pros & cons of the pick up band
Tom Holland
depths of lurking and put in my 2 cents.
I've seen alot frontmen being backed up by sub par pick up bands, too many
to mention, and as a bandleader myself, (when not touring with James Cotton)
I've had the pleasure (so far) of being the dreaded "pick up band." I've
witnessed so many pick up bands crash and burn that I make sure that #1, the
other band member can handle the material, #2 that they learn the said
person's material, & #3 in terms of myself, make myself available to the
person I'm backing, in terms of picking them up at the airport, or getting
equipment set up for them, in terms of at the club, or getting it from a
rental company. I've seen that doing at least those 3 things make the gig
enjoyable, and as stress free as possible. So far its seemed to work very
well, as I've had my band be hired as the pick up band for many people
coming through the midwest, including Carey Bell, Shirley Johnson, Hubert
Sumlin and recently, blues-l's own Rev. Billy C Wirtz.
just my 2 cents
Tom Holland
Tom Holland & the Shuffle Kings
http://www.shufflekings.com
http://www.myspace.com/shufflekings
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Chas Winans
I'll certainly vouch for Tom's band, and can always recommend that anyone coming through Chicago or surrounding area needing one look into Tom Holland's, if he's available. It's more difficult for an general non-musician audience member to truly appreciate a good pick-up band until they've heard a few really bad ones. Tom's band has always been terrific, and I've seen them behind several different major artists.
On the opposite side, there are too many who just either don't rehearse, don't do their homework prior to the gig or are just not very good players as a group. Individually they might be fine. But the role of a good pick-up band member is really a thankless one. Most people don't know the difference until they hear a band doing something terribly wrong.
Three years ago, I covered a festival on the west coast. On the final day of the festival, with about 90% of the crowd at the main stage in the early evening to hear a legendary headliner, I opted to hit a smaller stage for yet another legendary performer at the opposite end of the grounds. I'd always enjoyed this guy's music and recordings, and still do. But his backing band that evening was just horrible, and they weren't playing anything complex.
At one point early in the set, this legendary performer called out "shuffle in D", and began playing. The band came in on time in back of him, obviously playing one step above that, in the key of E.
You'd think at that point, after a few measures, the headliner and backing back would get things straightened out, and everyone would get on the same page. But they didn't. They played the whole song like that. It was a harbinger of things to come for the rest of the 40-minute show. This set was one of the worst-sounding shows I'd ever heard going back to a high school battle of the bands I participated in, back in the early 1970s.
I got some great shots of this show, but it was one of those moments I was very happy that still photographs emit no sound!
P.S. I still like the legendary performer in question, and would go out of my way to see him again -- just not with that band!
Chuck Winans, President
Portraits In Performance Photography, Inc.
Chicago, Illinois
www.pipphotography.com
Steven Harnar
s
Chas Winans <chuc...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
Now that my buddy and new daddy Holland has punched in on this issue, I'll do the same. There are pick-up bands, and then there are pick-up bands. Both Tom and I have seen a lot of good and lousy ones.
I'll certainly vouch for Tom's band, and can always recommend that anyone coming through Chicago or surrounding area needing one look into Tom Holland's, if he's available. It's more difficult for an general non-musician audience member to truly appreciate a good pick-up band until they've heard a few really bad ones. Tom's band has always been terrific, and I've seen them behind several different major artists.
On the opposite side, there are too many who just either don't rehearse, don't do their homework prior to the gig or are just not very good players as a group. Individually they might be fine. But the role of a good pick-up band member is really a thankless one. Most people don't know the difference until they hear a band doing something terribly wrong.
Three years ago, I covered a festival on the west coast. On the final day of the festival, with about 90% of the crowd at the main stage in the early evening to hear a legendary headliner, I opted to hit a smaller stage for yet another legendary performer at the opposite end of the grounds. I'd always enjoyed this guy's music and recordings, and still do. But his backing band that evening was just horrible, and they weren't playing anything complex.
At one point early in the set, this legendary performer called out "shuffle in D", and began playing. The band came in on time in back of him, obviously playing one step above that, in the key of E.
