DO's and DONT's Please

[Plutonium244]

I wrote you your first song:

Er heum...

I got my pickup truuuck.
I got my pickup truuuck.
I got my Guuuurl
I got ma hooorse!
yeah I love ma horse!

But then I lost it allll!
I lost my pickuuup truuuck!
And ma gurl took my horse.
Yeah I lawst ma hoorse!
And she took ma money!
And ma house!

I got my pickup truuuck
I got my pickup truuuck
I got my Guuuurl
I got ma hooorse!
yeah I love ma horse!

[Harmonica solo]

I ain't got no more!
I'm in the countryside.
I'm broke as f
Caus I lost ma truck!
All caus of ma gurl!

Ohh yeah yeah yeaaaaaaaaah!

I think you are confusing country for blues. Although there is country blues, and it has roots in strange places like Oklahoma, but that's another story.

As for all the drummer remarks, all true... How can you tell if a drummer can hack it? If the drummer knows how to do that snare crack on the "one" to start the "bring it down" section, then you're probably okay.

Introduce songs with a long story.

An observation: people who don't like the blues and think it's all the same do not know much about the blues, and have only skimmed their knowledge from the Blues Brothers, or worse, Blues Brothers 2 (although I've played with Matt "Guitar" Murphy and I can tell ya, he knows not just blues but jazz too). As someone noted, it is not all endless Chicago shuffles. Do not fall into that hole.

 

[Fat Fingers]

Nice!

"Whiskey straight will drive the blues away." - John Hurt

14. You don't have the right to sing the Blues if:

Agreed that you have to have been there to sing it:

The one-handed guy in town says to me, "How's it goin?"
I say, "Good, can't complain."
He says to me, "Good, I hate people who complain!"
I think to myself, "Really...people complain to the guy with one hand?!"

 

[Plutonium244]

Bluesmen DON'T wear shorts on stage.

Yes. If you REALLY wanna do the blues, you have to dress up for gigs including some nice shiny loafers. And no, you don't need to sleep in your suit first. A lot of dirt poor blues guys still manage to present themselves as fresh-pressed. It's the 1940's version of urban bling.

Also, if you are going for the "I have the blues and drink myself to near extinction" motif, you need to know that the maker of that whiskey is Jack Daniel and not Jack Daniels.

 

[2saddleslab]

Number 1 goal of any blues band should be the variety of styles they bring to their set list. You won't last long, nor will your crowd, if all your songs are just tempo variations of the same worn out 1-4-5. With Texas & Chicago style shuffles, Louisiana swap [ie: Slim Harpo], and west coast swing, you should attempt as many styles and variations as possible.

 

[Plutonium244]

So I can't sing the blues... Can I still play bass to it?

What if my computer is a no good, broke down wreck.?
With the meanest face in town?

I think there's a good blues song to be written about a broke-down computer.

My F key is stuck babe,
I can type f*** no mo'
I said my F key is stuck babe,
I can type f*** no mo.
Every time need to make an online payment,
It'll freeze up fo' sho'.

Three straight posts... I am enjoying this blues thread too much. Of course I played for 2 decades in Kansas City, which is herein acknowledged as a good place to have the blues.

 

[Axstar]

Don't call yourself Blues Hammer, and don't invite Steve Buscemi to come hear you.

 

[Plutonium244]

Oh, and one more thing. Knock it off with all the SRV stuff. Anyone who, when they think of the blues, first thinks of SRV instead of Howlin' Wolf or Lighnin' Hopkins or Little Walker or Muddy Waters or Willie Dixon is dead to me. I am sick to death of mediocre "blues band"s playing SRV all night. Nothing wrong with SRV, he was doin' his own thing. You go do your own thing instead of copying the guy who was copying the guys. You don't sound like Stevie Ray anyway. And if you wear a black hat with metal-stud band while you do it, I might just punch you in the face.

/rant

BTW, just a tidbit of information ... some of the "pure blues" guys that seem simplistic could really play a lot more... even Robert Johnson could play the hell out of jazz. Little known fact.

 

[Sixgunn]

What's the best blues for metal?

 

[Axstar]

BTW, just a tidbit of information ... some of the "pure blues" guys that seem simplistic could really play a lot more... even Robert Johnson could play the hell out of jazz. Little known fact.

