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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
The Best Musicain that ever angered you.
The Best Musicain that ever angered you.
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JustFuya
438 posts
Aug 31, 2014
12:34 AM
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On stage or in the studio. Not looking for names. Just an experience that you care to share.
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Dragonbreath
19 posts
Aug 31, 2014
12:59 AM
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A drummer that's really good but plays way too hard and loud. Even with those broomy drumsticks. A really gifted guitar player that just keeps on spacing out in weird chord progressions. A technically great bass player that just doesn't seem to be able to grasp a basic 12 bar blues. Sigh. I need a new band ;)
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The Iceman
1986 posts
Aug 31, 2014
8:26 AM
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Those very talented musicians who are too self involved to understand ensemble playing.
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The Iceman
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Goldbrick
656 posts
Aug 31, 2014
9:01 AM
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Guys who tell you thats not how their old band did the song. And refuse to try it another way
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Barley Nectar
506 posts
Aug 31, 2014
11:57 AM
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I was at a jam and a fellow showed up that several other musicians knew. This guy looked like the real deal. I went up and introduce myself. Told the guy I played harp. Well, the SOB ignored me. Rude grumpy bastard. Later he got up on stage, I was already there. He had a well worn Tele and a little Webster Chicago amp. He called out a time signature and the key. Wow, this guy could play! We did four songs but he never gave me a lead. Rotten Bastard I thought...I was about to get down when he called another song and he gave me a glance. Well, maybe one more. The guy said, "this is a real cooker". Off we went. Wish I remembered the song but it did cook. Finally Mr. Personality gave me a lead. For the next 12 bars I played the some of the best harmonica I ever played in my life. I got a tickle in my throat and wanted to cough but I kept at it. My eyes were watering but I was not going to cough. I was going to show this SOB what I had. We stretched the song and I got a second lead. When it was over I got down, so did Mr Personality. He came up to me and proceeded to tell me his life story. His demeanor changed drasticly. I had the great honor of playing with Charlie Donelan several times after that. We had mutual respect for one another. https://myspace.com/charliedonelanblues
Charlie, if your out there, take care buddy...Goose
Last Edited by Barley Nectar on Sep 01, 2014 7:11 AM
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nacoran
7976 posts
Aug 31, 2014
12:07 PM
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Injured band member that put our band on hiatus while he recovered (for months) and then called the bass player to do a side project instead. We confronted, he said, we'll I never thought of the band as my main thing.
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Nate
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First Post- May 8, 2009
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JustFuya
440 posts
Aug 31, 2014
12:54 PM
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I'm not going to lump drummers into a group but in my experience, they have created the most contention and the best fun both on and off stage. They are a special breed and, I think, under appreciated for the most part.
In my last band our drummer was magic and was fired three times in the two years I was with them. He would play loud but not because he had a driving need to overpower the rest of the band. He simply had a problem with the lead's uncivil direction and enjoyed pissing him off.
We tried replacements but none had his sparkle and I always interceded on his behalf. It wasn't a hard sell. From a business standpoint he was essential. He socialized more than any of us and got us the bar gigs. I have nothing against Moose Clubs and Elk Lodges but really. It's hard for me to work up a boogie vibe in those places.
But it was the lead that made me walk although I still play with them on occasion. I wanted to play harp but he insisted I play flute. I let him know that I admire Ian Anderson but didn't want to be pigeonholed. Yet Locomotive Breath was always on the set list. I did some back up singing but it was monotone. None of my delightful wiggles(?) were allowed.
But the band was his creation and I respect that. There was talk of mutiny behind his back but I couldn't participate. It meant a lot more to him than it did to me and dirty tricks are not part of my musical repertoire.
