dcr Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 If you want a hard & fast "never," I think it should be: Never play something that is painful for people to listen to. Never. If I never played anything that was painful for people to hear, I'd basically never play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 as long as the next song was "Sweet Home Alabama" (or some other southern rock bar staple the drunks could go "woohoo" to), no one would notice the difference. so true.... "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Thorne Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Timely. When I played the only gig this year with the band I ultimately quit, we started "Thing Called Love." For some reason I was right upside down on the beat, playing on the downbeat what everyone else was playing on the upbeat. After a couple of bars I still couldn't figure out how to recover. I stopped the song. Gtr. player was pissed ast me, but we started over and played the song perfectly. At least in the places I play, if you screw up and have to stop a song - once - you can make a joke, the patrons will laugh along, and no harm done. I think it's no big whoop. Everybody makes mistakes, and a bar patron who doesn't get that shouldn't frequent bars that don't charge a cover... Still, it wouldn't do to get a reputation as a band that has to stop and start on a regular basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruiser Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 I once saw James Galways (flute) and Yo-Yo Ma (cello) stop a song and start over. They got about 30 seconds into a song, realized they were not together, and Galway called a halt. He explained that it had been his mistake and this was the first night of a tour. The performers and audience all had a good laugh, and then they started again. I figure if two classical musicians of that stature can do it, the rest of us can too. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5 string Mike Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Personally, it depends on the situation- each case is unique Can the band adjust or recover on the fly? What's the crowd situation (too drunk to notice, intently watching/listening, etc) . For example- If it's late, people are too busy having a good time to notice, try to muddle through it and move on. If you try to stop and restart when it interrupts the dancing or some other mood-killer, that's not good. If you are playing to a crowd that is intently listening to the music and you start off wrong, it may be better to re-start (especially on a song that everyone knows). To me, a band looks more foolish trying to play it wrong when they and the crowd knows it's wrong than to just stop and do it again right. And if you do, laugh it off and nail it on the re-start. If you do restart, don't be all sheepish and 'sorry about that'. Stuff happpens. You're human. Like so many other things, there isn't a hard and fast rule when it comes to this kind of thing. Each band and each gig is different. Do what works best for your situation. "Political language... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind"- George Orwell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Jew Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 My memory is kicking in again... I saw Veruca Salt play unplugged for a live broadcast here in Philly several years ago. One of the ladies kept screwing up the intro to one of the band's songs, so they just started over... about five times. No lie. It actually got to be kind of funny--one of the chords in the intro was this woman's enemy or something. She played it off well, and the crowd was very amused and understanding... although I could tell her bandmates (especially the other lead woman) were getting a little annoyed. When she finally played the part correctly, she looked around with a big smile and winked at everyone. Totally adorable. The crowd applauded. That was the version the radio played on the re-broadcast of the show. It's kind of humorous, because, to anyone who wasn't there for the recording, there's a sudden burst of applause in the middle of the intro for no apparent reason. But now you know the rest........................ of the story. \m/ Erik "To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." --Sun Tzu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davio Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 A bit of sage knowledge was imparted upon me in high school marching band and it's stuck with me ever since. It clears up this whole problem. "Don't play wrong notes." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Jew Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Sounds too complicated. You're wrong notes. \m/ Erik "To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." --Sun Tzu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davio Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 You're sounds too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddiePlaysBass Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 "Don't play wrong notes." "Play it once, it's wrong ... Play it twice, it's jazz." Who has that sig again? I am making a conscious point these days to just. Keep. Playing. Our drummer tends to drop a stick every now and then, or miss a beat or whatever. I used to follow him instinctively (we still tend to stop at the same point, even if there's no break or the song is not over yet) but I'm getting over that. "I'm a work in progress." Micky Barnes The Ross Brown Shirt World Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric VB Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 IEM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 How come the bass player is the only one in the band who notices when the drummer drops a stick? Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted July 7, 2009 Author Share Posted July 7, 2009 Yea... funny ain't it? "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b5pilot Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 How come the bass player is the only one in the band who notices when the drummer drops a stick? My guitar player used to play drums. Our poor drummer gets it from both of us. Lydian mode? The only mode I know has the words "pie ala" in front of it. http://www.myspace.com/theeldoradosband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Dan Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 This is what happens when you don't start over: (make sure you listen until, or fastforward to, when everything comes in and see how long you can bare to listen) That being said, I avoid starting over at all costs. If there is one offending member of the band who can't get it right, HE should stop and the band can carry on without torturing the crowd. I HAVE stopped before, but normally if it's the VERY beginning (first chord or something) and it's just me or something. In past bands, we've had to stop for similar reasons to yours, but usually a wise crack covers it. We currently use all IEM's. Once we were jamming along at a gig. The sound guy comes running up to the front of the stage waving his arms. Turns out, the breaker that the FOH PA was on tripped. Since we're all direct, everybody was listening to Cymbals and unamplified vocals. We didn't know the difference. Dan Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fingertalkin Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 Not to thread high jack, but, I watched some other VH vids with "Wolfie" and DLR says the same thing at each intro at every show about the two things that wolfie should watch out for and he was sure that he was flirting with both of them before the show. Dude, come up with some new material between shows! How do you sign a computer screen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jode Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Hey, if Paul McCartney can do it, so can I. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhlFDE_3Ewk "I had to have something, and it wasn't there. I couldn't go down the street and buy it, so I built it." Les Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butcherNburn Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 It's not OK. If it happens though, try and make a joke out of it, at your bandmates expense of course. If you think my playing is bad, you should hear me sing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackbass Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I think it is dependent on the mood of the crowd also, especially when playing covers. I'm in a band that plays original stuff, and no one really knows if we do mess up. So most of the time, we muddle our way through, or the rhythm section completely wings it. And, yes I'm the only one who notices when our drummer messes up, or loses a stick. I think it's because we aren't studying our fretboard during normal play, so we're more aware of our surroundings. Also, the drummer/bass correspondence with almost all music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butcherNburn Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I was expecting the scene from Up in Smoke. If you think my playing is bad, you should hear me sing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Jew Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Ever heard the live version of "I'm The Man" by Anthrax? If you have, you heard what happens when someone in that band makes a mistake during a song. They had the crowd chanting, "Joey f*cked up! Joey f*cked up!" It kinda became a classic moment. \m/ Erik "To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." --Sun Tzu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Iverson Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I wouldn't start the song over ordinarily, but if it's something out and out unlistenable, like the singer is one key and the band in another.... what choice do you have, unless one or the other can adapt instantly? Even so, it's such a shock to the ear, it might be better to start over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 You could count the number of times we've had to start a tune again on one hand. Usually the person playing wrong works out what's going wrong within the first four bars and it all comes together and the tune is salvaged very quickly. If you enter the fourth bar and everyone in the band is looking at the singer with quizzical looks on their faces, its a good sign that no one knows what is wrong and its time to stop before you look like idiots. If you do stop, all stop together. Behave as a band. Everyone is relaxed about it and you just start again. Don't all start trying to blame each other either in front of the crowd or afterwards. It's no great hassle. There's usually a good obvious reason why it broke down. Some valid reasons off the top of my head: Wrong key for singer. Someone playing in different key. Everyone playing in different key. Someone playing a different song to the one called. Someone just drew a blank on the lick. Drummer still trying to get cowbell out of bag. Bass player thinking about whether to have chilli sauce on his after gig kebab. Singer downing pint of Guinness. Feel the groove internally within your own creativity. - fingertalkin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 Singer in wrong key??? That's no reason to stop... just play louder. How about this rule? If you are thinking to yourself "we should stop" on three different times during a song... then stop. Otherwise the song will be over by then. I asked my Dad (a player, jazz.... but a player) this afternoon what he would do... would he stop a song? He said yes, if the bar was on fire or gunfire breaks out, otherwise he couldn't think of a reason. "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 Also, isn't the song in the key that the bass player is in? Everyone else adjusts, right? "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Jew Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I'm just saying... My guitar strap snapped during the intro to one of our songs. I didn't stop playing, and neither did the band. I played four songs in a row (we had transitions on those songs) with my guitar sorta cradled in the crook of my elbow while I also did the vocals and played all the solos. It wasn't exactly fun to do or anything, but the music didn't stop, and that's what matters. After the fourth song, I grabbed my the gaffer tape off of my pedalboard and taped the strap back together... the show went on. Rock n' Roll! \m/ Erik "To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." --Sun Tzu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 Right... no fire or gun fire... you should have kept on playing... Nice work. "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fingertalkin Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Anybody not been invited back to a gig because they started one song over? Doubt it. At the end of the night, it is what is in the registers that counts. Did anybody watch the video of Complete's interview on youtube? That was almost as funny as Hoogie Boogie Land. That is such a classic video. I'm thinking they didn't get the kind of label interest that they were looking for. How do you sign a computer screen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 Anybody not been invited back to a gig because they started one song over? Doubt it. At the end of the night, it is what is in the registers that counts. This place has an owner that pays very close attention to the music... and the register. He would notice and may lead to no more gigs... off the hook this time. Stopping a song can happen and mistakes can happen. No one should notice the mistakes. Stopping is bad. "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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