Alisha Sabin

   Hi all of you live musician’s out there on the world wide web. I’m very excited today to introduce a new author on Live Musician Central. Alisha Sabin will be writing a series of articles chronicling her experience playing in a live band. Alisha has been singing in her very first live rock band and it just happens to be my band Bonne Nuit. So be sure to watch Live Musician Central to read about Alisha’s fascinating journey taking her from singing into her hairbrush in front of her bedroom mirror to taking the stage for a live performance with a real rock band.

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Introducing Alisha Sabin

Amy Winehouse Dead At 27

   Amy Winehouse was found dead Saturday July 23, 2011 at her London home at the tender age of 27. It’s always a sad thing when a talented musician has their life cut tragically short. It’s a stark contrast writing this memoriam compared to a musician who had a full, rich life like Clarence Clemons.  

   If ever there was a musician who had their addictions and failures chronicled in the press it was Amy Winehouse. Reading about her slide into addiction and subsequent stints in rehab has been sad for anyone that is aware of her talent as a singer and a songwriter. I’m sure nobody will be surprised if the cause of death is found to be an overdose of drugs, alcohol or both.

   Amy was blessed with a unique voice and enough talent to write some decent songs. She also created a very unique look with her beehive hairdo and retro-sailor tattoos. Her live performances could be very strong when she was in full possession of her skills and not hindered by alcohol or other substances. Amy Winehouse was a musician and performer with a lot of potential.

   As with any artist who’s life ends at a tragically young age the question will always remain “how good could she have been?” With a case like Amy’s it’s even harder for fans and scholars of music because we don’t know how much of her talent and skill that we got to see was hindered by drugs and alcohol. The question becomes “how good could she have been had she cleaned up?” as well as “how good could she have become if she had lived?”.

   I’ve heard the argument that the drugs and alcohol helped to fuel her creative drive. In my experience as a musician for the past 30-years I have never seen anyone who wasn’t held back by drugs and alcohol when it came to creative artistry. Even something as basic as playing your guitar becomes more difficult when slowed by drugs and alcohol. I agree that Amy created good subject material for her songs because of her substance abuse as witnessed by her hit “Rehab” but I just do not believe that the substance abuse helped her in realizing the full potential of her talent.

   I’m sure Amy Winehouse will be somewhat deified a-la-Curt Cobain for the small body of work she left behind. As for me, I will always feel sad that a musician with so much potential was never able and now never will be able to reach her full abilities. May you rest in peace Amy Winehouse.

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In Memoriam – Amy Winehouse September 14, 1983 – July 24, 2011

Clarence Clemons and Bruce Springsteen Performe Live

   One of the best saxophone players in rock-n-roll passed away on June 18, 2011 from complications related to the stroke he suffered the week before. Clarence Clemons was 69 years old and spent 40 of those years playing alongside Bruce Springsteen in the E Street Band. Clarence brought the soul to the live performances and recordings of the E Street Band and he made them one of the most exciting live bands of the past four decades.  

   Clarence Clemons had a tone on the saxophone that was unique and instantly recognizable. His solo’s on songs like “Jungleland” and “Born To Run” are perfect examples of his tone, timing and phrasing. His tone had a bright, cutting sound that was just perfect for rock music. Clarence started playing the alto saxophone as a youngster and later played baritone saxophone in his school jazz band. When he made the switch to tenor saxophone Clarence finally found his voice on the instrument. His skill with the tenor saxophone was in evidence throughout his career.

   I have always enjoyed Clarence’s singing voice and his duet with Jackson Browne on the 1985 hit “You’re A Friend Of Mine” is a great example of his singing. His voice was like his saxophone being bright, big and full of tone. Here’s a great clip of Clarence singing “You’re A Friend Of Mine” with Billy Preston in the Ringo Starr All-Starr Band:

   Clarence will be sorely missed in the music world and his contributions will live on and on through his various recordings and videos made over the years. Known as the Big Man by Bruce and all of his fans throughout the years his legacy will be as big as his stature. Bruce Springsteen was quoted as saying “Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly forty years. He was my great friend, my partner and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band.”

