The gerg live and loud

[Greg_L]

My low tuned psychohorrorbilly drop B gig is tonight.

Here's a couple room recordings from practice. I'm the "lead" guitar...if you can call it that. I'm on the left-ish. I haven't been using that hollow Epi in the pic above. I don't like it that much. I'm using my Hallmark Mosrite clone and the Deluxe Reverb build I did. Anyway, here's two of the more fun songs.

Amorous Satanas.mp3

Hellspawn.mp3

[Lt. Bob]

actually that sounds kinda fun!

So have fun mang.

[WhiskeyJack]

Ohhhhh. Ill gove it a listen in the car here shortly!!!

[rayc]

That'd be cool i a room where one could feel the bottom end.

[vomitHatSteve]

Spooky!

[Greg_L]

Well that went really good. Now I can tune my guitar back to normal.

[musicturtle]

That is a heavy sound. Well done man. I like the first one a lot, as VHS said, "spooky"

[Greg_L]

That is a heavy sound. Well done man. I like the first one a lot, as VHS said, "spooky"

We were a fish out of water on that bill full of Pantera wannabes.

[JD01]

That does sound like it would have been a really fun band to play in actually.

[Greg_L]

That does sound like it would have been a really fun band to play in actually.

I gotta admit, it is fun. I hate that tuning so much but the songs are a blast to play. They give me a lot of surfybilly twangy tremoverby stuff to do and it's a nice change from the usual blazing through barre chords schtick. And my amp performed flawlessly and sounded awesome. That was most satisfying.

They asked me to join permanently. I told them I'd think about it. I have three big issues with it:
1) I'm already in two other bands.
2) Their practice schedule is awful - they start really late, fuck around till it's even later, and don't finish until really really late.
3) Their practice room rent has got to to be freaking stupid and I'm not interested in taking on that kind of bill. I bet they're paying 500 a month for that room.

[JD01]

They asked me to join permanently. I told them I'd think about it. I have three big issues with it:
1) I'm already in two other bands.
2) Their practice schedule is awful - they start really late, fuck around till it's even later, and don't finish until really really late.
3) Their practice room rent has got to to be freaking stupid and I'm not interested in taking on that kind of bill. I bet they're paying 500 a month for that room.

1) You do "real work" a bit freelance too don't you? I really struggled to fit one serious band around a full time job prior to kids.
2) That's just irritating. Without work to get in the way there's no reason not to be practising by 10AM or at the very least have everyone drive straight from work to practice at 5 or 6 PM.
3) That's OK if the band is making enough money to pay for it.

Playing in 3 bands will basically end up as a full time job if they're all gigging a couple of times a month. You'll probably end up getting really jaded and bored of it. Also it sounds like you really like the hardcore band you've just joined and you've been in Crank Case for years.

If I had to choose 2 out of 3 I'd drop the one where I have the least control over the song-writing/set... but then I don't drum and you probably like drumming.

[Tadpui]

That amp sounded great! Sounds right at home in those songs.

Oh man, I'm getting anxiety just thinking about being in 3 bands at once. I punted on live performances a long time ago because rehearsal and gigging didn't really fit into a week already dominated by 40-hour work weeks and being on call 24x7.

[Greg_L]

1) You do "real work" a bit freelance too don't you? I really struggled to fit one serious band around a full time job prior to kids.
2) That's just irritating. Without work to get in the way there's no reason not to be practising by 10AM or at the very least have everyone drive straight from work to practice at 5 or 6 PM.
3) That's OK if the band is making enough money to pay for it.

Playing in 3 bands will basically end up as a full time job if they're all gigging a couple of times a month. You'll probably end up getting really jaded and bored of it. Also it sounds like you really like the hardcore band you've just joined and you've been in Crank Case for years.

If I had to choose 2 out of 3 I'd drop the one where I have the least control over the song-writing/set... but then I don't drum and you probably like drumming.

