How was your open mic or jam night last night?

[tauzero]

I can't help but think that quite a few of us have mentioned these, yet nothing much gets said about them. So, as we've got threads about gigs and rehearsals, how about an open mic/jam night one?

 

Tonight's open mic night at the Cavern in Tamworth was quite a fun event. Assorted bands and performers as always. There was a featured band (as there sometimes is here) called Fortunate Sons, who started their set with Fortunate Sons - although the effect was slightly spoilt by the singer forgetting the words. Gearstalking - their bassist had a 5-string SUB Ray which I thought (as it was a 5 string) was a Ray35, but he insisted that it was a Ray34. Mrs Zero and I did a bass and vocals set - Killer by Seal, Wicked Game by Chris Isaacs, Dancing in the moonlight by Thin Lizzy. There was a somewhat unusual band - the Drayton Brassets I think they're called, a band of brass rather than a brass band, trombone, trumpet, tuba, tympani (just kidding, it was a drummer), and a couple of others (also cornets or trumpets I think), doing assorted songs by Green Day among others. I got called up for a couple of numbers by the organiser, and for the final jam, Route 66 and Hog for you baby seguing into the final bit of Freebird. There's a young guitarist called James Bartholomew who is very good (just wish he could turn the volume down to 10) and he did some blistering solo work.

 

Oh, and I also met a guitarist I haven't seen for 40 years or so, since he was supposed to be playing with me at a gig and jumped in the canal instead. More detail in the Spinal Tap thread.

 

Tomorrow is the weekly open mic at the Shirley Royal British Legion, which I may report on.

[pete.young]

We have a new acoustic blues jam in Ipswich, every last Wednesday of the month at The Duke, Ipswich.

 

It's run by Tim Ainslie (guitar, vocals) and Adrian Day (harp, vocals) . I'm not normally one for jamming but since I have a high regard for both these guys and play in a band with Adrian, I went along last week.

 

Acoustic instruments only, no drum kit (there is a Cajon), no electric guitars and the pub's Yamaha  piano. Adrian provides a low-volume PA and some DI boxes.  I took my double bass. Another bass player eventually showed up with some kind of pseudo-semi acoustic thing, which I didn't recognise. Both basses sounded OK at low volume through the PA.

 

Usual format: Tim and Adrian did a few songs, then rotated the line up through the 5 or 6 guitarists, 2 keyboards and bass players who put their names down on the list. The atmosphere in the pub was great, quite a few people had come along to listen and chat, and were able to do both thanks to the low volume. There is a very loud electric blues jam once a month in the Shamrock, and I enjoyed this session far more, the lower volume being a major factor.

 

I'll probably go again, and might take along the mandolin and/or the Weissenborn to give a bit of variation to the sound.

[Terry M.]

10 hours ago, tauzero said:

Gearstalking - their bassist had a 5-string SUB Ray which I thought (as it was a 5 string) was a Ray35, but he insisted that it was a Ray 34

The bassist insisted his 5 string was in fact a 4 string? I'm not doubting that you can count btw 🤣

[Happy Jack]

Last night's blues jam at [identity withheld to avoid upsetting people] was WAY too loud. Again. 

 

I tried arguing with the organiser (an old friend and long-time collaborator in bands) that this might conceivably be the reason for the on-going tail-off in numbers attending.

 

Wouldn't have it. Just wouldn't have it. Even in a small, nearly-empty pub the volume level has to match the O2 or it's not a "proper" jam. 🙄

 

Lord save me from delusional musos.

 

 

[Acebassmusic]

9 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

Last night's blues jam at [identity withheld to avoid upsetting people] was WAY too loud. Again. 

 

I tried arguing with the organiser (an old friend and long-time collaborator in bands) that this might conceivably be the reason for the on-going tail-off in numbers attending.

 

Wouldn't have it. Just wouldn't have it. Even in a small, nearly-empty pub the volume level has to match the O2 or it's not a "proper" jam. 🙄

 

Lord save me from delusional musos.

 

I think excessive volume is a common problem for many jams (and gigs). For a number of years I used to be in the house band for the local blues jam. I kept saying the volume is causing people leave. People would be sat with their fingers in their ears and then leave, it was that obvious. We had a really good sound guy who would (as requested) mic everything up......and then mute it at the desk as the stage volume was so high he couldnt do anything with it! He had a superb Nexo / Allen & Heath system at his fingertips that he could only use as a vocal PA I eventually tired of it and passed the batton to others.

