Fretboard Jam - 2017 Leicester - 2nd September - Running Order V4 Now up!!

Alnico

Brocco said:

Hello everyone, I'm new here.
The Jam sounds perfect for me. Please could I join the TBC list.
Some simple songs for consideration include Hands Open - Snow Patrol, Your Touch - Black Keys, Song 2 - Blur, Should I Stay Or Should I Go - The Clash.
Many thanks

Hi.

Welcome to the forum.
I'll put your name on the reserve list however the numbers are strictly limited due to the arrangements we made with the studio where this is happening.
As, when and if people pull out the reserve list moves up one place. You'll find this on page 1 of the 'Logistics' thread that's also stickied.

The song list was closed ages ago and we've decided on a list for this event but I'll make a note of your suggestions for future events as there's some good songs there.
For now if you check the songs discussion thread which is the other one that's stickied up here you'll find the list of songs we're all learning for the Jam. They've been chosen to allow some variety but also to allow people of different skills and ability levels to have something for them. We hope you like them and can see what we mean,........it's not easy pleasing all of the people all of the time but we try.

Think of this as "Break out of the Bedroom" and you've got the theme of this event.
It's to give people who've never had the experience of a live band some understanding and first hand experience of it. It's also for those with some experience but not much, to get a bit more and learn from the ones who do this all the time. Out of the 30 people who are going to be there, roughly 10 of us are highly experienced so approx 2/3s of the attendance is new to this. That's about what we wanted in terms of numbers and especially with the workshop style lessons that @bigjon is very kindly adding to the list of events that day, those numbers mean that everyone there can gain fully from what's on offer and none of us are swamped.

Hope all this makes sense and I'll add you to the reserve list when I get home later, mentally noted for now.
If you don't get to come along this time we'll see you at one of the future events we hope to make into a regular summertime thing for the forum each year.

Nikko

 Just the 24 days to go

Bridgehouse

Nikko said:

 Just the 24 days to go

Plenty of time! 

or

It'll soon come round!!

Nikko

Second one with a smidge of the first one I think.

Really looking forward to the day. Not looking to the possibility of showing myself up

Bridgehouse

Nikko said:

Second one with a smidge of the first one I think.

Really looking forward to the day. Not looking to the possibility of showing myself up

You're worried? Apparently I'm one of the 10 "does this all the time/well experienced" ones...

Ah crap.

Nikko

Bridgehouse said:

Nikko said:

Second one with a smidge of the first one I think.

Really looking forward to the day. Not looking to the possibility of showing myself up

You're worried? Apparently I'm one of the 10 "does this all the time/well experienced" ones...

Ah crap.

Yeah, no pressure!

Bridgehouse

Nikko said:

Bridgehouse said:

Nikko said:

Second one with a smidge of the first one I think.

Really looking forward to the day. Not looking to the possibility of showing myself up

You're worried? Apparently I'm one of the 10 "does this all the time/well experienced" ones...

Ah crap.

Yeah, no pressure!

As it's a beginners day I have resolved to play like shit to make everyone feel much more comfortable and to ease the pressure. 

digitalscream

Bridgehouse said:

Nikko said:

Second one with a smidge of the first one I think.

Really looking forward to the day. Not looking to the possibility of showing myself up

You're worried? Apparently I'm one of the 10 "does this all the time/well experienced" ones...

Ah crap.

Exactly. I'm likely to spend the whole day desperately trying not to make a twat of myself - especially since it seems I'm going to be part of the workshops...

Bridgehouse

digitalscream said:

Bridgehouse said:

Nikko said:

Second one with a smidge of the first one I think.

Really looking forward to the day. Not looking to the possibility of showing myself up

You're worried? Apparently I'm one of the 10 "does this all the time/well experienced" ones...

Ah crap.

Exactly. I'm likely to spend the whole day desperately trying not to make a twat of myself - especially since it seems I'm going to be part of the workshops...

I can see this becoming 20 bright eyed keen as mustard improvers staring longingly at 10 people who are all mildly crapping themselves

Nikko

Ive actually played live in a gig situation 3 times, but they have all been student gigs for the Music School I go to for my weekly lesson. The difference between those and this jam day, are that EVERYONE from the school is shit so it doesn't matter if im a little shit. Theres no pressure (other than what I place on myself out of self respect).

There will be some very talented/experienced players at the jam day, and although I know it will be a non-judgemental environment, I cant help putting just a little extra pressure on myself.

Probably just being a whiney bitch. ignore me

digitalscream

Nikko said:

There will be some very talented/experienced players at the jam day, and although I know it will be a non-judgemental environment, I cant help putting just a little extra pressure on myself.

