MrNatch3L - Posted - 10/27/2011:  05:19:27

Saturday night I will be sitting in with the Russian bluegrass group "The Red Brick Boys" at their gig in Moscow. I just realized that in all the years I've been messing around with banjo and bluegrass I have never played a gig with a bluegrass band on banjo. And I'm gonna do it in the Russian analog of New York CIty. I must be outta my mind. The gig is in an acoustic instrument shop (clever bit of marketing on its part, I think!) No beer swilling, no dance floor, no jukebox. People who show up will be coming to listen. I must really be outta my mind. I been woodshedding my bluegrass style pickin', but still.

I suck at banjo solos.

I thought I was too old for my nerve endings to be tingling like this!

eagleisland - Posted - 10/27/2011:  05:47:58

Look on the bright side: you're probably going to be playing to an audience that's completely unequipped to tell whether you're playing well or playing badly.

steve davis - Posted - 10/27/2011:  06:23:09

As the Beatles sang,"You don't know how lucky you are..."

Just Bill - Posted - 10/27/2011:  08:00:31

A great opportunity! Embrace it and enjoy yourself. I'll bet your banjo picking will be just fine!

BanjoHawk202020 - Posted - 10/27/2011:  08:04:40

You'll only be 1/2 step away from a good note!!! Play it like you mean it with a smile on your face and nobody will be the wiser.....Good Luck!

Edited by - BanjoHawk202020 on 10/27/2011 08:05:33

bournio - Posted - 10/27/2011:  09:41:20

Good luck!
I'm sure you'll be fine!
Do you know what songs'll be played or are you faking your way through it?

pickNgrin - Posted - 10/27/2011:  09:41:53

Good luck!

-matt

RODNEYJOHNSON - Posted - 10/27/2011:  11:19:52

Robert, it comes a time to put the practice to test and perform. Remember why you picked up a banjo?Have fun with it and break a leg! You'll do fine.

MrNatch3L - Posted - 10/27/2011:  13:42:22

quote:

---

Originally posted by bournio

Good luck!

I'm sure you'll be fine!

Do you know what songs'll be played or are you faking your way through it?

---

We'll get together in the afternoon and figure out what we more or less know in common. They probably actually know more bluegrass standards than I do,, but I guess between what we all know and just jamming we'll knock out a couple of sets. Might fill some time with a couple of my Hartford-esque solo banjo tunes... well heck, even some actual Hartford tunes.

I'm sure once it starts I'll kick back and have fun. The guys are good. I jammed with them at the Russian bluegrass jamboree last summer, and they'll carry a lot of the load. Most of the time I'll actually be doing what I do best, which is backup picking. When it comes to breaks I just have to think Dirty Harry and know my limitations. I'm not a banjo virtuoso and I shouldn't try to be one. Just pick it straight ahead, clean as I can, with good energy. I'm actually kind of excited about unleashing my Bishline. I got a new Kat Eyz bridge for it a couple of weeks ago and have been tweaking the setup. I've had it dialed in and sounding really good for a couple of days now. Maybe someday I'll learn to pick as good as that thing sounds.

Well, it's sleepy time over here. Then off to town (St. Petersburg)  tomorrow morning, and on the overnight train tomorrow night. My daughter and her boyfriend are journalists and I hope they'll bring along someone with a still or video camera. If anything good comes out of it I'll share it on BHO for sure.

mike gregory - Posted - 10/28/2011:  04:48:06

Hope somebody posts at least a camera/phone Youtube of it.