I have just had the WORST band practice ever!

Fassa Albrecht · #1 07-31-2008, 02:28 PM

I had a band 'refresher' session today.

I took my Shergold along and we met up at the rooms we normally use and began set up.
It was at this point I realised I'd forgotten my splitter cable which I NEED to use my Shergold. After I panicked I managed to duct-tape something together from some spare wire and some tape I had.

After that we began the first song. The guitarist was flat- he'd tried to be clever and use the keyboard as a tuner but his ear-playing is dreadful. So we ended up waiting around until he'd properly tuned.

After a song we decided to divide up and do some individual work. I ended up with a new guitard who was so amateurish and didn't know basic chords that I knew. He also hadn't looked through the material he'd supposedly been given to read beforehnd.

Then we came back together for a finale. Now I'd put my bass down whilst dealing with the guitard and so I'd turned my volume switch down. I then picked up the bass and began playing. It was only during the first chorus I realised....by that time the whole band knew and I was forced to drop out, turn the amp off, turn the bass on and then the amp, and come back in on the third chorus.

After this the sound guy we had turned around and said 'oh crap, I forgot to add the bass'.

Grrrrrrr....

PS The only good thing that came from it all was that I took a mad slapping solo at the end........

AlphaMale · #2 07-31-2008, 02:29 PM

If you didn't quit. It wasn't too bad.

GianGian · #3 07-31-2008, 02:30 PM

That sounds quite decent when compared to my experiences.

Fassa Albrecht · #4 07-31-2008, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlphaMale

If you didn't quit. It wasn't too bad.

It was a problem considering I was the bandleader.....I should have been a lot better organised and a lot more professional.

spaz21387 · #5 07-31-2008, 02:35 PM

Atleast you didnt get sick on your bass this time.

Gubna · #6 07-31-2008, 02:36 PM

I had a gig once where the guitarist popped a string, then instead of grabbing his backup guitar - which should've already been tuned - he decided to restring his guitar there on the spot - but he put the wrong gauge string on, and proceeded to pop it again.

At this point, he got out his back up guitar which wasn't tuned, and began to tune it.

Meanwhile, the drummer, myself, and the singer/guitarist proceeded to jam - something we just didn't do on a regular basis. And proceeded to SUCK big time. In hindsight, we should've been more prepared for something bad to happen - and it probably wasn't as bad to anyone watching us - as it was to us. You're always your own worst critic.

We broke up the following sunday, this after over 2 years together and 2 CDs.

so cheer up mate, it couldn't have been that bad if it was only a rehearsal! At least it didn't happen in front of others. That's what rehearsals are for - working out the bugs. Perhaps the guitarist will learn something from it.

JackANSI · #7 07-31-2008, 02:36 PM

I must be really hick... I never had a soundguy at our practices/rehearsals... So you're doing something right I guess...

Fassa Albrecht · #8 07-31-2008, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spaz21387

Atleast you didnt get sick on your bass this time.

True......

txbasschik · #9 07-31-2008, 03:00 PM

Oh My Goodness!!!

That's one of those practices where all the planets are lined up wrong, and nothing's going to work. The gremlins are in control and Murphy's Law is being enforced to the letter. Nothing you can do about it.

That's where you all go have a good beer, a good laugh, and go hit it again next time and get all manner of productive.

Hey, at least there was no fighting!!! I can't tell you how wonderful it is to go to practice and know that no one is going to have a blue-eyed, ring-tailed hissy fit for an hour and fifteen minutes because someone else looked at them funny. Its almost better than sex. Or shrimp cocktail. Or a really cherry '69 GTO. 's right up there with 'em, anyway.

(Raises her cold mug of Abita Purple Haze Raspberry Ale...I'm having one of those days...this stuff makes me thank God for the state of Louisiana!)

Here's to a great practice next time!!!

Cherie

HashbrownCOBM · #10 07-31-2008, 03:05 PM

No ****? You got a sound guy? Oh and try going to practice and not a single note gets played cuz someone wants to talk about something that has to do with nothing for two hours while yer sittin on yer cab with bass in hand and if you pluck a couple notes they look at you like yer interupting them "practice". Not only did that happen, it happened more than once. 8 guys in a band, too many ego's. Cooks in the kitchen and so on.

Implosion · #11 07-31-2008, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

I had a band 'refresher' session today.

I took my Shergold along and we met up at the rooms we normally use and began set up.
It was at this point I realised I'd forgotten my splitter cable which I NEED to use my Shergold. After I panicked I managed to duct-tape something together from some spare wire and some tape I had.

After that we began the first song. The guitarist was flat- he'd tried to be clever and use the keyboard as a tuner but his ear-playing is dreadful. So we ended up waiting around until he'd properly tuned.

After a song we decided to divide up and do some individual work. I ended up with a new guitard who was so amateurish and didn't know basic chords that I knew. He also hadn't looked through the material he'd supposedly been given to read beforehnd.

Then we came back together for a finale. Now I'd put my bass down whilst dealing with the guitard and so I'd turned my volume switch down. I then picked up the bass and began playing. It was only during the first chorus I realised....by that time the whole band knew and I was forced to drop out, turn the amp off, turn the bass on and then the amp, and come back in on the third chorus.

After this the sound guy we had turned around and said 'oh crap, I forgot to add the bass'.

Grrrrrrr....

PS The only good thing that came from it all was that I took a mad slapping solo at the end........

Ummm....what kind of a band is this? I mean is it like a school band or something like that?

Jamolah · #12 07-31-2008, 03:13 PM

Hey Fassa, out of interest; where in town do you rehearse? (I notice you're a fellow dweller of Newcastle, and I've yet to find a rehearsal space in town I feel 100% satisfied with).

Cheers,
JP

Fassa Albrecht · #13 07-31-2008, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Implosion

Ummm....what kind of a band is this? I mean is it like a school band or something like that?

It's my church praise band....it was mostly a session for people still in Newcastle and also for two new musicians, the guitarist I was teaching and a new singer.

JimB52 · #14 07-31-2008, 08:57 PM

Bad practice = good show most of the time.

GianGian · #15 07-31-2008, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimB52

Bad practice = good show most of the time.

I could argue.

Gubna · #16 07-31-2008, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HashbrownCOBM

No ****? You got a sound guy? Oh and try going to practice and not a single note gets played cuz someone wants to talk about something that has to do with nothing for two hours while yer sittin on yer cab with bass in hand and if you pluck a couple notes they look at you like yer interupting them "practice". Not only did that happen, it happened more than once. 8 guys in a band, too many ego's. Cooks in the kitchen and so on.

two words: power trio