HA! Got ya both beat...went to bed at 3 and up at 6:45!
Housework? So to speak...doing some NiceStock editing.
Why 3? We went up into the mountains last night to hear Nathan and his band play (he's been playing with these two guys for about 3 or 4 months). The drummer's parents (Nate's playing bass) were having a party and we were invited. The kids were also auditioning for a spot on a venue with another band that was there--some relation to the people having the party. However, what could go wrong for poor Nate and his buddies did. First, the drummer put the batter head of the kick pedal right through kick skin
which of course stopped things cold...luckily he had an old one lyin' around to replace it. But, the biggest cardinal rule of giggin' is NEVER use new equipment together for the first time. The guitar player, after playing on my PODxt, went out and bought himself a multi-effect pedal...the new Vox model I think...and used it for the first time with his Marshal. Of course, he was used to using the distrotion and crunch built into the Marshal. Bad marriage with the effect pedal! I could see he wasn't happy with the sound and then he would turn and all kinds of really ugly feedback would start howling and not stop. Well, that stopped like two tunes. So, I went up and at least got the kid into the clean channel of the amp, but he would change patches (none of which of course were ever adjusted for playing in the band) and Wham! Stop another tune. The guitarist from the band they were auditioning for came up and adjusted the patch for the guy...in the meantime I told the kid...and these are all really nice kids...that he has three patches that are working well...stick to them and you'll be okay. So he did and they finished the set. Oh, and to top it off, the battery died in the preamp of Nate's bass (no backup Son?). Overall, they were really pretty good together...but with how they reacted to the problems they were having it was clear to me--as it was to this other band (more in a second)--that the band just isn't ready for professional stage.
These kids trust me (I've kinda gradually slid in as their manager of sorts) and they came to talk to me afterward. But, they already knew what I was going to say...I'm sorry guys, but you're just not ready to play at this other band's level. You broke two rules...never use equipment that hasn't first been proven out, and never, ever stop a tune dead in its tracks. Turn down the volume, finish the tune early, whatever, but finish together and then explain that you're having some technical difficulties and fix them as fast as possible.
About the other band they were auditioning for...they were pretty pro. Damn good singer, guitarist (not nearly as good as our Ronnie, but quite respectable) and a bass player nearly as good as Lys. We talked quite a bit together...they have a drummer and keyboardist (synth) that couldn't make it...and we talked about doing their demo they're planning here at Studio ChâteauNeuf. They invited me to hear them at their next concert to understand their music--all original comp--and how they work together. We exchanged phone numbers so we'll see.
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