How was Your rehearsal last morning or night ?

[Dad3353]

Saturday afternoon saw the last practice session before our outing next Friday. still no real news on logistics, other than 'we play first, probably...', nor what, if any, PA, lights, backline... might be found. Apparently there'll be a semi-trailer as stage; not ideal, but... Whatever. More of an issue may be the weather. It's a bit early to pronounce, but it's not looking promising. No back-up plan, and if it pours down, there'll be no audience, either, so we may end up not even unpacking the truck I'll be borrowing.  Rehearsal went well, and we sorted out the order for the set; for the rest... Que sera sera. 

[Franticsmurf]

Last full rehearsal with the Hulla band for next Saturday's Hullabaloo festival headline (well, we organise it so we get the best slot 😃). It went very well - tightest I've heard the band play. Add to that tea and biscuits during the first half and you have a very refined evening. Our BL is a massive Springsteen fan, so he bases the set duration on Bruce's marathons. We were just over three hours start to finish last night, with perhaps 10 minutes of break. In previous years, the crowd participation, extended intros and requests for encores has taken us to the 4 hour mark.

 

I'm also playing with a scratch band made up of three Hulla bandmates in a support slot earlier in the afternoon. Our last rehearsal is Thursday. Friday is set up day - we have a large marquee to cover the stage which is set in the village green and most of the band help out with that in return for breakfast and fish and chips at the end of the day. Our sound guy does the event sound and I'll be helping with that too. A busy week ahead. 😃

[ardi100]

Third rehearsal for a Madonna tribute (ish) project.

 

With various members' holidays (including mine) we hadn't got together for about 4 weeks, giving us the chance to really learn the songs.

 

The keyboard player (who is masquerading as such - he's really a guitarist) was talking a lot about mistakes before we started - you'll see why later.

 

I had spent the previous week nutting out all the structures of the song list, writing them down, sorting out my sounds (via Boss GT1 B) and generally studying the songs. I had to especially practise the 8th note runs of a few as I can't get them clean and in time well enough yet. Once we started it sounds pretty good, mistakes here and there, but it's early days with this band. No one knew each other, all answered the singer's ad on JMB, all from various backgrounds (none of us currently in a tribute band, although the drummer had played in a pretty successful Jam act).

 

As we get further into the set it's apparent that the keyboard player hasn't really learned the songs. He's got a few bits from a few songs down, but there are others he didn't know at all. He just sat completely out on a couple. 

 

Lots of the songs sounded really tight and others aren't too far away so we were all feeling pretty goods by the end, keyboard issue notwithstanding. As soon as we'd finished, the keyboardist went, which prompted a discussion about what we do. Advertise for someone else? Stick with him (they're hard to find, apparently)? Both?

 

Discussions were still ongoing when I left, as I have an hour's drive to get home.

[asingardenof]

Weird mood at rehearsal today. Earlier this week our guitarist had put up a video on Facebook of her playing a snippet of Mr Brightside where it wasn't obvious it was from that song. She's been putting in the grind learning it because it's pretty tricky to play, and she's done well so far. But singist, who's a grumpy bugger a lot of the time, dismissed it and said he couldn't make it out and that it wasn't very good (it was). She very nearly walked out, and I'd have joined her, and not only because she was my lift home.

 

Then singist immediately messed up the timing at the start of Two Tribes, and looked furious at us daring to stop the song and point it out.

[MichaelDean]

Really good this evening after missing a few due to (other people's) illness. I've re worked my pedalboard to have the Mojo Mojo and Bass Big Muff in the effects loop of my GX-100. The BBM is set to the dry setting, which lets you blend in a dry signal, which is for wimps 😬 I'm running the Mojo Mojo pretty hot into the BBM which makes a really articulate, but totally distorted/fuzzed out signal, full of low end. I turned the loop on and the drummer said "I didn't think you could get heavier!". Very happy bunny. 

 

We also jammed out a new instrumental track too, so all in all, a good practice.

 

We are struggling to get some samples onto a Digitech JamMan though. It was such a noisy signal. Might need to revisit the sample creation, or the device itself and get something a bit more modern...

