solo4652

My new covers band is trying to come up with a band name. 4-piece band line up; lead singer, miced through PA, guitarist playing an electro-acoustic through the PA and singing BV's miced through PA, myself on electric bass through my own backline, drummer playing a stripped-down kit tastefully with rods. Songs by George Ezra, Caro Emerald, Beautiful South, Amy Macdonald. The guitarist refers to this as an "acoustic" band to the point that he wants "acoustic" in the band name. I'm not so sure. Got me thinking - what does the term "acoustic band" mean nowadays? I think we're a semi-acoustic band.

Still no short scales? I'd buy one.

Does this count as Jazz Funk? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0Fs8IFTFDE

https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/very-rare-maybe-only-one-in-uk-late-70s-soviet-union-orfeus-bass/1200133916

I don't have a smart-phone, so I don't know how emails and texting works on them. When I'm texting on my dumb-phone, I turn the predictive texting off. Surely that's possible on a smart-phone?

Stop press: I've just received this email from guitarist: "We would like very much for you to join us on this new project if we haven't traumatised you too much with the key changes!" I've said yes.

Finally got to play with these guys today. The drummer sent me some videos of guitarist and singer rehearsing some songs, plus a list of songs and keys. All good, apart from guitarist was playing one song in Cm on the video, but saying it was Bm on the songlist. I queried this, he replied that they did it "as per the video, in Bm". I rechecked the video and, trusting with my ears, convinced myself he was playing Cm. Having never met these guys, and fearing I'd be labelled a pedant, I carefully, politely, asked the guitarist to re-check the song key. Email thread, all before we'd met today: Guitar: "Oh yes - sorry - I am playing it in Cm on the video, but after that we changed it to Bm." Me; "Ahh, right. So shall I practise it in Bm, then?" Guitar: "Yes, please" Me: "OK - no problem. I'll tell you what, I'll practise it in Cm and Bm, then I'm covered both ways" Guitar; "Fine. See you Saturday" Got there for the first meeting/audition. A few songs in , we got to the song in question. Guitar; "Right. Let's do [the song]. We'll do it in C#m" Me: "Pardon?"

Bugger. Sharon Jones had battled cancer for quite a while. I thought she'd beaten it, but no. I first came across her on Live at Daryl's House. Check this out for energy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK0LEpyM0oQ&list=RDAK0LEpyM0oQ#t=16

Possibly. Pissably. Piss a brolly.

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1479331806' post='3175793'] Let me tell you what it means. It means...find someone else to form a band with. If the guy can't list a handful of his favourite songs, it does not auger well, for good communication if/when you did get a band up and running. [/quote] Yes - you're right. I've already crossed him off my "possibles" list.

Aha! That's it! He plays bass, guitar and drums. When he said ;" U boy Jaco Pastorious. I'll bring acoustic guitar...", he meant; "You be Jaco (in his clumsy email-speak, this becomes "U boy Jaco.."), and I'll play acoustic guitar". Yep - that sort of makes sense. Serves me right for being too literal.

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1479317598' post='3175619'] So, why didn't you reply to his email, asking precisely that ? [/quote] I've already done that, actually. Here's the message thread for you, starting with his reply to my question; "What songs would you put onto a blank setlist?" Him: "U boy jaco pastorouis . I'll bring acoustic guitar . Play few riffs pointless saying influences as there's thousands lol. Give ya no. I'll call you have a chin wag . Peace" Me: " “u boy jaco pastorouis” Sorry – not quite sure what you mean." Him: "I was saying my favourite bass player is jaco pastorouis am crap at emails etc . Especially on blumming phone ." Me: "OK. I’m still not sure what you mean by “u boy”. Googling doesn’t help me to understand. Apologies for my ignorance." No reply.

[quote name='Bolo' timestamp='1479301706' post='3175427'] Is he South African perchance? [/quote] No idea. Why do you ask?

Hmm, that's a possibility. Pity we have to try to guess what he means.

