Chop Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 (edited) Many moons ago I played in a wonderful band ruined by the lead guiarist (and 50% songwriter) saying "were not ready, were not ready..." of course, if I'd realised that 90 minutes of our own material was more than enough... Like everyone else says, if you have 30-45 minutes of material just get on with it, nothing will improve you faster ! Edited June 23, 2008 by Chop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huge Hands Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 [quote name='cheddatom' post='225152' date='Jun 23 2008, 04:38 PM']They don't listen to radio 1 do they? Sorry, OT I know, but our warehouse guy at work has it on all day, and I keep hearing the same 5 f*ckin' songs over and over.[/quote] You want to try commercial radio. Not just the same 5 songs, but the same adverts as well. I believe it's all to do with PRS fees as mentioned in other threads. The less variety in playlist, the less time they have to spend logging what they've played. I'm so glad that James Blunt's "Beautiful" seems to have rotated off the playlists. It was a nice song when I heard it the first 10 times..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 James C*nt?!?! Nice song?!?!? I'm going to have a rage-based heart attack! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 [quote name='Chop' post='225171' date='Jun 23 2008, 04:52 PM']Many moons ago I played in a wonderful band ruined by the lead guiarist (and 50% songwriter) saying [size=4][b]"were not ready, were not ready..."[/b][/size] of course, if I'd realised that 90 minutes of our own material was more than enough... Like everyone else says, if you have 30-45 minutes of material just get on with it, nothing will improve you faster ![/quote] Was he from Birmingham then? Please... somebody get my humour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassicinstinct Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 [quote name='jakesbass' post='225088' date='Jun 23 2008, 03:33 PM']I can't believe how irresponsible this statement is, It has been made clear in numerous threads here a number of times that artisitic integrity [i][b]is[/b][/i] a matter of life and death. Show some responsibility, please [/quote] You're quite right Jake. I unreservedly withdraw my earlier comments and will duly dress in sackcloth and ashed until such time as I have made good for my disgraceful lack of personal, professional and musical integrity. What the [b]HELL[/b] was I thinking of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chop Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 [quote name='warwickhunt' post='225189' date='Jun 23 2008, 05:05 PM']Was he from Birmingham then? Please... somebody get my humour [/quote] Ah no...a southerner... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakenewmanbass Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 [quote name='cheddatom' post='225186' date='Jun 23 2008, 05:02 PM']James C*nt?!?! Nice song?!?!? I'm going to have a rage-based heart attack![/quote] A producer friend of mine played shaker on that track, earned more than in a month of production. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah5string Posted June 23, 2008 Author Share Posted June 23, 2008 Thanks guys for all the comments... we've been offered 2nd in a 4 band bill on the 26th July.... just trying to convince the guitarists now.... *rolls eyes* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Don't tell the guitarists until your band's name is on the publicity for the gig. Then it'll be more embarrassing for them to back out of playing then it will to make a couple of mistakes on the night. IMO you're ready to do a support slot at the average pub gig when your band can get through a whole 30-45 minute set at rehearsal without anyone saying "how does this one go?" before starting a song! Go for it! And a full report in the gig review thread afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Hughes Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Amen to the above. Just go for it. The main reason for me is that no matter how well rehearsed you are the gig is always different. Variables enter teh equation and it's how you deal with them that makes you a better band. In the prac pad everything is the way you know it - the volume, the physical position, the tone, the ambience, etc. You get used to that. You also have time to fix that annoying thing that keeps happening with X bit of gear. On the stage everything changes - the volume, the physical position, the tone, the ambience, and now you have to fix X bit of gear whilst your band is losing monentum with the audinence. The ONLY way to deal with these things is to do it on the gig. And it doesn't matter how long you've been playing together. I've been involved in shows that have decades of combined experience at all levels of playing and it still takes a few shows to iron out the kinks. Be evil. Book the shows, tell them later. If they refuse, get another band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 (edited) My band has our first gig coming up at the end of august... coincides with reading and leeds festial i believe (BASTARDS), we're not really ready for it yet as we haven't been able to practice all that much recently with festivals and whatnot and we don't know all the songs, but we have a set list worked out so we just need to get it learnt (eaaasy) and we'll be rockin'! but after this week i think we should be able to buckle down and be ready for it by then. I'm rather looking forward to it and it should be the first of many because our guitarist/singer does gig promotion so he can get us no end of gigs. Edited June 23, 2008 by budget bassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah5string Posted June 23, 2008 Author Share Posted June 23, 2008 Latest in the saga... guitarist 1 has full out refused to play it or anything between now and the end of august... *rolls eyes* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queenofthedepths Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 No problem! Guitards are expendable. That's why you have 2, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 [quote name='Sarah5string' post='225459' date='Jun 23 2008, 10:38 PM']Latest in the saga... guitarist 1 has full out refused to play it or anything between now and the end of august... *rolls eyes*[/quote] tell them you'll play without them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 [quote name='Sarah5string' post='225459' date='Jun 23 2008, 10:38 PM']Latest in the saga... guitarist 1 has full out refused to play it or anything between now and the end of august... *rolls eyes*[/quote] Normal reaction from a guitarist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 [quote name='ahpook' post='225510' date='Jun 23 2008, 11:25 PM']tell them you'll play without them.