New Band... is it a keeper or time to walk?

[scalpy]

whoops double post

Edited September 21, 2014 by scalpy

[TimR]

[quote name='UglyDog' timestamp='1411315325' post='2558349']
What's the point of doing it at all if you're not enjoying it?
[/quote]

Certain parts of playing can be a chore but we hope the benifits outweigh the downsides.

You know that bit in a gig where three songs in a row go belly up, the next song is all roots and you're thinking "Beam me up Scotty, I've got some wallpapering at home I should really be doing tonight." That's when you smile and dig deep.

[spinynorman]

There was a band we used to encounter on our local circuit that had a guitarist that played absolutely everything in the style of Hank Marvin. Which was interesting on things like "Sharp Dressed Man". They were very popular.

[BILL POSTERS]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1411315282' post='2558348']
They've previously had 2 female singers and 2 bass players (1 died, 1 was much younger and couldn't play, apparently)
They've never spoken in terms of "that gig we did at..."


[/quote]

Reason I asked is I took a long break and when I stared again I came across a lot of 50+ people who were trying to re live the days in bands they wished they'd had, if you see what I mean. Expensive gear, but never seemed to do anythin but rehearse, and were nowhere as good as they thought they were.

There seem to be as many old dreamers around as young ones, they just have more money and distorted memories, but thats bands for you. Dont get me wrong, I benefited from the experience, but learned to take most of what they said with a pinch of salt. main thing is it got me going again. Hopefully it will be the same for you.

[BILL POSTERS]

[quote name='spinynorman' timestamp='1411335962' post='2558610']
There was a band we used to encounter on our local circuit that had a guitarist that played absolutely everything in the style of Hank Marvin. Which was interesting on things like "Sharp Dressed Man". They were very popular.
[/quote]

Was he from around Tamworth way by any chance ?

[Grangur]

[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1411345821' post='2558664']
Reason I asked is I took a long break and when I stared again I came across a lot of 50+ people who were trying to re live the days in bands they wished they'd had, if you see what I mean. Expensive gear, but never seemed to do anythin but rehearse, and were nowhere as good as they thought they were.

There seem to be as many old dreamers around as young ones, they just have more money and distorted memories, but thats bands for you. Dont get me wrong, I benefited from the experience, but learned to take most of what they said with a pinch of salt. main thing is it got me going again. Hopefully it will be the same for you.
[/quote]
Yep, sounds familiar. Still, what the hell; while I'm learning and it's fun. In some ways I'm a dreamer. I fit your description; trying to fullfil and old "pipe-dream", as my Mum & Dad used to say. But you have to dream or you may as well lay down and watch Eastenders!! Lord preserve us from THAT!

[discreet]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1411287831' post='2558064']
If we can recapture that fresh sound and take it on we could make something.
[/quote]

I've been trying to do that with varying degrees of success for decades.

Edit1 : Agreed - if you find yourself on the sofa watching EastEnders then you've failed and it's time for your box.
Edit 2: Bottom line - if it's fun then keep doing it, if it's not then move on.

Edited September 22, 2014 by discreet

[TimR]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1411315282' post='2558348']
...
Good point. Actually All of our tracks are either a w@nkfest for the guitarist or the keys-man. Right now all the good bass lines are already being done on the keys. I recon this is due to them not having a bass-man for a while. I've started working on the solos and bass-lines, so I can justify winning them back to the bass. If I don't then I'll be stuck on I, 3, 5, 3 (e.g.) forever.
...
[/quote]

Lesson #457: This is the common MO of all keyboard players. You may have some work to do to "re-educate" him on Left hand technique. Good luck, this may well be why their old bass player died.

[Grangur]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1411376190' post='2558794']
I've been trying to do that with varying degrees of success for decades.

Edit1 : Agreed - if you find yourself on the sofa watching EastEnders then you've failed and it's time for your box.
Edit 2: Bottom line - if it's fun then keep doing it, if it's not then move on.
[/quote] Hey, Mr D! We've missed you! Eastenders - exactly my point.

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1411377404' post='2558812']
Lesson #457: This is the common MO of all keyboard players. You may have some work to do to "re-educate" him on Left hand technique. Good luck, this may well be why their old bass player died. [/quote]
Did he [i]actually [/i]die? Or was it he got fed up of being phoned for practise sessions and in the end he called out to his missus, "for God's sake, tell them I've died!" (as he lays on the sofa watching Eastenders.

[fretmeister]

Sometimes you can learn as much from the wrong band as the right band.

Half of the music learning process is working out what doesn't work for you. But you wouldn't know without trying.

And no matter what, it gets you used to playing with other people.

So unless the personalities in the band are so bad that you want to kill them all with a chainsaw dipped in alien blood, stick with it and get some valuable experience. To misquote Marilyn Manson "I'm not in love but I'll f*** you 'till someone better comes along."

Playing / performing with others sorts out your playing priorities faster than any other method.

[BILL POSTERS]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1411375194' post='2558783']
Yep, sounds familiar. Still, what the hell; while I'm learning and it's fun. In some ways I'm a dreamer. I fit your description; trying to fullfil and old "pipe-dream", as my Mum & Dad used to say. But you have to dream or you may as well lay down and watch Eastenders!! Lord preserve us from THAT!
[/quote]

Twas years ago, I found a couple of good bands and I'm still gigging. its only a pipe dream at our age if your expecting to get rich and famous I reckon.

