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 | BoogieBill on February 08, 2010 at 09:29:51: |
I really want to thank everyone for the nice comments and support I’ve gotten for some of my recent posts. I think a nice comment to a post is the board’s highest honor.. I always seem to learn so much when I do the Lunch Report—I can assure you that I get a lot out of your responses. We’ve had some great lunch reports over the last few weeks, so I’ll try to do my best on this “second highest honor.”
I’m Bill, age 59, living in Portland, Oregon, since November 2001. I lived all my adult life in Seattle, Washington. I started playing at age 15 (1965) on an old Stella tenor guitar, with my mom teaching me out of a Mel Bay book. I loved The Beatles and worked though a lot of songbooks from bands of the “British Invasion” era. (Actually, I think the first rock song I learned was “I’m Into Something Good” by Herman’s Hermits.) I had a band in high school, sang in the choir, acted in plays. I did the coffee house scene in college, and finally dropped out to take my first pro music job at a ski lodge outside Seattle. I spent twenty years doing a solo act (and played in a few band along the way). I made the leap into a band in the early ‘90’s and we did reasonably well. After I moved to Portland, I hooked up with Don and Sandy, a husband and wife duo (on bass and keyboards, respectively), and we gig fairly often. Didn’t do as much last year, mostly due to me trying to recover my health, but I’m hopeful we’ll be gigging more in the future.
I still play acoustic solo gigs, too. I love going to the acoustic Open Mics and electric blues/rock Jam Sessions.
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My girlfriend, Miss Leslie is a CPA, and already swamped with doing tax returns. I think she deserves a nice lunch—we may head out to a local “All-You-Can-Eat Salad Bar” restaurant called Sweet Tomatoes. I have to start being better about what I eat.
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While many of you are into performing live, some of you are not. For me, nothing can compare with the feeling I get when I have performed well. I have the sort of personality that loves to perform, but it didn’t come naturally for me—I DO have a very shy side. I really had to work at it, and I still have to work at it. I’ve discovered some techniques and concepts to help me expand my personality and my performance beyond the front of the stage—and hopefully into the farthest corners of the room. Concentration, relaxation, eye contact and verbal and non-verbal communication are skills the entertainer must learn to master in addition to his instrument. Victor Borge learned to connect with his audience with his comedy—and then found himself making more money with the comedy than he made trying to get people to listen to his piano technique (and we’re STILL all waiting for him to play something straight, all the way through!). I think of Roy Clark mugging for the “Hee-Haw” cameras, while just ripping through some of the most incredible solos.
Yet, Jim Morrison closed his eyes and often completely turned his back to his audience. Kurt Cobain isn’t exactly what I would call a great guitarist, or even a great entertainer—YET, he displayed an incredible presence that connected deeply with an entire generation—his songs defined an entire genre of music. Obviously, I’m talking a broad spectrum of styles. If you are lucky enough to have a specific target audience, you can tailor your stage show for that group. If you seek a broader audience, your path may be more difficult.
I do find it helpful to watch other bands, both local acts and those that have tight stage shows. Sometimes, it’s a lesson in what NOT to do. I try desperately to avoid the cliché song intros, the “Gotta a little Jimi Hendrix for ya now!” type of nonsense. I try to provide good value for my music purchaser, by showing up on time, respecting my audience, limiting the break times, not getting plastered on stage—you know, the little professional things. A simple audio recorder (even a a mini-disc) will tell you if you’re getting a good sound—a video recorder will reveal the guitar player’s shaky leg and the drummer picking his nose. Practice your performance like you would practice your instrument—and you will get better.
Find a way to communicate with your audience on different levels—sight, sound, verbally. If you can make that emotional connection with your audience and bring them into what you are doing, you will be successful. And the foundation for that is having enough confidence in your abilities that you can relax on stage and have FUN with your audience. I like to get a lot of audience participation going—get them clapping and singing along. There is nothing so infectious as having fun.
Do you perform live? Tell us of one of your best performance moments.
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I have become such a guitar snob over the past few years. There some guitars I like, and some I don’t. I’ve learned over the years what works for me. Even though I have a great collection of guitars, I still love a bargain. I have several guitars that I paid less than $200 for. I love an inexpensive guitar that somehow becomes more than the sum of its parts.
Back in 1973, I bought a 1960 Strat for $150. I wish I could find bargains like that these days. My DanElectro 12-strings were less than $150, and my $140 Hondo 335 clone remains one of my favorite guitars, even though I now own a “real” Gibson ES-335. I’ve got a really great pawnshop Ibanez Artwood dreadnought acoustic electric that sounds WAY better than what you’d expect to get for $200 pawnshop.
Here’s an Ibanez Ghostrider that I bought for less than $200. I love these guitars; I have two of them. This is the one in orange sunburst; the other is vintage sunburst, dark brown around the edges. They are lightweight, sweet sounding guitars and a good alternative to a Les Paul or Paul Reed Smith. The first ones were custom made for shredder Shawn Lane, and produced for only two years.
Tell us about some of your bargains, past and present. What is the cheapest guitar in your collection that you actually play?
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Few of you play pointy guitars, by my count. Hey, SHRED IS DEAD!!!! Or so they have been telling us for a while. I remember asking in a Lunch Report a few years ago if it was time for G&L to discontinue the Invader Series. Seems like that would have been a bad idea! Looks like the Invader, and now the Rampage are going to come back strong with the hard rock and metal crowd.
More importanly, is there a pointy, Floyd Rose or Kahler-equipped shred machine in your future?
Is there a pointy, Floyd Rose or Kahler-equipped shred machine in your past? Did you have to go through a rehab program to give up your Spandex and big hair? Maybe you’re a Leo-era guy, and continue to play your Climax, Interceptor, Nighthawk, etc. Spill it now! Confession is good for the soul!
Have a great week, kids. Rock On!
Bill
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