On Friday night I was exhausted after the end of 6 weeks of extra tasks and personal growth (and a show this night before). I intended to practice, but I just couldn't. I rested.
I still managed to play the ska set 4 times over the weekend and half of the 42 song Pixies set. For those who can't conceptualize this...it means I played bass for 5 hours over two days. PLUS I did some more in depth practice on the harder ska tunes...perhaps another hour's worth. By Sunday night my back and shoulders were killing me and it was hard to keep feeling in my hands.
I feel like it isn't too much to ask to be able to play for 6 hours out of 48. I need to figure this out. I think the key is less weekend warrior and more daily practice. And learning to relax. Surely my posture and technique is contributing to these issues.
Sad fact...even after all that practicing I still am screwing lots of things up. But on the bright side, I've got 11 of the 13 ska songs memorized now...if tenuously. It feels like they will fall out of my head at any moment. The first show is in 4 weeks.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Pedals and Board
I got all the pedals that I ordered. So I took out my homemade pedal board and I dug out a bag I found 6 months ago and thought "this would be a perfect bag for my pedal board" and set it all up with my new + old pedals with velcro and everything. I find it amusing that I have no brand loyalty...there's Digitech, Boss, Electro Harmonix, and Berhinger here:
To my horror, it turns out that I kinda LIKE the chorus. Yeah...I'm gonna become THAT person. Sigh.
I also think that I don't play loud enough as a rule to really get the full benefit of the BassBalls. It cuts in and out for me...which I think it because I don't use a pick and don't crank my amp up high. I read that it does better with strong sustained notes.
Friday, January 11, 2013
TD Badger Bowl 1/10/2013
Played Badger Bowl (yes...the fucking Badger Bowl) with Damidol and The Bottles. We'd had this show scheduled for Dec 20th...but it was cancelled due to the blizzard and 20 inches of snow.
Why "the fucking"? Because the conventional wisdom for many years in this town was that only grandiose mainstream tribute acts were allowed to play at BB. Ya know...Whitesnake, John Cougar Mellencamp...crap like that. The kinds of bands that get $1,000 guarantees and bring in hundreds of people for reasons that are entirely baffling. If you were a little known local act playing originals...or even covers in, say, a punk vein...forget it. You weren't playing Badger.
So last night our punk-pop-ish little originals band played BB with two other punk bands. We were compensated a $50 bar tab per band plus a rumored $100 split three ways (not yet confirmed). But still...we were there.
Sadly, apparently their soundguy ran away with the Obama campaign after the last Madison rally sometime. So they posted on CL for a soundguy...and got an answer at 4pm day of show. In a pleasing twist, the guy did a great job. He pieced together his own equipment and ours and really made it work. Here, a note that I'm shocked that BB doesn't have a sound system of its own. Bizarre. One wonders if the old owners took it with them when they left (apparently it is under new management).
The load in there is nice, straight to stage left, and the stage itself is large. A huge dance floor which no one really used, but chose instead to hide in the shadows of the seating areas. I don't know how many people showed up...we'll say more than 10 and less than 50. It was hard to tell in the shadows and with the interplay across the porous boundary of bowling alley and bowling alley bar.
I think that we played well. I couldn't hear my bass drum very well. I put in ear plugs because the guitars and vocals were really loud...and it kinda killed my ability to hear the low end of the bass drum. This threw me off more than I thought it would. I kept wondering if I was playing the bass drum right. It was weird.
I had a stressful few days at work leading up to show...but good sleep and ate appropriately. I had 3 waters and 2 Odoul's before, during, and after the show. I am becoming aware that a pitfall of sobriety is that I've begun to notice that halfway through the night everyone's breath is HORRIBLE. Sour beer mixed with cigarette's. And they get a little drunk and want to talk really close to your face. I literally nearly barfed once last night when this happened.
A note that we sold the very first copy of our "new" cd (the cd that was recorded 3 years ago but was finally printed last month).
UPDATE: Oh shit, I totally forgot to mention that this happened:
Right before "Movin' On" RS said "This is a pull your pants down and run around kind of song." So T from Damidol and the sound guy did.
Setlist:
Sent It
At the Door
Bodies R Burnin
Jack
Whole Damn World
Going Down the Drain
Fire Burns
Gotta Tell U
Better N Better
Gun in Your Grave
End of the Drive
Haven't Seen U Lately
Movin' On
Why "the fucking"? Because the conventional wisdom for many years in this town was that only grandiose mainstream tribute acts were allowed to play at BB. Ya know...Whitesnake, John Cougar Mellencamp...crap like that. The kinds of bands that get $1,000 guarantees and bring in hundreds of people for reasons that are entirely baffling. If you were a little known local act playing originals...or even covers in, say, a punk vein...forget it. You weren't playing Badger.
