5th Birthday Jam and Gig Reaction, Photos and Videos

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  • Aaahhhh awesome!! 
    Honestly I'd been looking forward to this for months (ask Alnico!) - I can't believe that exact week I was asked to go to America for work. I'd practiced time and was looking guardfo to a good laugh. How did the acoustic sesh go?
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  • fandangofandango Frets: 2204



    The Queen showed her support - she was right behind us all the time.
    There's not many who can say they've played in front of the Queen.
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  • mrkbmrkb Frets: 6636
    edited August 2018
    Even though I was going to do them in chronological order, here's a taster of the gig...

    Honky Tonk Woman with @Bridgehouse @mrkb @vasselmeyer @drummermatt ;;


    Wow, thanks for recoding and posting that, its much better than I remember whilst playing it. That is a good reminder not to concentrate on the mistakes (I played a few rogue chords in there while I’m singing),but play/sing with conviction, thats what the audience sees.

    For context, until I stood in at the last minute singing on one song at the Leicester Jam 10 months ago (ie handed the lyrics as people were plugging in), I hadn’t sung in public for 25 years (and that was more shouting in a shit punk band at Uni). Since I enjoyed that, I’ve gradually sung on more songs at the recent jams, pushing my range and improving my technique and am working towards singing and playing at the same time - which isn’t easy if the rhythms don’t match and you need to look af the Fretboard to find the right notes  =) .

    I appreciate all my fellow jammers who’ve helped me to do this!
    awesome playing @vasselmeyer, @drummermatt and @bridgehouse ;;
    Karma......
    Ebay mark7777_1
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  • mrkbmrkb Frets: 6636

    I tagged everyone in this video in the other thread but worth posting here as well - Danger Zone in the studio


    I remember hearing @bloodandtears solo through the walls and rushing into the control room to hear it better- excellent cover!
    Karma......
    Ebay mark7777_1
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  • LuttiSLuttiS Frets: 2243
    mrkb said:

    I tagged everyone in this video in the other thread but worth posting here as well - Danger Zone in the studio


    I remember hearing @bloodandtears solo through the walls and rushing into the control room to hear it better- excellent cover!
    Haha me too :)

    As usual @bloodandtears didn't fail to impress and bought an equally impressive Charvel too :)
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  • vasselmeyervasselmeyer Frets: 3664
    @mrkb Nice work, mate. That song is higher than most people think, especially the chorus. I couldn't hear my slide at all, with the amp around my ankles so it came through better than I expected. 
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  • SnagsSnags Frets: 5325
    Back home and a night's sleep to aid reflection.  This may get long, so here's the tl;dr at the top:

    The only thing that was crap about the entire weekend was the boiling hot journey back down a rammed A1 on Sunday after too much fun and not enough sleep :)  An excellent time, with some excellent people, and a delight to be a small part of.

    ::-::-:: Thanks ::-::-::

    I know I've posted thanks on the original thread, and said it in person, but once again, very big thanks for all those who put the grunt in behind the scenes to make this happen, particularly given some of what constituted "behind the scenes" (<shakes head in bewilderment>). As @Luttis said elsewhere (I think) I won't tag them again as their notifications are probably red lining already. But it really is appreciated.

    Thanks also to everyone who turned up and made it what it was, and commiserations to those who really wanted to, but couldn't for whatever reason.

    ::-::-:: Expectations and Reality ::-::-::

    On a personal note, I really had no idea what to expect. I've only been on tFB for a few months, as far as I know I know nobody on here in Real Life (or didn't), and in the threads leading up to the event there was a lot of "It's really friendly, no pressure, everyone's just there to have a good time" but then just enough other comments here and there to feed the old insecurities and make me worry "Damn, is it going to be like walking into the record shop in High Fidelity? Or is it going to be like going into that kind of guitar shop, where the assistants only job seems to be to mock and belittle the patrons in as snide a way as possible?".

