I'm gonna be in so much trouble at rehearsal

[Chris2112]

On 14/10/2018 at 14:03, Maude said:

^^^

I've not been in any of your average gig pubs where that would go down well. 

That's because pub gigs are usually awful. Crap tunes being played for an audience with base tastes. Usually, dare I say, a musically ignorant audience. 

I used to work in a hotel and we had bands on every weekend for wedding functions over the summer. Most were not 'players' and banged out garbage tunes. Some could really play (I remember one band in particular used to warm up with Weather Report) but when the paying customers came in, they'd revert to playing the same stinky poo top 40 tunes that get the grannies bopping. 

 

I love jazz (but I find GPPH to be an awful, aimless tune) but it requires a refined audience to appreciate and as such, I wouldn't bet on finding any sort of audience for it on a live circuit. Even then, there is 'players' jazz or fusion and then there is soft, dancy jazz. The audience for each has no interest in the other. I love to play fusion with friends but I'd never expect to find an audience for it live. We play in a group for our own enjoyment. 

I just can't understand the mentality of players who join a covers group playing any old stinky poo just to get pub gigs and make a pittance (and then moan about it on BC). 'Mustang Sally' and 'Your sex is on fire'? I'd rather drive an icepick through my ears than have to play those live. 

 

[Norris]

... and yet there are a lot of BCers that love playing in pubs

[Mickeyboro]

@Chris2112 you are, with respect, talking about two different aidiences. The pub one, where people come in and out at will, and the functions audience which expects entertainment as part of the ‘ticket price’. 

[Woodinblack]

Playing stinky poo songs in pubs to non discerning audience, yep, sign me up any day of the week. All of my current instruments have been paid for doing that, and playing music for people to dance to and have an enjoyable time, I am happy with that. I can play all my stuff that no-one wants to listen to in my room or with friends, though thankfully not jazz. 

[Bluewine]

On 14/10/2018 at 05:53, kyuuga said:

Here's my question: it seems that you're in a cover band, right? What kind of covers do you play and which audience do you appeal to?

I'd only be in a cover band for 2 out of 3 reasons: 
1) the money is good;
2) the songs we play are awesome;
3) it's a band with friends and we all have fun together.

Now if you're going to play a completely random song by Jeff Beck I'm assuming that the band isn't actually making much money because no one is going to want to listen to that when they're checking a cover band at a pub. You're supposed to either bring out a theme (like a tribute band) or some very famous hits from the past decades. That's not one of them for sure.

Why did the band leader choose that song? Just because he likes it and wants to play it? That doesn't seem very fair/smart to me. If I'm in a cover band I assume I'm gonna play some hits or some specific themes that will appeal to the audiences and bring out the masses for some cash flow, I'm not going to spend my time learning some songs just because someone wants to play it with a band.

In your situation I'd just re-think what I'm doing in that band. Are you there for fun or for making money? Because, from what you just posted, it doesn't seem that you're getting any of those.

Love your response. 

As far as the complexity of the song, it's a simple blues progression.

My question would be, why are you playing with these guys, do they play other stuff that's not your cup of tea?

Blue

Edited October 23, 2018 by Bluewine

[dyerseve]

On 14/10/2018 at 13:04, ambient said:

Stanley Clarke did a nice version of this.

Will have to check that out. Personally I love Marcus Miller's version - some really lovely fretless playing going on!

[ambient]

5 minutes ago, dyerseve said:

Will have to check that out. Personally I love Marcus Miller's version - some really lovely fretless playing going on!

If this bass could only talk is the name of the album. He uses a second bassist on some tracks, a guy called James Earl who I think played a 6 string bass, night have been a 5.

[dyerseve]

5 minutes ago, ambient said:

If this bass could only talk is the name of the album. He uses a second bassist on some tracks, a guy called James Earl who I think played a 6 string bass, night have been a 5.

I actually have that album, just not played it through -oops!

Here is Mr Miller's version btw:

 

[Monkey Steve]

Glad the OP managed to solve this one amiably, and quite cleverly to make it part of a wider discussion about the band's direction. 

It's always puzzled me that song choice causes so much trouble in bands...seems to come back to: 1.  some of the band realising that being in a band is a compromise so you'll have to put up with some stuff that isn't your favourite thing to play; 2. some who take the view that they are giving up their free time to be in the band so should only be expected to play songs they like (but who never seem to mind making other people play songs that they might not like); and 3. the raging ego of those who just know that their choices are the best thing for the band.  I'm very much in category 1, albeit that I will argue if I think that a song doesn't work for the band,

Best experience of this - a punk covers band where we could all suggest new songs to learn and we'd give anything a bash.  Usually it quickly became apparent what worked and what didn't, whether because the song just didn't fit or because we couldn't play it well enough, or whatever, and we could discuss it if we had any particular objections.  But what really helped keep everybody happy was that we all took it in turns to write the set lists.  If your favourite wasn't being played this week, or if you really hated playing a couple of the songs then you'd swallow it for this gig and could change it when it was your turn next week.  There were a few rules - some crowd pleasers that had to be played every gig whether we personally liked them or not - but outside of that you could put whatever you wanted on the list and everybody would play them.

