Small Jam - Assorted Egos: What I learned last night.

[Sholmer]

Guy sounds like a massive dickhead. Hope you don't have to deal with him again.

May he soon put his hands on the wrong person, and find his instrument indelicately-placed where the sun don't shine...

 

[Sholmer]

This is the way...

 

[Michedelic]

There's two culprits in this case, the weekend warrior who seizes the mic when women walk in and starts playing "Wish You Were Here", or the local party band superstar who thinks who thinks nothing about demanding to hand him your guitar. "No, nobody here knows Katrina and the Waves DH"

What blues jam would that happen at? At the one that I would regularly attend in my hometown whenever I was back, the drummer would call the reggae classic “Stir It Up”, or Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” occasionally for a little variety(he would sing); nothing wrong with that as they both fit in musically with all the other stuff.
Being thrown in the deep end with the Green tune is a perfect example of why everyone should attend a blues jam occasionally. It’s still R&B/soul(musically related)and as I had never played it before, I had to think on my feet and use all my instincts and ear training to keep up. There’s a lot of not the usual suspect chord changes in that one, and anything like that will force you to become a better player right on the spot.

 

[Michedelic]

There was a Blues Club in the SFV years back that featured well-known touring Blues Artists, and was quite popular
They started a mid-week open jam, where either individuals OR Bands could sign-in to play. As is often the case, there was a House Band, good Blues players, that played a set, and then the jam began.

But it was a ploy- You might expect that many players wanted to take the stage and sit in with a very tight rhythm section. Also, a number of bands, 4-5 piece, etc. were excited about getting up there, figuring that they might get booked there themselves or get a reputation.

So the place was packed, with a $5 cover charge, and a 2-drink minimum, & the club made good money.

However, the sign-up list was pretty bogus. The House Band usually called up their buddies to play, most of which was pre-arranged, and by closing time, quite a few people never got to take the stage, despite paying a cover charge & buying their drinks.
Despite this, players kept coming in Wednesdays, thinking that they would finally get the call and blow the crowd away.

I always thought that they were taking advantage of hopeful players, but obviously the $$$ mattered more to management.

Was that Zac’s event?

 

[juancaminos]

In my experience, the worst is those persons you mention, but who DO NOT REMEMBER THE SONG CORRECTLY. There is nothing worse IMO than being "directed" how to play something... WRONG.

This happened to me most often on the Byrds version of Turn, Turn, Turn and also on any version of Spirit in the Sky. Seems our guitar hero could not actually hear the recorded difference between a guitar and a bass. Kept insisting I (bass) play stuff that he (guitar hero) was supposed to be playing - if we kept strictly to the records.

;-)

Sunny boy...right on! I'm dealing with that right now. I'll just leave it there....

 

[Cernnunos]

Victor Wooten had said that the guest and most important quality in musicians he works with is that they get along well, and musical skill level is much further down the list. I betcha that guy has not stayed in any band for very long.

Keep hanging out with the cool kids, which in my experience, happen to be most good musicians.

 

[mutethatguitar]

That kind of egotistical behavior is what inspired my log in/member name lol

 

[Confunk]

Was that Zac’s event?

No- Cozy's.

 

[Michedelic]

No- Cozy's.

Oh yeah, Jimmy Vivino and all that

 

[Confunk]

Oh yeah, Jimmy Vivino and all that

Right.

I also remember "Cadillac" Zac at Pineapple Hill as well!

 

[aureliab20gt]

I went to a jam about 30 minutes from my house last night. It's primarily blues, but there is some mixed R&B and funk. As a really new player, there's a lot to learn musically, of course, BUT you really learn about other musicians when they're thrown together.

I've learned that the best quality of a good musician is generosity. Generous, not necessarily of "things," but of attitude. Seek the generous ones, who are quick with praise and support, who listen to others, and have an open musical mind. I've also learned that it's most often that the more accomplished (by skill or success,) are the most generous and open to connect. Often that's because the newer players are definitely consumed by trying to remember everything, and fear of being judged.

