I got a good laugh out of this clip from Family Guy. Girls are one of any musician’s greatest inspiration and there have been a lot of songs written and titled after certain girls. It was actually kind of shocking to watch this clip and realize just how many songs have a girl’s name in the title.
Sit back and have a good laugh as Stewie and Brian have a little songwriting discussion about using girl’s names in a song.
Songs About A Girl – Family Guy
The other day I wrote a post about joining a band by answering Musician Wanted ads. Naturally the next step in the process is going to the audition so that’s what we’ll discuss today. I’ve played in a lot of live bands over the years and been to my share of live band auditions too. Auditions are always an interesting process and I’ve always learned something going through the band audition process. Today I’m going to give you a few tips on preparing to audition for a live band.
The first thing you want to do is make sure you have the correct address for where the audition is going to be held. I remember once getting so lost going to an audition that I was an hour late. Needless to say, it didn’t make a good impression and I didn’t get the gig. Get directions and a phone number you can call in case you get lost or you get stuck in traffic. (more…)
This is an interview with one of the greatest live musician’s to ever grace us with his playing. Today I’m posting up and interview Stevie did in 1985 just before the release of his third album “Soul To Soul” which was a platinum release in the United States and a Gold release in Canada. This interview was done by Peter Feniak for Lifetime TV in Canada.
What I like about this interview is that the Mr. Feniak lets Stevie really be himself while he’s interviewing him. It’s interesting to watch the interviewer relax and enjoy chatting with Stevie as the interview goes on. I’m sure part of it is Stevie’s gentle way of speaking and communicating in general. Stevie is very personable and the interviewer gets totally taken in by Stevie’s playing. Stevie plays some very excellent music during the interview and I’m sure all you guitarists and Stevie Ray Vaughan fans out there are going to love this video. (more…)
I admit, when Jay Leno was hosting the Tonight Show I would watch fairly regularly but a lot of the time I’d fall asleep on the couch until Conan O’Brien came on. So I was pretty stoked when Jay retired and Conan moved to the 10:30 spot to host The Tonight Show. I figured I could stay awake easily for Conan’s hijinks and I do. Then all this time slot stupidity started.
Now don’t get me wrong, I like Jay but he left to try a new time slot and for better or worse, it didn’t work out. So I say Jay, it’s time to retire to Vegas and start really enjoying your car collection. Conan is younger and funnier and he’s earned his shot to host the Tonight Show. (more…)
I’ve played in a lot of live bands over the years and I’ve answered my share of “Musician Wanted” ads as well. Finding auditions are always an interesting process and I’ve always learned something going through the band audition process. Today I’m going to give you a few tips for when you answer a Musician Wanted Ad before you set up an audition.
Let me start off with a little story. One time when I was about 18, my bass playing friend and I were at the local music store looking at musician wanted ads. We picked one out that said something to the effect of “Wanted, musicians to form rock band. Need guitar, keyboard and bass player.” So naturally we gave them a call. The guy on the phone said “bring all your equipment and come to our practice studio at this address.” We asked what constituted “all our equipment” and the guy said “microphones, amplifiers, mixer, speakers…whatever you have”. Luckily, we didn’t have much but we loaded up our beat-to-crap microphones along with our beginner guitars and amplifiers. We then set out to find the address of the practice studio. (more…)
Hi everyone, I hope you’re all having a rockin’ New Year! As you know, Live Musician Central is commited to helping you find the best equipment at the best prices for your live band . Both Musician’s Friend and Music123 offer special discounts to Live Musician Central readers but I don’t like to bombard you with advertising all over the front page. For that reason, I would like to announce a new page on Live Musician Central called Live Musician’s Special Offers, Discounts and Coupon Codes.
I will be listing limited time offers from Musician’s Friend and Music123 on the special offers and discounts page. These offers usually expire very quickly so you need to check the page often if you’re looking for discounts on specific types or brands of music equipment. The offers rotate regularly between guitars, drums, basses, live sound and studio equipment.
I hope you find the page easy to use and that it can be of some benefit to you. -Matt-
Okay, I don’t know if this video is funny or terribly tragic. The reason I’m posting it up on Live Musician Central is because the song the band is playing seems so wildly out of place at a wedding. I do have to admit I laughed pretty hard when the stupid girl in the red dress causes catastrophe but I did feel sorry for the poor bride at the end. So like I said, the vid is a mixed bag.
I really want to know though, why is the girl in red dress so out of control? Is it the song driving her wild? I doubt it. Is it excess alcohol? Possibly. Is it sheer jealousy induced craziness becuse her best friend just got married? Most likely! (more…)
It’s well known that Journey’s Neal Schon plays primarily Gibson Les Paul guitars both in the studio and when the band plays live. Well, there’s one Journey song that you just can’t get the right tone on without a Fender Stratocaster. That song is “Lights”, so there you go all you Gibson Les Paul fans out there. Let’s face it, the Fender Stratocaster has a delicious, bluesy sounding neck pickup.
In this video, Neal Schon is demonstrating his parts on “Lights” while playing a Fender Stratocaster. It looks like he’s using an early 90’s Strat Plus with Lace Sensor pickups and a Floyd Rose double locking tremelo. What’s doubly cool in this video is the fact that he’s looping his rhythm part and playing lead over it. I don’t know if he does that live or not but it sure sounds cool here. (more…)
It’s the time of year when many live bands will have opportunities to play outside in some cold weather. I know I’ve played outdoor New Year’s Eve gigs, gigs on outside decks at ski resorts and some sweet gigs outdoors at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. For a live band, it’s essential stagecraft to know how to deal with cold weather. I’ve played in temperatures well below freezing and I’ve learned a few things along the way. Here’s a list of things you’ll want to consider when playing outdoor winter gigs. I’ll discuss each in more detail below:
Have you ever seen a clip of something that was so stupid it was funny? Well, this is one of those clips. It’s a clip you may have to watch more than once to get laughing because the first time through I’m sure you’ll be thinking “What the hell?”. Second time through, you’ll be laughing. So check it out and I hope you like this weeks Sunday Funnies on Live Musician Central. (more…)