Critique your own band

koneguitarist

Like the other thread what do people like about your band, what is the area you need to improve on most?

For mine, it's singers lack of repartee with audience and my lack of guitar ability to play more complex tunes. 

jd0272

Singer- sing the correct fckn words, to the correct song,  at the correct times.

Singer- don't miss entire verses.

Singer- be aware when you come in.

Singer- be aware when not to come in ie; when there's two bstrd solo's not one.

Singer- don't insist on tracks just cause "Your Lass" likes them and it'll get you a shag even though it's way out of your range ie; sounds horrible.

Drummer- stop dropping/letting go of yer sticks so they fly past me at dangerously close distances mid track.

Drummer- keep the right fckn tempo.

Lead Guitarist- listen to me in rehearsal when I tell you 'we' are playing it wrong, even if it is in the correct key, it is being played wrong. Even IF 'we' have reconstructed the song to suit, it may still not be 'right' the way you insist on playing it. Just because you know more 'stuff' doesn't mean you know the 'right stuff'.

Lead Guitarist- fast is not always 'good'.

Lead Guitarist- if you must play fast, play in the right fckng key.

Lead Guitarist- if you use digital, it will go wrong mid-gig, several times (it's ok, I'll cover...)

Lead Guitarist- get a reliable tuner, stop bunking on mine.

Bassist- stop being so bloody talented.

Bassist- stop fckng making me piss meself laughing mid-track when gigging.

Me- get the fckng clean/rawk levels sorted pre-gig.

Me- get to the Dr's so I can resolve not being able to hear meself playing when gigging.

Aside from that, we are fckng Golden.

digitalscream

I had a long post ready here, but then it occurred to me that my band may actually end up in here at some point.

We're all aware of the issues (mostly), but I'm not sure they'd appreciate a public critique

Danny1969

Lol I am reading this sat at the drift bar in Portsmouth, it's 20 minutes to show time and there's about 9 people here so mine would be :

Need to be able to attract more people to come see us on a shit cold Sunday Christmas night

jd0272

digitalscream said:

I had a long post ready here, but then it occurred to me that my band may actually end up in here at some point.

We're all aware of the issues (mostly), but I'm not sure they'd appreciate a public critique

 They already know  

thecolourbox

Well as I'm solo...I'll speak to myself as if I'm a band

Vocalist - you need to learn to sing better. Projection is not the best and the only song you can really do high that people like is "Be your husband". Stand up more and talk to the audience, rather than hiding behind the guitar or piano - yes it might suit the act but doesn't help the projection or image of confidence!

Guitarist - don't forget to set the DI up to "post" not "pre" on your back up zoom g3. Have some lessons so that you might play in time, or at least close enough to call it jazz timing. Easy with the octave up.

Pianoist - easy with the chords where you hold the fifth then play the 2nd then 3rd underneath it like suspension to resolution. I know your classical piano teacher told you that's what they do in jazz but its not the only thing they do...

To the whole band - nobody everybody enjoys white stripes covers as much as you do....

firepaulmusic

Me:

Learn the chords, learn the big signature lead parts, learn the words, get an amp you can settle on for 5 minutes.

Drummer:

Bring another tom tom, one gets boring, get the tempos right in your head before counting us in too slow/too fast.

Bass:

You can sing harmonies but say you can't while playing bass, practice it so you can.

Keys:

Don't dress like a dork, smile occasionally.

Female singer:

Move more, entertain the crowd both during and between songs.

Koneguitarist knows all these people so keep shtum mate, I don't want to get kicked out just yet!

 

 

koneguitarist

Pretty much agree with you on those Paul, I am sure you will learn the chords to smoke on the water ..........eventually

firepaulmusic

koneguitarist said:

Pretty much agree with you on those Paul, I am sure you will learn the chords to smoke on the water ..........eventually

 

Yes, I remember that stand in gig. It was also the one where you loved the Les Paul tone I got from my Mesa but it was actually my DG Stomp pedal DI'd. How we hear with our eyes sometimes eh? ;-)

koneguitarist

Yep especially as it was my Variax you were using!

monquixote

I'm really happy with my band ATM so I'd have minimal criticism. 

Vocalist - Great singer, great performer, but I'd like her to have more confidence in her high range. 

Bass Player - Epic musician possibly more moving on stage and more confidence to solo 

Drummer - Again top musician, but needs to relax a bit and not tighten up when he makes a mistake.

Me - Stop swapping your kit about and learn to get the best out of what you've got. Don't resort to "safe" solos when playing live. Don't sing so hard you blow your voice, learn to sing harmonies. 

I don't mind it being up here as I'd say it to their faces (and have).

frankus

First off the management have been utterly utterly remiss in getting any sort of gig for an age now.
The singer clearly doesn't practice or learn the frickin lyrics, the bass player is staggeringly unimaginative and is constantly falling over the rhythm guitarist... the lead guitarist either plays nothing at all or gets lost in a blur and everyone else has to stop...

the drummer ... where to begin... I wish he knew.. keeping time would be good, setting a groove would be great..

