skankdelvar

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1490560178' post='3266009'] Can I get a "woop woop" ! Blue [/quote] Woop woop!

And another thing: One time I went along to see a band-mate in his other outfit and found myself very reluctantly babysitting his wife. Some local herberts drunkenly barracked the band. Idiotically, she gave out verbal to them and they consequentially made menacing moves on [i]me [/i]because they assumed I was her spouse.

* My missus has come to maybe three gigs in 32 years, mainly because upon occasion one of her little friends followed us and she felt she had to come along to hold their hand. * I never expected or encouraged her to attend any of my 'performances' mainly because she doesn't drink, dislikes loud noise and abhors crowds * The only people who ever asked if she was coming to gigs were other band members who incorrectly believed it was incumbent upon her to demonstrate support * I've always preferred she didn't come to gigs because it's one less thing to fuss about and - frankly - some of the toilets I've played I'd rather she wasn't there

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1490295583' post='3264107'] Also (back on topic) how compressed is that snare drum - sounds like some [i]serious[/i] gating going on too. [/quote] Quite so. The whole thing has that 'modern in the late 80's' sound, IMO. Mind you, that was probably modern enough for Chuck and - to be fair - trying a stripped down Johnny Cash Def American thing probably would have led to all sorts of hideous ructions.

Mostly good, iffy outro [media]http://youtu.be/d8Zoh-apWRE[/media]

Thanks Steve

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1490176158' post='3262792'] If you will be bored in a covers band then don't do it. If you think it's just somewhere you can park yourself for an easy ride for a few years, again don't do it. If you can't accept that most of the time you won't be playing your favourite numbers, don't do it. If the guys in the band are not good players, don't do it. I haven't played a boring cover yet, but average and disinterested players can make anything sound boring, trite or just plain dull. Play them properly and most covers, certainly the ones that audiences like and want to hear, will sound good, even Sex On Fire and Mustang Sally. [/quote] Shame we voted against a 'like' button. I'd have used it for this ^^

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1489973905' post='3261214'] Well, personally I'm big on a band leader making most key decisions. I would expect the BL to come up with a set list as well as what the structure of the rehearsals would be. For example the BL might dedicate some rehearsals to vocals only. Blue [/quote] That makes sense.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1489955912' post='3261114'] Hopefully you now have a sound group of individuals that are on board with whatever the goals of the band are. Because, ideally you have top notch veterans that understand how to be in a band you won't be dealing with silly egoes and silly drama. And most important , in theory this band will be intact and ready to gig in September with no turnover. Blue [/quote] Absolutely agree that a strong foundation is the way forward. I'm just interested in how one might productively spend those six months. Let's say that's 24 weekly meet-ups to get an initial groove going, trial different material, routine the songs, sequence a set, work on presentation. How would you balance those different tasks and what do you think is most important?

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1489889043' post='3260625'] Any other closing comments? Blue [/quote] I very much like the idea of booking the gigs first. Just now wondering what's the (hypothetical) plan for the six months between now and the first gig and will it involve fittings for stage costumes?

Thing about Chuck, he took some of T-Bone Walker's guitar and Guitar Slim's stage show and married them to pin-sharp lyrics that ordinary kids could relate to. Chuck wrote songs about girls, cars, girls in cars and mundane setbacks elevated to a comic plane. Along with contemporaries Leiber and Stoller he wrote the dictionary of Rock, dragging the infant art form away from the often pseudo-poetic lyrics which dominated popular music at the time. His writer's ear as much as his swaggering boogie will be his legacy. There's only so many times one can play a Chuck Berry intro but his words never stale. [i]Wailing down the freeway, testing out the cruisin' power; State trooper trailing, clocked it ninety miles an hour It was'n me, Sheriff; M'mm, Sheriff, it was'n me Ah! It must have been some other body, uh uh, Sheriff, it was'n me[/i]

If I had the money I deliberately [i]wouldn't[/i] buy it because [i]not[/i] buying it would make me look good to people I've never met who don't like the idea that we live in a society where the rich can buy whatever they want. Being rich might be nice but looking good to people one has never met is reward in itself.

