• Gig In The Sky Gallery 2 - On The Plane

    Posted on 09.03.2007

    After returning home from the Gig In The Sky we asked some of the band what equipment they used on the plane and what they thought of it all.  Here is what they had to say...

    Matt Johnson - Keyboards:
    I'd say overall it was an amazing experience but I must admit when the plane started to rock I wondered if our actions had angered the gods! If they'd meant us to play up there they would have given us wings!

    I used a Wurlitzer for the gig, it actually belongs to Jay. I normally love to play them, and it was fun doing a stripped down gig.

    Rob Harris - Guitar:
    Flying for me will never be the same again. Even on the way back to the UK I kept thinking "I've played my guitar on one of these things and I?ll probably never get the chance to do it again

    I had a smaller gear set up on the plane consisting of a small 20 watt Mesa Boogie amp 1 guitar and just 2 pedals (a wah and a booster pedal).  We were a little short on space but it was nice to just have the basics.  I thought Derrick?s kit sounded huge and it was nice to be sat right in front of him.  I can remember playing and trying to focus on the new arrangements we had done but once in a while looking out of the window seeing the clouds and getting sidetracked.  I think some of the other guys experienced this too, after around 20 minutes I began to feel light headed and a bit dizzy - must have been something to do with cabin pressure.

    There was something quite unnatural about it and also there was the unknowns such as... "can a plane handle low bass frequencies, will some of the windows crack if we hit anything above a C note" Ok , I know I?m getting carried away lol. The whole experience was fun.  I feel proud to have been part of it and I can tell my grandkids that I?m in the Guinness Book Of Records.

    Paul Turner - Bass Guitar:
    Instead of using my Aguilar amplification I used a combo by Mark Bass as they make very light weight bass amps & speakers.  Unlike other digital models Mark Bass sounds very good and it's size and weight made it ideal with the specific logistical limitations.

    Bass wise I used my new 5 string Alleva Coppolo Jazz bass. Although always prefer my beloved old Fender Jazz 4 string I didn't know what tunes we'd play and so thought I should just use a 5 in case.

    The gig was fun, if a little strange. There were some buzzes and feedback but considering what we were doing it went very well and was a good laugh.

    Derrick McKenzie - Drums:
    Playing on the plane was definitely an experience, and playing on such a small kit was fantastic!!!!!  It brought me back to my days with Candyland [Derrick played with this band before Jamiroquai] which is a band I played in before joining urban species.  I did a couple of years playing with just a kick drum, hi hat, one crash cymbal and a ride cymbal.  I used the kit from sent to me from Yamaha, which was a fantastic 22" maple kick together with my 14x5 maple snare drum.  Thank you Gavin and Felicity for being so accommodating.

    Here are a number of photos from the flight from Munich to Athens, taken by David Rowe, our resident photographer....

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