WalMan Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 My main lot have got back into rehearsing more regularly. It used to be that we rehearsed every Monday without failbut there were nights when we ran through old stuff to fix mistakes from the last gig and spent a long time drinking coffe, eating biscuits and jawing about TV. Not exactly productive always, but it was villge hall rates, so not an expensive r/h studio time being frittered away and it was a night out with a load of mates that included a bit of playing. Then wegot out of the habit, cos the hall was unavailable and the front room we used for quietly working up new stuff before going to the hall became awkward. Recently we have found another hall - one that the others used to use probably 25 years ago. Cheap rates again, though a bit more of a drive for me as not so central to everyone, but we have got back into it, and the guitarist from London gets a train down to the coast and back again so we get a full band rehearsal - he must be mad but it's good! So we have a band Dropbox, emails are exchanged re potential new songs which are put in the box for everyone to learn so we are ready to work at the hall. It also has to be said that we are all old enough to know better and pick stuff up quickly, bouncing off each other. So anyway, just got back from tonights session. There were three on the table to start on, [list] [*]Whitesnake - Ready & Willing [*]Family - Burlesque; and [*]Street Legal - Unconditional Love - WHO!? they all cry.They are, or were, a Norwegian band in the style of Lizzy & Blue Murder [/list] So then nothing too difficult, well perhaps. Got there. Set up. Listened to the tracks as a quick refresher. Worked out suitable key shifts for the vocalist and went for it...with the Roland R-05 running - and I forgot/failed to hit pause so there is a fair bit of blackmail material in there as well The original/local guitarist hadn't got round to learning the last two completely, but we still managed to get through them all, with chords being shouted across and keys tweaked as we went. We went through Burlesque pretty solid on the very first go despite all that. Lots of nice space and though it is a little out of style I think it could be a nice twist to the set. Just dropped a load of versions into the Dropbox for everyone and I really should get to my pit, but from feeling a tad jaded with things recently, tonight - and recent sessions - have really perked me up again. It is sooooo nice to be playing with a bunch of guys who can just do it. No having to run off and find the tab and spend forever working stuff out. Work it roughly beforehand, or even just listen to a track and be experienced enough to have a feel for what is required/how it was played (if you know what I mean, you can just feel the A G D/F# shape) Admitted we have been playing together for years so also have an inkling where each is going - the drummer and I have been sharing a brain for over thirty years now Sorry if this all sounds like blowing our trumpet / we're so good / etc. It's not meant to be. We're only a pub rock covers band after all, but like I say the recent flow of new material and general feel of things has really perked me up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Rehearsals are so hard to get everyone togther for..at least in our case, that we have to have done all the homework before we go in... That way.. a run through at the beginning and end of the session should put it in a good enough state to gig. You might still need a chart as you may forget this sound patch or that sequence etc etc .. but you should be able to get through 4 new numbers in one 3 hrs session, inc BV's which are always the last thing to sort. Then you use a few gigs to play them in or realsise that they don't work after all. We really only use rehearsals to top and tail songs as all the real work is done in our own time. You just want to see how it all fits together. Wasting rehearsal time is a real drain on the band ..at least if they are pretty productive then you don't mind doing them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Bought some lyrics along to the last three rehearsals. Three new songs written. I wish is was always like this even though one of them is now in the dustbin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 If you have a vocalist who can handle [i]Burlesque [/i](and pretty much anything else involving Roger Chapman) then I envy you. One of my all-time favourite tracks and a fabulous bassline - I'd love to do that with my band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Rehearsal discipline is a very important element of the professional. Sitting in a corner noodling, too many fag/tea braks, catch up chats etc all get in the way of focussed work. But the biggest drag is a lack of preparation. DIfferent techniques are starting to appear (dropbox has just appeared in my life) but the best tried and tested one, the one I love to see, is the written charts. I have got through 32 tunes in three hours using charts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Yep discipline is important. Our drummer wouldn't tolerate anything less. Discuss band matters and news during drum and gear set up. Warm up with old song. Work on new material. Half Time: Tea break and a critique. Work on new material. Warm down with a couple of old ones. Discuss band matters during drum and gear break down. If we've got a gig coming up we will blat through the set after half time instead. It's more organised than my job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chest Rockwell Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 (edited) erm, well, I haven't a clue when it comes to charts and things, and I dont do covers... but from a 'heavy rock write your own tunes' perspective, it's AWESOME when you have a group that can play well and are TIGHT! like 'riff 1, riff 2, repeat twice then stop and see what the sounds like... 1,2,3,4...' and everyone does it perfectly and then we have a quick chat, try something else and keep going. If someone comes in a with a few riffs my band can sometimes