I know you shouldn't laugh but...

Vibetronic

Dan_Halen said:

Obviously the OP's post was a mis-judged one. However, from everything else I've read by him he seems like a decent guy. Is there really any need for a 4 page pile in?

The point was made on page 1, then several times on page 2, then several more times on page 3 etc. I think he probably gets the point and we've all mis-read the room before so give him a break ffs.

This thread should be closed.

He’s had a go before, so I would doubt if he really does get the point. The bank balance comment only made it worse/funnier. 

mrkb

Bridgehouse said:

^ this.

Everyone has to learn, everyone has different abilities, and being constructive in criticism along with encouragement is really important for any developing player. 

No wonder many members don’t post videos of their playing. 

Totally agree. Watching videos of my playing has really helped me identify and work on weaknesses. It also helps me think - Im not as bad as my inner doom monger voice thinks. I'll never be a Hendrix or a Satriani, but Im happy making music with others.

I'm happy with this even though its only a few powerchords and shouting... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyCQD9N-S6Y

This wasnt as good - but was the first time I was solo guitarist and singer on a song.. gave me a few pointers on where to improve..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCjCriqhP1A

Bellycaster

Mehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, he does alright if you ask me, he struggled with some twiddley bits, but what the fuck!

donbot

Bridgehouse said:

^ this.

Everyone has to learn, everyone has different abilities, and being constructive in criticism along with encouragement is really important for any developing player. 

No wonder many members don’t post videos of their playing. 

Out of all the comments here, this is the most simple and accurate. 

I’m a mediocre player with delusions of one day being some kind of star. I know it’ll never happen but sitting in my living room playing music I love makes me happy for a spell. I guess this guy is about on the same level as me. His attitude makes me cringe but what the fuck, good luck to him! 

Post some videos of your playing and let’s judge the fuck out of you ‘eh? 

Sassafras

People weren't very kind about Lesbianwithagun when he used to do his Slash impersonations.

breakstuff

Just clicked on the vid to see what the fuss was about, expecting some Lil Wayne level of playing to discover he's actually quite good, at least by my standards. Not my choice of guitar by any stretch of the imagination, but I'd be more than happy to post a video of my playing if I was as capable as that. I've only ever posted one video to YouTube and here, and I think it took me about thirty takes before I was reasonably happy, though to most competent players I'm sure it still sounds crap, but what the hell, I'm pissed on Jim Beam. So just a warning, it's short and not so sweet, and you may want to send your dogs to another room and stick some potatoes in your ears. 

Come on guys, if I can dare to post a video, I'm sure there's more capable players than I am willing to follow up 

Voxman

Leave the poor guy alone - he's having fun in the garden, and fun should be what playing guitar is all about!  And he was doing pretty well with no accompaniment including a fair attempt at the Hollies 'Long cool woman in a black dress' - nice to hear folk playing that; it's a great track. He's also playing straight with no effects (other than some reverb) so that tends to highlight imperfections too.  I've seen plenty worse players in gigging bands!

There was one thing that was absolutely attrocious in that vid though that distracted me - that God-awful 3-aside non-matching headstock on a Strat body. What the f*$*k was PRS thinking of - ugly as sin & sheer sacrilege. 

RandallFlagg

Please accept my apologies if anyone is offended by my post drawing attention to my mild mickey taking of a video posted on a public platform. I promise I won't create such posts again, and will refrain from posting my bluntly honest views if felt it may cause offence, but I can't promise I won't continue to find all sorts of things that are put in front of me inappropriately amusing.

The “5 figure bank balance” comment was deliberately posted to be ridiculous, obtuse and crass and to further encourage and exaggerate the more undesirable attributes of the internet persona of RandallFlagg with the Basil Brush avatar. Imagining someone turning around and laughing at our bank balances is a hilarious premise, and hugely comedic. Regardless of whether it's true or not, just checked and it's not true today, a bank balance is completely meaningless out of context. In fact a zero bank balance is one that impresses me the most as it demonstrates complete efficiency of money management.

I don't post videos of my playing and have no desire to, I don't want or need feedback or from anyone, I am a moderately accomplished player but I did once get a water filled balloon and bag of flour thrown at me while on stage. I'm not sure if that was a critique of my playing or some kind of artistic statement. If I did feel the irrational need to post such videos I would not be offended by any comments good or bad and would be delighted if someone found it funny.

No-one on this forum has met me, or knows me in real life, apart from one person as far as I'm aware and whatever I type on the internet should be taken as a mixture of truth, lies and drivel. Anyone can post anything they like about RandallFlagg and the things he posts on here, there is literally nothing I will be offended by, all I would ask is that any insults show some wit, flair and imagination.

p90fool

Dan_Halen said:

Obviously the OP's post was a mis-judged one. However, from everything else I've read by him he seems like a decent guy. Is there really any need for a 4 page pile in?

