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I can do better than that!


shizznit
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[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1334587807' post='1618058']
I don't know anything about drama. I could go to a play full of glaring errors and still have a good time. I don't think that's a sad state of affairs!
[/quote]

Glaring errors in a play would be things like a) the actors don't project, so you can hardly hear a word that's said b ) actors constantly waiting for prompts c) parts of the script being missed so you can't follow the plot d) actors rooted to the spot with nerves e) props not being on-stage when they should or scenery failing.

I've been involved in village hall panto and farce productions where all of those happened and more, and, yes, everyone still had a good time. But outside of that environment, nobody enjoys it.

Edited by spinynorman
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There are a lot of musicians who can't listen to the 'whole'. Bass players tend to be better at it which is why many of us become producers.

I used to go to gigs and pull the bands apart concentrating on what they did badly. Then one gig the band were so musically awful but the audience were so into it I stopped. From that moment on I looked at a band to see what they are doing right and learn from that.

I think the big mistake we all make is spend too long getting the music 'perfect' instead of getting the vibe right and getting out there and gigging. A gig is worth a thousand rehearsals. it's no good being able to play exactly like the original in the practice room if you've spent so long perfecting the tune that you have lost the vibe.

The audience don't listen to the parts they listen to the whole and contrary to what we would like to believe we are visual creatures and use our eyes more than our ears. So if it looks good and sounds close then it is good.

Unfortunately it's catch 22. You don't get good by practicing and you don't get gigs unless you're good. So get out there blag some gigs playing simple easy tunes well and move on from there.

Edited by TimR
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OMFG! Just home after a night out with the ladies rugby team I used to coach. The band were shocking. Really shocking. By the end of the night the main guitar was tuned (approx) D# A D G A# E. 350 euro later and the bar owner booked them for three weeks time.
The crowd was buzzing all night, easily one of the most enjoyable nights in a long while.

Lesson learned? I gotta stop being so anal and just go make some easy money. Principles are for losers (and the poor).

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[quote name='Mog' timestamp='1335065196' post='1625347']
Lesson learned? I gotta stop being so anal and just go make some easy money. Principles are for losers (and the poor).
[/quote]

Yep.
And if you can stay in tune while you're doing it then you've already got a head start. :)

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  • 3 months later...

[quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1334564921' post='1617519']
This is a topic no doubt that has been discussed on BC many times before, but allow me to vent!

I went out for a meal with my girlfriend on Saturday night and she wanted to catch some live music after we had eaten. I took her to a well known live music venue in Cardiff and as we walked in a 5-piece covers band were setting up. Sorted! Soon afterwards they started to play their first set. Apart from being horrifically loud for the size of the venue they were simply just awful. The singers voice was very weak, flat and forgot his lyrics, the drummer knew only two beat patterns for every song they played, the bass player didn’t know that he was playing the wrong notes for at least 2 bars before realising on quite a few songs and the guitar player…well…he was actually pretty good to be fair! Sometimes a band can have a bad night (we all do), but you can tell that they are simply crap anyway.

I am not focussing so much on their ability or talent, but more on how much my girlfriend (along with many others) enjoyed their performance despite being so bad. I really struggled to enjoy the evening hearing so many monumental mistakes being made or lack of effort to at least play the song vaguely similar to the original. I have got to a stage whereby I am very pensive about going out to see a live band in town…covers bands to be precise. Most of my live work at the moment is with covers bands and we do put a lot of effort in to study the songs and get them sounding tight and as precise to the original song as possible. And yet, we are struggling to get into well paid venues in the area such as this one and a bunch of plebs can walk in to play a bunch of songs very poorly and get away with it. I couldn’t help but feel a bit gutted and a tad bit angry.

As a musician I can be hyper critical (and often I am) about other performing musicians. But, the bigger thing for me is that punters will enjoy a poor band as equally as a good one. Most folks at the venue are not musicians and don’t pick up on the mistakes or bad musicianship. I’m fine with that…as long as they have a great night who cares really, but I go out to perform to my best ability so that the punters can enjoy their evening. Is my hard work to achieve that noticeable?

As I get older and more experienced with my musical endeavours I find it harder to enjoy myself at a gig for these reasons. This kills me because above all else I am a music fan and I want to enjoy live music, but I do have a competitive nature. I think you gain that on the covers circuit after a while because you are all fighting to get the best gig in town. But, it does really vex me when I watch a band in venues with high exposure that we can’t get into that are not good enough for the fee they are paid and the punters big them up. I need to relax more and let it go over my head, but I can't help feel that the punters deserve better even though they might not know it.
[/quote]
i used to be like this when i was 18 and thru a lot of my 20's but as i got older i cared less, to the point where it doesn't bother me. If anything it makes me laugh. It's kind of like a bloopers show. Plus it's just a gig in a pub, in the grand scheme of things it is totally irrelevant. However, about a year ago i saw this young band playing Judas priest, Iron Maiden and Sabbath covers......badly, but they were having such a good time you could feel it. It was excellent and i bloody loved it. Had a great time. Sometime's you've just gotta let it go.

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I remember going to see a friend of a friend's band for the first time (an acoustic 2-piece). They were pumping out current chart songs and anything in between but had loads of energy and the pub was packed. They were also knocking back drinks between songs. The friend asked me what I thought after a few songs, and I replied "They'd be really good if they weren't blocked!"

It turns out that I was wrong - I had several more opportunities to see them, and on the occasions when they were stone cold sober, you got a musically better, more in tune, boring performance. The energy and excitement just wasn't there.

Edited by Commando Jack
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[quote name='Commando Jack' timestamp='1343387458' post='1749906']
I remember going to see a friend of a friend's band for the first time (an acoustic 2-piece). They were pumping out current chart songs and anything in between but had loads of energy and the pub was packed. They were also knocking back drinks between songs. The friend asked me what I thought after a few songs, and I replied "They'd be really good if they weren't blocked!"

It turns out that I was wrong - I had several more opportunities to see them, and on the occasions when they were stone cold sober, you got a musically better, more in tune, boring performance. The energy and excitement just wasn't there.
[/quote]

when did you come and see my legendary acoustic duo Rob and Dave then?

:) ;)

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