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A Set List For Blues Based Rock Trio


BassBomber414
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I 'm in an embyro old boy's power trio aiming for pub gigs playing blues based rock of a certain era.None of us have done the pub circuit before - this is our proposed set list , most of it we have ready to go. I'd be interested in any feedback.We've tried to avoid Hit Parade stuff and we aim to play everything as close to original live versions as practicable - studio versions have been rearranged where more instruments were used.

Cream White Room
Badge
Deserted Cities Of The Heart
Crossroads
Pressed Rat and Warthog

Free I'm A Mover
Fire and Water
Ride On A Pony
All Right Now

Rory Gallagher Continental Op
Tattooed Lady
In Your Town
Walk On Hot Coals

ZZ Top Waiting For The Bus
Jesus Just Left Chicago

Joe Walsh Walk Away
Life's Been Good
Rocky Mountain Way

Robin Trower Lady Love

And about four more Robin Trower with a Hendrix flavour once we are 'out there'.

What's the verdict ? Are we going to die out there without the hits ?

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Although it has a mind mumbing bass part I'd be inclined to throw "sweet home alabama" in there, and maybe "Freebird" and "All right now".as well...

I have it on good authority (a colleague at work is a drummer in a curent "bike rally" band)that if the audience isnt "getting it" or doesnt know what your playing.... if you throw one of them in, it'll get 'em back on your side....

:)

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[quote name='BeLow' post='90142' date='Nov 18 2007, 09:47 AM']Sweet home Alabama is a horrible song in bass playing terms, it feels a bit like running fingernails down a blackboard to me - but 'the customer is never wrong'[/quote]

The problem with SHA is that nobody ever takes the trouble to analyse it and play it properly. It has three different sections that require everyone to work together to get right and makes it interesting.

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Interesting list. Have you thought about who your target audience is? Age, etc.? We've found that occasionally our set list can empty a pub rather than fill it because of the age group we target. Are you aiming at Joe Public in general, the Musos of your area, the 50/60 somethings or are you just playing what you want to play because you like the numbers?

We are always looking for songs that are not the obvious choice or which other bands do all do. For example we opted not to do All Right Now, only as a request, as everyone else does it and do Wishing Well instead.

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I'd say that's a pretty cool set list - not a million miles away from what my blues/rock trio would be playing...

Our set would contain a few originals as well, but as mentioned you need a couple of reasonably well known ones to keep the punters happy.

Good to see you've got a bit of Rory in there - we do For the Last Time which is one of my favourites to play and the guitarist is keen to do Tattooed Lady

We also do Black Magic Woman in a kind of cross between the Peter Green and Santana versions, always went down well...

It's been a few years since we'vew gigged (but we've now got a new drummer on board so hopefully out again soon) we used to find that providing you make a pretty good fist of it everyone is happy.

We decided (as it sounds you have) not to do all the really obvious stuff - just make a good listenable noise and you'll be fine - the mix is the key thing and try not to get carried away and stick everything on 10...

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[quote name='BeLow' post='90156' date='Nov 18 2007, 10:20 AM']That said I quite like playing Mustang Sally which others find hateful for probably the same reasons you mention on SHA Dave![/quote]

I'm with you on that. Get them right and they rock. Actually it's the guitarists who get bored and can't be bothered to do them properly.

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I'd be tempted to reduce the Cream content and serve up more hard on blues boogie that the crowd would recognise... ZZ Top's "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs" come to mind...

Also check out SRV tracks... the guitarists might shrink in total fear at being asked to cover his work...

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[quote name='The Burpster' post='90131' date='Nov 18 2007, 10:24 AM']Although it has a mind mumbing bass part I'd be inclined to throw "sweet home alabama" in there, and maybe "Freebird" and "All right now".as well...

I have it on good authority (a colleague at work is a drummer in a curent "bike rally" band)that if the audience isnt "getting it" or doesnt know what your playing.... if you throw one of them in, it'll get 'em back on your side....

:)[/quote]

Thanks Burpster , already doing All Right Now. It's funny, I can play the fancy stuff that Jack plays in White Room but the end solo where those little fill notes come in on the 17th and 19th fret, whilst playing the main bass part around the second fret kill me every time - probably written for a five string.I'm inclined to keep this one for requests. Will have to listen to SHA and Freebird.

