pet peeve about some blues rock bands

[azureblue]

Two bands in a row, needing a bass player, who play up tempo shuffles like each member drank a 6 pack of Red Bull. Guys, it's not a race to finish the tune first.. Relax & groove!

[jnuts1]

at least they don't want to play the slowest blues imaginable so they can "burn"

[Lowend65]

Try not to sing about BBQ if you're white...
DO NOT play Mustang Sally

[mboogiemanusa]

The local dive bars we play at have put the word out that cover bands are not to play any slow blues. Too many guitards wanken for 20 minutes and not enough pretty girls dancing. I once saw a blues based band play only 3 songs in their set, all slow blues and the set lasted 40 minutes so I see their point. We mostly play classic rock but sneak in some uptempo Stevie Ray Vaughn blues tunes that have high energy solos that don't last forever but gets the folks on the dance floor.

[INTP]

I used to play with a sax player that sped up just about every song we played. He liked Proud Mary at around 160bpm. He was an energetic fellow, all natural.

Sometimes it worked, sometimes not so much.

[Andysalina5]

Well to me it depends on the gig. Slow 20 minute long blues songs played as background music in say, a southern art exhibition, is alright. but its not alright at a club where people are expected to dance. In a blues bar for example, i like it when a band plays energetic blues and instead of taking a 15 minute break, they play a slow blues song, then continue rockin'.

[Kawai-chang]

I am against any slow blues tunes in a set list. It just kills any crowd enthusiasm.

[Raymeous]

Besides that most of them look and sound just like all the others? Sorry I couldn't help my self.

Actually I do agree with you on the extended slooooooooowwww bluuuuuezzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzz zzzzzzzz huh?! wha?! Sorry I drifted off there for a moment. I am primarily a guitarist and as much as a self gratifying indulgence playing a slow blues tune can be, they are a total mood killer live. Entertaining your audience doesn't mean putting them to sleep. Dynamics are a huge thing live and slow blues jams generally are not dynamic at all. More often than not slow blues tunes are played to satisfy the band and not the audience. Thats why SRV is my blues hero. It because of his energy and more up beat and rockin' variety of songs.

[Medford Bassman]

I used to play with a drummer/singer who always wanted to do the song "Red Rooster" nice and slow to show our "versatility" UGH.

We wre hired at a pretty upscale gig, being paid very well to entertain families and their kids. He called out that song. I said NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
He just had to do it.
After angonizing 5-7 minutes of that song, the guy who hired walked up to the bandstand and said, "Hey, keep it peppy, ok?"

Uh yeah, we never got called back for that gig.

[jimc]

My problem with the local blues guitarists is that it seems they practice soloing 90% of the time when it reality they'll only be soloing for 20% of the song at most. Rhythm playing seems to be viewed as something you do while waiting to solo.

A good rhythm player can really help the band sound good, a bad one just serves up slops over everything. Guitarists, you need to be practicing your rhythm chops as well!

[Medford Bassman]

finding good rhythm players...priceless

[Datsgor]

^^^
Finding a solid rhythm guitarist is like finding diamonds in poo. It seems like it a lost art. You get a great rhythm guitarist and then you are really groovin' Yep, it's rare.