Thanks for the nice comments about the guitar solo !!! I had never heard that song before. I played the gig that night without a rehearsal and was reading a chord chart, which is why I wasn't moving around on stage.
No way!! This is the lead guitarist? Awesome of you to comment. As you can see by the other comments, your solo was a hit. Hope the band takes my video with a sense of humor. I feel like it’s great material to showcase some teachable moments both bad and good.
I legit enjoyed your solo, more than hearing someone just try to note for note it, like the original. Your choices were excellent, and it served the song very well. I was in a similar situation, after joining a band in summer of 2022. Songs I had never heard. Two hour gigs booked with a few days to rehearse, and only the drummer and myself, were experienced enough to pull it off without ever hearing a song. So, it was an odd experience, but I made some money, and ultimately had fun. It helped me realize I didn’t need to do note for note solos, playing cover songs at a bar or even a little bigger venue. I wish you success going forward.
The guitar solo was definitely the highlight of this performance. It may not have been the original solo, but it was tastefully done with some nice melodic phrasing that suited this version of the song.
I do feel that the guitar solo's tone was very subtle in contrast to the singer/rhythm guitar sound which had this screaming high-gain tone to it. It made the guitar solo very diffiicult to cut through the mix, but in all fairness, it should be the rhythm part that has to turn it down here, because the bass was also difficult to hear. When you're doing band tones, less is more.
@@Stoney3KYea the band sounds like a punk rock band, and the guitar solo was very clean sounding. Sounded good, but was overpowered by the rhythm guitarist
I have played at this bar many times, I am fortunate I didn’t end up on here! The lead guitarist in this band is legit. He is one of the top guys in the area. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had never even heard this song before playing it in this clip.
"Wait" is a monster of a song for being a "silly power ballad". Not for the faint of heart. The guitar player did a great job of making the solo his own, while still playing the changes. I love playing the Vito version and play it all the time, but you have to be in tip-top shape to pull it off, even on a good day.
I’m going to use a different amplifier this time, as I am interested in improving my tone! Going with a Fender Super Reverb this time instead of the crate!I’ll post a new video of from our next gig this coming Friday on 1-5-24!❤
Dude, I think your problem is not your gear, but your knowledge in guitar tones which seems to be really limited. Before spending money in expensive gear, I'd suggest you to hire a professional or someone who is really into guitar tones and ask him to help you in shaping the right sounds for your needs, using the gear you already own or, at least, asking him what to buy. Hope to have been useful to you
@@davidfrueauff6933 He isn't really being unkind to them, he's giving constructive feedback. But I did notice that he seems to give the most feedback to the vocalist... lol
Almost every local cover band I have seen has two guitar tones. Whitesnake distortion or cleans that sound like they are running straight through the monitors with no EQ. The genre of the song they play doesn't matter at all.
I've noticed this too, and have this issue in one of the bands I'm in. I think when it comes to cover bands, you usually get one really good guitarist, usually the guy who plays a lot of hard rock or metal, has a versatile rig, and handles all the leads, while the other guitarist is into indie/pop/blues or lighter music and isn't used to dialing in heavily distorted tones. The good cover bands have two guitarists that can both go from heavy distortion to crystal cleans and compliment each other.
This literally why I followed this guy. I hope he makes an entire channel of this. Grab random bands. Just help them. Legendary. I hope this channel owner gets rich on this series. It’s needed.
Im actually in this same Facebook Cover Band group that this guy or "band" posted in, and apparently he posts a bunch of bad covers, gets some constructive feedback, and never takes it or complains back. Heard him post a really bad Journey cover too. I dont think hes really even in a band, he just gets randoms to play with him and does solo acoustic White Lion song shows from time to time. Thats why theyre probably sitting there bored. He did do a good Wagon Wheel cover though. That whole Facebook group is filled with toxicity though with people complaining about their band members, pay, no one paying attention, sound, setlists, etc. Its kind of sad and really shows how low the bar is for local cover bands. If you heard them complain about how much work they put in and how little pay they receive, youd think they were all high level, pro players...until you hear them play and they sound like trainwrecks who didnt practice together, have bad sound, or theyre covering stuff outside the singers range like bad karaoke. Its really not hard to be a local cover band. Much harder to stand out amongst the hundreds of them or do originals. There are some really good bands that occadionally post in the group though, so not trying to trash everyone.
i'm not shocked at all. whole time i was thinking, if this was a spectresoundstudios video it'd be half as long at most, because glenn fricker would just shout FIRE THE SINGER!
I really do not understand why anyone uses a Crate. I've never seen a good guitar player use one. Ever. That I am aware of. Nor have I ever heard one sound good. You never even heard them talked about. So it kind of goes without saying that they aren't well liked, yet there are these rare strange holdouts that use them. Where are people even buying these things? I've never seen one in a store - ever. In 30+ years.
