Jack Flash Jr wrote
I think the planned set should be a regular occurance, so I can catch the expanded line-up!
It's the more usual sort of event actually. TJ's have two of these a month, and one open mic. I tend to punt the open mic more on the forum because it's a good way for people who have got some chops and some creativity to start finding a way to scratch those itches. I think there are a lot of Nechama Brodies and Squonks (and even Stratisfears) around Johannesburg with things to say that are worth an audience's time but without outlets, so the open mic night is valuable there. (So all you Durban GFSAers get your heinies over to PeteM's open mic night, these things are so valuable and such fun)
Thinking of full bands ever?
OK... TJs is quite loosely organised. They have in the region of 30-32 shows a year (11 of those will be open mic) and they appoint a "host" (my term, not theirs) for each evening. If it's open mic then you just turn up and so do all the players (OK... you might "pre-load" a little so that there's some guaranteed good stuff for the folks who pay their money at the door). For the other evenings you get more lead time and you put on the sort of act that you think appropriate. This varies with the host and with the time of year. So before much longer there will be a Christmas special (with the traditional reading of "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" and lots of caroling). The next show (20th) is a rock 'n roll tribute show ("Janis Joplin" is top of the bill - actually it's Shotgun Tori who closed my show).
I think I tend to be a bit out of left field for TJ's. I don't put a lot of bluegrass or AOR or classic rock or golden oldies up there (though Stratisfear went and did a Led Zeppelin number so bang goes that ?), not because I have anything against that but because there's plenty of that already and variety is the spice of life and all that. So the fare is quite varied over the year. (amongst many other things this year we've had classical guitar duets, acapella vocals, fingerstyle blues, slide guitar, the Wits choir, a jug band....)
I'm not answering your question ? Fingerpicker might like to add to this, but I think that a full band is difficult because the PA will probably handle the vocals but then we don't get to balance the guitars and bass if they have loud amps and especially the drums. What we have done is have bands like Them Particles play a sort of unplugged set and the drummer brings along a dumbek or something similar and maybe one of those kickable tea chest things.
But electric guitars are not unknown, bass guitars even, double bass, the occasional keyboard.... we had Sez Adamson one night with his pedal steel guitars and amplifiers (he was fab!) and of course we just had one-person-band-with-subtitles Keira. And, to eventually get around to answering your question, we have had bands up there with a drum kit.
Not at open mic. That's just impossible. We give people 15 minute slots at open mic (unless their name is Steve Newman) and that includes, and has to include, plugging in, adjusting mics and so on, so amplifiers are a bit of a problem (small room as well, not much space for even a twin reverb sort of thing) and a drum kit is just out of the question, and we use a much smaller, simpler sound system for open mic.
We try to be flexible. A while back we had Edi Niederlander lined up and she was going to need an amp, guitar synths and an electric guitar and loopers (plural) and a whole gemors. Which we said we'd do. She cancelled for other reasons, nothing to do with technical requirements.
Finally it's hard for bands. It costs them time and money to get their gear here, and TJ's is a non-paying gig so it can be hard for them to cover costs. We are always enormously grateful to the people who do give of their time and talent on that stage. They provide the magic.
