ubit

Surely you rehearse before gigging, so any nuances would be sorted well before the performance. If you want to play a different version go for it I say. Cover bands should play songs but add their own flavour. Sometimes your band doesn't have the luxury of full horn sections or multi layering so the guitarist might have to cherry pick the best bits to make it recognisable.

I am the singer as well as the bass player and I have always found that a couple of beers loosens my voice. Any timeI have played totally sober I feel my throat tightening after a while. I have no clue if it's in my head or what but it happens every time. There is a fine line between just enough and too much right enough.

7 minutes ago, cetera said:

Ah yes, Wayne Ellis.... lovely bloke.

 

I too always struggle with his use of a Stingray. As much because of the clicky hi-fi tone he gets from it as the way it looks in a Lizzy tribute. Speaking as someone who did a tribute for 25 years and paid 100% attention to detail that really bothered me. 'Tribute snob' that I am....

 

I agree. Lime house Lizzy are a great band but the Stingray bothers me as it just doesn’t look right. He has bothered trying to get the rest of the look spot on but doesn’t get the bass right. Nothing wrong with Stingrays but you wouldn’t do a Jimi Hendrix tribute with a Les Paul would you? 

15 hours ago, chris_b said:

 

How hard can it be? You guys need more confidence in your ability to get your sound. 

perhaps it’s because I like everything to be spot on. Straight out the box would make me feel that I hadn’t explored everything about the amp or guitar. 

5 hours ago, fretmeister said:

I think this would give me an anxiety attack!

 

I like to get comfortable with any new kit before gigging it. Ideally a proper rehearsal!

Me too, I wouldn't dream of buying something and going straight into a gig with it. I would have to spend ages at home working out how to get the best out of the amp or bass.

A Status Eclipse was my main gigging bass from the mid 90's up until about 2005. A great bass which sounded lovely. black burst which looked awesome too.

Like this one

I used to be a bass snob. Before I could afford a decent bass I thought I had to strive to get a decent one. I heard that Guy Pratt used a Status bass so I saved for one of those and used it for years. I finally got an American Std Precision and thought I've made it now. I scoffed at Japanese or Mexican or even worse Squire copies. Now after seeing professional players using Squires and my own experience in trying copies I realise how wrong I was. Basically play whatever you feel comfortable with. I still love my American P the best right enough.

3 hours ago, nilorius said:

About records - no answer possible, when gigging - finding that super tone and feeling the groove with other mussicians for superb result.

This. I just love when you are playing and you see a room full of people enjoying themselves and you think we are doing this.

There is nothing I like better that the P bass with brand new stainless rounds through an SVT. A'la Mark Hoppus but with finger style. Just heavenly.

Many many years ago when we were in our first incarnation of our band. We got a gig in our favourite bar. We were right chuffed. We had a big intro and everything. After the intro we were to have two flash bombs going off as we hit our first big note. When it came there was a soft frazzle and some smoke. We burst out laughing at the complete anti climax of the whole thing and struggled to hold it together. We found out later that we had bought the wrong flash bombs. Instead of the bang and dramatic effect we got a damp squib.

13 hours ago, Chienmortbb said:

Surely Skid Row were a shite cover band?

Skid Row were and still are a great rock band.

2 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

I’d say any US Standard from late 90s onwards. Each range has subtle differences but none that significant. My particular faves are the 2012-15 Series, but I’m happy with pretty much any US Standard.

I concur. The Japanese and Mexican versions are great but there is something about the American standard that sets them apart.

I always take my P.................and my J.

When I was a kid I always used to hear Suzi Quatro on the radio and tv singing Devil Gate Drive. I thought it was Dimbleby Drive.

Jimi Hendrix, Excuse me while I kiss this guy.

I remember we played at a party once and during one number a boy from our work got up to dance. He had a very peculiar style of dancing which had everyone, including us in stitches. I realised by his face that he wasn't putting it on as he looked quite embarrassed but didn't stop as his partner would have been left on the dance floor alone. I though good on ya. You are enjoying yourself and making a fool of yourself but kept going. We need more people like that at gigs.

5 hours ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

 

I'd go with the exact opposite. 