This. It is misjudged, but there's a level of removal with anonymous videos which makes it easier to take the piss a bit, even when we all know we probably shouldn't. 

Personally I was expecting the guy in the video to be more comical than he actually was, as he demoed some of the nice sounds from the guitar quite well, but there you go. 

All I would say to those members on here who are nervous of posting their own playing, don't be. Once that anonymity is removed I've never seen anyone be anything other than constructive and supportive on here, and that includes the OP

RandallFlagg hits the humour spot pretty reliably in general, even in P&E, but we all miss the target a smidge now and then.

Hattigol

RandallFlagg said:

tsj93 said:

imagine if this bloke turned around and started laughing at our bank balances

Mine's 5 figures, laugh it up all you like.

Welcome to the forum, it's Essex Recording Studios everybody....

SlopeSoarer

RandallFlagg said:

Please accept my apologies if anyone is offended by my post drawing attention to my mild mickey taking of a video posted on a public platform. I promise I won't create such posts again, and will refrain from posting my bluntly honest views if felt it may cause offence, but I can't promise I won't continue to find all sorts of things that are put in front of me inappropriately amusing.

The “5 figure bank balance” comment was deliberately posted to be obtuse and crass and to further encourage and exaggerate the more undesirable attributes of the internet persona of RandallFlagg with the Basil Brush avatar. Regardless of whether it's true or not, just checked and it's not true today, a bank balance is completely meaningless out of context. In fact a zero bank balance is one that impresses me the most as it demonstrates complete efficiency of money management.

I don't post videos of my playing and have no desire to, I don't want or need feedback or from anyone, I am a moderately accomplished player but I did once get a water filled balloon and bag of flour thrown at me while on stage. I'm not sure if that was a critique of my playing or some kind of artistic statement. If I did feel the irrational need to post such videos I would not be offended by any comments good or bad and would be delighted if someone found it funny.

No-one on this forum has met me, or knows me in real life, apart from one person as far as I'm aware and whatever I type on the internet should be taken as a mixture of truth, lies and drivel. Anyone can post anything they like about RandallFlagg and the things he posts on here, there is literally nothing I will be offended by, all I would ask is that any insults show some wit, flair and imagination.

A fair response in my opinion but I can't help feel that some bloke is sat rocking in a corner if he has seen the original post. There again he might be having a right old laugh. 

To anyone I'd say just be mindful of how we comment on people who are trying to do something creative. Like @RandallFlagg we know little about them if anything. 

This a great forum, I'd say keep it this way. 

Sassafras

Jealousy.
It's always jealousy that prompts derision.
There's never any other reason for hating 'on' someone.

Gandalph

Sassafras said:

Jealousy.
It's always jealousy that prompts derision.
There's never any other reason for hating 'on' someone.

Unless that someone is Matt Hancock 

fob

Maybe someone should reach out to the guy and ask him to join the forum and comment on his new-found fame. He strikes me as a guy who is pretty comfortable in his own skin and would probably get a chuckle out of it.

His guitar playing is probably on the same level as mine, I'd guess he's an occasional hobbyist. I actually thought the meanest part of the first post was the '73 subscribers' as if that is important. That said, the OP wasn't exactly spewing venom; he was probably doing a search on Sliver Skys expecting Mayer level playing on each one and when an average player turned up thought it'd be a funny post. At least it generated a discussion about being accepting of different standards of playing, so that's good.

Oh, and @RandallFlagg, if the '5 figure bank balance' really was intended as a joke it's actually a good one - I genuinely laughed out loud.

EricTheWeary

I have rarely if ever seen piss taking of anyone having posted their own playing on here. If anything those kind of posts usually elicit very little response at all although something positive if they do. 

I’ve hardly picked up a guitar in a year so have nothing to post ( or anything I could think of to post even if I was playing) but I don’t think people should feel discouraged. 

Actually I’ve had a idea about how to rearrange my six pedals yet again so if I ever sort that out you can suffer through a badly taken video. Sometime in 2025 at this rate. 

JerkMoans

fob said:

Maybe someone should reach out to the guy and ask him to join the forum and comment on his new-found fame. He strikes me as a guy who is pretty comfortable in his own skin and would probably get a chuckle out of it.

Was going to say: wonder what his forum handle is...  