You'd think at that point, after a few measures, the headliner and backing back would get things straightened out, and everyone would get on the same page. But they didn't. They played the whole song like that. It was a harbinger of things to come for the rest of the 40-minute show. This set was one of the worst-sounding shows I'd ever heard going back to a high school battle of the bands I participated in, back in the early 1970s.
I got some great shots of this show, but it was one of those moments I was very happy that still photographs emit no sound!
P.S. I still like the legendary performer in question, and would go out of my way to see him again -- just not with that band!
Chuck Winans, President
Portraits In Performance Photography, Inc.
Chicago, Illinois
www.pipphotography.com
Chas Winans
A big music company sponsoring an event, or a band for a headliner at an event, is also a good idea IF there is a big music company closeby, and IF there is something in it for them aside from doing "good works for the blues". Bring them the "good works for the blues" idea by itself, and they often will say "Thank you very much, have a nice day".
Unfortunately, hoping everyone would just get along and help one another in most situations IS somewhat of a pipe dream. Lots of pieces of a puzzle must be put into place for any sort of festival or music event to happen successfully.
I am constantly amazed at the organizational talents of festival coordinators like Mike Cloeren (Pocono), Harry Turner (everywhere!), Paul Benjamin (North Atlantic), Pete Damaan (Waterfront) and so many others who, with a lot of cooperation from many devoted volunteers, constantly produce some of the greatest large blues festivals in the country. My hat's off to you all!
Chuck
Steven Harnar <chrfobl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
Okay for my idea, Blues Societies through out the country know the local musicians and what they can play. It might be possible to choreograph pick up bands in different parts of the country but it would mean a bunch of cooperation and patience for everyone. The stage, PA, Amps and other bulky equipment would stay put. Maybe some big sound/music companies would sponsor, sure eventually everyone would get to know each other and improve over time the problem i see in something like that isn't the logistics but the egos and control freaks....If people could ever learn to get along and help one another anything could be accomplished...but i guess that is too much to ask for.
s
Steven Harnar
A big music company sponsoring an event, or a band for a headliner at an event, is also a good idea IF there is a big music company closeby, and IF there is something in it for them aside from doing "good works for the blues". Bring them the "good works for the blues" idea by itself, and they often will say "Thank you very much, have a nice day".
Unfortunately, hoping everyone would just get along and help one another in most situations IS somewhat of a pipe dream. Lots of pieces of a puzzle must be put into place for any sort of festival or music event to happen successfully.
I am constantly amazed at the organizational talents of festival coordinators like Mike Cloeren (Pocono), Harry Turner (everywhere!), Paul Benjamin (North Atlantic), Pete Damaan (Waterfront) and so many others who, with a lot of cooperation from many devoted volunteers, constantly produce some of the greatest large blues festivals in the country. My hat's off to you all!
Chuck
Steven Harnar wrote:
Okay for my idea, Blues Societies through out the country know the local musicians and what they can play. It might be possible to choreograph pick up bands in different parts of the country but it would mean a bunch of cooperation and patience for everyone. The stage, PA, Amps and other bulky equipment would stay put. Maybe some big sound/music companies would sponsor, sure eventually everyone would get to know each other and improve over time the problem i see in something like that isn't the logistics but the egos and control freaks....If people could ever learn to get along and help one another anything could be accomplished...but i guess that is too much to ask for.
s
Chas Winans wrote:
Now that my buddy and new daddy Holland has punched in on this issue, I'll do the same. There are pick-up bands, and then there are pick-up bands. Both Tom and I have seen a lot of good and lousy ones.
I'll certainly vouch for Tom's band, and can always recommend that anyone coming through Chicago or surrounding area needing one look into Tom Holland's, if he's available. It's more difficult for an general non-musician audience member to truly appreciate a good pick-up band until they've heard a few really bad ones. Tom's band has always been terrific, and I've seen them behind several different major artists.
On the opposite side, there are too many who just either don't rehearse, don't do their homework prior to the gig or are just not very good players as a group. Individually they might be fine. But the role of a good pick-up band member is really a thankless one. Most people don't know the difference until they hear a band doing something terribly wrong.
Three years ago, I covered a festival on the west coast. On the final day of the festival, with about 90% of the crowd at the main stage in the early evening to hear a legendary headliner, I opted to hit a smaller stage for yet another legendary performer at the opposite end of the grounds. I'd always enjoyed this guy's music and recordings, and still do. But his backing band that evening was just horrible, and they weren't playing anything complex.
