Meth Lab

TroyK · #1 03-25-2009, 05:07 PM

So, I'm not only a wiseass on-line, but also one in real life and it can cause me trouble in both cases.

A guitar player I know just moved back to town with a bunch of ambition and is trying to put together a group with some specific ideas and set the world on fire. Initial get-together/rehearsal last night actually went pretty well and I'm hanging in for now. Based on the tunes and arrangements he brought it, he clearly has a string bias towards Path Metheny and Chick Corea, which are not exactly in my strikezone, but the tunes he brought in were good tunes and I liked the treatment we gave most of them. But in my subtle/smartass way of suggesting to him that maybe we should diversify the repretoire a bit, when the subject of band naming (which I always hate anyway) came up, I said "well, since it looks like we'll spend a lot of time workshoping Pat Metheny tunes, how about "Meth Lab"".

Guess what? They like it...I'm trying to veto my own nomination now, but we're unclear about the rules on that. No one has ever tried before. =^ /

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #2 03-25-2009, 05:24 PM

I'm hiding all my Sudafed and Glade candles as we speak.

nortonrider · #3 03-25-2009, 05:42 PM

I think it would be a pretty funny name to call your practice/rehearsal space - an inside joke.

But for me personally, I wouldn't want to go see a band named Meth Lab.

It brings up the image of a bunch of skinny rednecks pounding out a very loud version of "War Pigs" through beat up Crate amps , while some guy is out in the parking lot trying to steal the radio out of my truck.

Marcus Johnson · #4 03-25-2009, 05:42 PM

Good luck on the convention circuit.

Paul Warburton · #5 03-25-2009, 05:44 PM

I did something in the same vein (pun intended) a few years back. A guitarist friend and I had a duo. We were both on the methadone program. We came up with...."The methatones".

jfkbass · #6 03-25-2009, 06:50 PM

I did a improv with a dance company called Free Bass

Jefenator · #7 03-25-2009, 08:40 PM

I sure hope you can talk the guys out of it. That name might almost play in regions less familiar with (& thus ravaged by) crystal meth. Here in southern Oregon, I think it would go over like a dead dog.

Good pun, bad trademark.

Uncletoad · #8 03-25-2009, 09:32 PM

Looks like the only way out of that one will be to name it after the guitar player.

Vanity will always trump clever.

DanRJBrasil · #9 03-25-2009, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfkbass

I did a improv with a dance company called Free Bass

Good one!

TroyK · #10 03-25-2009, 11:34 PM

The Methotones! Nice.

You know what, Phil? I've already thought of that. I think it's generally stupid to name jazz bands anyway and when someone is driving, I'm all for naming it after them. Anyone but me, I'm the guy behind the guy.

Meth's not obviously big here in Seattle (King County), but it's a huge problem just south in Pierce County. Lots of death and crime and apartment fires. It's a horrible name for a band and no one would book us, except for maybe a punk club...where we would be killed after the first measure. It never occurred to me that someone might think it was a good idea

Unless we make a direction change, though, it will be what I privately call this group....I'll just have to watch where I say it.

Sam Sherry · #11 03-26-2009, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TroyK

I think it's generally stupid to name jazz bands anyway and when someone is driving, I'm all for naming it after them.

No big thing but I've long felt the other way: Since my name isn't "Miles Davis" or "John Coltrane" I'd just as soon call the band something beside "Sam's Band."

I've been on an astronomical kick for the past decade or so. After The Orion Ensemble folded, my band was (is?) called Ursa Major. I also had (have?) another band called The Campion Ensemble because a bunch of us live(d) on Campion Road.

Paul Warburton · #12 03-26-2009, 05:21 AM

It looks like this thread is slipping slowly, ever so slowly, over into that "Name that band" heading. Sorry, Troy. Ain't we been down that road before?
Just in case, and in interest of those who may terrified by the horror of drugs, my two favorite band names, and I'm sure I've posted them before, are: The tuba quartet..."The Tuba Four". And the old stand-by: "Joe Banana and His Bunch... Music with A Peel."

TroyK · #13 03-26-2009, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Sherry

No big thing but I've long felt the other way: Since my name isn't "Miles Davis" or "John Coltrane" I'd just as soon call the band something beside "Sam's Band."

I've been on an astronomical kick for the past decade or so. After The Orion Ensemble folded, my band was (is?) called Ursa Major. I also had (have?) another band called The Campion Ensemble because a bunch of us live(d) on Campion Road.

Very good point, however, naming the band after me is something that has never come up and I would never consider. I guess what I was saying is, I'm usually happy naming it after someone else.

That being said, the last two bands that I had all or some leadership of were "The Green Line Quintet", which makes sense if you're from Seattle and vote...over and over again... and "Dead Wax", which I may still use if I ever get settled into a piano trio that I want to start trying to sell to singers and horn players in lieu of encouraging them to trying to start new bands of their own with 80% of the same people in it.

And Paul, you're absolutely right. This thread is going nowhere and was from the start. I have a gift that way. Spent some time with a friend/aquaintance of yours last week, by the way. I'll PM you to keep his Christian name off of the www.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #14 03-26-2009, 09:33 AM

Back in college, I was in a classical guitar trio with a a Jewish friend by the last name of "Davis" and another buddy named "Roland Steiner". We actually got pretty good considering the bunch of untrained mutts that we started off as. Anyway, Mr. Davis came up with the idea that we bill ourselves as "Hymie, Limey, and Jerry" on all of the concerts we played on, but our teacher nixed that. I still think it would have been beautiful.

David Kaczorowski · #15 03-26-2009, 09:46 AM

"Meth Lab" sounds like it would be a heavy metal band. I'd go with Chicks of Corea.

TroyK · #16 03-26-2009, 11:00 AM

I started and bailed out of a project once called "Clave Nagila", I think you can imagine what that was about. My co-conspiritor at the time kept going with it and you might find something on-line, although I don't think they took it too far. It's one of those back of the shelf, goof-projects, but it could actually be pretty cool.

It just became a big committee and I'm not that good at being on committees.

Ed Fuqua · #17 03-26-2009, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

It looks like this thread is slipping slowly, ever so slowly, over into that "Name that band" heading. Sorry, Troy. Ain't we been down that road before?
Just in case, and in interest of those who may terrified by the horror of drugs, my two favorite band names, and I'm sure I've posted them before, are: The tuba quartet..."The Tuba Four". And the old stand-by: "Joe Banana and His Bunch... Music with A Peel."

Mine was "Shelly Manne and His Men". Along those lines, I used to work with a trumpet player down in Augusta named Eric Hillman, I wanted to call the band Eric Hillman and his Hill Men, but everyone said that sounded like a bluegrass band...

jtlownds · #18 03-26-2009, 01:01 PM

How about - Ned Nasal and the Nine Nasty Nose Pickers, doing their theme song - Dig That Boogie.

christ andronis · #19 03-26-2009, 08:23 PM

The working title for this little ensemble (g/b/d) we're trying to get started: Satan...the Trio!

Marcus Johnson · #20 03-27-2009, 11:59 AM

I once had an idea for a band name that would offend Darwinists and creationists on an equal basis; "Rhesus Christ".