   Rest in peace Clarence, you will be missed and always loved.

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In Memoriam – Clarence Clemons January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011

Even Tuba Players Think About Quitting The Band

   So you’ve been playing in your live band for a while but it just seems like it’s not what you wanted. Believe me, we’ve all been there. I remember playing in a band where I had steady gigs three weekends a month and all I had to do was learn the songs, show up with my gear and play. But it was becoming a hassle trying to juggle band practices and gigs with my personal life. I also wanted to write and perform my own music live. I knew the time had come to quit that band but what was the best way to do it?

   Well, quitting a band is just like quitting a job. There’s a right way and several wrong ways to quit a band. Let’s discuss the wrong ways first.   

   You can always just stop showing up for practices and gigs but I guarantee you that you are going to severely piss some people off if you do that. I remember a band member quitting one of my bands by not showing up for a gig. We wanted to lynch the guy the next time we saw him. Nothing is worse than being left with a gig and not being able to play it because a member didn’t show up. It’s also bad to leave your bandmates wondering “Whatever happened to that guy?’

   Another wrong way to quit a band is to show up to rehearsal, rip everyone and the band to shreds with insults and announce that you will not be seen with that band ever again. All you do there is anger a bunch of fellow musicians and burn every future opportunity to play with these people that you will ever have. Not only that, but you’ll be gaining a reputation in the music community that you are difficult to work with.

    So here’s how to quit your band. The best way is to call a meeting outside of band practice but if that is impractical for the band then plan to tell them at the next band practice. If you can setup a meeting outside of band practice at least you can spare everyone the trouble of hauling their equipment to practice to hear you announce that you’re quitting. You can also soften the blow with an e-mail or a text message in advance letting everyone know that you are considering quitting. Don’t just leave it at an e-mail, meeting your bandmates face-to-face is a much better way to handle making the announcement that you are quitting.

   When you get together let the band know how much you have appreciated playing with them. Remember the good times you’ve had with them. Then let them know that you are worn out and that you’ve just got too many things on your plate to give the band the effort that it deserves. Also, make sure and honor any gig commitments for at least 3-months which should give the band enough time to find your replacement and train them. Let them ask you questions and let them know that you are firm in your resolve to quit.

   It’s always better to leave a band with good feelings. They may even throw you a goodbye party if you’re cool about playing final shows with the band and helping to find and train your own replacement. In the future, you can count on your old bandmates to put in a good word for you or even be involved in your future projects.

   It’s always scary but at the same time exhilarating to leave a band and start something new. Just make sure you don’t burn any bridges when you leave your old band. It will help you with the local musician’s, agents and clubs for them to know you honor your commitments and are a person who lives up to their word.

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How To Quit Your Band

Top 10 Posts Of 2010 On Live Musician Central

   Well it’s that time to reflect on the past year and start making our top ten lists. For all you musician’s out there playing in a live band I hope you’ve found Live Musician Central useful. I’ve had more traffic than ever to the site this past year and there have been some very popular posts. So I’ve put together a list of the top ten posts of 2010 on Live Musician Central. I wasn’t too surprised that the Fender Cyber-Twin SE Amplifier preset downloads were so popular. I’ve had a lot of good feedback on those. I was surprised that my post on the Musician’s Friend Stupid Deal Of The Day got so much traffic though. Without further ado, here’s your top ten posts of 2010!    

