jbone
1075 posts
Oct 09, 2012
4:12 AM
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Jolene and I have been working up a 20 minute set to do next weekend at a blues challenge in the Ozarks. Her rig is the 40's or 50's Regal parlor guitar tuned open for slide, plugged into a Danelectro Nifty Fifty ss amp. Distortion settings majorly hot. Stuff just DRIPPING off the strings. She's using a glass slide which she likes a lot but I think I'll suggest a chrome slide just to see if it will give off some more of that good stuff.
My harp rig is a few various Suziki Manji harps played through a modded E-V dynamic mic, throuigh a Lone Wolf delay pedal, and into my 60's Silvertone 1482 amp. Again, a loud distorted sound bomb here.
She's got me doing all the vocals so she can just wail on the guitar.
Our set will be "Roll and Tumble", Lil Red Rooster, and 3 originals: "South Out of Jville","Baby Cookin'", and "Headed for the Delta". We're going to take our little camera and set it up and run it during the set to see if we can capture the set. It's a typical Blues Foundation Blues Challenge. Winner out of 4 or 5 solo/duos gets to compete next February in Memphis at the International Blues Competition. Jo and I have competed in local challenges like this a few times in recent years. This one is sponsored by Arkansas' newest blues society the Buffalo River Blues Society, based in Leslie, AR, near the Buffalo River.
We have our set down to a smokin' 20 minutes, which is the limit for the competition. We're competing against 4 other acts, two of which (at least) are previous winners who have been to Memphis in recent IBC's. We believe our set will be the hottest thing since chili peppers.
This may be our best set yet for an IBC challenge!
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Rubes
592 posts
Oct 09, 2012
4:21 AM
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Good luck guys!!
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One of Rubes's bands, DadsinSpace-MySpace
Old Man Rubes at Reverbnation
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Sarge
250 posts
Oct 09, 2012
9:13 AM
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Good luck jbone--break a leg!
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Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
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jbone
1076 posts
Oct 10, 2012
8:34 PM
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Sarge, I may have to! thanks for the vote of confidence sir.
and thank you as well Rubes!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa7La7yYYeE
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Tuckster
1160 posts
Oct 11, 2012
7:32 AM
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Good luck! In Memphis,I wouldn't play those 2 covers,unless you have a very unique take on them. They have a "no Mustang Sally" rule. I think those 2 songs fit that rule.
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The Iceman
485 posts
Oct 11, 2012
4:58 PM
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I like the "Zen Gunslinger" approach to competitions.
For instance, jbone sez "We have our set down to a smokin' 20 minutes".
Now really, how common is this? Everyone wants a "smokin' set". Badass. Even Kim Wilson titled his live recording "Smokin' Joint".
Now, at a competition where every band gets up for their 20 minute "smokin' set", "smokin'" starts to fatigue the ears of the judges. Just how many "smokin' sets" can one listen to, one after the other? Who wins? The "smokin'est"?
The "Zen Gunslinger" approach would be to incorporate just the opposite into their 20 minute set....how quiet can you play one song? How slow can you perform one song (without it imploding)? If you need to smoke something, let it be the last 3 or 4 minute song of the set AFTER you've done the opposite for 15 minutes, or start with a short "smokin'", follow with 14 minutes of "not smokin'" and end with a quick "smokin'".
This is how to impact judges/audiences and will make you stand out of the crowd.
(Have used this approach during my formative "competition years" and won 1st or 2nd place consistently because of it). It's kinda like winning because you are not trying to win...(Learned this from reading "Shogun" by James Clavell - Japanese dude wanted to become the "Shogun" and achieved it by "not wanting" to become the "Shogun").
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The Iceman
Last Edited by on Oct 11, 2012 5:04 PM
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Cole
23 posts
Oct 11, 2012
5:51 PM
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Hi Jbone... I've competed in 6 local challenges (both band & solo/duo)and went to IBC in 2010 (band) and again this past Feb as a solo. Everyone should go to IBC at least once, it was so amazing to see such a gathering of amazing talent in the blues!
I learned some great things competing I would like to share with you that I hope you may find useful. Here goes:
1. Just because you have 20 minutes for a set doesn't necessarily mean you have to use it all down to the last second. You're plenalized for going over not presenting a shorter set. Save room for what you already do at gigs: engage the audience, create audience participation, thank the sponsoring society... especially the judges. Without dialogue the show will feel rushed.
2. Showmanship... are you fun to watch? As you finish a solo have your partner draw attention to the audience by announcing your name. Introduce yourselves more than once. Judges take mental notes when they hear audience applaud favorably for the most part, whether they liked your solo or not. Clothes... yeah, it's important. I've seen people walk on stage at IBC in jeans & t-shirts. But it never helped them. Semi- finals and finals people where dressed to the nines!