Dont get disheartened, go with the flow till something turns up.

[Huge Hands]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1411377404' post='2558812']
Lesson #457: This is the common MO of all keyboard players. You may have some work to do to "re-educate" him on Left hand technique. Good luck, this may well be why their old bass player died.
[/quote]

Amen. Nothing worse than you going off on a run and the keyboard player is also walking in other directions. I always try and get keyboard players to roll off their bottom end and low mid so that the whole thing doesn't sound like a muddy mess. If reason doesn't work, you can always try threats of death :-)

[BigGuyAtTheBack]

I was asked to join a classic rock covers band. Got a list of 12 tunes to learn for the first practice. Turned up ready to rock, went into the first tune, aaaargh wrong key! Every one of those 12 tunes were not played by them in the original key and they had wildly different arrangements for them. It took a while to sort out. Just shows you how other people interpret tunes.I know I should have asked about keys etc.

[Grangur]

[quote name='BigGuyAtTheBack' timestamp='1411456571' post='2559593']
I was asked to join a classic rock covers band. Got a list of 12 tunes to learn for the first practice. Turned up ready to rock, went into the first tune, aaaargh wrong key! Every one of those 12 tunes were not played by them in the original key and they had wildly different arrangements for them. It took a while to sort out. Just shows you how other people interpret tunes.I know I should have asked about keys etc.
[/quote]
Are you sure this isnt the same band?
Loads of our numbers are in E. So I'm playing up in the 7th fret and a good number of invertions.

[KevB]

As long as you play it professionally and don't dick them around (ie give decent notice to quit if something more interesting comes along) then from a band newbie point of view there's plenty to be learned here, even if it is ultimately to recognise what you don't want from the next band! It's always interesting to see how others apply themselves to gigging/practice/preparation. One thing is probably true though, if you are new to it then don't expect others with a lot of experience to take any notice of what you have to say for a while, whether you have a valid point or not.

[Grangur]

I've just got home from a band practice. Mrs G came along too. She was in the kitchen chatting with the other wives. Its amazing what she learned.

Apparently the other guys have all known each other for years. Played for years too, but nobody in the band has EVER gigged ever, with anybody. So we're all total noobs at gigging. So when they talk about DIing everything and mic-ing up my cab, they are simply BSing... interesting. (Or scary)

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1412982804' post='2573953']
So when they talk about DIing everything and mic-ing up my cab, they are simply BSing...
[/quote]

Indeed they are!

[inthedoghouse]

Put it down to experience, walk away and find something you feel comfortable with and enjoy - you'll know it when you find it.

It sounds like the rot has set in from the start, and believe me, once the rot starts to set in you'll soon start to resent everything about the people and project.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

[discreet]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1412982804' post='2573953']
...nobody in the band has EVER gigged ever, with anybody. So we're all total noobs at gigging.
[/quote]

Might still be useful from the 'gaining experience' point of view. But you'll only be gaining experience of rehearsing, by the look. This kind of thing is a lot more widespread that you'd think. Musicians are right up there in the delusion stakes, along with politicians and clinical lycanthropists.

[PlungerModerno]

Wow! Interesting thread, good advice from a lot of varying experiences...

I'm a gigging newb too - only I don't have a band yet.
Gonna have to work on that ASAP.
Anyway - best of luck to you Grangur. Glad you've got a clear picture of what's going on about you.

[Grangur]

[quote name='PlungerModerno' timestamp='1413005787' post='2574014']
Wow! Interesting thread, good advice from a lot of varying experiences...

I'm a gigging newb too - only I don't have a band yet.
Gonna have to work on that ASAP.
Anyway - best of luck to you Grangur. Glad you've got a clear picture of what's going on about you.
[/quote]
Thanks. Good luck to you too.
In fairness, they/we play a lot of 12 bar blues rock n roll numbers. This in some way makes playing easy. Yet it also flags up a lack of knowledge of the genre when I keep finding they end the song without ending a bar, ket alone finishing the 12bar sequence.

I think my best here is keep playing with them, but watch out for another band.

For my part, I feel right now I struggle keeping on track following the chord changes when I'm playing whilst reading the lyrics to see when the change comes. My frustration is knowing that what we're doing is 12 bar blues, but they've designed the chord changes not following a 12bar sequence.

[discreet]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1413009137' post='2574024']
...we're doing is 12 bar blues, but they've designed the chord changes not following a 12bar sequence.
[/quote]

That's not blues, it's jazz.

[Grangur]

Lol.

Big advantage of this band: we have a good, warm hall to play in on a Friday night and it costs us £20, so it's a 5er each. That can't be bad.

It's a shame it's a Friday. After all, we could be gigging. (If we were any good)

Edited October 11, 2014 by Grangur

[discreet]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1413010530' post='2574033']
...we have a good, warm hall to play in on a Friday night and it costs us £20, so it's a 5er each. That can't be bad.
[/quote]

Too right, that's actually cheaper than staying in!

[steve-bbb]

go for it

as they often say on the interwebs

'what could possibly go wrong?'

hope this helps