1. Fender Cyber-Twin SE Amplifier Preset Downloads
2. Rush Time Machine Tour At USANA Ampitheatre Concert Review
3. Behringer Eurorack UB2442FX-Pro Mixer Review
4. Sennheiser HD 380 Pro Headphones Review
5. Foot Control Pedal For Fender Cyber-Twin – Behringer FCB1010 MIDI Foot Controller
6. Complete Portable P.A. System Yamaha EMX512SC/S115V
7. My Stage Amp – The Fender Cyber-Twin SE
8. The Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster – My Favorite Guitar
9. You Need A P.A. System To Play A Gig
10. Musicians Friend Stupid Deal Of The Day

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Live Musician Central Top Posts Of 2010

   The key is to find quality musical toys, things that are really instruments that can pass as a toy. There are a lot of cheap, junky musical toys out there on the big shopping websites that hardly qualify as instruments. If you go to a musical instrument website it can be a challenge to sort through the hundreds of music instruments to find things appropriate for the little kids. I have found that Musician’s Friend has a really large selection of quality musical instruments that can pass as toys for the kids and will allow them to make some decent music. They have everything from little glockenspiels made by Hohner that babies can play to really sweet Martin starter guitars that kids 8 years old and older can play.

   This year Musician’s Friend has made it extremely easy to shop for good musical instrument toys for the kids. They have created a section on their website dedicated to kids and have broken down their selection of instruments into age appropriate categories. I’m sure you’ve seen lists like this on other shopping websites. The beautiful thing about this one is that it’s all music related and they are, for the most part, real music instruments. They’re also priced to fit any budget and skill level.

   There are a few items on the list that are more toy than music instrument but overall the selection is some serious quality instruments for kids. My only warning is to watch out for the Rogue line of instruments. They are a budget line of musical instruments that I have found to be of substandard quality. If you’re going to get a guitar for your little rocker, your best off buying the Martin, Ibanez, Epiphone or Dean guitars. Other manufacturers on the list whose names are associated with quality are Remo, Fender, Hohner, Pearl, Yamaha, Vic Firth and Ludwig.

The great thing about Musician’s Friend is if you get the instrument home and you feel the quality isn’t what you expected you have 45 days to return it for a full refund. You just can’t go wrong with that kind of guarantee. So, if you’re shopping for musical gifts for your kids just click on the banner below and find that perfect gift for your little musician!

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Shopping For Musical Gifts For Kids

2010 Fender American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster - Wine Transparent

   I’ve been doing some asking around and have had many reports of people waiting months to get ahold of the new 2010 American Deluxe Stratocaster. There are certain colors available right now but some colors and options are out of stock and have been for months. I ordered a Wine Transparent American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster on April 2, 2010 and it just came in on September 22, 2010. It was almost a 6 month wait. Needless to say, I did not pick it up or pay for it and told the store they can keep it. It’s ridiculous to wait that long for a guitar and I will not play that game. Now that doesn’t mean I won’t get one. I will still be getting my 2010 American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster, just not right now. Since Fender forced me to wait for 6 months for a new one, I’ve lost that “must have it now!” attitude and will patiently shop for a used one. It may take me another year to get it, but I’m sure I’ll save some money and in the meantime I’m $1649 richer.   

   I still love the new Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster. It’s simpy a perfect design and I highly recommend them to anyone buying an electric guitar. I just think it’s folly on Fender’s part to list models on their website and in their catalog that they cannot deliver. I’ve heard a lot of excuses ranging from a “paint shortage” to “Fender’s cost cutting led to massive employee layoffs and there isn’t anyone building the guitars”. I don’t know which is true since Fender has not released any press statement on the subject. I do know I ordered a guitar from a Fender dealer and it took 6 months to get it. 

   That’s why I’m pointing you to Music123 for your Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster purchase. I have contacted them and they are promising that any color you want will be shipped between now and the second week of November, 2010. Music123 has been extremely reliable for me over the years and their customer service is beyond excellent. I do know that they are at the mercy of Fender and that Fender dictates when the guitars ship. If nothing else, Music123 will not charge you until the guitar ships and you can get your money back at any time. So buy with confidence at Music123 by following the links below. 

Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster Ash Electric Guitar Wine Transparent The ash Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster gives you the distinct grain pattern and spanking tone of an ash body, with all the cool specs of the new American Deluxe Stratocaster. A new compound-radius fretboard makes string bending exhilaratingly effortless anywhere along the neck. New Fender N3 noiseless pickups supercharge your sound with improved Stratocaster tones for sparkling bell-like chime with no hum. Reconfigured S-1 switching offers even more knockout tonal options. Other features include staggered locking tuners, a 2-point synchronized American Deluxe tremolo bridge with pop-in arm, and a beveled neck heel. Fender includes a molded Fender-exclusive SKB case with glass-reinforced latches and TSA locks, cable, and strap locks with the American Deluxe Strat.   Fender N3 Noiseless pickups N3 Noiseless pickups deliver the best of yesterday and today, because they deliver landmark vintage Fender tone and response without the hum that can plague single-coil pickups. Using an improved stacked coil-coil design, N3 Noiseless pickups are specially tailored for each Stratocaster and Telecaster pickup position. The insulated metal core of each pickup position type differs in thickness and composition for enhanced tone, and Fender has fine-tuned the sized, shape, and wire gauge of the coils to balance the magnetic responsiveness essential to great tone. N3 pickups represent a welcome return to the warmth and clarity of alnico magnets. An Alnico 5 magnet is used in the bridge position, Alnico 2 in the middle position, and Alnico 3 for the neck position.

Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster Electric Guitar Amber Maple Neck In the newest evolutionary step for the American Deluxe Stratocaster electric guitar, it maintains its traditional look and feel while introducing upgrades that include three N3 Noiseless single-coil pickups that still produce their revered sparkle and snap and—with noiseless design—no annoying hum. The S-1 switching system adds additional pickup combinations beyond those provided by a standard five-way switch including new combinations of series and parallel wiring for a dazzling array of tonal choice. The compound radius fretboard that modern guitarists demand ensures strings won’t fret out even with extreme bending. Other improvements include the high-mass tremolo block that increases sustain; locking tuning keys; and a molded case with glass-reinforced latches and TSA locks.

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Fender Slow To Ship 2010 American Deluxe Stratocaster

Mike Will Only Need A Few Of These Drums Now

   Every live band has a life cycle and many ups and downs along the way. Even one of my personal favorite bands, Dream Theater, has to deal with personnel changes. It’s never fun to lose a band member. Especially one so important to the band. I was extremely surprised and bummed out to learn the Mike Portnoy, drummer and founding member of Dream Theater, has quit the band. 

   It’s a sad day for all Dream Theater fans to lose Mike Portnoy from the Dream Theater family. Mike was a founding member of the band and his father contributed the name Dream Theater to the band’s legacy. But as always, having a member leave gives the band a chance to grow. It seems like every time a member has left Dream Theater the band has come back stronger than before. Maybe they will find a drummer that will just make Mike a distant memory. I hope that Dream Theater continues to write, record and perform because the combination of John Myung, John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess is truly fantastic. James Labrie has grown into a very good singer as well. So here’s to the hope the Dream Theater continues on stronger than ever!   

   I am going to post the official press release from Mike Portnoy himself. I do have to wonder when he says that playing with Avenged Sevenfold has been more satisfying than playing with Dream Theater. My only thoughts are that Mike must have gotten tired of having to think about the song while he plays. I personally feel like Avenged Sevenfold’s music is much simpler than Dream Theater’s music. In fact, I’ll say that Avenged Sevenfold plays ditties compared to Dream Theater’s compositions. But the sad truth is,  it’s not all about the music when you play in a band. You have to get along with everyone and enjoy what you’re doing to make it work. So good luck Mike, I hope you find happiness in whatever project you pursue! 

Official Mike Portnoy Press Release 

Wednesday September 8th 2010 

I am about to write something I never imagined I’d ever write: 

After 25 years, I have decided to leave Dream Theater….the band I founded, led and truly loved for a quarter of a century. 

To many people this will come as a complete shock, and will also likely be misunderstood by some, but please believe me that it is not a hasty decision…it is something I have struggled with for the last year or so…. 

