peteb

How about Roasanna by Toto??

[quote name='Stylon Pilson' timestamp='1490186112' post='3262964'] Some respondents have set up a false dichotomy, interpreting my original post as suggesting that the choice is between "Sex On Fire" and obscure album tracks that send people running for the exit. I don't believe that that's true - I believe that it's possible to come up with a set list of songs that are recognisable and danceable, but also steering clear of the dozen songs that are played by 90% of covers bands. [/quote] Actually, I think that you are quite right there. I would say that the best way for a covers band to develop a following is to play songs that your audience know but to avoid the most obvious choices. Of course, it depends who you are playing to. If you are gigging at ‘music’ pubs who regularly put bands on, then it’s likely that the audience are just as sick of Sex On Fire as you are. That doesn’t mean that they won’t sing along after a few pints, but you are then just another band playing the same stuff as everyone else rather than one who is a bit different and worth making an effort to see again. You can’t get too obscure though, they still want to hear songs that they recognise. It is a different thing if you are playing weddings or parties where the audience is there for the event rather than the music. You generally have to cater for the lowest common denominator on those gigs and assume that most of the audience don’t listen to a lot of music and only really know the most obvious tunes.

The thing to remember is that there is no one magic solution and no one size fits all. The singer in one of my bands was ‘discovered’ singing along to the jukebox on NYE in a pub! The guitar player and drummer were talking about starting a band and who could they get to sing when guitar player noticed that a drunk guy had been singing along to ‘Living On A Prayer’ at some volume and had hit all the high notes and seemed to have rather a good voice. The drummer went and asked him if he was in a band to be told that he never had been but had always wanted to give it a go. They asked me to get involved a few weeks later and I was sceptical about how he would fare in a band with experienced musos, but after 30 seconds of hearing him sing it was obvious that he would be more than OK. It turns out that he had been onstage all his life (ex-professional dancer) but they didn’t know that at the time they met him. The guy is a natural and has very quickly made a real name for himself on the local scene, but we would never have found him going through the normal channels! I wouldn’t want to hold public auditions, but would certainly post on Facebook (which is now The Shires got together) as well looking at jam nights / open mics and asking friends if they were available or knew anybody.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1489752797' post='3259456'] With this method do you think you will have booked your initial 12 paying gigs within the 6 months time limit? Blue [/quote] The thing is that for an original band it is all about the getting the right people to hear your material and see your performance - the right support gig for little or no money may be far more beneficial than 12 decent paying gigs. BRX is spot on in his post of how to start an original band. The difference is that a covers band is all about working regularly.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1489714457' post='3259216'] Hi Pete. Agreed, I think finding the right front person / lead vocalist is crucial. However, I want to take it a step further, not all lead vocalist have "star" quality. I would want to recruit an experienced front with "star" appeal. Also, now your offering a band with gigs and a vocalist with star fronting capabilities. IMO that's an attractive offer. Just a side note, it's been my experience that actual gigs keep flakes and fakes away.Those types tend to be more into drama and nonsense than real paying hard work. Blue [/quote] I have to be realistic and make a few compromises where necessary. A decent singer is often the starting point. If you are looking at a working band rather than taking the charts by storm then star quality is a bonus. If they have any live experience then they should have an idea of fronting a band - whether they're any good at it is another thing! Sometimes it's better to go for a superior frontman over a better singer. I've found that plenty of flakes make it through to gigging but after a while the better players don't want to be in a band with them, no matter how good they are...

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1489704325' post='3259176'] I'm thinking step 2 will be how you recruit the best candidates for your band. I should say the best people for your band not to be confused with the best musicians. I know really good musicians that would be awful to be in a band with. Should the second step be writing up an ad or will you want to use a different recruiting method? Blue [/quote] Personally the thing that attracts me to join a band is the chance to play with quality musicians that I want to play with and who are capable of sustaining being in a working band. If they have a decent track record of being in working bands then the gigs will come in soon enough. I would say that Step 1 is finding a suitable vocalist, establishing a musical direction and type of music that they can sing convincingly and how you will market the band / what gigs will you be looking to play to what type of audience. Step 2 would be getting good musicians together who can convincing play the type of music you want the band to do and who can stand being in the same room as each other...!

