Playing in an original band has opened my eyes

[cheddatom]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1464342375' post='3058573']
I've been in many bands who were only writing and performing original songs and in reality you'll rarely get a "blank canvas".

If the song is already written you get to put a bass part to the song and that might give you creative input or no scope at all.
[/quote]

It depends on the band I suppose. The bands I've been in have been very collaborative and democratic

[blue]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1464332673' post='3058445']
At this point in my life I am fortunate enough to not have to worry about getting paid for music[/quote]

At this point in my life I am fortunate enough not to have to worry about working a traditional job for money.

I am also in complete control of all my bass lines and parts.I'm given a blank canvas.

I'll never understand why people think playing covers means your confined to specific bass lines. I'm beginning to think cover bands in the UK are different than in the US.Or we have more diverse cover bands.

Blue

Edited May 27, 2016 by blue

[blue]

[quote name='RockfordStone' timestamp='1464341627' post='3058559']

+1
it's even more special when you get people who come along and sing it back to you
[/quote]

I've only seen that type of response with bands that are famous.

Blue

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1464363771' post='3058890']
I've only seen that type of response with bands that are famous.

Blue
[/quote]

You need to look harder...

[blue]

[quote name='RockfordStone' timestamp='1464341425' post='3058557']


this is pretty much my view. music is my hobby and i find it more fulfilling having a say in the construction of songs and having my own control over what lines i play and where we play them.

if i had the choice between a long running covers band and a number of short lived originals bands, i'd go with that every time.[/quote]

I'm starting to think the caliber of the originals bands in the UK must be a lot higher than what we have here in Milwaukee.

Blue

[blue]

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1464363850' post='3058891']


You need to look harder...
[/quote]

I don't know about that,I go to see as many original bands as my schedule allows.

Blue

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1464364260' post='3058899']
I don't know about that,I go to see as many original bands as my schedule allows.

Blue
[/quote]

Hmm. Maybe you should go and see bands that write better songs, then. :-)

[TimR]

Whenever I've played in originals band the actual songwriting has varied in the methods employed.

Sometimes the guitarist would come up with a riff and we'd jam it and it would morph. From a decent verse we would create a chorus and then assemble it all.

Occasionally the guitarist would come up with a fully formed song and we would just add our parts to it.

Really a song only consists of a melody line and a form. Everything else is pretty fluid. The melody/riff can be created by one person or it can be an idea that is shaped by everyone.

This is something I struggle to get across to a lot of cover band musicians who want everything the same as the original. It puts songs originally played on piano out of reach of guitar bands. Unless you have a creative guitarist with vision.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1464364260' post='3058899']


I don't know about that,I go to see as many original bands as my schedule allows.

Blue
[/quote]

Somewhere in this forum is a thread full of links to Basschatters original bands. If someone could be so kind as to dig it up for me (I'm on the mobile version of the site until next week now). Then go and check out the bands in it. You might not always like the music, but there's no denying the high standard.

[RhysP]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1464363771' post='3058890']
I've only seen that type of response with bands that are famous.

Blue
[/quote]

Really?

When my old band got back together for a one off reunion gig in 2005 we had a load of old fans there who were down the front, jumping around like lunatics & singing all the words to our old songs with us.

Edited May 27, 2016 by RhysP

[Dad3353]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1464364518' post='3058902']...a thread full of links to Basschatters original bands...
[/quote]

With great pleasure ...

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/forum/95-share-your-music/"]BC Forum Share your music ...[/url]

... and you're not wrong; there's some really impressive stuff in there (in fact, little that is not..! ).

[RockfordStone]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1464363771' post='3058890']
I've only seen that type of response with bands that are famous.

Blue
[/quote]
so you are saying it's not possible for a local band to write good songs that people pay money for and go to gigs to sing along with?

i've been in small scale originals bands that have still sold records, sold merch, signed autographs and had people follow us from show to show singing our songs. we were very much not famous, just 4 guys who wrote catchy songs and put on a good tight show.

contrary to your beliefs, you can start a band from scratch, play shows and actually have people enjoy it and pay money for your efforts.

Edited May 27, 2016 by RockfordStone

[Dad3353]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1464363771' post='3058890']
I've only seen that type of response with bands that are famous...
[/quote]

[sharedmedia=core:attachments:185803]

You've not assisted at a Kiemsa concert, lad..! The fans knew more of the songs and lyrics than I did, and I was part of their crew for five years..! The 'end of a saga' concert was a right old sing-along..!

[AustinArto]

Yeah really I was doing a band for five years on the indie label punk circuit and most of the bands - even the smaller ones - that we gigged with regularly had fanatical support. We, well, sort-of didn't, so much. But we didn't really fit that scene very well to be fair. The people who did like us were very nice, and the other bands on the scene all liked us and turned up to guest on our recordings and stuff.

But these were bands that didn't sell a lot of records, most of them worked day jobs, but they were idolised by some.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1464341551' post='3058558']
But there is something extra special about getting a great audience reaction to playing a song you've written yourself.
[/quote]
[quote name='RockfordStone' timestamp='1464341627' post='3058559']
+1
it's even more special when you get people who come along and sing it back to you
[/quote]

Definitely. It`s really rewarding when that happens, or when people talk to you about their fave song of yours and why they like it so much.

[AustinArto]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1464387411' post='3059190']
Definitely. It`s really rewarding when that happens, or when people talk to you about their fave song of yours and why they like it so much.
[/quote]

To be fair I once had a guy come up to me in a shop because he'd seen me play the night before and ask me when my band was playing again. The night before we'd played Sunshine Of Your Love - and only Sunshine Of Your Love - for approximately 50 minutes until the venue owner noticed and turned us off. But apparently we were the best band this guy had seen in ages!