    I'm happy to report that any fears were totally unfounded, and that it really, truly, genuinely, was a relaxed and welcoming situation. Absolutely no hint of "You're shit mate" or even "FFS!" when stuffing up in the recording studio - just laughs, resets, and the only pressure being the pressure we all (?) put on ourselves through The Fear.

    Although I'm clearly not as far down the rabbit hole and have far fewer nerdgasms over gear than some of you guys, it was also still good to see all the shiny (and flip me, that Palmer was a loud old beast).

    ::-::-:: On a personal note ::-::-::

    I play a lot with other people, and have done for years. I sing and play in public regularly.  But never this kind of music, and in this kind of context. Doing something like this (rock covers band kind of thing) has been a long cherished dream held back by not knowing the right people locally to do it with a "soft" introduction, and not having the confidence to go for it with a "hard" introduction (answering ads blind and going to auditions with who knows what kind of folk). So coming along to this jam was a deliberate, considered step in line with a relatively recent decision to push myself out of the familiar, and out of my comfort zone. To stretch myself (emotionally/mentally/self-confidence as much as musically), put myself in a positions where it wasn't so much sink or swim, more doggy paddle or do a couple more lengths than normal and get a bit out of breath.

    The jam (and the gig) were an absolutely ideal environment for that. It provided probably the softest of soft introductions to doing the "rock covers thing" where you are presenting and entertaining an audience. As opposed to what I'm used to, which is providing an appropriate musical backing for a group sing-song, where you're not performing to people so much as playing with them, and where there isn't the same idea of a "right" way to do the song, so as long as you follow the chords, you can just chuck in little embellishments underneath, not front and centre.

    I'd also set myself a personal goal to do an open mic before I hit 50 (currently 48). I've been winding myself up to attend a few local ones, but work/life/time/whatever has meant that despite thinking about it for the last 6 months I've not even attended one, let alone taken a guitar along. Getting to do a couple of open mic style numbers at the gig a) means I can tick that one off and b) is an encouragement to get off my butt and make the time to get out locally, and start to plug into the scene (man).

    ::-::-:: Onwards and upwards ::-::-::

    I've come away enthused to do a few things:

    • practice more, especially the boring stuff - I know where I'm weak, and I know what I need to do about it, I'm just lazy and there's always an excuse
    • find some decent backing tracks and start using them to make it worthwhile learning whole songs, not just the riffs to run through when waiting to do something else
    • get off my fat, lardy, arse and try to connect more with the local music scene outside the small part I know so that I can do More Of This Kind Of Thing, and ignore The Fear that gets in the way
    • find ways to do this again, somehow, somewhere, some when

    ::-::-:: Future jams ::-::--::

    If/when they happen then if I can possibly wangle it, I'll be there. I woke up this morning already thinking of songs I'd love to do, that would be fun, where I could get more involved, and that would perhaps work as a good soft intro for others who want to put a toe in the water.

    Also, if any of the crew in the Herts/Beds/Bucks area fancy pulling together something more local then I am more than happy to be involved in the planning and organising side. I've shouldered shit and flak from the disaffected for years, so copping a bit more won't be a problem, and I'm more than willing to put some effort in to get the chance to do this again, rather than wait on others to do the heavy lifting.

    Thank you, and good night (morning).
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  • pmbombpmbomb Frets: 1169
    @Snags rocks, and thank you for the veggie burgers.

    https://www.karaoke-version.co.uk/ is good for backing tracks - buy the self made mixes (it's a one time fee a tiny bit higher than the pre-prepared ones) because you can go back as many times as you want to make new mixes for download. Bargain.

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  • pmbombpmbomb Frets: 1169
    How cool is it to have the run of a studio like that?
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  • SnagsSnags Frets: 5325
    @pmbomb You're more than welcome mate.  And thanks for the tip, I'll check it out.