After having had such amazing experiences playing with Hail, Transatlantic and Avenged Sevenfold this past year, I have sadly come to the conclusion that I have recently had more fun and better personal relations with these other projects than I have for a while now in Dream Theater… 

Please don’t misinterpret me, I love the DT guys dearly and have a long history, friendship and bond that runs incredibly deep with them…it’s just that I think we are in serious need of a little break… 

Dream Theater was always my baby…and I nurtured that baby every single day and waking moment of my life since 1985…24/7, 365…never taking time off from DT’s never-ending responsibilites (even when the band was “off” between cycles)…working overtime and way beyond the call of duty that most sane people ever would do for a band… 

But I’ve come to the conclusion that the DT machine was starting to burn me out…and I really needed a break from the band in order to save my relationship with the other members and keep my DT spirit hungry and inspired. 

We have been on an endless write/record/tour cycle for almost 20 years now (of which I have overseen EVERY aspect without a break) and while a few months apart from each other here & there over the years has been much needed and helpful, I honestly hoped the band could simply agree with me to taking a bit of a “hiatus” to recharge our batteries and “save me from ourselves”… 

Sadly, in discussing this with the guys, they determined they do not share my feelings and have decided to continue without me rather than take a breather…I even offered to do some occasional work throughout 2011 against my initial wishes, but it was not to be… 

While it truly hurts for me to even think of a Dream Theater without Mike Portnoy (hell, my father named the band!!), I do not want to stand in their way…so I have decided to sacrifice myself and simply leave the band so as to not hold them back against their wishes…. 

Strangely enough, I just read an interview that I recently did that asked me about the future of DT and I talked about “always following your heart and being true to yourself”…sadly I must say that at this particular moment, my heart is not with Dream Theater…and I would simply be “going through the motions”, and would honestly NOT be true to myself if I stayed for the sake of obligation without taking the break I felt I needed. 

I wish the guys the best and hope the music and legacy we created together is enjoyed by fans for decades to come…I am proud of every album we made, every song we wrote and every show we played…. 

I’m sorry to all the disappointed DT fans around the world…I really tried to salvage the situation and make it work…I honestly just wanted a break (not a split)…but happiness cannot be forced, it needs to come from within…. 

You DT fans are the greatest fans in the world and as you all know, I have always busted my ass for you guys and I hope that you will stay with me on my future musical journey, wherever it may lead me….(and as you all know my work ethic, there will surely be no shortage of future MP projects!) 

Sadly…
Your fearless ex-leader and drummer,
MP 

“Move on be brave, don’t weep at my grave, because I am no longer here…
But please never let your memory of me disappear….”
— The Spirit Carries On 

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Drummer Mike Portnoy Leaves Dream Theater

Bonne Nuit Does Soundcheck On Stage Set Up By Roadies

   Every musician dreams of having their own team of roadies for their live band. I’m here to tell you that roadies are out there and that you can have your very own roadies hauling and setting up your live band’s equipment. The best thing is that most of these roadies will work for very little money or even for free dinner and admission to your shows. I’ve been using roadies for all my summer gigs this year and I’m telling you it’s been fantastic having some guys to haul my equipment around and set it up.   

   So where can you find your own roadies? Well you need look no farther than family, friends and fans. To those people who are non-musicians, being around musicians playing in a band is to be part of a very fascinating world. There are many people who are interested in learning how a band functions and want to be  involved in the inner workings of the music scene. These are the people that just want to be a part of it all and these are the people you want to approach about being a roady for your band.

   This past summer I started a band named Bonne Nuit with my three oldest sons. My Son’s are in their teens and they have a lot of friends who are fascinated with how a live band works. We recruited a couple of their friends to be roadies for us this summer. We started by having them help us haul equipment in and out of our house. We then started getting them into our gigs as part of the band and have used them to haul equipment at our gigs as well. We have since taught them how to tear down and set up the P.A. system. We’ve also taught them basic mixing and have come to use them quite a bit during our live show for sound work as well. We use them to get us cords, drinks and do whatever errands we need at gigs.

