your own band vs pick up bands
Candye Kane
for it out of their own pockets. This is not always true. Sometimes the offer
is specifically for the artist with a pick up band. I will tour in australia
later this year, using a pick up band. The offer was for me, solo, with an
australian band. I almost declined but given the state of other tours, I had to
take the work. The money I was offered would never pay for me to bring my
own band, and the promoter will save money on hotels and airfares by using
locals. I was not offered a "choice" as Dick says. The offer was for me with a
pick up band, PERIOD.
I hate to do shows with pick up bands for several reasons. The main one is
because it puts my own band out of work when I use a pick up band and I risk
losing my full time band to someone who will be loyal to them. Having a
regular band who will drop everything for your gigs is tantamount to success, imo.
I need musicians who will make my gigs their top priority because they can
count on me for consistent work. Television gigs for instance, can come up at
a moments notice, and it is really important to have a band of loyal people
who will show up at the drop of a hat.The second reason I hate to use pick up
bands is because my music is complicated, mostly original, with many stops
and unpredictable changes. It is not twelve bar blues all the time so it
requires quite a lot of work for the musicians to learn the changes involved. When
I am forced to use a pick up band, such as when I did the Blues Caravan last
year, I stuck to twelve bar blues and shuffles because it was much easier and
sounded tighter. It did compromise my show because I couldnt do anything
with any rhythm changes or anything that wasnt predictable blues. I sacrificed
originality for tightness. Deb is right when she said that fans wont get what
they deserve if everyone uses pick up bands. AND as Anthony Gomes bassist
proved, people can flake out at the last minute and are less likely to do that
if they have steady work with a person. Ana Popovic cancelled a tour earlier
this year when she had trouble with a pick up bass player. It may be an okay
option for straight ahead blues acts who never vary from the form, but for
anyone original or innovative, it is a bit more complicated. And even when the
band does know your material well, it takes several performances to get in
synch. Furthermore, there are the issues of personalities onstage and who is the
boss. I have had to use pick up bands where the musicians didnt listen to my
direction and instead deferred to the guitar player because it was HIS band
and he was their boss. I have had pick up bands with loud guitarists who got
drunk onstage and tried to upstage me, humiliate me or drown me out. Using a
pick up band can be a very tricky thing.
candye
The name artist 'could' have his own band. He's just have to pay for their
expenses out of his share of the money.
Dick Waterman
Oxford, MS
www.dickwaterman.com
_www.candyekane.com_ (http://www.candyekane.com/) for tour info and updates
_www.myspace.com/candyekaneband_ (http://www.myspace.com/candyekaneband)
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c. n.
bit, but I know too many great musicians who do it, and do it damn well, to
toss them all in that same ill fitting hat. What I have a problem with is
these "names" who too often assemble (at the last minute) whoever they can
get the cheapest, which is usually some local white guys who are willing to
work for almost nothing for a tour, just to have a chance to get out on the
road because they don't have a name made for themselves. I can't tell you
the number of times I have gone to see <fill in the blank major name> only
to say a few songs into it that the band isn't as good or as tight as most
of the blues jammers in DFW. Sadly, that is the honest truth.
On another related front, I recall when Zuzu Bollin was hired to go play
Blind Willie's in Atlanta, and he told that the "house band" there was the
best thing since pull-a-part bread. I guess he had been spoiled by the level
of musicians around DFW--but he called me after the first night, and
basically told me they were clueless.
Then again, I got a call once from Belgium, I think it was, where there was
a harmonica based band that wanted to bring Big Al Dupree over to Europe for
a couple of weeks worth of shows. Both Al and I were more than a little bit
worried about the harmpnica thing, would they be able to hang with Al and
his more lounge/smooth material. Al ended up loving the whole tour, the
band, and the harmonica player. He could not say enough good things about
them...and Al was very picky (for the record, he had been playing music
since about '36 (where he got his start in a band with T-Bone Walker's
stepdad, the Dallas Dandies).
Then there is the Henry Qualls CD. The drummer and the bass player had never
met each other, much less Henry. I knew they were great musicians though,
and had every confidence they could hang with him on the fly. The proof, is
as they say, in the pudding. Most of those tracks on his "Blues From Elmo,
Tx" CD were first or second takes, and that was it being Henry's first time
in the studio.
chuck
http://TheBluesAndThenSome.blogspot.com
http://DallasBluesSocietyRecords.com
http://BluesShirts.com
Ron Weinstock
brought in Big Joe Turner and Llody Glenn to play the Tralfamadore Cafe in
May 1977 (several years before The downtown Buffalo club opened) and we
hired some local jazz musicans who I had heard playing with their regular
bands on an ongoing basis and the bassist went on to play with one of the
major jazz vocalists of the past half century. And yet they could not play
a simple blues behind Big Joe & Lloyd. They could play <<Green Dolphin
Street> like Miles or a Wayne Shorter number, but seemed to be fighting
against Lloyd and Big Joe on simple clues.
