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Post by tubez on Dec 6, 2005 21:35:13 GMT -5
Craig,
I know you are in northern FL and I assume the scene must be much different up by you then down in South Fl where I am at. You seem to be consistantly gigging and virtually here the local scene is non exsistant. The scene in the 80's and 90's was great here. Most of my friends were in top notch original bands. I was friends with all the guys in Tuff Luck and Saigon Kick. I have one friend I am still in contact with who does the cover thing locally. He plays about one to two weekends a month at the same 3 clubs. They mostly play 60's through 80's classic rock stuff. Im gettin to old for this crap....
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Post by jimbax on Dec 7, 2005 9:58:42 GMT -5
Hey, craig, what does your band play? I have a hard time visualizing you guys doing "Tie A Yellow Ribbon" and "Vacation" by the Go Go's....
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Post by Dirrty Craig on Dec 7, 2005 10:56:27 GMT -5
Tubez, yeah the scene stinks here too, don't feel bad. Yeah we play alot but its not like it was 10 -15 years ago. Back then I was playing in a wonderful scene up in Cleveland. Much better players and great original Metal up there.
Jimbax,
My band books itself as an 80's Tribute. But its much more than that really. I do lots of improv, I only play a few solos note-for note.. and we do everything from hot For Teacher, Bark at the moon, to Loudness and Dokken, White Lion, and just about everything in-between.
Its total guitar onslaught though. Were loud and the solos are a lenty which your not getting with the newer Metal bands. We thought it would be lame and wouldn't go over when we started it 3 years ago. Turns out now at any given show you'll see just about every local musician who isn't playing coming to our shows. The guys in Slaughter, Pat Travers Band and every other 'local' celebrity, Dirrty Hairy shows are the place to be in O-Town.
We draw big and people come so see us tear it up.
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Post by shreder75 on Dec 7, 2005 10:59:00 GMT -5
I was looking forward to 2 things: 1) Frankie Banali on Drums. 2) Chuck Wright on bass. (ex-Badlands). Getting to know a few of those couldn't be bad for someone like me who is into all that music. badlands? as in jake e lee's badlands? I thought Craig (or was it greg) chaison was their bass player.. sorry, I can't spell today..lol |
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Post by jimbax on Dec 7, 2005 12:33:36 GMT -5
Tubez, yeah the scene stinks here too, don't feel bad. Yeah we play alot but its not like it was 10 -15 years ago. Back then I was playing in a wonderful scene up in Cleveland. Much better players and great original Metal up there. Jimbax, My band books itself as an 80's Tribute. But its much more than that really. I do lots of improv, I only play a few solos note-for note.. and we do everything from hot For Teacher, Bark at the moon, to Loudness and Dokken, White Lion, and just about everything in-between. Its total guitar onslaught though. Were loud and the solos are a lenty which your not getting with the newer Metal bands. We thought it would be lame and wouldn't go over when we started it 3 years ago. Turns out now at any given show you'll see just about every local musician who isn't playing coming to our shows. The guys in Slaughter, Pat Travers Band and every other 'local' celebrity, Dirrty Hairy shows are the place to be in O-Town. We draw big and people come so see us tear it up. That's AWESOME! a fun place to be....especially when you get to play the stuff you like! MAJOR bonus! and you get to stretch out on solos too....man, I'm envious! I know that even playing up here in N Wisconsin that people will ALWAYS come out and see the shredders...there is a HUGE vacuum out there for that style...2 places that might provide a bigger pay-out (than Orlando area..) would be Nashville (metal is HUGE there...) and Vegas...if you guys are 'top drawer' material you can make some major bank in those cities...and play as many shows as you can handle too! |
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Post by craggin on Dec 7, 2005 13:48:56 GMT -5
Funny you guys mention the vacuum in guitar based rock. I was doing fill-ins for a while here in Rochester. One night, I was filling in on a jazz gig and this guy comes up to me during a set break and asks "do you want to play elevator music, or rip people's faces off?" I'm thinking this guy's an idiot...then he says..."I'm putting together a band based on old-school metal, and I hear the influence in your playing...wanna do it?" He sold me on it because there's a LOT of people in our age range (I'm 38) who don't have any connection with the music being played today and no other band here in Rochester is doing what he wanted to do. I signed on, and our first show was last year and was a HUGE success. The owner of the club said we have a gig at his place whenever we want it (and he's backed that up...he's called us many times), and the same goes for several other clubs. Our draw is decent, not huge...yet, but it's growing. The thing that really works in our favor is that the following we're getting is rabidly loyal.
Now, a year later, several bands doing exactly what we are have popped up...which proves there is a market for it. Our band does a mix of covers and originals and has no intention of getting signed or traveling too far as we are mostly family guys with careers, but we keep getting asked to tour with bands. (Ain't gonna happen unless I can take my family and make a little vacation out of it.)
Looks like the folks here on the Splawn forum have stumbled onto something pretty cool.
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Post by shreder75 on Dec 7, 2005 14:05:11 GMT -5
it's hard being in a band these days..I'm in a cover band and we cover alotta ground..but I feel totally outta touch...I'm the old school metal guy (but I'm no means 'dated' in likes OR style, IMO) whereas everyone else in the band's more in touch wiht the new-ish music scene these days...I like most of the stuff we do..or should I say, I have fun PLAYING most of the stuff..some of it I wouldn't be caught dead listening to that's for sure..hEHeHeHE....
but in my area (central/south jersey) there's no market for the kinda stuff that some of you other guys are doing....if I were in a band like Craig (which I couldn't be cause he plays circles around me....lol) we'd be dead in the water...
but that being said, we try to inject some adrenaline in every song we do....I know for my part, if I can get away with playing a girly cover song that's just hitting these days with bone crushing distortion, I'm gonna do it....in other words, we don't do anemic covers of any song, no matter how poppish....so that's how I get my kicks =)
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Post by jimbax on Dec 7, 2005 14:12:45 GMT -5
I did 2 gigs this summer (both outdoor and fairly sizable..) where I TOLD the people that I don't have a band...they say 'well, just go up there and play solo acoustic then (I have done a few small 'coffee house gigs' name in the paper etc....) well, I told them I would show up and fill 45 minutes...so, I recorded some back tracks of drums, bass and keys and ran it through the PA.. came up on stage and cranked out shred solos over these tracks (metal, Santana type, blues type etc...)...(I started each gig by coming out and playing my rendition of 'Star Spangled Banner' not in protest but in HONOR of our troops over in Iraq...) I thought it would be cheesy (and to some extent it was...) but people LOVED it! Because no one up here is playing hard edged music...my backing tracks had more energy coming through the PA than the full Band did that was on before me..got nothing but compliments...my 'Big Hair' days are over but my 'No Hair' days are just beginning LOL...(though, I would definitely prefer LIVE musicians..) not many up here can play and those that can...cannot bring any HEAVY game...
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Post by shreder75 on Dec 7, 2005 14:21:31 GMT -5
no hair days..
lol
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Post by jimbax on Dec 7, 2005 14:30:57 GMT -5
yea, back in the seventies I was likened to Peter Frampton....well, I have his same hair line these days too! LOL (as he looks NOW that is...)
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