Last Edited by JustFuya on Aug 31, 2014 1:19 PM
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Dragonbreath
20 posts
Aug 31, 2014
1:42 PM
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I don't really get angry, and my first example was obviously just a joke, me and my friends always have a great time. But I remember I did actually get kind of angry one time when I met a younger kid I kind of know (20 something, younger brother of a friend) in a park, he had his guitar and was with a friend of his. I said hi and he asked me if I had any harps on me and wanted to jam a little with him. I did have some harps, and we start playing, but it was impossible. He plays really well technically and it does sound good when he plays by himself, but it's actually very unstructured and he mixes everything at once, strumming, picking, missing changes and beats and it's just an introvert big noisy mess with no room or basic flow to fill in harp. I'm just thinking this is pointless and say I have to go.
Then another night I pass by a local rock bar on my walk home and go inside for a beer, and I have one of my vintage parlors with me and he's there. Of course he's very interested in checking the guitar out and wants to play with me. OK, I'll give it another shot, but it's just the same. Sounds like a noisy mess and no room for me to add anything. But this time I get really irritated and he's playing my guitar so I think it's ok to tell him, you can't play this guitar like that, it just sounds like a noisy mess. With that kind of playing it sounds like crap. And if you don't have a steady beat to begin with it's useless. You have to separate the bass and treble more. When played right this guitar sounds like magic. The bass notes really resonate eerily well, so start with building a bass with thumb picking. And this is the most important part, you create a groove, then you can add some fills and whatever you want but just don't mess up the basic beat. He asks me what bass line to play. I say whatever just play da-dum, da-dum, da-dum. Well, whadya know, he plays just like I told him, flawlessly, fills out with every delta style sound you could think of, harp fits perfectly and it all sounds awesome and inspiring. We have a great little session, the bartender turns of background music and everyone (like 10 people) sit around and listen. We end on a high.
When I think about how insecure he sounded when he asked me what beat to play I realize the kid just wanted to impress me. That's all. He just tried to hard and was too unstructured. So next time someone seems like a self centered idiot who doesn't seem to give a f. bout anyone else, maybe they're just insecure and trying they're best to get your approval.
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JustFuya
442 posts
Aug 31, 2014
3:47 PM
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I'll take the drama of a good musician over the playing of a bad one that thinks he's good. But to be honest, the good ones with whom I've played don't come with baggage (for the most part). It's all about the art. I am not a virtuoso and readily share my weak areas right off the bat. The good ones coax me to be stronger by gently goosing. A great musician wants you to succeed for unselfish reasons.
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The Black Pit
23 posts
Sep 01, 2014
1:10 PM
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The extended drum or (worse) keyboard solos that were prevalent in the 70's. Letting the band take 5 in the middle of a long show is one thing, a 20 minute ego trip is something else.
Nowadays the only thing that pisses me off is performers feeling they need to vent their personal political views on stage.
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"The blues are the roots of all American music. As long as American music survives, so will the blues."...Willie Dixon
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Philosofy
597 posts
Sep 01, 2014
2:13 PM
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The best musician that angered me was Ray Charles. In 1987 I paid $120 for two tickets. He played for 20 minutes, no encore, and messed up Eleanor Rigby by repeating the same verse twice.
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LSC
678 posts
Sep 01, 2014
4:00 PM
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Having hired no end of sidemen over the years there have been a few who have angered me but the best musician to piss me off was....wait for it....a guitar player. OMG! You never would have guessed.
This particular guy was a genuine living legend and, without fear of exaggeration, one of the best guitar players in the world. Seriously. Not a blues player as such, though he could certainly cover that when required, but could play Travis style country licks that were jaw dropping and old school rock and roll with the best of anybody you've ever heard in your life. Period. He'd played with a few big names and is on some records you still hear today on radio all over the world.
Thing was he was equally legendary for being a pain in the ass, yet most of the guys around still really loved him. The biggest problem was he was almost always right. He just could have gone about things differently.
One classic example. We show up to an out of town pub gig that I had done before. He asks where the dressing room is and I direct him to a room upstairs that we had used previously. The guy goes upstairs and as was his usually habit skins up a joint. This young guy then walks into the room and says, "Uh, excuse me but I live here." What I didn't know was that the new manager had moved into that room.
I find out about the situation when I find said guitar player arguing with some little barmaid who didn't know who he was and could have cared less if she did. The guy was being a complete ass.
