Conference napalm::guitar

>>It's not how good you are, (It's not even how bad you are...) HMP! Just
>>take a long hard look at the top of the heap today..  (Again, in
>>my observations,.. )  The real talented performers barely scrape the top ten...
>>
>>			....	"Joe Satri-who"

    You know, somebody (Greg?) wrote a note weeks ago in here that said
    "Steve Morse has always had trouble getting recording contracts."
    
    I read that and thought to myself: God, what a shame.  I mean, I can see
    the business reasons, he doesn't exactly sell to a large audience, etc. 
    but come on!  Can't the mega bands (Madonna, Michael Jackson, etc.) and
    their labels subsidize some of the other not-so-popular artists?  Would
    it really cost that much?  Somebody who puts that kind of time and
    effort into an instrument, and gets that kind of results and can't get
    someone to record it?  Sheesh!
    
    The guys I play with consist of a keyboard player that is booked all
    the time.  He and a couple others play private parties and weddings
    mostly at something like $300 a crack for a trio,  He makes his best
    money as a solo.  They stay booked all the time because his friend
    knows everybody in town.  Every now and then they mess up and double
    book a night.  So then they pick up me and a bass player, maybe a sax
    and a drummer and we do one gig, the other guy does the other one.
    
    It's always an older crowd, we do a bunch of soft stuff and get to rock
    out for all of about 30 minutes the whole night.
    
    Why do I do this?  I'm a rocker at heart, not a jazz player, or country,
    or any of that other stuff we play.
    
    Because people in this town that want to stay booked have to play it
    because the older crowd is the one with the money.  There isn't that
    much in town for club rock bands.  And like in the last note, it would
    cost a fortune to compete with the ones that are already out there.
    
    The most fun I have is we (the guys in the band) like to throw a party
    before the gig for a last rehearsal at one of our houses.  Those are
    great, we play what we want and relax and enjoy it.
    
    I'm enjoying playing now more than ever, too, but I can see that it
    only fits into a certain scenario for now.  Maybe something else later,
    I don't know.
    
    Will
    
    
    
    
    

	Let's form a union and open a Dance Hall. Just a plain old
	dance hall. No booze, just soda, chips and dancing. All ages
	welcome, under 16 bring yer folks. Bands with hype need not
	apply.

re: .2

If the suggestion is a serious one, remeber corporate policy forbids you 
discussing (soliciting) for personal businesses using company resources.

I think the idea is a great one, but I wonder if it wouldn't end up being a
teen pickup place and fail on it's real purpose.  I do however think it would
be great if there were more clubs (whatever you want to call them) that 
catered to bands rather then just making money.

Greg

 <<          Don't be discouraged!!  I know it's difficult to be happy
 <<   and satisfied with it all the time.  What it comes down to is what
 <<   you really want and need out of it.

   

After doing this for 17 years, and to finally be fed up, I personally think
I'm WELL past the up/down discouraged, syndroym ..

RE:Chinese Circuit..
I did the Chinese circuit for about 6 years, and that was an experience
I'd rather not re-live in this life time.  Working for the owners of
these establishments is not always a fun thing.  Granted they pay,
and never try to screw you, they have this way about them, call it
an arrogance,,, that isn't too much fun to cut through....  the crowds
were'nt bad but after a year or two, (which is what we lasted in most of
them, and that was a rather long tenyor in comparision...) they just
herded you out of the rotation...

The best way to have fun right now, for me, at least, is home recording,
get into sequencing, and just have plain and simple fun with friends.

        Hey! Pelky,
    
                   I like your attitude, it's definately Rock'n Roll in
    it's purest essence.  To me it's, if you don't like what I'm doing,
    you can kiss my butt, because I LOVE it!
                   From my experience, it's getting people with the right
    chemistry and guts to stay together, NO MATTER WHAT!  But no matter how
    many groups you go through, there's always one guy, who's wife gets
    tired of her husband actually enjoying himself, and besides, who likes
    to be alone all the time, i.e. Musicians Widow!
                   Seems like people can find a Million Reasons to Fail!
                   Basicaly it's PROGRAMMED FEAR OF SUCCESS!
                   It's a Hell of alot safer just taking orders from
    everyone and never expressing your own opinions, and trying to keep 
    everybody ELSE happy.  BUT THEN..........YOU LOSE, BIG TIME............
                    Remember these words from a group called TRAFFIC.......
    
