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Waiving The White Flag Of Surrender

#41
bluewine said:
Last Saturday Night I saw a crappy cover band at the Milwaukee Ale House. They started playing Mustang Sally and the whole place was on the dance floor.That was it for me. People are just stupid when it comes to music.
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It's not that they're stupid- a lot of people know absolutely nothing about music but too many notes and flashy playing doesn't do anything for a lot of them because they don't play an instrument. It's not much different from someone who uses a wide vocabulary when they speak- if the rest don't share this, it's just noise. I have thought about this many times while listening to some really good musicians playing- "what does this sound like to someone who doesn't play?".

Who was the band (I'm in the MKE area, too)?

There's nothing wrong with getting people out on the dance floor but the band, as musicians, need to like what they're playing or they're never going to sell it for long. If they do, it's likely that drug/alcohol abuse is in the picture, or the band will just grow to hate each other.

Care to say what band you were in?
 
#42
martinmcfly said:
If you don't believe me look at the bands they have on Letterman, Leno, O'Brian, Kimbal.
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Especially O'Brien! He has some of the most craptastic no talent hipster bands ever concieved on his show. I don't know if Conan has any input into the music guests or not; he's always very respectful of his music guests, though, instead of the contrived sincerity of Leno, which gets major props in my book.

Sometimes, though, Conan has a really cool musical guest, like Social Distortion or She & Him. I also dug when he had Christina Aguilera on, mainly because her bass player was using a Carvin SB through an Aguilar rig (and I play Carvins through Aguilar cabs :bassist:).
 
#43
1958Bassman said:
It's not that they're stupid- a lot of people know absolutely nothing about music but too many notes and flashy playing doesn't do anything for a lot of them because they don't play an instrument. It's not much different from someone who uses a wide vocabulary when they speak- if the rest don't share this, it's just noise. I have thought about this many times while listening to some really good musicians playing- "what does this sound like to someone who doesn't play?".

Who was the band (I'm in the MKE area, too)?

There's nothing wrong with getting people out on the dance floor but the band, as musicians, need to like what they're playing or they're never going to sell it for long. If they do, it's likely that drug/alcohol abuse is in the picture, or the band will just grow to hate each other.

Care to say what band you were in?
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I agree with you, it's like people that have never eaten at a 5 Star Restaurant. they think Burger King is wonderful.

I don't mean to rip on people, I just wish people were not soeasily satisfied.

What we are saying, at the end of the day everyday people can't tell the difference between a well rehearsed class act and bunch of losers.
 
#46
bluewine said:
Last Saturday Night I saw a crappy cover band at the Milwaukee Ale House. They started playing Mustang Sally and the whole place was on the dance floor.That was it for me. People are just stupid when it comes to music.
Click to expand...

Yeah. Mustang Sally in one I just had to put my foot down and say, No! aI'm not playing it. No matter how dancable it is.
 
#47
I was in another one my original bands in the late 80's and our church was gonna have a Christmas dance. My girlfriend volunteers us to play so we learn a bunch if covers like Jet Airliner, Animals, Dancing with myself, etc. We're playing and everyone's on the dance floor for every song. We decide to play an up tempo original that totally rocks with a great tempo and EVERYONE stops and just stares at us. Bunch of music noobs. lol
 
#50
bluewine said:
No, we might have had 1 or 2 decent nights in terms of crowds. All originals bands struggle with crowds.
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All originals bands struggle? So at what point does a night-in night-out stadium filling act cease being considered original then?

bluewine said:
I agree with you, it's like people that have never eaten at a 5 Star Restaurant. they think Burger King is wonderful.

I don't mean to rip on people, I just wish people were not soeasily satisfied.