Bigsby

RandallFlagg said:

Please accept my apologies if anyone is offended by my post drawing attention to my mild mickey taking of a video posted on a public platform. I promise I won't create such posts again, and will refrain from posting my bluntly honest views if felt it may cause offence, but I can't promise I won't continue to find all sorts of things that are put in front of me inappropriately amusing.

The “5 figure bank balance” comment was deliberately posted to be ridiculous, obtuse and crass and to further encourage and exaggerate the more undesirable attributes of the internet persona of RandallFlagg with the Basil Brush avatar. Imagining someone turning around and laughing at our bank balances is a hilarious premise, and hugely comedic. Regardless of whether it's true or not, just checked and it's not true today, a bank balance is completely meaningless out of context. In fact a zero bank balance is one that impresses me the most as it demonstrates complete efficiency of money management.

I don't post videos of my playing and have no desire to, I don't want or need feedback or from anyone, I am a moderately accomplished player but I did once get a water filled balloon and bag of flour thrown at me while on stage. I'm not sure if that was a critique of my playing or some kind of artistic statement. If I did feel the irrational need to post such videos I would not be offended by any comments good or bad and would be delighted if someone found it funny.

No-one on this forum has met me, or knows me in real life, apart from one person as far as I'm aware and whatever I type on the internet should be taken as a mixture of truth, lies and drivel. Anyone can post anything they like about RandallFlagg and the things he posts on here, there is literally nothing I will be offended by, all I would ask is that any insults show some wit, flair and imagination.

A well measured response to a number of posts that have struck me as being surprisingly critical, given the mild nature of the original post: "I don't wish to be cruel but there is something about this vid that really tickles me..."

I did watch the video, and it amused me a little too... the large home in the background, the expensive limited edition guitar, the casual clothing, the un-edited occasional fumble, but also the demeanour of the guitarist in question - he's obviously having fun, but it's hard to tell whether or not he's taking himself seriously: It doesn't matter either way, but in those moments when you smile you're not quite sure if you're laughing with him or at him, and that slightly uncomfortable tension just makes you want to laugh more; discomfort can be an important part of humour.

It doesn't matter whether he's a nice guy with a nice guitar earnestly wishing to demonstrate it to the world, or a pretentious collector who simply has to show off his latest status symbol oblivious to the fact that others might be amused by his efforts (or anything in between). If watching the video makes you smile, then that's an honest reaction, just much as wanting to look away when you see the three-a-side headstock on the Strat-style body.  

Bridgehouse

Bigsby said:

A well measured response to a number of posts that have struck me as being surprisingly critical, given the mild nature of the original post: "I don't wish to be cruel but there is something about this vid that really tickles me..."

Nice bit of selective quoting. The subsequent “surprisingly critical” comments are more around the rest of the post that you haven’t quoted. 

A lot of us weren’t particularly enamoured by the next bit which is actually quite critical. Quite rightly a number of people have said that the culture of criticising playing by people who are prepared to put their playing out there isn’t helpful - particularly if we want to encourage people to post their stuff, as receiving constructive feedback can be immensely helpful. 

Kebabkid

Bridgehouse said:

Bigsby said:

A well measured response to a number of posts that have struck me as being surprisingly critical, given the mild nature of the original post: "I don't wish to be cruel but there is something about this vid that really tickles me..."

Nice bit of selective quoting. The subsequent “surprisingly critical” comments are more around the rest of the post that you haven’t quoted. 

A lot of us weren’t particularly enamoured by the next bit which is actually quite critical. Quite rightly a number of people have said that the culture of criticising playing by people who are prepared to put their playing out there isn’t helpful - particularly if we want to encourage people to post their stuff, as receiving constructive feedback can be immensely helpful. 

If we are thinking of reaching out to this guy, it might be an idea to remove the thread

Bridgehouse

Kebabkid said:

Bridgehouse said:

Bigsby said:

A well measured response to a number of posts that have struck me as being surprisingly critical, given the mild nature of the original post: "I don't wish to be cruel but there is something about this vid that really tickles me..."

Nice bit of selective quoting. The subsequent “surprisingly critical” comments are more around the rest of the post that you haven’t quoted. 

A lot of us weren’t particularly enamoured by the next bit which is actually quite critical. Quite rightly a number of people have said that the culture of criticising playing by people who are prepared to put their playing out there isn’t helpful - particularly if we want to encourage people to post their stuff, as receiving constructive feedback can be immensely helpful. 

If we are thinking of reaching out to this guy, it might be an idea to remove the thread

Actually, I disagree.

If I’d have posted that vid and came here and saw this thread I’d see one person being harsh and not particularly constructive, followed by quite a few people disagreeing and being supportive - after which I’d probably want to join and stick around.