5th Birthday Jam and Gig Reaction, Photos and Videos

Snags

Having watched a few snippets now, my personal take away is that 25+ years of playing in situations where the whole point is not to be noticed (visually) and not to be a distraction does not translate to a good look when the situation is reversed and you're supposed to be performing. Must work on my stage presence/presentation! (As well as playing, technique and all the rest  )

Really good, if slightly painful to see/hear this stuff back though.

vasselmeyer

@Snags Listening and watching yourself play is one of the best and worst things you can do. I hate hearing myself play and can end up picking up the bits I don't like (snatched notes, missed bends, clichéd licks etc) rather than the good bits. It's certainly an education to give yourself a clue on what to work on. 

Snags

Yeah, I'm really enjoying the kind of cringing self-flagellating ego trip: "That's me doing that, that is, aren't I cool but oh hell my playing is sloppy and that's a bum note and I look like the honey monster on barbituates but you know, that's me that is but I'm shit but that's me that is etc. etc."

pmbomb

The thing here is to look up from your guitar and at the punters' faces.

People love live music. They don't care it's not perfect, because it's about the groove and the energy of the moment and the shared enjoyment of music, and they're on your side. We're all on the same team.

Look up from your hands and you see smiling faces and clapping hands, then plug into that feedback loop. it's awesome. It's what makes live playing fun for me. (In my very limited experience - maybe 3 or 4 10 minute sets in pubs and halls).

Modellista

CustomPedalBoards said:

that space echo sounds lovely, so trippy n floaty n that (to get technical) it makes u play in a certain way like not many effects do. 

I've been reading up about the RE-301 and they're very pricey units so thanks for bringing that!  Seems like £1k's the going rate, but I'd actually say it was worth it.  A totally brilliant piece of kit.  Quite a transcendental experience playing through it.  I imagine when you get the hand of the sound-on-sound function you could play a whole trippy gig just jamming with yourself.

Modellista

Maybe should have had a go on the Copicat as well,  obviously not as advanced a machine, but does the fundamental tape echo function sound similar?  (ie they're cheaper and I might actually be able to afford one!)  @CustomPedalBoards ;

CustomPedalBoards

modellista said:

Maybe should have had a go on the Copicat as well,  obviously not as advanced a machine, but does the fundamental tape echo function sound similar?  (ie they're cheaper and I might actually be able to afford one!)  @CustomPedalBoards ;

they are different units.
the CC is quite basic and a bit more noisy, also has a valve pre so adds a warmth to your sound and does take a bit of bright away. where as the 301 is more neutral/brighter not as low fi, and much more versatile. 
if you want to get into tape delays pick up a WEM copycat mk4 (silver top panel with black n red writing, black case with red lining) these are transistor models so more reliable and work the same way as that mk2 i bought so very simple to use and maintain. early 70's they are, 10yrs later, so a bit improved. you can pick them up for £100-£200 or there abouts so quite cheap considering. i'll have a look for u and pm a few over to take your pick from.
 

darthed1981

Any more gig videos @modellista I'd quite like to see some more, especially the bits I'm on

Modellista

darthed1981 said:

Any more gig videos @modellista I'd quite like to see some more, especially the bits I'm on

Sure thing, Ed.  Unfortunately I have had to go to work today (the last two days I've been video editing when I should have been looking after the kids - they're still alive thankfully, that worm diet didn't do them too much harm) so the barrage of media has taken a hiatus.  Should be able to squeeze one or two out tonight.

darthed1981

modellista said:

darthed1981 said:

Any more gig videos @modellista I'd quite like to see some more, especially the bits I'm on

Sure thing, Ed.  Unfortunately I have had to go to work today (the last two days I've been video editing when I should have been looking after the kids - they're still alive thankfully, that worm diet didn't do them too much harm) so the barrage of media has taken a hiatus.  Should be able to squeeze one or two out tonight.

Thanks mate, sorry not chasing.

Feel like @Bridgehouse will soon be here to make a joke about me, "squeezing a couple out" and Mary Spender...

mrkb

Snags said:

Having watched a few snippets now, my personal take away is that 25+ years of playing in situations where the whole point is not to be noticed (visually) and not to be a distraction does not translate to a good look when the situation is reversed and you're supposed to be performing. Must work on my stage presence/presentation! (As well as playing, technique and all the rest  )

Really good, if slightly painful to see/hear this stuff back though.