Speaking from my own experience...that pressure is how you make giant leaps in your playing and performance skills.

Bridgehouse

Nikko said:

Ive actually played live in a gig situation 3 times, but they have all been student gigs for the Music School I go to for my weekly lesson. The difference between those and this jam day, are that EVERYONE from the school is shit so it doesn't matter if im a little shit. Theres no pressure (other than what I place on myself out of self respect).

There will be some very talented/experienced players at the jam day, and although I know it will be a non-judgemental environment, I cant help putting just a little extra pressure on myself.

Probably just being a whiney bitch. ignore me

Well, it might be worth seeing it from my perspective. I'm active as a bass player. Weekly rehearsals, gigs in all sorts of different, unusual and challenging places (like the YNOT Mudfest, where just getting to the venue was enough of a challenge!) 

I've gigged for a lot of years, I've probably played well over 500 gigs in my time now on a variety of instruments, with a variety of musicians, and in a variety of circumstances. 

But, for any given gig, it's backed up by rehearsals, practice and familiarity with the musicians you are playing with. A rehearsal is very different to a Jam day.

Thinking about it, once the song list is sorted for order, I suspect I will be down to do the first song of the day to help ease the pressure on others, and that means that when that song starts it'll be the first time I've actually played a note with @Octatonic on drums - it may take seconds to lock in with him, or a whole songs worth. Who knows..! 

It's going to be just as much of an unknown for us as it is for all the less experienced guys..

Bridgehouse

digitalscream said:

Nikko said:

There will be some very talented/experienced players at the jam day, and although I know it will be a non-judgemental environment, I cant help putting just a little extra pressure on myself.

Speaking from my own experience...that pressure is how you make giant leaps in your playing and performance skills.

+100.

This was our intention for the Jam day. Have a go. Get out there and stretch yourself massively. Feel nervous. Do a lot of prep and work out how to get over the fear of the unknown. 

I'll play some bum notes. We all will. To be honest, I'm not a better bass player than any other bass players I know. I know a lot of really good bass players who are a lot better than me. 

What I do have is experience of playing a competent bass line, or any number of other instruments reasonably competently in a variety of settings with a variety of musicians - and when the chips are down, your gigging experience is often just as important as your technical ability. 

A good friend of mine from some years back was an absolutely incredible guitarist - probably the most talented guy I've heard up close. But put him on a stage on his own, or with others and he fell to pieces completely. Shocking. Sounded awful. He was put off a few times and never went back to it. Such a shame as well, as some decent experience would have got him over it.

Nikko

Thanks chaps.

I know im probably overthinking it, and adding unnecessary pressure on myself, as I know that no-one at the jam day will be putting any pressure on me.

Bridgehouse

Nikko said:

Thanks chaps.

I know im probably overthinking it, and adding unnecessary pressure on myself, as I know that no-one at the jam day will be putting any pressure on me.

The pressure is a good thing - embrace it - that's where the learning and improving is at!!

Nikko

Yep. Practice for the fear of falling on your arse in front of a room full of strangers

Legionreturns

I know exactly how shit I am. I also know from my limited experience how much my shitness can be hidden in the mix of a loud band

Alnico

Nikko said:

Yep. Practice for the fear of falling on your arse in front of a room full of strangers

Yes but when everyone is in that position it makes the pressure a little easier to handle.
That's the point of it being a safe environment. 
No one will mock you if you do but trying not to is what you should aim for.
This is a taste of what it's like in a real band.
When it's done in front of a critical audience the pressure is unbelievable so what we're trying to do is show everyone that if they can conquer this (which they can) then there's still many levels ahead of them and many different experiences waiting for them in 'Real Bands'.

This is an ice breaker.
A confidence booster.
For many it's going to be the start of a journey,  one we hope will continue until they themselves are facing a real audience and looking back on their first Jam with us and smiling.

digitalscream

Nikko said:

Yep. Practice for the fear of falling on your arse in front of a room full of strangers

I know for a fact that I'm going to fail hard - the long instrumental section in the middle of Cupid's Dead is a killer for somebody of my suspect memory.

I'm just hoping that watching one of the supposed "experienced players" faceplant is going to make everyone else relax a bit

Bridgehouse

The first time I played live I was 15. It was me on acoustic guitar and a female vocalist. There were about 100 people in the audience. 

I absolutely hated it - it was utterly terrifying. 

However, I got a dozen or so nice reassuring and affirming comments afterwards and it made every minute of pain worth it.

Next time, same setup, and I actually enjoyed it a bit.