the heartbreak of trying to play with normal people

[dubkitty]

so i was jamming with people this weekend who aren't so much of the fuzz-tastic persuasion as you or i...one of the other guys had a Chandler Tube Driver and a wah, but oytherwise nada. one of the folks cranked up a tune she'd written, a nice gritty blues/folker about a street person in LA. i decide to apply atmosphere. short echo? all good. tremolo? uh-huh. then i step on the Tone Reaper and everybody turns around and looks at me like i just stomped on a kitten's head. it was right about then that i realized that--AS USUAL IN MY LIFE--the sounds i love are a cul-de-sac that 95% of musicians and listeners will never venture down. anyway, there i was, getting compliments left and right for e.g the truly strange wash of heartbroken Eno/Frisell stuff i cascaded over a version of "Ode to Billy Joe," but they were "what the hell was THAT?" compliments, you know? and nobody really wants someone to do that kind of shit in a band. me and my fucking seven fuzz boxes, when i might have as well left them all home and just taken a tuner and the Distortion+. i also realized that when drums are going at the same time you really can't tell half of the fucking things apart. i could just buy a Phoenix Lady Stardust and get rid of the Fatman, the Tone Reaper, the Algal Bloom at least and nobody but me would even fucking notice.

[01010111]

Boy howdy do I feel for ya. I have a Gnomeratron, wolf computer, yr 4545 and ring thing on my board and we play country music....fuck.

I can put the Gnomeratron on some songs, but they always assume it means 'let's rock the shit out of this song' when I usually mean I'm going to provide a nice bassy, fuzzy backdrop for you to twang your soft chicken pickin' against. Whenever I turn on the wolf computer or yr 4545 everyone else either stops playing or thinks I'm just making non-musical noise for the hell of it, and they stop playing.

If I use the cooler more unusual settings on the ring thing they usually ask me not to do that again after we've stopped playing. I'd quit but there's almost no one else to play with around here, most people around here have a very specific style they want to play and do not want to try anything else.

[Mudfuzz]

so i was jamming with people this weekend who aren't so much of the fuzz-tastic persuasion as you or i...one of the other guys had a Chandler Tube Driver and a wah, but oytherwise nada. one of the folks cranked up a tune she'd written, a nice gritty blues/folker about a street person in LA. i decide to apply atmosphere. short echo? all good. tremolo? uh-huh. then i step on the Tone Reaper and everybody turns around and looks at me like i just stomped on a kitten's head. it was right about then that i realized that--AS USUAL IN MY LIFE--the sounds i love are a cul-de-sac that 95% of musicians and listeners will never venture down. anyway, there i was, getting compliments left and right for e.g the truly strange wash of heartbroken Eno/Frisell stuff i cascaded over a version of "Ode to Billy Joe," but they were "what the hell was THAT?" compliments, you know? and nobody really wants someone to do that kind of shit in a band. me and my fucking seven fuzz boxes, when i might have as well left them all home and just taken a tuner and the Distortion+. i also realized that when drums are going at the same time you really can't tell half of the fucking things apart. i could just buy a Phoenix Lady Stardust and get rid of the Fatman, the Tone Reaper, the Algal Bloom at least and nobody but me would even fucking notice.

I know what you mean... I have had it where the audience gets into it and after the song you get one of the guitarist [the kind that will not just break down and get one good amp but gets lots of little shitty ones and brings then all and still no one can hear him....] will go "what the hell was that feedback shit?" a"few" It bugs you when people talk about art and creativity and shit but then add rules...
anyway...
I go by two rules... If the band leader doesn't have a prob and the audience has fun I will do what I think fits intill someone tells me to stop

And yes at jams and rehearsals if you wander off to drink or get high I will end up making spaceship sounds at a very loud volume to pass the time

[dubkitty]

at this particular thing the drummer and his friends were taking eons to set the kit up--you'd be amazed at how long it can take three guys to set up a four-piece Gretsch Catalina Jazz kit...i'll have what they had for breakfast LOFL--and so i finally got sick of sitting around and kicked off one of my living-room RV-3 loops. after about 10 minutes someone came over and told me i was frightening the kids. i replied "that's what i DO."

[Mudfuzz]

at this particular thing the drummer and his friends were taking eons to set the kit up--you'd be amazed at how long it can take three guys to set up a four-piece Gretsch Catalina Jazz kit...i'll have what they had for breakfast LOFL--and so i finally got sick of sitting around and kicked off one of my living-room RV-3 loops. after about 10 minutes someone came over and told me i was frightening the kids. i replied "that's what i DO."

You rock!

I know what you mean. I have my rig down to a science: amp, cab, board, bass, that is two instrument cords, two power and one speaker, I can be playing in 3 min after getting it all out. I seem to spend a lot of time waiting on other people to set up their shit.

[dubkitty]

the fucked thing is that i live just out of Santa Cruz, which you'd think would have at least a little weird shit going on, but all i ever see on Craigslist and whatnot is reggae band (lots of that with the stoners), metal band, the Eagles tribute band guy in Watsonville. i really need to play with people again, but i don't want to play with a fucking Grateful Dead cover band just so i can get out of the house...i was over that shit 20 years ago. haven't Comets on Fire got some friends or something?

[theavondon]

If I didn't have the four people that I play with all the time, I'd never use fuzz pedals. Ever. I'm glad I have the people I know.

