Our pickup band NYE gig

[LPCustom]

I and the other guys in my neighborhood that I play with are going to put on a New Years Eve show here at the clubhouse for our neighborhood. We're going to start about 11 PM and probably go until about 12:30.

 

We met with the neighborhood association board this morning and finalized a list of songs that we will be playing. But the ordering of the songs (except for Auld Lang Syne) has been left up to us and basically to me.

 

We have about 8 songs to learn in the next 6 weeks so we "should" be able to handle that. I'm not sure that I can pull off one song (Summer Song - Joe Satriani) so we have a substitute picked.

 

There are 26 songs and Auld Lang Syne. I have the list put together but I'm not sure it works. I haven't played in public but 4 times in the last 15 years. I'm wondering if you guys would mind helping me out with suggestions about ordering the songs.

 

We are going to have a couple of five minute breaks in there and Auld Lang Syne has to be played right at midnight.

[Dr. Ellwood]

Heck ya well help ya!! where are the songs? or did I miss a link somewhere?? ok so thats about 1 3/4 hours of music. WE will do you set list for ya and it will be a master piece!!!

[LPCustom]

I haven't posted the list. It's kind of long and I didn't want to clutter things up if no one was interested.

 

Here's the list:

 

Rock & Roll Part 2 - Gary Glitter

(introductions)

My Wife - The Who

Smoking Gun - Robert Cray

Reach Out - Cheap Trick

Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf

Do Seu Lado (By Your Side) - Jota Quest (Brazilian Band)

Have A Drink On Me - AC/DC

Unchained - Van Halen

Jesus Just Left Chicago - ZZ Top

Shine On - Peter Frampton

 

break

 

Dancin' In The Ruins - Blue Oyster Cult

Bad To The Bone - George Thorogood

Hella Good - No Doubt+

When I Come Around - Green Day

Born On The Bayou - CCR

Summer Song - Joe Satriani? (Hair of the Dog - Nazareth)

We Didn't Start The Fire - Billy Joel

Wonder - Natalie Merchant+

All She Wants To Do Is Dance - Don Henley

Der Kommissar - After The Fire

 

break

Auld Lang Syne - ??

 

Outa-Space - Billy Preston

Mississippi Queen - Mountain

Don't Change - INXS

Marching To Mars - Sammy Hagar

Rock Candy - Montrose

Mideast Vacation - Neil Young

 

I can post approximate times for these, if needed. I'm mainly concerned about the pacing, though.

 

[EDIT] - Almost forgot, the + means we need a female singer for that song.

[Dr. Ellwood]

Ok..Im lookin at it now ..gotta cut and paste somethings.

[Tone Taster]

For the First Set, I would pick 3 or four tunes that would be

"soundcheck" type tunes

 

The first should be of a moderate dynamic and upbeat enough to be a good opener.

The Majic carpet Ride is a good first tune because it's not too loud a tune and affords the ability for everyone to hear/listen to each other

 

The Jam part at the end is cool, so you can extend it into a louder dynamic and sense some levels

[Dr. Ellwood]

LP are there keyboards???? YES on the Magic Carpet Ride for a first thing...Im still looking

[Mass Effect]

All of it looks good to me in any order. It'd be cool if in additon to a portion "Summer Song", just do a Satriani montage. Portions of: "Crush Of Love","Flying In A Blue Dream","Satch Boogie".

 

Whatever the case it looks like y'all are going to ring it in right. Have a good time with it.

[LPCustom]

Originally posted by ellwood:

LP are there keyboards???? YES on the Magic Carpet Ride for a first thing...Im still looking

Yep, we HAVE to have keyboards for Outa-Space. Li is a great player. He has a triple setup as well as bass pedals. So, I'm sure we're going to have a nice "full" sound. His rendition of Outa-Space is _really_ good.

 

[EDIT] I guess I should tell you the makeup of the band. We have a drummer, Mike, with a double kick set and tons of percussion doodads. Sudhakar, a pretty good bass player. Eric (Chapman), a rhythm guitarist. Li, our keyboard guy who is really good and me on rhythm and lead guitar. We also have a woman who will be singing a couple of the songs (Hella Good and Wonder) with a terrific alto voice.

 

A lot of people hear "Bruce Willis" when I tell them my name is "Bruce Lewis". I've even seen them write it down that way. I don't look anything like Bruce Willis. But I guess people hear what they want to hear. It's funny how many people hear "Eric Clapton" when Eric tells people his name is "Eric Chapman". Especially when he's standing there holding a Strat.

