Band Meeting - Lowered the Boom

[kjpollo]

Originally Posted by mellowinman

I have been doing Aerosmith as a standalone "naked" lead singer, with my wife playing bass. Our lead guitar has expressed his desire to have a second guitarist, and my wife is a decent rhythm player, so my new plan is to see if I can take on "SOS," "Train Kept a Rollin'" and "Seasons of Wither" as both bass player AND lead vocalist. That way, she can play rhythm, and we can get that fatter two guitar sound. I will still leave "Ten Inch Record" as a one guitar song, since I need to play harp on it, and I'm not sure we need to make any changes on "Sweet Emotion."

I think the larger question is, "whoah.... FIVE Aerosmith songs; two of them fairly LONG???? What are you; an Aerosmith tribute band...?" but really, the audiences seem to just love any Aerosmith we play, and I like doing little mini-blocks of sections of albums or stringing together some songs by bands.

With Aerosmith, it would be one block early in the night, with SOS, Train and Seasons, and then later in the night, the same bit we already do with Ten Inch, Sweet Emotion and flowing into Blackfoot's "Train, Train." That's already a high point of the night, anyway.

These are all just ideas. I want to try them, and more importantly, get them on videotape, because everybody keeps crying to me about how they "just want to have fun."

Well, I want to have fun, too. And for me, that is fun.

Besides, they blew me off on Whipping Post, and they murder some of my favorite Led Zeppelin jams, just because they don't feel like putting in the time to nail the parts. We have cut a lot of Zeppelin from the show, and I don't see us bringing in any more.

Cut:

The Ocean
Bring it on Home
Dazed and Confused
Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You

Getting less and less frequent:

Whole Lotta Love

All I can say is, Aerosmith's rhythm section is a whole lot easier to do justice to than Zeppelin's.

Agreed on the Aerosmith vs Led Zep rhythm section thing.
And your current band list sounds VERY similar to my previous band. We LOVED doing Train, Train. That song was good for me because I think it demands to be played with a pick and my pick technique wasnt all that strong- that song helped a lot.
And I lobbied HARD for Train Kept A Rollin but there was something in the second half part that kept tripping up the drummer. And our original drummer was no slouch!. The new drummer was definitely willing to tackle it but we were waiting until we got a rhythm player because we thought it was too thin with only one guitar.

But then I left that band last week so I dont know exactly what their plans are now.

[ibateur]

My only rule was "yes, if I can do it justice".

[Zooberwerx]

Originally Posted by ibateur

My only rule was "yes, if I can do it justice".

Mold your material around the resident talent and this will take care of itself. As it stands, we'll never be able to pursue any Zep, Who, or AC/DC but we can pull off "The Auctioneer's Song" at a tempo just slightly sub-sonic. Not my favorite tune, not even in the top ten but the guy can sing it and why let a gift go to waste?

Riis

[lbbc]

In my classic rock/variety band, here are the following rules:

1. Each song must be danceable
2. We must be able to sing the song well each night (up to three part harmony)
3. Each song has to be recognizable enough to get the crowd excited.
4. Only accept jobs for our "targeted" dempographic (why play Mustang Sally for a bunch of 18 year olds?)

(other agreed upon rules....no drugs, no excessive drinking, always be prepared and on time AND NO BS)

I guess it all depends on why we are playing. For me it's fun, money and musical recognition. I've always like to be the "party band"....so that's why we do what we do.

[Phalex]

Originally Posted by jive1

I still think your band should do Hair of the Dog by Nazareth.

I can't even think that high, much less sing that high!

[tycobb73]

Does your significant other climax everytime? If you think so she is obviously acting. I think you could show the same type of enthusiasm onstage.

[xgator4u]

Originally Posted by James Judson

Stormy Monday, Suzie Q, Brickhouse, Mustang Sally, Brown Eyed Girl, are just a few that I used to hate til a gorgeous blond convinced me otherwise. Don't want them on the "set list" but its a good idea to have them in our back pocket just in case that blond shows up.

Play it... they will come.

[mellowinman]

I would like someone to define "danceable" for me.

That word is really starting to piss me off.

It seems to be a wee bit subjective.

[guy n. cognito]

Originally Posted by jive1

As far as veto power, I give ultimate veto power to the vocalist. If you can't sing it, we're not doing it. The voice is the most limited instrument in the band in terms of range and time, so I'm coming at it from dealing with the weak link. With the players I prefer to work with, it's pretty safe to assume they will be able to play 80-90% of popular covers as long as the vocalist can cover it.

Agreed. We pick songs by majority vote, with only the singer having ultimate veto power because he can't sing the particular song. Learning every song that every singer thinks might work seems like a giant waste of time, and one I certainly wouldn't submit to.

Originally Posted by mellowinman

I would like someone to define "danceable" for me.

That word is really starting to piss me off.

