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Just got offa da phone with a guy I used to work with, back in '91. I was the front man in his band then.

He's got a band that's doing "variety," as he tells me, & he needs a bass player for three upcoming gigs, starting in less than two weeks. His bass guy has had to drop out for a bit cuz he just had a baby (or maybe it was his wife what had the baby).

Wheee! I love the pressure! I'm gonna get a song list via email tonight, maybe. I told him to make sure he includes key changes from the originals, cuz that's always such a frikken hassle after you cram to hafta switch keys on the fly at the 11th hour.

We're talkin' about stuff ranging from Skynrd to Conway Twitty to AC/DC to heaven only knows what.

Wish me luck. Guess I'll be busy for a bit again.

Congrats!!! Philby. Ive been doing the same thing with similar genre coverage. For a bass player , alotta this newer country is actually harder (from a theory prospective). Parts are moving to DIMS -5 and AUGs +5 making ya really have to listen to the note (3-4 choices would work)actually played and the notes carrying it away to the next movement.Hard to just assume whats comin next.
I dont take this stuff for granted anymore.. ..I got my ass kicked a couple weeks ago cause i didnt really go over this stuff.Lesson Learned..

Good stuff. Congrats and best of luck on it!

Excellent Phillbymon, busy is always good. Good luck to you.

thats great news Philby
gigg's n a challenge all in one........
rock on

www.myspace.com/blunderingeye
http://bandmix.com/hayden-king/
http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/6039/
hayden_king2000 on yahoo messenger (chat &jamm wed's 8-9 pm)

Philby,
Stop wastin' time on line and get yo' ass practisin'!

(Try to get a video of the gigs for us )

rock em hard!
Howlin'

Good luck Philby, hope it all goes well for ya. I'm pretty sure you'll impress the pants off them

Well...uh oh...the news gets only better.

Went to the bar & got a call from him. Seems the lady what had the baby was their lead singer. Bass player is her hubby, who ALSO sings.

"So you still sing, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good, cuz we'll need you to sing some stuff too."

Um...you ever try to sing lead & play bass at the same time? I think I might be in over my headbone, but I like the guy. I remember how easy he was to work with. Okay, I'll do my bestest cuz it's the best I can do.

Still waiting on the song list.

Aaargh! They want me to do "play that funky music" - JW123 - HELP!

LMAO!!

Then here's "Brick House" & "Branded Man" (never even HEARD o' that one!), but I think I can handle the rest, but this is only a partial list! Only 23 songs here, three of which I've actually played on anything before (2 of 'em on guitar) - they're gonna hit me with the rest come Thursday night. Wish me luck!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Thanks for your confidence, Greenie. Hope I live up to it in my own head. Nobody else's opinion ever really matters, does it? Esp since I'm such a hardass when it comes to music. LOL

KIDD, this doesn't look too hard, except for the fact that I don't know anything about this stuff other than what I heard on the radio. Most of it I think I can play, but SING, TOO?!?!?!?! I dunno...time will tell, right? I'll find out Thur night. Oh sh*t! That's like day after tomorrow! Gotta go!

Break a leg, Phil.

Rotsa ruck philby, I know how that can be. I'm trying to learn a list of stuff I'm not familiar with too. Trying to be ready to go very soon, but haven't been practicing enough to suit me and still shaky on most of the new ones. Fortunately nobody has said anything about play that funky muzak, or brick house...(why is it all of a sudden the past 3 years or so every bar band just has to play those two???) but I will have to bite the bullet and play two of the songs I hate playing the most...SHA, yes you read it right and their other one...you know, too long, boring, lose your audience...something about a bird...somebody shoot me please...

Other than that though this band is throwing Molly Hatchett tunes at me I've never even heard, a couple of 38 special tunes I've heard very little, and a few others that I'm not famillar with. And some I'll have to play sax...actual horn section parts, not just the oddball solo now and then, those I can pull off easy. The horn section parts will take some work... Plus no work here at all, (therefore no income) as in haven't put in a day in over a month, and some other problems and drama...it hasn't been the best couple 'a months let's say...

So...I wish ya the best of luck, I'm sure you can pull it off. I should have this one bagged by now and don't, I've been in a real slump the past year or two, and having a really hard time pulling out of it. It's gradually getting better but I'm still not up to par. You've been playing on a regular basis and shouldn't have much trouble, but bass and vocals is really tough. Kind of like me trying to play lead and sing at the same time...forget it! I can't play guitar and talk at the same time...sing, no problem. Try to answer you if you say something to me, I have to stop...can't talk at all.

I tried bass and vocals one night sitting in with a friend's band, thought it would be a piece of cake...WRONG...I got lucky though, it was a simple tune, nothing difficult about the bass, so I fumbled my way through. Never tried that again though...Any time I pick up a bass now I tell them to forget about vocals.

Damn - I thought that "Brick House" & "Play That Funky Music" would be TOUGH on the bass, but they ain't at all, from what I'm hearing.

I think the hard one's gonna be "To Love Somebody" by the Bee Gees, cuz I may hafta cover the cello part & sing b/u's (at least I HOPE it's b/u's - I don't even know the line up in this band - duh! Shoulda asked!)

I think I got most of these down pretty well, so far...now to change the keys where needed.

"Branded Man" is an old Merle Haggard thing, a simple 3-chord country thumpin' 1/5 bass line. No prob.

In fact, nearly all of this stuff is pretty basic bass...1/5's & a lil walk here or there. Lotsa slow stuff. Some simple lil ZZ Top & Yer Mamma Don't Dance kinda stuff, cpl AC/DC (boy are they easy on bass!) & some '50's 1-4-5 things.

I ain't skeered, but I am still just a little concerned. Guess I'll find out tomorrow night, eh?

Just out of curiosity...are you going to use a music stand?

Just was wonderin'...

Good luck Phil. Sounds like you know you can handle it.

Pictures and/or video please!!