Back on the band front
Thursday I audition for this:
http://audiokingsofthethirdworld.bandcamp.com/
Iggy and the Stooges versus the Cure, original post-punk garage stuff made by middle-aged guys
who look like middle-aged guys.
Nobody does this, so I think it could be a thing.
This one time, at band camp....
Aweomesauce UT :) Good luck!
"idlike angst"? Cool.:hedfone: Good luck.
Will you be a Drum Major, twirler, or flag dancer? :D
http://www.halftimeusacamps.com/I am now an Audio King of the third world.
It was a really good connection, me and them, and I liked their ideas and they liked my playing, so this is now officially a thing.
OMG, you've sold your soul. :reaper:
I did not raise the average age or weight of the band.
I did not raise the average age or weight of the band.
:) Comfort zone, you're in it!
Congrats, Tony! How often do they do gigs?
I did not raise the average age or weight of the band.
Plus, you have a greater than average number of legs, so they should appreciate that too!
It's gonna be about once a month. Apparently the act is in some demand, maybe because there's no drummer or amps to clog things up on crowded bookings.
Plus, you have a greater than average number of legs, so they should appreciate that too!
Only the womenfolk appreciate that. But thank you very much!
All right, congrats! We'll need video ...
I am now an Audio King of the third world.
It was a really good connection, me and them, and I liked their ideas and they liked my playing, so this is now officially a thing.
Excellent!!
No hat required. We don't look cool. We PLAY cool. I will announce myself by my playing with authority, and the people will be astonished.
Everything about this is awesome.
I love the 'comfortable being who I am--just listen to me play' thing. Maybe the most of all things.
I've been told strange things about what I look like when I'm playing. Something like being disinterested or detached. I love things like drummers whose elbows never raise from their sides, or guitarists who sit on a stool. It's a musical performance --not theatrical, a dance troupe, or a fashion show. Maybe, at some point, at the semi-pro or pro level you feel like you have to keep up appearances, but there are examples which could indicate that this is only if you believe that you have to do that. You posted a Cheap Trick track here recently. They were ugly dorks, like Toto. Who cared?
Yeah yeah! Not only that but people *adored* Cheap Trick for looking like ugly dorks. I feel like if you are authoritative on stage, people will pick up on that and respect it, no matter what.
Here are some of the guys. I have replaced the dude in the middle. OK I might have lowered the average age by a year. The singer, I can tell, is a freak, and I can't wait to play out with him. The guitarist is a different kind of freak who has followed every "alternative" act since the Velvet Underground. We were stunned to find out that not only were we both at a Julian Cope (who?) show at a small club in 1986, but we were both backstage, with about 8 other people, chatting with Cope for ten minutes afterwards. So it is destiny.
OK be prepared to hear a genre that you don't normally hear, including enormous amounts of fuzz and distortion, it may take some getting used to:
One of the more garage-y songs, "She":
[SOUNDCLOUD]http://soundcloud.com/jacksn45/she-rj[/SOUNDCLOUD]
The song that will be ALL ME, "Camera":
[soundcloud]http://soundcloud.com/jacksn45/camera[/soundcloud]
hmmm... that guy had a hat....
because there's no drummer !
so, what? they use a drum machine on stage? I definitely hear drums in bofe dem tracks.
and I like the first one. the bending in the second one is kind of imprecise... I don't know if that's intentional, but it is a bit discordant.
I'm totally jelly, btw. I wish I was in a band. let me know if you ever need a big fat guy to come up and play some leads or sing back up.
so, what? they use a drum machine on stage? I definitely hear drums in bofe dem tracks.
Yes, not actually a machine but sound files. There is a lot of pre-recorded content. The guys say there's no drummer because they can't find one good enough who wants to do this sort of thing.
the bending in the second one is kind of imprecise... I don't know if that's intentional, but it is a bit discordant.
Totally intentional. This band does some weird-ass things and will completely throw in, say, a keyboard solo that is not in the key of the rest of the song. That's the nature of it, let's make it weird and unpredictable, trancey and/or psychedelic. Once you hear it a few times it settles into your brain a little. But if not, just freak out man!!!
I'm totally jelly, btw. I wish I was in a band. let me know if you ever need a big fat guy to come up and play some leads or sing back up.
Aw man, that was more likely in the cover band than in this one, where we will do one 45-minute set of about 10 songs. Although the cover band is not dead, just resting and will occasionally be brought out to do parties and stuff.
BUT you have total control of your destiny! You can do anything.
Here is the Craigslist Philly Musicians section.