It seems to be a wee bit subjective.

Danceable- songs people will dance to....... If your crowds only use the dance floor to get to the bathroom, then the songs you're playing aren't danceable.

[nortonrider]

Originally Posted by mellowinman

I would like someone to define "danceable" for me.

I don't / can't dance (not even a little bit), and even I know what the definition of a "dancable" song is.

[Brad Johnson]

I don't hate any songs so I don't really have a need for rules like this. I'm game... I've been surprised by a few things that worked much better than we thought they should have. And I've seen trainwrecks on songs everyone liked. I will point out the high potential of a trainwreck song, other than that, count it off.

[Brad Johnson]

Originally Posted by jive1

I hear ya. For some reason, horn players seem to have a different mentality. For most, their paradigm is reading music, so it really helps to have charts.

If you're a horn player in a cover band you'd better bring your own charts.


I'll admit that I do find it annoying to work with horn players who clearly aren't putting in the same prep effort as the rhythm section... while getting the same pay. And I say that as a former trumpeter.

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by Brad Johnson

If you're a horn player in a cover band you'd better bring your own charts.


I'll admit that I do find it annoying to work with horn players who clearly aren't putting in the same prep effort as the rhythm section... while getting the same pay. And I say that as a former trumpeter.

If you're a strong reader, then you put in your prep time by learning to read.

[mellowinman]

Originally Posted by nortonrider

I don't / can't dance (not even a little bit), and even I know what the definition of a "dancable" song is.

And yet, you found yourself unable to post something useful.

What do YOU consider "danceable."

There's a reason I ask.

We were at a gig not too long ago, and we played "Kiss," and "Peach" by Prince, "Always on the Run," by Lenny Kravitz, and "Use me," by Bill Witherspoon, all to an empty dance floor. A guy came up with a look of contempt on his face, and said, "do you know any Bob Seger?"

The songs that got the crowd going?

Sweet Emotion
Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

So I ask again, what is considered a "danceable" song?

[jive1]

Originally Posted by mellowinman

So I ask again, what is considered a "danceable" song?

I hear what you are saying. I've done plenty of 'non-danceable' songs that still got the crowd going and filled the dance floor.

Killing in the Name Of by Rage Against the Machine, and Man in the Box by Alice In Chains are not dance tunes. But when I've done those, the crowd was into it and the dance floor was full. But, people weren't 'dancing' in the traditional sense.

To me, if it gets the crowd going, up and moving, I don't care what kind of dance they are doing to it.

[Brad Johnson]

Originally Posted by fdeck

If you're a strong reader, then you put in your prep time by learning to read.

This is partially true... you'd still need something to read.


If you can't find it, you'll have to write it, learn it by ear or do whatever's necessary to be on point when you show up. That's what I as a bassist do.

[guy n. cognito]

Originally Posted by mellowinman

And yet, you found yourself unable to post something useful.

What do YOU consider "danceable."

There's a reason I ask.

We were at a gig not too long ago, and we played "Kiss," and "Peach" by Prince, "Always on the Run," by Lenny Kravitz, and "Use me," by Bill Witherspoon, all to an empty dance floor. A guy came up with a look of contempt on his face, and said, "do you know any Bob Seger?"

The songs that got the crowd going?

Sweet Emotion
Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

So I ask again, what is considered a "danceable" song?

It's crowd dependent. Prince won't work for redneck bikers, but kills with the 40 something white-collar crowd. You have to know your audience.

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by mellowinman

and only after mastering them will we decide whether they make the set list, SHOW BY SHOW.

^That's the best part of the rule.

We have parameters and criteria for what constitutes good song selections, but we operate with the understanding that no matter how positively we may feel about a song, if it ain't working and the audience is not into it, we drop it or put it on the back burner.

[ga_edwards]

Originally Posted by electracoyote

We have parameters and criteria for what constitutes good song selections, but we operate with the understanding that no matter how positively we may feel about a song, if it ain't working and the audience is not into it, we drop it or put it on the back burner.

Very important point there. You've got to put personal feelings aside in set list choice. You're playing for an audience, not yourselves.

I think my bands rule regarding potential songs to learn and gig is everyone has to agree to it. If member of the band don't like a song, or really passionately hate it (like my feelings for the entire Oasis catalogue) then it gets binned at the first hurdle.

Otherwise, we'll try ideas out and busk our way through song ideas to see if they have potential and drop what doesn't.

[MarkMgibson]

Originally Posted by Brad Johnson

I don't hate any songs so I don't really have a need for rules like this. I'm game... I've been surprised by a few things that worked much better than we thought they should have. And I've seen trainwrecks on songs everyone liked. I will point out the high potential of a trainwreck song, other than that, count it off.

You don't hate any songs? Does that mean you'd be happy to do a cover of "Achy Breaky Heart"?