I gained back 3 of the 20 lbs I lost. I tried to get by with as little as possible, but as a guest at an in-laws house, one can't be too rude and be a refusenick. The whole family showed up for once, so it was a nice event. Saturday I took my daughter back to Beantown, and met a drummer friend in Plymouth that I hadn't played with in 5 years. He had a pretty competent guitarist show up that apperently works in radio in Beantown. He had one of those Roland pickups with the new processor system. Pretty wild what he could do with it, like 'Run Like Hell' by P Floyd complete with echo, delay and looping. The sound that modeled the 12 string with the sitar could possibly bring at least one Beatle back from the grave.
Later, about 9PM Saturday, I opened the Greenwich Hotel in East Greenwich RI open mike on my Martin HD12-28 12 string with "Love The One You're With", "Knocking on Heavens Door", "Wish You Were Here" and 'Comfortably Numb". My friend Craig B did a fine job hosting and I got plenty of bass work after the 12 string workout.
I am going to work on some new material to open with, I often play "Lady Jane" by the Stones, but here are some new possibilities of material I kind of know but need to brush up:
Sylvia's Mother Said by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Band.
She Said or
Dr. Robert by the Beatles
Let's Spend the Night Together - Stones
Overture - Tommy by the Who. I think I can pull that off.
Lucky Man - ELP or - From The Beginning
I know You're Out There Somewhere - Moody Blues
Today - J. Airplane
Slip Away - Airplane or
She Drives Funny Cars
Positively 4th Street - Bob D.
Time Between - The Byrds
Spare Me A Little - F Mac
Stop In The Name OF Love - Supremes
Tracks of My Tears - Smokey Robinson
Yeah, I got a lot of work to do. I only get 3 or 4 songs to open with, but I would like to have a fresh rotation and not play the same thing each time. Now that I made the list, I will print it off and start getting the words and music worked up.
Opening has allowed me t work on the following qualities I have found:
Working the crowd and warming them up;
Recruiting other musicians to sit in and play to warm them up;
Improve my singing and harmony skills;
Improve my band leader skills by directing or arranging a song on the fly depending upon who is on stage;
Develop better jokes and patter.
All in all so far I have done nothing but benefit from this. I note that many players don't want to be first, and want to go on later for either improved visibility or a better crowd or just because they don't care for a cold house to open to. And since often they only get a few songs, as a bassist I know I will get plenty of playing time and I don't need those feature time slots so I am happy to open . Anyway, had a blast.
Sunday I built fences to keep the deer from eating the 4 umbrella pines we have. My wife bought them when they were small, she tells me the smallest one we have now could buy me a new American made P bass, and the largest one would get me a Roscoe if I dug them up and sold them. Lol. I am sorely tempted.
Time to get caught up...
Okay - CWB family - Another ad going up today to replace our guitars and vox. Tell me what you think.
Wanted: Guitar player(s)
Our expectations of you:
• Can play your instrument without being an egomaniacal showboat
• Good attitude
• Lead and/or backing vocals
• Play well with others in the sandbox
• Do not run with scissors
• Dress for gigs like you look in the mirror before you leave home
• Have a sense of humor, but know when not to make a joke
• Mature attitude preferred
...snip...
You can stop right there. I have already failed 6 of the 7 requirements. I won't bother to tell you which one I didn't fail as you will never let me live it down.
Damn, now i want the pics!!! (sorta)
We're still trying to figure out practice for next week, it's hard when people are busy with family.
The good news is my Army friend is in town for the holidays and i get to take him out dancing Sat night and prove some of those myths about redheads.
That sounds like a booty shakin' good time! I haven't seen the list of myth's about redheads, where do I find that? Betcha it's an awesome list for sure. Does yours have duct tape and stun guns like FM's does?
I've been practicing, and playing with my EQ a bit today. Noticed i also have to remember to mute the open E after i move right from it to another string (like the song i'm practicing now). I'm sure that contributes to the muddy sound i hear. Unfortunately my ears don't detect much difference when playing lightly with EQ. But I did turn the 'bass' knob down a bit, and the 'low-mid' (i think it was) up a bit. And i did get the timing down ok on a run that was driving me nuts, so except for one point in the song i can do it ok. The other point i can hear it on the recording but i guess it doesnt fit well with how i modified my part on the first portion of the song. So if I have to i can just skip it.
Then a short person insisted i come watch him play some Kirby game on the Wii. Gah! I am NOT a gamer!
