My Band Had A Lot Of Fun With Cocaine Last Weekend

Phalex · #1 10-17-2011, 02:09 PM

At the end of the night on Friday for our fourth encore.....

Someone wanted to hear some Eric Clapton. The singer says "We can do Wonderful tonight. You want us to finish with a slow song?" The crowd did not.

Someone said Cocaine........

We hadn't played that song in years. Even when it was on the set list we didn't play it much. I'm thinking we'll pass on the Cocaine.

Nope! The singer says "Yeah, OK..... We can do that." He then retrieves his cell phone and starts looking for the lyrics online.

The guitar player starts playing the opening riff......

I have no idea what the hell key it's supposed to be in much less what he started playing it in, so I kinda slid up the neck searching...... E!!

The singer hadn't get the lyrics downloaded, so the drummer sang the first verse, then the guitar player took a ride, and the singer came in for the second verse.

It's the simplest song ever written I suppose, but having not played it in 4 or 5 years made it a complete joy. It soared, it swooped, it swelled, and surged...... I think we played that damn song for 7 or 8 minutes. We were almost a jam band!

Anyway, sometimes playing stuff off the cuff can be a complete train wreck, and sometimes it can be a total gas!!!

Bassmanbob · #2 10-17-2011, 02:22 PM

One night we had 2 or 3 requests for Purple Haze. I haven't played that song since I was in Junior High (1978 maybe) and neither had just about anyone else in the band. Our guitarist started playing the opening riff, we all joined in, and had a lot of fun! We were hysterical laughing by the end of the song and the croud loved it. It's now one of our reserve songs when we need another rockin' tune to pull from you know where.

I think we had so much fun with it because we never play anything unless we've rehearsed it thoroughly and we have it tight! It was fun to do it off the cuff.

tycobb73 · #3 10-17-2011, 03:08 PM

A band I was in was paying a show and we got a request for Enter Sandman. We had never played it as a band before but everyone said they knew it so we proceeded to butcher our way through it and the crowd loved it. I probably hadn't played it in 15 years before that.

**jmattbassplaya** · #4 10-17-2011, 03:18 PM

You're luck this doesn't happen too often for you guys because this is a weekly thing for me! My guitarist grew up listening to jam bands like Phish, so if we're playing a groove and someone accidentally teases another song he'll pick up on it and try to get us to go into it. It's honestly a lot of fun, but it requires everyone in our band to be on top of their game. I've played a number of songs I've never even heard before because of this

LowEndMan2112 · #5 10-17-2011, 03:25 PM

Something like this happened to me a while back. I was playing in a not so great band as a package, but the drummer and I (still play together today) really clicked. He and I had being working on a little drum + bass jam separate from what we'd been playing with this group, as we were strictly covers. But.... we had just finished our set, and were about to head off when a friend who'd heard our rough demo of the jam yelled out a request for it.

The singer was already off stage - she didn't look like she cared too much if we gave it a go - and the guitarists (or so I thought) remembered the structure from when we had jammed to it at a few rehearsals. Ends up, the guitarists had thought it was in a different key and only knew a quarter of the parts....

The drummer and I played well though

Crowd didn't seem to mind either, as they're always pleased with a tune that showcases a drummer!

Buster Brown · #6 10-17-2011, 03:29 PM

Many, MANY years ago - High School Rock Band playing a Catholic School dance....toward the end of the evening the kids kept yelling for "The Pusher" - Steppenwolf........The Priest says that we can play the song as long as we don't include the offending line.....OK as long as we say "gosh darn" the Pusher.

Unfortunately, I sang the song......everything was cool until the last verse when it "accidently" popped out.....

Lights went up....Nuns were crying....the Priest comes running up, tears in his eyes.....

End of dance.......

On a brighter note......it made us famous for a couple of weeks!

sethlow3 · #7 10-17-2011, 03:35 PM

It's always good to give the ol' improvisational muscles a workout. Being from Nashville, there are requests all the time I don't know that I have to fake. If it's really bad I just switch to palm muting and listen harder!

jazzbo58 · #8 10-17-2011, 05:42 PM

I enjoy "knocking the dust off of some songs"! It works out pretty well most of the time.

Cheers,
Jim

John Wentzien · #9 10-17-2011, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jazzbo58

I enjoy "knocking the dust off of some songs"! It works out pretty well most of the time.

Cheers,
Jim

treekiller · #10 10-17-2011, 05:49 PM

The bassline when played correctly has a cool groove, I always enjoyed playing it live!

TC2112 · #11 10-17-2011, 05:51 PM

I haven't played that song in years, but I remember the bass line being kind of a fun country like thing. All that Carl Radle stuff is fun to cover.

Factor88 · #12 10-18-2011, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phalex

He then retrieves his cell phone and starts looking for the lyrics online.

Heaven forbid your singer was using a cheat sheet for the words onstage! Have not you heard that that sort of thing is frowned upon in this forum?

Sorry to hijack the thread, but your story just makes the point about how using cheat sheets (or the digital equivelent) can result in fun for the band AND the audience. And often results in $$ in the wallet, which as I have said in other threads is the argument ender.

Phalex · #13 10-18-2011, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Factor88

Heaven forbid your singer was using a cheat sheet for the words onstage! Have not you heard that that sort of thing is frowned upon in this forum?

Sorry to hijack the thread, but your story just makes the point about how using cheat sheets (or the digital equivelent) can result in fun for the band AND the audience. And often results in $$ in the wallet, which as I have said in other threads is the argument ender.

Hijack away my friend!

My singer is not above using cheat sheets. How the hell he remembers the words to all the songs he knows I have no idea.

Mojo-Man · #14 10-18-2011, 11:13 AM

I love it when you do old songs on the fly.

Last week we did a 15 min. version of "Spoonful"

It was fun.

gnjpowell · #15 10-18-2011, 11:14 AM

Pros use cheat-sheets too...

superbassman2000 · #16 10-18-2011, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treekiller

The bassline when played correctly has a cool groove, I always enjoyed playing it live!

that was the opening song for my bar band a few years back--I used to play the nathan east version of the bassline until one time when I started the gig with too much to drink and then I played the radle version--I've been playing it that way ever since and I never looked back! I love the original groove!

NWB · #17 10-18-2011, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phalex

How the hell he remembers the words to all the songs he knows I have no idea.

How the hell I remember all these notes to all these songs I have no idea.

Vintage Guy · #18 10-18-2011, 11:32 AM

Yeah,my band # 2 decided to play Bad Case Of Lovin You one night off the cuff. Only one problem! I never played it before. Still amazed at myself for pulling it off intact!

homecooken · #19 10-18-2011, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NWB

How the hell I remember all these notes to all these songs I have no idea.

I don't remember the notes to all the songs we play. In fact, I have probably never even bothered learning alot of songs note for note.

Fassa Albrecht · #20 10-18-2011, 05:11 PM

Cocaine is a fave of mine....along with Layla.