It's free! It's a range! It's free-range!Two days after White Xmas, the next litmus test: Turn it down, WAY down, sit down and see if you can make the music work in a small room, for an audience of ten people.
This is more challenging than it sounds.
Firstly, you don't have the benefit of Sound Control – no engineer. You have to set up your own sound levels, balance it with your backline, and just keep an ear on what's going on over the whole damn mix. Your vocals are running through a separate PA, and you can't really hear it all that well. All you can do is send someone out front during your first song and hope they get it right.
Secondly, you're sitting down, so movement is very limited. The Whites normally do a somewhat kinetic set, so that can be a detracting little factor.
Thirdly, it's about ten, fifteen people. So your connection has to be very easy and relaxed. I was guilty tonight of not making enough eye contact with the people. Though Stan did get a come hither look from me. But that's another story for another time.
Result: After the first break I was so overjoyed I had to phone our management and say: “You know how I was saying that it's going to be interesting whether we can pull off the low set? I think it's even better than the up-set!”
In other words, and to quote a certain world leader: yes, we can.
PS: Big Up The Woodstock Organic Massive. Aait.
