Members Keevun Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 If you follow the link at the bottom of the page, it leads to some live tracks from my band's latest show. The tracks were recorded on a camcorder, so the quality is kinda crappy (it sounded much clearer live), but still good enough to discern what we are doing. Here is the link: www.myspace.com/fivemilefaceplant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members vanlatte Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 The first track that people are hit with really shouldnt be half a minute of introductions....I almost didn't bother to keep listening. Run to the Hills was painful, and not due to the quality. The singer really is not cut out for that type of singing; Maiden at an octave lower is just weird. Same with Enter Sandman; a singer has to know his/her limitations. The songs being sung are just out of their range. In all honesty I would get rid of those tracks; the poor quality really isn't doing you any favors, there is feedback and crowd noise that muddles things up even more. How long have you guys been together? The entire act sounds to me like it could use some tightening up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MusicalSchizo Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 A few comments (you asked for honesty...):1. I didn't especially like it, overall. It was very amateur. Both in the bio on your MySpace, and from the recordings, you sound like a bunch of kids.2. The band isn't terrible, but kind of typical for what sounds like a "jam in the basement" sort of situation. More rehearsal and development of overall skills for individual members is necessary for the band to be "competent" (at least to me).3. The vocals are pretty bad. Even cheating and singing most of what you guys do an octave lower than the originals, the singer is still mostly talking his way through things and the pitch is just all over the place.4. ALL THIS SAID, not bad for a bunch of (what I assume are) kids - especially considering your drummer is barely a teenager. I sucked much worse than this at 17. As a side note - you're from Indiana, PA? Too funny - I remember going there a bunch of times when I was in college over in Shippensburg for some Kiwanis events. Oh, and one more thing - Alex Lifeson is indeed a BAMF. I concur.Brian V. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kramerguy Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 Since the vocal side got covered, I'm going to critique the lead guitar. Enter Sandman on the guitar was an epic fail, the accentuation on every part was poor, as if he barely could play it, but basically bull{censored}ted his way through it, the solo was horrid, and it's not just the playing, but the tone, it was all wrong on every level. If I had to guess, I'd say the guitarist has played less than 2 years, maybe even less than one. Equal fail on the solo to Run to the Hills, although the rhythm on guitar was at least passable, if barely. Drummer sounds decent, you got that going for you. I gotta comment on the vocals.. what Van said - just wrong for the music. I could see the vocalist singing crash test dummies material, but not high pitched, adjusted octave 80's metal. And still not metallica, just not the right vocal chords for such a job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Timmylikedthing Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 Uhhh... Really. Get back to the woodshed. Drummer's not terrible. Don't EVER touch maiden unless you got the range to hit the high notes. Vocals are pitchy, guitars are sloppy, bass I can't comment on because I can't hear any. Basically, practice. When you think you're done, practice more. The guitar solo in Run to the Hills is pretty ungood. The other songs are a lot of the same. You ever see any national rock act introduce the players anymore? I only see locals do it. I mean, if you're going to cover songs that every modern rock band is covering be damn good at it. There are too many half assed cover bands out there. There's talent there, but you need to 1) pick songs that suit the singer better and 2) practice. Good luck!Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kramerguy Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 Oh, and one more thing - Alex Lifeson is indeed a BAMF. I concur. I think we can all agree on that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LightingPimp Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 +1000000000 Don't EVER touch maiden unless you got the range to hit the high notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lespaul1964 Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 Played Enter Sandman only. Waaaayyyyy too much chatter between songs. Didn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members musicmanmu Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 There's not much more to say that hasn't already been said, and most everyone's been honest and constructive. You guys are young and you just need a lot more practice. Stick with it and you will get better. However, as far as the singer is concerned, I'm not sure if he has what it takes to be a singer, but perhaps time will tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Keevun Posted June 4, 2009 Author Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 As far as the guitar tones go...they sound very different on the recording, they sounded better live. The recording REALLY chewed up Enter Sandman