One problem with using a local band as opposed to a touring band is that it
may limit a bands repertoire to the artist's biggest records as well as
staples of the genre.
>=========================================================================
edward
your repertoire and not have to give signals or anything ...the band leader
will assess the skills, give the cues etc...
Ed V...
TALENTLESS SITE
Free Music Downloads
http://www.edvadasblues.com/
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gtr...@prodigy.net
Or Ray Charles Band leader . Pretty neat all the band leader have to carry
around that is visible is a Wand.
Guitar Mac.
"GUITAR MAC BLUES BAND LEADER OF THE YEAR"
http://www.guitarmac.com
http://www.myspace.com/guitarmac1
http://www.myspace.com/guitarmac
http://www.soundclick.com/pro/view/01/default.cfm?bandID=303037&content=stat
ions
Roger Hurricane Wilson
players that I don't know, Players that know what I do and what to expect
from me. That way, when I do tour, I have a dependable rhythm section for
that leg, then everybody goes home happy until next time. The music isn't
rocket science, but there are little nuances and occasional things musically
that have to be accounted for, and usually are when I have my main guys,
whoever they are. The Chuck Berry thing (introducing the band onstage to
each other) works good for some, but not for everyone.
Thanks, Roger
Roger "Hurricane" Wilson
Bluestorm Records
P O Box 1212
Kennesaw, GA 30156
Tel: 678-296-9850
Fax:770-974-6268
E-mail: ro...@hurricanewilson.com
Website: www.hurricanewilson.com
Michele Lundeen
voice and some percussion), I feel I'm especially vulnerable to the
attention or lack thereof that some players might put into my music so it's
always been a gamble to hire a sub or "pickup" a player. If you have any
unusual arrangements they can go in the toilet pretty fast or mostly just
end up being plain left off the list. Obviously you look for the best
players but that doesn't always mean they take time to learn the material
even if they say "no problem"! I don't perform 5 days a week and the guys I
work with are tight but have other bands too so I've ended up with 2 rhythm
sections to alternate in but a lead player that knows my stuff is essential.
My most recent, long run guitarist was a gem... not only is he an
accomplished player but he learned ALL of my material on his own before
rehearsal (what a concept!)... including some of the nuances that a few of
my guys never tuned into before and became the band leader by default
because he was interested in having it be right and also interested in
allowing me not to have to literally direct my band all the time. He even
wrote charts out for every tune. Invaluable! This is a player that I finally
felt I could count on to "sell" as my touring unit. If I can't bring my band
then at least my "band leader," in this case my guitarist. And if push came
to shove we could pickup a bassist or keys and work as a trio sometimes.
After many years of playing and dealing with all the egos and personal
pitfalls of some players it was a huge blessing to find this gem. An amazing
player who came to play not to prance around, worry about what song we're
doing next or even complain about not singing enough. Geez! Needless to say,
a more established artist than myself with a lot of touring work came along
recently and hired this gem of a player away. That's show biz. I'm bummed
for me but truly thrilled for him. I've been able to use a former guitarist
of mine so far until I find the right fit. Ahhhh
But, yeh, band leader... cool. Then the other thing ya always gotta have in
general is a sense of humor!
Onward...
Michele Lundeen
www.michelelundeen.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Blues Music List [mailto:BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG] On Behalf Of
edward
Sent: Monday, June 05, 2006 8:46 AM
To: BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG
Subject: Re: your own band vs pick up bands
Like i said before, hire a band leader to travel with you, Then you can do
your repertoire and not have to give signals or anything ...the band leader
will assess the skills, give the cues etc...
Ed V...
TALENTLESS SITE
Free Music Downloads
http://www.edvadasblues.com/
>
> One problem with using a local band as opposed to a touring band is that
> it may limit a bands repertoire to the artist's biggest records as well as
> staples of the genre.
Blues-L web site: http://www.netspace.org/~blues-l/
edward
assumes.
Ed V...
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> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
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>
>
Blues-L web site: http://www.netspace.org/~blues-l/
pat boyack
name? Come on now, tell us who it is.
Pat B
On Mon, 5 Jun 2006 12:32:21 -0700, Michele Lundeen <luck...@msn.com>
wrote:
>My most recent, long run guitarist was a gem... not only is he an
>accomplished player but he learned ALL of my material on his own before
>rehearsal (what a concept!)... including some of the nuances that a few of
>my guys never tuned into before and became the band leader by default
Blues-L web site: http://www.netspace.org/~blues-l/
Michele Lundeen
It's the fab Heine (Heineken without the Ken) Andersen originally from
Denmark now touring with our own Miz Candye Kane. He used to tour the US and
Europe with fab soul/bluesman Earl Thomas who met him in Denmark. Heine
eventually married one of the Jezebelle's, Earl's backup singers and now
resides in San Diego lucky for me. He's been a delight to work with.
xo Michele
-----Original Message-----
From: Blues Music List [mailto:BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG] On Behalf Of pat
boyack
Sent: Monday, June 05, 2006 8:30 PM
To: BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG
Subject: Re: your own band vs pick up bands