I would say move around more. You guys dont sound bad for 2 months of practice. I agree with the drummer comments though he doesnt need to use the crash so much. And your j bass is pretty haha
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Vid of first gig, impressions?
- Thread starter jonas_24112
- Start date
Sorry for the following negative critique, but you asked. 
My impression: Passable but not very entertaining. Overall, not a bad start, but lots of work to be done.
In my humble opinion, the biggest problem is that the band lacks interesting vocals. You guys are all decent singers, but I'm not sure you're front-man material. Not yet anyway. In time, with more stage energy and practice, you can probably pull this off.
I agree with all the earlier comments regarding dress, stage movement, music stand, etc.
This is subjective, but I think the Les Paul guy's tone is too midrangey. I'd like to see him a little higher in the frequency spectrum. And the bass needs to be louder. Mid-sized outdoor gigs pretty much require an 810 (IMO) even with PA support.
And, I must say, the montage is terrible. I had a very negative reaction to the unexpected choppy transitions that seemed for no reason except to conceal mistakes. If you're going to make a montage video to show other people, make one with longer clips, and add a white or black slide in between clips.
I also don't think you're as tight as you and some posters seem to think. For example, Interstate Love Song needs some band practice. On that song, the timing coming back in from the breaks is critical to whether you sound tight or not. Everyone listening can tap their toes, and if you guys come back in a half-tap too soon, even a casual listener will catch you on it. Try having the drummer keep time with his sticks if need be.
Keep practicing, make a new montage, and good luck!
My impression: Passable but not very entertaining. Overall, not a bad start, but lots of work to be done.
In my humble opinion, the biggest problem is that the band lacks interesting vocals. You guys are all decent singers, but I'm not sure you're front-man material. Not yet anyway. In time, with more stage energy and practice, you can probably pull this off.
I agree with all the earlier comments regarding dress, stage movement, music stand, etc.
This is subjective, but I think the Les Paul guy's tone is too midrangey. I'd like to see him a little higher in the frequency spectrum. And the bass needs to be louder. Mid-sized outdoor gigs pretty much require an 810 (IMO) even with PA support.
And, I must say, the montage is terrible. I had a very negative reaction to the unexpected choppy transitions that seemed for no reason except to conceal mistakes. If you're going to make a montage video to show other people, make one with longer clips, and add a white or black slide in between clips.
I also don't think you're as tight as you and some posters seem to think. For example, Interstate Love Song needs some band practice. On that song, the timing coming back in from the breaks is critical to whether you sound tight or not. Everyone listening can tap their toes, and if you guys come back in a half-tap too soon, even a casual listener will catch you on it. Try having the drummer keep time with his sticks if need be.
Keep practicing, make a new montage, and good luck!
The montage was done automatically by the computer program I used to download videos with the camera. Literally you press a button, choose the vids you want montaged together and it does it for you. I only put it together as a trial run to see how that program would work. You can see full length vids on our Youtube page. I've still got quite a few to upload, but it takes forever.....
We plan to play a few more gigs, preferably with stage, lights and crowd dancing before I put a promo vid together. Will use the video synced with studio recorded songs for better audio quality.
The gig was a charity corn hole tournament, so all the people were playing corn hole while we were playing. Although there were a few folks dancing and tapping their feet on the game court, we were pretty much booked for background music. But we did get 3 seperate potential gig inquiries for the future out of it, so that was a good thing.
I agree with all that everyone is saying though. I think all this will come with more practice and gigs. I will be keeping all your comments on file in my head to know what to work on as we continue to work on our shows and material.
Lastly, I'm a guitarist/vocalist of 20 years, just turned bass player in July, so I'm still learning this 4-string thing!!
Peace all, and thanks!!
We plan to play a few more gigs, preferably with stage, lights and crowd dancing before I put a promo vid together. Will use the video synced with studio recorded songs for better audio quality.
