I’m with the “why not” camp. Live dangerously. Plus, it’s country, not prog rock. I’ve found drummers tend to be very resistant to this sort of thing, but I don’t get it - they don’t even have to play notes.
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Add new material 5 hours before load-in?
- Thread starter Bass Man Dan
- Start date
Most recently our vocalist/rhythm guitarist sprung Long White Line by Sturgill Simpson on our drummer at a gig. No practice with him...not even sure he had ever heard the song. It's not a difficult song, but it's filled with several breaks. Luckily, I knew the song (more or less) and the drummer and I have played together for over 10 years, and know each other's cues very well. He watched me and I used my headstock like a director's baton. Would not have gone better if we had rehearsed it a dozen times.
BW
BW
This summarizes my feelings exactly.If I bring “2 or 3” Rush fans to the gig, will you play Anthem and Freewill?
No. But it sounds like you know our singer!Did he at least tell you what key he wants to sing them in
5 hours before the show tell your singer he'll be doing some tunes he's never heard. See how he likes that!
I swear, many of life's problems could be avoided if certain people could put themselves in the other person's shoes.
I swear, many of life's problems could be avoided if certain people could put themselves in the other person's shoes.
Also, never heard Body Like a Back Road, but I'm thinking...curvy, dirty and filled with rocks and potholes?
Am I close?
BW
Am I close?
BW
It amazes me how many people think it's fine to let someone push them around.
It also amazes me how some people aren't concerned about possible trainwrecks onstage.
That too, though I would agree that there are some songs that are pretty easy to pull off if everyone has heard them enough and can play well by ear. So I can't judge that one without knowing the OPs band. In general, though, I'm always happier to have an opportunity to actually learn something first
This is absolute fact!5 hours before the show tell your singer he'll be doing some tunes he's never heard. See how he likes that!
I swear, many of life's problems could be avoided if certain people could put themselves in the other person's shoes.
Dan I am like you, being self taught and playing by ear. It happens in my band at least twice every gig, for nearly 25 years now. And because of the front girl announcing something new, while we're reaching for a rag or water.
Sometimes, its starting the song then having to play it in the wrong key.
If you think it makes You neurotic after that many years, your right!
It also makes you a better musician.
When You can addapt on the fly love like that, you won't sweat the lesser stuff.
Kuddos to all who can pull this off. I've heard too many bands try to do this and fail miserably. They think they did great because it didn't trainwreck, but it still sucked. If you really want to come off as professional, either be able to nail it, or don't half-ass it.
This is the ONE great BIG screaming reason why I play Suicide Jukebox with myself to get to at least learn to box-out a decent enough bassline to almost anything the band or audience can throw at you.
I just let YouTube run and play along - sometimes badly and sometimes I can hit it pretty well.
If you have a decent ear and can hear the changes coming - you're golden - well, maybe polished brass.
Just took a listen to the Back Road song...at least the first 30 seconds or so (that was all I could take). Personally, it wouldn't have mattered if he brought it to me at a rehearsal. Hard pass!!! I couldn't bring myself to play that autotuned country-pop crap. If I brought it up, I think my bandmates would start looking for a new bassist.
BW
BW
Yeah --- I kinda draw lines at somewhere in the mid '70s for any CW "hits" I might even think of playing --- still --- we SHOULD be able to jab a few notes into it if we're at least semi-pros.
I've been thrown new songs mid-set.
Being able to read the guitarist's left hand is an essential tool.
Being able to read the guitarist's left hand is an essential tool.
I totally agree with the boundary aspect of this, and it would be lot better if it was a conversation and negotiation, rather than a (last minute) decree. Just because there are five hours before load in does not necessarily mean that everyone's time is free. If everyone is free and motivated, you can make it happen. But it's much harder if one or more people have conflicting commitments.
That being said, I have done this sort of stuff totally on the fly. Somebody important comes up and asks for a special song, and we figure it out on the break and do it in the next set. Not something most people will want to do on a regular basis, but sometimes it is the right thing to do.
I have also done songs on request that everyone in the band knew, although we had never played together as a group.
IMHO, rather than having a one size fits all response, it's often better to assess the situation. You might still say no 90% of the time, but 10% of time it's really in everyone's best interest to say yes. Of course...the ability to say yes depends on the skill of the weakest player in the band.
