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Song suggestions for instrumental open mic slots (no vocals)


Diablo
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While we search seemingly in vain for a singer in the main band me, the drummer and a our lead guitar decided to do some acoustic numbers at a local open mic. The drummer was singing, me on bass and guitard on his nice hollow-body. It was okay, but when singing our drummer has a tendency to totally dominate, which is why in a band setting we hide him at the back.

We did:
Have You Ever Seen the Rain - CCR
Babylon - David Gray
Times Like These - Foos
Sail Away - David Gray
Back It Up - Cadillac Three

I don't think any of those songs had ever been done at this event and were wheeled out by us between 9 other sets of 60's vomit-pop like the beatles, Everly Brothers, Mustang Sally (yes - someone played it) and the rest of the safe Smooth FM playlist.

So I need to put the drummer back behind his wheelie bins so suggested for next time we just do a short set of instrumental numbers. It will be something different and puts the three of us where we belong. I just wondered which songs others play and go down well to a mixed audience with 1x drums, 1x bass 1x guitar. So far I was thinking:

Rumble - Link Wray
Green Onions - Booker T (would need 2nd gutard or keys to throw it around a bit I guess)
Budgie - Bottled
Side Of The Road - CCR (needs two guitards)
Crazy Otto or Heard It Through The Grapevine - CCR but the long version instrumental breaks




I realise there is a huge list here, but I have not heard of 99% of them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rock_instrumentals


Suggestions welcome,

Cheers
Rich

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Two classic Freddie Green tracks made famous(ish) by John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers - Hideaway was Clapton's the Stumble Peter Green - here are the originals:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54HwF8mVlaw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54HwF8mVlaw[/url]
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcF2zWhNdHA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcF2zWhNdHA[/url]

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Bit off the wall here but how about a few classic standards if your guitarist is good.

Girl from Ipanema
Got you under my skin
Come fly with me

All quite interesting to play and go down surprisingly well.

If you want something a little more up tempo, Kiss (Prince) works well, even with just an acoustic as does Valerie (Mark Ronson version) and also have a look at the Franz Ferdinand version of Blondie's "Call me"

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I'm working my way though the above suggestions, listening and playing some. Cissy Strut is certainly there as a favourite I think.

As for me singing, there are two reasons:
1. I sing like a cat caught in a piece of industrial machinery
2. When I sing I seem to forget what I'm supposed to be playing on bass, or I concentrate on playing the bass for forget to sing



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