Heh, I like that. It is about holding back, rather than cruising along at the bleeding edge of your abilities on your instrument. Agree on the SRV sentiments as well. So many guys head straight for that choppy, loping intro for Pride and Joy, complete with the 'Texas hot' Strat tone to match. Already done, done to death, done better elsewhere, and those guys play it like its a cartoon theme tune.

 

[shadven]

I started a band from scratch almost exactly one year ago. This has been the most rewarding musical project I've been involved in in many years. We just released our debut CD and were getting some great gigs.
DO's and DON'TS:
Do pick mature people to be in the band with. Being a decent person is equal to being a great player.
Don't tolerate drama.
Do communicate honestly at all times.
Do pick songs that challenge the audience, but don't pick songs that are just for the band.
Do stay on top of marketing and promotion.
Do dress for gigs. No shorts. Show the audience respect.
Don't play to loud.
All guitar players must play through tube amps.
No electronic drum kits.
Do have a great vocals.
Do face audience.

 

[MNAirHead]

DONT
1-Call yourself a blues band.... (tough to book)
2-Get a bad drummer
3-Allow anyone over 30 to dress themselves (band mates are notorious for bad choices)
4-Allow just one guy to wear a hat... if one wears a hat... all wear the same one.
5-Wear sunglasses indoors (unless all of you do)

DO
1-Get a rock solid drummer
2-Limit solos to 30 seconds
3-Choose a visual image - all black is simple
4-Call yourself a "classics" or "classics rock" band - easeier to book
5-Figure out a way to do it as a duo or trio

I love a good blues band... the reality is most are very tough to book..

 

[dgrizzly]

Get on the same page.

Decide if it is going to be a democracy or your benevolent dictatorship.

Get on the same page.

Decide how loud is too loud.

Fire the drummer.

Fire the too loud guitarist.

Fire the drummer.

Get on the same page.

Rinse and repeat.

Fire the drummer.

This is pretty accurate

 

[Richland123]

Don't hire guitar players who drag out solos for 15 - 20 minutes. You and the drummer will be bored to tears and so will the audience.

 

[azureblue]

If they can't play a medium slow shuffle and stay in the pocket and not push the beat, then don't hire them. If they want to fill every nanosecond with a riff, don't hire them. If they get bored playing 12 bar, then for sure don't hire them. If they don't understand that the band has to play together as a unit, then don't hire them.

I found the best way to weed out the clunks is to play a 12 bar shuffle at 54 BPM for 5 minutes. If they can't do that and play something interesting, leave 'em alone. That slow behind the beat groove will drive the guitar wankers nuts..

 

[radioface]

Go to blues jams and hire the players you think you will gel with.

 

[ihixulu]

A lot of good advice given so far that I won't repeat, but here are a couple that may bear consideration. If I did repeat anything, it's by accident, I'm sorry in advance.

Try to find players who are close to each other geographically. Unless someone is willing to undertake Herculean efforts to get together, long drives to and from rehearsals and gigs will test anyone's commitment, especially in the early days when the feel of the band is shaking itself out.

Establish the distinction between practice vs. rehearsal for the band. Some bands I've been in were happy to figure songs out in the space, others were all about "know your stuff before you step in the room." My current band is a happy medium.

Be upfront about $$. How is it going to be split? How much goes toward "band" gear?

A good ship's captain is always aware of the ultimate destination. The captain is also aware that a mutiny is always around the corner. Being a BL is not about having your way all the time, it's about managing individual goals and personalities so that you all end up wherever it is you are hoping to get to. If you can manage a really good prima donna guitar player to your advantage, go for it. If someone is a hotshot who can't be brought into line, fire them right away, save yourself the drama and move on.

Related to this, establish the hierarchy of authority on stage early on. Develop cues to indicate solos, extending solos, cutting things short, turning up and down, etc. Watch how James Brown or Miles Davis ran their bands - they were as much conductors as anything else. If you see audience members plugging the ears while SRV Jr. is wailing away, don't shy away from telling him to turn it down.

Set reasonable limits on gear. There is no reason for anyone to be using a Marshall or Mesa half stack in a bar. A three tiered Rick Wakeman keyboard rig is equally stupid in a bar. The stage is not a place for people to be showing off their gear, nor the place to act out sonic violence (unless that's your thing, in which case SVT's and JCM800's/Dual Recto's all around.)

