What gets you out of your groove

Richard Tipple · Post by **Richard Tipple** » 1 Dec 2003 10:05 am

When Im not performing with "David Church", I often get a call to set in with some of the local groups doing the zoo clubs, and this is always fun for me with no pressure

Last Saturday I played with a group at a local VFW, pure country, lots of room for the steel untill the guitar player powered up for the gig

Three rows of stomp boxes & a processor, all hissing & groweling, everything from a banjo to a flute on the guitar & the kitchen sink thrown in all pluged into a massive session 500 with the volume knob super glued to 10!
This guy was mean looking about 50 years old with a flat top hair do & chewing gum.
After hearing He stoped loving her today with an organ lead in the middle, I knew the night was going to be rough for me the steel player and it was. Although I laid back on his lead breaks, he played all over mine every time.
After a few songs I was out of my groove & ready to do some work on the evil stomp boxes with a hammer!
As the night went on & this amature guitar player thrashed around with 200 different sounds, I managed to get my groove back & just ignore him & even got a few compliments on my playing which got me the old evil eye from this guy.
When the gig was over, most peoples ears were bleeding from the volume this guy was generating.I thought to myself, never again will I let myself be out of the groove by an idiot like that. Im glad he was just a last minute fill in.
Oh yea & it never fails, the guy who said we were great at the beginning of the night was drunk now & said the band sucked because we didnt play ,Gimmie 3 steps

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 1 Dec 2003 10:25 am

Yes Richard, that has happened to me also. But I understood the situation better when I found out that the guitar player (same mode as the one you described) was the front-man's brother!

He had played on the original CD and memorized the arrangements and was just trying to cover the ignorance of those of us who had never heard it!

www.genejones.com
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 01 December 2003 at 05:59 PM.]</p></FONT>

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 1 Dec 2003 12:09 pm

I posted a piece similar, and I have found that the ONLY way to shake these "bad gigs" off is to plug it back in, grab a couple cups of coffee, turn on a rythym machine, and go over things. I imagine "BIB" would help "give you a band" and after an hour or so your soul heals up.

When I do this in the week preceding a "bad gig" I find I can get ALL the way through the night and not "get knocked out". I can even keep the rythym steady until it's turned around, and then "go back" and grudgingly play along with "where the band is".

You have to look at it as "the bad parts" of playing music. Cops can't just show up for work on the days of "good busts", nor teachers, firemen or gynocologists for that matter...

A regular can throw down a good weld in a shop. A good welder can weld hanging off a muddy scaffold on rusty metal.

Plug it in. You're the one that you need to re-assure. It works for me.

EJL

Frank Parish · Post by **Frank Parish** » 1 Dec 2003 1:33 pm

Ear plugs!

Andy Greatrix · Post by **Andy Greatrix** » 1 Dec 2003 2:34 pm

Make sure you get the guy's name.
The next time you are called to play,
ask if this guy is on the gig.
If he is, just have an excuse ready
as to why you can't make it to the job.
Keep a list of music hogs like him
(or her)by your phone.
Life is too short to throw it away.

Gere Mullican · Post by **Gere Mullican** » 2 Dec 2003 8:07 am

The band I play in some times also has that guitar player. He is a young guy and plays an Ibanez guitar thru a Crate amp. I think his speaker is busted because every sound that comes out is so distorted and loud. He never looks up so I can nod for him to fill or take a break. He and the girl singer have a romantical thing I believe. If I had any other place to play close by I would not even think of hauling my 400 pound Nashville 400 and GFI steel where he was playing.I want to play bad enough the I know I must sacrifice. I get so tired of playing along with CDs and I am too old for anyone to want in the band. Anyway that's my 2 cents worth.
Gere

Perry Hansen · Post by **Perry Hansen** » 2 Dec 2003 8:43 am

Gere, I can relate to the too old bit. But Herb Remington told me one time to get with a band with a name ending in "Boys". That indicates that they are all older that 60.
Perry

Richard Tipple · Post by **Richard Tipple** » 2 Dec 2003 9:21 am

Well fellas looks like we all have went down this road

Hay whats all this stuff about being too old to play anymore? Hoggwash!!!!!
Next time ya think your too old just think,,,LLOYD GREEN!!!