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[quote name='obbm' post='90155' date='Nov 18 2007, 11:20 AM']Interesting list. Have you thought about who your target audience is? Age, etc.? We've found that occasionally our set list can empty a pub rather than fill it because of the age group we target. Are you aiming at Joe Public in general, the Musos of your area, the 50/60 somethings or are you just playing what you want to play because you like the numbers?

We are always looking for songs that are not the obvious choice or which other bands do all do. For example we opted not to do All Right Now, only as a request, as everyone else does it and do Wishing Well instead.[/quote]


Obbm ,
'
Our local gigiing pub has a Landlord who is a Blues Rock and Rory fan. My guitarist is an ex 'Genesis In The Cage' bass player and Bass pedal player,fanatical about every note in every lead now he is playing lead and , yes, we are really doing this stuff because we love it and we think there is a market for it - if played to a high standard.The pub is always packed with musos.My mate and I watch plenty of bands and have even done some concert promotion - same faces crop up all over the place - lots of players.

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[quote name='BeLow' post='90156' date='Nov 18 2007, 11:20 AM']Possibly because it is such a 'standard' we tend to learn it at lowest common denominator standard? Probably true in my case - for me it is useful in filling out the set and being easy to play - even if we don't get everything out of it.

Strange how something like SHA and Badge both are very evocative of their eras, but for me one feels painful and the other is intriguing, maybe it is because of reptition fatigue?

That said I quite like playing Mustang Sally which others find hateful for probably the same reasons you mention on SHA Dave![/quote]


BeLow ,

We put in the ZZ Tops because we could learn them a darn sight faster than Cream tracks.It is mind blowing the amount of practice that I've had to do - first picked a Bass up in April 2007 , although I've played acoustic 12 and 6 and keyboards - never in a band.I love Badge. First song I learnt on the Bass .

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[quote name='jwbassman' post='90157' date='Nov 18 2007, 11:22 AM']I'd say that's a pretty cool set list - not a million miles away from what my blues/rock trio would be playing...

Our set would contain a few originals as well, but as mentioned you need a couple of reasonably well known ones to keep the punters happy.

Good to see you've got a bit of Rory in there - we do For the Last Time which is one of my favourites to play and the guitarist is keen to do Tattooed Lady

We also do Black Magic Woman in a kind of cross between the Peter Green and Santana versions, always went down well...

It's been a few years since we'vew gigged (but we've now got a new drummer on board so hopefully out again soon) we used to find that providing you make a pretty good fist of it everyone is happy.

We decided (as it sounds you have) not to do all the really obvious stuff - just make a good listenable noise and you'll be fine - the mix is the key thing and try not to get carried away and stick everything on 10...[/quote]


JW Bassman , thanks for the advice.

Yeah would love to do the early Fleetwood Mac stuff. I used to go to their gigs with my older sister and brother in law , before Albatross , the American tour , and the Orange Amps - only saw them once more at our local dive then - they got too big.A dangerous love for me - I was a crombie wearing suede head at the time and much of Mac's early punters were Greasers and Angels ! I remember how Jigsaw Puzzle Blues used to rock the house up - and Jeremy Spencer doing his Elvis voice on 'Someones Going To Get Their Head Kicked in Tonight'.The Guitarist may let me do 'Without You' but only because it's in my vocal range, he's not keen on Mac. Tattoo bass part is a cinch and has some nice breaks in it, reccomend it.

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[quote name='Paul Cooke' post='90218' date='Nov 18 2007, 12:36 PM']I'd be tempted to reduce the Cream content and serve up more hard on blues boogie that the crowd would recognise... ZZ Top's "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs" come to mind...

Also check out SRV tracks... the guitarists might shrink in total fear at being asked to cover his work...[/quote]


Paul ,

'Gimme All Your Lovin' is a good suggestion, don't know the others but I'll have a listen , thanks.

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[quote name='BeLow' post='90142' date='Nov 18 2007, 09:47 AM']Sweet home Alabama is a horrible song in bass playing terms, it feels a bit like running fingernails down a blackboard to me - but 'the customer is never wrong'[/quote]

It's a great song, but only when it's done right. Most times I've watched a band do this they just steamroller right across it. Awful.

A couple of friends of mine are in a blues-based trio. They play some off-the-wall stuff, including...