Crate wasn’t bad, it was the choice of gain settings for this particular song were just too much. Less is more when live. Now, I actually think that these amps got a bad reputation because they were bought by the inexperienced player, and its reputation for tone was hit as a result. And, some people just don’t like the flavor of tone, and that’s ok too. A speaker swap to something better quality actually helps the amp tremendously. The two guitar amps I own and love are my Crate GLX and my 65’ Deluxe Reverb.
Pitch issues aside, lead vocals sound much more 90's "modern" rock than 80's hair metal. A whole lot more attention to the style and delivery will sell the song. And as I write, you mention "90's alternative cover band," which sums it up. Interesting series!
In a nutshell shell, there’s a big difference between playing songs and putting on a show. Even in my cover bands we planned every set, every pause between songs and every break. We even brought in our own music to play while on breaks to keep the vibe of the music we were playing. Great idea for a RUclips series !! Very helpful .
Great advice! That's deeper than you probably thought when you typed it, but it's so true. There IS a difference between thinking that you can play a song well enough to add to the set list and actually taking the time to polish things to entertain the people listening.
Never got in touch with many musicians, so while I built up skill over 2 decades, I couldn't build up confidence. Then I met a local music legend, who encouraged me to keep going. I've now taken his bass part in a garage punk band and it's like an evil spell being lifted. We didn't play live yet, but I'm sure we can do it and maybe more importantly that I can do it. If you're not in a band yet, try finding like minded people and just try putting a 20 minute set together. It's going to be a fun time and sooner or later you'll forget about your doubts
I love this analysis. This has value for those who want to get outside themselves and realize that a live performance is for the gratification of the AUDIENCE, and band satisfaction comes from pleasing the crowd. Stage presence, rhythm, and setlist are some of the crucial elements that too many aspiring musicians struggle with.
At this level,with this 'pay', a live performance is for the gratification of the BAND. Never pander, play what you thrive on. Pandering in the only possible sin.
One thing I do when playing live is to get into the music. Dance, sway, walk, wave, laugh, interact with the audience. This helps hide any mistakes, but also show I’m having a good time and it helps the audience have a good time.
No need to feel bad about providing constructive feedback to help people improve. That’s coaching. There are folks out there just too proud, or just totally clueless, to realize that they’re not perfect, but hopefully these guys incorporate all the sound advice you provided. Would love to see more of these. I also think it would be cool to see bands submit their performances for this. You then might be able to do follow ups, looking at a performance post-your advice and see how they did or did not improve.
I really love this new video series. Me and you are around the same age and I wish I would’ve had a band mentor 20years ago. I saw your Beatles video and I brought back so many memories of my bands and the problems we had. I realized now that someone has to have a vision for the song and take the lead role even if it’s only a cover. But also it’s a collaboration. Maybe you can have bands submit stuff. Even do LIVE q&a for advice Keep up the good work!
I like when even a local band acts like rock stars on stage, even if there is only a few dozen people in attendance who aren't paying attention. It helps take the imagination away and feel the intensity like you are at an actual concert instead of just at a local bar.
I also did get the impression that the cover had a very '90s alt-rock feel to it, almost as if this is how the song would have sounded if it came out in like 1993. I was wondering why the singer's vocal style sounded so familiar, but then you mentioned Toad the Wet Sprocket - he definitely sounds like he should be with one of those jangly '90s pop-rock bands. He actually sounds a lot like the lead singer from the Gin Blossoms, now that I think about it...
to me dude sounds like he's desperately trying to be wes scantlin from puddle of mudd. maybe this band should take a shot at covering about a girl next
Guitar guy did a great job nailing the feel of the solo for this. it's a hell of undertaking, learning it note for note. I know because I've done it, and even still it's something I have to work up to. It isn't one I can just rip out with little or no preparation.
This is great usually RUclipsrs will upload videos like this to make fun of the band, or simply never acknowledge their existence, but you're doing a great job teaching from it.
I was expecting the lead guitar to absolutely butcher the solo, but that was suprisingly good. That dude definitely knows his stuff, and he really got taste. I didn't know this song before this video, and with that in mind, that solo fit perfectly for me.
right before you said it, my thought was this guy needs to sing in 90s alternative bands. he sounds like, as you said the dude from TTWS, Dave Pirner from Soul Asylum, and Robin Wilson of Gin Blossoms.
in a cover band these things crop up often. Songs are picked because they are loved, however little consideration is ever given to if the vocalist/s can sing it. The singer here sounds a little closer to a baritone and Mike Tramp is more of a tenor. It happens to everyone and it's a part of growing as musicians. They will figure it out. When the floor gets a little sparse they will figure out how to bring them back!
When I was a teen and learning guitar, I used to sneak into this bar to hear one of the top cover bands in our area, they toured around the whole Gulf Coast and southern region. They were kind of a big band, I think seven members. Everybody could sing, they had one female member, and between them all they could play just about anything and one of them could sing it well. That was one of the keys to their success, and taught me a big lesson early. Whether you're playing covers or originals, you can't have any weak links and the material has be right to play to your strengths. Those guys' strategy was just to have someone for every song.
