bluesparky Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 (edited) I've currently working as a tech (but not playing, sadly) on the rehearsals for an upcoming tour that i'll be busy on for the next month or so (I can hear you all yawning about another work story from me!!!) and it's been quite interesting. The scale of the tour is massive (stadiums, ending at wembley in early july), with the whole of the music being played live. There are a couple of guitarists, bassist, drummer, a few keyboard players and the 4 lead vocals too. However, the monitor system is all in-ears and we've not got any PA in the rehearsals as it's all about blocking through the setlist with the dancers and sorting out the choreography etc. This means when they're playing the songs all you can hear is the drummer, and bass / electric guitar amps as the keys and vox are only appearing in the in-ears. Therefore, the pop songs that we all probably (unwillingly) know sound so different, really quite rocky and funky in places - also a bunch of them sound exactly like other songs. Of course i'm not suggesting or insinuating that the songs have been copied or ripped off, just that without the keyboard hooks, riffs and tunes and also no vocals, completely changes how you hear certain songs and it's easy to recognise chord sequences which also appear in other songs and from then on the "other" song is stuck in your head. Just like the isolated bass tracks thread has highlighted how different things sound in an unfamiliar context. It's been great hearing it like this, as it's uber-tight musicians playing the backbone for pop songs, but they're also rocking out quite a bit to give the live side of it quite an edge. I can always feel my fingers twitching, desperate to grab hold of a bass and play - it's been a fantastic motivation. Once stripped down, the songs actually sound great, there are quite a few intricate fills and riffs that you just don't hear because the focus of the pop songs are on the vocal melody. Oh, and we were rehearsing in an incredible old empty enormous airship hanger, so the reverb was fun too! Anyhoo, that's just what's on my post-pub mind at the mo! Cheers, Edited May 27, 2009 by bluesparky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 Take your Zoom H2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerdragon Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Yeah but whats the name of the band? don:t do that to us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesparky Posted May 26, 2009 Author Share Posted May 26, 2009 (edited) [quote name='beerdragon' post='497720' date='May 26 2009, 01:14 AM']Yeah but whats the name of the band? don:t do that to us![/quote] Take That. Edited May 26, 2009 by bluesparky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Cool... Take That always had good tunes. A lot of pop songs sound good when strip away the crap. For example: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Hi Sparky, do you know a guy called Nick Jevins? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesparky Posted May 26, 2009 Author Share Posted May 26, 2009 [quote name='steve-soar' post='497756' date='May 26 2009, 08:18 AM']Hi Sparky, do you know a guy called Nick Jevins?[/quote] Hello mate, no, i don't know a Nick Jevins, but i do know a Nick Evans through work.. - close but no cigar.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesparky Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 [quote name='OldGit' post='497687' date='May 26 2009, 12:14 AM']Take your Zoom H2? [/quote] I'd not heard of that before, it looks quite cool. Dammit, now i want one.. Something to spend the tour bonus on!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crez5150 Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 I'll look forward to hearing you in Coventry next month..... going on the 8th and 10th so will get a good listen to the set. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Where's Lee Pom then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 [quote name='bluesparky' post='499194' date='May 27 2009, 07:15 PM']I'd not heard of that before, it looks quite cool. Dammit, now i want one.. Something to spend the tour bonus on!![/quote] Well it was a throwaway but in your shoes I'd look at the Zoom H4 as it has XLR inputs rather than the mini jack of the H2 (as well as mics of course) I use my H2 a lot for recording rehearsals and the sax player in the Blockheads had one on stage and was recording the audience chanting Norman! Norman! during the bass solo a few weeks ago Oh and I use the screw in thing it comes with (so you can stick it in a mic stand) on my camera for stage shots and filming Cool piece of kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesparky Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 [quote name='EBS_freak' post='499247' date='May 27 2009, 08:13 PM']Where's Lee Pom then?[/quote] He's playing in the band, Milton is guitarist and Donovan Hepburn is on drums, Mike Stevens is MD and i can't remember the name of 2nd guitarist and keyboard players.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 [quote name='bluesparky' post='499359' date='May 27 2009, 10:06 PM']He's playing in the band, Milton is guitarist and Donovan Hepburn is on drums, Mike Stevens is MD and i can't remember the name of 2nd guitarist and keyboard players..