[asingardenof]

22 hours ago, asingardenof said:

Weird mood at rehearsal today. Earlier this week our guitarist had put up a video on Facebook of her playing a snippet of Mr Brightside where it wasn't obvious it was from that song. She's been putting in the grind learning it because it's pretty tricky to play, and she's done well so far. But singist, who's a grumpy bugger a lot of the time, dismissed it and said he couldn't make it out and that it wasn't very good (it was). She very nearly walked out, and I'd have joined her, and not only because she was my lift home.

 

Then singist immediately messed up the timing at the start of Two Tribes, and looked furious at us daring to stop the song and point it out.

A lot of chatter between myself, guitarist and keyboardist after rehearsal, mostly agreeing singist was being a see you next Tuesday, and that if guitarist had walked we'd all have walked. Some more drama to come, methinks...

[WalMan]

Monday was good as it was a run through with our old drummer and my buddy in rhythm of 40 years. We’re like an old married couple and work off each other with a nod - it has long been alleged that we share the same brain when playing 😁

 

Last night was a run through with keys and guitar for Friday’s dep (drummer delayed return from hols and 🤷‍♂️re the girl vocalists). No great problem as we just ran the basics - tops, tails and odd arrangements or key changes - and got my IEM’s connected to the desk and a working mix running with the Soundcraft ui as I couldn’t get Mixing Station to work with the stage box for some reason.

[EssexBuccaneer]

 

 

Great time tonight, we nailed the Beastie Boys ‘Fight for your right’ and Nirvana ‘Lithium’ at their first rehearsal, so we’ll throw them both into Friday and Saturday’s sets this week 😀

 

Was a hot one though! A huge fan was barely enough to get us through! 

 

 

[WalMan]

Had a rehearsal / run through with the punk band I have a dep for next week. 
 

Was (tongue in cheek) accused of being professional because I’d listened to the songs and had a rough idea how they went 🤣

 

All good clean fun and ran through two sets.

 

Man alive it was loud 😱 I should use my earplugs more often but regularly forego as levels are manageable with most that I work with, but I was glad I had them this time and wished I could find my original stronger plugs at times!!!

[AndyTravis]

Tonight…

 

sweaty.

 

but.

 

we’ve had a couple of weeks off as singer was in America, keys and guitar player went to Sweden…

 

we’ve got 2 gigs this coming weekend.

 

one is a Battle Of The Bands thing - we last minute decisioned it.

 

and a festival.

 

if we are 80% as good as we were tonight…we’ll be reet.

 

Sounding really good, together - much better than our 9 months together would suggest.

[steantval]

Very frustrating rehearsal last night, schoolboy error which we should all know better.

We decided at the last rehearsal a cover song we could add to the set.

Turned up last night, myself and the drummer learnt one version, the vocalist another and the guitarist in his infinite wisdom learnt a live Glastonbury version 🤪

Every version was a different structure, so much time was wasted to come to a compromise of how we were to play it, a bit of a joke.

It won’t happen again, we will ensure every member is learning exactly the same version of a song before going ahead with it.

[nilorius]

10 hours ago, steantval said:

Very frustrating rehearsal last night, schoolboy error which we should all know better.

We decided at the last rehearsal a cover song we could add to the set.

Turned up last night, myself and the drummer learnt one version, the vocalist another and the guitarist in his infinite wisdom learnt a live Glastonbury version 🤪

Every version was a different structure, so much time was wasted to come to a compromise of how we were to play it, a bit of a joke.

It won’t happen again, we will ensure every member is learning exactly the same version of a song before going ahead with it.

Yeah, this is a bit painful when it happens this way. But after ensuring the same version for each next time - is ok.

[msb]

Yup , we always make a point of making sure everybody listening to the same reference. 
 

the same thing happened
 

 

[DGBass]

Tonight's rehearshal went much better than expected. It's the only one we could fit in before our first gig together as a new lineup this Thursday, and was the first time all four band members have jammed together. There are reasons for this as rehearsal and gigging has suffered a few setbacks of late. Sadly, my drummer buddy who was an ace tub thumper passed away unexpectedly a few weeks back, and then our long time vocalist left the band shortly afterwards. These things happen. Positives though are that with a new drummer and stand in vocalist, we didn't sound too shabby tonight. Although we are admitedly a bit rough around the edges, we are confident we will be able to put on a good show. I've also slimmed down the gear further of late as its mostly been low volume and quiet blues/jazz types weekday evening shows i've played. As tonight's jam was also a sort of dress rehearshal, I got a chance to put some miles on a recent purchase, a tiny lighweight class-d Ashdown amp to go with my well proven and gigged Laney R210 lightweight cab. Very pleased with the sound, much like a MAG with an ABM shape added in. There was no amp sliding around on the cab either for such a small box even at high volume. 