So last night our punk-pop-ish little originals band played BB with two other punk bands. We were compensated a $50 bar tab per band plus a rumored $100 split three ways (not yet confirmed). But still...we were there.
Sadly, apparently their soundguy ran away with the Obama campaign after the last Madison rally sometime. So they posted on CL for a soundguy...and got an answer at 4pm day of show. In a pleasing twist, the guy did a great job. He pieced together his own equipment and ours and really made it work. Here, a note that I'm shocked that BB doesn't have a sound system of its own. Bizarre. One wonders if the old owners took it with them when they left (apparently it is under new management).
The load in there is nice, straight to stage left, and the stage itself is large. A huge dance floor which no one really used, but chose instead to hide in the shadows of the seating areas. I don't know how many people showed up...we'll say more than 10 and less than 50. It was hard to tell in the shadows and with the interplay across the porous boundary of bowling alley and bowling alley bar.
I think that we played well. I couldn't hear my bass drum very well. I put in ear plugs because the guitars and vocals were really loud...and it kinda killed my ability to hear the low end of the bass drum. This threw me off more than I thought it would. I kept wondering if I was playing the bass drum right. It was weird.
I had a stressful few days at work leading up to show...but good sleep and ate appropriately. I had 3 waters and 2 Odoul's before, during, and after the show. I am becoming aware that a pitfall of sobriety is that I've begun to notice that halfway through the night everyone's breath is HORRIBLE. Sour beer mixed with cigarette's. And they get a little drunk and want to talk really close to your face. I literally nearly barfed once last night when this happened.
A note that we sold the very first copy of our "new" cd (the cd that was recorded 3 years ago but was finally printed last month).
UPDATE: Oh shit, I totally forgot to mention that this happened:
Right before "Movin' On" RS said "This is a pull your pants down and run around kind of song." So T from Damidol and the sound guy did.
Setlist:
Sent It
At the Door
Bodies R Burnin
Jack
Whole Damn World
Going Down the Drain
Fire Burns
Gotta Tell U
Better N Better
Gun in Your Grave
End of the Drive
Haven't Seen U Lately
Movin' On
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
An Effect on Me
I bought two pedals this week. A Electo-Harmix Bass Balls Nano and a DigiTech XBC Bass Multi-chorus. This on a whim after determining that my Zoom...while a neat toy...really doesn't function for a live performance situation. Or I don't know how to use it. Or both. But I tried and it made no sense to me and so fuck that noise. There are those that use multi-effects boards and those that use single effects pedals. I thought I was in neither camp...but for sure now I know that I'm not in the multi camp. So I rewarded the last 6 weeks of hard work with new toys to assist in my brave new role as "lead" bass player in one of my bands. We're not in Pixies territory anymore Toto.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Playing Position
When I started playing ska I had to sit down to play bass. My hands were going numb. I found that, if I sat, I could take the pressure off of the shoulder strap, and also use my right arm to stabilize the bass, allowing much less stress on my left hand.
But...ska is dance music...and I'll be damned if I'm going to sit on stage to play ska.
So in addition to trying to memorize my parts (cause I'll be damned if I'm going to read music on stage), I've been trying to figure out how to get out of my seat.
Last night I put my strap in the "high" position. I have my strap set to a certain length that I like for playing...but there are two holes for the strap on the tailpiece. The one I normally use makes the strap slightly longer...the other takes about 4 to 6 inches off. Even in the "long" position...I'm still wearing it way higher than most bass players. But in the "short" ...or "high"...position..it is just stupidly high.
But, it seems that this high position makes it possible to play. In the long position I find myself constantly pushing up on the neck trying to get it more vertical. In the short position I don't find this happening...and it seems to take the pressure off my left hand in a similiar (though not as thorough) way as sitting did. Sitting is still way better...but I think that I'll be able to play standing now in this super high position.
People on the outside have no idea the evolution of musical learning.
But...ska is dance music...and I'll be damned if I'm going to sit on stage to play ska.
So in addition to trying to memorize my parts (cause I'll be damned if I'm going to read music on stage), I've been trying to figure out how to get out of my seat.
Last night I put my strap in the "high" position. I have my strap set to a certain length that I like for playing...but there are two holes for the strap on the tailpiece. The one I normally use makes the strap slightly longer...the other takes about 4 to 6 inches off. Even in the "long" position...I'm still wearing it way higher than most bass players. But in the "short" ...or "high"...position..it is just stupidly high.