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1488829289' post='3252188'] Having repeatedly been burned by 'bands' over the last few years I recently took the decision to become a singing guitard. I soon realised that I can't sing for toffee and my acoustic strumming isn't good enough to do the 'solo-guitarist-perched-on-a-tall-stool-looking-deep-and-meaningful-while-one's-fleet-fingers-unleash-an-intricate-silvery-cascade-of-fingerpicked-loveliness-of-such-plangent-beauty-as-makes-the-audience-swoon-and-the-barmaid-ask-for-one's-phone-number-on-the-basis-that-one's-evident-sensitivity-indicates-a-mastery-of-horizontal-gymnastics'. So instead I've decided my act will be to just stand in the middle of a pub and shout out the lyrics to popular cover songs. Does the team think that the standard fee of £250 be too much to ask? [/quote] Move to a Greek holiday island and cultivate an Irish accent - you will do fine...!

[quote name='gareth' timestamp='1488482456' post='3249392'] Think your being a bit hard on peavey and carlsboro I remember having a 4 x 15 carlsboro cabinet - wonderful tone but impossible to move I remember all the dodgy jap basses when i coukd not afford fenders Irononically, many of these awful basses are now sold on ebay as vintage instruments, which i guess they are, but still awful basses [/quote] To be fair, many Fenders from that period were pretty awful...!

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1488318086' post='3247942'] Here's a good place to start: [url="http://www.thebear.org"]http://www.thebear.org[/url] - But as you discover just what he was responsible for, be prepared for a long read and a totally blown mind! [/quote] That's the guy who inspired 'Kid Charlemagne' by Steely Dan isn't it??

Like it or not, image is a large part of what we do and that includes how the instrument we turn up with is perceived by the audience and the band leader. For that reason I now own a couple of fenders again. Having said that, I would have thought that the attitude would have worked in a prog band but then what do I know...

I only play one bass all night but I always take two where practical (and always for 'big' gigs). The spare stays in a double gigbag by the side of the stage. I haven't needed to use the spare for nearly ten years until last summer when we played a big outdoor bike rally to over 2,000 bikers, No soundcheck, first note of the opening song and no bass (minor electrical problem it later transpired - took 15 minutes to fix). I reached into the gigbag to get out the spare bass and no one knew that anything had happened. Would have been very embarrassing stood on stage with no sound in front of all those people...

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1487286293' post='3238739'] Most of us should be able to access whether a band is a match from the audition. Off topic; For those of us in this for some income, it's a good idea to ask what percentage of their business is from "call ins" and what percentage is from call outs or reaching out to opportunities. Blue [/quote] Not sure what you mean by 'call ins'& call outs'?? Not a term that I'm familiar with. For what it's worth, the last audition I did was over 20 years ago (and that was a farce). I just refuse to audition for local bands and I've been gigging solidly since that last one. It's all about your contacts and reputation - of course it helps if you can play a bit and can get on with people...

Don't know much about his music but absolutely loved his books Sorry for the loss of your friend

Warren whatever his name, the producer who does all the YouTube videos reckons that they are the very best bass around for recording. That's a pretty good recommendation. Supposed to be very heavy though (I haven't seen one in the flesh for many years).

No luck so far on eBay

Does anybody know where I can get a couple of small replacement aluminium knobs for a Dunlop MXR pedal (M82 bass envelope filter)?? [color=#90949C] [/color]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1483967549' post='3211462'] Is Steve Vai actually famous amongst people who aren't actually musicians? Even to me he's just some widdley guitarist who doesn't seem to ever played any music I'm remotely interested in. And how do you know that he's actually want to be doing any of those things that you mention. There's a lot to be said for sitting on your bum watching telly or surfing the net if you don't actually need to work. And as for "playing the classics". I can't think of anything more boring. [/quote] You may not be remotely interested in Steve Vai but a significant number of people are (I used to be – not so much now). On the other hand, I would probably pay good money not to have to watch your band. Of course, that doesn’t make what you do worthless, just that it doesn’t appeal to me. I would imagine that you would have a similar reaction to my various bands. Similarly, you may find playing classics boring, but a lot of us would jump at the chance of sitting in with a band we like or admire even if it is just an impromptu version of an old blues / rock / soul classic or whatever. You have to bear in mind that many musicians love playing purely for its own sake. I would imagine the same applies to many of those who have managed to achieve a degree of success or fame.

