Over the heads of punters... (or maybe under)

[ahpook]

I've seen Sonic Youth many times - they really need to sort out their tuning

[Lucky Stiff]

Man, this really speaks to me. I'm in the best worst covers band in the city but we get 30 or so well paid gigs a year at top venues, some juicy corporate and private gigs, we're even on tour out of State this month!. Our lead guitarist (recently sacked) was/is dire; never learnt songs, butchered easy leads, played out of key, etc. Rhythm guitar is a rank beginner and can't hear the rest of the band but is an ace frontman. Sometimes I want to be invisible we're so crook.

But every time we play we get rave reviews from the audience (those not related to band members) and frequently get rebooked at the venue right after we get off stage, sometimes for a year ahead.

I used to get bent completely out of joint at every screw-up and, to my huge discredit, looked daggers on stage and completely miserable. I'm a newbie and felt that other people were making me look bad when I'd put in the big hours learning every song and getting it right.

I still have that feeling but I realised that I have to get over myself and concentrate on the 100+ people dancing up a storm from song 1 set 1. If we all start and stop at the same time and play a reasonable facsimile of the song we're golden. Go figure.

[blue]

[quote name='Lucky Stiff' timestamp='1496446636' post='3311590']
Man, this really speaks to me. I'm in the best worst covers band in the city but we get 30 or so well paid gigs a year at top venues, some juicy corporate and private gigs, we're even on tour out of State this month!. Our lead guitarist (recently sacked) was/is dire; never learnt songs, butchered easy leads, played out of key, etc. Rhythm guitar is a rank beginner and can't hear the rest of the band but is an ace frontman. Sometimes I want to be invisible we're so crook.

But every time we play we get rave reviews from the audience (those not related to band members) and frequently get rebooked at the venue right after we get off stage, sometimes for a year ahead.

I used to get bent completely out of joint at every screw-up and, to my huge discredit, looked daggers on stage and completely miserable. I'm a newbie and felt that other people were making me look bad when I'd put in the big hours learning every song and getting it right.

I still have that feeling but I realised that I have to get over myself and concentrate on the 100+ people dancing up a storm from song 1 set 1. If we all start and stop at the same time and play a reasonable facsimile of the song we're golden. Go figure.
[/quote]

It's the difference between pros and amatures.

Most guys have other things going on in their life . They're not doing it for a living ,so why bother learning it right or getting it right.

Even when you can go to YouTube and someone will show you exactly how to play a part correctly.

Sure there are a few bad YouTube tutorials, however there are certainly a boat load that are right on the money.

Ticks me off, because when I was a young players, we had to move that needle back and forth on an record where the bass part was buried in the mix.

There's really no excuse, for most it's a "why bother" proposition.

And there's a domino effect here. When the guy who wants to get it right says;

"Why should I bother learning a song correctly when none of my band mates will."


Blue

Edited June 3, 2017 by blue

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited February 24, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[bazzbass]

I learnt after a few shows that the only time the punters notice mistakes is if you all look like rabbits in the spotlight. Act as if nothing happened and they never notice. Made gigging much easier when I figured that out hehe

Punters are stupid, some are even stupid enough to have sex with the bass player

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1496462902' post='3311617']
...Punters are stupid, some are even stupid enough to have sex with the bass player
[/quote]

That's all very well but are they stupid enough to do so while the bass player is shagging a large Grizzly?

I really don't want to slag off any punters for being stupid. If you want to use those sorts of terms the fact that they are [i]your[/i] audience means that [i]you[/i] are fuel for that stupidity. If I am shown appreciation, whether it is from a teen who just likes to be in a room where the music is made or a seasoned muso with opinions, I am happy.

At the end of the day, punters pay the bills.

[bazzbass]

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1496470482' post='3311639']
That's all very well but are they stupid enough to do so while the bass player is shagging a large Grizzly?

I really don't want to slag off any punters for being stupid. If you want to use those sorts of terms the fact that they are [i]your[/i] audience means that [i]you[/i] are fuel for that stupidity. If I am shown appreciation, whether it is from a teen who just likes to be in a room where the music is made or a seasoned muso with opinions, I am happy.

At the end of the day, punters pay the bills.
[/quote]

dude it was a joke

sheesh

Edited June 4, 2017 by bazztard

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1496549789' post='3312215']
dude it was a joke

sheesh
[/quote]

[Insert laugh here]

Sorry B, I thought you were going a bit Bart Simpson.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mcb4zHBulzk[/media]

[mikel]

I have to agree with a previous post. If the band starts and finishes the song correctly, and any stops are nailed, all is pretty much good for an audience. With the proviso that the beat is spot on and does not fluctuate wildly, as this spoils the dancing. So, learn the structure of the songs and have a solid drummer seems to be the key to lots of gigs and a happy audience.

[neilp]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1496412169' post='3311247']
Bin there. Dun that.

I was playing with a Spanish singer-songwriter, experienced musician, good guy. I was on DB and I was really, really struggling with my intonation.

It didn't matter how hard I concentrated, I was always off-pitch with his guitar.

We played our first gig together and it was the same problem throughout. As a newbie to DB I just assumed naturally it was down to my playing.

At the next rehearsal I played with a Korg Pitchblack permanently on so I KNEW I was playing the right notes, and I challenged him instead.

We checked our tuners. Mine was set to 440. His was set to 432.

He never came up with a convincing explanation for that ...
[/quote]

I remember being shouted down for a luddite and a pedant when I suggested we should all learn to tune to each other....

Sadly for me, in the classical world they notice. They notice EVERYTHING. Down bow instead of an upbow, intonation, the works. I played Mahler's 1st symphony last year, which famously has a VERY exposed double bass solo. It's not very difficult, but it's scary as hell when you know 70 other musicians are listening, and depending on you not to spaff it.
So I spaffed it. It wasn't great. In the bar afterwards I must have had 30 or 40 sympathetic "good effort" type comments and condescending smiles. Beam me up..... The worst of it was, the last time I'd played that solo was 35 years ago in the Albert Hall, and I smashed it.

[scalpy]

[quote name='neilp' timestamp='1496563481' post='3312261']


I remember being shouted down for a luddite and a pedant when I suggested we should all learn to tune to each other....

Sadly for me, in the classical world they notice. They notice EVERYTHING. Down bow instead of an upbow, intonation, the works. I played Mahler's 1st symphony last year, which famously has a VERY exposed double bass solo. It's not very difficult, but it's scary as hell when you know 70 other musicians are listening, and depending on you not to spaff it.
So I spaffed it. It wasn't great. In the bar afterwards I must have had 30 or 40 sympathetic "good effort" type comments and condescending smiles. Beam me up..... The worst of it was, the last time I'd played that solo was 35 years ago in the Albert Hall, and I smashed it.
[/quote]

I believe that's the one based on Frere Jacques, not like you can hide it from the punters if they didn't know either!

Audiences may not notice the details of a performance but they certainly know if they're dancing or not. They might only talk about the singer but if they're dancing you're doing your job fine.