Highlight the difference between rehearsal and performance. There is nothing more boring than watching a bunch of middle aged folks on stage staring at their instruments while they chug along on Mustang Sally for 10 minutes. Even when drunk. Find musicians who can engage the audience.

 

[40Hz]

Feel really is the thing with blues or jazz. One reason I personally have a problem with the phrase "British Bluesman" is I don't think any I've ever heard really has the feel - or gets it. Which is weird considering the high regard bordering on reverence so many UK rockers have for "the blues." Somehow, none of them, including the established names like Clapton and Mayall, ever really seem to quite manage it. (And the less said about the Stones Blue and Lonesome album the better AFAIC.)

 

[sparkyfender2]

I am part of a group of players that get together to grind out some blues upon occasion.

We all have other projects, but do this as an enjoyable side thing.

We have played together for quite a few years, so pretty much have the format and chops nailed.

We love to play out, and we love to get paid to play out. It doesn't happen very often, blues for money is a hard sell locally. More blues bands than blues jobs............ By far.

Have fun!

 

[LT131]

Computer=No Blues? My rear.

It's after midnight
my 'puter's quit on me.
Thought it was a good one
Now it's history!

I can't get on facebook
Talk Bass is long gone!
I feel so sad and lonely
I threw my drink across the lawn!

Got the hung down,
Bored to tears
No Computer BLUES!!!!!

 

[two fingers]

Oh. I though he said he wanted to start a blues band.



If being a "bar band" and entertaining a room full of drunks is the be all end all of our existence as musicians, maybe it's time most of us go take some online or nightschool courses and find other part-time employment?

Seriously. I encounter more extreme versions of that "it's not that, it's just _____" everywhere. Zero dedication to the art and craft of anything. Just crank out the french fries and get your paycheck. The whole fast food approach to being a band.

Maybe that's the 'reality,' even though I'm not fully convinced. But in the absence of demands for quality music and playing, it behooves us to provide it in our own. Because if all we exist for is to fill a room with heavy drinkers, there's very little point to being a musician. Something more and more bar owners are starting to conclude as well.



Truth is, if selling beer and tickets is your primary goal, any halfway decent looking woman could draw five times better than bands doing that just by taking her clothes off and spinning on a pole. Something to think about.

There's room for quality, and respect for the music, and attention to your craft, even in a bar band playing for an unappreciative audience. You can have integrity and still "play the game" to get booked if you need to. Because if that's not important, you might as well see if you can get 20 hours a week at Walmart. You don't need to be in a band to get laid. At least I hope you don't. And you'll make more per hour on average than you will playing in most bands. And best of all, you won't have to practice or lug an amp.

So no…I hear what you're saying…but I think those rules you're proposing are just as limiting as the are those of the purists. It's not all about us. But it's not all about the so-called crowd or the bar owners either unless we choose to let it be.

Or so I think anyway.

Like the song says:

We may be fighting
A losing battle,
But we're having a wonderful time
Trying to win.

At least I hope we are.

I don't think we disagree as much as you think we do. I never said we should just hack away at half A versions of tired songs from the first 10 pages of the Bar Band Hymnal. Far from it. Do what you do well or don't bother.

That being said, much of the advice OP was getting here was very limiting to the success of a bar band. If he followed all of them, I can assure you this would remain a garage band.

You must find a balance. Sticking to your guns on every single value in your value system as an artist rarely makes for a working band, romantic as it seems.

Do NOT get up there in a blues band and play Stormy Monday and Mustang Sally with electronic drums and synth all night. But also don't fool yourself into thinking that hiring a poor downtrodden African American living under a bridge as a front man and faithfully recreating Robert Johnson all night will get it done either.

Without the entertainment value to go along with the emotion-evoking art side of things, where, exactly, do you think a blues band will work?

Want a successful blues band? Mix in some Fabulous Thunderbirds, Robert Cray, Ray Charles, Delbert McClinton, etc. Want to keep this band in the garage? Stick to your guns until you find an audience of blues purists who will somehow pay you to watch/hear you faithfully recreate a genre that was founded on breaking rules (much like jazz oddly enough).