[/quote] +1 Then rehearse your set without him. Make sure you rehearse well and for a [i]gig performance[/i] not to learn the songs, that's different. Include the set intro, "last" song ending, encore and talky bits (minimise these). Choose your strongest 25 minutes and focus on it from now 'til then. Record and/or video your dress rehearsals and change the things that don't work. Set up in your rehearsal space as if it was a gig stage ie the front person performs [i]away[/i] from the drummer and rest of the band, not facing them. That way you'll have to have cues other than eye contact. Your front person, at least, should be looking at the audience and not the other band members. Time your set accurately so you have time for the encore you will get (as you'll be taking 20 mates to cheers their heads off and to demand an encore, won't you?). Have at least one song in teh set you can drop if you start late but have to finish on time. Play the "last" tune well before your scheduled end time to leave time for the encore. Have a strong song for the encore. That's the lasting impression people will take away with them. Take 3 tunes out to an open mic night beforehand to see what it feels like. And make sure you have fun ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 [quote name='OldGit' post='225548' date='Jun 24 2008, 12:40 AM']+1 Then rehearse your set without him. Make sure you rehearse well and for a [i]gig performance[/i] not to learn the songs, that's different. Include the set intro, "last" song ending, encore and talky bits (minimise these). Choose your strongest 25 minutes and focus on it from now 'til then. Record and/or video your dress rehearsals and change the things that don't work. Set up in your rehearsal space as if it was a gig stage ie the front person performs [i]away[/i] from the drummer and rest of the band, not facing them. That way you'll have to have cues other than eye contact. Your front person, at least, should be looking at the audience and not the other band members. Time your set accurately so you have time for the encore you will get (as you'll be taking 20 mates to cheers their heads off and to demand an encore, won't you?). Have at least one song in teh set you can drop if you start late but have to finish on time. Play the "last" tune well before your scheduled end time to leave time for the encore. Have a strong song for the encore. That's the lasting impression people will take away with them. Take 3 tunes out to an open mic night beforehand to see what it feels like. And make sure you have fun ... [/quote] +1 Sound advice, we do this also and it works well. There's no substitute for playing the songs live though. We played Mercy by Duffy at Sunday's gig after two run throughs at soundcheck having never played it together before. It wasn't perfect but we placed it mid-first set and it went down well. Next time we play it, we'll do it perfectly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah5string Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 Tell you what.. wish I hadn't bothered trying to sort something out.. all it's done is upset the apple cart with the 2 guitarists now hardly speaking to me (it seems) and the rest of us who do want to gig kind of just shrugging our shoulders and saying 'wtf??' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 [quote name='jakesbass' post='225205' date='Jun 23 2008, 05:45 PM']A producer friend of mine played shaker on that track, earned more than in a month of production.[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 [quote name='Sarah5string' post='225637' date='Jun 24 2008, 09:07 AM']Tell you what.. wish I hadn't bothered trying to sort something out.. all it's done is upset the apple cart with the 2 guitarists now hardly speaking to me (it seems) and the rest of us who do want to gig kind of just shrugging our shoulders and saying 'wtf??'[/quote] Guitar players are big nancys',....they need a firm hand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 New guitarists required.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moody Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 [quote name='Sarah5string' post='225637' date='Jun 24 2008, 09:07 AM']Tell you what.. wish I hadn't bothered trying to sort something out.. all it's done is upset the apple cart with the 2 guitarists now hardly speaking to me (it seems) and the rest of us who do want to gig kind of just shrugging our shoulders and saying 'wtf??'[/quote] Sarah, just read through the thread, what a nightmare! A friend of mine pointed me in the way of this site: www.partysounds.co.uk as we're trying to recruit a new guitarist. Maybe you could try giving them a bit of a hug or some pie, or at least see if they will let you video the rehersal (as mentioned above), that way they may actually see they are ready. Hope it works out for you!! Why are guitarists so precious??? Reason Number 389 for playing the Bass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queenofthedepths Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 [quote name='Sarah5string' post='225637' date='Jun 24 2008, 09:07 AM']Tell you what.. wish I hadn't bothered trying to sort something out.. all it's done is upset the apple cart with the 2 guitarists now hardly speaking to me (it seems) and the rest of us who do want to gig kind of just shrugging our shoulders and saying 'wtf??'[/quote] The sooner you get rid of them, the better. If you find decent replacements quickly, you could still be playing a gig that summer. Find a very good replacement very quickly and you could still play that gig at the end of July. The aforementioned guitarist in my first band was seriously ill before our third gig so we got a mate to fill in and he learned the songs with just one day's notice and even took a solo! Oh, I miss those days. Does nobody else wanna form a sh*t band? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 [quote name='Sarah5string' post='225459' date='Jun 23 2008, 10:38 PM']Latest in the saga... guitarist 1 has full out refused to play it or anything between now and the end of august... *rolls eyes*[/quote] Tell the guy to grow a pair! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 [quote name='Sarah5string' post='224828' date='Jun 23 2008, 11:07 AM']" we've not got enough songs, they're not tight enough "[/quote] So what is the problem? and do you mean that one guitarist won't play gigs or rehearse before the end of August? If he's not got a very good reason I'd say that was a resignation ... Just another thought: the drummer is often the key to being gig-tight. Bands are often spolied by drummers faffing about between tunes, waiting for others to be ready etc .. Just go ta-da!!!... at the end of one song and then count in the next one. That way your guitarists can relax and build on the foundations you are providing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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