The Songwriter Forum - songwriting reviews, tips and chat
Songwriter Forum => The Bar => Topic started by: pompeyjazz on October 09, 2021, 10:13:48 AM
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Hi All,
I thought that I would jot down a kind of diary to detail some of the recent experiences that we have had, auditioning guys to play in a band with us and the ups and downs that we have had
Friday – Mid September
I've arrived in France on the Thursday. Cécile has booked Octavox studio for two hours and this evening we are auditioning a drummer and a bassist. We have got 4 songs together that we intend to perform live but to be honest, I'm a bit rusty. I haven't played live for years so it's like a brand new experience. Plus, although we've written the songs that we are going to perform, I still don't know the lyrics or chords by heart.
The evening is a great buzz and we manage to plough through the 4 songs, albeit with a fair share of mistakes and restarts. The drummer is a great guy although he has not been playing for long and the bassist is more a jazz bassist, although he tells us that he won't be able to do weekends in the winter as he is into winter sports. At the end of the evening, the bassist tells us that the he couldn't really work with the drummer. We have some great songs, etc etc
Tuesday – We're off to an open mic at La Douc'Heure. It's a great little venue, maybe 50 people max and they also do some fabulous food. We're greeted by the host Yanno, who is an Australian blues guitarist who likes to play in his bare feet. I don't realise that he's Australian for a while as we're talking in French until he breaks out into his Aussie drawl. Asks me where I'm from in the UK – Portsmouth – Ah, is that in Wales ?
We're up on stage straight away and do a couple of songs together, just vocs and guitar. We've got a guy who decides to play bass with us but I think he's still learning. A great evening and a first experience of playing live in front of people for yonks.
Saturday – We meet up with a guitarist in Grenoble – He's pretty good and has some ideas. We explain that the live version of the songs is not going to be like the recordings so we need some creativity.
Thursday – We're hired another studio at La Bobine which is a cool music venue that has rehersal studios as well. A drummer lets us down about an hour before so I quickly knock up some drum backing tracks but that's difficult. Despite that, we manage to get through the songs and the guitarist is coming up with some creative stuff
Friday – We're off to Le Touvet as a bassist has offered us the opportunity to practice at his house. His neighbour is a drummer so he's going to join in too. We have a great welcome. The bassist gives me a beer – A neuf – It's only when I'm halfway through the bottle that I realise that it's called neuf as it's 9 percent !!! The bassist has constructed a bar in his garden and has kitted out his garage as a studio. We have a great night although it's difficult to hear everything at times. It was loose at times but a great vibe.
Wednesday – Jam session at Le local – We're going to to two songs. I've written arrangements, with chords and lyrics !!! There is a house bassist and drummer and they join in with us. The reggae number goes down well, but the next more funky number goes a bit ropey once we get into Bb and C#m territory – Ah well !! - Enjoyed it
Friday – We're going to meet the guitarist and another bassist at Michel music. It's a great place, a music shop that has it's own little gig / jam room where all the kit is set up and anybody is welcome to get up and do their stuff. Before I know it, I'm up playing bass to a Gun's and Roses track that I don't know with a crazy young Italian vocalist. Cécile and myself do a couple of tracks, The drummer who joins in is not too shabby at all and we play a cover as well
It's too noisy to hear so we head off somewhere else. The guitarist says that our arrangements are too complicated and wants to do verse/chorus/verse/chorus/ verse/ chorus – Kinda defeats the object and he's persuaded the bass player too. The guitarist's girlfriend orders an Irish coffee at this expensive bar – Oh ! And she's not paying too.
We make a decision and decide that we want to preserve the integrity and arrangements of our songs so we will concentrate on guitar and vocals duet
Friday – We're in Octavox again – Just the two of us. The set is taking shape and yep, practice does make a big difference. It's a different experience playing solo guitar as there is nowhere to hide and you seriously have to get your shit together !!!
Here's a couple of tracks from the rehersal as a duet
More news soon
John & Cécile
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Ah John and Cécile, how wonderful to read about your musical adventures. I immediately relate to your description of writing songs and not remembering lyrics or chord structures. Writing and producing is a very different skill to performing live. It allows us to be expressive but it is also beneficial to write and then forget how we play our songs. This allows us to begin again with a brand new blank canvass without being bogged down with what went before.
So interesting to read about the band dynamics and how individuals interact within an band. I'm not sure if I could do that anymore. The open mic is a little more appealing/exciting for me as the venues often specialise in this discipline. I guess most of the people who attend are there to listen and enjoy your music and are not so hell bent on a night on the town. Your audience may be there for the music. I see you finally reached the conclusion to play a guitar vocal set and for me that is probably the only route that I would take. It's great to see and hear you both performing. Your guitar, by the way sounds wonderful. What a fantastic rehearsal space too. It knocks spots off some of the shocking rehearsal spaces that I have used over the years. I'll be in the Loire Valley in a few short weeks. It would be lovely to meet up if you are anywhere nearby.
Lovely to see and hear you both!
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@pompeyjazz (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=20269) - lovely to hear about this, you were bang on to stick to your guns about arrangements, like the Party song, would be great to come and see you play.
You make a good duo.
I’ll be listening for the polished final version
Was that a tele?