Beware the guys who are pretty good, but seem to think that their performance at a tiny jam is their magnum opus, or their ticket to fame after playing for decades. They will step over your body to get into the best light. lol.

Had an experience last night at a new jam for me, being thrown in with one of that type, a guitarist, barking out the changes (which I already knew) then get frustrated with me, and GRAB my bass neck and start fingering the pattern in the middle of the song!!! Unforgivable. I left the stage at the end of that song, as he said " you REALLY need to PREPARE next time!"

I was then welcomed to sit with the "cool kids" aka, the generous musicians who saw what happened and wanted to be sure I felt supported. They got me back up to play with them, a few songs I was totally familiar with, and was able to shine. The other people who shared the stage with me during that guy's tantrum all came up to me later to make sure everything was okay. It was a reminder that if you're so caught up in your own story and not supporting others, people notice. Doesn't matter how good you are, the other musicians and fans see you and it takes away from any talent you might have.

what a knob......bet he's a bundle of laughs on a night out!
Good that others supported you

 

[Captain Comet]

Some guitar players are total control freaks. I played with one for a couple years who would insist on painting his wife's and daughter's fingernails for them "because they never do it right". Yikes!

Anybody that touches my guitar or amp without asking will see the scary side of my otherwise very likeable personality. Definitely flips my switch.

 

[EngrSorenson]

About 10 years ago I was at an open mic band jam night at a local place (The Hungry Tiger) which is known for attracting some good musicians. I went there one time and got up to play for a spell (they did brackets of time) and this guitar player/singer called a tune. We played it and then he goes, “do you know Whipping Post?”. At the time, I didn’t. He goes, “why don’t you let Bob come back up here. He knows it.”.

That will stick with me- a guy who picked the musicians to accommodate the music he wanted to play, not the music to accommodate the musicians that wanted to play.

Since then I went and learned the bass part and vocals for Whipping Post, just so I could derive some good from what (in the moment) felt pretty shameful.

 

[DianaBass]

So, I'm feeling pretty vindicated this morning Went to another jam last night where the player, who I've since 'made-up' with, got involved in a dispute on stage. I was not playing last night. He was swearing and being pretty horrible, to the point that someone yelled at him from the balcony above to "show some respect." The Jam-master had to jump up there and restore order.

what a knob......bet he's a bundle of laughs on a night out!
Good that others supported you

So, I'm feeling pretty vindicated this morning Went to another jam last night where the player, who I've since 'made-up' with, got involved in a dispute on stage. I was not playing last night. He was swearing and being pretty horrible, to the point that someone yelled at him from the balcony above to "show some respect." The Jam-master had to jump up there and restore order.

 

[bass12]

Well, if the guitarist in question went to that jam in order to network and find gigs he just screwed himself in the worst possible way.

 

[rutrho]

Hi,
It's in the Bay Area, at the most delightful little dive bar.

Oh I'm really curious where this jam is now... LOL.

 

[LBS-bass]

So, I'm feeling pretty vindicated this morning Went to another jam last night where the player, who I've since 'made-up' with, got involved in a dispute on stage. I was not playing last night. He was swearing and being pretty horrible, to the point that someone yelled at him from the balcony above to "show some respect." The Jam-master had to jump up there and restore order.

I'm doubling my bet this is an alcohol problem.

 

[walksupright]

You never know how the wrong kind of person might respond to obnoxious behaviour. Particularly in a bar. Things could get way more violent, and you can’t play with broken fingers or sing with your jaw wired shut.

Guitar dude needs to smarten up for his own safety.

 

[Confunk]

Now that I think about it...
It may be a matter of genre.

Maybe this guy should stay away from Blues Jams, and think about gearing his efforts towards playing with musical projects more like this:

 

[gln1955]

So, I'm feeling pretty vindicated this morning Went to another jam last night where the player, who I've since 'made-up' with, got involved in a dispute on stage. I was not playing last night. He was swearing and being pretty horrible, to the point that someone yelled at him from the balcony above to "show some respect." The Jam-master had to jump up there and restore order.

A good old fashioned shunning seems to be in order.