Sometimes I wanna throw my bass...

[g.]

Some of the places I've played, the last thing you want to do is give people in the audience more reinforcement that smashing and breaking stuff is a Good Idea ; }

[Wickerman]

Adam, I didn't mean to insult Chevelle. Wonder What's Next is a good disk. I really like it, I was just saying it's just simple, by no means bad.

 

Whatever happened to Tourniquet anyway? They had KILLER metal albums like Stop the Bleeding and Vanishing Lessons then in '98 or '99 they put out Crawl to China?? What's that? They tried to infuse grunge into their metal. It's TERRIBLE! Rememeber the song Bats off CtC? YIKES! I remember Get What You Pray For, Vanishing Lessons, Test For Leprosy and Threshing Floor. Great songs. Then came Crawl to China... BAH!

 

Adam: You like good Christian Metal? I tell you boy, Anah Aevia is one of the tops. Great christians, very nice guys and they write some SWEET metal! Check out their song "Closed Arms, Clenched Fists" You won't be disappointed. Very unique vocals (two guys doing fairly good cleans and one guy who screams inward - so incredible) Just check it out. SO good.

[Adamixoye]

Originally posted by Wickerman:

Adam, I didn't mean to insult Chevelle. Wonder What's Next is a good disk. I really like it, I was just saying it's just simple, by no means bad.

 

Adam: You like good Christian Metal? I tell you boy, Anah Aevia is one of the tops. Great christians, very nice guys and they write some SWEET metal! Check out their song "Closed Arms, Clenched Fists" You won't be disappointed. Very unique vocals (two guys doing fairly good cleans and one guy who screams inward - so incredible) Just check it out. SO good.

Okay, no offense taken at the Chevelle thing...I've heard people say the "simple" thing as a criticism of sorts, so that's kind of how I took it...I've also heard people say that they're a band like a bunch of others, in which case I ask, where are all the others? There is no band I like nearly as much who is currently doing stuff that is similar to Chevelle. At least that I've heard, which may be a very small sample.

 

I like "Christian metal" depending on your definition of metal. The stuff I like I would refer to as hardcore or post-hardcore (Project 86, Blindside, some older Stavesacre) and grunge/rock/hard alternative (Chevelle, Grammatrain). Another band I really like is Embodyment. They used to be total insane hardcore, then had a crossover album of mixed hardcore/singing and now are all melody-based rock.

 

I'll check out some of the stuff you suggest. Thanks!

[cornbread_medhotmail.com]

Ooooh....Tourinquet!!! Great band and great guys! Watching Ted play drums was a learning experience. For some reason, I really like Pathogenic Occular Dissonance. When the second guitarist left and the Victor, they started going downhill to me. Still they had some good songs, just fewer. My favorite Christian-like band is King's X. They're great guys. I remember opening for them once and then having them invite us to Denny's after the show and they picked up the check. Doug Pinnick just has this amazing tone. I teched for them a few times and can remember everything he had in his rack, but nothing I do can emulate his sound. I guess his sound has a lot to do with him.

 

Oh, and he threw his bass to his tech. That dude was strange, but cool as hell.

[g.]

Another interesting thing I semi-recall about Doug Pinnick is that he uses really light gauges especially at the low end. I think there are guys using heavier gauges on their E than he uses for a B.

[cornbread_medhotmail.com]

He does have some really light strings. I felt like I was going to break them just looking at them when he let me play his P-bass. Of course, it was a lefty strung lefty and I had to think and get my hands to think when I was playing it. I only played a few notes, really just to say I played Doug Pinnick's bass.

[Sylver]

Once at band practice back in the day when I was much hotter headed, I was having crackling problems and got really frustrated. Took off my P-bass and hurled it the length of the room. Turned out the crackling was coming from the amp. The bass did not survive.

[Wickerman]

Currently spinning: Zao - Liberate Te Ex Inferis

 

Yeah, Embodyment is GREAT. I didn't like their screaming vocalist. He's scream didn't have the best tone to it but Sean Corbay is a VERY good singer. I saw them live two and a half months back. Great live show. They dropped a guitarist and still sounded so thick and didn't lose anything. Then three weeks ago but their van broke down so only Sean came. That was too bad. Stavesacre was good that night though.

 

Have you heard Songs for the Living, Embodyment's new record? Very good stuff...

[Adamixoye]

I own Songs for the Living. It is very good, just like Hold Your Breath. But I also really like The Narrow Scope of Things where Sean does both screaming and singing. I think the screaming is good there. Really haven't listened to their stuff that came before that...just enough samples to get an idea.