3. As you know you're also judged on originality. People imediately confuse that with originals. I thought about this long and hard. I wanted to do recognized covers rather than an obscure one. I covered Back Door Man at my solo IBC. My reasoning was to show a creative twist to a old standard. I slowed it down, put a funky second line groove on it and wrote a new verse and made a big deal out of it. That went over pretty well.
Rollin' & Tumblin' and Red Rooster all great tunes, I do 'em myself. You'll hear those songs at IBC alot. My challenge to you is to really reach in and do something new and different with those tunes... that ain't never been done. You need to score points in multiple categories for blues standards otherwise you'll lose the judges before the first verse is done.
4. If you end up going to IBC, you'll need lots of dough. If your sponsoring society gives you a check for $100 and says have fun (don't laugh, it happened to me!!!) they just don't have any idea how expensive it is!
Some societies have more money to give than others and the bands usually get the lions share. The smart societies will create fundraiser gigs, ask for corporate sponsorships, apply for grants for the arts and etc. There is fundrazor.com and all the social networking a blues guy & girl could ask for to help you out.
I drove down to Memphis both times ate brakfast & lunch in my hotel room and ate dinner out and still spent a ton of money!
5. Pray you get decent judges! I did a local competition once as a duo. We were white hot! And we didn't even place. It was because three of the judges did not understand the judging criteria. Two of the embarassed judges after the event was over pulled us aside and told us we should of won the competition. So play to the judges, every time I did, I won.
6. Gear. Poop happens, have a back up plan in case something goes south on stage. What if your amp takes a dump, you need to have a vocal mic in front of you. You should plan to anyway so you can talk, hum, whatever. It sounds by your description your stage set is minimal and quick set up. Really essential in Memphis.
Here's a biggie: sound check. Don't let anybody rush you. Don't start until until you're satisfied. No matter what. Get it right and your show will feel good and sound good to you. There's something about competitions that is nerve wracking... it's not like a gig vibe.
Have fun, be sincere and have a great time! I know you'll do well! Best of luck to you both!
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Cole Stevens
www.colestevens.net
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jbone
1077 posts
Oct 11, 2012
6:35 PM
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ok, so if we do win we have plenty of good original material and time to work up another slide song or two. we've done some of our best work at blues challenges the past few years and learned a lot in the process.
we do different tempos and grooves as well.
frankly we do these things because it's a great opportunity to grow and to stay our right size at the same time. at our age we hold no great expectations of touring in the traditional sense although some pro recording time would be nice. we do plan to travel in a few years once i'm retired. that will certainly include music as well as sight seeing etc.
i appreciate the insights you guys have given. every little bit helps!
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http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000386839482
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa7La7yYYeE
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Rick Davis
799 posts
Oct 12, 2012
8:18 AM
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It's not just the music: You need wardrobe, choreography, and dialogue. The winning bands have it all down.
I was at IBC earlier this year; one of the best times I've ever had.
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-Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
Last Edited by on Oct 12, 2012 8:18 AM
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jbone
1079 posts
Oct 13, 2012
7:12 AM
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you should see my hat. may get pics or video. we are simple to choreograph since we sit down to play. Jo can't use a guitar strap. i am the mouthpiece in this set and will connect with audience and intro songs. it's not our first rodeo.
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http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000386839482
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa7La7yYYeE
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waltertore
2570 posts
Oct 13, 2012
9:00 AM
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hi jbone: Just be yourself. Forget all this staging/acting stuff. I have know too many "artists" that created personas and then get famous. They get locked into that as to who they are and oftentimes feel trapped in that role and who they really never emerges. Also judges takes on ones music will be very unpredictable. Some might like that stuff, others not, etc.. For me, the most moving people I have met in my life are the ones that were transparantly honest. Why? Because it is such a rare occurance amoung adults. Walter
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walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
4,000+ of my songs
continuous streaming - 200 most current songs
my videos
Last Edited by on Oct 13, 2012 9:01 AM
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Rick Davis
804 posts
Oct 13, 2012
10:28 AM
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Walter, if you want to advance to the finals at the IBC in Memphis ya gotta have the whole package goin' on. If you think you can just stand there and play your regular club set you are destined to lose.
I understand your point about authenticity. But I don't think we get trapped into anything by doing everything we can to make an impression with the judges in Memphis. It's fun, and if you win you get to the chance to tour and do festivals and present yourself any way you like.
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-Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
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waltertore
2571 posts
Oct 13, 2012
12:05 PM
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Rick: I said be yourself. For me that means wearing pretty flashy suits, walking the crowd, doing whatever flashes through me (and I have done some pretty wild things over the past 4 decades) and other stuff like that. To fake that stuff, because it isn't you shines bright to me and I leave. I was good friends with Roy Buchanan. He was asked to join the rolling stones. He declined because their way of performing was not him. He still became famous just as much as say an Albert Collins (another friend) who was flashy as heck. I guess we have to define what we consider being ourselves, what art means to us, compromise, desire to make it, etc. For me, I play my music just as it wants to come out and I dress and act the same way.
