract noise starts to sound cohesive if it's got a good groove going over top of it. It may not be your thing (or maybe it is...like I said I haven't heard your music) but people will put up with a lot as long as they can dance (or bang their heads...you mentioned this was a metal club).

ehdyn · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:18 pm Post subject:

I dont think it's a good idea to be under the influence of anything while trying to perform your best.

Just assume the audience is intelligent, sophisticated, and that they want you to do well and will overlook any minor mistakes so they can have an enjoyable experience.
Nobody goes out looking to have a bad time..

Have you read about the theory of "Non-submersible units"?

radiodread87 · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:24 pm Post subject:

I was only kidding about the Zoloft seriously guys haha I dont even drink!

ehdyn · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:30 pm Post subject:

Ha, I got that! I like drinking, smoking whatever but not while doing music professionally

When I was studying recording under some bigshot he had us do these tests and we noticed that just one beer can jack up your perceptions and increase the suckitude to no end..eye opening

radiodread87 · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:32 pm Post subject:

ehdyn · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:36 pm Post subject:

Just try to imagine you're a tour guide, you know the territory better than anyone and that they trust your judgement-I call it playing ambassador

radiodread87 · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:53 pm Post subject:

guys this by the way is all fantastic advice, I really appreciate it so much! Hug

Ok maybe if I by the end of the weekend upload a couple of tracks and ask for some brutally honest opinions that might be a good thing?

I mean seriously I can take criticism especially of the constructive variety.

ehdyn · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 7:05 pm Post subject:

Sure, but not sure it will help-you have to be your own barometer

Say you lived in a swamp and you were an airboat captain giving tours and suddenly you got lost and people started panicking and saying ah lets use GPS, lets use a compass, lets use landmarks blablabbla this guy doesnt know what hes doing, hes going to get us killed...would you be strong enough to shout them down and figure out which way to go?

ringstone

Luka · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 8:18 am Post subject:

I felt so good after completing my first live set on my modular. While i dont have years and years of experience to draw sage advice ill suggest a couple points

Dont worry about trying to wow everybody - just work out something which can groove / drone / blip on comfortably.

Bring a bunch of mates to keep you in good spirits

Enjoy your set smile

Just me · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 8:56 am Post subject:

Just do it. If the room is dark and you are lighted, you cant see the audience and if your monitors are up, you cant hear them. Much. I do a dozen shows a year here and the reception is different each time. I don't let it bug me anymore. Just practice your set and practice some fsilure drills. I had my main synth die a few shows ago and had to finish the night with a Monotron and some guitar pedals for 15 minutes. An audience member posted that one on Youtube. Go figure.

negativspace · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 11:05 am Post subject:

I played live a few times, waaaaay back before I (or probably most of you) even had a modular - like 1998 or so. I was rocking an 808/909/606/202/303 + some mono and poly keyboards back then. Same kinda stuff, just different. I really enjoyed it the 3 or 4 times I did it - although moving all that shit to a gig was a chore and a half.

People who know electronic music will appreciate seeing it come live from a modular. People who don't will just be impressed that you know WTF that crazy blinky machine does. Some of them might just plain not get you, and they may respond derisively. Ignore them. Easier said than done, but if *I* can do it, anyone can. (Unerring self-confidence is not my strong suit either.)

aumgn · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 2:49 pm Post subject:

this should sort you out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsQzDNCkMdQ&feature=related

i love this nutter

Its called

' I dont give a fuck what anyone thinks , i do what I like and fuck em all .......

get complaints ? do whatever fucked them off more , and just keep annoying people as much as possible if thats how it goes ' Treat your audience with disrespect and forget about pleasing , ego massage and all that bollocks.

Be brave , tell anyone with ego centric issues to f off .

A charles manson stare also helps with no answer to them .

Hecklers.

Just find whats irritating them and loop it for 30 minutes.

I am not joking , this is the only way.

I once had a coke head who vj'ed a chill room i was booked to ' chillout ' and who got really aggressive 10 minutes after i started a live act and said '

' You really need to play more beats mate as your killing the vibe ' and so i played even slower , by the end i was playing dolphin noises and wind and he was really angry and kept staring at me for 2 hours but i had him.

It wasnt until later that the organiser said ' sorry about the vj , he was on coke and found your music made him really anxious as it was so stilling and mellow and calm '

sO dont take coke and then vj a chillout areas you backward c..t

I cant begin to share the number of times i have been insulted and talked to like a child when playing live sets by dj's in particular who think what they want is Divine law

Most dj are a very unique breed.( not all...some have open minds - like 1 % ?)

If someone says ' i am a dj ' i just hear ' i am an insecure cunt who cant write music but tried ' , has self loathing complexes and needs to be adored as his mum never loved him .

I need councilling for the number of dj's with ' opinions ' i have had to endure who think ' the ultimate universal truth on whats good music and bad resides in their anus ' along with their brains.

You may find one or 2 who come up and say ' cool mate - can i remix you wink

....

I find most will criticise you as your music doesnt fit their set and thats as fair as they think.

Does it work in my set / style ? will it make people adore me ? well no ? then its shite and worthless.

When wisdom was handed out dj's were like behind amoeba in the line or many.

back to the vid.

checkout 2.08 seconds .

I'm guessing the crowd in this particular video were really messed up as they guy would have been hung drawn and quartered at Ministry of sound or where all the egos play.

Adoration is your greatest enemy or those alos on the lineup who are slaves to it.

Have a laugh and if you encounter egos just use sound to annoy them out of the room.

mojopin · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 4:34 pm Post subject:

yeah good advice..except for getting aggressive with your audience. that can only stem from insecurity.

one thing already mentioned, don't do an hour set if you can't pull it off. That is a LONG time. Aim for a half-hour and the djs can do what they do best..filling time. I would never be billed with djs again for the reasons listed above. And don't forget, your modular can out-boombassticize anything they put on so do it!

radiodread87 · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 5:00 pm Post subject: