Finally in a cover band: Phobic
 

Auditions over, they just told me I'm in. First gig is at least a month away but I have work to do learning songs.

They seem like good players. They seem like good guys. They want to have enough songs to suit different kinds of shows and even requests and such. A lot of it is loud modern rock, while at the same time the keyboardist wanted to do Coldplay, and there was a "Gimme Some Lovin / Rockin In the Free World" mashup that was really effective. I like it all. I like a lot of stuff and moreover, I like having to have to play different things, change it up.

So that's the news, and I couldn't be happier about it, it fulfills a deep need in me to play out, which I haven't been able to do regularly for a long time.

You will post your gig schedule, right?

Most certainly!

Disclaimer, I don't know what kind of gigs yet. It's most likely playing to young alcoholics or mid-life alcoholics as that is the demand for paying cover acts.

Congratulations!! I suppose there won't likely be a tour anytime soon, eh? ;)

That's great, UT!

You always looked happy up on stage in the pictures you would post.

Aw, you were a shoo in. :thumb2:

I love covers. Congradulations. What covers do you play if I may ask?

You better do "Superstition" and "The Letter", bassboy. :)

Congrats on an actual paying gig, man. It *is* a paying gig, right?

Good work closing the deal Mr. Man.

Big congrats from over the pond!

Congratulations, man. I love that "haven't played out in a while" feelin' . . .
Well, you'll tell yourself "it's better than playing at home, for my dog."

I think bringing the people some happiness is one of the highest callings in the world.

Man I can't play for the dog... she likes that wheedlewheedle stuff... but seriously, I always have to have some goal in front of me, such as a three-week deadline to absorb 10 songs for the next set we'll play at the end of the month. Otherwise I'm shit for practice, I won't sit there doing scales in front of a metronome or something like that.

Deadlines, New Projects
 

I love getting a new gig and evaluating the material, the audience, the room accoustics, etc. and deciding which gear is appropriate to bring, how to adjust my technique, etc. for maximum effect in that partucular setting...

Congrats, UT. Is this a wedding/bar mitzvah kind of thing, or bars/clubs?

Things are looking very good for you these days, ÜberToad. Very good, indeed. I figured it was just a matter of time before Karmac equilibruim would occur. This Red Bull is you you, mate.

Oh, and one small request. Can you put my name on one of those lists that the big ugly's look at when deciding who gets in and who doesn't? I'm not sure if I can make it up or not but just knowing that once, just once, ....

:)

It's more a bars/clubs thing. So if y'all show up and we suck, you can just drink until we sound good. Bonus!

B and anyone who wants past the $5 cover for those kinds of things, thanks! ... I would be humbled if anyone showed up, but I think I can swing that! (I'll just hand the bouncer a ten and tell him not to kick you out.)

But as I said to the lead when I accepted the gig, "I have come to kick ass and chew bubble gum... and I'm all out of bubble gum."

The alcohol equation in bar gigs is a funny thing: the drunk audience is a good thing (usually, but sometimes disasterously not), and the the drunk band is a good thing (usually, but sometimes disasterously not). Plus, I've taken to drinking hard liquor, straight-up on ice, to avoid the mid-set potty breaks that drinking pitcher after pitcher of free beer can bring on.

Woot! grats on the gig UT. You should film a show and put it up here so we can have a listen.

I was only too drunk to play once. The guy who owns our local record company rented a bar for his birthday and had all us bands play a few songs throughout the night. For everyone else it was just a good time, but we were just starting out as a band and wanted to make a good impression. I was the only one in the band who had more than 3 beers, so I got venomous stares from them when I staggered up and plugged in.

Luckily the crowd was well into their cups as well, and had quit paying attention to the bands long before we got up there.

again, I must insist that you bring the band to LA immediately!

Oh you TEASE!

What are your hourly rates?

Maggie, are you rated for anything that'll handle 5 stinky musicians and 150 lbs of gear across country?

Great news, UT. Clubs are fun.

I got fired from my own band for playing the Moose Club drunk. I said "But you can't fire ME it's MY band". They said No, but we CAN all quit at the same time. That was the last time I played a club other than my solo act. Years ago. I sure miss it.

If I could do it again, I'd damn sure do a lot of shit different. Enjoy.

What do you play cap? (I like "cap" as a nickname for you, sounds like Captain America.) I'm a drummer.

Vocalist and guitar. My guitar work has a lot to be desired.

Well, at least you can hold a guitar, instead of standin' up there dancin' around or whatever...

hey, I am one of those people standing up there dancing around or whatever.:p

I have a very good friend who plays the guitar. Does many gigs but I concider him my truest friend first. He dosn't care I can't play a lick.

I can only play rhythm guitar.. The other guys used to forbid me to play. I'm good enough to support my solo act of classic country/70's lite/southern rock. But compared to them I'm chopped liver. I just seem to be able to sing better with an axe hanging around my neck. My fav axe is my Takamine EF amped acoustic. I have a little 300 watt Peavey mixer amp head w/2 18" monitors in the corner of my office/party area. I enjoy playing for my friends at parties, etc., But that's about the extent of it these days. I'm just not ticket material at my age. Nothing like I was when I was in my 30's. Oh to be young again.

So you are in good company Cap'n. I just asked my son what rythum guitar was. Well I got a good explanation and it is a valuble component of some bands as I heard it. Some rythum guitarists he mentioned were izzy,Angus,Joe and sometimes Brad. I don't remember which bands because I can't keep much up there at one time. * taps forehead*

oh to be young again indeed! We can only get better and better is better than bitter.

Dave Mustaine is a rhythm guitarist. He comes up with some of the sickest, weirdest, insanely difficult things to play in the history of the world, too. His leads kinda suck though, compared to his lead guitarists.

In my band, I play mostly rhythm stuff, along with a few leads. My lead stuff is improving, but the thing I contribute to the mix usually is a chukka chukka more than a weedley weedley.

I'll take a "chukka chukka" over a "weedley weedley" any day.

150 # of gear? Each? Or is your stuff inflatable?

I just got a Club Champ Golf Case to carry my drum hardware. $20 at a garage sale.

Edit: I can easily pack five double-braced cymbal stands (with tom mounts) and a high-hat pedal in there.

There's no point hauling a load of average gear cross-country when it's the big-dollar producer's job to tell us what our sound should be.

You should call the band
Portly Stallion

Rehearsal today was the fourth in as many weeks, and I really felt much better about things as things start to gel. So far I've learned and played about 30 songs in that time frame. It starts to get dizzying and yet a lot of the songs start to work the way they should.

I know when it's working because then I play really strongly and firmly with authority and take over my rightful role as the key to the rhythm section.

These songs are way loud, modern loud rock stuff, because the keyboard player has been out for three out of the four sessions so far. That means the hard stuff, including Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, STP, Blink 182, "Hash Pipe". Gtr player has pretty much come through. When we sync up to create the usual gtr+bass "attack", as you'd find in things like ACDC and a lot of metal,... it's simple stuff but it's something I've never done before, and it's a load of fun.

It's a shot of adrenaline to run through a loud set like this at 10am on a Sunday morning. But that's been the band's routine, and so far, it works perfectly.

That sounds really fun, man. I wish I could be doing something like that... but I'm pushing myself hard, as an on-call 24/7 sys admin . . . The only gigs I'm doing right now are charity events at work. That's fun, in a different way. Playing in front of people you work with, like "betcha y'all didn't know I could do this!"

Getting in a cover band with people who click , whos talents all jive is a feat in itself. Congradulations Undertoad.


Personally, I was think'in If I had a dollar for everyone I knew who said they were in a band, knew someone who was in a band, played an instrument or knew someone who played an instrument I might be independently wealthy.

Having spent a lot of time and money following a cover band around the Tri-State area back in the day (Flamin' Caucasians), I'd go to see a good coverband (meaning they sound good, and more importantly, have a good time playing together) rather than an original act.

Most certainly! - the Flamin's should be the goal of every cover band: get so good and so well-known that you're practically the house band of the whole city.

Also, they reached the level where they could make a decent living at it. That's practically unheard of around here.

I used to think, like alot of people, "I don't wanna be in a cover band, I wanna play originals!" . . . But as you get older, things change. You don't need to go out there and "make it" because you have everything you need at home. You don't have anything "to prove" to anybody; no interest in "showing off" your "chops" . . .

I'm on this "minimal kit" thing right now. The kit I'm bringing for my next charity deal at work is my Steve Ferrone signature snare, a 22" Ludwig Vistalite (clear acrylic) bass drum, one (14") tom, 13" high-hats, 16" and 18" crashes, and a "rocktagon" as a ride cymbal. I've practiced with it a couple of times, it feels very grounding to only have the basic stuff in front of you.

Stripping it all down to nothing but a few acoustic instruments, the material, and you is really what makes it hit home, man. Go for it.