I was thinking the same, I don’t appear to smile or interact with the punters much, though watching the teenage kicks video I’m more active than @bridgehouse! @modellista has a good stage presence, suspect he’s done a few gigs before. I’m going to go and play a tennis racket in front of a mirror to work on my moves.

Bridgehouse

darthed1981 said:

modellista said:

darthed1981 said:

Any more gig videos @modellista I'd quite like to see some more, especially the bits I'm on

Sure thing, Ed.  Unfortunately I have had to go to work today (the last two days I've been video editing when I should have been looking after the kids - they're still alive thankfully, that worm diet didn't do them too much harm) so the barrage of media has taken a hiatus.  Should be able to squeeze one or two out tonight.

Thanks mate, sorry not chasing.

Feel like @Bridgehouse will soon be here to make a joke about me, "squeezing a couple out" and Mary Spender...

You manage it all by yourself mate...

Bridgehouse

mrkb said:

Snags said:

Having watched a few snippets now, my personal take away is that 25+ years of playing in situations where the whole point is not to be noticed (visually) and not to be a distraction does not translate to a good look when the situation is reversed and you're supposed to be performing. Must work on my stage presence/presentation! (As well as playing, technique and all the rest  )

Really good, if slightly painful to see/hear this stuff back though.

I was thinking the same, I don’t appear to smile or interact with the punters much, though watching the teenage kicks video I’m more active than @bridgehouse! @modellista has a good stage presence, suspect he’s done a few gigs before. I’m going to go and play a tennis racket in front of a mirror to work on my moves.

I’m normally fairly mobile on stage, but on sat night I was restricted by the fact the bit of stage I was on was able it 2 ft square, and one sharp move with the bass head and there would be half a drum kit taken out. 

Plus the fact bass players are supposed to be not seen and not heard

mrkb

Bridgehouse said:

Plus the fact bass players are supposed to be not seen and not heard

   I thought it was because you were looking at your phone trying to see what the next note was.

Im going to try and learn the lyrics next time so I don’t have to have them on a music stand in front of me, or I’ll go all diva and demand @legionreturns gets an autocue screen!

Bridgehouse

mrkb said:

Bridgehouse said:

Plus the fact bass players are supposed to be not seen and not heard

   I thought it was because you were looking at your phone trying to see what the next note was.

Im going to try and learn the lyrics next time so I don’t have to have them on a music stand in front of me, or I’ll go all diva and demand @legionreturns gets an autocue screen!

I did have to follow notes on a couple as they were, um, ones I’d not played before but in the main movement was somewhat of a limited commodity 

Legionreturns

mrkb said:

Bridgehouse said:

Plus the fact bass players are supposed to be not seen and not heard

   I thought it was because you were looking at your phone trying to see what the next note was.

Im going to try and learn the lyrics next time so I don’t have to have them on a music stand in front of me, or I’ll go all diva and demand @legionreturns gets an autocue screen!

I was quite proud of having learned the lyrics to two of my songs...

I suspect I'll be less proud once the videos are released

Modellista

Learning lyrics is definitely my weakness.  The feeling of going into a second verse without a clue what the words are is horrible.  But a lyric sheet does become a crutch and as you say comes between the performer and the audience so it's a tricky decision what to do.  I even managed to fluff the lyrics to Boulevard at the gig *and* Take It Easy in the studio with the words right in front of me.  Quite some feat.

vasselmeyer

Lyrics are the hardest for me. What's weird is that I can remember all the lyrics from records I listened to when I was in my teens but can't even remember the name of the album I bought last week. Mind you, I just turned 50, so that's my excuse.

You say lyric sheets are a crutch but virtually every big act has some sort of teleprompter out there. I think the thing is to make it subtle. Get a black tablet and a holder to clamp into your mic stand and no-one will even notice.

Snags

Different things work for different people, but I sit down with an acoustic and the full lyrics and sing through a few times, then just go over and over each verse one at a time, removing the screen /paper. If I get lost I stop and check, otherwise it's like with technique, you practice in the wrong.

Usually find there's one verse that's a pig. Then, after a couple of evenings doing the above I start singing to myself when walking the dog etc. Until it sticks.

Alnico

I play the song on headphones 10 times each day whilst reading the lyrics each time, in time with the music.

After about a week I've got it enough to remember it.