How about this dude in Coatesville!@Flint
Yeh, like the Dead with all their theatrics. wait what? ;)
The guys say there's no drummer because they can't find one good enough who wants to do this sort of thing.
Yeah, Guy is playing a gig at the park in Downingtown today, sitting in because their drummer couldn't make it. It's taken him six weeks to get ready. :haha:
Congratulations on your newly-rebroken-leg UT!
I'm wearing a hat, so I'll :tip it: for you.
:congrats:
First rehearsal after we've gotten going is totally productive, and we shoot for an early October "test gig" which will go not really announced. I think.
The guys throw me into a totally new situation, where I'm learning songs not by listening to them over and over, but actually having them tell me what the riff is during rehearsal. The lead singer, who is a manic sort, sings me the riff. I play what I think he's singing. "No, no, it's like nah nah na-na-na nahhh. If you can hum it you know it." He's right.
These guys are all about jamming out different ideas until they coalesce into a song. We mess around with ideas for the first 30 minutes of rehearsal. A song idea approaches. It's all down on tape for us to remember the next time. Creativity flows and is permitted.
It's pretty glorious to be in a new situation. It's exactly like being with a new [appropriate sex goes here]friend. You know, there's being with someone for 15 years and there's being with someone two weeks, and both are exciting in different ways. This is the two weeks version, and we are infatuated with each other. The old bass player brought skills and ideas -- I bring different ones. It's not that one is better than the other, it's just different, and that's very interesting for everyone.
What no Drummer? :mg:
I've noticed a ferw bands now just have drum machines chuggin' away in the background, is this a world conspiracy against drummers,
And electric but with no amps.
We're practicing at low volumes in an attic! It's totally different.
The test gig is First Friday Phoenixville. We are at Iron Eagle Antiques which is two doors down from the Colonial Theater. I am thinking we go on at 6, 7 and 8 because the idea of First Friday is people are moving around, stay 15 minutes at one place and then move on. Our set is like 30 minutes or so, so we'll just re-run it a few times.
Is that a real cyberman or just some guy in a costume?
See, the three guys who know how to play instruments just dress casual and stand at the back and do their stuff.
Now, the other guy...
We might get an open spot Friday night at
The Fire
which would be really nice, one of the finest original band rooms in town on Friday prime time... hope it happens
Nice ... hope it comes through.
Not happening, one of our guys can't make it
I didn't know we were that bookable. We'll play that room someday.
Bother.
It's a good sign to be booked like that though.
Too bad. But if they wanted to book you this week, you'll get the chance again.
I have left this band and will be pursuing other things.
All the best, UT. You'll do great.
Other things musical or something completely different?
I will be looking for a new music thing to do.
Well I am doing pit band for a musical for community theatre this season:
Working: A Musical
shuddup, it's sondheim and community theatre is noble.
Better than that, it's fun. When you're not worried about street creds and career moves, you can jam with anybody and enjoy making music.
Plus, cast parties are awesome!
Not to compare you with a child, but my daughter performed with a pit orchestra in the spring, and she had a blast. All the actors and director were very impressed with the musicians who would just play the stuff at the first rehearsals as the actors were on the stage struggling with their lines and blocking and stuff. And what Clod said. The cast parties! You'll have fun.
At this particular show's cast party, drinking is prohibited due to the presence of minors. This was announced pre-run, so there would be no dissent.
Musicians don't need no stinkin alcohol. ;)
Plus, cast parties are awesome!
At this particular show's cast party, drinking is prohibited due to the presence of minors. This was announced pre-run, so there would be no dissent.
Plus, after party parties are awesome! :beer:
It's very cool doing this project but damn I wish the drummer was better.
I get to listen in on all the community theater drama without having to worry about it. The board wants to hassle the director, because he ignored some of their demands. But the show got a great review from the community paper, which makes that harder to do. Fascinating.
Curtain is at 8, the actors and managers get there before 7, I get there at 7:20. Here is a time constraint unlike most in life. There is simply NO OPTION to be late. You will let hundreds of people down if you are late. I give myself enough time to still make it if my car breaks down halfway there. I can still call someone to fetch me.
Another local theater company is doing Rocky Horror in the fall, and supposedly they have found a different bass player. :cry: My guitar player is angling to get me in anyway. It's a coup for a community theater to do Rocky. All the other community theaters will be jealous. Community theater doesn't get to do camp or anything of a sexy nature. They are planning midnight shows. The audience might participate. It should be entertaining.
Hearing all about the dirty laundry, you don't have to wash, is fun.
Sounds like a fun gig, except the drummer... it's always the damn drummer. :lol2:
The audience might participate.