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Very entertaining, John. Most bands manage to actually stick together for at least a few months until ‘musical differences’ start to pull them apart. Doing this inside a week has got to be a record, ha ha! 😀
This is a good reminder that having to put up with those creatures called ‘human beings’ can be a right pain in the arse!
Anyway, an acquaintance of mine was in a seven piece Madness tribute band, him being the singer. They were very popular with wedding venues, but although they got paid very well, split between seven of them the pay was only marginally worth it. So he basically split from them all apart from the sax player. The rest of the backing was provided by pre recorded backing tracks. Maybe that could be a way of adding bass and drums say on your live work? Just a thought… and backing tracks don’t argue about arrangement sequences either!
Videos are spot on, keep it going! ;)
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I am VERY lucky to have played with the same band for over 25years - and certainly don’t miss auditioning etc. so I do feel your pain @pompeyjazz (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=20269)
It is great to document the journey and I look forward to the next instalment
I agree with @MichaelA (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=21274) that backing tracks may be a good (and more profitable) way to go so that you can get everything exactly as you want it
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Thanks for all your support guys :) It is an interesting and stimulating experience for sure - And hey, @MichaelA (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=21274) we actually managed to kick someone out of the band before they had actually played a single note with us - Impressive eh ? ;D ;D
I don't think that we'll go the backing track route although nothing ruled out but I think it's a great discipline to work together, one guitar and 2 vocs
@Wicked Deeds (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=19231) - Agree with you on the Open Mic comments - People actually there to listen to the music :)
@cowparsleyman (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=21308) Cheers Rich - That's my Squire classic vibe Telecaster through my little Roland Cube and into a Fender twin :)
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I loved reading this thread. Its great to hear about your adventures.
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Great to read and hear - I actually really love the duets (and no HR issues!). Very Café Bleu (I bet you've missed my predictable comments).
I just read "Just for One Day" by Louise Wener - I reckon you could also have a book worth of experiences just from the auditions.
All the best to you both!
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Interesting read. I can well understand the "creative differences" - I've been on my own learning curve with that one lately!). Impressive on booting out the musician who didn't even play a note!
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@pompeyjazz (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=20269) - just wondering if you could boot someone out before they want to even join…Or even better kick em out when they hate your band…
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Your fired ;D
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@pompeyjazz (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=20269) - So are you and i haven’t even got a band.
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What a fab read!! Sounds like you’re having a ball (now you’ve settled on being a duo).
Loved watching the vids - you sound great together!!
Can’t imagine playing live it’s been so long… last time was the day before the first Irish covid case was declared in a lovely old folkie venue which we’ve just heard will be bulldozed to make way for a hotel development….
Anyway - can’t wait to hear the next instalment!!
K
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Great to read and hear - I actually really love the duets (and no HR issues!). Very Café Bleu (I bet you've missed my predictable comments).
I just read "Just for One Day" by Louise Wener - I reckon you could also have a book worth of experiences just from the auditions.
All the best to you both!
Great to read and hear - I actually really love the duets (and no HR issues!). Very Café Bleu (I bet you've missed my predictable comments).
I just read "Just for One Day" by Louise Wener - I reckon you could also have a book worth of experiences just from the auditions.
All the best to you both!
@adamfarr (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=20124) - was the Wener book any good?
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Thank you everyone for your feedback on this post. It's a fascinating experience transforming our songs into a format that we can perform as a duo. Some of the songs that we think will be easier to perform don't quite work but others that we initially recorded as pretty lavish productions work well in the duo format. Will aim to catch up with a few reviews on the forum over the next few days. In the mean time, here's an extract from last night's practice. Love to all
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@cowparsleyman (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=21308) yes, a bloody good read, I highly recommend- she can really write and she’s the perfect age to have all the correct references for my generation.
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@adamfarr (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=20124) - what was the title?
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@cowparsleyman (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=21308) "Just for One Day: Adventures in Britpop." Random House. 31 July 2012. ISBN 978-1-44-640792-9.
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@MonnoDB (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=19820) Isn't it so sad to see a good old music venue go to the dogs and be converted into flats. It's an only too regular occurrence. We lost four cracking venues in Portsmouth in just over 2 years. All flats now - How fecking sad
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@pompeyjazz (http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?action=profile;u=20269) - A little bit of love - very nice idea, simple and very effective, love the duo vocals, reminded me a little of Elvis Costello @ Live Aid, (the best act of the whole gig, and I'm no hardened Costello fan.)
Wouldn't mind hearing this on an acoustic Gtr.
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Hey John,
Bienvenue en France!
When I read that you were moving house...then you popped up in France.....it didn't surprise me!
Hope all is good. Might run into you one day...though we're probably further apart now than we were when you were in Southsea.
Bon courage!
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An extract from last night's practice. We've now got around 30 minutes worth of live material and working towards 40 minutes for a live set
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Always loved that song. One of my faves of yours. Maybe you could get even jazzier with the chords in this version. Power to your arms!
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Great story John and super videos. You are right about doing guitar on your own, it's like your naked (there's a thought I don't want again!). I think it's a little easier on acoustic than electric but fair play to you. Good luck!
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Wow things have moved on a hell of lot in the PJ story since I last looked in...Good Luck John....PUP
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Here's our latest practice. We're up to 11 songs and will hopefully be gigging soon :)
Looking forward to it immensely :)