General Music Chat

...why I bother!
The guy I've been working with on the guitar duo; last week we talked more than practiced songs - I honestly don't think he had practiced any of the new songs we were working on since the previous week. Then he was supposed to let me know if we were getting together tonight or Wednesday, I didn't hear from him so shot him a message yesterday and get 'tomorrow's too soon' (meaning he hadn't practiced anything yet) and he was busy Wednesday. So it's another week with no progress.

Meanwhile ...
Headed to a new open mic on Saturday night. I know the host, nice guy, but not a real effective open mic host, but wanted to support this new event. Place was a a pub known for its burgers, hardly any room allocated for the equipment set up, and his PA system was horrible - an old powered head with minimal channel controls and two Kustom non-powered 12" speakers -which sound exactly what you'd expect of $69 speakers. He also had a Fishman Mini-solo amp which sounded pretty bad (no low end when a guitar was plugged into it). SO the place was filled with eaters at first, who couldn't are less about the music, then by 9pm, most of them were gone and the place was2/3 empty for the rest of the night. Not sure why they would even contemplate having an OM on a Saturday night, and it appears they don't have music on any other nights, so probably haven't bought their PRO licenses, either.

Continuing...
I mentioned in another thread the singer who had become my "#1 fan". We tried a few songs together at the open mic/jam on Thursday night, most of them with the host band (at least their bass player and drummer, to start with).
We had gone over the songs in a corner of the place early when we got there - and the guitarist/leader of the band must of heard/noticed.
So when we (singer - Gina, and I) went over to say hello to him after, he was a little standoffish. I didn't think anything of it, figured he was just busy setting up. But later, when we got to the last song Gina was going to sing- with the whole band - he seemed like he didn't want to play ("oh you want me to get my guitar?"). I thought he maybe wasn't paying attention. Then he made a crude comment to Gina, and with messages the next few days was less-than-nice with her. What we figured is she was getting more attention and praise at the open mic than he liked - needs to be more of the center of attention, I guess. And from what she told me, he's been trying to play with others (or running up to the mic to sing along) more, too. In fact he and the other guys rushed up to join me on my last song last week - Behind Blue Eyes. It was ok with me, as it was just the rocking middle section and they did pretty good - I got cheers and people wanted me to do more songs.
So I'm skipping that open mic this week, so is Gina, and next time she's just going to do a couple of songs with the band, not me, and we'll see what happens.

As Rosanne Rosannadanna used to say "It's always something!"

Feel any better, Mike?

I once found myself at an open mic night in Columbus (dunno how), and since the house band had horns (two of 'em were good friends of mine), decided I'd like to play David Bromberg's Will Not Be Your Fool--a tune the band I was in would not play (no horns). It was (to use the inflection from Lethal Weapon 4) beauuuu-tiful, but after the set, the leader/guitarist came up to me and told me to never play that song again at his open mic. Hmmm...

Mike, is Methuen considered a Boston suburb?.. I never had any trouble either assembling a band, or being an add-on to an established band, that made money in any city I lived in with a population of 1 million inhabitants or more?

Feel any better, Mike?

I once found myself at an open mic night in Columbus (dunno how), and since the house band had horns (two of 'em were good friends of mine), decided I'd like to play David Bromberg's Will Not Be Your Fool--a tune the band I was in would not play (no horns). It was (to use the inflection from Lethal Weapon 4) beauuuu-tiful, but after the set, the leader/guitarist came up to me and told me to never play that song again at his open mic. Hmmm...

Hey, that's his variation of Stormy Monday with cutting lyrics. Cool Blues tune.

Mike, as DP said, I am still going to take a nap.. feel better?

oh shoot! DP has edited that part of his remark out! OMG...sorry 'bout that!

Mike, is Methuen considered a Boston suburb?.. I never had any trouble either assembling a band, or being an add-on to an established band, that made money in any city I lived in with a population of 1 million inhabitants or more?

About 25 miles north of Boston. And about ten thousand players who either a) want to be in a 'classic rock band' (loud, playing the same old 'get people on the dance floor' songs), or b) are solo players and don't want to split the crappy pay, or c) can't commit to regular practice and rehearsal time.
As I've mentioned before, a lot of the bands these days are trios - guitar, bass and drums - because they don't want to split the lousy pay another way. And I have no desire to go back to playing old loud rock - my tinnitus is really acting up after all the loud bands I've seen in clubs in recent weeks. yeah, I know I should wear earplugs, but I never think about it until its too late, and for my hearing 'too late' was about 20 years ago.

Yes, I'm better now, just needed to vent!

Buy some bulk earplugs and keep them in your glove box. I used to always forget them, til I finally remembered them. Now I always have them. And my hearing is much better for it.

I should have figured ... last week the guy I've been playing with told me he had played with a band the previous Saturday night at a local American Legion - the band plays there once or twice a month, doesn't rehearse, so it's more of a jam for him. Minimal pay - $25 or $35 I think he said. Then he asked me if I like to jam at all - and I told him 'no'. I love to play with others, but not in those situations where it's "ok, let's play Mustang Sally ... ok YOU do a lead, now HE does a lead, now I'LL do a lead...."
So today he messages me that he wants to put the duo on hold for now. Obviously doesn't want to put the work or time into it.

People pretty much give themselves away early in the "relationship". I've found that disinterest in practicing or excuses for not making practice are them passively saying "not interested". It's one thing to say "let's do this!". It's a completely different thing to actually do it!

Bummer :/ Just keep on keepin on. Personally, I'd write the guy off and look for a replacement. But duo situations are different than band situations. The only other person inconvenienced is you, not others, so whatever your pain threshold is...

Good luck!

I'm giving up (again) on the duo thing. It's just too hard to start from scratch each time (this is like the 4th person in 1-1/2 years who has done the same thing to me).
Just going to keep my eyes/ears/ads open to a duo or band looking for another person to expand their sound - something I can walk into, get a list of songs to learn and start playing. If I wanted to go back doing all-electric guitar work, that would be easy (but probably as ultimately fruitless!) as there are always bands looking for guitarists around here, just not acoustic acts.

If nothing else, the extra time yesterday let me take my wife out to eat, then worked on the mixdown of the song I recorded Saturday. Little more tweaking needed tonight, maybe will have it ready to share.

It's based on the story of Alix Tichelman, the 'Call Girl Killer'. The title, 'Kiss or Kill' is one of her tattoos. Some of the lines in the lyrics are based on things she wrote.
Her story here:
http://www.ksbw.com/news/supporters-ral ... n/31436296
http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/10/us/alix-c ... tichelman/