High School Garage Bands

[Guest]

Just a casual poll if anyone was in a garage band back in high school or hung out with friends that had one. My experiences date from the mid 70s to early 80s, I ran sound and lights and generally was the only reliable roadie to bother to show up. I think what amazed me most was that in all the time the band was together, practicing in that old concrete block community center, buying new equipment and haunting the local White Castle late into the night, they never once had the balls to go play in public. I guess this was just their private little joke about how cool they were having a 'band' and all, sad some of us never got it untill the punchline was so obvious it was painfull. It was a learning experience as later in college I met real garage bands that actualy wanted to play for people and I stopped carrying heavy things and started getting these guys jobs. I think all the paitence I developed while sitting around watching my friends jerk off with their noisy expensive toys did pay off, after college I spent three undescribable years in Washington D.C, promoting and managing punk/metal bands. So to those guys I knew from high school, that I hear through the grapevine are still 'jamming' together in one of their parent's basements, thank you for being such posers and wanna-be's, you taught me that to get what you want you'll endure almost anything, I did and by the way, your rendition of Black Sabbath's Paranoid still sucks.....

 

[freakygirl]

I stayed up all night looking at Playboy magazines and playing the board game Risk with Buzz Osborne of The Melvins and Kurt Cobain.

I hung out with them a little bit.. but I wasn't that involved with the actual bands themselves.

 

[Soblue]

Oh definitely! I knew a bunch of guys who were in bands, even did a little tambourine shakin for them. I was a wannabe drummer, but that's another story, I got bored with the lessons and never continued.

One band actually did play around locally a bit. I wonder what ever happened to the lead singer, he was the cockiest sonofabitch I've ever met, but I guess that's somewhat typical of frontmen!

 

[Arc da Rat]

Nope was never in a band ... but a few classmates had a punk band called ... M.U.G. (Mean Ugly Guys) ... They were not mean nor ugly but they were guys ...

 

[Saint Peter]

Where on the music food chain does roadie to a poser band fit? If the band never left the garage, can you really call yourself a roadie? What does "running lights" mean when you are in a garage.

Many high school bands put in hours and never play for a crowd. A percentage of those learn how to play and end up working every weekend. I would not trade those hours for all of Britney's Pepsi.



It wasn't very large
There was just enough room to cram the drums
In the corner over by the Dodge
It was a fifty-four with a mashed up door
And a cheesy little amp
With a sign on the front said
'Fender Champ'
And a second hand guitar
It was a Stratocaster with a whammy bar

Frank Zappa
Joe's Garage Act I

 

[Bluesboy2]

I still do, sorta

Except we play in several states and there is no gararge, the other bedroom is a studio.
I still wanna cover the "Muffin man" by FZ but they wont do it. Oh well...

 

[peachykeen]

totally relate. there was something about the mid-80's and all those indie rock/punk bands everywhere. Dunno maybe it's just me getting older but I don't see any evidence that that cool DIY scene that used to move just under the current of the mainstream exists anymore.

 

[Saint Peter]

I feel your pain Bluesboy2. They wont let me cover "Broken Hearts are for Assholes" either.

With the technology available today, many of those garage bands are recording on the computer. The internet is full of sites to D/L mp3's of small time bands. It is a shot in the dark. The chances of getting discovered are little to none. But at least there is a chance.

 

[Bluesboy2]

Im wierd

I feel your pain Bluesboy2. They wont let me cover "Broken Hearts are for Assholes" either.

With the technology available today, many of those garage bands are recording on the computer. The internet is full of sites to D/L mp3's of small time bands. It is a shot in the dark. The chances of getting discovered are little to none. But at least there is a chance.

During the hey-day of punk I was doing a solo act covering stuff like "Blue Monk" by Thelonious Monk, "All Along the Watchtower" as a samba, ect...
And I also have a link in my sig trying for hat very chance you mention. But all Im looking for is people that need a lead guitarist not a hit record.

 

[Saint Peter]

Re: Im wierd

During the hey-day of punk I was doing a solo act covering stuff like "Blue Monk" by Thelonious Monk, "All Along the Watchtower" as a samba, ect...
And I also have a link in my sig trying for hat very chance you mention. But all Im looking for is people that need a lead guitarist not a hit record.

Been to your site, heard your tunes, and like them. Nice work.

 

[Bluesboy2]

Thanks

I hate self-promoting but if I dont who will?

 

[Soblue]

Hey, while we have all these musicians in one room together, I have a question. My boyfriend has been trying to get a band together here for several months, but the problem he's having is no one seems to want to play cover songs. He thinks that the sets should have several covers and some originals. All he's running into are guys who want to play their own stuff, which is great, if you have enough and have a following. But to get booked into the bars, at least some covers seems the way to go.
(He thinks they're lazy and just don't want to learn the covers Lol)

Any thoughts?

 

[Bluesboy2]

He is right

What kind of music does he do? Doing sucky covers is worse than not being in a band though. And doing it purely for the money all the time is worse than having a 10 hour a day job that sucks.

 

[Saint Peter]

Hiya Soblue

A middle of the road might be doing the covers in the style of the band's originals. Remake the tunes. Keeps it fresh and interesting for the band and keeps it familiar for the crowd.

Sad but true is the fact that many bars (I will assume that is where your hubby wants to perform) wont book original bands. The bars that will book original bands are out there, but you have to look for them. The "remake" idea can temporarily pull the wool over the bar manager's eyes to get you in the door. From that point on your music needs to capture the patron's fancy.

The classic rock radio syndrom has killed many of the once great tunes in this guy's humble opinion. Bluesboy2 is painfully correct in the 10 hour day comparison. And if I hear another shitty version of "freebird" again someone is gonna die.

 

[Soblue]

Lol Freebird

He plays lead guitar, Hendrix is his idol, so that'll tell you his style. Heavy.

That's what I see here, bands that play covers that everyone knows and enjoys. Or tribute bands. That seems a little too restricting though.

Making money doing what he loves is his goal, but he has a day job. His former band was popular in LA playing a mix or covers and originals, I guess it's hard to find the right chemistry again with another band huh.

 

[Bluesboy2]

Being in a band

Is like being married to 4 or more dysfunctional people. Its hard. And Chemistry is the important thing. There has to be a LOT of compromise usually.
Me, I just like to play the guitar and help arrange the tunes. Somone else can handle the business end and front the band.
Soblue, I also play lead but can play rythym quite well also. Perhaps we should talk when I get back home?

 

[Soblue]

Yeah, that would be cool

Have a safe trip and all that!