 

I've seen them twice in the last several months. Pretty good. They were my favorite part of the Stavesacre show...I've seen Stavesacre sooooooooo many times and I don't like their new stuff nearly as much as their old (best album: Absolutes; Friction and Speakeasy are also very good; even the "special features" on Collective were pretty cool; but I don't think the new self-titled one is very good at all).

[chewstermaniac]

I had this monstrous old Ibanez that I used to STAND on. I'd lay it up on a monitor, balance myself on it and thrum some easy chords/notes at the very end of our show. This caught alot of attention, and it ruined a really awsome bass. Would I do it again? YOU BET!! ( just not with my main bass, but a cheesy backup )

 

The sheer size of this hunk of wood is what made it possible. This bass was huge. Came just under my chin ( i'm 5'11 ).

 

Should you throw it? Hell ya! Have fun! Music is about the music, and you probably wouldn't get to be in a really good show unless you had some talent, so have a gimmick too. Why the hell not? ( your not playing for the dozens of other musicians in your crowd, you playing for the 3 non musicians! )

[_Sweet Willie_]

Sooooooo...

 

Have you thrown that bass yet?! OR decided not to risk it?!

[phizz]

I'm not throwing right now because one I only have one bass... two i don't have enough room right now to do it in my room.. three I don't have a band right now so thare is no need for it yet... four i don't feel like i really know how to do it.. i mean do i throw it forwards or backwrds??? other stuff like that...

[cornbread_medhotmail.com]

It would be easier throwing it body-end first behind you as if you had it in playing position. Centrifugal force will help to carry it through the motion, as long as you put enough ass into it to get it started.

[Bartolini]

I just do not get why you want to throw the one and only bass you have. Sometimes I feel like leaving the bass on the bed and throwing myself out of the 2nd storey window when I cant play something properly.

 

Please let this forum know when you threw it.

[phizz]

bart

 

I'm not planning on throwing my one and oly bass... i'm waiting till i find anotehr bass... so that i won't be with out one if i mess up...

[g.]

Maybe you could go to Bass Training Camp and get Victah to give you an intensive course of bass throwing lessons ; }

[Jason Hoyt]

I tried to throw my bass. Once. I was playing without my shirt on, and I thought it would work well because I was sweating so much. Turns out the sweat just made it stick to me, and I ended up cracking myself in the skull with my MM Stingray5. I bled. Alot. It was sooo metal...

On the subject of "preaching", -in your music you can say whatever message you want to. However, in between songs and/or walking around at the shows, please don't try to instill your views of "whatever" in my psyche. If you try to crawl inside my head, you will only hurt yourself...

[The Bear Jew]

HAHAH...

Preaching at shows. I find that funny.

Hardcore shows are great for this. No offense to anyone here, but I hate that, even though I play mainly hardcore shows. They seem to be ALL about preaching on something (straight-edge culture, political stuff, religion, etc) -- between songs, during songs, onstage, offstage, etc. Very few bands besides mine take the hardcore thing and add the "Kiss" element to their music and try to make it fun as well. We tend to play with bands who have some kind of agenda, and that's cool. I just find it hinders my enjoyment of the music and interrupts the flow. It's hard to rock when someone's busy telling you how they have personally discovered the proper way to live, and that you need to do the same, and if you don't you're just an idiot, or (even better) that they will personally kick the crap out of anyone who disagrees. It IS hardcore, after all, and the macho factor there is often off the charts.

[Cup]

No preaching, no encores, the message is in the music. What? the singer needs to annunciate more(yeah it still grates), you couldn't hear the message? Right I'll come down after the show with my dog collar on and THEN I'll tell ya how to lead your life!

 

CupMcMali...this monkey's gone to heaven

[Dan South]

Work on your stage presence instead. And your wardrobe. And hair. And goofy extras like hats and sunglasses and (if you're Zappa-esque) a blow up doll. If you're really devoted, take some jazz (dance) classes and learn those "Broadway moves."

 

I don't like the "toss the instrument" idea. If it gets away from you and hits someone, you've got a lot of trouble on your hands.

[Adamixoye]

Originally posted by Jason Hoyt:

However, in between songs and/or walking around at the shows, please don't try to instill your views of "whatever" in my psyche.

Well, that's just your opinion. Don't try and tell me how to live my life. hopefully humorous attempt at irony while hoping to make a serious point in a non-offensive manner, augmented by a fake HTML tag that is way too long>

 

I guess my point is, I can see why you don't like it, or how it may make you uncomfortable, but that in and of itself doesn't make it right or wrong. You can always just not go to those concerts. Like my example of the Stone Sour lead singer. I did not like his offensive language...it made me uncomfortable...I left. And the irony is I'm sure that there are people who would say that's "just free speech" and then get upset when some other band "preaches". But they're more or less the same thing...a person's words that are a reflection of their values and beliefs.

