Are there any guitarists who want to play like Nile Rodgers?

[solo4652]

....or do all guitarists want to play long, indulgent solos no matter what the song genre is? I ask this because I've just jammed/auditioned with three pub covers bands and in each case, the guitarist only really wanted to play Clapton, SRV, Gary Moore. Where have the funk, soul, ska guitarists all gone, please?

Edited November 19, 2022 by solo4652

[Mykesbass]

Part of the problem could be in the name they give themselves - lead guitarist. 

[gjones]

The Tomorrow Band are a Scottish band that love a bit of funk. Their's 3 guitarists in the band and they all like a bit off wakka wakka. They back Hamish Stewart from AWB from time to time.

 

 

[gjones]

 

[solo4652]

Answering my own question. Superb groove right here. Check out the drummer - wouldn't you just love to play alongside him!?

 

 

Edited November 19, 2022 by solo4652

[solo4652]

How about at a local pub covers band level, though? I just can't seem to find any non-blues, non-rock, non-shredding guitarists....

[solo4652]

30 minutes ago, gjones said:

The Tomorrow Band are a Scottish band that love a bit of funk. Their's 3 guitarists in the band and they all like a bit off wakka wakka. They back Hamish Stewart from AWB from time to time.

 

 

Oh yes. I like that.

[chris_b]

Check out Cory Wong for full on rhythm playing.

 

 

Edited November 19, 2022 by chris_b

[MartinB]

I'd love to be able to play like Nile Rodgers!

But if I was that good, would I be interested in "local pub covers band level" groups? Perhaps not 🤷‍♂️

[Beer of the Bass]

I played guitar with one band who'd advertised for a rhythm guitarist despite only wanting one guitarist. Apparently they'd done that after auditioning a bunch of widdlers, and I was the first one to come along who treated it like part of the rhythm section.

[Len_derby]

1 hour ago, solo4652 said:

How about at a local pub covers band level, though? I just can't seem to find any non-blues, non-rock, non-shredding guitarists....

Do you advertise for the kind of guitarist you want, and by implication, what you don’t want? 
I know your area a little, having holidays in the Woolacombe area. There doesn’t seem to be a great population density, so I guess your options are limited compared to the big cities and conurbations. 

[Barking Spiders]

3 hours ago, solo4652 said:

....or do all guitarists want to play long, indulgent solos no matter what the song genre is? I ask this because I've just jammed/auditioned with three pub covers bands and in each case, the guitarist only really wanted to play Clapton, SRV, Gary Moore. Where have the funk, soul, ska guitarists all gone, please?

I find these and ALL other blues-rock lead players and all those 80s shred merchants boring and uninspiring as f***, always have done. Give me the likes of Nile, Leo Nocentelli and Paul Jackson jr any day. Check out the latter, after Louis Johnson killing it, on this belter of a George Duke track, at 5.00. I play this vid endlessly it's so uplifting.

[Phil Starr]

16 hours ago, solo4652 said:

....or do all guitarists want to play long, indulgent solos no matter what the song genre is? I ask this because I've just jammed/auditioned with three pub covers bands and in each case, the guitarist only really wanted to play Clapton, SRV, Gary Moore. Where have the funk, soul, ska guitarists all gone, please?

They've already got bass players

[BassBunny]

17 hours ago, solo4652 said:

Answering my own question. Superb groove right here. Check out the drummer - wouldn't you just love to play alongside him!?

 

 

Steve, If you get a chance to see Brother Strut, go. I've seen them twice and they are awesome.

[Drax]

18 hours ago, solo4652 said:

....or do all guitarists want to play long, indulgent solos no matter what the song genre is? I ask this because I've just jammed/auditioned with three pub covers bands and in each case, the guitarist only really wanted to play Clapton, SRV, Gary Moore. Where have the funk, soul, ska guitarists all gone, please?

 
Aren’t they all in funk, soul and ska bands?  

 

Generic covers bands need guitar solos

[solo4652]

5 minutes ago, Drax said:

 
Aren’t they all in funk, soul and ska bands?  

 

Generic covers bands need guitar solos

Yes - generic covers band certainly do need guitar solos, if appropriate to the song being played. However, some songs require (lead) guitarists to calm down and stop shredding. At a local pub cover band level, such people do seem rather rare, in my experience.

[solo4652]

1 hour ago, BassBunny said:

Steve, If you get a chance to see Brother Strut, go. I've seen them twice and they are awesome.

Stuart - PM'd you.

[chris_b]

1 hour ago, BassBunny said:

. . . . If you get a chance to see Brother Strut, go. I've seen them twice and they are awesome.

 

I was lined up to see them when the first Lockdown happened, then I was gigging when they were playing locally, a few months ago!! Third time lucky!!

[Shaggy]

We had this exact problem when our guitarist moved away and left our funk /soul / disco / ska band, so we had to audition for a new one - I even put In the JMB ad “style-wise; think Nile Rogers rather than Hendrix.....”.  Simply couldn’t find one, and the band folded.

When you listen to Nile, you realise what a clever and intuitive player he really is. 😎

[ezbass]

I kind of understand the obsession with soling being the be and end all, it’s because of the reverence paid to the formative days of rock guitar and the folk who came out of it. However, when you look at it, why would anyone just sit around and wait for their moment in the spotlight (a lot of jazz players spring to mind here) and not enjoy the whole song? I was in a band where I was one of two guitarists and the other player was an infinitely better lead player than me and so, quite rightly, did most of that work (never a boring widdle fest, always melodic), although we often did some harmony stuff. However, this forced me to embrace more rhythm work and, because of that, I got more into the song and was sawing away, having a great for the whole song, not just the odd 12 bars or so. Perhaps it’s no surprise that I migrated to the bass.

[Kiwi]

Money where my mouth is.  This is an old shot, the Hitmaker replica is a little more reliced now.

 

 

And...on the other strat (before I commissioned the Hitmaker in 2015).

 

I was lucky enough to chat occasionally on FB with Nile before he got heavily back into touring, I met him at the London Acoustic Guitar show in 2014.  He is great company, very streetwise, yet one of those guys who is a musician's musician but not attention seeking.  Although there are times when he tends to milk the audience for sentimentality and it gets a bit cringey.  But yeah, he's definitely a big influence and Chic's songs are very accessible. 

 

I think Cory Wong is worth a mention too.  He certainly gives out a lot of props to bass players and isn't too bad himself. 

 

[Paul S]

It's probably easier to fit a blues trio in the corner of the Dog and Centipede than a 7 piece funk band with brass section.  But, bottom line, it all depends upon what you like.  If you don't like the genre you aren't going to find it a good fit.  Maybe ask for a sample set list before auditioning?  If you see 'set one' Red House and nothing else listed you might want to swerve that band.  

[Barking Spiders]

In the past I placed several ads on Join My Band looking out for Nile-type guitar players, Zigaboo-type drummers and horn players but never got many looks let alone likes and anyone bothering to message me. Unless you're looking to join/form a metal, Emo, blues-rock or punk band JMB isn't a good place to look. In the end I gave up looking and chose to jack it all in.  I also find that pub landlords don't care for the funk

[Nicko]

I have played guitar for 40 odd years and still don't really like playing solos.  I often end up playing them because the song demands something but I'd prefer to do rhythm.  

[Mykesbass]

The very sad news about Wilko Johnson brought this thread back to mind. For pub bands I'd say he is a much better benchmark rhythm guitarist than Nile.