All musicians unite! - The Musicians Chat Thread

[James Mypetgiress]

Thanks, man!   

[sneakyblueberry]

just got a bunch of mics to do some sort of recording. i haven't gotten too in depth w/ anything yet, but i'm looking forward to finally getting my ideas recorded properly.

what'd you get?

3 sm 57s, a beta 52, and a couple condensors. i forget what they are.

Naaiice!

[Orbert]

This Saturday, we're going to try it again.  We're going to attempt a debut gig.  Our first attempted debut got rained out; our second attempt was cancelled when our drummer JT ended up in the ER with a kidney stone.  Third time's the charm, right?

It's a semi-crappy gig, to be honest.  A sports bar 15 miles from here will have the Blackhawks game, and they want a band to play from whenever the game ends (around 10:30) until closing time.  We'll only have time for two sets, which is fine because that's all we have anyway.  I'm sure it's gonna be one of those situations where the owner won't want to hear a sound while the game is still going, then expect us to start immediately and sound perfect without a sound check.  Our sound check will be the first couple of songs.

We're running through the first set Tuesday night, the second set Thursday night.  I hate evening practices, but this is what we have to work with.  I'm taking Friday off of work to prepare myself mentally and physically.

Ha ha, just kidding.  I had Friday off already anyway.

The first time, I was wired, so excited to be playing a live gig.  But as the week went on and we watched the weather forecasts, I had to keep my hopes guarded, and ultimately was disappointed but not surprised when we were rained out.  The second one, I'd actually driven out there before I found out the situation, then stayed and hung around the board with Steve and John because why not (also, the waitress in our section was... damn!)

I find myself not excited about this at all.  I honestly cannot get excited about something which, in my mind, may or may not happen.  Saturday night, if I get there, we set up, nothing catastrophic happens, and we play, great.  I will play, I'll do all the things on stage that I'm supposed to do, and I'll kick ass.  But I can't help feeling that someone's fucking with me.  I will not get my hopes up again.


So I'm on Facebook, checking to see who's going to our Event (I manage the band Facebook page), and I see that four Friends are going and four Others are going.  That's kinda weird; I thought the other five members of the band had at least clicked that they were going.  I look and see that JT, our drummer, is no longer a Friend.  What?  I click, go to his page, and nope, we're not Friends.  It lists Friends we have in common, which include Karen and Mike (the husband-wife team who quit) and some other guys we both know, but neither myself nor anyone else currently in the band is Friends with him anymore.  Apparently he had a hissy fit and un-Friended all of us.

Oh, the drama!  Oh, the humanity!

[James Mypetgiress]

Best of luck, mate. Hopefully no issues this time. Maybe Orbert's Almost Band will become Orbert's Actually a Band Band.   

[sneakyblueberry]

That JT is really grinding my gears!

[James Mypetgiress]

EDIT: Just read until the end of the post, which I didn't before - was in a rush to go somewhere. This guy seems like a butt.

[Orbert]

I just got off the phone with Steve.  JT is apparently going through some serious shit right now.  Like, he and the girlfriend broke up, he moved out kind of shit.  I said maybe he got "breakup drunk" and went on a Facebook rampage, deleting Friends and stuff.  He said No, he'd talked to him, and he's in the middle of creating a new Facebook persona.  Also, he doesn't drink.  Well okay, but kinda weird that he'd specifically un-Friend the other members of the band and keep everyone else.

Also, significant drama is brewing with Anne, our lead singer, who is showing signs of advanced psychosis.  Clearly, this is just what we need right now.

Practice is tonight.  This gonna be good.

[PuffyPat]

i really hope this all works out for you. i know whats it's like to want to get somewhere in band and having other people in the band hampering things regularly. nothing to this extreme, but it can get very frustrating very fast.

[sneakyblueberry]

I just sold my Thunderbird.



Such a sweet bass.

[PuffyPat]

I just sold my Thunderbird.



Such a sweet bass.

why'd u sell it then?

[sneakyblueberry]

Need the cash for a trip to australia

[hefdaddy42]

Also, significant drama is brewing with Anne, our lead singer, who is showing signs of advanced psychosis.  Clearly, this is just what we need right now.

No, no, you're looking at this all wrong.

Every good singer is crazy.  This is just what you need!

[Orbert]

I'm starting to believe that.  I've worked with a number of singers over the years, and in general, the better they were, the crazier they were.  Unfortunately, this also meant that they were harder to work with.  Finding a balance is key, as with all things.

Steve texted me this morning, saying that Anne was burning up his phone again.  She has a lot of comments about how things went last night at practice.  I told him I think it's great that the two of them have such and open, honest rapport going.  (And by that I mean it's great that it's the two of them and I am not one of them.)

[hefdaddy42]

 

[Orbert]

Ha ha, I may not have been entirely clear.  Her comments were not positive.  I'm glad I'm not the recipient of her outbursts.

She has plenty of critique for what everyone else is doing, but when it comes to her, if there's something she's not singing correctly, it's "I'm having trouble feeling this song.  I don't really like it."

Well shit, we all have songs that we don't really like.  But we play them because other people love them and they're in the set list, the set list that we all agreed to.  So suck it up and do your fucking job.

My remark to Steve had two sides, though.  Steve and Anne have not always gotten along.  For a while, they were ready to kill each other.  But they got together for lunch and drinks on a day off, and had a long talk about the band, music, etc., and now they have a pretty good rapport.  So I was telling Steve that it's great that they're talking and stuff, but really I'm just glad it's not me.  I still get to hear all about it from Steve, so it's not really that much better.