I often soften up the E by muting with my left thumb gripping over the top of the board. I don't have big hands but on the 4 stringers that works find. I can't do that on the Benavente 5 as the board is flat and wide, but then I use the B as a thumb rest and mute the E with my right thumb.
I don't post here very often but I've been sub'd to it for a long time. You guys always seem to find a way to put a smile on my face. When someone is going through a bad spell (Drummer I don't know how you've made it through the last year) the support shown is incredible.
A couple of weeks ago I posted about the fiddle/mando/acoustic picker in our band having been diagnosed with a brain tumor.
The CWB community was extremely kind in putting him in their prayers/thoughts and wishing him the best.
He's been playing the gigs we've had. Even though he couldn't play his instruments he was still singing fine but got tired as the night wore on. After our first set last night he told us he wasn't able to go any further and would have to step off the stage. He then informed us the tumor is large, cancerous and inoperable.
He hasn't given up, he's on medications to try to reduce/slow the growth and they are exploring radiation therapy once they do a biopsy but the prognosis is extremely grim and the "cure" even worse. He told us he is OK with the hand he has been dealt and is still his usual kind, gracious self.
While I'm not a spring chicken (I remember when I could remember the 60's) I can honestly say I've never had to deal with a close friend having a terminal illness. I just wish I could be half as gracious as he is.
I have dealt with family members and terminal illness. It is a very eye opening experience. There is so much we take for granted daily in our lives, and so much to be thankful for. Now, I try to stop and enjoy things a bit more. Two weeks ago I followed a truck so I could get a picture of it. It had a 'Furry Monkey Marine Supply' logo on it. I couldn't let that get away. It was a 'Stop and smell the Roses' moment.
wow, SB, that is tough news to hear. there is no one road map with a path to follow for this. I'd try to be as supportive to him and his family as possible, obviously, and to include him in your music as much as possible for as long as possible. Not that this will provide solace, but "Box of Rain" by the Grateful Dead is the bass player's song to his father who was dying at the time, and it puts into a song some of the things you think about.
Awesome tune, from an awesome studio album from an awesome band, usually heard mostly in live performance.
BG, Drummer, C3, DT, Tat you guys are so very kind.
Chuck, thanks for the link, I've added it to my play list.
We generally play 3-4 weekends every month but had agreed long ago to keep December pretty much blocked off so we're only playing once between now our New Years gig. We got together last night to discuss what we are going to do as we have a little time to deal with his absence . Johnny's seat will not be filled (except by him), we will carry on until he can return.
It really was surreal having to talk business but we had to do it.
We have to rework all our harmony's to replace his tenor part and drop the bluegrass & Cajun material as he was the driving part of that. The traditional country he sang can be covered by material on the standby list while we look for new material. We'll also be doing some more of the classic 60's material that goes over well with the crowds we play for. It won't be the same though, the songs he was featured on were some of our best material.
Our drummer lives close to him so he's been taking him to all his appointments as Johnny's driving ability has been affected. The only relatives he has left are an elderly aunt & uncle in our town and a cousin in Manitoba.
We're pretty much the only family he has and are trying to help out any way we can.
SB, as I noted, I am not a very religious guy, but like many musicians, I am a spiritual guy. I am proud to know that you guys have stepped up in your friend's time of need, and we here are all proud to know that you and your band are supporting your friend till the end, whenever it may come. You will come to see this as one of the finest things you have done in life as time goes on, and deservedly so. It is god to live well, and it is wnderful to have friends help you die with dignity feeling loved and supported. Check in and let us know how things are going.
Actually, I would invite a guest from time to time to sit on on that chair so you could play a few of the beloved songs in your friend's memory in the future and dedicate them to him. I am sure there are people in your musical orbit that would happily to do that. Just because he will pass on doesn't mean that the music has to die as well. It can be celebrated from time to time. Just something to discuss with your band friends.
i though this was the thread wif the bass babes ?
This thread has some of that on the surface, but deep down it is so much more like CrowMagnonMan sez.
You were probably got it confused with this thread:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=542477&goto=newpost
You should post the picture there instead. That thread has a very interesting twist if you read the first 2 pages.
MB, holy c***. They look pretty mangled. You have a PM coming at you when I get a chance to write it.
MoCWB Drummer, I need some info I think you might have insight into, I will try you today sometime.
This is going to be a hectic couple of days, will check in when I can.