 

I'm going to need to get a guitar with P90s on it, I think, to play Mississippi Queen properly. Nothing I've got seems to give just the right sound. I may have to borrow my buddy's SG with the P90s.

[Tone Taster]

Okay, Smokin Gun would be a good number two.

Still upbeat, and clean enough for everyone to listen to each other and to sense a mix, as well as open for jams for everyone to loosen up and vibe on each other for later on

 

Remember, that the crowd doesn't loosen up for awhile, so you want to save your dance/popular tunes for a "dance mania" set.

 

If there are any danceable tunes in set 1, i would bump them up a set or into the post new year set.

 

See, in designing sets, you should plan on the beginning and end.

 

Since this is New Years, your last set should be with some dance/crowd singing stuff. You can also sneak Majic carpet ride back in, cuz you did it in set 1.

 

Now, you think you are going to play till twelve thirty, but the crowd is going to want more.

 

So what you do is psych them out.

 

3 tunes before you quit, tell them you have time for just one more.

Have the band members unstrap and pretend they are breaking down, while the crowd screams for more

Then after each tune, insinuate that it is time to go.

By the third or fourth tune, they'll think you guys were the coolest by doing 3 or four encores

 

Make sure you get the cutest lady to walk the tip jar around . . .

[LPCustom]

For those of you who aren't familiar with the song "Do Seu Lado" (By Your Side) by Jota Quest, it's a fairly high energy song and their biggest hit. It's also a very simple song. (seems like most big hits are)

 

I've posted a low quality version of it on my web page. Do Seu Lado by Jota Quest

[Tone Taster]

Well, you might want to consider this also:

 

Put any last set dance tunes in the first set also, should those tunes be good "soundcheckers" as well

 

Another way you can stretch out the sets is by closing each set out with a blues while a=nnouncing on the mic that you will be back

 

I'll check that link out, LP

[Tone Taster]

Originally posted by LPCustom:

For those of you who aren't familiar with the song "Do Seu Lado" (By Your Side) by Jota Quest, it's a fairly high energy song and their biggest hit. It's also a very simple song. (seems like most big hits are)

 

I've posted a low quality version of it on my web page. Do Seu Lado by Jota Quest

Man, somebody in your band can sing in portugese?

 

Pretty cool song. though.

[LPCustom]

Originally posted by Caputo:

Originally posted by LPCustom:

For those of you who aren't familiar with the song "Do Seu Lado" (By Your Side) by Jota Quest, it's a fairly high energy song and their biggest hit. It's also a very simple song. (seems like most big hits are)

 

I've posted a low quality version of it on my web page. Do Seu Lado by Jota Quest

Man, somebody in your band can sing in portugese?

 

Pretty cool song. though.

Yeah, me. My wife's from Brazil and I've learned Portuguese over the last 25 years. Rogerio (their singer) actually interjects a few words of English (like the "what" after the "que" in one pause) into their songs when he sings for a live audience. We saw them do this song at the New Years Eve concert in Rio last year. They were easily the most popular band there.

 

I've tried to translate the song into English but none of my attempts have yielded a song that sounds as good as the Portuguese version.

[LPCustom]

Okay, we went up to the clubhouse last night and worked through the set list as best we could. It really did need tuning. We substituted Superfreak (which some will think is MC Hammer) for Bad To The Bone because we don't have a sax. Rock & Roll Part II just didn't seem to fit so we substituted a slow start with ELPs "Still You Turn Me On".

 

Several of the songs need major work, but we're gaining on it. We have also added a few songs. The neighborhood association said we could add other songs if we wanted to.

 

Here's the updated set list:

 

Still You Turn Me On - ELP

(introductions)

Limelight - Rush

Wonder - Natalie Merchant+

Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf

Have A Drink On Me - AC/DC

Finally Ce Ce Peniston+

Hella Good - No Doubt+

Smoking Gun - Robert Cray

Jesus Just Left Chicago - ZZ Top

My Wife - The Who

Unchained - Van Halen

 

break - 5 minutes 96 rock on radio

 

Der Kommissar - After The Fire

Do Seu Lado (By Your Side) - Jota Quest (Brazilian Band)