The gig was a charity corn hole tournament, so all the people were playing corn hole while we were playing. Although there were a few folks dancing and tapping their feet on the game court, we were pretty much booked for background music. But we did get 3 seperate potential gig inquiries for the future out of it, so that was a good thing.
I agree with all that everyone is saying though. I think all this will come with more practice and gigs. I will be keeping all your comments on file in my head to know what to work on as we continue to work on our shows and material.
Lastly, I'm a guitarist/vocalist of 20 years, just turned bass player in July, so I'm still learning this 4-string thing!!
Peace all, and thanks!!
Watched bits of it, didn't listen because I'm at work right now, but in my opinion you're getting going. You need to show a bit more confidence, I feel as though you can tell it's your first gig. One of the best pieces of advice ever given to me was that you should never let an audience think that you're new. Cockiness is relatively acceptable when you're a musician on stage. People are watching YOU.
Also, in my opinion, I think your guitar players should be on both sides, with the bass player (you) in between a guitar and drums. Just my own personal preference though, I suppose.
Also, in my opinion, I think your guitar players should be on both sides, with the bass player (you) in between a guitar and drums. Just my own personal preference though, I suppose.
bigfatbass
Inactive
- Jun 30, 2003
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Since the foibles have already been addressed, I think it's better to spend my two cents giving you some tips on how to solve the problems. My best advice, if you really want to be a singer, is to use that voice as much as possible. You are certainly on pitch, or close enough, you just need to develop the confidence to deliver the song.
I would suggest singing all the time, and don't worry about doing it with the bass. I taught myself to sing back in my early 20s commuting five hours to visit my girlfriend on another campus. The whole ride I would play songs I was familiar with, that were well within my range, that I could belt out full voice without fear of being heard.
Make a playlist of all the songs you plan on singing with the band, and run through them one after another along with the recordings/lyrics and really concentrate on really SINGING. Record it and then listen back to see where you are drifting on pitch or phrasing.
As far as your bass playing, I would suggest the same method for that.
Record yourself playing along with the recordings and see where you can tighten up your parts. You seem to have a very guitar-ish attack on the bass, and this kind of practicing can go a long way towards fixing that.
I would suggest singing all the time, and don't worry about doing it with the bass. I taught myself to sing back in my early 20s commuting five hours to visit my girlfriend on another campus. The whole ride I would play songs I was familiar with, that were well within my range, that I could belt out full voice without fear of being heard.
Make a playlist of all the songs you plan on singing with the band, and run through them one after another along with the recordings/lyrics and really concentrate on really SINGING. Record it and then listen back to see where you are drifting on pitch or phrasing.
As far as your bass playing, I would suggest the same method for that.
Record yourself playing along with the recordings and see where you can tighten up your parts. You seem to have a very guitar-ish attack on the bass, and this kind of practicing can go a long way towards fixing that.
Great minds think alike. All the songs I do lead vocals on are on a CD in my car and I have a 1 hour commute (each way) every day to practice.
And of course, I get lots of strange looks from people as I'm singing aloud in the car going down the highway, lol.
Only thing that jumped out to me is that you should take the time to learn the actual bass lines to Badfish. They're pretty freaking cool. A hint: They were recorded with a 5 string with the B string tuned to a D, as were many Sublime tunes.
As long as you use a music stand, keep it below waist level and wear all black or at least black pants so it blends in.
+1 on the drummer locking in a groove instead of too many fills and cymbal crashes. I also suggest getting the drummer a click track/visual metronome. There have been some TB threads on this topic. Maybe have him try a couple of different crash symbols.
Voices need to stand out more(more volume/clarity)? Maybe it's the video?
Focus on your vocals/harmonies as much as possible. Maybe have an acoustic guitar/ vocal practice on a regular basis. If your vocals are tight, you'll get more gigs.
If you dont' have a sound guy, I suggest one of you go wireless so a proper sound check can be done.