1) Yes. Just yesterday I was looking at a real live 1968 Dodge Charger "General Lee" replica. It's not a replica anymore, but it's still orange. Lol. I aint gonna lie, it was a real treat sliding through the window and doing a big ol smokey burnout Dukes of Hazzard style. You probably don't get any of that. Google "Dukes of Hazzard". Anyway, the car needs some mechanical restoration work. I'll most likely be the one doing it. All of my jobs and hobbies are one big ol intertwined network. Music guys know car guys and I bounce around between all of it. I know all these people. Need a drummer/guitar player and a transmission overhaul all at the same time? Call Greg.

2) I'm good with starting around 7-8 and being back home around 11. That's easy. I leave these guys at 1 am and they're still fucking around. I'm not into all that. I'll stay out late for a gig or go fishing all night long, but for practice? No. Keep it reasonable. My other bands are done by 10. I'm home before 11 with the other two bands.

3) They don't. We practice in the rhythm/singer's garage for Crank Case. It's his house so for the rest of us it's rent-free. The other band has a nice room that is shared with another band so rent is reasonable between 9 guys. This new band is just one band in a very big very expensive practice room....that's also basically the drummer's storage space. He has a lot of gear. I'm not paying for all that.

The pros for the new band are 1) nice guys, 2) interesting sound/songs, 3) I can do some stuff I don't normally get to do live
The cons...well I already said them. So far the cons outweigh the pros.

[JD01]

Yeah, sod it then.
We used to have Dukes Of Hazzard on telly here in the 80s. And dodge chargers are just cool anyway.

[Greg_L]

That amp sounded great! Sounds right at home in those songs.

Thanks! Yeah I'm thrilled to use it like that. And I'm double thrilled that it hasn't blown up in a blaze of glory. The amp sounds great, works great, and I built it. I'm very proud of it. That 22w 6V6 amp is more than capable of keeping up with the full band.

Oh man, I'm getting anxiety just thinking about being in 3 bands at once. I punted on live performances a long time ago because rehearsal and gigging didn't really fit into a week already dominated by 40-hour work weeks and being on call 24x7.

I don't think I'd do it with a normal full-time job. When I was 25 it was fine. 20 years later, no thanks.

[Tadpui]

Thanks! Yeah I'm thrilled to use it like that. And I'm double thrilled that it hasn't blown up in a blaze of glory. The amp sounds great, works great, and I built it. I'm very proud of it. That 22w 6V6 amp is more than capable of keeping up with the full band.

I'd be proud of it as well. It went from a pile of parts to a raging phychobilly monster under your watch, so I'd say it's come a long way

[rayc]

My #1 pet hate was dicking around in rehearsal time - paying for it and killing time waiting for someone or just them dicking around.
I liked to learn the song and get the parts sorted while playing the song then go home.
I wasn't interested in drinking, taking breaks or any of that social stuff. Probably why I'm not in a band.

[Greg_L]

My #1 pet hate was dicking around in rehearsal time - paying for it and killing time waiting for someone or just them dicking around.
I liked to learn the song and get the parts sorted while playing the song then go home.
I wasn't interested in drinking, taking breaks or any of that social stuff. Probably why I'm not in a band.

Yeah, totally. I don't mind the social aspect. Hanging with some goofy bros and jammin some tunes is fun times. Inefficiency drives me nuts though. There has to be some kind of progress or direction. When I show up to an already late practice and the drummer is rebuilding the bass player's way oversized and unnecessary pedalboard for an hour, I have a big problem with that. That could have been done in any of the 165 hours of the week that we aren't supposed to be practicing.

[Lt. Bob]

yeppers ...... I don't like my time wasted like that.

I have been booted from bands because I wouldn't take a night off a week for drinking beer and complaining about our wives and MAYBe going over 3 songs we already know.
Fuck 'em ...... I now have a no-rehearsal policy.
One dress rehearsal is all I'll do.

I would change that for a band I really liked but these days it's just a business to me so I pretty much limit what I'll do for that money.

[vomitHatSteve]

Fuck 'em ...... I now have a no-rehearsal policy.
One dress rehearsal is all I'll do.

I got booted from my brother's band once because I wanted to go this kind of route.

I get the jamming and writing organically thing, but that only works if everyone is interesting in the writing aspect. Otherwise, just have the folks who are interested in in writing and picking songs work on that part on their own, and everyone else can learn their parts and show up ready to rehearse.

That said, I do like being in bands that practice weekly when I can.