the guitar part sounded a million times better live. If anything people who saw this live thought that that was our best song. The guitar did fall out of tune during Sandman. And the singer...I fully expected a lot of criticism for him. The only reason we even touched Maiden songs is that the entire band knew Run to the Hills and we had to throw this show together in a hurry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members B Money Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 I gotta tell ya, it's terrible. That's OK, I was terrible at that age too. But you asked for honest so here it is:The singer needs some serious practice. At his current skill level, he should be flipping burgers. The only thing he should be saying into a microphone is "welcome to Burger World, can I take your order?"The guitar tones are just aweful and the playing isn't much better. Very, very sloppy. The timing was all over the place, not tight with the drummer at all. Generally you sound like a teenage band just starting out, which is fine. Spend a year in the garage working together on your chops and improving your sound. You can sound great at any skill level, but need to know what your limits are and work within them.Good luck and keep on rockin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kramerguy Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 As far as the guitar tones go...they sound very different on the recording, they sounded better live. The recording REALLY chewed up Enter Sandman the guitar part sounded a million times better live. If anything people who saw this live thought that that was our best song. The guitar did fall out of tune during Sandman. And the singer...I fully expected a lot of criticism for him. The only reason we even touched Maiden songs is that the entire band knew Run to the Hills and we had to throw this show together in a hurry. Hey man, you asked for honest criticism Here's some more: I'd guess that you are the guitarist from your reaction. And yes, the recording gear didn't do you any favors, but even the worst recording possible can't discard a type of tone and especially accentuation of the notes - that's something you will have to deal with, and if you can't hear that in the recording, then you may need to spend more time learning and practicing than you think. It wasn't just the tone - the reason I stated that the guitarist seemed to be a beginner was how sloppy the solos were, how sloppy the rhythm was, and the very amateur level of the note emphasis. When I was young, I dealt with the same thing, and dealt with a lot of seriously harsh criticism, so don't think I haven't been in your shoes, as much as I'm trying to make you realize something I never got advice on at that level: You can get a LOT better, and relatively quickly if you accept what is wrong and actively listen to yourself playing. Record yourself practicing songs and listen back constantly and always ask yourself what you can do to improve each song, lick, noodle, or whatever. If I'm wrong (that you are the guitarist), well, you need to talk to the guitarist Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members newmaxnew Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 I agree with everyone else that the singer just doesn't know how to sing. Talking is not singing. Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Timmylikedthing Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 As far as the guitar tones go...they sound very different on the recording, they sounded better live. The recording REALLY chewed up Enter Sandman the guitar part sounded a million times better live. If anything people who saw this live thought that that was our best song. The guitar did fall out of tune during Sandman.And the singer...I fully expected a lot of criticism for him. The only reason we even touched Maiden songs is that the entire band knew Run to the Hills and we had to throw this show together in a hurry. To be honest, the tone was the smallest part of the problem. It was sloppy. Tone you can fix by buying better gear. Chops take practice. And guess what? If you practice more, your tone will improve. Tone is 80% in the hands and technique. When I was your age, my band practiced up to 3 days a week for close to 3 years and played maybe 4 shows. We wrote about 8 songs and were a tight live act by the time we hit the stage. It took time and we were an all original act so we were writing as well as rehearsing. It takes work. Do it. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cooterbrown Posted June 4, 2009 Members Share Posted June 4, 2009 I would have never even posted something as bad as that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members noobcake Posted June 5, 2009 Members Share Posted June 5, 2009 Also, that "solo" in Tell me baby was either off key or the guitar fell massively out of tune. The drummer isn't half bad though. Edit: Just keep practicing and the vocalist should either stick to things that are more within his range or get vocal training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zekmoe Posted June 5, 2009 Members Share Posted June 5, 2009 Honestly...terrible. Some of the worst singing, especially for the song choices I've ever heard. Like one of the first weeks of American Idol. Play songs that are within your skill set and vocal range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 6StringSling Posted June 5, 2009 Members Share Posted June 5, 2009 As far as