 

If you fall into that category--and I'm not accusing anyone here of that, that's for you to judge yourself on--then I would say that's somewhat inconsistent/hypocritical.

 

For the record, though I continue to respond to this, I should point out I didn't bring it up. I just mentioned a particular Christian band who throws their guitars (Blindside), Wickerman and I started talking about some Christian bands, and then someone else brought up the preaching thing. And once brought up, I had to (i.e., wanted to and continue to want to) speak my peace about it...

[cornbread_medhotmail.com]

Don't tell me how to pray, how to vote or how to think. Just sing a song. Whatever witty banter you deem necessary in between songs is up to you. I hate it when I see all these celebrities telling people how they should vote or rationalizing some religious practice or putting something on a pedestal, waxing philosophically on how we should feel about it. It's perfectly fine to have differing views. That's why there are so many options out there. I look at music as entertainment, not a soap box. Just because you're holding the conch doesn't make you the speaker on this island. I don't want to be preached at. Your view on religion is fine. If you will listen to my views on whatever subject, I will listen to yours on the same subject. If you wn't hear mine, I won't hear your's. There are some subjects that deserve an exchange of ideas, not just you imparting your's on society. I don't want to hear how you interpret the Bible. Do you speak and read Ancient Hebrew? If not, move along. My God is my God. Your God is your God. Leave it at that. Of course, I have the option to not listen/read what I don't want to hear/see or to throw my bass if I choose not to.

[JDL]

Oh, I have wanted to try this sling behind my back thing for awhile. I saw it on a tape where the guitarist did it. Have you ever tried to throw your bass in the air and catch it, like Chris Novoselic? Well.......I didn't, and he showed the scar from it. I was about to sling my bass around like that, but then I thought this would be really stupid, I mean, come on, this is my one bass, I don't want to screw it up So, I didn't.

 

JDL-my2$, er cents

[Wickerman]

Things I find funny:

• Straightedge kids who's entire philosophy is "don't drink, don't smoke, don't do drugs" ect, who pick fights with people who don't agree. That's luti-kriss. "We don't do things that are bad for our body... oh, except violence" All I have to say to them... BAH!
  
• Kids who yell and scream and throw hissy fits about having to hear about (oh no) GOD then start swearing. They're offended because they have to hear someone talk for a minute about something they don't agree with then they go and do something just as offensive to the person speaking? Amusing... Or stupid. Whatever
   
  

Personally, I know that the audience has heard the "God Speach" before so all I say is "I know you've heard it before so I'll be quick. We're up here to praise God. We're Christians. If you have any questions or what to know about it, feel free to ask one of us." It takes twenty seconds. If that's too much for you to have to hear, oh well. Get over it. I'm sorry to waste SOOO much of your time. (time being used for tuning and adjusting settings anyway)

[Adamixoye]

Originally posted by cornbread:

Don't tell me how to pray, how to vote or how to think.

Take this with a grain of salt, but...then maybe you shouldn't tell other people what they should or shouldn't say on stage. Seems like the logical extension to me. If you really don't want to hear it, like I said...you don't have to go.

 

I don't read ancient Hebrew, but there are plenty of people who do and they're the ones who translated the Bible (well the OT, the NT is in Greek). I trust they're not involved in some grand conspiracy...so we have what was really written down, we just have to decide what it means and if it's true or not. If one wants to discuss interpretations, we could do that. But "your interpretation is yours, mine is mine" means nothing. We don't do that with historical records. Or the constitution (unless you're the Supreme Court). Or laws. Or football scores (my Chiefs would be doing a lot better). Or the grade your professor gives you. It's kind of a silly excuse.

 

I think Wickerman's approach is great, and I agree with his opinions about the hypocrisy of some of the bands out there today. And if people want to say more, or less, than he does that's cool too.

 

I once again thoroughly apologize for how off-topic this is. At the same time, though, I think this thread has become about entertaining on stage in all its forms.

 

I really don't mean to offend anyone, but on the other hand I will speak my mind. I hope everyone understands at least that much of where I am coming from, and that I am not run out on a rail for saying it, because I like this forum and the people in it.