[blue]

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1464364332' post='3058900']


Hmm. Maybe you should go and see bands that write better songs, then. :-)
[/quote]

Some of the originals bands have great material. My point was that in general there's very little interest in originals bands.

So, not so much a oroblem with the bands or their material. It's the few people they attract here don't seem very supportive.

Blue

[blue]

[quote name='RockfordStone' timestamp='1464364763' post='3058908']

so you are saying it's not possible for a local band to write good songs that people pay money for and go to gigs to sing along with?

i've been in small scale originals bands that have still sold records, sold merch, signed autographs and had people follow us from show to show singing our songs. we were very much not famous, just 4 guys who wrote catchy songs and put on a good tight show.

contrary to your beliefs, you can start a band from scratch, play shows and actually have people enjoy it and pay money for your efforts.
[/quote]

I'm saying the market and interest in originals bands in Milwaukee is poor.

Their are good originals bands here with good material.

Blue

Edited May 27, 2016 by blue

[blue]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1464364691' post='3058905']


Really?

When my old band got back together for a one off reunion gig in 2005 we had a load of old fans there who were down the front, jumping around like lunatics & singing all the words to our old songs with us.
[/quote]

That's great.

In the US I think there are some cities where the originals band scene has a much larger foot print than here in Milwaukee.

Blue

[AustinArto]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1464391433' post='3059234']
That's great.

In the US I think there are some cities where the originals band scene has a much larger foot print than here in Milwaukee.[/quote]

When I lived in the USA in the mid '90s I played in an originals band doing funk / acid-jazz stuff based on the Jersey shore, we toured up and down the east coast mostly but got out to cali every so often, up to the lakes once a year, none of us had other jobs we made a good living doing this band. There were ten of us in the band.

Can't recall if we played Milwaukee. I do like towns with native american names though. My favourite local town name was Manasquan. Also Mantoloking.

[blue]

[quote name='AustinArto' timestamp='1464393328' post='3059239']


When I lived in the USA in the mid '90s I played in an originals band doing funk / acid-jazz stuff based on the Jersey shore, we toured up and down the east coast mostly but got out to cali every so often, up to the lakes once a year, none of us had other jobs we made a good living doing this band. There were ten of us in the band.

Can't recall if we played Milwaukee. I do like towns with native american names though. My favourite local town name was Manasquan. Also Mantoloking.
[/quote]

My opinion is only based on the originals scene in Milwaukee, not regional touring bands.

Blue

[dand666]

Im looking forward to writing and performing my own stuff. The closest I get to that is Jazz, but it's just not enough for me.

Been playing on ships now for around 3/4 years and starting to get bored playing other peoples songs. It's not the basslines, I enjoy them and they seem to be different each night for me it's just something else and I cant describe it. Maybe I'm getting a little bored. I have a lot of fun playing jazz as i'm pushing myself as a player, learning new things etc.

I'm thinking that is time to give up music full time, go back to playing part time, maybe do a Jazz degree or something. I don't want to get bored of playing thats not what music is about for me. I've been lucky to do it for this long so maybe it's time to do something different.

[ivansc]

Blue - The scene in the UK generally is nothing at all like the USA, or at least the parts of the USA I have lived and worked in.

And no, the standard of musicianship in terms of playing in a band I would say is generally lower here than it was when I left the USA.
But I have buddies in the USA who have actually had to leave the business after a lifetime of JUST music because the traditional gigs are drying up.
If you dont mind making no money, OK. My kid brother is about to retire and he has rediscovered/invented himself as a blooz bass player - working with some old blues guys playing a mix of their stuff and blues standards. For mediocre money but at least it beats doing Holiday Inns like in the old days.
One guy he is working with is Joe "Survivor" Carusoe, a Florida Blues guy, some youtube out there of him I believe. I used to do something similar in the UK in the seventies with chicago blues players (Homesick James and
Big John Wrencher are the only ones I remember) on the College circuit & it was reasonably well-paid fun.

[blue]

[quote name='ivansc' timestamp='1464455180' post='3059618']
Blue - The scene in the UK generally is nothing at all like the USA, or at least the parts of the USA I have lived and worked in.

And no, the standard of musicianship in terms of playing in a band I would say is generally lower here than it was when I left the USA.
But I have buddies in the USA who have actually had to leave the business after a lifetime of JUST music because the traditional gigs are drying up.
If you dont mind making no money, OK. My kid brother is about to retire and he has rediscovered/invented himself as a blooz bass player - working with some old blues guys playing a mix of their stuff and blues standards. For mediocre money but at least it beats doing Holiday Inns like in the old days.
One guy he is working with is Joe "Survivor" Carusoe, a Florida Blues guy, some youtube out there of him I believe. I used to do something similar in the UK in the seventies with chicago blues players (Homesick James and
Big John Wrencher are the only ones I remember) on the College circuit & it was reasonably well-paid fun.
[/quote]

Nice commentary.

Yeah it's tough out here. I'm lucky I'm still surviving. Mediocre money is all I've ever made so, I wouldn't know the difference.

As long as I don't ever have to work a traditional 9-5 job I'm cool.

Life is to short, and I never wanted to spend it working for "the man".

Blue

Edited May 28, 2016 by blue

[ahpook]

[quote name='bassbiscuits' timestamp='1464297535' post='3058327']
It's also really changed my bass playing too - I'm standing back a lot more and being guided by the music as to what to play and how to play it. Aiming for something a bit different rather than just learning stuff and repeating it. Sometimes the results are really sparse bass lines, where before I might have been tempted to add in too much.
[/quote]

Some of the most enjoyable times I spend with my bass are doing just this - starting off with the bare bones of the tune that the band's working on and trying to come up with just the right part for it.