Great Music this 4th of July Week
It's great to have time to go out and see other bands. This past 4th of July week, I got to see a number of bands and think about ways to improve my band's show. Most of the bands were local, but we did have one band from the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) come up to our events.
I was most anxious to see the band from the cities. They were up here last year and put on a real good show. This year, a different lineup, and the music was not as good but the crowd was better. So they had a good night. Anyway, these guys play about 4 nights a week down in the cities. Their song selections that they played for us went over well.
What I noticed, as a musician, is that they are playing lots of real easy songs. Nothing wrong with that, but even I could have jumped up on stage with them and played bass for the night. Well, maybe all the easy songs were due to the lineup changes where they went down to a power trio plus singer. Last year they had both a lead and rhythm guitarist, and I just think you can do more with two guitars, bass, and drums.
The singer last year was better, but their current singer did a fine job. I always watch the singer to see how he works the crowd. Since he did not play guitar, the singer was free to jump around the stage and strike the rock singer poses. Good for them. That's what I like to see. Visually, I think it makes a difference for the song. In my band, we all play and sing so there is no rockstar posing going on. We do a few songs where our lead singer drops his guitar, picks up a tambourine, and feels a little less contrained. But that's about it for us.
Anyway, even as a 3 year hack bassist, I realized that I am now to the point where I could have stepped in for their bassist and played their sets that night. In fact, they played a couple songs that we play, and I know that I can play bass better on those songs then their bass player put out. But as soon as I start thinking that, they hit a song that the bass player really knows and then he goes off riffing some really cool lines. Oh well, I guess it's back to the woodshed for me.
I also saw a local band I never heard of this weekend. They were playing mostly country type music. I'm not into country. The drummer was good, the bass player was better, the singer was OK, but the guitarist was pretty weak. I suppose if you were into Country type music, they were OK. I'm not a big fan of country music so I left after about an hour or so. Just not my type of music.
The other local band I saw this weekend was prehaps the best. Our former drummer from a few years back is playing for them. He is probably the best drummer in the area, and most certainly the best drummer I saw this weekend. I hated to lose him from our band, but he was fighting some personal demons at the time and started showing up drunk to the gigs, and then just not making it to the gigs at all. What can you say when you are loaded up and driving to the gig and the drummer calls on the cell phone and says he can't make it for some BS excuse? After he pulled that on us for a few times, and we found out his excuses were really BS, we came to a mutual understanding that the band needed a different drummer.
Our former drummer has cleaned up his act and is back behind the drums where he belongs. He was playing great and I just really felt good for him. Although he screwed my band over a few times too many, we knew he was fighting some personal demons, and none of us took his problems personally. He's a great guy, great musician, but he came with lots of baggage. In order to keep the band together, we had to cut him lose. But it was just as much his idea at that time too.
Anyway, his new band is/was probably the best group for my type of music. The female lead singer is absolutely fantastic. She sings Joplin as well as Joplin does herself. Song after song she just nails it. Anyway, that girl can really sing. Their bass player is a step above me, but not so far that I could not get there. Just a good rock 'n' roll band to listen to. I'm re-energized...
I was most anxious to see the band from the cities. They were up here last year and put on a real good show. This year, a different lineup, and the music was not as good but the crowd was better. So they had a good night. Anyway, these guys play about 4 nights a week down in the cities. Their song selections that they played for us went over well.
What I noticed, as a musician, is that they are playing lots of real easy songs. Nothing wrong with that, but even I could have jumped up on stage with them and played bass for the night. Well, maybe all the easy songs were due to the lineup changes where they went down to a power trio plus singer. Last year they had both a lead and rhythm guitarist, and I just think you can do more with two guitars, bass, and drums.
The singer last year was better, but their current singer did a fine job. I always watch the singer to see how he works the crowd. Since he did not play guitar, the singer was free to jump around the stage and strike the rock singer poses. Good for them. That's what I like to see. Visually, I think it makes a difference for the song. In my band, we all play and sing so there is no rockstar posing going on. We do a few songs where our lead singer drops his guitar, picks up a tambourine, and feels a little less contrained. But that's about it for us.