Worst...I was once in a heavy metal covers band where the lead guitarist would only learn the songs he liked, usually the ones he had suggested.  More than once he rolled out "I haven't had time to be able to work that one out properly so in the meantime why don't we work on this one I'm suggesting instead..."  A really passive aggressive approach to get his own way, which works once or twice but is very quickly seen for what it is.  

It created quite a bit of tension - we tried loads of different ways of letting everybody else suggest songs, which was all agreed to at the time and then forgotten about when he came up against a song that he didn't like, or thought of one that he did like that he wanted to skip to the front of the queue of songs being learned.  On a few occasions we had to tell him we were downing tools until he had learned the songs that the rest of us had been wanting to play for months.  Everybody else was happy to wait until it was their turn and then suggest the next song to be worked on, but whatever was suggested he'd moan that nobody in the (non-existent) audience would know it, so why don't we learn another Iron Maiden song instead?  I once had to tell him that I wasn't ever going to learn any other Iron Maiden songs, what with us having a choice of five at that point in a total song list of less than 20, and not being a Maiden tribute band, how about we learn some songs by different bands?  He genuinely didn't understand the point I was making - everybody loves Maiden.

Ironically enough, when we sacked him and the band split up, the others (drums, vocals and rhythm guitar) formed a Maiden tribute band and he wasn't invited to join.  That still makes me very happy.

 

[dave_bass5]

On 21/10/2018 at 13:04, Chris2112 said:

I just can't understand the mentality of players who join a covers group playing any old stinky poo just to get pub gigs and make a pittance (and then moan about it on BC). 'Mustang Sally' and 'Your sex is on fire'? I'd rather drive an icepick through my ears than have to play those live. 

 

Give me the above over some self indigent overplayed jazz 'expo' any day. Jazz is like watching paint dry, only it seems to take much longer than the paint does, and its not nearly as exciting.

If you can get up and play, and it makes others happy then surely that is a job well done. As Weller said, 'thats entertainment'

its more than possible to enjoy the gigs, enjoy the songs, and get paid. If you only join a band to make money and have no interest in enjoying yourself then yes, you are in the wrong job, but thats not my experience playing all the obvious party songs. Then again, im not adverse to seeing 300 people dancing in front of me.

[Bluewine]

It's different for some of us. I don't make song suggestions, that's not what I was hired for. I don't get into whether I like a song or not. I learn it and play the best bass lines I can.

The only issue I'm vocal about are gigs, keep them coming, the more the better.

Blue

[phil.c60]

On 21/10/2018 at 13:04, Chris2112 said:

 

I used to work in a hotel and we had bands on every weekend for wedding functions over the summer. Most were not 'players' and banged out garbage tunes. Some could really play (I remember one band in particular used to warm up with Weather Report) but when the paying customers came in, they'd revert to playing the same stinky poo top 40 tunes that get the grannies bopping. 

 

I

Because that's what they are being employed to do. 

[Happy Jack]

I suppose it's hard to imagine why anyone would spend their time doing something they don't enjoy just because they're being paid to do it.

No ... wait a minute ...

 

[shug]

On 14/10/2018 at 11:12, Woodinblack said:

...like the slap bass section of 'Need your love so bad' ...

Only just spotted this. It's a joke, right?

[Woodinblack]

1 hour ago, shug said:

Only just spotted this. It's a joke, right?

Depends on how much I really hate playing it that night

[Bluewine]

On 25/10/2018 at 04:10, Happy Jack said:

I suppose it's hard to imagine why anyone would spend their time doing something they don't enjoy just because they're being paid to do it.

No ... wait a minute ...

 

I enjoy playing any genre or songs as long as it sounds good.

One thing I don't enjoy is performing and not getting paid.

Blue

[bazzbass]

Let Jake take care of it

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZqfxoCYfxw

 

Jake Blues: I ran out of gas! I got a flat tire! I didn’t have change for cab fare! I lost my tux at the cleaners! I locked my keys in the car! An old friend came in from out of town! Someone stole my car! There was an earthquake! A terrible flood! Locusts! IT WASN’T MY FAULT, I SWEAR TO GOD!

Edited October 28, 2018 by bazzbass