Sometimes everything comes together just when you least expect it.
It had been a tense few weeks running up to the latest concert, and I wasn't the only one in the band with doubts about whether the brass section could deliver the goods. I was beginning to despair and had pretty much written off the concert before it even began. The late addition of Marisa on backing vocals had given the band a much needed boost of positive energy, but it seemed too little too late.
As the concert approached I seriously considered dispensing with the services of both Hugo and Nacho, believing that they were actually making a negative contribution to the sound of the band. Two weeks before the gig, Nacho missed a much needed practice session, and the next week - with just seven days to go - Hugo failed to attend what was supposed to be the final rehearsal before the show. I was, with some justification, both furious and desperate.
It had been a tense few weeks running up to the latest concert, and I wasn't the only one in the band with doubts about whether the brass section could deliver the goods. I was beginning to despair and had pretty much written off the concert before it even began. The late addition of Marisa on backing vocals had given the band a much needed boost of positive energy, but it seemed too little too late.
I decided that the gig should be a 'reward' for their hard work. We could turn down the sound of the brass section on the front of house mix while keeping the stage monitors turned up, that way the audience would never hear Nacho and Hugo and they would never know. And a couple of days after it would be: "Chao chicos".
Tom, Ariel, Germán and I were all sufficiently well rehearsed that we had no worries about our own playing. But the apparently unconcerned attitude of Hugo and Nacho was proving a very unwelcome distraction and taking my attention away from where I wanted it to be: improving my performance skills and developing the presentation of the show. I began to wonder what must be going on in their heads; do they actually care about the band or are they just having a laugh?
Over that weekend, stage fright or something took hold and a somewhat concerned Hugo rang to sort out an additional practice for the Tuesday, just three days before the concert. This proved a turning point: it didn't actually sound that bad.
And so the big day arrived: Sound check at 7.00pm; Vinilo Sensation on stage at 10.00; Second band on at 11.00.
The Liverpool Bar itself is a good place for a band to play, and I could happily go back at some future opportunity. The room holds maybe 70 people with space for more on an upstairs balcony. The square shape means that an audience has a good view of the band from anywhere in the room. There are tables to sit, but still plenty of room to get up and dance.
For the bands there are proper stage facilities, including a reasonably secure backstage to change and to leave bags and valuables. The stage area is large enough to accommodate our sizeable band and rises a good metre above the bar room floor, giving the audience a full view of the band. There are moving coloured spotlights and stage smoke. The few photos we have look great. I think the place is designed primarily as a live music venue and becomes a club later in the evening.
The only curious part of the stage is - almost inevitably - the drum 'riser'. Instead on a small elevated platform maybe 20-30 centimetres above the level of the stage and somewhere at the back, the drummer has a separate room 2 metres above the rest of the stage and accessed by a ladder from the backstage area. I became a drummer so I could hide behind the others in the band; up there I felt very exposed.
Everything appeared fairly straightforward … but with concerts, these things never go as planned.
Over in Chile, Argentina were playing Colombia for a place in the semifinals of the prestigious "Copa del Américas". This meant an hour to set up and sound check both bands before a huge white screen was dropped in front of the stage for kick off at 8.00pm. No big deal, except this football match turned into a tense epic dual: full time, extra time, penalty shoot out, penalty sudden death. It had to be one of the longest football games in history and thankfully, Argentina won. By the time it was over and the club doors opened it was almost 11.00pm; we would have to go on pretty much immediately. Then fate played its hand and delivered for us.
Fernando, my friend from the other band and the person who had got us on the bill for this gig, told me that his guitarist had other commitments after midnight and asked if they could go on first. This would mean the other band doing the warm up for us; of course I accepted without a second thought. By the time we hit the stage around 11.30 the place was crowded with people getting happily drunk to celebrate Argentina's victory.
The concert was a runaway success. Despite all my doubts, everyone did their thing and the - possibly quite drunk - audience loved it. We came off stage on a real high and eager to find somewhere else to play as soon as we could. Ticket sales could have better, but with everyone's foreboding, we only actually sold four tickets … which means at least 3 people in the band invited nobody.
Despite the success, energy and enthusiasm that this concert has given the band, we now have a new problem: Germán, our guitarist and a very central figure in the band, is leaving to live in the USA in 3 weeks. This is a big loss and he will be hard to replace. This also means the beginning of a search for some new people and the expenditure of time necessary to integrate the new musicians. It could be quite a while before Vinilo Sensation is ready to play again.