What we are saying, at the end of the day everyday people can't tell the difference between a well rehearsed class act and bunch of losers.
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That's kind of like saying only plumbers can smell crap, and its not true! Most bunch of loser bands will clear a room in less than ten minutes!
I think what you are trying to say is "everyday people don't know the difference between good music and what they like to hear". Which is a pretty hilarious stance to take, given the reason those song gets played so much is because so many of those everyday people like to hear them. ;)
 
#52
bluewine said:
Last Saturday Night I saw a crappy cover band at the Milwaukee Ale House.
They started playing Mustang Sally and the whole place was on the dance floor.
That was it for me. People are just stupid when it comes to music.
Click to expand...
Find a couple of hundred songs that do that AND at least a CD worth of originals. :bassist:

PS: the Mustang Sally posted by Handyman should get everyone off their chairs.

Boils down to this, IMO, from Rick Suchow's website and bassist Darryl Jones:

"When you go on a gig, you have to remember that it's a privilege to play any kind of music -- even sitting in your house by yourself. Music is this wonderful, universal language. It's meditative and spiritual. A lot of people get caught up in the frustrations, and they lose it, the way a preacher loses the calling. When you pick up an instrument, realize how blessed you are. It doesn't matter whether you're playing for 50,000 people or by yourself. I'm not saying I'm a guru of this stuff. It's just that when I pick up a bass, I'm conscious of how much it has given me, and I try to take that onstage with me wherever I go."

http://ricksuchow.com/press-group-80.html
 
#53
Depth_Charge said:
All originals bands struggle? So at what point does a night-in night-out stadium filling act cease being considered original then?
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Tru dat. Also, I know some local/regional original bands that can draw really good crowds and hold their attention. While those bands obviously had to pay their dues like any other band, it helps that they can always actually write and arrange good songs and play their instruments well, unlike a lot of bands that throw a bunch of poorly concieved ideas together, call it "original," and then whine about how cover bands have it so easy.
 
#55
I think 1958Bassman is asking the right question: "what does this sound like to someone who doesn't play?" Think back to your first high school dance... the *familiar* tunes really grabbed you, right? And at some level, I bet they still do. And that Wilson Pickett clip illustrates another important principle: average people judge bands on four criteria: vocals, vocals, vocals and drums. If the singer sucks, the band sucks.
 
#57
btp said:
I think 1958Bassman is asking the right question: "what does this sound like to someone who doesn't play?" Think back to your first high school dance... the *familiar* tunes really grabbed you, right? And at some level, I bet they still do. And that Wilson Pickett clip illustrates another important principle: average people judge bands on four criteria: vocals, vocals, vocals and drums. If the singer sucks, the band sucks.
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Things still grab me, but not popular stuff or dance stuff. Power of Love , Band of Gypsies, grabs me.I was at The Filmore New Years Eve 69 when they performed it for the first time.

But I get your point, very true.
 
#58
LiquidMidnight said:
Tru dat. Also, I know some local/regional original bands that can draw really good crowds and hold their attention. While those bands obviously had to pay their dues like any other band, it helps that they can always actually write and arrange good songs and play their instruments well, unlike a lot of bands that throw a bunch of poorly concieved ideas together, call it "original," and then whine about how cover bands have it so easy.
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Exactly, that why when people hear ther word "originals" they are predisposed to automatically think "it's crap". A lot of it is.
 
#59
Johnny Crab said:
Find a couple of hundred songs that do that AND at least a CD worth of originals. :bassist:

PS: the Mustang Sally posted by Handyman should get everyone off their chairs.

Boils down to this, IMO, from Rick Suchow's website and bassist Darryl Jones:

"When you go on a gig, you have to remember that it's a privilege to play any kind of music -- even sitting in your house by yourself. Music is this wonderful, universal language. It's meditative and spiritual. A lot of people get caught up in the frustrations, and they lose it, the way a preacher loses the calling. When you pick up an instrument, realize how blessed you are. It doesn't matter whether you're playing for 50,000 people or by yourself. I'm not saying I'm a guru of this stuff. It's just that when I pick up a bass, I'm conscious of how much it has given me, and I try to take that onstage with me wherever I go."

Rick Suchow - NYC Bassist & Writer / rare Jaco Pastorius & James Jamerson tracks - Bass
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I have to agree, 100%
 

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