   We’ve also added our “number one fan” to our group of roadies. This is a guy that came to all of our gigs. He would show up an hour early to get a good spot at our shows and we all became pretty good friends with him. Naturally he would ask if there’s anything he could do to help while we were loading in and out so we started using him to help with various band related activities as well. He not only helps with setup and tear down but he is also learning how to run our lighting system and is the band’s official photographer.

   These guys are all working for free meals and gig admission. But that’s not what their true motivation is. They really just want to be a part of the whole thing and learn how a band functions. We recognize them from the stage at gigs, we make sure they know how important they have become to us. The rest of our fans know who they are. It’s working out well for all of us and hopefully someday we can pay them in more than good times.

   Even if we can never pay them, the memories we’re making will last a lifetime. I’m sure all you live musicians out there have had people come up to you at gigs and tell you stories about how they “use to drive a van for a band in college” or how they used to “help my buddies do shows back in the day”. They always seem to follow up those statements by telling me that it was one of the most fun times of their lives. I believe we as musicians are doing a good thing by letting our friends, family and fans become band roadies. So here’s another shout out to Brent, Jake and Jake. Thanks you guys for making our lives easier and I hope you’re all having a blast!

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Finding Roadies For Your Band

Bonne Nuit Plays Live At Cystic Fibrosis Great Strides 5K Walk

   My live band Bonne Nuit played the Cystic Fibrosis Great Strides 5K walk in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday May 15, 2010. Bonne Nuit is my latest rock band that I’ve put together with myself, Matt Rushton and my three oldest sons Erik, Austin and Skyler Rushton. We’ve been landing a lot of gigs lately and I”m telling you that having a family band is a great marketing ploy. I do have to say that my sons can really play and we’re getting a lot of compliments on how good we sound.     

   It seems like Bonne Nuit just keeps falling into some sweet gigs. We aren’t getting paid anything except for free food but the band is only about 4 months old. At this early stage in the band’s career we just want to play for as many people as possible and try to generate some publicity and name recognition. We’ve been lucky so far in the gigs we’ve been lining up. We actually found the Cystic Fibrosis Great Strides 5K Walk gig by looking on the local Craigslist. The organizers put up an ad that they were looking for a band to play for a couple hours to an expected crowd of 500+ people. We followed up and directed them to the Bonne Nuit Facebook page which has all our promotional material and that landed us the gig.

   The show was outside in a great big park in downtown Salt Lake City. We made sure we had a cover over the band to protect us from the elements which turned out to be sunshine this time. The weather was gorgeous and there was a huge turnout to the event. That was great for us because our goal at this point is getting in front of as many people as possible. The organizers placed us right in the middle of the entire event so we were very lucky with the location.

   We got set up in about an hour and did a good sound check. The organizers of the event told us we could play as much as we wanted before the 5K Walk started and again when the walkers returned. So we played about 5 songs and they started the Walk. About 40 minutes later people started returning to the park and it got very crowded. We launched into our main set and everything was sounding great.

   It turned out to be a flawless gig. We played for almost 2 hours to a park full of people. We played extremely well without any equipment issues or sound problems. The band is really starting to tighten up and sound good because we’ve got some gigging hours behind us now. We also passed out a lot of band contact cards. Several people asked about hiring the band and a skating team that was there asked about having us play at some of their skating shows.

   All in all it was probably the best gig that Bonne Nuit has played since we started the band. We accomplished all of our goals in that we played extremely well, generated some good publicity and made a lot of contacts. The weather was simply beautiful with a perfect spring day. Hopefully more good gigs like this one will come our way. I did ask the organizers why they chose our band to play and they said it was because of our song list and the fact that we were a family band.

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Gig Report – Bonne Nuit Plays The Cystic Fibrosis Great Strides Event