 

[MacDaddy]

Wednesday. People have been away so this was the first rehearsal in about 5 weeks. We were all worried about being a bit rusty, but as we went along confidence came back and it was bl00dy good fun! 😁

[colleya]

A really positive rehearsal with the new band. I think this is our 5th/6th one now.

 

Weirdly, we didn't play very much stuff.

 

However, we got the desk settings sorted for our IEMs, and what we did play sounded great through headphones.

 

We also spent quite a bit of time discussing the direction/theme of the set. Up to now we've been playing a bit of everything, but it's becoming clear what we like to play and what fits us as a group. We went through the existing songs and culled the ones that didn't fit the direction, then decided on some new ones to learn for next time.

 

And...... we might just have a name! Not saying anything yet as we're still doing due diligence online and getting the social media handles set up, but it's looking good!

 

Feeling excited about it, you never know whether a new band is going to fly or not, but hopefully this one is looking good.

[Franticsmurf]

10 hours ago, colleya said:

A really positive rehearsal with the new band. I think this is our 5th/6th one now.

 

Weirdly, we didn't play very much stuff.

 

However, we got the desk settings sorted for our IEMs, and what we did play sounded great through headphones.

 

We also spent quite a bit of time discussing the direction/theme of the set. Up to now we've been playing a bit of everything, but it's becoming clear what we like to play and what fits us as a group. We went through the existing songs and culled the ones that didn't fit the direction, then decided on some new ones to learn for next time.

 

And...... we might just have a name! Not saying anything yet as we're still doing due diligence online and getting the social media handles set up, but it's looking good!

 

Feeling excited about it, you never know whether a new band is going to fly or not, but hopefully this one is looking good.

I love this part of any new band. And great that you spent time not playing and making sure everyone was on the same wavelength. Time away from instruments can be as productive as time learning new songs. Good luck. 😃

[colleya]

1 hour ago, Franticsmurf said:

Time away from instruments can be as productive as time learning new songs. Good luck. 😃

Cheers! I was in my last band for so long that I'd forgotten about this part.

 

It felt weird not just playing and working on tunes, but the discussion was much more productive in person than it would've been on WhatsApp.

 

Next steps, record some promo sound clips, confirm the name, get a logo and start to look for some gigs!

[Jo.gwillim]

 Our singer/guitarist arrived without his lead so we didn't play a note. Nice to catch up with mates though. Rehersals don't really allow for chat, which i wholeheartedly approve of on the whole. 

[Franticsmurf]

The Hulla band are rehearsing for a wedding, including 6 request songs, which we're happy to do. It exposes us to stuff we may not have considered and the current 'standard' set includes several toons that started off as requests. We're a large band with an unusual mix of instruments (drum, bass, guitar x2, sax, trumpet, ukes x4, banjo, keys and bongos with several of the above singing) so arranging for new songs is fun. As a massive Springsteen fan, the BL starts off from a point of 'what would Bruce/the E Street Band do?' and then we end up with a Bruce/original version/Hulla band mash-up chart at the first rehearsal. Sounds chaotic? Yes, it often is at the start. Doesn't always work (Imagine an E Street Band version of 'Dancing Queen' further interpreted by ukes with limited ability to play anything other than strict 4/4 on the beat, bass and drums trying to inject some movement and feel and the rest following as best they can - we don't do that one anymore 😃) But largely it works and by the time the gig comes around we're pretty tight. The best part is that there are no egos, lots of laughing and I always look forward to the next rehearsal. Not everyone's cup of tea, I'm sure, but it works with my philosophy that being in a band is about enjoying the whole experience - live and rehearsal. In some ways you are also rehearsing on stage relationships, which usually leads to a better experience for the audience. And speaking of tea, as we rehearse in the local village hall, there is always tea available. 😃

 

Our 6 new request songs are Texas Hold 'Em (Beyonce), 21 Summers, Staying Alive (we're working on the Bruce/E Street live version as a starting point), There's Your Trouble, A Rainy Night in Soho and Thinking About You (Chic). If I'm honest, the only ones that I'm enjoying at the moment are Staying Alive and Thinking About You. I suspect that Texas Hold Em, Staying Alive and A Rainy Night will remain in the set.   