But, it seems that this high position makes it possible to play. In the long position I find myself constantly pushing up on the neck trying to get it more vertical. In the short position I don't find this happening...and it seems to take the pressure off my left hand in a similiar (though not as thorough) way as sitting did. Sitting is still way better...but I think that I'll be able to play standing now in this super high position.
People on the outside have no idea the evolution of musical learning.
Popular
Someone on FB had a little freak out about the lack of women (particularly women who play instruments) in rock. The discussion got a little out of hand...as these things tend to do...as it got expanded to the "plight" of women...and into the territory of "guys can't say anything without getting in trouble."
I have strong feelings on the subject for sure, but the discussion got a little derailed I think.
Here's what I have observed:
1. Yeah, there aren't a ton of women playing non-acoustic guitars in mainstream music.
2. As a performer who is obstensively female, I get the following two reactions at shows over-and-over-and-over:
a. From guys: "Wow, it is awesome to see a girl rocking!"
b. From gals: "Wow, you're awesome. I admire you so much. I could never do what you do."
Both of these reactions piss me off a lot.
The guy because, if I were obstensively male and played exactly the same way...they would not have come up to me, noticed me, or said anything. I would just be some dude in the band. It annoys me that my gender appearance means they feel the need to attach extra "awesome" to my performance.
The gal because...fuck you. You could absolutely do this. Stop being a victim.
I will say that I had a transformative experience in spring 2011 which made me temper my reactions to these two kinds of people. Basically I watched my favorite band play the exact same show 3 times in a row...and while following them on the road I heard this story on NPR. The summary of the story is that the cast of Riverdance played the lotto. The subtext is about how, even if you love something, doing it night after night gets boring. AND no matter if you have your best performance of a lifetime or your worst, an audience perceives about the same level of enjoyment. The audience is there to have fun, and so they want you to succeed. They don't notice your fuck-ups for the most part...or your triumphs.
What's the point of bringing up this? It made me think about how I relate to audiences.It was timely to hear the story while I was watching 4 people I admired play the same show night after night...and while I was wishing they were more engaged with the audience...and wishing they would talk to the fans after the show. It made me realize...they don't care so much about us...they care about where they are gonna have dinner tonight. I also was aware of the impact of energy on the outcome of a show. If the audience is having fun...the band will have fun...and the show will be better. Showing that you, as a band member, are having fun is almost more important than playing well.
I play for myself...not for the audience. But noticing all these things made me realize that there is a benefit in trying to connect with the audience. Because it makes the experience better for everyone. And, the most important thing, even if you can't bring yourself to connect with an audience...is to have fun and to show that you are having fun.
Anyway, it made me realize that, when people talk to me after a show, I should try to be nice. I should thank them and not be irritated. I should accept the compliment. It doesn't matter that I know that they don't understand the technical issues behind the music. I should just let them have the moment. And I should be grateful for thier interest.
That doesn't change the fact that they are dumb-asses of course.
And getting back to the original issue...yeah...women are second class citizens. Thanks for the news flash. The only way you fix that is through the doing. Stop your bitching. Stop being a victim. Stop hating men. Just do your thing and the rest will follow. Have fun...and the rest will follow.
A footnote:
Who the fuck listens to "popular" music anyway? And why, for the love of all that is good and holy, would you judge anything by that crap? It would be like using McDonald's as the guide post for food. That's not food...that's crap. Mass produced, mass advertised, crap. Sure, lots of people consume it...but does that make it good or important or anything at all to waste your time over? Do you think "Why oh why isn't my home-cooking as popular as McDonald's?!?" No. Because WHO THE FUCK CARES? It is a false comparison. There are shit tons of women playing music all over this world. In every nook and cranny. Be one of them and stop worrying who's listening. Because...IT DOESN'T MATTER.
The world, sadly, is not set up for the smartest or the most qualified or the kindest to "succeed". It is set up for money to "succeed". So redefine success for yourself.
If you want to work towards social equity...go ahead. But if what you want is to be a rock star. Be a fucking rock star. Don't wait for society's approval.
I have strong feelings on the subject for sure, but the discussion got a little derailed I think.
Here's what I have observed:
1. Yeah, there aren't a ton of women playing non-acoustic guitars in mainstream music.
2. As a performer who is obstensively female, I get the following two reactions at shows over-and-over-and-over:
a. From guys: "Wow, it is awesome to see a girl rocking!"
b. From gals: "Wow, you're awesome. I admire you so much. I could never do what you do."
Both of these reactions piss me off a lot.
The guy because, if I were obstensively male and played exactly the same way...they would not have come up to me, noticed me, or said anything. I would just be some dude in the band. It annoys me that my gender appearance means they feel the need to attach extra "awesome" to my performance.