Rocky Horror?!?! Good luck trying to stop 'em. A few years ago a movie theater in the next town played it (@ midnight) for what was planned to be a week long run. Canceled after the second night. Apparently, they just weren't prepared for the audience participation.:lol2:
TOAST! Some theaters played it at midnight for years. It kept the janitors employed. :haha:
Yeah, Rocky Horror is booked!
http://www.playcrafters.org/the-rocky-horror-show/
This is gonna be fun. Including four midnight shows.
Congrats, have a ball.
It's astounding
Time is fleeting
Madness takes it's toll...
[SIZE="1"]Ahhh[/SIZE]
But listen closely...
[SIZE="1"]Not for very much longer...[/SIZE]
I've got to keep control.
I remember doing the Time Warp.
Drinking those moments when
The blackness would hit me.
[SIZE="1"]And the void would be calling.[/SIZE]
Let's do the Time Warp again.
Let's do the Time Warp again.
Yeah, Rocky Horror is booked!
http://www.playcrafters.org/the-rocky-horror-show/
This is gonna be fun. Including four midnight shows.
SO. MUCH. FUN!!!!
I would love to bring Hebe to this, but I don't think we can make it -6 Nov would be the only day and I think she can't leave until 3ish ....it's a 9 hour drive google sez. Even at monster speed, that's pushing it and no pee breaks :( HAVE FUN
Yeah,
Rent is booked.
This show has very good songs, but is very long. I've got a ton to learn, and first rehearsal is only a few weeks out.
That's why ya do it, I think
Sweet! What a great show.
In another 10 years make sure you book their performance of "Book of Mormon," and then "Hamilton" another 10 years after that. :)
You've proven you can do it, you only need motivation.
Now you have motivation.
Yeah, you got this. :yesnod:
"Book of Mormon," and then "Hamilton"
I can't wait! :) Your timing should be about right... around the time community theatre can afford the rights to put on those shows.
Y'know since NYC, J has been entering the lottery for Hamilton tickets every day. If she wins 'em she has to leave at 4pm and drive right up there, get to mid-town, park. I told her I can't go, can't just leave work like that. Plus it's insane.
I'll go with her. No, your right, that's insane.
Have to leave at noon and take a limo.
I don't know that I can continue my current fascination with the back catalogue of twee pop group Belle and Sebastian, and learn the songs from RENT, at the same time.
Ideally only one set of songs should be running through my head all day...
Careful you don't turn in to a queer , running around with show tunes in your head all day.
Not that it's a bad thing. ;)
Not that there's anything wrong with that.[/Seinfeld]
:D
I would write everything about this, but it seems I've gotten cold feet talkin' about everything in life for fear of sounding like a diarist or being all self-oriented and whatnot. Seeking some kinda balance I spose
Rent is pretty amazingly difficult. I'm putting in two hours a day in advance of Sunday's rehearsal, and the first official music rehearsal with the cast, on the 14th.
I've never put in two hours a day for an extended time, on any musical project. This is more of an opera than a musical. There are 42 different pieces to know. Good lord. I should not have taken this on. It's gonna be okay, because I'm committed and have a compulsion to not suck, but what a task.
I know the feeling of regretting taking stuff on, but then I think about what I'd be doing instead. Sitting on a couch watching TV is fine, but after a long time of that, I start to feel bad about myself. Good to have some irons in the fire.
Fuck balance, how can we vicariously experience you musical journey unless you make a [strike]bare[/strike] clean breast of it. Nobody is forced to read it, and it saves coming over there is the middle of the night to waterboard it out of you. Win-win. :haha:
That's a lot of time and effort to dedicate to something is at best, temporary. But I guess the closest thing would be an athlete practicing for the Nationals or Olympics, then the actual event comes and goes in a flash. Win lose or draw, you still have the skills and abilities you develop during all that practice... and street creds. :thumb:
[YOUTUBE]7cov0bmfO_w[/YOUTUBE]
Capacity at this theater is about 120, and there are 9 shows, and they do pretty well when not scheduling midnight shows... so I estimate this audience at 900 people who will have a more complete and better experience if I do my job well. That's motivation enough!
The skin on your fingertips gets really thick. Especially on the fretting hand, the left hand, the one pressing down on the strings. You'd think it would be the right hand, which is plucking; and that skin gets thicker too, but not like the left.
Your hands get stronger. You never really think about your hands being strong. But just like anything, you exercise them, they respond.
After working really hard on one section, I noticed the veins in the back of my wrist and hand, sticking way out. They didn't used to do that when I was fatter.