Are we up to step 3 yet? Or are we still on step 2? Just wondering.

When it comes to recruiting I'd be looking for basic competence, reliability and flexibility over technical virtuosity and bug-eyed enthusiasm. For example, I'd prefer an experienced front person who can learn the words quickly and more or less hit the notes over an excitable, technically-gifted diva with no presence. Rather than two guitars, keys would be nice - they make everything sound a bit more tasty and open up wider repertoire possibilities. [color=#faebd7].[/color]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1489684341' post='3258997'] Ivansc in my opinion this is the first step. Booking the gigs before you have put the band together. [/quote] An intriguing and attractive idea. I'd imagine many of us might find the notion a bit counter-intuitive, possibly because we are accustomed to doing it the other way round. So what might one say when a promoter / landlord asks 'Do you have a following?' or 'Where have you played recently?'. I suppose one just blags it.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1489682743' post='3258973'] Lully and the Couperins? [/quote] Damn. Should have been an Oxford comma in there. Post facto edit: Rameau, Lully, and the Couperins (Louis, Francois, and Tommy)

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1489684616' post='3258999'] Wow, what a coincidence. My Dad was handing the money that day. Took me over a year to pay him back. [/quote] Coincidence indeed. Even my missus was impressed at this serendipitous discovery and that's saying something.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1489681027' post='3258948'] Was that Pan? I used to see lots of good gear in there, most of it hadn't been looked after too well. On March 12th 1967 I bought my Vox Foundation there for £90 and the transformer caught fire 2 weeks later!! [/quote] Indeed it was Pan and on March 11 the [i]actual [/i]Vox Foundation you bought is in the ad at £95. Presumably you screwed them down a fiver which is £83 in today's money. Nice work, Sir. [color=#faebd7].[/color]

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1489659574' post='3258675'] I feel a band coming on... Big King Louis and the Barockettes, playing a selection of French 17th century rock and roll ditties. [/quote] At the risk of coming off like a pretentious classical music twat there's actually some seriously good sh*t from - broadly - that time and place. Check out Rameau, Lully and the Couperins (Louis and Francois).

Interesting. In the back pages there's a Wardour Street shop selling a secondhand Precision for £85 which would be £1415.80 in today's money*. [size=2](*[url="http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/education/Pages/resources/inflationtools/calculator/default.aspx"]Source: BoE Inflation calculator[/url]).[/size]

[media]http://youtu.be/7v2GDbEmjGE[/media]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1489616465' post='3258473'] It doesn't matter whether or not the band is originals or covers. It does have to be a band with the goal of having paid gigs within 6 months. [/quote] Well, that'll be covers then unless we're talking a seriously vertical genre with a throbbing live scene. Anyway, starting a band: * Look at your local / regional music scene and establish which genre or type of covers is most popular. Scout some venues, find out what they want, etc * Place wanted ad - band to do ^ * Weed out flakes, losers, time-wasters, drama queens, deluded fantasists, drunks, junkies (unless they're interesting junkies) and people who like the idea of being in a band but don't want to do the work of being in a band * Get some relatively competent, sane people in a room, draft a setlist, work up some material * Put up ad for replacement drummer * Weed out etc * Get drummer, do gig, do next gig, do next gig, do next gig * Put up ad for replacement frontman * Weed out etc * Rinse and repeat [s]Two years[/s] Six months later you will have a reliable, seasoned gigging band with a bulging roster of pre-booked gigs and a developing fan-base of lissome chickies and their dork boyfriends. Easy-peasy lemon-squeezy! [color=#faebd7].[/color]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1489547076' post='3257836'] Rockaway Beach was a cool place to hang. Blue [/quote]

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1489583080' post='3258124'] Similar to Rococobilly but less fancy. [/quote] I always forget which came first: Rococobilly or Baroqueabilly. Either way, best wishes to the OP in her quest.