My first and only time to the IBC there was a mess of trouble- bus broke down in the worst ghetto in Memphis, the cummins repair shop screwed up the repair and we ended up 10 days in their shop, had to be pushed out to the street at night because insurance rules said we couldn't stay in their gated yard, tuned my guitar to 400 instead of 440 the first night and had to deal with crack heads trying to break into our bus....... Needless to say the performing end of the trip became a low priority. I will return to the IBC one of these years and win the solo/duo catagory simply to make the statement that one can be completely spontaneous and still be interesting. Walter
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walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
4,000+ of my songs
continuous streaming - 200 most current songs
my videos
Last Edited by on Oct 13, 2012 12:08 PM
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jbone
1080 posts
Oct 14, 2012
6:12 PM
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guys, thanks for all a the good counsel. we went, we saw, we did not win. but only part of the reason we go to these is the hope of winning. we love hanging with our peers. we love honing a set and presenting it. we love all the details. and i personally always ask for our judges' scores so we know what we may need to work on for next time.
at this stage of the game i am not all that worried about the big win. what would i do with it? miss work, spend too much money in Memphis? but guess what- next year we'll be doing at least one competition again!
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http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000386839482
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa7La7yYYeE
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Joe_L
2111 posts
Oct 16, 2012
10:13 AM
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jbone - sorry to hear you didn't win. If you decide to try again, check out the Golden Gate Blues Society newsletters. They feature stories from a variety of artists that have gone to the IBC. The lessons they learned may prove useful to you and others who may take on the quest. Issues 9 and greater have people telling their tales.
http://tggbs.org/newsletters.cfm
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HarpNinja
2778 posts
Oct 16, 2012
12:14 PM
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I used to think things like this were dumb, then I thought they made sense, they I realized I just didn't like them.
The fact of the matter is, though, they put the focus on the RIGHT things to be successful as an act. At the end of the day, you can present yourself as a great act to other musicians or blues fans. Other musicians won't pay the bills. You have to give the crowd what they want to hear.
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Mike
OOTB Harmonica Price List
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jbone
1088 posts
Oct 18, 2012
4:41 AM
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ninja, we give the crowd what we want to play. a lot of the time it's very well received by most ages and walks of life etc. the material we choose is from the vault a lot of times, old enough that most people don't know where it's from or who did it originally. our own material reflects this same simple but hookish approach.
we're not looking for a career here. in our late 50's and nearing retirement, we plan to travel in a few years and meet some of you folks where you live, sit in, maybe play a gig here or there or busk on your favorite corner, but definitely not as a career move.
i may have neglected to mention the most important reason we do music. it's because we love it for itself and we love playing songs, writing songs, and recording/producing together. because we love it.
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http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000386839482
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa7La7yYYeE
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Frank
1303 posts
Oct 18, 2012
8:34 AM
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I entered one with a band called the dirty white boys along time ago in Marietta Ohio - No trophy...I have gone to a few of these over the years as an audience member too and they are always "jammed packed" with blues lovers...So your pretty much guaranteed to have a full house when you play, that's one of the advantages I would say of playin them from time to time.
Last Edited by on Oct 18, 2012 8:37 AM
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HarpNinja
2786 posts
Oct 18, 2012
8:51 AM
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"ninja, we give the crowd what we want to play."
That's a fine course of action. At its core, the IBC is about finding the next "big" thing. That tends to be the most popular and complete package and surely involves more attention to the audience. I would argue that few naturally do those things as their chief motivation for playing.
I get what you're saying, though. I could be singing in successful coverbands every weekend, but would rather play harmonica in a more laid back manner...The trade off is I don't get to gig much right now, and when I do, it is very low key.
While a large part of me would be fine playing for the people, the work involved in getting there isn't appealing. Practicing my moves like Jagger in a mirror so I can sell a Nickleback song just doesn't do it for me.
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Mike
OOTB Harmonica Price List
VHT Special 6 Mods
Note Layout Comparisons
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
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Rick Davis
824 posts
Oct 18, 2012
9:49 AM
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I've competed in the IBC three times, once making it to the finals (best four bands) here in Colorado. (BTW, the band that beat us in the finals -- Lionel Young Band -- won it all in Memphis.) I've also served on the board of the directors of the Colorado Blues Society which runs the local IBC competition, and I've been to Memphis for IBC week.
My opinion is that the IBC is a LOT of fun, but it is really more of a fundraiser than a true and fair competition. That is not to say the best band does not win. It is very subjective, and not always fairly managed. But it is what it is: A scheme to get bands to play for free to raise money to send someone else to Memphis. Go into it with that attitude and you will do well and have fun.
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-Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
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