Just thinking outloud this morning...
Rehearsal went well last night. Big event is coming up October 10th, so tightening up a few things.
The band is very cool people. I genuinely like them and even stay after we are finished just to chat a bit.
Mike is just the most amazing guitar player. I am just in awe of his versatility. He knows such an incredible catalog of songs - one that crosses so many genres - that its almost difficult to comprehend.
I'm very happy to be supporting this group. In general, I just add a little rhythm here and there, as we have three accomplished guitarists. This allows me to totally drop out when needed to concentrate on vocals and to alternate between bass and keys to allow other members to sing.
At the same time, I find myself constantly practicing restraint.
I realized last night (something I long suspected) that I am a rock n roll guy.
It's nice to see how people in our Rehearsal Audience react so positively to our rendition of "Love Shack," or "Our Lips Are Sealed." These songs are really popular with the crowd.
Currently, I am our primary back up singer. I sing lead on "Already Gone," "Summer of 69," "Sweet Home Alabama," and I perform a vocal duet with our female lead on "Proud Mary."
Its nice to be able to have the freedom to just drop the guitar when you feel the need to, as there are some vocal cadences that still pose me some difficulty in playing and singing simultaneously.
This is something you never have to do in a studio. For years, I played and sang live and it was no big deal. But now, after spending so much time working in the studio, it's like a perishable skill. On some songs, I really have to work out doing both and doing both well.
Yesterday, the bandleader just started playing Ratt's "Round And Round," and I started singing it (in my Lemmy-esque voice charatecure) and it just went effortlessly well. Next it was an impromptu noodle of Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead Or Alive." Same result...the entire band jumped in and it was phenomenal, but yet, we don't have those songs in our setlist.
I do not feel that I am above the songs that we do. Instead, I feel as though I am perhaps like using a 10 pound sledgehammer to crack walnuts. It works, but the effort required to continually hold back it's weight is exhausting.
Being an eclectic musical nerd, and hard rock disciple in general, means that I just don't fit into a lot of bands socially speaking, and in this group, we have a very eclectic bassist, so not only do I fit in, we also have a type of kindred spirit vibe going which seem to balance everything out.
As much as I love what we are doing, I also feel somewhat restrained musically. Perhaps this is due to my inherent heaviness that just isn't appropriate on some of our pop song menus, or perhaps its just a ightly different musical taste...I'm not really certain.
I'm just venting, really. There's nothing wrong, I just feel sometimes like I got on the wrong bus...we are still moving forward, but its just a different route. I "stay in my seat" because I know my current role is paying big dividends in honing a totally different skill set, but I cannot help but wonder if I could drive the bus sometime.
My friend's in metal bands - where I would likely be the best fit - cannot seem to keep a band together than 3 months. We've already been together almost a year now without any drama other than not agreeing on a key change or a given song's suitability.
Folks have told me that my varied and eclectic setlist likely wouldn't "fly" in public venues, so I have been really hesitant to step out with my own musical project, but more and more I think that it might. No set is probably universal in all venues, so am I really "wrong" in wanting such a wildly varied and unusual setlist???
I'm doing more writing of original material now too, but that's a completely different matter altogether. Right now, this cover band is my home, so to speak.
Have any of you felt like this???
Rehearsal went well last night. Big event is coming up October 10th, so tightening up a few things.
The band is very cool people. I genuinely like them and even stay after we are finished just to chat a bit.
Mike is just the most amazing guitar player. I am just in awe of his versatility. He knows such an incredible catalog of songs - one that crosses so many genres - that its almost difficult to comprehend.
I'm very happy to be supporting this group. In general, I just add a little rhythm here and there, as we have three accomplished guitarists. This allows me to totally drop out when needed to concentrate on vocals and to alternate between bass and keys to allow other members to sing.
At the same time, I find myself constantly practicing restraint.
I realized last night (something I long suspected) that I am a rock n roll guy.
It's nice to see how people in our Rehearsal Audience react so positively to our rendition of "Love Shack," or "Our Lips Are Sealed." These songs are really popular with the crowd.
Currently, I am our primary back up singer. I sing lead on "Already Gone," "Summer of 69," "Sweet Home Alabama," and I perform a vocal duet with our female lead on "Proud Mary."
Its nice to be able to have the freedom to just drop the guitar when you feel the need to, as there are some vocal cadences that still pose me some difficulty in playing and singing simultaneously.
This is something you never have to do in a studio. For years, I played and sang live and it was no big deal. But now, after spending so much time working in the studio, it's like a perishable skill. On some songs, I really have to work out doing both and doing both well.
Yesterday, the bandleader just started playing Ratt's "Round And Round," and I started singing it (in my Lemmy-esque voice charatecure) and it just went effortlessly well. Next it was an impromptu noodle of Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead Or Alive." Same result...the entire band jumped in and it was phenomenal, but yet, we don't have those songs in our setlist.
I do not feel that I am above the songs that we do. Instead, I feel as though I am perhaps like using a 10 pound sledgehammer to crack walnuts. It works, but the effort required to continually hold back it's weight is exhausting.
Being an eclectic musical nerd, and hard rock disciple in general, means that I just don't fit into a lot of bands socially speaking, and in this group, we have a very eclectic bassist, so not only do I fit in, we also have a type of kindred spirit vibe going which seem to balance everything out.
As much as I love what we are doing, I also feel somewhat restrained musically. Perhaps this is due to my inherent heaviness that just isn't appropriate on some of our pop song menus, or perhaps its just a ightly different musical taste...I'm not really certain.
I'm just venting, really. There's nothing wrong, I just feel sometimes like I got on the wrong bus...we are still moving forward, but its just a different route. I "stay in my seat" because I know my current role is paying big dividends in honing a totally different skill set, but I cannot help but wonder if I could drive the bus sometime.
My friend's in metal bands - where I would likely be the best fit - cannot seem to keep a band together than 3 months. We've already been together almost a year now without any drama other than not agreeing on a key change or a given song's suitability.
Folks have told me that my varied and eclectic setlist likely wouldn't "fly" in public venues, so I have been really hesitant to step out with my own musical project, but more and more I think that it might. No set is probably universal in all venues, so am I really "wrong" in wanting such a wildly varied and unusual setlist???
I'm doing more writing of original material now too, but that's a completely different matter altogether. Right now, this cover band is my home, so to speak.
Have any of you felt like this???
