General Music Chat

Hey guy good luck, I'm a drummer 45 years (expert) I can do, read or fudge anything. I haven't been able to find guys or gals interested in commitment, that's the toughest thing I think. By the time the guitar players get done arguing over a note it past the disturbance of the peace, (10pm here) The closest I came to the old days and paying jobs was a bassist and a lead/rhythm that also did incredible front man vocals, we did a Christmas party for the teachers union, about 4or 5 hundred people. They fed us a great meal and danced the night away, biggest thing was I was the fill in drummer and actually got a standing ovation when the Lead said over the mic, How bout a round of applause for this guy on the drums, If not for him we wouldn't be here and he's doing one heck of a job, Man I felt great, They fired the other drummer for missing practice so much and brought me in, then 2 weeks later he's offered a civil engineer job in Mass! I thought awww crap, an awesome trio then that. Well tomorrow I'm checking a guy out and I wish you all the best in getting it right, Its that "getting it right" thing only a pro can understand ya know. Just do the homework and get it tight and you guys will be fine, Good Luck!!!!!!! Jim

Jook

It's funny - most musicians I've known have their own horror stories - for me it's been drummers. For many, lead singers. Luckily there are enough guitar players around you don't have to put up with their crap.

But drummers no doubt have their stories as well.

I can't help but wonder how many people have thought I was a pain in the ass. But I never miss a gig or practice so I'm not a total jerk!

My own brother did threaten to fire me from a band once because i was drinking a woman off my mind and went too far...

Talbot

Mikey-

When I got back into gigging in the early 90s I noticed that people always told drummer jokes. 'They never show up on time, they always hold up the beginning of the gig because they are always tinkering w/ something that doesn't work, etc., etc........ On more than one occasion I said 'to hell w/ it, I'M going to keep time' because the drummer was on Xanax or meth and couldn't keep the groove going. I HATE to go behind a guy's back and ask everyone else 'hey, when are we going to get a REAL drummer?' I've only played w/ 2 guys locally who can really push you to play better. Being an old bass player, I can spot a great drummer in a heartbeat. I have a very good sense of time and I'm not struggling w/ anyone anymore. I've played bass for some very talented guitar players and the drummer ruined the whole show.

Enough of my ranting. But I'll tell you one thing. The best drummer I have ever played w/ is right here on this board, the notorious Billy 'Vinny' Weinstein!! Listen to the top two uploads on my Soundcloud list. That's Vinny on the first two #'s. You're in for a treat because we have a collaboration going (#3) that will blow your mind when I get finished w/ it but it is very complicated from a rhythm standpoint. I probably won't have it uploaded until after Christmas.

Oh, there is a reason I play instrumental music. I've played w/ two front men who were very good singers and kept it together. One was an old Black blues singer/player/bandleader. I really did enjoy working with him. He usually chose good musicians who got along and we all had a really good time when we played. The other was a blue-eyed Soul singer who had a great voice and no ego trips. But I have seen bands w/ the extrovert/alcoholic/drug addict pain in the ass egomaniac at the mike. No thank you.

I've been following this guy for years and your style is kinda the same. He's not a great singer however, some awesome ideas; Having Turtle Soup By the Sea of Cortez is kind of unique ; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFZwkz ... Vfw/videos
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcbnYh ... igZBflHApQ

Good luck, Bob!

Compatibility and commitment - the two toughest things that usually kill a band project. (There are more, but those are the toughest.)

Good luck with the band Bob! I was listening to John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers with Mike Bloomfield on guitar and I thought "Wow, Fisherman Bob really has this guys sound." Good stuff!

CajunD

I think to this day that 'Blues from Laurel Canyon' was one of the all time greatest sixties albums. John Mayall could drop a pan on the floor and have a song written about it before he picked it up.

"Walking on Sunset!" You bet!

Talbot

Yep, The Bluesbreakers are a big piece of my early influences. When I first discovered FM radio they were all over LA airwaves and I couldn't get enough. That stuff still takes me home.