Musical Morons

[Al Marcus]

Quesney-Yes, I have too, been there and done that. Usually one nighters, Subs, fills, maybe a weekend contract. I needed the money, but usually got out of there when the job was over.

Most of the time I always tried to play with good musicians that I had to work hard to keep up with. I learned a lot that way. But , hang in there....al.:)

[John Steele]

"I'm not tuning my guitar down to Eb for anybody

That's hilarious.. I love that one.

My favourite happened while yelling out chord changes across the stage to an old bass player that never walked a line in his life. I'd yell out "E minor" and he'd yell back "You Don't Play Minors On A Bass !!"



-John

[Kevin Hatton]

Klaus, I'm with you on that one. Leaving out signature licks or butchering them is amateur. I've walked out of a couple of bands because of it. People make lame excuses.

[David L. Donald]

"I'm not tuning my guitar down to Eb for anybody

Yes I normally do agree.

I did tune my upright bass down a 1/2 step,
so when I sight read the classical chart for TUBA... it would work,
and not have to be transposed for a whole 30 minute Persian Suite,
that we had learned that afternoon, for a performance that night.
I can sight read and transpose, but not that much that long.

"You Don't Play Minors On A Bass !!"

Tell that to Bill Monroe!
This guy musta been a true joy to play with....

[Marlin Smoot]

If we never had a bad gig, how would we know if we had a good one?

[Klaus Caprani]

"You Don't Play Minors On A Bass"

LOL. This is great

[Klaus Caprani]

"He fired me 3 days later. ( 'oh blessed relief)"

I probably told this story before.

I had a similar experience, though not musically.
A guy who hired me as a steady sit-in player on bass promised to take care of the proper equipment for a gig (a bass amp for me), and called me ten minutes before get-in, telling me that he didn't have room for it in his car, which had the drummer and me really run for our money to collect the amplifier. It turned out that the guy didn't have the brain-capacity to lay down the rear-seats in his Merc stationcar in order to accomodate the amp.

I let him know very politely that he caused us a lot of trouble, and even though the gig was stellar was never called again. That after working my ass of for a week learning his introvert repertoire.

Incredible what one will do for money.

[David L. Donald]

And MORE incredable what some people will think
others will do for money.

[Klaus Caprani]

Or even NO MONEY Sheeesh!!

[Norma Jean Lucas]

Bill, I just read your reply and I agree but sometimes you get to back someone who can sing and knows what timing is which makes up for the ones who doesn't know the difference. Since we're doing it for the fellowship it makes one feel good that we got to make someone's day a little brighter even tho you have to drink a lot of water! When Eva (Bill's wife) is there it makes my night a lot easier. What a singer! I think she sounds more like Loretta than Loretta does.

[Bill Myrick]

Miss Eva says thank you for the kind words N.J.---we both love playing with you, it's always lots of fun. She's kicking the illness now, finally, should be there next time.

[Tony Prior]

back around 1971 or so, when I bought my Maverick, I told a local established band I could play, when in actuality I could not.
They hired me, then they fired me at the end of the first night.

I guess "I" was the musical moron.

but..the good news is that about a year or two later, the same band hired me on and off for gigs over the next 10 year period.

We all became very nice friends and I learned a ton from those guys who were much older than me.

it's very possible that I was still a moron but at least they didn't apply it to my Steel or Guitar playing !

t

[Carroll Hale]

At this time I am stuck doing a small gig on Monday nights in Heflin, Alabama with some of the worst players I have ever been around.

Sharps and flats are unknown; minor chords are not in our ability to play, and being in tune and time are options. What I will do for a small amount of money is disgraceful.

Have you ever been in a situation like that?

[/quote]

geez..this sounds familiar...I play with a group of retired mill workers......at nursing homes..etc....I call them the "Out of Time..and Out of Tune" band.....we have fun, but sometimes it is almost impossible to keep up.....or should I say keep down with them.......the folks at the nursing homes dont seem to mind.....probably cannot hear anyway.......but, we do have a good time and the old fogies love it......

[Carroll Hale]

I did the same thing a few years back. A girl singer who told me she had a "golden throat" also gave me the evil eye and said don't play those types of chords..we don't knwo them.
This was on some old classic Patsy CLine tunes.. no augs or dims..they could barely play a 2 chord.. every song she did was 3 chords.........3 chords and the truth....that is how someone defined country music to me....
btw... she could not sing!

...

[JAMES BANKS]

A few years ago, I picked up a book on scales and modes by some well known rock guitarist. At that time, I was playing steel in the church band with a guy who played a tele and he had 2 or 3 signature licks he used on every song. His tele was terribly out of intonation. It sounded awful past the 6th or 7th fret. Because of that he was always checking his open tuning. Back to the scale book, I got a copy for him and he looked it over for a couple of weeks and then he informed me that most of the scales in that book were completely wrong. He tried out to play in a country band for a friend of mine who did lots of Haggard cover material. He made it thru one audition because he could not play one Haggard kick off lick unless somebody else was playing. I do not miss playing around him at all.
James

[Les Anderson]

I have to say that most of these horror stories that I am reading in this thread are about musicians who try to play outside of their capabilities.

When I first got my steel and began jamming with some friends after about six weeks, I knew exactly what I could do and when to sit there nice and quiet. Too many beginners feel they have to get on every note and chord that the other musicians are playing and end up making a mess of things.

You can be sure that if you have to go on a search to find a chord during a number, your timing is going to be completley out to lunch.

[Barry Blackwood]

I think Herbie Meeks' Garth Brooks story is testimony as to what passes for talent these days .....

[Bill Duve]

At this time I am stuck doing a small gig on Monday nights in Heflin, Alabama with some of the worst players I have ever been around

Try another town..

Kinda depends on just how many bands there are in Heflin Al. to play in.....I had to do about the same playing lead in the Buffalo area years ago just because there may have been 5 country bands in 3/4 of a million people and 4 of them couldnt carry a tune in a 5 gallon pail, Is there even one pedal steel player in 3/4 of a million people,I dont think so ! I played with some awful bands, for little money and for some reason the people thought it was great. Likely just because thats all there was !....

[Bob Carlucci]

I have played with hackers of the worst kind, and have BEEN a hacker to some... it comes full circle.. Its all good...
I have player HORRIBLE gigs with LOUSY bands and musicians, and have played many that sounded like the voices of angels and been with stellar musicians... As stated,its all good..

When the music stinks, tough it out, hold your nose, and stick your greedy little dirty hand out at the end of the night..

Thats how I do it.. If you are lucky enough to do a gig with a great bunch of cats, find a way to weasel yourself in with them... Done that too.... bob