[asingardenof]

A decent rehearsal on Sunday. I think we've finally nailed Two Tribes, and Mr Brightside is coming along slowly but surely. Thoughts are turning to what we learn next, and Sledgehammer has been suggested. Now while I'd love to play that, and it'll give me a chance to use the chorus and octaver pedals that are otherwise just gathering dust on my pedal board, I'm not entirely convinced it'll sit well in our set which is a bit more upbeat. Back to the drawing board I think.

[DGBass]

Rehearshal for a second rock covers band project went reasonably well tonight. This was to resurrect the old band I played in that fragmented earlier this year after our drummer sadly passed away, and our vocalist left. We have two rehearshals before the first gig together with the new drummer and new vocalist. They are shaping up well and getting to grips with the 36 covers they have to learn for a 3 hour show. It's the same lineup from our other blues/jazz project. We did our first gig last week as the blues/jazz project with a different setlist and a much more relaxed and quieter setup. Tonight, I used an old 1980s Fender Sidekick 100B amp at rehearshal and it actually sounded really good and held up well with loud drums and a cranked Sessionette 75 watt guitar combo. It will work well in the blues band, but I've realised for the rock covers band I'll need to dust off my ABM setup which I haven't used in a while, as the weekend gig coming up will be a much busier venue and traditionally a louder and more rowdy gig. Now where did I put my ear protection?

[Leonard Smalls]

Had our first rehearsal with "proper" drummer for out new jazz/blues thang last night.

Still playing in the local church, which is kind of nice - but still had to wear earplugs.

And it was good! Drummer is funky. And he listens, though he does tend toward speeding up a bit - but that could be because he hasn't played for a year.

No songs as such yet, but a few good grooves.

We'll see how it goes when we introduce the singer next week - not sure what the improvisational skills of a musical theatre graduate will be like but I'm kind of hoping for a bit of widdleyweebop skaddendoobendoo!

 

 

 

[Nothingman]

Great rehearsal last night, practicing for a short slot at an all day charity gig next week. 
 

Was so happy with my tone. 
 

MIM Jazz > EHX Hot Wax > Nux Chorus > EHX Battalion > Orange Terror Bass > Roost 1x15

 

Had the distortion on the Battalion always on for a tiny bit of bite and switched between both circuits of the Hot Wax for overdrive.

 

Sounded mint. Might have to think twice about selling my battalion.

 

Then I was using my new IEMs (purchased on hear) so I could hear the vocals - we are loud. 
 

All add lovely tone to a sweaty and excellent evening. 
 

Even the song I play guitar on went well!!!
 

More practices like this, please. 

[Franticsmurf]

The Hulla band have no gigs booked until the end of November so last night's rehearsal, following the previous weekend's double gig, was due to be more relaxing and a bit of fun. Not that they aren't fun anyway, but the deadline pressure was off. It turned into a bit of a jukebox session, with the BL calling songs we hadn't played for months (or in one case over a year). Fortunately I have crib sheets/charts for most of the stuff we've done over the past 18 months so a combination of memory, watching the guitarist and frantically scrabbling through my book of stuff meant that I was able to keep up. Duff notes? Yes. Dodgy BVs? Yes. Brain fade (the BL called 'Summer of 69' and I called up the heavily flanged 'Dakota intro' patch)? Yes. Laughter, teasing the saxophonist, ukeleles playing 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'? Yes!

 

I often get frustrated at Hulla rehearsals as they are also the only time that some of the band play their instruments (it started off as a social/community thing so about half the band don't consider themselves musicians). It means we don't spend enough time on arrangements. Fortunately, the core of the band (BL/vocalist, guitar, bass, drums, sax = the loud ones) are able to get the arrangements done and the BL conducts the others so it all works. In the last 18 months the band has improved immensely and we're getting more word of mouth gigs as a result.