For the bass, to me, more of a P-bass tone would be a helpful alternative at times. Maybe boost mids and cut bass a bit along with rolling off the treble. Say, for Mustang Sally.
For the lead player, being able to get a crystal clear top end on some of the tunes would be helpful. Take listen to J Fogerty on Bad Moon Rising.
Can't really hear the rhythm player. He may be muddying up your FOH tone. Maybe do a recording off the board.
Good luck.
+1 on the drummer locking in a groove instead of too many fills and cymbal crashes. I also suggest getting the drummer a click track/visual metronome. There have been some TB threads on this topic. Maybe have him try a couple of different crash symbols.
Voices need to stand out more(more volume/clarity)? Maybe it's the video?
Focus on your vocals/harmonies as much as possible. Maybe have an acoustic guitar/ vocal practice on a regular basis. If your vocals are tight, you'll get more gigs.
If you dont' have a sound guy, I suggest one of you go wireless so a proper sound check can be done.
For the bass, to me, more of a P-bass tone would be a helpful alternative at times. Maybe boost mids and cut bass a bit along with rolling off the treble. Say, for Mustang Sally.
For the lead player, being able to get a crystal clear top end on some of the tunes would be helpful. Take listen to J Fogerty on Bad Moon Rising.
Can't really hear the rhythm player. He may be muddying up your FOH tone. Maybe do a recording off the board.
Good luck.
bigfatbass
Inactive
- Jun 30, 2003
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- 404
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Karl Hoyt Basses
One thing I can't stress enough is that SO many bands treat the vocals like the time killer between solos/jams. Treat them like the integral part that they are, and your band will get work. Solid vocals are such a HUGE plus, and seriously undervalued!
Actually, that's the first time I played that tune. A couple songs were thrown at us by our lead guitarist on the spot. Literally, he said, "here's the chords", and away we went.
Needless to say, Bad Fish turned out much better than ZBB's "Chicken Fried".
I voted to add Bad Fish to the list, so I'll be working on learning the bass line, but unfortunately I have no 5-string, so I'll have to do a bit of customizing.
You can't hear the rhythm player for a reason. There's a thread on this board about him somewhere. It probably won't be long before he's gone. But at least he played the right chords on most songs for this gig.
It's already been said, but the biggest thing missing is zero energy from the band, which just 100% has to be there if you want to be a gigging cover band. If everyone's staring at their fretboards and not moving, you're going to lose your audience...the goal is to keep people at the bar engaged with the band, and if you guys look like you're bored, you'll lose any crowd you have.
- Jun 3, 2009
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- Bassgearu, Music Industry Consulting and Sales. Tech 21, NBE Corp, Sonosphere.
Every single comment has been spot on for me. I'll add:
Not enough space in the songs, and not enough differentiation, especially in the guitar parts. Two guitars should not be playing or sounding the same or similar. Sort of why you will never see a band with two guitarists who both play strats, or both play Les Pauls. That alone adds dynamics. Most bands have say a Fendery guitar (strat or tele) and a Gibson (LP or SG). Then, one guy always has a rhythm part, the other either a lead part or a more, non-chordy part. Sort of like one guy plays chords, the other arpeggios, you know what I mean.
Oh, and lose the polo shirts and khakis, please! Even if this is a benefit and you are just doing this stuff for fun, when you play out you need to look like a musician. Unless you all dress like Payne Stewart with knickers and that golf hat with the big fluffy ball on top as a gimmick, nothing less then non-baggy, preferrabley tigher jeans (as my wife and her hot friends say to me, no diaper butt!), a real cool tshirt or a dress shirt with rolled up sleaves (Polo and knit sport shirts are NOT dress shirts, no matter how much the corporate world today tries to pass it off as such) cool kics (no Nike running or basketball sneakers and no I wear 'em to work at the office shoes) and a really, really cool guitar strap.