 

Without lyrics and a good vocal, music is utterly meaningless. 

Disagree as my thread about music not having to be in English to be good exemplifies.

7 minutes ago, nekomatic said:

 

Having listened to a bit of that, it is my opinion that Youth should never have wasted his time being in Killing Joke, and should have just got on with producing.

To be fair, I would do the same. My passion is rock and indie type music but if someone offered me the chance  to produce pop for some bimbo that would make me lots of money I would jump at the chance. Stock, Aitken and Waterman are most likely enjoying cocktails around their respective pools not giving a toss about selling their souls.

Interestingly enough I watched a video yesterday which shows how a moment of inspiration can go a long way towards making your life better.

44 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

I don't think that's really an unpopular musical opinion. Just one that most people are afraid to voice.

A guy I used to work with used to go and see Gary Glitter every Christmas when he played The Barras. He said it was fantastic and everyone loved it. Once the scandal came out everyone was scared to admit they liked him.

39 minutes ago, T-Bay said:

To be fair, If I was in a trench and heard a bagpipe it would terrify me, you would think. if they can inflict that on their own WTF will they do to me if they catch me?

 

 

But joking aside, the bravery to go over the top with bagpipes, knowing the positive difference it will make, and knowing you will be target number 1 is beyond belief. I could never have enough respect for those brave lads who did that.

https://www.historynet.com/ladies-from-hell-bagpipers-led-the-charge-during-wwi/

https://www.history.co.uk/article/the-bagpiper-of-d-day

Good for you mate. That sounds like a very fulfilling musical journey you have been on and are still on. I too sing but I have no idea what bracket I fall into as I only sing rock and country type music. I can get quite high but my comfort is pretty low. I have been told I am quite decent but I realise that I can be quite good in a small pond and if I was to venture into a bigger pond I might flounder. So the local pub scene  is my lot.

17 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

There's a band booked in to our local venue who play the music of Red Hot Chilli Peppers on bagpipes. 

I have two opinions on that, one controversial and one not.

Red Hot Chilli Peppers haven't made a good song since blood sugar sex magic

Bagpipes cannot improve any music or event or situation. Any situation where a bagpipe is playing could be improved by removing the bagpipe. 

 

My mates bagpipes were blown up by the bomb squad after he left them in the centre of Bath one night while drunk. Some say it was the best sound they ever made.

I love the bagpipes. They stir your soul. Men have followed them into battle being given heart by their sound. New York policemen get buried to the sound of them. They can be soulful and sad or hearty and cheery. Opinions.

I'm not keen on Rap. I have heard some I like so I can't say I hate the genre. It depends on the song. I can't say I like any single artist in this genre either. The only one I like everything of is Tupac and I'm not holding out too much hope in being able to see him anytime soon.

I have nothing against backing tracks but this band was more or less completely backing tracks with singing and an acoustic over the top. Basically Karaoke.

If I could find backing with just rhythm and some fillers like horns I would be tempted as we are guitar bass and drums but I haven't the first clue as to where to get these and how to trigger them.

39 minutes ago, Franticsmurf said:

I played a duo gig a few years ago where the singer/guitarist was using his phone to play the backing tracks. Some amber nectar may have flowed in his direction (I don't drink). We started on Dakota and I noticed how accurate the backing track was. Then it dawned on me, he'd managed to select the actual Stereophonics song rather than the backing track. Fortunately, the crowd (a rugby club that had just won their league - the amber nectar was gushing rather than flowing) didn't notice and he apologised to me before moving on to the next number (Summer of 69, I think). And yes, that ended up being the full song too. For that and various other reasons mainly to do with the crowd and venue, it remains the worst gig I have ever played although I can now look back and laugh at it. 

I remember seeing a band years ago in a local bar and one of the girls who was in our company commented on how good they were. I was shocked as it was a guy strumming on an acoustic guitar and a singer playing to full band backing tracks with horns and everything. Hardly taxing.

On the flip side, we used to play as a two piece, bass and guitar with a drum machine. This guy said to us "turn off your machine and let's hear what you can really play." I said it's a drum machine mate. We are playing live but he wasn't convinced.