Right now I don't really have a topic for today's post - I just know I have to write 750 words. Let me write about what goes through my head during an average gig with Wishbone Ash...Firstly, I think it's important to warm up. The reason I warm up is because I know I have a more enjoyable gig if I do so. I never used to warm up - I just figured the first few songs would sort that out for me. What I found was, if I went out without warming up, I'd end up gripping the sticks too tight and that things would feel slightly uncomfortable. Perhaps half way through the set things would start to fall into place, but basically I wouldn't be able to fully enjoy playing. I decided to compare warming up to not warming up. On some gigs I did it and on others I didn't. The conclusion was that I played much better if I was warmed up, so now it's a fixed part of my schedule. So, what do I do for a warm up? I don't have a set routine. I just play around on a pad for 30 minutes. This is the approximate amount of time it takes and I haven't found a way to speed that up. It might sound like a long time, but it's a good way to prepare for the gig. 30 minutes before showtime I know that I'll be at my practice pad. The other benefit is that I actually get some practice time. On the road I rarely get time to practice anything. I can't practice at the kit as there's no time. Or if there is time, it'll be irritating somebody who's trying to get something else done (in case you weren't aware, the drums are a pretty loud instrument.) When I'm at the pad I can focus on my hand technique. I do a lot of comparison between my right and left hands. I'll pay close attention to how my right hand moves the stick in subtle ways and see if my left hand can do the same (usually it can't). I'll work on flams, and permutations of accents. Sometimes I'll play around with a new lick I've figured out, or play off beats against a metronome. It really doesn't matter as long as my hands are moving and getting used to how the sticks respond to the pad. Once I'm on stage my focus is on grooving. I'm aiming to play in such a way that, if you were to mute the rest of the band, the drums would sound groovy on their own. I think about things like the degree of openness of the hi-hat. Even playing a closed hi-hat there are different degrees of pressure you can apply with your foot that result in subtly different note lengths. Also, the balance of the kit (though in a live situation this isn't so much in your control.) I try to sing along with the vocals in my head and try not to get in the way with fills. Sometimes the vocal rhythm will dictate what I'm allowed to play in a groove.On some gigs I sing the quarter note through the whole show. On others I count the bars. Sometimes I'll focus solely on what Muddy's guitar is doing and phrase certain things with him, or respond to things that he plays. Sometimes I'll purposely hold back in certain sections of a song, even allowing the tempo to drop a little. Some songs work better when you allow those tempo fluctuations. Sometimes I'll be focused more on the visual aspect of playing. I think it's important to smile when you're on stage. I'm not very good at smiling at will - it feels fake. Our bass player, Bob Skeat, can smile for an entire gig. You wouldn't believe how many people comment on that after the show. Usually, if you see me smiling, it'll be because somebody screwed up. But I've been to gigs and watched bands where everybody looks miserable, or indifferent, and it has a big impact on how you feel as an audience member. So, when I'm on stage I try to smile at least some of the time. I'll be lost in other aspects of the music and suddenly remember where I am, and what I'm doing, and that I have a great job and I'll make sure I let my face reflect that. A friend once took me to see Rush. I'm not a big fan but I was in their home town and I figured it would be an interesting gig. There were 3 huge screens at the back of the stage so for most of the show you could see close ups of Neil and, errr, the other 2 guys. I didn't see him smile once. I know he has a lot of notes to remember and he says it's hard for him but, as an audience member who could see his face blown up to the size of a small building, it felt personal and definitely made the show less enjoyable. Ok, that's 866 words. Please comment and suggest topics for me. Let me know what you want to read about.
No comments:
Post a Comment