I knew I'd regret selling the fretless eventually. One song here uses it to great effect, an effect I won't have in the toolbox. "I'll only use it once every 10 years," I thought at the time. "That one time in 10 years is pretty nice though," I think now.
After you sell a few albums you can buy another one.
I knew I'd regret selling the fretless eventually. One song here uses it to great effect, an effect I won't have in the toolbox. "I'll only use it once every 10 years," I thought at the time. "That one time in 10 years is pretty nice though," I think now.
You can't borrow one from someone?
not amongst my friends... because if musicians are friends with me, s'a good chance it's because they needed a bass player at some point :lol:
Bass players are like Moose, solitary except when they smell punani.
In an interview with Dan Rather, John Fogerty says he practices two hours every day.
Practicin' pays off: the second rehearsal yesterday, and I knew a lot of stuff.
Still not enough though. There was plenty I didn't know...
Usually the case: we didn't go over the song I worked hardest on and had to develop the riff for.
The sitzprobe is next Thursday night. What's a sitzprobe? It's a painful medical procedure. No it turns out it's where the cast and band sit around and do just the songs with the singing. Everything has to be strong by then.
You can't find a drummer who'll put in hard work for community theater. They found one this time but it took 8 different people turning it down. They guy they got is Not Ready. Oh well.
The bass will have to carry the load...
dude. I hadn't been playing much (at all) for a while... Picked up the guitar yesterday, and couldn't get through one song without my hand going crippled. It was cold out, and I was leaning back in the chair with the neck up high... but still. I need to play every day from now on. my callouses are gone. I'm getting together with my dad and his cousin in August, and I need to be in playing shape.
IKR? It's one of those things; you don't realize how weak or strong that fretting hand is until you pick up the axe and give it a try.
Couple years ago I took like 4 months off, between projects, and then tried playing just a five song set of the old, hard stuff. I was shocked how much I lost in that time. Foo Fighters "Hero" requires the bass to be strong and sturdy and play solid eighth notes for the whole song... I was beat, just doing that.
The bass will have to carry the load...
It WILL, too... same sound guy as Rocky Horror, and he knows what I did for that show. There's a speaker cabinet under the audience, so they can bring me right up, and if I do a great job it will make a lot of things just work, even if the drummer is uneven.
With all this work, I am now able to read music....
...with my own notation in the margins of the score. I'll write out the notes in a simpler form. Some of the notation is fun, to musicians anyway: "Off to the pretty chorus" or "wait for snare dit-dit-dit" or "prepare for the fill!" or "Everything STOPS!" I'll write the lyrics in, if they help.
Then yesterday we rehearsed and I forgot my score! Fuck! But I had an un-notated PDF copy on my phone... thanks, Google Drive!... and wound up reading it, on the tiny screen... and did OKAY!
Thursday, with my score, I'll really be right on it, including what I'm calling "the pro riff", which just sort of... locked in. It's wild how that happens. This particular song contains a crazy riff involving all four fingers and all four strings over the whole song. It's VERY hard to get right, and judging by YouTube and other online resources... EVERYBODY FAKES IT.
Pretenders! Have you no pride! etc., etc. So I figured out how to play it correctly, and I play it every day, twice a day. And every time, I have to work hard at it; fuck it up most days. But as of yesterday, the muscle memory took over, and now I execute it without thinking at all. You want "Santa Fe"? Bam, there's the riff. Bam, there's the chorus.
It's technically the hardest song I've never had to play. "Ace of Spades" is actually harder but for rock-out reasons, not technical reasons. You can play "Ace" on one string, but playing it the right way still requires very hard work. It can draw blood.
If you play it right, and everybody else is faking it, when people hear you play will they say to themselves, that's not what I remember hearing before, he must be doing it wrong?
Even if nobody notices, you know you did good, and can take pride in putting in the hours to learning the right way. :notworthy
This makes me very happy.
How to play a bass guitar...
[YOUTUBE]mvmO-5xHEdc[/YOUTUBE]
That's okay! Except for the bit bending the neck. Fuck that guy for even suggesting it. There's no call for that kind of shit.
To each his or her own toolbox, MY video would include ghost notes... two-finger rolling triplets... de-tuning notes with the tuner... using fret clank as percussion... playing way up on the neck and using vibrato to mimic a fretless... hitting the body of the bass for effects... playing weird slidey notes with the mic stand... giving the drummer a look and then hitting "one" real hard to get their tempo in line... and forgetting the key and having to look over at the guitar player's hand to see where we are in the song.