Superfreak Rick James

Don't Change - INXS

When I Come Around - Green Day

Shine On - Peter Frampton

Mideast Vacation - Neil Young

We Didn't Start The Fire - Billy Joel

Dancin' In The Ruins - Blue Oyster Cult

Marching To Mars - Sammy Hagar

Summer Song - Joe Satriani

 

break 96 rock countdown to 2006

Auld Lang Syne - ??

fireworks on bigscreen TV (72 screen)

 

Outa-Space - Billy Preston

Reach Out - Cheap Trick

La Grange ZZ Top

teaser

Mississippi Queen Mountain

Crazy Train Ozzy Osbourne

Unchained - Van Halen

teaser

Born On The Bayou CCR

I Wont Back Down Tom Petty

Rock Candy - Montrose

Good Night Cheap Trick

 

So, what do you guys think? I think the pacing of this will work much better.

[Bluesape]

That's a cool setlist. We must stretch our songs more, cuz we wouldn't get that many tunes out in an entire gig. We're always tossing bass solos in and such. Very ambitious list for guys that don't play together.

[Kramer Ferrington III.]

Originally posted by LPCustom:

So, what do you guys think? I think the pacing of this will work much better.

For years, INXS used to finish their gigs with "Don't Change".

 

It's a nice "get your lighters out" sort of closer, does it really belong in the first half of a set..?

[LPCustom]

Originally posted by Bluesape:

That's a cool setlist. We must stretch our songs more, cuz we wouldn't get that many tunes out in an entire gig. We're always tossing bass solos in and such. Very ambitious list for guys that don't play together.

I doubt there will be much improvisation or lengthening of the songs. I figure it's right at two hours of actual music so it should be close to a three hour show.

 

Everyone in the "band" has at least 15 years of experience, we all played in bands for several years and all but one of us has done session work. We've done a few "shows" already but most of it was just jamming. We did play a few songs that all of us knew.

 

One of the criteria for picking the songs was that at least two of us already know that song and can help the others with it. On several songs, all of us already know the song. I only have to learn 5 songs and we have the charts for those (Li has a huge library). The only song none of knows is the Ce Ce Peniston song and our female singer wanted to do that one (she has the voice for it, too).

 

I'm sure we'll make some changes as we practice and rehearse the list over the next 6 weeks. I don't expect us to come out tight like Toto or Boston. But I think we can pull it off and we'll have a good time. Hopefully we'll play decently, too.

[Tone Taster]

Wish I could listen to you guys up there.

 

Too Many Po Po's between here & Hot ' Lanta on I-75 during the Holidaze

[Gifthorse]

Warpigs, NIB, Paranoid are all easy songs and people go sick for them.

[martianrebel]

Sounds like a good set list.

 

I would imagine that you have a bit of a mix of a crowd? Do you know in advance the kind of crowd you're going to have?

 

We found that we needed to have change-em-up's in case the crowd tends to be older, or younger or whatever (don't wanna be playing Beastie Boys and GreenDay for the blue-hairs!)

 

We have a great response to rockabilly stuff from whomever is at a club... We usually throw "Brand New Cadillac" (the Teenage Head style) then "Johnny B. Goode" one of our originals and "Hard Day's Night" sped up for good measure. Then throw a couple Ramones tunes at 'em (usually "Sedated" and "Blitzkrieg Bop") and everyone's dancing, sweaty and going back to the bar for more drinks.

 

Good luck with the New Year's Gig!

 

P.S. Shameless self promotion follows... PLEASE click on our link to our website, check out the link that says "CLICK HERE" and vote for us! Many thanks!

[LPCustom]

We settled on a final setlist a couple of weeks ago. This is what we have been rehearsing.

 

Still You Turn Me On - ELP

(introductions)

Limelight - Rush

Shoot To Thrill - AC/DC

Wonder - Natalie Merchant+

Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf

Finally Ce Ce Peniston+

Smoking Gun - Robert Cray

Hella Good - No Doubt+

My Wife - The Who

Cinnamon Girl - Neil Young

Jesus Just Left Chicago - ZZ Top

 

break - 5 minutes 96 rock on radio

 

Der Kommissar - After The Fire

Do Seu Lado (By Your Side) - Jota Quest (Brazilian Band)

Superfreak Rick James

Mideast Vacation - Neil Young

Don't Change - INXS

When I Come Around - Green Day

Shine On - Peter Frampton

(I'll Give You) Money - Peter Frampton

We Didn't Start The Fire - Billy Joel

Dancin' In The Ruins - Blue Oyster Cult

Marching To Mars - Sammy Hagar

Summer Song - Joe Satriani

 

break 96 rock countdown

Auld Lang Syne - ??