The montage is too choppy, leading me to believe there was more bad then good. Again, you are newer in this configuration, so get tighter, lose the stand, move more, engage the crowd more.
Not enough space in the songs, and not enough differentiation, especially in the guitar parts. Two guitars should not be playing or sounding the same or similar. Sort of why you will never see a band with two guitarists who both play strats, or both play Les Pauls. That alone adds dynamics. Most bands have say a Fendery guitar (strat or tele) and a Gibson (LP or SG). Then, one guy always has a rhythm part, the other either a lead part or a more, non-chordy part. Sort of like one guy plays chords, the other arpeggios, you know what I mean.
Oh, and lose the polo shirts and khakis, please! Even if this is a benefit and you are just doing this stuff for fun, when you play out you need to look like a musician. Unless you all dress like Payne Stewart with knickers and that golf hat with the big fluffy ball on top as a gimmick, nothing less then non-baggy, preferrabley tigher jeans (as my wife and her hot friends say to me, no diaper butt!), a real cool tshirt or a dress shirt with rolled up sleaves (Polo and knit sport shirts are NOT dress shirts, no matter how much the corporate world today tries to pass it off as such) cool kics (no Nike running or basketball sneakers and no I wear 'em to work at the office shoes) and a really, really cool guitar strap.
The montage is too choppy, leading me to believe there was more bad then good. Again, you are newer in this configuration, so get tighter, lose the stand, move more, engage the crowd more.
I went to the "Freebird" video. Please remember there are iconic parts to that song, and you can't "fudge" on it. Drop the song is my advice. Your lead player doesn't play slide, and the song is dependent on the slide part. There are "sets of four" that the rhythm section needs to learn to play the ending, and it is just one of those songs that audiences have high expectations for. My band has spent literally THOUSANDS of hours on that freakin' song, and it's still nowhere near as good as we want it, but we have it to where it at least has a semblance of being itself.
Here is a link to a fairly mediocre version of us doing it at an outdoor gig that should have been better, because it was an important gig to some of us. Freebird at IPFW Rockin' the River - YouTube
We no longer have that drummer and second guitar player. We have a much better drummer, and for us, two electric guitars is just too noisy, and we like being a four piece. When we need a rhythm guitar, I find using the 12 string acoustic makes a nice clean sound, but don't worry about all that; that's just personal preference.
You can see me (I'm on acoustic) firing daggers at that guitar player (the one with the Confederate Battle Flag guitar) when, between the first and second verses, he is improvising over the iconic slide lead that Arthur (the big guy with the Les Paul) is playing. I didn't care for that, because it was never there in rehearsal!
We messed up some of the sets of four, because it was hot, we were tired, and we weren't as well rehearsed as we should have been.
I highly suggest you stick to simpler songs for awhile, until you are really gelling as a unit, and make it more fun for yourselves, while being a lot more convincing to your audience. I would love to see you guys succeed, and have yourselves a great time!
Here is a link to a fairly mediocre version of us doing it at an outdoor gig that should have been better, because it was an important gig to some of us. Freebird at IPFW Rockin' the River - YouTube
We no longer have that drummer and second guitar player. We have a much better drummer, and for us, two electric guitars is just too noisy, and we like being a four piece. When we need a rhythm guitar, I find using the 12 string acoustic makes a nice clean sound, but don't worry about all that; that's just personal preference.
You can see me (I'm on acoustic) firing daggers at that guitar player (the one with the Confederate Battle Flag guitar) when, between the first and second verses, he is improvising over the iconic slide lead that Arthur (the big guy with the Les Paul) is playing. I didn't care for that, because it was never there in rehearsal!
We messed up some of the sets of four, because it was hot, we were tired, and we weren't as well rehearsed as we should have been.
I highly suggest you stick to simpler songs for awhile, until you are really gelling as a unit, and make it more fun for yourselves, while being a lot more convincing to your audience. I would love to see you guys succeed, and have yourselves a great time!