So I find out the complete situation and ask the manager where were supposed to go. He directs me to the hallway upstairs which is actually pretty roomy and there are chairs, a sofa, and a table set up. And it's private.
I go tell the guitar player what is going on with the room, that it was just an honest mistake, and what they've given us is fine. More room actually. He continues to throw hissy fits so I walk away assuming he'll calm down and I go upstairs.
A few minutes later the manager comes up and tells me that he thinks I have a problem. I go back down and there is our guitar player, guitar case in hand, and his mate carrying his amp, headed for the door.
Still trying to save the show, the show is everything, I'm holding my temper and asking him who he thinks he's hurting by walking out? The barmaid doesn't give a shit, the manager doesn't give a shit, and all he's doing is dropping the rest of us, who haven't done a damn thing, into deep doodoo big time. He just turns and walks away. He walked quite a ways to the train station and took a train home, leaving me with several hundred drunk ass students wanting to party and a pub manager threatening a lawsuit. How we saved the gig is another story but we did save it.
Many weeks later I happened to rush into a music shop to buy a harp, late to a gig, and there was our "hero". It was the first time I'd seen him in several weeks since the incident. I didn't have time to mess about and ignored him but as I start to leave he pipes up, "That's right just walk away." He then lays on some insults to me, my friends, and other players in the area. At that point I lifted him off his feet by his throat and put him against the wall. A couple of guys quickly jumped in and I let go. As I was walking out the door he was still shouting crap.
The epilog: I didn't speak to the guy for a couple of years when I went with my girlfriend to see this all-star band he was doing a one off with in the neighborhood. All my mates in the muso community were going to be there and it was going to be world class special.
During the break I went to find my friends and accidentally walked into the pool room not knowing it was being used as the dressing room. There were a bunch of my friends but also the band including the central figure of this story. We sat across the room from each other neither acknowledging the other.
When it came time for the band to go back on we found ourselves next to each other, the last ones going through the door. I really hate these sort of feuds and all of a sudden without even thinking I turned and said, " _____, we're too old for this shit." and stuck out my hand. He just smiled and said, "You're right there, Steve, " and shook my hand.
The band played an absolute blinder the second set.
The man in question passed away a couple of years ago and that was sad indeed. We remained friends and even played together a few times after. To this day he is still one of the best guitar players I ever came across anywhere, let alone had the good fortune to play with. I speak of him often and I always credit him with having taught me so much about being a player and particularly not accepting everything that is thrown at you and having respect for yourself and what you do. Like I said, his most annoying feature was the bastard was almost always right....almost. R.I.P., M.G.
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LSC
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LSC
Last Edited by LSC on Sep 01, 2014 4:11 PM
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JustFuya
450 posts
Sep 01, 2014
5:17 PM
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@LSC - Excellent point. Disagreements are human nature but anger is a choice. I used to get big kicks from stirring up hornets nests. Eventually I found that I got more satisfaction from extending my hand in a friendly nature. It's an easy move and most find the gesture irresistible.
I had a particular incident in mind when I opened this thread. It was an unpleasant introduction to possibly the best guitarist I've ever shared with. He had a studio in Reno. We laid down some tracks but I despised his direction. He got what he wanted and in spite of the animosity we both agreed we would do it again soon.
Alas, he died 3 days later. We had ended on a pretty good note but we never had the chance to work out the bugs that didn't really count.
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paulbunyn
100 posts
Sep 02, 2014
2:03 PM
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So far two guitarist, surprise, One was a fairly good guitarist but wanted nothing to do with other "wannabe" musicians. the second was a little better guitarist, 19ish, he could really play well but you couldn't understand a thing he was singing. My friend, in his mid 70's and a 40 year stage veteran and much better guitarist (IMO)tried to compliment him on his playing. The disrespectful little shit/twit snubbed him like he thought he was Stevie Ray Vaughn. I can't stand a musician with his head up his ass. I don't care how good he is.
BTW I consider myself still a "wannabe". Others are kind enough to say I'm better than that.
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