    -------------------  THE LOW SPARK OF HIGH HEELED BOYS -------------- 
    
          " The percentage you're paying is too high priced,
            while you're living beyond all your means,
            and the man in the suit has just bought a new car,
            on the profits he's made ON YOUR DREAMS."      
    
    Music has to come from the Soul, but first of all you have to earn a
    soul, which I don't see in the general public these days, so if you've
    got music in your blood, your a lucky man, and should thank God that he
    gave you the ability, and then take it from there.....................
             Remember, SCREW WHAT ANYBODY ELSE THINKS, when you leave this
    dimension, they won't be going along with you.
    
    
  P.S. How's about people stating where they're from?
    
                It's Gotta Be Rock'n Roll Music.........        Stormin'
                                                                
    
    
    
    

	... formerly of Buffalo (a suburb of Toronto - or is it Pittsburg?) 
	now of Nashua. I'm comming from hackville trying to play at least
	once with as many people as I have time for. I would ideally like
	to help pull together a 'scene' outside of Boston. And I'm a
	capricorn with brown eyes.....

	What about a non-profit organization for the preservation of
	Rock 'n' Roll? (nyuk nyuk) like a Choral Society?

	What about doing Rock on an NEA grant??? Anyone for a state-funded
	"Ballad of Blow-Hard Dole"?

	

  <<             From my experience, it's getting people with the right
  <<  chemistry and guts to stay together, NO MATTER WHAT!  But no matter how
  <<  many groups you go through, there's always one guy, who's wife gets
  <<  tired of her husband actually enjoying himself, and besides, who likes
  <<  to be alone all the time, i.e. Musicians Widow!
   

Ah yes, Norm, key point..

Matta-o-fact, this last band lasted nine years, and it was just 
that chemistry that we had.. Noones wifes interfered, infact, all the
wifes were very good friends, even before the band started.... there's
a long story there, but yes, that "Chemistry" was a critical factor
to why this band (FoxPass) lasted the better part of nine years.

We always enjoyed ourselfs, simply cuz we enjoyed playi together.

With the direction now though, half of the guys have decided to go
the wedding route, the other half have decided that a change is
better than a rest, but don't wanna make the transition to weddings 100%

(We've done a score of them, and personally, I can take em or leave em.
the money is great, the hours are nice,, but if I have to play "Daddy's
little Girl" one mo-time,, someone dies..

oh well, for us at anyrate, we jsut ended up finally growing towards two
different directions.. Since we've always been on the level with each other,
we talked it out, and half of us decided it wasn't what we wanted to do,,,
and so it goes..  Prior to it though, we stuck it out, and made the best of
even the worst tiems,, (Even Cote was there for about a year to tuff it out
with us...)

The worse thing that happened was we had fun..


but for me,, it was time to face reality...  and realize that I either
had to start all over again with a new cast of characters (yuck) or 
make the transition to GB..

Feets don't fail me now!

Mr. Pelkey has captured the essence of why once more I'm bandless...

I despise agents, club owners and truthfully the 200,000 geeks who scream
SKYNARD!, ZEPPLIN etc. ad nauseum at every gig I've played lately...but at 
least they want rock and not "Sexual Healing" by whoever that was....

piss on it I bought an 8 track gonna record music from my soul for me for a 
while again, till I desperately need a performance fix again.

dbii

         Whats the deal here, you guys sound like your throwing your
    axe's in and saying "I quit", although I'm not an big fan of rock
    I appreciate the music and definetly the musicians that have made
    it what it is today, however, IMO its old music now, the new stuff
    sounds just like the stuff they were playing 20 years ago, which
    might explain why all the old rock groups are still hanging around.
    Every new group that comes out seems to sound like one of the old
    groups, the technology has improved, guys are faster, and you can
    get a million different sounds, but when you listen, seems like every
    one uses the same sound for their solo, and unless your a guitarist
    its just a bunch of fast notes.  I think the reason new music is
    hated so much in this conference is the fact that it's so different
    from the Motown or TSOP (the Sound Of Philadelpha) sounds that are
    now considered classics.  I'm 36 and grew up listening to all the
    old music, and I'm just as much into the stuff out today as I was to
    Sly and The Family Stone,  Earth Wind and Fire, The Ohio Players,
    AWB, the Temptations, etc.  The dance music today is so different and
    creative the old groups don't even think about trying to compete with
    the stuff thats out now and those that have flopped.  In the rock scene
    I'm always hearing of all the old groups constantly coming up with
    new hits, the Stones are probably the hottest thing out right now,
    haven't they been around for about 25 years doing the same stuff, with
    pretty much the same guys and the same sound............its time for
    a change.............................................
    