...look over at the guitar player's hand to see where we are in the song.
That's what my buddy told me. "Follow my first finger."
I'm really hot on Method #14.
That's what my buddy told me. "Follow my first finger."
Or if you can see the keyboard player, the left hand is bass, sometimes you can work it out from there. Sometimes!
During "Rocky" I could see the bandleader's keyboarding left hand, and would use it for timing...
When are you going to hit that critical note you never cue us for? Because I will hit it at exactly the same time you do, and hence knock you the fuck out when it's perfect every time.I'm really hot on Method #14.
The notes you don't play, that's where the funk lives.
Where the funk lives. That's one of them title things.
Opening night, and it went fine!
I was really worried for a while there. the drummer they found had 2 rehearsals. The cast's mics were cutting out during dress. And I had yet to complete a show perfectly. But there's something about doing it for real that focuses everybody, and it went over fine.
The sound guy knows me now, having done three shows with me, and made me real loud in the mix. (But I can tell I'm too boomy in the house.)
The theatre is an old converted barn; and the lights, sound and this time the band is upstairs in the loft. We can look down and see some of the audience, but they can't really see us.
The pain: I don't get to see the show... AT ALL. I hear the whole thing; and it's being shot with a camera and video fed to the band... but the monitor had to go right behind my head, since we have no room. I may ask to change places with the guitarist for one show so I can watch it.
Balls, that's a drag not to be able to see it. And be careful up there remember what happened to Lincoln, and he could see the show.
Glad it all went well, I knew you would do your part. :thumb:
You're in the unpit? That is different. Congrats on the clean show!
Yeah but show two went poorly. The drummer hasn't rehearsed enough and blew a bunch of stuff. It didn't wreck things but it was messy.
So tonight, everybody made up for it, and we did great.
Every time through, I play better, I play more little tidbits... I would like to have a perfect show by the end of the run, where I play everything exactly right.
The audiences are enjoying it. Every audience is different; I'm always fascinated. Yesterday's audience just roared at one of the love songs, which is just awesome because you know the whole thing will work. If the audience really believes the character and his motivation by the end of act one, then when he dies in act two, they will be crushed... it is teh drama...
Not only do I get that "pro riff" in this show, I get tons of tender moments and lovely beautiful bits, where my notes help create that dramatic connection.
I sure wish I could see it!
That's why the bassman is always the cool one, the smug fucker with shades, he knows it all revolves around him.
He ties it all together. In this case it's the Toad carrying the flag, and doing it well. You be cool.
And so the run ended tonight. And the Music Director was like hey, great job out there, great to work with you, let's do it again.
Maybe if the next one isn't a frickin' opera. I hear the next musical has only 6 actors and they may want to put the band on stage.
But it did interrupt J & I for weeks on end... hard on a medium distance relationship, to push all these shows and rehearsals in...
I will have fond memories of all the notes I wrote on the score to remember what I had to do.
Another notch in your music stand, bragging rights, street creds, and satisfaction on a job well done. You can notch the bedpost later. :thumb:
Note to self, "Don't fuck up." :)
I don't know that I can continue my current fascination with the back catalogue of twee pop group Belle and Sebastian, and learn the songs from RENT, at the same time.
Ideally only one set of songs should be running through my head all day...
I realized, sitting here at work, that RENT songs are playing in my head.
That's not acceptable... they are fine songs, but I didn't choose them!
(Back to Belle & Sebastian, they have 9 studio albums and I've only gotten through 4 of em)
Meanwhile! Now the side project, "Shabbey Road", which I wondered would ever even be a thing, has become the "A" project.
When a couple of middle-age Americans with acoustic guitars get together, there's a bunch of songs they do. Songs that are required knowledge for any middle-age American with an acoustic guitar. Where, even if you don't know it by heart, if someone writes the chords down you can play it. "Amie", and "Take It Easy" and "Moonshadow" and "The Boxer" and "Truckin'".
Then if you can manage some vocal harmonies, it's interesting enough to keep doing just for fun.
This, to me, is not an act I would be a part of, partly in that I don't have an acoustic guitar and partly in that it's a little too "on the nose". You can play some songs that are obvious but not a whole set of them.
So when some of my musician friends were starting to do that, I thought well that's fun, but not something you would gig with. They invited me to play bass; and little did they know, the addition of bass to plain old three acoustics makes it sound twice as interesting. (Bass players understand this principle...)
So they really liked it when I came over, and I didn't mind playing these old songs. And then they started to add weird stuff in, like some Cure, and with my bass in, "Train in Vain", and a little more Dead, and a sprinkling of interesting new country...