Anyway, even as a 3 year hack bassist, I realized that I am now to the point where I could have stepped in for their bassist and played their sets that night. In fact, they played a couple songs that we play, and I know that I can play bass better on those songs then their bass player put out. But as soon as I start thinking that, they hit a song that the bass player really knows and then he goes off riffing some really cool lines. Oh well, I guess it's back to the woodshed for me.
I also saw a local band I never heard of this weekend. They were playing mostly country type music. I'm not into country. The drummer was good, the bass player was better, the singer was OK, but the guitarist was pretty weak. I suppose if you were into Country type music, they were OK. I'm not a big fan of country music so I left after about an hour or so. Just not my type of music.
The other local band I saw this weekend was prehaps the best. Our former drummer from a few years back is playing for them. He is probably the best drummer in the area, and most certainly the best drummer I saw this weekend. I hated to lose him from our band, but he was fighting some personal demons at the time and started showing up drunk to the gigs, and then just not making it to the gigs at all. What can you say when you are loaded up and driving to the gig and the drummer calls on the cell phone and says he can't make it for some BS excuse? After he pulled that on us for a few times, and we found out his excuses were really BS, we came to a mutual understanding that the band needed a different drummer.
Our former drummer has cleaned up his act and is back behind the drums where he belongs. He was playing great and I just really felt good for him. Although he screwed my band over a few times too many, we knew he was fighting some personal demons, and none of us took his problems personally. He's a great guy, great musician, but he came with lots of baggage. In order to keep the band together, we had to cut him lose. But it was just as much his idea at that time too.
Anyway, his new band is/was probably the best group for my type of music. The female lead singer is absolutely fantastic. She sings Joplin as well as Joplin does herself. Song after song she just nails it. Anyway, that girl can really sing. Their bass player is a step above me, but not so far that I could not get there. Just a good rock 'n' roll band to listen to. I'm re-energized...
Comments
Interesting about the girl singer...over the 4th weekend, the original Big Brother and the Holding Company played in my town, and they had a this young chick singing for them who rocked Janis amazingly. Not bad looking either. :twisted:
I've learned a lot about playing bass over the past 3 years. But I know there is just so much more to learn. I do have a better feel for my skill level, and I can recognize a song that I can play, and those I can't. So I have grown in that respect.
My former drummer's band was probably the best band playing this weekend. I thought they were better than the \"big-city band\" based mainly on the excellent singing of their female lead. Our former drummer was easily the best drummer in town this weekend. To give you an idea of how good he is/was, the band Night Ranger (\"Sister Christian\") called him to fill in for their drummer years ago at a gig. Well, to me, that's big time. I'm not a big fan of Night Ranger, but they were hot at the time so it was a big gig for him. Unfortunatetly, like I said, our former drummer had some demons to get off his back. Despite his talent, he was unreliable and no bands would touch him for years. It was really good to see him out and performing again. He looks really good now. Hope his life is back on track.
Having said that, my first post got trucated because it was too long. The part that got left off is that my former drummer's band was disbanding after the gig last night. The band was going to fire their lead guitarist, and maybe reform with new members/new name. Anyway, my former drummer gave me his new telephone and cell phone numbers and told me what was going on with his band. He said after the night, he did not know if he would have a band anymore and would appreciate us giving him a call if we needed a fill in drummer.
In case any young musicains are reading this thread, just let me point out once again that talent, or luck, might get you into a band, but reliability and professionalism keep you there. If you screw over your bandmates in terms of reliability and/or professionalism, you will soon find yourself on the \"business\" end of the music business. ANYONE in a band can be replaced in a heartbeat. And, in my experience, it's not ever an issue of talent (at my level, anyway). You got to work with your bandmates and be dependable. Even if your skills are not the best, you need to act professional and continue to hit the woodshed to improve on your talents. Have fun on the ride as long as it lasts.