fireworks on bigscreen TV (72 screen)

 

Outa-Space - Billy Preston

Reach Out - Cheap Trick

La Grange ZZ Top

Teaser Break

Mississippi Queen Mountain

Paranoid Black Sabbath

Unchained - Van Halen

Teaser Break

Wizards In Winter - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Born On The Bayou CCR

I Wont Back Down Tom Petty

Rock Candy - Montrose

Good Night Cheap Trick

 

It plays out to be about 2.5 hours of music. With the breaks and the NYE countdown it will work out to be about three hours.

 

I'm not real happy with the synth horns on My Wife but they sound okay. But we don't need a brass section just for one song.

 

We have to knock out the female lead stuff in the first set because our singer wants to sit with her family for the rest of the show. This woman can really sing. Great set of pipes.

 

We've done three complete run throughs so far and the pacing feels good. The lighting guy was there the last three nights and says he's got the lighting worked up. He'll be there tonight to show us the lighting. The board guy has been there every night for nearly two weeks, now. We have one more rehearsal tonight and tomorrow night is the real deal. I'm actually a little nervous. I haven't been on stage in a real gig in 16 years.

 

The crowd will be too big for the clubhouse. So we're playing in the auditorium of the highschool about a mile away. That's where we've been rehearsing for the last two weeks. They'll be moving the big screen TV to the auditorium tomorrow. There's already a live cable TV hookup in there.

 

We finally decided what to call ourselves -- "Rusty Pickup".

 

Wish us luck.

[Dr. Ellwood]

GREAT STUFF LP!!! no luck needed cuz you guys are READY to kick ass!!! It's gonna be LP shootout time!!!! Hot tubes and RUSTY PICKUP in their face!!!

[Tone Taster]

Good Stuff. The dedication will pay off

May the nervous energy be channelled as excitement

 

Nervousness v. Excitement is always a choice

 

Play some lix into 2000SICKS !!

[comacoda]

Rock on! Great set list.... I wish I could see you guys play, I'm sure you'll do well. Give us the details on how things go!

[Guitarzan]

knock em dead LPCustom.

have fun and the peeps will too.

[Bluesape]

Have a great gig, Bruce! http://www.websmileys.com/sm/fam/fam21.gif

[LPCustom]

We had an absolutely fantastic time last night!!!

 

It came off almost without a hitch. I had a string break last night about three measures into a song and that was the only glitch. I had to replace the string because of the tuning on that guitar (the only one I had setup in that tuning for Unchained). It took about a minute to replace the string and to retune. We just restarted the song and off we went.

 

I guess a lot of people have seen that video with the Christmas lights set to the music of "Wizards In Winter" because when we started our second (and last) teaser set after midnight with it the crowd pretty much erupted with people whooping and whistling. Our version also lasted about 6 minutes.

 

The teasers were fun. It was a nice feeling to have them want us to come back and play some more.

 

The auditorium actually got hot with that many people there. We had a fan stage right but it wasn't enough.

 

Our bass player slipped on his own sweat and made it look like he was doing a stage slide during Summer Song. He played the rest of that song on his knees which was kind of weird to see. I was way too busy to care much.

 

Summer Song was by far the hardest song of the night for me. I had to be "on" for the whole song. It's like a five minute lead break. I'm not at all sure I got it right. I think I've played that song about 50 times in the last month.

 

Our keyboard guy, Lee, was outstanding last night. Not only did he dig up sound effects and sample them for some of the songs, he played synth horns, synth strings as well as his own keyboard parts. He also sang 6 of the songs. I would be very glad to work with him in a permanent band.

 

My wife was very proud of us doing a Brasilian rock song (Do Seu Lado) in Portuguese. Several people asked if that was a song we wrote. Lots of people asked about it during the midnight countdown break.

 

The members of both neighborhood associations asked us during the midnight break last night if we would do another show on the fourth of july. We told them it was too far away to say.

 

I've been talking to the guys this morning about doing some gigs. We were pretty coherent last night (a lot better than I expected). Everybody's timing was pretty good. And nobody got "tired". I already have a venue in mind.

 

Happy New Year - 2006 to everybody. I hope you all have a terrific 2006!