Members Conformer Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 At the last minute I volunteered to jam with my friend on an open mic. Anyway we went over the chords kinda quick, and I have done this before with songs I was familiar with. Yet, tonight I was not familiar with the change ups in the songs. I paid the price of being unprepared. Anyway I was playing my Iby through the PA, and my friend was singing and playing his Guild which has a condenser in it mic. The bass was a bit boomy, and I was basically learning as we were performing. Then out of all the years I have played bass I got the worst insult of my life. Some guy said I reminded him of the bass player from Seether. That I was "low key" but it "fit the music". That was his nice way of saying I was lame. Some chick I hardly now comes up with a cheery face, that looked fake and said "it sounded great". I honestly couldn't speak for 15 mins. It was soooo bad, I couldn't even look up and around. My current band is playing hopefully next month, and at least I know that material by heart. Basically while following along and learning these tunes I was playing it safe and sticking to the root note. Now I have left an impression that I am a {censored}ty root note player. First the blisters, now this. I have pulled this off before kinda, bsing my way through songs on stage and making it sound good. Yet, tonight was not the night for that. I feel like I just got a huge dent in my pride, like I lost the SUper Bowl or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hearafter Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 ... Some guy said I reminded him of the bass player from Seether. ouch At least you gave it a go. Besides, it was open mic. Chalk it up to a learning experience, and grow from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Detox Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 This is where motivation comes from. You'll get 'em next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members willsellout Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 Is the bassist from Seether known as being a {censored}ty player or something? I fail to see the failure/embarrassment here? Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members anothertxn Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I did a face plant from the stage to the ground in front of about 100 people. In the process I disconnected my entire pedal board and created a GIANT hum that dominated the room. Not trying to play the one-up game, just trying to put it in perspective. You had a {censored}ty show, but it's in the past. I'm sure it will just motivate you in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t3ch Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 It happens. No need to get all upset about it, even though that is rather embarassing. And I like Seether Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rocktiger74 Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 Look at it this way..... He may like seether...a lot, therefore he liked it!and....the chick always has that face and it's just you seeing her face different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members D Aussie Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 I read an interview once with, I think it was, Jimmy Page. He and Eric Clapton went to see Jimmy Hendrix together. Both talked on the way home of never playing geetar again. I dont quite know where I was going with this story... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members georgestrings Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 There isn't a veteran live performing musician in the history of music that hasn't been embarrassed at one time or another - and to my knowledge, none have ever died from it - and you won't, either... Chalk it up to experience, and drive on - the fact that it DOES bother you bodes well that you'll take precautions to prevent a re-occurance... Some of the most innovative musicians ever have been chance takers - and if you take a risk often enough, occasionally you'll get burned - but it isn't the end of the world... I know what it's like to feel embarrassed on a stage, and definetly don't care for it one bit - so as a result, I go out of my way to always be as prepared as possible - although I won't let a fear of it stop me from taking a risk now and then... One of the most fun times I ever had at a gig was after ONLY listening to a cassette on the way to the gig, and taking some notes - then performing said material in front of over 1000 people, with no rehearsal ever... In short - don't let it bug you too much, and learn from it - and you'll be fine... besides, open mics are notorious opportunities for embarrassment... - georgestrings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Conformer Posted January 31, 2008 Author Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 Well...I could tell it was off. Some people tried to say...the crowd didn't notice. Sorry...I don't by that, and I can't stand just getting by. I am my own worst critic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassgirl9 Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 Well...I could tell it was off. Some people tried to say...the crowd didn't notice. Sorry...I don't by that, and I can't stand just getting by. I am my own worst critic. I have a buddy who plays upright and one of the things he does on stage is to stand on the very top of the bass and play. (not on the waist like I do, but the very top- I don't know how he does it) Anyway, one time he fell off and tumbled into the drumkit knocking everything over. Ha ha ha! Now that is embarrassing! Ha ha ha. Poor bugger. But I hear you. I hate it when that happens. Here's hoping you rock it at your next gig and get your stage mojo back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zebra Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 I fail to see the failure/embarrassment here? Dan +1 You make it sound like it was the worst thing ever. Toughen up, dandelion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crescent Seven Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 Dude, I've wet myself on stage. I've also gotten drunk on Jager and told a bar full of people that if I wasn't in the band, I'd be masturbating under the ping pong table in the game room. Don't sweat over an open stage set playing root notes. C7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members basste Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 I think this kind of frustration is a part of improvment process. That happenend to me several times. That said, perhaps the guy is a real fan of this band, and he wanted to compare you to what he likes: a bassplayer which feeds the music, and not only his wackatiwackati personal show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pyralus Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 DOn't worry, the president embarrasses himself on stage all the time! Okay... bad example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bleepo Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 Dude, I've wet myself on stage. C7 You win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jonjohn Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 Dude, I've wet myself on stage. C7 some really drunk guy pissed on my pants thinking he was in the toilet . bouncers delt to him pretty swiftly though . yuck worst gig ever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Don MC Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 Dude, I've wet myself on stage. I've also gotten drunk on Jager and told a bar full of people that if I wasn't in the band, I'd be masturbating under the ping pong table in the game room. My new hero. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UK_Lefty Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 In one gig i "borrowed" a disco lighting effect that sits on the floor and spins lights around the room. I thought it'd be cool to turn it on with my foot at the end of the intro to our first song where the band just explodes and plays really loud... my cable caught in it and got pulled out. We played on with me fighting my cable and the lighting thing. I restrained the lighting with my foot before kicking the crap out of it during the song. Kinda embarrassing... Also I've done a few gigs where songs that sound great in rehearsal just do not translate on stage. Not one bit. Not at all. And it sucks big time. To be honest playing all the roots on a song you dont know on open mic as a favour for somebody can't be seen as embarrassing - its pretty commendable in my book - better than trying to slap and tap through it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flatcat Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 I have friends who used to call this "folk reggae", where the bass player doesn't play until the 2 of the bar because he doesn't know the changes. For goodness sake - this is one of the ways you get to be a good player and, more to the point, a good performer, especially if you want to do pickup work. You don't always get a CD or a tape. You don't always get time to work out a part and all that. Sometimes you just get a call and have to stand up on a stage in front of paying customers and cough it up right there. The first gig I did with a guy I've worked with on and off for over 20 years....he hired me as his guitar player. He gave me four cassette tapes and a couple of his LPs, all of his original material. He calls me up the week of the gig and says, "Listen, my regular bass player can't come for the Friday show, I need you to play bass on Friday night and guitar on Saturday night". This was in the days when you did four or five shows a weekend, one early, one late, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Anyhow, I bring my bass and show up for Friday night...and we start the show. And on that Friday night, we played for three hours, and I didn't know a single tune he did. Not one of them was on the tapes or records he'd given me - they were from his *other* records. I kid you not - I played bass and sang harmony with a singer-songwriter playing acoustic guitar playing his own music in front of 150 people, a packed house, with a reviewer from the local paper there, for three hours, and not *one* song was one I'd ever heard before the moment he started playing it. I was pretty upset, I can tell you. But I lived, you know. I got paid at the end of the night. And of course we ripped it up on Saturday. In this situation your biggest friend is your muscle memory. Learn to watch the guitar player's chording hand. Listen to the melody for clues about where its going and what might make sense in terms of the next chord. Your muscle memory is important because you need to play while you're paying attention to the guy you're accompanying, not to where your hand is or any of that stuff. 80% of the time, you can figure it out just by listening and paying attention. The second biggest friend you have in this situation is your attitude. If you think you suck, you'll suck. If you look like you think you suck, you'll suck. If you look like you're struggling, you'll suck. So get up there with confidence and pride and *have fun*. If you're sucking, instead of getting hangdog about it, laugh at yourself. People like fun. They don't like agony. And when people come up to you afterwards and say stuff to you - look 'em straight in the eye and say "Thanks very much, I'm glad you enjoyed it, thanks for coming out." Don't tell them you suck. They don't care. Don't tell them you fucked up that note. They didn't notice. Or, they didn't notice until you told them. The reality is that 90% of the people in that room didn't know the difference. The other 10% who did notice the difference either empathize with you, because *every* musician goes through this; or thinks "That guy sucks", and they'd think that no matter WHAT you did because you're not them. Get out there and do it again. And again. And again. Don't be afraid or intimidated or feel like you lost the Super Bowl. Go play and HAVE FUN. It only gets *really* challenging when you're also expected to sing harmony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Perfessor Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 Hey, it happens. Lots of times at acoustic gigs like that you can have the changes writen down to check during and between songs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members baracuda2004 Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 Is the bassist from Seether known as being a shitty player or something? I fail to see the failure/embarrassment here? Dan he's one of those "ROOT NOTE" guys so yes it's an insult to a "TRUE" bassist personally i like a few... said FEW seether songs. That one with amy lee ain't bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ezstep Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 I'd have to chime in with the others...it's called paying your dues. Each time I have thoroughly embarrassed myself onstage, a month later I was a much better musician because I did something about it. There is a kid at high school who plays pretty good g**t*r. I have tried for a year to get him to bring his equipment to a gig and just sit in with us, but he absolutely refuses because he says he will embarrass himself. Dude, we know. We have all been there, done that. Keep playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tylytle Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 Dude, I've wet myself on stage. I've also gotten drunk on Jager and told a bar full of people that if I wasn't in the band, I'd be masturbating under the ping pong table in the game room. Don't sweat over an open stage set playing root notes. C7 Man, we gotta party sometime!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members T. Alan Smith Posted January 31, 2008 Members Share Posted January 31, 2008 ...That was his nice way of saying I was lame. Some chick I hardly now comes up with a cheery face, that looked fake and said "it sounded great". I honestly couldn't speak for 15 mins. It was soooo bad, I couldn't even look up and around. My current band is playing hopefully next month, and at least I know that material by heart. Basically while following along and learning these tunes I was playing it safe and sticking to the root note. Now I have left an impression that I am a shitty root note player. First the blisters, now this. I have pulled this off before kinda, bsing my way through songs on stage and making it sound good. Yet, tonight was not the night for that. I feel like I just got a huge dent in my pride, like I lost the SUper Bowl or something. I feel ya, bro. Been there, done that too many time that I care to remember. Sound to me like you just had an off night. It happens. Keep honing your skills and you'll more than make up for it in no time. You'll still have off days, but you'll make up for those too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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