[Dixielandjazz] Bull ring concert

[Jim Kashishian]

I mentioned the other day that we were to give a concert in a bull ring.
Actually, it's certainly not the first time for us.  Nevertheless, it is
always an interesting place to play.
 
During sound check, one note from the trombone was repeated by the beautiful
tone of someone on the otherside of the ring playing the same note.  (It was
my echo!)  That echo creates certain complications for the sound people, to
say the least.  No reverb is needed when playing in a bull ring.  The sound
people managed to create a decent sound eventually.  I had to get them to
drop the level of the bass drum & the contrabass by about half, then the
sound was fine!   :>
 
Our dressing room was the "enfermeria"...which is the hospital.  Yep, where
the bullfighters get patched up after being gored, which happens more often
than you would think.  
 
The "Ayuntamiento" (City Hall) that put on a series of concerts basically
free (2 Euro entrance fee) for the locals, had seats on the dirt of the
ring, and tables set up, plus a full bar, big cookout, etc.  We probably had
about 1000 people there, plus their kids.  When I say "plus their kids",
that doesn't mean kids just sitting and listening.  In Spain, children are
allowed to do what they wish, and they normally wish to run around
screaming...which they did!  However, our "rock & roll" stage setup (huge
riser, even bigger speaker stacks & monster rows of flood lights overhead)
managed to quell any noise they could ever think of making.  Babysitters
don't exist in Spain, and people take their kids out at night with
them....way into the early morning hours.
 
By the end of the concert, I managed to get the audience to sing along on
The Saints, and even discovered a new singing voice amongst the audience
when I handed the mic over to an enthusiastic member.  I had spotted him
earlier on as a possible target, and zoomed in on him.  He was even better
than I anticipated!   :>
 
We were able to make our getaway by playing our usual 2 choruses of Mood
Indigo (very slow, very quiet) as our last encore.  That always works!   :>
I forgot all our CD's at home, so our "escape" was even quicker than usual.
Plus, our normal summer heat has suddenly disappeared, and it was at least
10 degrees C less than usual.  And, of course, people came in their normal
summer clothing & were freezing.  We, at least, had the heat from the
floodlights!
 
Jim