Blister On The Moon - Taste
Hold Your Head Up - Argent
Natural Born Bugie - Humble Pie
When The Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin
21st Century Schizoid Man - King Crimson
Smokin' In The Boys Room - Brownsville Station
The Faith Healer - The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
Better By You Better Than Me - Spooky Tooth
Rock and Roll Hoochie Coo - Johnny Winter
Burlesque - Family

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[quote name='Alun' post='90363' date='Nov 18 2007, 05:35 PM']Although you might not expect it to, "Whipping Post" by the Allman Bros always goes down well in a rock trio I occasionally play in.

Cheers,
alun[/quote]

Ha! Thats just prompted me to dig out the [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FUAgIBysj4"]ZAPPA VERSION[/url] again! :)

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I love Cream but very often bands who play it kill the songs due to the vocals. JB's vocals are such an element of their sound that they are quite hard to pull off (trying to imitate him never works).

Some simpler pub rock stuff wouldn't go amiss, anything from Feelgood's Let it Roll for example.

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[quote name='wateroftyne' post='90392' date='Nov 18 2007, 06:44 PM']21st Century Schizoid Man - King Crimson

The Faith Healer - The Sensational Alex Harvey Band

Burlesque - Family[/quote]

woah... 21st Century Schizoid Man... that's some serious Jazz there... needs good horn section... my favourite version of that is on the "Earthbound" album... (such a pity that album was recorded on an ordinary cassette recorder in the first place though...)

Faith Healer... fantastic song... I was lucky to catch them live back in 75 when they did the tour that ended up on the "Live" album...

Burlesque - Family... needs the voice to carry that one off... distinctive bassline as well.

"In My Own Time" was their other big hit for me... nice rollicking romp of a song with a strong bass line...

here's In My Own Time:
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGF2e5JFdRI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGF2e5JFdRI[/url]

and Burlesque:
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j1VX7kvu2s"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j1VX7kvu2s[/url]
that one's just audio weirdly...

Oh, here's another I'd forgotten...

Blackfoot Sue - Standing In The Road...
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GjEWmyFSc0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GjEWmyFSc0[/url]

nice Rickenbacker there... from the amazing era when electric guitars mysteriously worked without having to plug them in... they also carried on playing when you stopped to clap your hands together...

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[quote name='wateroftyne' post='90392' date='Nov 18 2007, 06:44 PM']It's a great song, but only when it's done right. Most times I've watched a band do this they just steamroller right across it. Awful.

A couple of friends of mine are in a blues-based trio. They play some off-the-wall stuff, including...

Blister On The Moon - Taste
Hold Your Head Up - Argent
Natural Born Bugie - Humble Pie
When The Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin
21st Century Schizoid Man - King Crimson
Smokin' In The Boys Room - Brownsville Station
The Faith Healer - The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
Better By You Better Than Me - Spooky Tooth
Rock and Roll Hoochie Coo - Johnny Winter
Burlesque - Family[/quote]


WaterofTyne ,

Some nice stuff there , I suggested Burlesque - Family - trouble is the guitarist is a young hotdog who has never heard of Family and frankly, I don't think our vocals are up to it.Nat Born and Hold Your Head Up are worth exploring though , thanks.

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[quote name='Paul Cooke' post='90561' date='Nov 18 2007, 10:18 PM']woah... 21st Century Schizoid Man... that's some serious Jazz there... needs good horn section... my favourite version of that is on the "Earthbound" album... (such a pity that album was recorded on an ordinary cassette recorder in the first place though...)

Faith Healer... fantastic song... I was lucky to catch them live back in 75 when they did the tour that ended up on the "Live" album...

Burlesque - Family... needs the voice to carry that one off... distinctive bassline as well.

"In My Own Time" was their other big hit for me... nice rollicking romp of a song with a strong bass line...

here's In My Own Time:
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGF2e5JFdRI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGF2e5JFdRI[/url]

and Burlesque:
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j1VX7kvu2s"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j1VX7kvu2s[/url]
that one's just audio weirdly...



Oh, here's another I'd forgotten...

Blackfoot Sue - Standing In The Road...
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GjEWmyFSc0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GjEWmyFSc0[/url]

nice Rickenbacker there... from the amazing era when electric guitars mysteriously worked without having to plug them in... they also carried on playing when you stopped to clap your hands together...[/quote]


Waaahay... saw Family around 1972/3 at Chelsea village Bournemouth - must buy an Album.Nice Bass line in Burlesque.
The vocalist in Blackfoot Sue reminds me a bit of Noddy Holder (and they were cracking live before the teeny following) check out Slade Alive - track 'In Like A Shot From My Gun.'

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