And then they invited this singer Judy to practice one night and she pretty much nailed it. She could do Janis and she could do Fleetwood Mac. It was like wow. That works great. And then she started to add old blues songs in, and it was all sounding great.
So with Judy, this suddenly became a thing, and they booked a gig, and brought 25 people out; and it went okay; so now, they want to add a percussionist and make this more officially a thing.
And I guess that's the story of Shabbey Road. The true story, from my perspective. Right now we are all of varying amounts of various kinds of experience. By six months from now I think we will be pretty damn good.
2nd gig, July 2, Haggerty's Cafe, MacDade Boulevard, Morton.
I'm sure they had July 2 open because it's hard to get people out. But that's fine, if we play to a crowd only slightly bigger than the band itself, it will be a perfect 2nd learning experience. And those people will be entertained just fine
Gigging bands always wind up on MacDade. My local peeps know.
This, to me, is not an act I would be a part of...
You'll be sorry when they're on the Ed Sullivan Show. :lol:
Much of the music business is about making connections, and expanding your chops, as well as having fun. When the groupies through their panties at you, it's a good sign.
They need my gentle guidance. One of our guys put a Craigslist ad for a percussionist. But he put the ad in the "Talent Gigs" category and not "Musicians".
"Talent Gigs" is 75% people looking for fetish and nude models.
Well that might work out. :D
Cool! I hope you have fun and also become rich and famous.
When the groupies through their panties at you, it's a good sign.
Depends.
What do I know, I can't even spell throw. :facepalm:
Cool! I hope you have fun and also become rich and famous.
Thanks!
This is *purely* for fun, and in a six-way split I expect to make $80 every third Saturday night for the least visible role in a six-piece band. Probably less, after sound is paid for... ugh
(We need a $1500 sound system so we can play $400 gigs; so somewhere in all the future are four unpaid gigs. This is no way to become rich)
Depends.
I see what you did there.
Might be able to make the Morton gig if I don't go to the beach that weekend.
~ I welcome it despite my fucked up antisocial tendencies that have prevented us from meeting so far ~
Meh. No worries. since posting that, my brother from CT called about a potential family gathering at the beach that same weekend. We'll see what happens.
Saturday night of a 4th of July long weekend a lot of folks will be shore bound. Just us antisocial hermits to throw panties. ;)
You guys look cool. I'd work with you.
I know a good drummer, but he's a good two hours from you, and might not be available anyway. :(
Just saw this last night:
How do you get a bass player off your porch?
Pay for the pizza.
:D
2nd gig, July 2, Haggerty's Cafe, MacDade Boulevard, Morton.
Actually Haggerty's is at 2373 MacDade Boulevard, Holmes, PA, not Morton.
What's with you and that area? You played two doors down at R.P. McMurphy's a few bands ago. You gotta thang for MacDade Mall?;)
Cover bands in bars: MacDade loves them and certain sections of the Northeast love them. It requires a lot of people that enjoy hearing bands in bars, with bars big enough to fetch a cover on Saturday night, or that can dole out $400 to an act like ours to keep people drinking. In most of our area this is a disappearing thing...
Sound guy ditched us for something else, now we have to rent a PA at the last minute, we don't have our own gear... xoB, do you know anyone who does sound?
Yes, I'm waiting for a call back. Kenny did the Pope on the parkway.
Got it. Check your email.
Yes, I'm waiting for a call back. Kenny did the Pope on the parkway.
Got it. Check your email.
Was the Pope tight?
Yes, but not the altar boys.
A certain Mr. X. O. Bruise came to see us last Saturday
...been so busy I forgot to tell him not to say anything bad about the bad parts.
We entertained the people, and then we ran out of dance songs for a crowd that obviously wanted them
Dance songs are not the forte of the acoustic act
Other than that, people said we were OK and that's about right for second gig, first with the percussionist.
Any pictures with the elusive Monsieur Bruise? Glad your second show was a success!
Not what I expected. I missed the first set because it took 2.5 hours to get there from the BBQ I was at in Sparta... no, Sparta, NJ. Anyway, when I arrived, there were a bunch of attractive young ladies standing outside smoking, so I was surprised the sign on the door said smoking was allowed inside and there was a stack of ashtrays next to each cash register, but very few smoking.
The next surprise was the place was crawling with young attractive ladies. Seriously, they outnumbered the guys at least three to one. As a spectator, it was kind of fun watching them interact with the guys, the bartenders and the other groups of girls. The two sided bar with two booths at one end and a pool table at the other had no place to perch, so the groups, each with a defacto leader, milled about. I could predict much of the dynamics, knowing what they would do and why, even though I suspect they didn't, they were just following age old rhythms.