    This week's evening job is to tidy up the home office/studio/practice space so I can actually get in the damn room, then I'll knuckle down and do all the boring stuff I've avoided for 30 years :)
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  • McTootMcToot Frets: 2041
    edited August 2018
    I'm late to all the post (and mid) session threads and there is nothing I can say that hasn't already been said. The 5.5 hour journey home yesterday was a bitch but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat (and will).  It was simply a fabulous experience. I'm still knackered but in a good way. 

    I can't do a comprehensive list of the highlights as there are too many. Some bulletpoints, though:

    * So laid back, yet so conducive to getting the best out of us,  including the skilled  and lesser-skilled among us
    * The gig will become a thing of legend. Watching the punters' faces turn from one of benevolent suspicion to out and out enjoyment was a blast. They got A LOT more than they were expecting, you could see that
    * Some of the best 'bantz' you'll ever hear
    * Drinking in the lovely Yorkshire air and a bit of the divine Magic Rock beer
    * Chatting with the most excellent  @Sasquatch_Bob who, it turns out, was at the same school my dad taught at

    Props to @Bridgehouse ; and @Legionreturns ;; and to all that helped.


    I really think the Huddersfield thing should become a regular event in the calendar. 


    The gig could be known as:

    GlastonOutlane 

    Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder


    My trading feedback  - I'm a good egg  ;) 

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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    Well done everyone involved and it looked like a hoot and captures the spirit of the forum :)
    :
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  • McTootMcToot Frets: 2041
    Kebabkid said:
    Well done everyone involved and it looked like a hoot and captures the spirit of the forum :)

    Too frickin right it did.  

    Cos - you'd a been proud of me. Playing actual songs ALL THE WAY THROUGH  :o

    I even played bass on Rockin in the free world and played drums in an informal jam sesh. 

    Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder


    My trading feedback  - I'm a good egg  ;) 

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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    @Snags  - epic post and a great summary for anyone wondering whether to do one of these. Thank you for that
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  • ModellistaModellista Frets: 2039
    McToot said:

    I even played bass on Rockin in the free world

    I've got a good vid of that, a solid bass performance.  There was *one* wrong note and you look mortified!  Don't be hard on yourself dude, your playing over the weekend was cracking.
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  • McTootMcToot Frets: 2041
    McToot said:

    I even played bass on Rockin in the free world

    I've got a good vid of that, a solid bass performance.  There was *one* wrong note and you look mortified!  Don't be hard on yourself dude, your playing over the weekend was cracking.
    Cheers Martin. I was a bit mortified - there were only about 6 notes to play after all. Still, it's the first time I've played bass on anything. Ever. So that's something

     B) 

    Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder


    My trading feedback  - I'm a good egg  ;) 

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  • pmbombpmbomb Frets: 1169
    dood you stepped up to play that (& make it possible) with 5 minutes practice, respect.

    I'm looking forwards to the vid, **** me it was loud in there.
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  • VibetronicVibetronic Frets: 1036
    that all looks great, well done everyone. Got to try and get along to one of these!!
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  • vasselmeyervasselmeyer Frets: 3664
    Glad to hear we got Rocking in. That one was off the cuff, I believe, as it wasn't on the list.
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  • LuttiSLuttiS Frets: 2243
    McToot said:
    McToot said:

    I even played bass on Rockin in the free world

    I've got a good vid of that, a solid bass performance.  There was *one* wrong note and you look mortified!  Don't be hard on yourself dude, your playing over the weekend was cracking.
    Cheers Martin. I was a bit mortified - there were only about 6 notes to play after all. Still, it's the first time I've played bass on anything. Ever. So that's something

     B) 
    Yeah that was great - I didn't expect to record that over the weekend so was nice to have a chance to play it - you did a great job being Mr. Bass. I think @mrkb was the star there though... just as we heading into studio "Hi mark, fancy singing this song we fancy playing and recording it right now!?"

    Marks response - "Sure!"

    Great job all round :)
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