[Geek99]

Going to one tonight, I shall report

[tauzero]

Last night was my regular Wednesday night at the British Legion in Shirley. Took the 10-string Dean for a change. Mrs Zero was feeling unwell so I got to sing and play guitar, which the audience suffered without wincing too much. Accompanied a few people, notably Blind George, who is blind, called George, and is a 14 year old rather good blues guitarist who will be doing a slot at the Upton Blues Festival this year.

Edited Thursday at 10:17 by tauzero

[Geek99]

Another Jeff healey? 

[Geek99]

At the gate in Coalville 

about to learn “she sells sanctuary” on the fly, small beer to you talented types but a huge step for me 

[tauzero]

2 hours ago, Geek99 said:

At the gate in Coalville 

about to learn “she sells sanctuary” on the fly, small beer to you talented types but a huge step for me 

 

The more you do it, the better you get.

[Geek99]

Had a great quick play thru in the hallway with guitarist and cajon player - okay for next time

uber talented double bass player stole the show thereafter 

 

sanctuary is being played on an acoustic and cajon so really going to need to know it. Guitard thinks it’s all eighths but there’s quite a few twiddly bits. I find his acoustic “gentle”version quite hard to follow and I’m also nervous that my Stingray might rather sonically stamp over him and Mr Cajon 

he’s chosen D, some weird voicing of C ** and regular G so the chords actually sound quite similar 

 

c7 possibly, with b string C played as open b and g fretted on E string. The work of Satan obviously 

Edited Saturday at 19:04 by Geek99

[Geek99]

As I said to him “you totally sent me back to school” and fair play he is more talented and clearly practices a lot more 👍

[NancyJohnson]

Attended a couple of open-mic things donkey's years ago, not playing, mind.  Not much talent on show, quite painful, much heckling and people running to the bar.  Credit to the performers and while you have to applaud their tenacity, most of it was just balls.

 

Never been to an open jam session in my life; part of me thinks there'd be this opportunity to unearth some like-minded musicians and find a musical soul mate, but conversely there's the nightmare scenario of being stuck in a pub with a load of old hairy-biker types that took up the guitar when they retired and just want to play Wonderful Tonight.

 

[Rapid edit]  Went to a barbeque once while we were staying with some friends in Devon.  Word got out that I played bass and would I like to sit in when the guitars came out.  (Not really.) There really is nothing worse than being berated by some three-chord Johnny (especially when one's technical ability exceeds theirs by several country miles) for playing the wrong notes in a song that you've never heard before?

 

"It's a standard, mate," he said.  "Call yourself a bassist, everyone knows <whatever Eric Clapton song it was>."

 

No mate.  No.  They don't.

 

 

 

Edited Friday at 07:57 by NancyJohnson

[Terry M.]

1 hour ago, NancyJohnson said:

Attended a couple of open-mic things donkey's years ago, not playing, mind.  Not much talent on show, quite painful, much heckling and people running to the bar.  Credit to the performers and while you have to applaud their tenacity, most of it was just balls.

 

Never been to an open jam session in my life; part of me thinks there'd be this opportunity to unearth some like-minded musicians and find a musical soul mate, but conversely there's the nightmare scenario of being stuck in a pub with a load of old hairy-biker types that took up the guitar when they retired and just want to play Wonderful Tonight.

 

[Rapid edit]  Went to a barbeque once while we were staying with some friends in Devon.  Word got out that I played bass and would I like to sit in when the guitars came out.  (Not really.) There really is nothing worse than being berated by some three-chord Johnny (especially when one's technical ability exceeds theirs by several country miles) for playing the wrong notes in a song that you've never heard before?

 

"It's a standard, mate," he said.  "Call yourself a bassist, everyone knows <whatever Eric Clapton song it was>."

 

No mate.  No.  They don't.

 

 

 

That's a really unfortunate experience. Not cool at all to say that to you. Wow!

[tauzero]

4 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

Attended a couple of open-mic things donkey's years ago, not playing, mind.  Not much talent on show, quite painful, much heckling and people running to the bar.  Credit to the performers and while you have to applaud their tenacity, most of it was just balls.

 

Quality is very variable but open mics generally offer a friendly audience. Some players improve through playing in front of audiences - Mrs Zero was one of those, when I took her to her first open mic night to do some John Denver standards she was rubbish but I knew she was better than that, took her along to the next one and she was much better, and she finished up fronting a rock band. However, it is a two-edged sword - one guy who turns up sporadically to a couple of open mic nights should have the mic closed (his guitar playing is OK though).

[nekomatic]

We did have a how was your jam? thread a while back, but it sort of petered out. No harm starting another one though.