[cornbread_medhotmail.com]

I'm not saying you can't preach or spread the Gospel or anything. I, and several billion other people, don't really care to hear your religion. I guess you didn't read the part that said my God doesn't want me to go are cram my religion down other people's throats. I'm Christian and I'm pretty set in my ways. There are faults in every religion as there are faults in all of our approaches to it. So be it. What I was trying to say is, if you're going to preach to me, allow me the same opportunity to preach to you, or don't do it at all. It's called discussion, not preaching. I don't force anyone to sit through my translations and I will not be forced to sit through anyone's translation. That's not what God had in mind. Organized religion is not what God had in mind. It's someone's translation forced on a magnitude of people, which is not what God had in mind. And if God wants you to throw your bass, He'll tell you to throw your bass and how to throw it, perhaps in a thread on some forum on a bulliten board on the internet that gets way off topic that belongs in the SSS forum.

[The Bear Jew]

Yo Wickerman...

I agree with ya. There's a lot of hypocrisy in hardcore. How many times do the bands talk (and sing) about the concept of "unity" within the "scene," then turn around and talk about the bands who suck.

 

Then again, a lot of the folks involved with these sort of extreme music genres are pretty young, and, as younguns, they should be forgiven for being overly passionate without much diplomacy.

 

My philosophy here is to simply accept everyone for what they are and try not to get hit in the head when I throw my bass.

[Adamixoye]

Originally posted by cornbread:

I'm not saying you can't preach or spread the Gospel or anything. I, and several billion other people, don't really care to hear your religion. I guess you didn't read the part that said my God doesn't want me to go are cram my religion down other people's throats. I'm Christian and I'm pretty set in my ways. There are faults in every religion as there are faults in all of our approaches to it. So be it. What I was trying to say is, if you're going to preach to me, allow me the same opportunity to preach to you, or don't do it at all. It's called discussion, not preaching. I don't force anyone to sit through my translations and I will not be forced to sit through anyone's translation. That's not what God had in mind. Organized religion is not what God had in mind. It's someone's translation forced on a magnitude of people, which is not what God had in mind. And if God wants you to throw your bass, He'll tell you to throw your bass and how to throw it, perhaps in a thread on some forum on a bulliten board on the internet that gets way off topic that belongs in the SSS forum.

What is cramming something down someone's throat vs. what is open, honest discussion is very subjective. Believe me, I have bent over backwards at times to do the latter and been accused of the former. A lot of people just don't want to discuss it period, which is too bad.

 

And I don't know what I didn't read (about God not wanting you to cram things down other people's throats), because that was not in your previous post, which is what I think you mean. If by chance you mean the Bible, well then, it's not in there either (explicitly)...there are guidelines for how to share respectfully and appropriately. But even if someone follows all those guidelines, some people will still think that's shoving things down other people's throat.

 

*Sigh*...as much as I would like to continue talking about this, I know I'm just going to make people mad. There's been plenty of discussion and clearly you've already made up your mind and I've made up mine. So I'm going to leave it at that and not post about this again (well...I don't intend to at this point, anyway).

[Jason Hoyt]

My 2 c's: If you are trying to get a message out with your music, thats great... If you feel you have to vigorously re-inforce your views outside of that medium, then you should probably take your music back to the drawing board, because it is obviously not performing as you intended it to...

That aside, I try to be as accomadating as I can to younger idealistic artists... I keep an open heart and mind, and I try to keep my ears open too. However, too many have mistaken this for being weak minded, when in fact nothing could be furher from the truth... If you want to convince me that your view is right, then your gonna have to beat me at the arguement... (-me and Ted Nugent) Sure, I fully believe in the right to lobby. I fully believe in the right to preach. I also fully believe I can reserve the right to tell any one of you to "stick-it-where-the-sun-don't-shine" ... Aint freedom grand?

 

p.s. on the topic of throwing basses... well, you can see where I'm headed...

[cornbread_medhotmail.com]

I'm always up for discussion. What I call preaching is expelling your faith and values on someone and not hearing their views. I know it doesn't explicitly say in the Bible to not cram it down people's throats. But, are you reading the King James version? That's what he wanted religion to be. I'm not trying to down anyone about their religious views. In fact, I appreciate that you have your own views. So many people today spit out what they hear but have no clue what they're saying. This is what I call discussion. I don't want it to appear that I think you're "preaching." I respect that you can back up your arguments. I agree with you on many things. I just like to see if people who claim religious knowledge actually have it and can think for themselves rather than type what they hear the televangelist saying. Religion is individual to everyone. Each of us has our own ideas and beliefs and values and they can and do differ greatly on many points, with the exception that we agree there is a God and we all have opinions on throwing our basses.