OH, there was a band. A motley looking crew, especially the back row, but they played well together, reasonably tight, and good music. Unfortunately not nearly loud enough to compete with the chattering chicks. But people were listening and dancing when they could.
There was one cash register across the bar from me and under the bar was a plastic trash can. One of the fancy plastic jobs about a foot high and maybe eight inches in diameter. Half way through the second set it was over flowing with tips, and I watch them count out 60 ones and stuff them in the cash register taking 3 twentys for the tip basket, so I think the bartenders were happy. Cost me $4 for the first bottle of Yuengling and $3 a bottle for the next three, a fair price but the bar owner should be OK too.
Oh, and the men's room was clean and dry, but no paper towels.
Did I mention there was a band?
Sounds like a good time was had by all.
Nice! When is the next gig? I do want to get out to one... if I can stay awake late enough.
There is a semi-private family backyard thingie in September, and we have asked Haggerty's for an October booking but haven't heard back yet. You never know. What xoB didn't mention, because I asked him not to say anything bad, is that we did run out of dancey songs mid-second set and wound up having a bunch of those semi-drunk chicks sit down. That's not a terrible thing for the bar as they have already paid for beverages. But you never know.
I don't think these Saturday bar nights are ideal for us in any way. Acoustic covers, those should be done in slightly quieter environments. But the rest of it is First Fridays and festivals and whatnot, and I don't even know how you get in to those kinds of things. I know we are incredibly bookable but I also know I'm not the person to go about it.
We are kinda sorta on the edge of a bunch of bands that play at
Snipes Farm and other Dead-related things. We play some Dead and are getting better at it, but the area is already saturated with Dead tribute bands... but with stuff like "The Weight" and our folksy renditions of "Angel From Montgomery" and "Bring It On Home to Me", there is kinda room for a lot of cross-pollination.
Cool. As you well know, Im into the Dead. Going to see DSO 3x this summer and a couple others this year. Im still interested if things play out right.
Back at Haggerty's Oct 7, but it's a tough situation: our percussionist quit and we have to figure out a new one. Meanwhile one of the band has hip replacement surgery, on the day after Labor Day...
Ah being a middle age band
Crap, I'll be away that weekend. You draw great eye candy. :sniff:
Cancelled at the last minute anyway!
Venue is having renovations and the township told them they can't have live music with no windows.
We'll re-book for more dough, but it's sad when this happens
No live music with no windows? That's very weird. Or is it really that what they can't have is a crowd with no windows, and they know you guys are hot shit and will pack the place?
I was told they currently don't have windows.
I was thinking they don't have any windows at all. Which would be super-weird. What, the wind and rain just comes through and people put up with it?
But what I think is happening is the windows are down for reno, and whatever plastic they have that is temporarily up in their place, is weather-proof but not sound-proof.
It's right on the end of a neighborhood, and I think the neighbors heard a loud live band until 2am last weekend, twice as loud as they normally are without glass blocking it. I imagine they then complained to the township, who said fuck no to all that.
Ah! Glass-less holes in the wall, not hole-less walls. That makes more sense. Somehow I was imagining brand new walls that they hadn't had a chance to cut windows into yet, as if that is how they make windows in the first place. I am, on occasion, a complete moron.
Neighborhoods complaining about live music venues are a ƒucking plague that is sweeping the nation.
Don't like loud music? Don't move to "hip" neighborhoods. And then ruin it for everybody else.
Glad I didn't miss anything. Let us know when the next gig is.
Fri December 8 • The Pickering Inn, Phoenixville
New drummer is amazing... if we can keep him in line
Uh, Dec 8th is a Thursday.
Fri December 9 • The Pickering Inn, Phoenixville
[SIZE="1"]our Dec 8 gig has been cancelled[/SIZE]
Aw goddamnit. My lifestyle causes me to lose track of what day it is. I wanted to go see the Toad tonight. :(
Wull thank you sir! There'll be more opportunities. Tonight was poorly attended as I think any Friday night will be. It was kind of a trial show from the bar.
We're settled on a drummer. He's a Rastafarian. No, like a true believer type.