I've been swapping emails with somebody about possibly setting up a soul/funk/blues covers band. To get a feel for what sort of music he's into, I said "Here's a blank songlist. What songs would you[i] really[/i] want to see on there?" His reply: "u boy Jaco Pastorouis" I don't know what this means. I thought u boy might be a Jaco song, but it seems not. Could it be some sort of reference to Jaco playing on Ian Hunter's All American Alien Boy album, perhaps? Googling "U boy" throws up lots of stuff about boy-girl dating, but I can't see what that has to do with soul/funk/blues music at all. Have I missed something obvious? Am I an old fart who should know what/who U boy is, but doesn't?

How about this ad, then: http://www.joinmyband.co.uk/classifieds/asap-base-player-t924396.html

I am not joking when I say this; The Harley Benton Shorty is [i]phenomenal[/i] value at £70: [url="https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hbp90bk_shortscale_ebass.htm?glp=1&gclid=CjwKEAiA0pDBBRCFtoPyguTh8AUSJADNWeux4j4ShHsVem04TOXU9FDNIMtcj_xxYeeYRfFQO4AgXBoC_m_w_wcB"]https://www.thomann....4AgXBoC_m_w_wcB[/url] I wanted to try short scale and bought the HBS as a no-money try-out. I dropped some Entwistle PBXN pickups in there and I got a lightweight, nicely balanced P-bass that's really kind on my neck and shoulders. 41mm nut width too, so doesn't feel too narrow for a P bass player.The Entwistle pickups are pretty hot and punchy and cut down a fair bit of the traditional short-scale muddy thudiness. My band said it was the best-sounding bass they'd heard me play. Total outlay = under £100. I still missed a J pickup for a bit of bite. So, I bought an Ibanez Talman TMB-30 for £170: [url="http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Ibanez-TMB30-BK-30-Short-Scale-Bass-Guitar-Black/1G9H?origin=product-ads&campaign=PLA+Shop+-+GENERIC&adgroup=GENERIC&medium=vertical_search&network=google&merchant_id=1279443&product_id=67733d1&product_country=GB&product_partition_id=255341176042&gclid=CjwKEAiA0pDBBRCFtoPyguTh8AUSJADNWeuxzhONRk4YVSWdgZcV-Fjr7MKhFfaiPATgdHyFhDN8TRoC813w_wcB"]http://www.gear4musi...DN8TRoC813w_wcB[/url] The neck pickup solo is a little more mids-forward than the HBS, and IMHO, stands right up there with any Fender P I've ever had. Mix in the bridge pickup and you have loads of sounds available. It's a bit heavier than the HBS, and the body is a little bigger, so the Ibanez isn't [i]quite[/i] so easy for me to play. 41mm at the nut so, again, not too narrow for my paws. Absolutely no hesitation in gigging either bass. Don't know where you live, Zummerbass, but you're welcome to come round anytime for a noodle. I'm in Stockport.

....or, the opportunity to play with a decent covers band! Thanks, Steve Edit-update, 6th December 2016. Looks like I'm sorted for now - I've joined a (semi) acoustic pop-soul band.

[quote name='MisterT' timestamp='1478249493' post='3167806'] Lettuce [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5mWN8z3Xxk[/media] [/quote] Never heard of Lettuce. Just listened to the first couple of minutes of that live set. Tight as you like. I'll finish the hoovering and settle down with a cuppa to listen to the rest.