But, you gotta keep the faith, man.

[Doodahman1969]

the fucked thing is that i live just out of Santa Cruz, which you'd think would have at least a little weird shit going on, but all i ever see on Craigslist and whatnot is reggae band (lots of that with the stoners), metal band, the Eagles tribute band guy in Watsonville. i really need to play with people again, but i don't want to play with a fucking Grateful Dead cover band just so i can get out of the house...i was over that shit 20 years ago. haven't Comets on Fire got some friends or something?

I gave up trying to play with non weirdos a long time ago. Does not work.

Most motherfuckers can't get beyond the basics let alone ''free improv''.
Nor do they understand ''the riff''
or
''oscillator array/mic'd street trash/tapes''
or
''performing/recording on AMT/Black Geltabs'' (hey man I thought you wanted to do a psych band)

By the by Comets On Fire was basically a Monoshock Warship band. Pin down some hippies and make them listen to ''Walk To The Fire'' and the 7'' blasts till they gets it.
For fucks sake CA has Liquorball; the best live band in the U$$A.

[Doodahman1969]

so i was jamming with people this weekend who aren't so much of the fuzz-tastic persuasion as you or i...one of the other guys had a Chandler Tube Driver and a wah, but oytherwise nada. one of the folks cranked up a tune she'd written, a nice gritty blues/folker about a street person in LA. i decide to apply atmosphere. short echo? all good. tremolo? uh-huh. then i step on the Tone Reaper and everybody turns around and looks at me like i just stomped on a kitten's head. it was right about then that i realized that--AS USUAL IN MY LIFE--the sounds i love are a cul-de-sac that 95% of musicians and listeners will never venture down. anyway, there i was, getting compliments left and right for e.g the truly strange wash of heartbroken Eno/Frisell stuff i cascaded over a version of "Ode to Billy Joe," but they were "what the hell was THAT?" compliments, you know? and nobody really wants someone to do that kind of shit in a band. me and my fucking seven fuzz boxes, when i might have as well left them all home and just taken a tuner and the Distortion+. i also realized that when drums are going at the same time you really can't tell half of the fucking things apart. i could just buy a Phoenix Lady Stardust and get rid of the Fatman, the Tone Reaper, the Algal Bloom at least and nobody but me would even fucking notice.

I know what you mean... I have had it where the audience gets into it and after the song you get one of the guitarist [the kind that will not just break down and get one good amp but gets lots of little shitty ones and brings then all and still no one can hear him....] will go "what the hell was that feedback shit?" a"few" It bugs you when people talk about art and creativity and shit but then add rules...
anyway...
I go by two rules... If the band leader doesn't have a prob and the audience has fun I will do what I think fits intill someone tells me to stop

And yes at jams and rehearsals if you wander off to drink or get high I will end up making spaceship sounds at a very loud volume to pass the time

These aforementioned wanders need to multitask.

1. Leave drugz and related utensils/tall boys near amp; ezy access.
2. Start a loop before you toke up/whatever
3. U make space noise over it
4. Drugged party crashes back in with a shitload of fuzz and a killer riff to compliment astral travel situation.

Unfortunately, motherfuckers are UNCOUTH.

Perennial Records is pretty bitchin'.

[theactionindex]

It definitely gets frustrating whenever I've jammed with people who seem to be on the same page I am as far as influences and musical direction, and I inevitably get the whole "uh, that's cute and all but can you make it less heavy and weird" situation going on.

I'm lucky I'm in a band where my drummer and bassist consistently urge me to experiment and basically create whatever I feel is necessary to make the songs sound awesome. a.k.a. more fuzz and spacey shit.

And yes at jams and rehearsals if you wander off to drink or get high I will end up making spaceship sounds at a very loud volume to pass the time

YES! All the other bands with rooms surrounding mine hate us because of this.

[MEC]

I think you'll have this problem more in cover bands or original bands with established material, because there is already an example of what the song "should sound like".
I find that most drummers don't really care what you are doing as long as they get to drum. So find a drummer(maybe even one from a prior jam) and work out a couple originals then ask others to join you. When you meet up show them your songs and ask them if they are still interested. If they are, there you go, if not tell them thanks for coming out and try again. once you find the right people then you could probably even do some covers in your "style" of play.

My biggest annoyance in playing with others is the notion that Heavy=Fast.

[smallsnd/bigsnd]

I find that most drummers don't really care what you are doing as long as they get to drum. So find a drummer(maybe even one from a prior jam) and work out a couple originals then ask others to join you. When you meet up show them your songs and ask them if they are still interested. If they are, there you go, if not tell them thanks for coming out and try again. once you find the right people then you could probably even do some covers in your "style" of play.

this is absolutely true... excellent advice!
i feel really lucky to be in a band where the crazier i do shit, the more awesome everyone thinks it is. it's gotten to the point where i just rip feedback with a mic > year4545 > rrr for a few songs.

maybe just post your own ads with some descriptive text that people who aren't into that shit wouldn't understand?
''oscillator array/mic'd street trash/tapes''
''performing/recording on AMT/Black Geltabs''
reference obscure records, etc.

[Jenesis]

... and then watch the tumbleweeds bounce past.

But seriously, yeah.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

fuck the haters man!

fuzz to your hearts content.

[O Drones]

I sense this is a common issue amongst our community