At one point early in the set, this legendary performer called out "shuffle in D", and began playing. The band came in on time in back of him, obviously playing one step above that, in the key of E.
You'd think at that point, after a few measures, the headliner and backing back would get things straightened out, and everyone would get on the same page. But they didn't. They played the whole song like that. It was a harbinger of things to come for the rest of the 40-minute show. This set was one of the worst-sounding shows I'd ever heard going back to a high school battle of the bands I participated in, back in the early 1970s.
I got some great shots of this show, but it was one of those moments I was very happy that still photographs emit no sound!
P.S. I still like the legendary performer in question, and would go out of my way to see him again -- just not with that band!
Chuck Winans, President
Portraits In Performance Photography, Inc.
Chicago, Illinois
www.pipphotography.com
Blues-L web site: http://www.netspace.org/~blues-l/
Walter Potter
--
maxdog
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Steven Harnar <chrfobl...@yahoo.com>
> Okay for my idea, Blues Societies through out the country know the local
> musicians and what they can play. It might be possible to choreograph pick up
> bands in different parts of the country but it would mean a bunch of cooperation
> and patience for everyone. The stage, PA, Amps and other bulky equipment would
> stay put. Maybe some big sound/music companies would sponsor, sure eventually
> everyone would get to know each other and improve over time the problem i see in
> something like that isn't the logistics but the egos and control freaks....If
> people could ever learn to get along and help one another anything could be
> accomplished...but i guess that is too much to ask for.
>
> s
>
> Tom Holland wrote:
> In light of all the talk of pick up bands, figured I'd creep out from the
> depths of lurking and put in my 2 cents.
>
> I've seen alot frontmen being backed up by sub par pick up bands, too many
> to mention, and as a bandleader myself, (when not touring with James Cotton)
> I've had the pleasure (so far) of being the dreaded "pick up band." I've
> witnessed so many pick up bands crash and burn that I make sure that #1, the
> other band member can handle the material, #2 that they learn the said
> person's material, & #3 in terms of myself, make myself available to the
> person I'm backing, in terms of picking them up at the airport, or getting
> equipment set up for them, in terms of at the club, or getting it from a
> rental company. I've seen that doing at least those 3 things make the gig
> enjoyable, and as stress free as possible. So far its seemed to work very
> well, as I've had my band be hired as the pick up band for many people
> coming through the midwest, including Carey Bell, Shirley Johnson, Hubert
> Sumlin and recently, blues-l's own Rev. Billy C Wirtz.
>
> just my 2 cents
>
> Tom Holland
> Tom Holland & the Shuffle Kings
> http://www.shufflekings.com
> http://www.myspace.com/shufflekings
>
Thom Myers
works by the guestbook method, so it's upon the musician/band element to
monitor and surf themselves. It's not limited to strictly musicians but it's
for all services. We've had it up for about two years and while I can't say
what statistics have happened as far as complete pickup bands secured, it
has steered several folks together that I'm aware of. We have broadcast this
service several times to the best of our abilities to societies and
musicians. The more people use it, the better it gets. I've had numerous
inquiries and steered people to the list. It'd be really great of all
societies with websites provided this service. What I like about it is that
the webmaster doesn't have to update info or mess around with it except to
make sure that some hacker isn't having his way with it. If any of ya'll
have any questions about what he's got running, contact him at
webm...@sierrabluessociety.org
I also know that Toez has been working on a National Resource Directory for
use by artists and artists' management, Blues Clubs, and Blues Societies
through the Luther Allison Endowment Fund. Maybe you could chime in on this
one Barb caus' I'm not aware of it's progress?
Thom Myers
President - Sierra Blues Society
Broadcaster - KVMR FM Nevada City, CA
Broadcaster - KFOK LPFM Georgetown, CA
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Walter Potter
Terence McArdle
stuff that I don't agree with and I have a few things to say:
1) Any performer should be able to do his own material with a pick-up band if
he hires musicians who bother to woodshed his material. (Bob Margolin does a
really good job with Nappy Brown. I've seen Nappy with other bands and its not
as good.)
