Thunderbird Club

[godofthunder59]

Yes!
I just love making music with my band, playing covers isn't for everybody, but I enjoy it. It's a job, I stay sober, make a real effort to write a set list that ramps up all night long and of course play music that gets the women out on the dance floor - gets us paid, and called back.

Back in the day once I graduated to original bands I looked down my nose at doing covers. These days I find myself in two tributes one actually making enough dough so I don't need a real job. I love playing for a appriciative venue and crowd.

 

[godofthunder59]

You know what that means...
....there's an Ebony sweetheart in your future!
View attachment 2953350

Who knows? You may be right. I was hoping this might scratch that itch.

 

[GBassNorth]

Who knows? You may be right. I was hoping this might scratch that itch.View attachment 2953397

Close, but deep down inside you really know you want a VP with flats, a VP with Rounds, and a VP with tapes.

 

[Nocturnal]

But but but... I need to know my part before I can play with them. Practice alone and play with others, right?

Yes. Practice both ways. You also don't need to play the song note for note. Learn the song but you can feel free to put your "touch" on it as well. That is what we are doing with our covers. We don't want to do exact copies of the original songs, more our interpretation of the song. People that know the songs will recognize them but they are slightly different.

If you are in a tribute act then that is where I would be much more precise and be more likely to do note-for-note covers. People are expecting to hear the songs that they love the way they know them. I feel like in that situation you give the crowd what they want.

 

[hillerup]

Can we all agree that music tastes are varied and that what some folks love others hate. And that we shouldn’t be so harsh to one another about those differences.

I mean, look at Rush... legions of fans but I wouldn’t go to a show with free front row seats.

...and now there’s a bunch of you all shaking your heads at that statement but it’s true for me.

Side note: I think Tom Sawyer has the best intro to a rock song bar none. Sadly, once Geddy starts singing, I punch up another radio station.

It’s more than just the singing that irks me but that’s the bedrock of my dislike.

Agreed...

Especially on the Rush part... (running for cover)....

 

[dukeorock]

Once or twice a year we play Unionville, MI. It’s our road manager, Brett’s hometown. Total Norman Rockwell stuff. Playing some old VFW type hall and Brett’s dads band is the opener

Pretty charming and hysterical. Buncha old farmer dudes that do classic rock covers. Sound checks are especially interesting. Takes em about an hour to set up and another hour to soundcheck. We set up in maybe 15-20 minutes, including the PA and we need about 5 minutes for soundcheck. They bicker and fight the whole time about who’s gonna sing what...it’s awesome
Old school charm, but we always draw at least a few hundred people and Merch sales are always really good

 

[TBird1958]

Back in the day once I graduated to original bands I looked down my nose at doing covers. These days I find myself in two tributes one actually making enough dough so I don't need a real job. I love playing for a appriciative venue and crowd.

Pretty much me too, Scott. The pure enjoyment of playing out dressed with my mates is one of my life's great joys.

 

[Larry V]

Once or twice a year we play Unionville, MI. It’s our road manager, Brett’s hometown. Total Norman Rockwell stuff. Playing some old VFW type hall and Brett’s dads band is the opener
View attachment 2953526
Pretty charming and hysterical. Buncha old farmer dudes that do classic rock covers. Sound checks are especially interesting. Takes em about an hour to set up and another hour to soundcheck. We set up in maybe 15-20 minutes, including the PA and we need about 5 minutes for soundcheck. They bicker and fight the whole time about who’s gonna sing what...it’s awesome
Old school charm, but we always draw at least a few hundred people and Merch sales are always really good

I was going to ask you if you knew what you were in for in Unionville.

Glad you weren’t in for a surprise... nothing but farms out there except for the fancier shoreline communities.

I’m heading out to Burt, MI for some St. Pat’s Day fun with the wife and friends. It’s about half way between my house and Unionville. If I was a younger guy, I’d hit up that gig of yours too but I’m pretty sure the wife will be a “no” on that idea.

Up north Michigan folks are the salt of the earth! Wish I could be there. Have fun!

 

[hillerup]

Hiller don't get too worked up on light hearted opinions. The category was specific "songs" from the 80's not the life works of an individual. I personally never liked that particular Numan song when it came out. He had a lot of other stuff I did like. But again the Rolling Stone article was about specific songs, and although I don't agree with everything on the list or the order it's in I can't say they were completely off base on the list as a whole. But that's just my opinion. Yours is every bit as valid.

All is good...

Your opinion is just as valid as mine, and eventhough our tastes most likely are different, I was kinda surprised by that comment.

That article had some pretty good candidates for worst songs, but everybody would likely have other candidates for it as well.

Speaking of Numan - Here's a pretty recent live recording from his current tour:

 

[hillerup]

Yeah, well, LSTYD.

LSTYD????

 

[kat888]

Oppsie. Just back from the House of Guitars. Turns out they had a unpacked Tobacco Sunburst Vintage Pro down in the basement. Mine now. View attachment 2953295 View attachment 2953297

'It followed me home. Can I keep it?'

 

[Larry V]

LSTYD????

Life sucks, then you die.

 

[hillerup]

43 when I picked up my first bass, 6 years ago. It was the year after my kids started playing music and taking private lessons.

No mid-life crisis to avert just thought why not. It’s fun and that’s why I still do it. Matter of fact, gonna go plug in right now.

Started in '76 on bass - Sold all my basses and backline in '87/'88 and switched to keyboards for 20 years...

Decided it was time to pick up bass again in 2009 and bought myself a Thunderbird Gothic for my 48th birthday, and haven't looked back since...

 

[hillerup]

Re: Gary Numan. He’s pretty iconic, but if you only heard ‘Cars’ I could see how it wouldn’t sink in. Tubeway Army was and is very influential. Wall of Voodoo’s first two records are so unique and inventive, but you might not know it from ‘Mexican Radio.’ Devo fits in there somewhere too. I’m never offended when someone doesn’t share my tastes though.

Are we not men? - We are D.E.V.O. !

 

[GonePlaid]

'It followed me home. Can I keep it?'

Of course u can-just don't let it outside by itself

 

[hillerup]

Any Susan Vega song should have been on the list as well as the buggles video killed the radio star( probably on the list but I stopped reading after Europe final countdown. They need to make a list of the worst songs of the nintees or rather the short list of songs from the90s that were actually good. The 80s weren't a problem compared to the 90s imo

Worst songs of the last 3 decades would be just about any contemporay R & B song ever made...

 

[JJR58]

LSTYD????

I had to look it up myself, life sucks then you die. Not sure I agree with everything before the die part though.

 

[hillerup]

Pino palladino played on Gary neumans I ASSASSIN awesome fretless bass work there.

Absolutely amazing bass work on that album!

 

[GonePlaid]

I had to look it up myself, life sucks then you die. Not sure I agree with everything before the die part though.

Spoken sarcastically after crappy gigs, getting rained on packing up,etc.

 

[JJR58]

Once or twice a year we play Unionville, MI. It’s our road manager, Brett’s hometown. Total Norman Rockwell stuff. Playing some old VFW type hall and Brett’s dads band is the opener
View attachment 2953526
Pretty charming and hysterical. Buncha old farmer dudes that do classic rock covers. Sound checks are especially interesting. Takes em about an hour to set up and another hour to soundcheck. We set up in maybe 15-20 minutes, including the PA and we need about 5 minutes for soundcheck. They bicker and fight the whole time about who’s gonna sing what...it’s awesome
Old school charm, but we always draw at least a few hundred people and Merch sales are always really good

Will there be a drunk person that falls all over the merch table?