Last night was an especially solid rehearsal with the Preons. I think we’re hitting our stride as a band, and everyone is playing very solidly. We spent some time rehearsing with a metronome, which is always a challenge. I always recommend metronome studies to my students to help them play with metric precision. Great musicians have made the claim that it’s more important to play in time than to select the right note.
I feel like my bass lines are sounding more idiomatic; I’m getting better at thinking like a bassist, so my lines are better formed. We spent several minutes last night working over one particularly challenging passage in a new song, and with each repetition it became more tightly locked. My bass line in this song is somewhat complex, and it benefitted from repeatedly working it against a steady metronome pulse. And yes… I am looking forward to our next gig so I can use my new amp.
Posted in:
Music,
My Bands
This week I’ll be prepping another round of new songs for 80s Invasion. I need to finish programming tones and “put the eyebrows on*” some of the guitar parts. These songs will be performed on New Year’s Eve in Portland, but we’ve also added two Seattle shows (12/15 at the CHAC and 1/9 at the Triple Door), so I’ve got a bit of practicing ahead of me this week.
Among the new tracks is one of my favorites from the 80s: “Big Country”. I never saw this band perform live, but I have seen a few of their concerts on DVD. They somehow got their electric guitars to sound remarkably like bagpipes. My tone programming will be a challenge.
The other pressing challenge this week will be learning some new backup vocal parts. Until I started to really dig into some of these songs, I hadn’t realized how complex some of the vocal arrangements were. Those Duran Duran songs in particular… zoinks! I haven’t decided what to wear for our gigs. I don’t remember what I used to wear back in the 80s. I am pretty sure it was black. I could go sort of generic new wave, but it would be fun to balance the rest of the band’s look with something a little more rocking. I wonder if I could get my hair into a crazy mowhawk like I did in high school…
For these gigs, I will probably use my standard guitar rig:
- Audio Technica wireless
- Line6 Pod XT Live
- TC Electronic G Force processor
- Stewart 60W power amp
- 2 Mesa / Boogie guitar cabinets
- Fender Stratocaster (main guitar)
- Fender Stratocaster (backup)
- Jackson Soloist (alternate – for rock tones)
* I borrow this term from Frank Zappa, who used it in reference to putting the finishing details on a piece of music.
Posted in:
Music,
My Bands
I don’t know what I did to appease the bass gods. It might be the practicing I’ve been doing, or maybe just my recent whining about the desperate need for a better amp. Either way, good fortune has visited upon me and I’m mightily pleased. Last night I purchased an Ashdown half-stack consisting of a MAG300R head and a MAG410T cabinet. This setup produces a huge fundamental bass tone with clarity and authority. I’ve been looking at Ashdown amps for months and trying to decide how I could possibly afford to purchase this rig.
I was lucky to find such a great deal on this amp. It’s used, but in great condition. It’ll be a welcome improvement over my previous amp, which will now be relegated to the practice space. Actually, having my old amp sitting in our practice room will save me the back-breaking work of hauling it up and down the stairs. Amazingly, this 4×10 cabinet still fits into my trunk, so I’ll be able to haul it myself. It actually might weigh less than my old amp. I came home from work tonight and cranked it up in the garage just for fun. So far, I’m delighted with this amp and can’t wait until our next gig. Hooray for awesome tone!
We played last night at The Sunset Tavern in Ballard, which is a particularly enjoyable venue. The bar is operated by musicians who are supportive of the local scene and of touring bands. Our set was good… I think it was our best gig yet. The house sound operator put a mic on my bass amp, which is awesome because that’s how I prefer to get tone to the board. Unfortunately, my bass amp is not very good. So he got plenty of “meh” tone. I really REALLY need a new amp. Santa, if you subscribe to this blog, please put a nice bass rig in my stocking.
I switched to the fretless for the middle of the set, which gave me some extra room to explore in “Rushed Decision” and “The Dalles”. The band played solidly over all. As usual, Brad was the star of our show. His multi-instrumental talents are impressive.
Also on the bill last night was “Small Sins”, on tour from Toronto. I wasn’t sure what to expect from them when they were loading in… lots of lo-fi analog gear. They were awesome, playing quirky pop with sort of a new wave bent. Great vocal harmonies and very entertaining to watch. Apparently they’re regarded as one of those up-and-comers worth paying attention to. I would concur. If they come to your local market, make sure you check them out.
Our set list from last night:
- Cobra Kai
- Soon
- Rushed Decision
- The Dalles
- Sunrise
- Charlie Munden
- Grove
- Listing
Last night on the way home from band practice, I drove along East Michigan street on my way to Hwy 509. On the sidewalk to my right, I saw a fellow human in obvious distress. I’d guess he was in his 40s. Wearing tattered sweatpants and a t-shirt. Shoeless. Dirty. Disheveled. Dragging four plastic bags. Shambling down the sidewalk, mouth agape, sobbing loudly.
I passed him, then had to stop for a red light. He shuffled past me again, just ten feet away. He was lost in anguish. And alone in the cold rain. I had several seconds to consider whether – or how – to act. What could I possibly offer him? Sympathy? Money? My coat? I honestly would give those to help him. Would it help? Would it be safe to talk with him? Was he a deranged street person? Victim of a crime? Just a guy down on his luck who could have really used a hot meal?
Crap.
Paralyzed by fear. Not sure what to do. Good intentions. No actions.
My light turned green and I drove on. Ten minutes later I was home. Inside my cozy warm dry house.
Crap.
Well, we’ve done the appliance upgrade and new we’re getting into the core of the kitchen project. There are three major projects that are all inter-related.
read more…
This weekend I took inventory of my often-used computer software to determine which titles were most in need of updates. As a general policy I don’t go for every major update; there usually aren’t enough new features to warrant the upgrade. At this point, I’m two full versions behind on many software titles.
read more…
As I described in an earlier article,we we recently had an experience with a window company who attempted to pressure us into the purchase of their product during a four hour in-home demonstration. Mind you, when I set up the appointment with the company, they assured me this entire sales presentation would take between 60 and 90 minutes. I was annoyed that it took such a large portion of my Saturday, but I did learn a lot and enjoyed talking with the salesman. He was smart, really knew his stuff, and was quite pleasant. Unfortunately, his company’s quote for window replacement was shockingly expensive and we informed him we were not interested.
read more…