I don't mind writing that here, I'm a one-man-band with a looper.

Jalapeno

Quick critique of the (on a break) cover band

Bone idle. Can sound awesome when match fit. Not often match fit. Drummer - too feckin loud.

mike_l

As I'm not in a band some slf criticism.

1. Learn more songs, including solo's.

2. Be more confident when playing out.

3. Learn the songs/parts properly.

 

David5150

Group therapy this!!

Singer - when i say I'm setting the gain for soundcheck dont whisper into the fecking PA, and then belt out the first song in a big distorted mess

Singer - if you play your poofy tanborine play it in time

Singer - you can't read them on stage so lose the lyric sheets

Drummer - it is not necessary to hit your cymbals so hard they travel back in time

Drummer - dont end every song with ker der boom.

Drummer - learn the tempo of the songs we play......i know you hate some of them but try!!

Bass Player - smile a bit mate

Bass Player - learn what the EQ knobs do on your amp - just cos you play bass dont neglect the mid and high knobs

Guitar (me) - your kemper is wonderful but nobody gives a fuk if your 78 marshall profile is better for the song than the 68 one.

Guitar (me) - turn it down

Guitar (me) - not every solo needs a wah pedal

Guitar (me) - stop perving at the girls in the audience - you're not in steel panther

Whole band - learn to moderate the volume

Whole band - your lightshow is awesome but perhaps a bit over the top for tiny venues

Whole band - when you head outside for a fag after the show dont leave the haze machine on!!

digitalscream

mike_l said:

As I'm not in a band some slf criticism.

1. Learn more songs, including solo's.

2. Be more confident when playing out.

3. Learn the songs/parts properly.

 

Question: why aren't you in a band yet? I'm curious

Anyway, #3's irrelevant when in a band, 'cos it doesn't need to be as perfect as you always think it does at home. #2 would come naturally after playing for a while. #1...can't help you there...

Phil_aka_Pip

Drummer: tempo is YOUR dept, learn to click us in

Bassist: you're awesome mate

Singer/rhythm guitar: nothing wrong with how you sing & play, but as you're bandleader as well could you

• stop offering to do gigs for nothing or a paltry sum?
  
• take the 1970s stuff out of the set 'cos it doesn't sit well with the 1958-1962 pop in the rest of the set?
  
• get your finger out and learn some Shadows number?
  

Me: learn the songs instead of being dependent on chord charts

Handsome_Chris

monquixote said:

I'm really happy with my band ATM so I'd have minimal criticism. 

Vocalist - Great singer, great performer, but I'd like her to have more confidence in her high range. 

Bass Player - Epic musician possibly more moving on stage and more confidence to solo 

Drummer - Again top musician, but needs to relax a bit and not tighten up when he makes a mistake.

Me - Stop swapping your kit about and learn to get the best out of what you've got. Don't resort to "safe" solos when playing live. Don't sing so hard you blow your voice, learn to sing harmonies. 

I don't mind it being up here as I'd say it to their faces (and have).

But @monquixote, all you have to sing is "one, two", then the rest of the band goes " Woah, freakout!".  Stand back and enjoy the coolness you're exuding. 

axisus

Basically we are rubbish. We don't play live. It would be difficult as I play guitar, bass, keyboards and drums for the band. I don't sing. We don't have a singer.

jd0272

David5150 said:

Group therapy this!!

Singer - when i say I'm setting the gain for soundcheck dont whisper into the fecking PA, and then belt out the first song in a big distorted mess

Singer - if you play your poofy tanborine play it in time

Singer - you can't read them on stage so lose the lyric sheets

Drummer - it is not necessary to hit your cymbals so hard they travel back in time

Drummer - dont end every song with ker der boom.

Drummer - learn the tempo of the songs we play......i know you hate some of them but try!!

Bass Player - smile a bit mate

Bass Player - learn what the EQ knobs do on your amp - just cos you play bass dont neglect the mid and high knobs

Guitar (me) - your kemper is wonderful but nobody gives a fuk if your 78 marshall profile is better for the song than the 68 one.

Guitar (me) - turn it down

Guitar (me) - not every solo needs a wah pedal

Guitar (me) - stop perving at the girls in the audience - you're not in steel panther

Whole band - learn to moderate the volume

Whole band - your lightshow is awesome but perhaps a bit over the top for tiny venues

Whole band - when you head outside for a fag after the show dont leave the haze machine on!!

We gig to perv. Just saying.

jd0272

mike_l said:

As I'm not in a band some slf criticism.

1. Learn more songs, including solo's.

2. Be more confident when playing out.

3. Learn the songs/parts properly.

 

This is why we have lead guitarists. Learn the 'odd' solo. That's what I do. Just get a few 'in the correct key' tracks going on and twat it.