Yep, It's Another one of those (Mostly Rant)

Hi all,

I know a few of you, though my very seldom utilized membership here, but it is nice to think that maybe I'm not the only person that has gone through band withdrawal while supposedly playing in a band.

Way way back last May I got a call to join a band in progress as a bass player. Now, since I have mostly been a bass player since around 1972 I thought this would be a fun thing to do. And it really really was for about two, maybe three months.

You see, I showed up for an audition with these guys with nothing but a fretless bass, (It was the only one I had at the time.) for a gig playing mostly newer rocked-out modern country music and of course the same old 50 year old classics that I can play with my eyes closed. They freaked out and insisted that I join right away. So I did.

Anyway, I got a list of about 50 songs. I downloaded mp3s and transposed them to the preferred key listed on the song list. Then I spent the next two weeks playing along with these tunes until I was confident that I could play them live if needed. Next "rehearsal", I think we played through maybe 8 of those songs in four hours.

Now I've been fortunate enough that despite my limited abilities and lack of knowledge of even the most basic understanding of music theory, I have been playing bass and singing backup in about 10 locally popular and successful bands over the past 50 years.(I still don't know why I was asked to back up so much.) Anyway, I'm No Ernie440 kind of bass player, but I know how to keep a groove locked down with a good drummer which I think is important.

I digress... So, last "rehearsal", which was two weeks ago, I think we may have broken a record at 10 songs in 4 hours. In all of the down time between playing music, if I'm not listening to a story about what happened last month at the drummers house or twenty minutes of two guitar players trying to work out a lead part to some song that has been around for at least 50 years, I'm sitting there thinking "if you don't know it by now stop trying to play it", and I find myself daydreaming about all of the great times I've had playing in bands.

It occurred to me that I must be suffering from a debilitating case of band withdrawal. All of those years and in all of those really good bands that I played bass in, I don't think I've been to more than maybe a couple of dozen rehearsals. Some of the gigs I did were a one rehearsal and live show the next week so you had better know the material.

So, I imploded my band project last week rather than continue to suffer from a really bad case of the "what was" syndrome. I'm old, they're old, the tunes are old, but darn it, I can still play (mostly) just as good as I ever have. And to me at least, it's hard to forget something you've played 5000 times. But really it had nothing to do with skills or talent. There were two competing leaders/singers, rhythm/lead guitar players, A drummer that loves to talk and a bored retired guy that was hoping this would be cool... :)

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sorry to hear about the band project coming to an end. i agree with you, especially if playing covers, it really shouldn't take that long to work something out. i've always felt, especially with a cover, you should have it worked it before you arrive to rehearsal lol. it's a waste of time to sit idle, while 2 people are working through it, but you already got your part down. the practice/rehearsal is to get on the same page and get tight with it. i'm also a 'close enough' guy. if it sounds 'close enough', that's good enough. we played in bars, etc. so 'close enough' was all we needed for a cover :) we weren't playing in front of other musicians who might say, 'hey, that's not how you play Ratt's Lay it Down' :):D i did like playing Lay it Down though :):W

so what's next for BooDoggie?

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I guess it's that same old "what makes a band work" question. I feel like there is a feeling you get when your playing with the right bunch of players. It either clicks or it doesn't..

I'm talking with the lead vocal/guitar player that got me into this thing in the first place about starting a new one with a couple of old hands. The drummer is great. I've worked with him in 4 or 5 bands, and the guitar player is an old road worn player that toured with a lot of country artists a few years back. So I'm actually kinda sad/excited at the same time thus the rant...

:W

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