But maybe " Stairway To Heaven" is the redneck Zep fan's version of "Kashmir"
Makes you wonder.
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Free Bird........ughhh
- Thread starter Mikey F
- Start date
Makes you wonder.
Oof, I worked(as ‘security’, believe it or not) at that festival. I don’t know what your take on it was, but it was an overall trainwreck. The promoters conned the sedate town of Sedalia, home of the Missouri State Fair, that it was to be a bluegrass festival. To keep the state police off the fairgrounds, they engaged Wells Fargo, who in turn hired kids like me(out of Kansas City). My job the night Skynyrd played was to haul OD’s and injured out of the crowd and to the first aid station via golf carts. I worked in tandem with a girl(who I knew as a groupie in KC)who drove the cart while I ran ahead getting people out of the way. The crowd was rowdy, surly, very f’d up. This wasn’t Woodstock anymore. During their set, we had to transport somebody out, and it was a nightmare. There was a narrow corridor roped off for our purposes, and I saw a guy, gacked on who knows what, hacking away at one of the lines with a Bowie knife. That night couldn’t have ended soon enough. The town didn’t know what hit it with all the attenant vandalism. After the smoke cleared, the lawsuits flew. But I did see some great acts, like this new group called Aerosmith, and under the radar bands like Babe Ruth. Joe Walsh was brilliant. However, the best part of the weekend was Cindy, from Chicago. Never got her last name.
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Michedelic,
I was 18 and had just graduated from HS, we saw this tiny add in the back of Rolling Stone for the OMF and the band list was incredible, everyone from the Eagles, to Earle Scrugg's - tickets were like $20 in advance so my buddy and I mailed in and got tickets. We drove my Chevy Vega from Virginia to Sedalia and actually made it into the fairgrounds, getting there a day or so early and camping on someone's front lawn in the city a few blocks from the entrance. For two kids from Springfield VA, it was Woodstock... I'll never forget the "marketplace" entry tunnel to the track area, State Police on the outside, "vendors" on the inside.
(Sidenote: who knew we grew up a mile away from Dave Grohl, his mom taught at the school where my Boys Club football team practiced).
Like Wavy Gravy said "there's always a little bit of heaven in a disaster area". The music was phenomenal, it was the first time I'd heard of REO Speedwagon and I'm pretty sure they closed the night after Skynrd (they killed). Ted Nugent hadn't gone over the edge yet and Stranglehold had just been released, he was wild. Overall, the lineup couldn't be beat and as you say, it was borderline out of control with a few uglie's toward the end (bikers, drugs, and hippies are never the best mix). But for a kid from northern VA it was a scene that would seal my tie to live music. Much appreciation for your efforts there, it couldn't have been an easy gig. Those kind of events are saved by folks like you that step up, going over an beyond
One quick story, on what I seem to remember as the morning of the third day, wandering in a pair of cutoff's and looking for a way to clean up after two days in the July heat. I had a towel and was wandering around looking for a shower and a girl walks up to me and smiles and goes "hey, I've got some soap". So with no actual shower facilities, we found the horse showers off to the side of the race track. These were very much like modern rain showers on steroids, just made for washing race horses. Needless to say it was one of the best showers I'll always remember. While nothing happened beyond getting clean, just getting clean with a sweet person in the middle of that scene was amazing. And on my way back to the car, I walked right in to a vendor selling ice - which was like gold in the summer heat. As I got back to our camp spot, my buddy asked where I'd been and told him, you wouldn't believe me if I told you and showed him the block of ice I had found.
** Link to the Wikipedia page: actually the Ozark Mountain Daredevils cancelled and didn't show.
I was 18 and had just graduated from HS, we saw this tiny add in the back of Rolling Stone for the OMF and the band list was incredible, everyone from the Eagles, to Earle Scrugg's - tickets were like $20 in advance so my buddy and I mailed in and got tickets. We drove my Chevy Vega from Virginia to Sedalia and actually made it into the fairgrounds, getting there a day or so early and camping on someone's front lawn in the city a few blocks from the entrance. For two kids from Springfield VA, it was Woodstock... I'll never forget the "marketplace" entry tunnel to the track area, State Police on the outside, "vendors" on the inside.
(Sidenote: who knew we grew up a mile away from Dave Grohl, his mom taught at the school where my Boys Club football team practiced).