Who Posted? Total Posts: 40
User Name Posts
Flint 10
Undertoad 8
skysidhe 4
Elspode 3
capnhowdy 3
wolf 2
mrnoodle 2
smoothmoniker 1
Spexxvet 1
Beestie 1
DanaC 1
xoxoxoBruce 1
Clodfobble 1
Griff 1
glatt 1

i'm just sayin.

These people rock.

You are not on the list and I posted twice. ;)

I finally figured out how to post pictures...
 

my mini kit:
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l2...a/IMG_0138.jpg http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l2...a/IMG_0134.jpg

vs. my monster kit:
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l2...a/IMG_1736.jpg

Waiting for the schedule post. :cool:

Sat October 28 - Traxx Sports Pub, Colmar PA

Fri November 10 - Fireman's Memorial Hall, Conshohocken PA
supporting the comedy of Rev. Bob Levy, w/ Sal Governale, Shuli, Geno Bisconte & Ed McGonigal; Hosted by the WYSP Extreme Team.

The first event I would consider a warmup of sorts, and it is the standard 3 set 4 hour marathon for a 60-person place. The X-factor is that it is a Halloween event. Costumes have been discussed. I want a cape.

The second event is a marquee thing that I think we got because our lead singer Wayne is a volunteer fireman. We play an hour before the standup comedy begins, and an hour after. Since it's Levy, Shuli, and Sal the Stockbroker, this is totally a Howard Stern event, and I have no idea why it's also a WYSP-sponsored thing. Tickets are $35 which includes 4 hours of open bar. The Stern Fan Network promises to be there. Expect nothing short of utter, glorious chaos.

I'm conflicted... I'd love to come.

But as a loyal long-time Opie & Anthony listener, I'm not sure I can attend a "totally Howard Stern event" with a clean conscience. :angel:

edit: Never mind. I have my own gig that night (or at least, dress rehearsal for a gig).

sounds nice.. and purty drumset to boot. and yeah there is something to dropping all the misc. equipment and stripping down to the bare-bones in a band. since moving down here all I've got is 1 accoustic and my johnson amp (although it does have all the bells and whistles. I just don't seem to use them much anymore). dunno, I suppose as previously said. there's something to playing just for fun and not being out there trying to 'prove anything' although.. the old punk buried just below the skin is kinda irritated at me for wanting to cut down the originals to a bare minimum.. but ya gotta 'hook' them with the covers and sneak in an original every now and again. anywoo! good luck playing.. have fun.

Eh, if you don't have anything else to play with, play with your Johnson! :D

@SteveDallas: "SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Symphony Associate Director Marvin Quidley announced his retirement in June, but has opted to stay on until the end of the 2006 season to wave his hands around and collect a paycheck." (www.theonion.com) :stickpoke

Flint...I think I see a tiny space left over where you could squeeze in a couple more cymbals.

Nice rigs, both. Is there a giant Carl Palmeresque gong behind it all?

Sadly, no. A 22" Zildjian Oriental Classic China, struck with a mallet, is what I use for "gong" sounds.
Limited applications, but indispensable in ceratin situations (a cover of Echoes, for instance...)

Edit: (I thought about what you said, I probably didn't have enough cymbals in there before...)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l2...a/IMG_1776.jpg

Date added: January 12, Dutch Cottage, Skippack. (I haven't seen it. Will they be selling Amish farmer's cheese?)

At this point we are competent at most things and need ironing out on some, IMO although sometimes I have no sense of it with the "loft mix". We do a mean Roadhouse Blues for sure, our Radar Love is fine, the drop-D stuff is menacing but will we manage to get Coldplay's Talk ready for showtime? Drama!

Is that croquet stakes I see?

ha ha ha
Yes, those are croquet stakes. Look like they'd be cool to wave around, huh?
I've been meaning to sand the corners off of the butt end, maybe glue a rubberball on the tip.

Me, I like the baby swing in the background. I hear infants are really fond of loud drumming. :)

I don't play loudly in the house, I use brushes or mallets. I just bought this house, and I don't want any neighbor troubles. I'm in the process of closing in and sound-insulating the 750 square foot detached garage.
Little baby girl loves drumming, by the way. She's been listening to drumming, from inside the womb, for her whole existance. Playing a Bozzio-esque osstinato on the low-pitched toms puts her right to sleep, in fact.

sorry I hijacked your thread
 

It's all good, I like the kit porn pics. Chuck, my current batterie-mate, has a similar number of things to hit, except for the high toms.