There’s something truly magical about performing live music at a wedding. As The Conniption Fits, we have played in many venues, from packed bars to festival stages, but there’s nothing quite like the intimacy and emotion of a couple’s special day.
I noticed quite some time ago I mix very differently in the studio for a record than I do for a live show. It used to be we lacked the outboard gear to recreate the studio in a live environment, so that was a limitation. Also, so much compression on vocals (and other stuff) live is problematic due to compressed mics hearing themselves and casting awful feedback. Lastly, parallel compression, delays and reverbs in the studio can be very controlled, live we don’t have a traveling engineer with us due to budget constraints, so how to come up with a “one size fits all” solution? Nobody wants to hear delays when you try to speak between songs.
Quarantine produced a variety of reactions from the music community. Some performers polished and completed projects long in progress. Others played nonstop on Facebook Live, while dreaming of an open bar. Some were too busy homeschooling their kids to write songs. And a few made creation a mission — like Stevens Blanchard, who decided to build a new record from scratch.
Each time that Stevens Blanchard has the opportunity to book a gig for his band, The Conniption Fits, he does a delicate mental tally. How many people will be at the gig? Will they be wearing masks and social distancing? How soon is the mortgage due?
There’s something truly magical about performing live music at a wedding. As The Conniption Fits, we have played in many venues, from packed bars to festival stages, but there’s nothing quite like the intimacy and emotion of a couple’s special day.