    
                                                      Howard
    
    
    

    Speaking as a outside observer of the guitarnotes file . . .
    
    It seems like there is no where you can go anymore to listen to a
    good rock and roll band, no disco, no rap, no show, no matching
    satin suits, just a good tight rock and roll band.
    
    Since so many of the clubs in my area (N. Shore) have turned into
    strip joints and pizza parlours, I find myself cruising in my
    car and listening to the radio or staying home and listening to
    records (anyone remember what those are?).
    
    I like the idea in note #1861.2
    

<<just a good tight rock and roll band.

You happen to belong to a minority.  I wish everyone was looking for
what you're looking for.  There'd still be plenty of places to play,
and lots of people to play for...


(No ego statement here but )

I was in one of the tighest r&r cover bands in our area.  We wern't the
loudest, didn't have mega-tons-of-zippidy-do-dah equipment,
we wern't the flashiest,, but our vocals were good, our tunes 
pleased as many people as took the time to listen, and we were tight,
REAL TIGHT.  we all had good chops and had a great time playing..

Infact, me and Wayne, (other guitarist) got so tight working together that
during solos, one would hold up his axe, do the left side of a hammer on,
and the other would fillin the second hands notes... not just
one positin either, we'd both climb all over the neck, never miss
a lick... Wild ?  Sure,, Fun ?  Hey, a blast!  Look cool ?  The coolest!

But,,, then,,,  "PLAY SOME SKYYYYYYYYNNNNNNNNNNNNAAAAAAAARRRRRRDD"

face it...

The majority doesn't care...




We're also all tired of all the bullsh*t involved in continuing, competing,
and trying to make all the scumbag agents and club-owners smile and deal
us straight, tired of trying to please everyone, cuz you never will,
and real tired of knocking our selfs out to cover the more progressive
(eg. complicated) covers, only to hear some d*ckheads in the back of
the room yell  "SKYYNNNAAARRRDDDDD!, ZZTOP,, AREOSMITH, ZEPLIN"..  
(Obviously bored with everything we did...)

My observation, my opinion, my blood sweat and tears...



Re: Howard..

hey Howie, Just try and pull my axes away from me.. You be one big dude,
but not big enought  {8^)

I'm not quiting, I'm just not doing the band trip anymore.  The type of
music I'd rather do, has turned out to be a very limited venue.. and probably
for all the reasons you stated.. (stones, 25 years, same sound, time for
a change...)  BUT, I won't follow the masses anymore, just to keep playing.
for me, the fun has to be there,, it isn't anymore,, so for me, it's
high time for a change.

Yeah I'm not quitting, just decompressing for a while, besides it's fishin'
season!

dbii

    Classical Guitar Rules, you boys.

    
    
      What we've recently done on Staten Island (NYC) is form the 
    Staten Island Rock Coalition.
      The SIRC is composed of all-original "rock" bands and several
    S.I. club owners. Band members form various committees handling
    booking, press, and benefit concerts. The member bands are then rotated
    throughout the clubs (approx ten). So far, it's working rather well,
    as people around these parts appreciate a good, *Original* band as
    opposed to the "Paula Abzug" thumpa thump. 
      Bands sometimes share amps, drumsets (a godsend) and PA's and
    there's a good feeling when you go to do a gig. A minimum of
    competition between bands. One night you'll be first up, and the
    next, you're last. 
       It doesn't pay big bucks, but It sure puts the fun back into rock.
                      
    
    
    RichC

"Paula Azbug Thumpa thump"

I'm howling,,,  right on...

SIRC sounds really neat,,, too bad this wasn't something that
was doable in these parts.  (Mass.)  Most of the club-type owners
around here got there heads lodged so firmly up there arses that you
can't even talk to em never mind work something out that might be "FUN"

    Ah, but Ray, it *could* happen.  If a bunch of bands went to some club
    owners and said that they could provide a "package" with promo, etc.
    being done by the bands that would guarantee bodies sucking beers, then
    the owners would probably sign up.
    
    That's essentially what Boston C&W promoter John Penny did, and he has
    the country clubs around Boston plus half of NH and ME sewn up...
    
    						Brian

You're right Brian, I suppose it makes sense..

What have they really got to loose anyway ?