A couple of years ago, I was involved in a start-up band that was aiming for a blues-funk-soul vibe. Here's the initial songlist: Ain't no love in the heart of the city – Bobby Bland [color="#000080"][u][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcF8A"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcF8A[/url][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcF8Aos4XDA"] [/url] os4XDA[/u][/color] Shaky ground – Etta James [color="#000080"][u][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbCWP5iW654#t=29"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbCWP5iW654#t=29[/url][/u][/color] Lonely boy – Black Keys [color="#000080"][u][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_426RiwST8"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_426RiwST8[/url][/u][/color] My oh my – Sad cafe [color="#000080"][u][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K75Q-0wMgn0"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K75Q-0wMgn0[/url][/u][/color] Something to talk about – Bonnie Raitt [color="#000080"][u][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ58TVYNFro"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ58TVYNFro[/url][/u][/color] China Grove – Doobie Brothers [color="#000080"][u][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udSHItTjWyQ"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udSHItTjWyQ[/url][/u][/color] Play that funky music – Wild Cherry Cuddly toy – Roachford [color="#000080"][u][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbscx0S3jcY"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbscx0S3jcY[/url][/u][/color] Long Train running – Doobie Brothers Without you – Doobie Brothers [color="#000080"][u][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bn_to1uNVg"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bn_to1uNVg[/url][/u][/color] Bohemian like you – Dandy Warhols [color="#000080"][u][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU3mc0yvRNk"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU3mc0yvRNk[/url][/u][/color] Ain't that peculiar – Various covers e.g. [color="#000080"][u][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOgMHWI5XT4"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOgMHWI5XT4[/url][/u][/color] Roadhouse blues – Various covers. Good one is The Doors with John Lee Hooker [color="#000080"][u][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xzFWm9uXJo"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xzFWm9uXJo[/url][/u][/color] Chill out – John Lee Hooker and Carlos Santana [color="#000080"][u]<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv0NyWoO0R4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv0NyWoO0R4[/u][/color] Inner city blues – Marvin Gaye [color="#000080"][u][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57Ykv1D0qEE"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57Ykv1D0qEE[/url][/u][/color] Pelvis Pusher – Vintage Trouble [color="#000080"][u][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMCutWGTHSU"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMCutWGTHSU[/url][/u][/color] Jezzabella – Vintage Trouble [color="#000080"][u][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FVM88Xu-mI"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FVM88Xu-mI[/url][/u][/color] Vintage Trouble + Beverley Knight [color="#000080"][u][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utke4s0dbm8"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utke4s0dbm8[/url][/u][/color] Roll On – J J Cale [color="#000080"][u][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Umeco1Z-j4"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Umeco1Z-j4[/url][/u][/color] River runs deep – Clapton + J J Cale [color="#000080"][u][url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4LekkGu9n8"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4LekkGu9n8[/url][/u][/color] Other J J Cale songs; After midnight, Call me the breeze, Bringing it back... stuff by B B King, Robert Cray Pretty much anything by Albert Collins

Another quick update. I've just received the following songlist so I can practise before meeting the band some time next week. A varied setlist... Caro Emerald songs: Back it up, A night like this, That man, Riviera life. Beautiful South songs: A little time, You keep it all in. Songbird Back to black Torn Temptation - Heaven 17

No, I've never played upright bass. Given the weakness in my fretting hand, I doubt I ever will. A short-scale P bass with half-round strings and the tone rolled off will be getting close to that sound, won't it? Obviously not going to look like an upright though.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1477821631' post='3164573'] I'd certainly at least give it a try, it's sounds ok so far to me, nowt wrong with a bit of Caro Emerald either. It's all networking too, bands evolve so the backing tracks might get dropped or the guitarist in charge of them might leave and be replaced by one happy to fill the sound out on their own or even bring in another guitarist. On top of that this band might be crap or never get started yet at the same time the drummer might be in another awesome band requiring a new bassist or similar situation. Good luck and even if you go with tracks I'd say gigging with tracks is better than being a bedroom critic with no band because they all use music stands,wrong colour xlr leads,won't let you use both of the Ampegs you use in the box room etc [/quote] [i]Very[/i] sound advice, right there. Thank you.

Yes - thank you. I wouldn't normally give "swing" a second listen, but Caro Emerald's band puts a nice groove behind her vocals. Also, if you watch the YouTube videos of them playing live, you'll see some two-deck, errr "mixing" (? don't ask me what it's officially called - I dunno). I wonder whether that's what was in the guitarist's mind when he referred to backing tracks.