2) A good performer should be able to furnish CD-Rs, sample set lists or song
lists with key signatures, maybe even horn charts if need be. BTW - For this
reason, Chuck Berry is not my idea of a good performer.
3) Sometimes the headliner, will come to a pick-up gig with an attitude or
maybe just too much apprehension. Then there's a lot of schict, overworked
tunes, over long vamps, maybe talking a long time between songs (for some reason a
lot of older rockabillys do this) and generally b.s.ing the audience because
they're feeling lazy or uncomfortable. But this isn't the band's fault.
4) The touring band and the home town band are not always the same. I think
this was particularly true of Chicago blues bands as a sideman who played on
the South Side might have a day gig so someone else did the road work when a
record came out.
5) Some of the older performers -- especially stand-up singers, simply don't
have back-up bands in the typical sense. They book out as a single and hire a
band. At their age, this is the best way to do business.
Which brings me to my next point -- Some of them (Joe Turner ?) probably
never did have regular bands anyway. My friend Bobby Parker toured throughout the
50s and 60s on the chitlin circuit, first with Hucklebuck Williams on a number
of the rock'n'roll package shows and later with his own band as a back-up
musician. As he will tell you, back then everything was pick-up. A hit record
came out, you learned it because you never knew who was coming through town next
or who'd be on the next tour. If you played guitar, you learned to double on
bass. Most stars only toured with partial bands (i.e. one or two key players
who could rehearse people, write charts, and give cues). For instance, Fats
Domino typically didn't bring a bass player with him on the road. And Bobby told
me that he was expected to wear different uniforms for each act he worked with.
There is so little work in Washington, DC area that most people play in two
or three bands just to stay busy. So there are gig conflicts and, of necessity,
I've had to sub out bassists and drummers. The ones who do their homework are
the ones I call back. And some of those subs eventually wind up as regulars.
Teremce
Michele Lundeen
#3) as did Ann Rabson previously...
Is Bobby Parker still doing any touring further than the DC area? Years ago
he was booked to do a show in the Reno/Tahoe area but if I recall something
happened. There was a joke that he couldn't get his hair just right! But I
had one of his CD's, Bent Out of Shape, and was really looking forward to
hearing/seeing him live. Great soul voice.
"He's one of the few remaining guitarists on this planet who can pierce your
heart and soothe your soul. He inspired me to play guitar." --Carlos Santana
Michele Lundeen
www.michelelundeen.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Blues Music List [mailto:BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG] On Behalf Of
Terence McArdle
Sent: Monday, June 05, 2006 9:22 PM
To: BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG
Subject: Re: pros & cons of the pick up band
Ron Weinstock
Bobby's still busy playing around DC. He did a really fine show at Chick
Hall's Surf Club right outside DC for the DC Blues Society in April and
this Sunday he plays the FREE Columbia Pike Blues Festival in Arlington
Virginia. He plays Madam's Organ in the Adams Morgan part of DC on a
monthly basis and is playing Da Gator Blues Festival at Lamont's in
PoMonkey (Charles County) Maryland on the 24th.
Sometimes it seems like Bobby has been hoodoo'ed. I remember one day going
to see Bobby at Alonzo's eat the Rich Picnic (prior to Alonzo's death when
it was held in his large backyard and Bobby was late starting because his
bass player's amp fell out the back of the keyboard player's truck and they
did not discover it until they were at the gig. Ouch.
Ron Weinstock
On Mon, 5 Jun 2006 22:47:30 -0700, Michele Lundeen <luck...@msn.com>
wrote:
>=========================================================================
Paul Nunis
>Sadly our society is all but kaput. They couldn't even afford to keep the domain name alive so the
web site is gone. But there has been talk of regrouping into more of just a music appreciation society
than nonprofit be everything to everybody type group. That is what killed the society in the first
place, too few people trying to accomplish too much with too little resources.
>--
>maxdog
I really hate to hear that....They helped create some good memories for me, when I was living down
among y'all.
Paul
scott cable
not generally "pick up" bands they have each worked with enough folks and have ego's that allow for a great time and are just killin' on their own.
Scott
Michele Lundeen
www.michelelundeen.com
record came out.
Teremce
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