Like Wavy Gravy said "there's always a little bit of heaven in a disaster area". The music was phenomenal, it was the first time I'd heard of REO Speedwagon and I'm pretty sure they closed the night after Skynrd (they killed). Ted Nugent hadn't gone over the edge yet and Stranglehold had just been released, he was wild. Overall, the lineup couldn't be beat and as you say, it was borderline out of control with a few uglie's toward the end (bikers, drugs, and hippies are never the best mix). But for a kid from northern VA it was a scene that would seal my tie to live music. Much appreciation for your efforts there, it couldn't have been an easy gig. Those kind of events are saved by folks like you that step up, going over an beyond
One quick story, on what I seem to remember as the morning of the third day, wandering in a pair of cutoff's and looking for a way to clean up after two days in the July heat. I had a towel and was wandering around looking for a shower and a girl walks up to me and smiles and goes "hey, I've got some soap". So with no actual shower facilities, we found the horse showers off to the side of the race track. These were very much like modern rain showers on steroids, just made for washing race horses. Needless to say it was one of the best showers I'll always remember. While nothing happened beyond getting clean, just getting clean with a sweet person in the middle of that scene was amazing. And on my way back to the car, I walked right in to a vendor selling ice - which was like gold in the summer heat. As I got back to our camp spot, my buddy asked where I'd been and told him, you wouldn't believe me if I told you and showed him the block of ice I had found.
** Link to the Wikipedia page: actually the Ozark Mountain Daredevils cancelled and didn't show.
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Never learned it and probably never will have to but if I'm in a band that tries to do it justice I will follow suit. As for Skynyrd, lots of their bass stuff is just wonderful! I had the same cavalier attitude about Sweet Home Alabama until I played it with guys who actually learned it! When I played it with them it was fun. Most other times, not so much. But I try to be gracious...
The "dodged that bullet" song for me is "Celebration", despite the fact that I played in wedding horn bands for years!
The "dodged that bullet" song for me is "Celebration", despite the fact that I played in wedding horn bands for years!
I don't think I've ever played Free Bird or Celebration, but I have played Copacabana.
Years ago when I was in college, a friend of mine said "hey, I've come up with this chord progression and maybe we can work out a hip melody for it." He sat down at the piano and started cycling through the chords. I said "hey, that sounds really good, keep playing it and I'll see if anything comes to me." He kept going, and the more he played it the more familiar it sounded to me. Suddenly out of nowhere, we both looked at each other and shouted "Free Bird! Ugh!" and that was the end of that.
For you youngsters, this was about 1981 in Houston. You simply couldn't escape that damn song.
Years ago when I was in college, a friend of mine said "hey, I've come up with this chord progression and maybe we can work out a hip melody for it." He sat down at the piano and started cycling through the chords. I said "hey, that sounds really good, keep playing it and I'll see if anything comes to me." He kept going, and the more he played it the more familiar it sounded to me. Suddenly out of nowhere, we both looked at each other and shouted "Free Bird! Ugh!" and that was the end of that.
For you youngsters, this was about 1981 in Houston. You simply couldn't escape that damn song.
Free Bird came on the radio as we were driving yesterday.
My wife reached over and turned the volume up.
I love that woman!
My wife reached over and turned the volume up.
I love that woman!
I really dislike the recorded version but put on a video of them doing it live and it's totally different. A rockin' crowd will stimulate any band and LS upped their level of playing when the crowd upped their level of cheering.
I always thought Freebird sucked. Period.
I don't like the tune, never have, not interested in playing it.
If the band outvoted me, I would. But I'd lobby against it any time it showed up in a set.
I don't like the tune, never have, not interested in playing it.
If the band outvoted me, I would. But I'd lobby against it any time it showed up in a set.
Well over the past 30 years or so I can state with honest joy that I have never had to play Free Bird on a gig. I considered this to be a badge of honor, kind of like never seeing a single episode of "The Voice" or "Friends". (I also hold this badge
That is until now......I have to play it next week, so I sat down to learn it. I guess I never payed attention to how interesting and cool the bass line is. I am actually really excited to play this: )! Take a listen to the iso track.
All these years hearing on radio and you don't play it in your sleep? (I AM being fecesious, no disrespect...)
In all honesty, Leon did put great bass parts in it...when I heard that in conjunction with Simple Man, I thought LS was a British band...not the first time it happened...
By the way, I played it once...once...
I've never liked that song and I don't really care for Skynards music... although I have played Sweet Home Alabama in a couple of my old bands - and can tolerate it... just
Anyway I think may have told this story before, so please forgive me if you've already read it on here
My last band used to play at a place in South Auckland every 4-6 weeks - it was always busy, full of people and they always got a good crowd.
