Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"

[spiritbass]

Saw ZZ Top as the opener for BadCo. They blew Bad Company away.

I got to see them on their "World-Wide Texas Tour". They had a timber rattler in a plexiglass pyramid on stage left and some huge mean-looking bird on a perch on stage right. If there was an opening act, they were forgettable and couldn't hold a candle to that little band from Tejas - what a rockin' show!

 

[GonePlaid]

Who did catch my attention was Benjamin Orr of The Cars because he was playing a Stringray back then. And Stingrays were not so common.

Saw today it is possible to buy jewelry (bracelets, pendants) made from strings Bonnie Raitt played.

Hmm. I've saved my old strings when I've changed sets...........

 

[shadowtippy]

View attachment 3540962 Hmm. I've saved my old strings when I've changed sets...........

What... wait... strings can be changed?

 

[GonePlaid]

I got to see them on their "World-Wide Texas Tour". They had a timber rattler in a plexiglass pyramid on stage left and some huge mean-looking bird on a perch on stage right. If there was an opening act, they were forgettable and couldn't hold a candle to that little band from Tejas - what a rockin' show!

When I saw them, "Rio Grande Mud" was their latest album and they had Rio Grande amps[which were Marshalls with custom grills and logos].

 

[GonePlaid]

What... wait... strings can be changed?

Yeah, I know. And not just 'cos they break!

 

[beans-on-toast]

I never change flats. As for other strings, I recycle.

Found a place that accepts used strings for musicians in need:

Invalid Link Removed

 

[GwenOnBass]

View attachment 3540962 Hmm. I've saved my old strings when I've changed sets...........

That's US $85 for a bracelet made from Bonnie Raitt's strings. Bass string bracelets from donated strings go for much less. Retuned - Guitar String Jewelry

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Unless I forgot to mention it, or someone else already did. RIP Ric Ocasek and Eddy Money. Kind of a shocker to me because they were really popular when I was a young touring musician. We did a lot of Cars songs.

 

[beans-on-toast]

We did a lot of Cars songs.

You mean like 99 bottles of beer on the wall....

 

[Jeff Scott]

We did a lot of Cars songs.

As did my last classic soda pop/rock cover band.

Went to see the Linda Ronstadt film tonight.

 

[spiritbass]

Unless I forgot to mention it, or someone else already did. RIP Ric Ocasek and Eddy Money. Kind of a shocker to me because they were really popular when I was a young touring musician. We did a lot of Cars songs.

I always loved jamming on "Let the Good Times Roll" in the only band I ever played in with my brother (a born drummer). RIP Rick and Eddy...

 

[beans-on-toast]

Went to see the Linda Ronstadt film tonight.

How was it?

 

[beans-on-toast]

Mike must thank Linda for doing his song.



I like this one from Under The Covers.

 

[Jeff Scott]

How was it?

I thought it was great, and look forward to the DVD release (I assume there will be one). Lots of honesty and candor from her first person viewpoint throughout the film; wonderful concert footage (lots of it); an amazing range of interviewees; very moving story (I didn't really know a whole lot about her, previously).

I like this one from Under The Covers.

I saw them in '06 at the Rickenbacker 75th Anniversary bash.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

I always loved jamming on "Let the Good Times Roll" in the only band I ever played in with my brother (a born drummer). RIP Rick and Eddy...

Thank you @spiritbass . I don't get the feeling that the 80's pop rock is taken very seriously in these threads. But I lived the 70's-80's touring decades and I can tell you it was excellent serious business back then. You couldn't just strum the chords of Brown Eyed Girl and get away with it. Everyone in the band had to have major chops. Everyone new in the band had to hit the ground running. And every evening in the bars was performed like a mini-rock concert.

Those were heady excellent times for me, and the Cars were a major influence on those eras. If anyone ever ended the evening with Let's Go and Talk to Ya Later by the Tubes will know what I mean. We did some pretty decent outdoor shows in Montana and other midwest states and that music was powerful. Still is to my ears today.

So yeah, call me bubble gum but in those years touring bands ruled and had the technical chops. Much lacking by young bands today.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Well grumped, Will.

 

[Old P Bass Guy]

Thank you @spiritbass . I don't get the feeling that the 80's pop rock is taken very seriously in these threads. But I lived the 70's-80's touring decades and I can tell you it was excellent serious business back then. You couldn't just strum the chords of Brown Eyed Girl and get away with it. Everyone in the band had to have major chops. Everyone new in the band had to hit the ground running. And every evening in the bars was performed like a mini-rock concert.

Those were heady excellent times for me, and the Cars were a major influence on those eras. If anyone ever ended the evening with Let's Go and Talk to Ya Later by the Tubes will know what I mean. We did some pretty decent outdoor shows in Montana and other midwest states and that music was powerful. Still is to my ears today.

So yeah, call me bubble gum but in those years touring bands ruled and had the technical chops. Much lacking by young bands today.

It's never EZ when you want to do it right.

 

[GonePlaid]

It's never EZ when you want to do it right.

We didn't tour(we let the crowd "tour). Played a hotel lounge in Miami Beach["tour"ists]80-82. Had to hit all ages 18 to GOF+. And read shows-with no rehearsal, just a talk through. Kept us on our toes.

 

[beans-on-toast]

Kept us on our toes.

A band would be hired to backup Chuck Berry. The band would rehearse the songs as recorded. Chuck would show up, call a song, and start off in a different key. The band would scramble to figure out what was going on. Just to keep them on their toes.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

We didn't tour(we let the crowd "tour). Played a hotel lounge in Miami Beach["tour"ists]80-82. Had to hit all ages 18 to GOF+. And read shows-with no rehearsal, just a talk through. Kept us on our toes.

Touring the country and Canada meant a lot of hotel time. So our bands would usually rehearse in the hotel room or if the bar didn't open until later we would get up like a regular job and rehearse behind the closed bar. Some may think it's silly but we rehearsed the harder songs over and over again until they flowed naturally. At that stage of my life touring was my main source of income and we all treated like a traveling job. I was honored to have played with some pretty phenomenal musicians.

Now I'm an old fart weekend warrior for hire!