The gal because...fuck you. You could absolutely do this. Stop being a victim.
I will say that I had a transformative experience in spring 2011 which made me temper my reactions to these two kinds of people. Basically I watched my favorite band play the exact same show 3 times in a row...and while following them on the road I heard this story on NPR. The summary of the story is that the cast of Riverdance played the lotto. The subtext is about how, even if you love something, doing it night after night gets boring. AND no matter if you have your best performance of a lifetime or your worst, an audience perceives about the same level of enjoyment. The audience is there to have fun, and so they want you to succeed. They don't notice your fuck-ups for the most part...or your triumphs.
What's the point of bringing up this? It made me think about how I relate to audiences.It was timely to hear the story while I was watching 4 people I admired play the same show night after night...and while I was wishing they were more engaged with the audience...and wishing they would talk to the fans after the show. It made me realize...they don't care so much about us...they care about where they are gonna have dinner tonight. I also was aware of the impact of energy on the outcome of a show. If the audience is having fun...the band will have fun...and the show will be better. Showing that you, as a band member, are having fun is almost more important than playing well.
I play for myself...not for the audience. But noticing all these things made me realize that there is a benefit in trying to connect with the audience. Because it makes the experience better for everyone. And, the most important thing, even if you can't bring yourself to connect with an audience...is to have fun and to show that you are having fun.
Anyway, it made me realize that, when people talk to me after a show, I should try to be nice. I should thank them and not be irritated. I should accept the compliment. It doesn't matter that I know that they don't understand the technical issues behind the music. I should just let them have the moment. And I should be grateful for thier interest.
That doesn't change the fact that they are dumb-asses of course.
And getting back to the original issue...yeah...women are second class citizens. Thanks for the news flash. The only way you fix that is through the doing. Stop your bitching. Stop being a victim. Stop hating men. Just do your thing and the rest will follow. Have fun...and the rest will follow.
A footnote:
Who the fuck listens to "popular" music anyway? And why, for the love of all that is good and holy, would you judge anything by that crap? It would be like using McDonald's as the guide post for food. That's not food...that's crap. Mass produced, mass advertised, crap. Sure, lots of people consume it...but does that make it good or important or anything at all to waste your time over? Do you think "Why oh why isn't my home-cooking as popular as McDonald's?!?" No. Because WHO THE FUCK CARES? It is a false comparison. There are shit tons of women playing music all over this world. In every nook and cranny. Be one of them and stop worrying who's listening. Because...IT DOESN'T MATTER.
The world, sadly, is not set up for the smartest or the most qualified or the kindest to "succeed". It is set up for money to "succeed". So redefine success for yourself.
If you want to work towards social equity...go ahead. But if what you want is to be a rock star. Be a fucking rock star. Don't wait for society's approval.
Ska Progress
I've been fretting a bit for a while now that I would not be able to memorize the setlist for the Feb 15th show. It seemed too hard. The songs are longer and more complicated than what I'm used to...and they are all really similiar...making it easy to mix up parts.
I finally decided to stop fretting and just fucking do it. I reminded myself that, when I was learning the P songs...I played them every single day...and listened to them every single day. Not listening to the ska songs AT ALL and only playing them once a week or so and hoping to memorize them was kind of stupid. So I have vowed to try to play them every day now.
On last Saturday I finally got all the songs in the set together in a play list (in the correct keys) and gave myself the ultimate test (something I do with P songs all the time)...put the playlist on random, put away the notes, and tried to play the songs totally from memory. I was surprised to learn that I know most of the songs. There are blips here and there (plus one full song that I've not got in hand at all), but they can be isolated and worked on. And now I can do that rather than fretting that I've got nothing. The brain and the hands are magical things...muscle memory is a miracle...you just have to let them do their thing. And nothing is a substitute for putting the time and work in.
I finally decided to stop fretting and just fucking do it. I reminded myself that, when I was learning the P songs...I played them every single day...and listened to them every single day. Not listening to the ska songs AT ALL and only playing them once a week or so and hoping to memorize them was kind of stupid. So I have vowed to try to play them every day now.
On last Saturday I finally got all the songs in the set together in a play list (in the correct keys) and gave myself the ultimate test (something I do with P songs all the time)...put the playlist on random, put away the notes, and tried to play the songs totally from memory. I was surprised to learn that I know most of the songs. There are blips here and there (plus one full song that I've not got in hand at all), but they can be isolated and worked on. And now I can do that rather than fretting that I've got nothing. The brain and the hands are magical things...muscle memory is a miracle...you just have to let them do their thing. And nothing is a substitute for putting the time and work in.
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