the guitar tones go...they sound very different on the recording, they sounded better live. The recording REALLY chewed up Enter Sandman the guitar part sounded a million times better live. If anything people who saw this live thought that that was our best song. The guitar did fall out of tune during Sandman.And the singer...I fully expected a lot of criticism for him. The only reason we even touched Maiden songs is that the entire band knew Run to the Hills and we had to throw this show together in a hurry. Why bother even posting something that you already know sucks and that you're just going to have to make excuses for? And I'm not talking about you in particular either - it's getting more common for people to post crappy video/recordings and then apologize for the quality. It makes me think that there are way too many people out there whose mommies didn't stick their crayon on paper bag drawings on the frige. If people need attention that badly maybe they should try getting arrested for indecent exposure instead of abusing musical instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MusicalSchizo Posted June 5, 2009 Members Share Posted June 5, 2009 As far as the guitar tones go...they sound very different on the recording, they sounded better live. The recording REALLY chewed up Enter Sandman the guitar part sounded a million times better live. If anything people who saw this live thought that that was our best song. The guitar did fall out of tune during Sandman. Don't make excuses. We can all hear through a crappy recording and get a sense of what it really sounded like. If the phrasing or articulation wasn't there, it wasn't there, no matter how much the recording made the tone bad. But seriously, be humble and willing to learn from those more experienced than you - and avoid making excuses for stuff. It's a very good lesson to learn early. The more you can go, "wow, these guys are mostly professionals or semi-professionals, and they took the time to listen to my stuff and give me an honest take on it" and then HEED what we say instead of trying to qualify it or explain it away, the better off you'll be and the easier you'll become really good. You will get there if you stick with it. You have the talent...now you need to invest some more time and just keep plugging at it. Keep that drummer around and let him grow - he's going to be truly great at some point if he doesn't rest on his laurels (I mean, he's 13...). If I met myself at 17, I'd be pretty harsh, but constructive, and that's what I think most of us did here. And the singer...I fully expected a lot of criticism for him. The only reason we even touched Maiden songs is that the entire band knew Run to the Hills and we had to throw this show together in a hurry. I know this isn't a popular opinion among the "precious musicians" here, but I admire your willingness to do whatever - too many people bog themselves down in the rules of "oh, we can't do that because we'll butcher it". So what if you butcher it? You have to learn somehow. Some people learn publicly (like people who get to play in bands in high school and college), and that, to me, is one of the best ways. Mr. Singer needs to learn how to sing, though. He's really bad. Just keep working, and remember - we all always have a lot to learn...and we should exploit any chances we get to get more information and improve our base of knowledge. Isn't that why you came here in the first place? I hope so. Brian V. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pjrake Posted June 6, 2009 Members Share Posted June 6, 2009 +1 to everything that was said, and i'll add: get a stage tuner and mute the guitar when tuning onstage!!! the audience doesn't wanna hear you tune in between songs. -PJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chadd Posted June 6, 2009 Members Share Posted June 6, 2009 I would have never even posted something as bad as that. My thoughts exactly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bloolight Posted June 6, 2009 Members Share Posted June 6, 2009 Honestly, you guys aren't ready for posting music yet unless you want to get slammed for a million things that you should already be aware of. I wasn't any better than this the first time I got together with my friends to play as a "band", but I would have been mortified if anybody outside of our little group heard what we were playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted June 6, 2009 Members Share Posted June 6, 2009 I can't think of anything nice to say, so here's a picture of a happy kitty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ckcondon Posted June 7, 2009 Members Share Posted June 7, 2009 I can't think of anything nice to say, so here's a picture of a happy kitty. Too freaking funny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lespaul1964 Posted June 8, 2009 Members Share Posted June 8, 2009 Putting all else aside, I think that the main problem is song selection and choosing songs outside your skill level and your limitations. Pick better songs, work the PA a little so that everything is clear. It is better to be clear than to be loud for the sake of being loud. Take it from me, at 45 I have been able to give music a second crack being not much better than a mediocre musician. Just pick the right songs and not only learn your instrument, but learn to be in a band. It is not the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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