Shabbey Road
Fri Feb 17, 8pm, Blue Dog Family Tavern, Chalfont
Sat Mar 4, 7pm, Temple Fire Co., Temple (Benefit clam/chicken bake; proceeds go to Western Berks Relay for Life/American Cancer Society)
Fri Mar 24, 8pm, Spring City Hotel, Spring City
Fri Apr 7, 8pm, Haggerty's Cafe, Morton
Sat Apr 29, 8pm, Evergreen German Club, Reading
Fri Jun 30, 8pm, Haggerty's Safe, Morton
Sun Oct 1, 3pm, Fitzwater Station, Mont Clare
~ twice a month is a wonderful schedule to be on ~
Spring city is a great venue, at the upstairs bar looking down at the stage and all the cleavage on the floor. :D
~ twice a month is a wonderful schedule to be on ~
A long time ago a buddy of mine had a contract to play at this ongoing party at a Nat'l Guard Armory every Saturday night for 6 months. It was 30 miles away, and he had a
13 piece band. He said he'd never been so tired of playing before or after that.
Hated it so much he quit playing for a living and went into construction, and from then on, only played for fun.
Thirteen piece, that is more personnel management than music.
Every single Saturday, that is crazy to put 13 people through that. I would co-book it with a second band and switch off weeks.
It really came together last night. We now have a drummer who can keep time. Our gal singer Judy has a lot of friends and can bring them out at certain places. The harmonies are working, we can now run our own sound OK, hard work is paying off. Feels good!
Yay Undertoad and the band!!!
We now have a drummer who can keep time.
Know how to tell if the drum stage is level?
The drummer drools out of both sides of their mouth.
It really came together last night. We now have a drummer who can keep time. Our gal singer Judy has a lot of friends and can bring them out at certain places. The harmonies are working, we can now run our own sound OK, hard work is paying off. Feels good!
nice
So I guess I stopped updating here, or anywhere for that matter...
We lost our gal vocalist, so I sing now; we decided I should be the lead on "Black Water", and so I do it, as well as singing low harmony on about 15 other songs.
This is a lot of fun, although I believe my voice is pretty much unremarkable. I'm on key, but there isn't a lot of personality to it. It's vanilla. That's very good for harmonies, where it blends nicely.
The reason I started singing is Claritin (Loratadine), daily. I've spent my whole life with inflamed sinuses, but for the last few years, my nose is wide open, full time. Now that I'm not fighting my own skull, I know I can sing freely at any time, and it makes me want to do it.
That, and driving around listening to Belle and Sebastian. Their main dude Stuart Murdoch writes amazing melodies.
One of my musical buddies says the hardest thing he's done musically is play bass while singing lead.
Without a doubt. First time through some of these songs, I'm like, I don't even know where I am!
And I'll tell you what. I thought I appreciated what McCartney did. He's at a whole 'nother level to me, now. "Day Tripper". "Drive My Car". These are really difficult bass parts to play, AND hard songs to sing and harmonize on. Both at the same time? Genius.
Got to pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues
And you know it don't come easy. :headshake
Bass and Vocals seem like the most un-complimentary parts of a composition, following completely different phrasing. Anyone who can do both parts with any competency is really impressive to me.
I've got a few projects going this summer.
1) A "hospital band" of ER nurses, a PACU nurse, and a Pharmacy Manager. Branching out from our normal "end of summer music party & potluck" to do a big outdoor Health Fair at the Astoria Regatta & Land Parade. As an example of the vocal talent, will be doing "You Go Down Smooth" and "Suite Judy Blue Eyes." Guitar showcases, "Sultans of Swing," "Black Magic Woman," "Comfortably Numb." A lot of bluegrass/blues featuring vocal harmonies. "Crazy little Thing Called Love." "Runaway" --the Bonnie Raitt version.
2) A Surf Rock gig with local heavy hitters, "Telstar," "Pipeline," "Walk Don't Run" and such. "Sleepwalk." Also "Green Onions" and "Secret Agent Man." Will be doing a Limbo contest. Between two surf rock sets, a set of Fats Domino. We'll be wearing period-style outfits.
Sounds like a great show.
I've heard it said that the only thing that improves with age is your voice. My dad always had kind of an off nasaley voice, kind of restrained... but in the last 4 or 5 years, he's been doing the singing with his group. And he's gotten pretty good. Clay died, so he was the only one with balls enough to fill the void. Clay looked like an old miner 49er. Like Blue from old school. He sang out his whole life.
Dad said the hardest part of it was admitting to himself that he could, indeed, sing. To trust his lungs.
That's why vodka helps.
A lot of times alcohol is damned liar, too!:lol2:
Now I got Ringo and Booker T in m'head.:bitching:
For some reason, I can always believe in myself on stage. No booze needed, I am always ready to perform. It's off stage that I get wicked imposter syndrome.
Good band name. Wicked Imposter Syndrome
