[Billbbill]

thought I'd share this - our first go at this one from last week. Some minor mistakes and one not so minor one by yours truly where the band had my back - played back to back riff segments at the end as I (somehow!) lost track of the Riff line/chord run alternating pattern - sheesh! Got my head up my ass! Any way they came along with me - for the most part! I think in general we did a good job with some nice energy. The recording is a bit rough - I tweaked it a bit.

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze6pfva/site ... rrapin.mp3

[tapestry]

Very cool! I never got to do this with any of my bands...Love it!

[jester536]

Had a gig last night...I listen to you guys and all I can think is I'm a total hack...you guys sound great and Terrapin is a major work to take on...nicely done. You got the first one out of the shoot...now it will just get better from there. Congrats.

[Billbbill]

Had a gig last night...I listen to you guys and all I can think is I'm a total hack...you guys sound great and Terrapin is a major work to take on...nicely done. You got the first one out of the shoot...now it will just get better from there. Congrats.

tx jester but don't be too hard on yourself! I've been playing for about 30 years and I look around and see other guitarists and feel the same way - until I remember why I do it - it's way too much fun! There will ALWAYS be someone "better" so to speak - we ALL just keep plugging away trying to learn more and keep things interesting for ourselves. If anything comes out of it, it's a bonus the way I look at it.

I realize the fun part is also related to feeling like you put forth something of value, that others will enjoy and appreciate - that's where the hard work comes in I guess. I didn't even start playing guitar until I was 17 or so - After 30 years of keeping at it and pushing myself I either have to get good or I should just use the damn guitar as a big ass paperweight! I wasn't in a band for almost 25 years (mid 80's to 2009) because I was such a perfectionist and didn't think I was good enough. Big mistake - while I never stopped playing and did continue to learn I feel I could have benefitted SO much more from being engaged with other musicians trying to get it right. Don't do what I did - even if it's not where you want it to be right now keep working at it with the certainty that you WILL get better if it's your passion that's driving you.

Sorry if i sound like I'm on the soapbox here - but I know where you're coming from and it's a trap that will be very difficult to negotiate if you let it get a grip on you. Play on! And thanks again for your kind words.

[jester536]

Don't worry...you're not on a soapbox...it's just sound advice....the problem is I'm about the same vintage as you. 48 years old and still plodding away. The guys I play with are great...but not at all DeadHeads. Just once I would like to be playing with a full band of dyed in the wool DeadHeads all coming at the music with that same knowledge that listening to it for 35 years gives you. That's my real comfort zone...my work is not very good but I feel I could do my best work in that setting...but few DeadHeads as players also means few folks that would be interested in seeing a band play Dead tunes in town....it just gets frustrating at times. We play a lot of good old rock and roll and we're writing a fair amount now which is really fun...but my real passion would be a Dead tribute band...and this website shows me just how many folks are out there doing it and just how good they all are. Thanks for the advice man...I'll keep playing till I'm dead..because even I can have those moments (albeit fleeting) where everything feels "just exactly perfect".

[Billbbill]

I here ya man - it ain't all wine and roses here either in terms of draw - as a newish band (year and a half or so) some nights are better than others - can't quite figure it out either. Hopefully just a matter of some basic marketing and becoming more known - and playing some of the "right" gigs!

Sounds like the scene, or more to the point, lack of one is a big isue for where you are - that makes it next to impossible -gotta be one strong, talented, charasmatic person to start a scene where it ain't!

[JamminJommy]

Great tone!

Any jazzer will tell you that the two ways to master a style is to listen to others play it and then play it all the time. I suppose the Dead inspired musician is no different!

As for fans, "we're everywhere!" Keep the energy! It will all fall into place. Thanks for the music!

Peace,

Jommy

[vwjodyme]

"we're everywhere!"

reminded me of that old sticker "Weir everywhere"

Great playing by the way! Love when people post their band's stuff - gives me something to listen to at work.

If it were 10 yrs ago when i lived in cos cob i would have been filling your seats
my GF is from white plains and has family/friends all through southern westchester/sw conn

[Billbbill]

Very cool! I never got to do this with any of my bands...Love it!

thanks mik - been wanting to do this one for a looooong time!

[Billbbill]

Great tone!

Any jazzer will tell you that the two ways to master a style is to listen to others play it and then play it all the time. I suppose the Dead inspired musician is no different!

As for fans, "we're everywhere!" Keep the energy! It will all fall into place. Thanks for the music!

Peace,

Jommy

Thanks! That what I figure as well!

"we're everywhere!"

reminded me of that old sticker "Weir everywhere"

Great playing by the way! Love when people post their band's stuff - gives me something to listen to at work.

If it were 10 yrs ago when i lived in cos cob i would have been filling your seats
my GF is from white plains and has family/friends all through southern westchester/sw conn

Thanks! Yea I've been a bit of a So. Westchester gypsy myself - New Rochelle, Mamaroneck, Harrison (3 x), Port Chester. If you guys are ever down this way look us up!

[vwjodyme]

If you guys are ever down this way look us up!

Definitely! We are usually down a few times a year.

Port Chester

Love me some P&D pizza Man, i wish they could make them like that up here.

[Billbbill]

If you guys are ever down this way look us up!

Definitely! We are usually down a few times a year.

Port Chester

Love me some P&D pizza Man, i wish they could make them like that up here.

Ha! P & D, T & J, Clino's, Michaels, Racanelli's, Franks - not sure there's a slice in town i haven't had! My, ahem, waistline can attest to that! Live like 2 minutes from P & D.


Here's some more for listening at work - China>Rider

http://www.archive.org/download/sbb2011 ... 110520.mp3
http://www.archive.org/download/sbb2011 ... 110520.mp3

This whole gig is here and was actually pretty good (if I say so myself! ) - though not the same gig the Terrapin is from.

http://www.archive.org/details/sbb2011-05-20.sbb_aud

[jester536]

Says you are using a Zoom H4N...just using the mics on that unit...where do you place that???...you're getting a real nice mix...usually tough to get the vocals that clear.

[Billbbill]

Says you are using a Zoom H4N...just using the mics on that unit...where do you place that???...you're getting a real nice mix...usually tough to get the vocals that clear.

yea - usually we place it near a main as we mic everything - save drums & bass - as often as we can ; for the terrapin the zoom is a bit further away near the board as we have a board track as well for this one - the sbd is drum and keys heavy so we're still working on trying to patch the 2 together somehow so it aounds good - in the meantime the aud I tweaked wa a bit muddy and bass heavy so I brought the mids and highs up a bit and somewhere a bit more than a 3db boost on the whole thing. The result is clearer vocals and some more instrument definition to my ears.

If you're talking about the gig I just linked to that is a straight up aud with the unit near the 2 mains that were overhead IIRC - but no instruments were mic'd at this gig - just the vox.