There was a guy there who always came there to see us play - I think the singer / drummer knew him from somewhere.
anyway he came up to us in a break once and said we should learn 'Freebird' and raved about how it's like the best song ever... blah blah blah..... He was fairly drunk so we didn't take him too seriously, but next gig he asks if we've learnt Freebird yet... and for the next 2-3 gigs he keeps on asking about Freebird, so drummer says we should learn it and that might shut the guy up
Now for a bit of context - we were a 3 piece band - Guitar / Bass / Drums with Female singer and Drummer also sang lead.... We learnt the song, but didn't do the full 27 minute guitar solo bit at the end... we did more of a radio friendly version you might call it.
So the next gig at this place, the guy was there and we pulled out Freebird.
We thought the guy would be impressed that we'd learnt his favorite song, but instead he came over at the end of the night and was critiquing us on our performance - saying that it wasn't that great.... accused us of missing a verse or chorus, then told the guitarist that his part needed more work to get right... blah blah blah....
Guitarist handed him his guitar and said "here you go mate - you show me how it goes"
the guy just stood there stunned and said "Oh I don't know how to play guitar sorry" then walked off
We just stood there laughing.... and we never played the song again
Anyway I think may have told this story before, so please forgive me if you've already read it on here
My last band used to play at a place in South Auckland every 4-6 weeks - it was always busy, full of people and they always got a good crowd.
There was a guy there who always came there to see us play - I think the singer / drummer knew him from somewhere.
anyway he came up to us in a break once and said we should learn 'Freebird' and raved about how it's like the best song ever... blah blah blah..... He was fairly drunk so we didn't take him too seriously, but next gig he asks if we've learnt Freebird yet... and for the next 2-3 gigs he keeps on asking about Freebird, so drummer says we should learn it and that might shut the guy up
Now for a bit of context - we were a 3 piece band - Guitar / Bass / Drums with Female singer and Drummer also sang lead.... We learnt the song, but didn't do the full 27 minute guitar solo bit at the end... we did more of a radio friendly version you might call it.
So the next gig at this place, the guy was there and we pulled out Freebird.
We thought the guy would be impressed that we'd learnt his favorite song, but instead he came over at the end of the night and was critiquing us on our performance - saying that it wasn't that great.... accused us of missing a verse or chorus, then told the guitarist that his part needed more work to get right... blah blah blah....
Guitarist handed him his guitar and said "here you go mate - you show me how it goes"
the guy just stood there stunned and said "Oh I don't know how to play guitar sorry" then walked off
We just stood there laughing.... and we never played the song again
Whenever I hear someone yell Free Bird, I often respond "hey, it's our biggest fan, he comes to every one of our shows!"
I assume that the middle finger response (not recommended) has already been discussed.
I assume that the middle finger response (not recommended) has already been discussed.
I would love to see a video of you and your band with a crowd this large. Sucked is a pretty strong word
Also, The coolest Bass player ever on a T-Bird with a pick. Skynrd was like the best studio musicians and the coolest looking Rock Stars all in one. I really feel sorry for those who don't get it.
Kinda funny, people saying I don't like to play this or that song. WE ARE IN THE ENTERTAINMENT BIZ. We are supposed to entertain our audience. If my audience yells for Tony Bennets I left my heart in San Francisco I am gonna learn the damn song. It is not about me it is about what THEY want, I won't play songs with messages I find offensive or counter productive But in the end it is about what the people want not what I want. I want to play good music and some times that means playing songs that I do not particularly enjoy.
As far as Freebird goes I have played it many times in a few different groups and one in particular had a version that we felt was better than the original. Embrace what your audience wants and they will embrace the originals and other songs you do. In the end remember you are not a musician you are ENTERTAINMENT meant to sell booze in a bar. When you make it to the big stage you can play your hits and the audience will go nuts for that. But in a bar or club you are entertainment.
we used to have a saying "Give em the whuppin they want. They want Skynyrd, they get Skynyrd. They want Abba and I go home!
Just one old warriors take....
As far as Freebird goes I have played it many times in a few different groups and one in particular had a version that we felt was better than the original. Embrace what your audience wants and they will embrace the originals and other songs you do. In the end remember you are not a musician you are ENTERTAINMENT meant to sell booze in a bar. When you make it to the big stage you can play your hits and the audience will go nuts for that. But in a bar or club you are entertainment.
we used to have a saying "Give em the whuppin they want. They want Skynyrd, they get Skynyrd. They want Abba and I go home!
Just one old warriors take....
You can be sorry all you want. Freebird is still a lousy piece of music to me, and that opinion is not changing. FWIW, I feel nearly as strongly about Dirty Work and Dead Flowers. It's not that I won't play them, I'll play them only if outvoted.
I find the "lots of people like it, so it must be great" to be a sad argument.
Lots of people like Justin beiber too, doesn't make it good.
Lots of people like Justin beiber too, doesn't make it good.