[/quote] This post has been edited by bluesparky: Today, 10:07 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 [quote name='bluesparky' post='497682' date='May 26 2009, 12:04 AM']Oh, and we were rehearsing in an incredible old empty enormous airship hanger, so the reverb was fun too![/quote] PS - you may want to edit this bit too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesparky Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 [quote name='EBS_freak' post='499384' date='May 27 2009, 10:23 PM']This post has been edited by bluesparky: Today, 10:07 PM [/quote] Yup, i edited it to add the words "as a tech" just to make my job clearer!. I'm not in the band - i'm a man with a screwdriver - hence being on the wrong side of the stage! I think Lee's position is one which is certainly more than a little above my playing level and experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 (edited) [quote name='bluesparky' post='499404' date='May 27 2009, 10:38 PM']Yup, i edited it to add the words "as a tech" just to make my job clearer!. I'm not in the band - i'm a man with a screwdriver - hence being on the wrong side of the stage! I think Lee's position is one which is certainly more than a little above my playing level and experience! [/quote] PS, Lee says hi. Edited May 27, 2009 by EBS_freak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesparky Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 [quote name='EBS_freak' post='499399' date='May 27 2009, 10:35 PM']PS - you may want to edit this bit too...[/quote] It's fine, we left there a couple of days ago. The "we" refers to all 100+ people on the tour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AM1 Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Hmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesparky Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 OK, i think maybe incorrect wordings and phrasings in my intial post-pub-post have made me out to be saying i'm in a position that i'm not. I clearly didn't mean to mis-direct people or make out i'm something i'm not, i only wanted to share something i'd heard, seen and experience, and maybe have a couple of comments here and there about it. If anyone has seen any of my other posts from last year that i've been on here, i've made it very clear that i'm not a professional bass player - i'm not even in a band, but i am fortunate to work in the industry and have a rather pleasant insight to gigs, shows and circumstances which i love to be in. I'd like to think that i'm an honest person and i've no desire to lead people up the garden path by making up huge untruths. I've re-read my posts a hundred times and i don't think i've said anything blatant to make out i'm something i'm not, just that a couple of things could be mis-interpreted if you looked at it from a cynical point of view. However i have added the seemingly key words "as a tech" to the first line of my first post to make it clearer that i'm not trying to BS anyone. Sorry if anyone has been mis-lead, i'll go and lie low now so as not to ruffle any feathers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 [quote name='bluesparky' post='499432' date='May 27 2009, 10:57 PM']OK, i think maybe incorrect wordings and phrasings in my intial post-pub-post have made me out to be saying i'm in a position that i'm not. I clearly didn't mean to mis-direct people or make out i'm something i'm not, i only wanted to share something i'd heard, seen and experience, and maybe have a couple of comments here and there about it. If anyone has seen any of my other posts from last year that i've been on here, i've made it very clear that i'm not a professional bass player - i'm not even in a band, but i am fortunate to work in the industry and have a rather pleasant insight to gigs, shows and circumstances which i love to be in. I'd like to think that i'm an honest person and i've no desire to lead people up the garden path by making up huge untruths. I've re-read my posts a hundred times and i don't think i've said anything blatant to make out i'm something i'm not, just that a couple of things could be mis-interpreted if you looked at it from a cynical point of view. However i have added the seemingly key words "as a tech" to the first line of my first post to make it clearer that i'm not trying to BS anyone. Sorry if anyone has been mis-lead, i'll go and lie low now so as not to ruffle any feathers.[/quote] Fair play to you dude, sorry if there was a misunderstanding but it did read a bit odd. Anyway, the Take That show is a really good experience. If anybody was thinking of poo pooing it because they are a boy band, then they should take a peak, there is some really top playing and arrangements going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Funk Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 That must be seriously fun dude! Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 FWIW, I read your initial post way back before you edited it, and I didn't think it was misleading. Just sayin'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 (edited) [quote name='wateroftyne' post='499558' date='May 28 2009, 07:07 AM']FWIW, I read your initial post way back before you edited it, and I didn't think it was misleading. Just sayin'.[/quote] Agreed. Storm > Teacup. But it's a no-win. If he actually [i]was[/i] playing bass for Take That, he'd probably have experienced a 'musical integrity' derailment Good luck with the tour! Edited May 28, 2009 by skankdelvar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesparky Posted May 28, 2009 Author Share Posted May 28, 2009 [quote name='skankdelvar' post='499766' date='May 28 2009, 12:31 PM']Agreed. Storm > Teacup. But it's a no-win. If he actually [i]was[/i] playing bass for Take That, he'd probably have experienced a 'musical integrity' derailment Good luck with the tour![/quote] It's nothing. Things were taken the wrong way - as it's easy to do with written word, and it's all water off a duck's back. EBS_freak has since been very good about it and it's all sorted now. It's all water under the bridge. If anyone is interested / actually cares, i may post more about it all towards the end of / at the end of the tour - once all of the good bits, key higlights and gags have been splashed over the papers umpteen times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 [quote name='bluesparky' post='499776' date='May 28 2009, 12:44 PM']If anyone is interested / actually cares, i may post more about it all towards the end of / at the end of the tour[/quote] Please do...Have a good one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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