[hefdaddy42]

lol

[James Mypetgiress]

By the sounds of it, I should be glad I'm a solo musician. This band shit sounds tiring 

[Orbert]

This is easily the most drama I've ever dealt with in a band.  Most bands I've been in have gotten along pretty well, because we were friends first.  We were in a band together because we knew each other and liked each other first.  This band was formed via Internet searches, and is people from all different backgrounds.  We don't have the bond.  But we all have experience in bands, and know how it needs to work; it just doesn't quite feel the same and I don't think it's a conscious thing that it doesn't work.

Also, we all have lives and jobs and other commitments, so it's not like when you're 20 and the band is your life.  This is just a hobby.  It's supposed to be fun.  And it is, once we start playing.  It's just getting to that point that's a pain.

[Orbert]

We did it!  We fucking did it!  We played a gig!



Getting ready for the second set.  Steve checking the talkbox, as we open the set with "Rocky Mountain Way".  Me watching the babes playing darts over in the corner.  They were there most of the night.  The one, Corinne, was pretty hot.  She came over and talked to me and stuff, introduced herself and her friend (I don't remember her friend's name) and kinda kept me company throughout the show.  It's cool when you get to interact with people in the audience, cooler still when they're babes.  Corinne gave me a hug at the end of the night, said I was awesome.  Damn, I've missed doing this.

We were not flawless, but we were pretty damned good, especially for a debut, and missing our singer for rehearsal the other night (meaning we never did get a full run-through of the second set).  Also no sound check.  The owner was a real dick.  But... owners.

A new chapter.  I'm so psyched.  It's 2:45 AM and I just got home from the bar.  An actual paying gig, first in over 30 years.  Okay, we only made $10 each, but a gig's a gig.  We played for the door, and for friends and significant others, and for fun, and for experience playing, and so some agent named Bob Something could come see us (he did, and he said he was impressed, so that's cool).

[sneakyblueberry]

Awesome!

[James Mypetgiress]

Nice! I can't wait to actually do a live show.

[pcs90]

Congratulations! Glad things finally worked out.

[hefdaddy42]

Great news, Orbert!  Congrats!

[TheLordOfTheStrings]

Entered this singer/songwriter contest. Would really appreciate if you guys could give it a listen and give some points if you like it.
https://songwriter.amplifiertv.com/channel/Cody+McKenna

[PuffyPat]

congrats, orbert! make sure when u start touring the world to come to ct.

[Kotowboy]

Shredders !

Any shredders in ! I know the principles of harmonising. E.g. If you're shredding in E minor - you can harmonise in G major for example.

But if you're doing really long legato runs - is it the same principle ?

I can't get my head around doing some crazy sweep and legato runs and having to harmonise every note.

[James Mypetgiress]

Shredders !

Any shredders in ! I know the principles of harmonising. E.g. If you're shredding in E minor - you can harmonise in G major for example.

But if you're doing really long legato runs - is it the same principle ?

I can't get my head around doing some crazy sweep and legato runs and having to harmonise every note.

What's a shredders?

I'm not very musical.

[Kotowboy]

Shredders !

Any shredders in ! I know the principles of harmonising. E.g. If you're shredding in E minor - you can harmonise in G major for example.

But if you're doing really long legato runs - is it the same principle ?

I can't get my head around doing some crazy sweep and legato runs and having to harmonise every note.

What's a shredders?

I'm not very musical.

 

[James Mypetgiress]

Shredders !

Any shredders in ! I know the principles of harmonising. E.g. If you're shredding in E minor - you can harmonise in G major for example.

But if you're doing really long legato runs - is it the same principle ?

I can't get my head around doing some crazy sweep and legato runs and having to harmonise every note.

What's a shredders?

I'm not very musical.

 

Sorry to disappoint. 

[splent]

Ok I'm way behind but Orbert next time you have a gig let me know where you are playing! If it's not too far let me know and I'll (hopefully) make it out to see you (to return the favor for seeing me like 5 years ago!)

[Orbert]

It's a deal.  It looks like we might be playing 210 in Highwood (formerly The Alley) the day after Christmas, which should be interesting, and way the hell down to Sheffield some time in January.  It sucks just starting out.  You have to take what you can get.

[TheLordOfTheStrings]

New track I demoed for my band! Switches between  4/4 and 7/8 during the verse parts. Pretty stoked on the ending. Thoughts? (it's just a drum/guitar demo like the last one)

https://soundcloud.com/we-are-all-hail/sorrow-mk-ii-demo

[BlackInk]

New track I demoed for my band! Switches between  4/4 and 7/8 during the verse parts. Pretty stoked on the ending. Thoughts? (it's just a drum/guitar demo like the last one)

https://soundcloud.com/we-are-all-hail/sorrow-mk-ii-demo

Saw this at work, meant to listen when I got home but forgot.

Listened to it now though, and that's a kickass track! The, I guess I'd be the chorus, was especially cool, with the alternations between the distorded chords and then the rhythmical stuff.

[BlackInk]

Also, me and the band finished writing track 7 for our first album last night, which means we only have one song left before we're done! Started writing this long concept album over a year ago and I can barely believe we're almost done. Hopefully after we finish, we'll start recording and I'll share something here.

[hefdaddy42]

New track I demoed for my band! Switches between  4/4 and 7/8 during the verse parts. Pretty stoked on the ending. Thoughts? (it's just a drum/guitar demo like the last one)

https://soundcloud.com/we-are-all-hail/sorrow-mk-ii-demo

That was really cool!  Nice riffage!