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1483985829' post='3211733'] Best Fast Show Jazz Club Clip (Imo) [url="https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2zuxwr_jazz-club-desolate-shore-fast-show_music"]https://www.dailymot...fast-show_music[/url] [/quote] Certainly captures the true essence of modern jazz

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1483657636' post='3209165'] Well, she's made gazillions of quid out of doing it her way, but now it's bitten her on her the arse. [/quote] Indeed... To suggest that she is ‘talentless’ (as some have) is ridiculous – amazing singer. But the downside of being parachuted into stardom on the basis of a demo tape (and the infatuation of the boss of the record company) without paying her dues on the live circuit means that she obviously is not prepared to handle situations like the NYE debacle! No one died and I am sure that she will eventually live it down…

Facebook post from Jay Stollman (ace American blues/rock/soul singer) on the Mariah situation: "Leave Mariah alone! Seriously! She's an amazing singer...doesn't need to prove anything! There was a technical screw up and she didn't handle it too well. I'm defending her! Here's the deal.... she does not have the experience of live performance that a lot of us have. Here's a little story and hopefully some perspective...... Back in the 90's, my band played a party for Mariah and Tommy Mottola....a little party in Armonk NY to celebrate the end of a tour. Mariah, Tommy, band and crew were all there. After dinner, Tommy got up to sing with me.... then, band members and singers started to sit in... eventually the whole party had joined the band except one person.... Mariah. I left the stage while everyone was jamming and went to talk to her. JS - Hey Mariah...first of all thanks for having us! MC - Thank YOU....the band is great! JS - You know, you're welcome to join us and sit in. MC - Oh God NO.....I could never do that. JS - What???? MC - I can't do what you do. I can't just wing it. I do my songs...my arrangements...exactly as rehearsed.... all planned and worked out. JS - Are you sure....do you know like.... Chain of Fools or one of the usual "standards"? MC - I can't. I would never just wing it. JS - Well....you know you're welcomed to join us if you change your mind. MC - I won't.... but thanks! Think about it.... from the beginning of her career, she never did the kind of live gigs most musicians have to do. She had a full production staff and everything was worked out. How many gigs have I done were there were "issues".... thousands! Mariah? Probably only a few, in comparison. She might not be as skilled or experienced at dealing with these issues as some of us. Do I know how to handle sh*t that happens...? sure. Does she? Maybe, not so much...as it's not a usual occurrence of her gig life. "

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1482005683' post='3196971'] This is exactly me. Had an Xotic, lovely bass, would have kept it. But a 5er is second to my Precision for most gigs, plus buying a house, so wanted a cheaper 5 and free up some cash from the Xotic. I was all set to have fun searching for a used SR5, but with struggling to find the spec I want, at the price I want, with a new baby and new house stuff....I got bored quickly with shopping around used sites etc. So today I purchased a 55-01 from The Gallery . NBD thread up a little later! Si [/quote] I have just gone and bought a nice full fat s/h SR5 off eBay for £700...! Just got to sell one of my other basses now to pay for it...

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1483470105' post='3207430'] For a start it depends on the type of band. For example, 30 years experience is a covers band doesn't automatically make you any use in an originals band. [/quote] Why on earth not?? All you are being asked to do is work out how to play some songs and then perform them on stage. The same skills or required whether you are playing covers or originals...

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1483407775' post='3206954'] I'll start. It depends on what a band is looking for. Here's an example, a national touring band, let's say they're headlining 250-500 seat venues.They are booked for 4 months, East coast,West coast and the Midwest. Then another month in Europe.They're looking for a bass player. I'd be very hesitant to to audition as I have no touring experience. Blue [/quote] A tour is just a number of gigs one after the other. You have a lot of gigging experience. Put yourself forward straight away as that is just the gig you have been looking for and they don't come along too often! What people want for a tour is guys who can handle the gig (musically) and who they can live at close quarters with for a few weeks. It helps to be sociable, without being too sociable (ie. can't handle your booze). Having said that many bands want some one they can hang out and drink with. If I was you I wouldn't stress that you don't drink at all, rather that your not a drunk (unless of course they're on the wagon as well).