write a tune in one practice, we can fine tune it and add feel/dynamics/emphasis as we jam it later, but it's SO great to have guys that can just go with quick changes; changing notes, changing rhythm, emphasis, whatever SOUNDS good. I've been in bands where guitarists play too loud, too much gear that has problems, cant come in on time, get lost in sound, forget changes, forget everything, cant stop soloing, forget to start soloing, spliff breaks, fag breaks, hang on i just have to open another can, oh i cant find my can, drummers that get bored of playing slow and start playing different/faster beats even though you're trying to WRITE the song... JEEZ!! I also hate noodlers. Im a litle bit of a task master but people can noodle in their bedrooms, not when Im standing there waiting for them to stop and paying for the luxury! I give em 30 seconds and then i start staring, shortly followed by flying objects Edited March 10, 2011 by Chest Rockwell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 We are definitely more disciplined since Mike started coming down from London. Sort of focuses the mind and you don't want to waste his time and incredible effort! Charts, well yes in an ideal world & if my reading were a great deal better Last time I had that was a dep many years ago with a three piece, so there was nowhere to hide. Asked what they used beforehand and understood it was chord charts that I should be able to busk through. Turned up & it was flysh1t. What a nightmare that night was! For us it can be as much a social occasion as work. Now if we were making our living from this I'm sure it would be different, but as I say its a not very expensive village hall we use and while I have in the past occasionally wondered why we had not just sat in a pub with the chat that went on we are all mates and sometimes that was just the way it went. Last night we discussed investing in a band biscuit barrel - mind they never normally last that long Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gust0o Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 [quote name='WalMan' post='1156523' date='Mar 10 2011, 12:53 PM']Last night we discussed investing in a band biscuit barrel - mind they never normally last that long [/quote] What? Bands? Or Biscuit barrels? We've really ramped up the discipline for ours - quick chat and catch-up on the way, including summarising how we've all got on with our homework; warm-up with some trusty songs; work on new riffs, ideas and alterations; set list including recording (we record the whole session for later playback); and then finish with a couple of fun ones, including full stage antics (yeah, sad, we practice looking rock too). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassy Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 [quote name='WalMan' post='1156105' date='Mar 10 2011, 12:18 AM'][*]Family - Burlesque;[/quote] Brilliant stuff. About the only tribute band I'd be interested in playing in would be a Family/Streetwalkers/Shortlist one, though I might have to choose between bass and vocals rather than attempt both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 [quote name='Count Bassy' post='1156537' date='Mar 10 2011, 01:00 PM']Brilliant stuff. About the only tribute band I'd be interested in playing in would be a Family/Streetwalkers/Shortlist one, though I might have to choose between bass and vocals rather than attempt both.[/quote] I'd put up an early clip from last night, but....well we'll see. Got to say I wasn't sure when it was suggested, having never actually heard the song before, but it seemed interesting, and like I say even on the first run through if felt really good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Can I just ask what everyone means by 'charts'? Is that the proper music, or just notes as to how the song progresses? Like chord changes and drum fills etc? Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 We book short rehearsals so all the non focussed playing is kept out the rehearsal room. We get more done in 2hrs then we ever did in 4hrs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 [quote name='Truckstop' post='1156874' date='Mar 10 2011, 04:53 PM']Can I just ask what everyone means by 'charts'? Is that the proper music, or just notes as to how the song progresses? Like chord changes and drum fills etc? Truckstop[/quote] Can be all or any of those things. It is just notes as in prompts, that you need, IME. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 [quote name='WalMan' post='1156625' date='Mar 10 2011, 02:02 PM']I'd put up an early clip from last night, but....well we'll see. Got to say I wasn't sure when it was suggested, having never actually heard the song before, but it seemed interesting, and like I say even on the first run through if felt really good.[/quote] Ah hell who cares.. here you go then [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=126620"]Burlesque[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blademan_98 Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 [quote name='WalMan' post='1157413' date='Mar 10 2011, 11:17 PM']Ah hell who cares.. here you go then [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=126620"]Burlesque[/url][/quote] It is good (and yes I was first to download and comment ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman Sam Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 That is a really nice tone on the bass, was that the WAL? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 [quote name='Bassman Sam' post='1157484' date='Mar 10 2011, 11:56 PM']That is a really nice tone on the bass, was that the WAL?[/quote] Cheers. No that is the L2500 fretted straight into the Markbass which is set pretty much flat. The Wal is in semi retirement, though it is coming out to play at tonights gig Rather anwers my other thread abot.ut the vocalist saying to me he doesn't know why I bother with all the other guff in front of the amp (Microbass, compressor etc) as it ounds good as it is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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