I loved this and was sooooo ready to binge watch the whole series, and then realized this is the first one! Know that I'll be here for the rest to come. Just subscribed!
Modern showers should have two built-in LEDs, a red one and a green one. If the red LED comes on when you're singing in the shower, you're not ready to climb onto a stage yet. Just like the singer in this band. Deep red.
@@dummbobqqqqq I am being honest, not mean. I don't have to justify that. And I will never be on my own gig because, you know, I suck at guitar. I am simply not good enough at it, and I know that. That doesn't stop me from playing inside my own four walls, though :)
The White Lion "Wait" solo is the hardest solo ive ever tried to learn. There are techniques in it that i had never even needed before....friggin harmonic prebends & licks that are so stretchy & finicky, i cant imagine how long it would take to nail it every time. I was never a shredder though -- Honestly - if my band couldnt do a song justice, we just didnt play it. I guess you have to be self aware enough to know that. But hey -- good for them for putting themselves out there. I miss my bar band days.
Wait and Beat It are two solos I've attempted learning over the last few months and my first real introduction to tapping. What I did not expect after 20 years of playing guitar was to realise I don't have calluses (or technique) on my picking hand, so it hurt like hell and reminded me of my early days. There was only so much practice I could do before I had to give up for a day or a few.
The lead guitarist actually posted in the comments to this, he was playing off a chord chart and had never played or even heard the song before. Given that fact, I’d say he killed it. He has some other videos of his performances on his channel. He’s pretty talented.
I think the most important point of these videos, is to record your live shows. There's no better way to improve, then to see your band from the audience perspective. Keep up the series!!
So I know the lead guy in this band he’s one of my best friends. He’s also very close to Mike tramp they are both best of friends. I know this bcuz I’ve seen the two together Mike gifted him one of his guitars on the tour there’s a video of it. And he’s not dismissing the drummer the drummer is talking to the crowd not to Joey. He’s a great guy one of the sweetest guys I have ever met. Also he’s playing for fun just trying to have a good time. Everybody has to take everything so serious. ITS A DIVE BAR! Joe I love ya buddy keep up the good work!
I can't wait for more of this series. I am sure the feedback will help my own live performances. I hope the singer's pitch issues are a simple fix, like hearing himself better.
It’s like a 2010s pop punk singer trying to do 80s hair metal vocals. And I totally took the “and the bass player said” was like “if we have to play White Lion, can it be something people know!?”
Listening to the person who has the mic is really important. It gives direction for the whole band. If one is speaking listen to them and respond with a short phrase
As a musician, I've never understood how a band could get up on stage and not have their sound somewhat together. If my band did not have a song nailed, It did not get a spot on the play list until it was polished.
Please continue this series. Like how you analyzed the stage presence factor. There are takeaways from your analysis that can be helpful to those new to playing live, or those of us who perhaps can use a refresher.
Keeping the band anonymous is such a pro move. Btw, I think the singer was saying how he was on tour playing White Lion covers, not the band themselves. He said he went "on tour with songs of White Lion," not "with White Lion." Very odd thing to say after ignoring his drummer, almost as if to assure the audience that he's qualified to play the next song.
As someone always trying to get better and improve I appreciate this kind of content a lot. Feels like learning a whole lot of what not to do without making the huge mistakes lol
Really good analysis! I remember gettimg nervous playing in a classic rock cover band. It gets easier with time and effort. Gotta remember to have fun. Youre right about the energy and mood and how the crowd can feel that. Love your insight...👍✌️
@The-Art-Of-Guitar So funny, when i was little i always found bits of songs i wanted to change. Just bookmarked all over the years. & when i finally got to work with bands i was ready to help them! Should have pursued Producing more! Really glad to see this run of videos from you! Can't wait to see how we sync up 👍
Singing live is such so difficult. For one, nerves will absolutely affect your pitch, in a way it won't with guitar and bass. And, if the monitoring isn't good or loud enough, again, the pitch will drift.
Agreed. I don't perform much, and when I have it's been cozy acoustic settings and I can sing perfectly in tune. Then a few years ago, I sang at a bigger open mic night with a proper setup and I could only hear myself through the PA. I was totally thinking to myself "why is my voice singing the wrong notes??" Takes a bit of experience to be able to pull off good pitch without proper monitoring.
I use a Boss HM2 with a BC Rich Warlock tuned to drop G in my Barry Manilow cover band and you can hardly tell the difference from the source material.
I procrastinated watching this for a few weeks, but I am glad I finally did. Your platform is interesting and I like how you've made a series on tips for guys like me who have very limited playing experience on stage.
In a way, it does almost sound like they are trying to change the feel of the song and turn it into a 90's alt rock song. But not quite. And that would be fine, if it's what they were going for. I applaud the idea of taking a song and turning it into something different. But you need to really lean into. You pretty much have to rewrite the song. Look at what Disturbed does with their covers, for example.
You touched on a huge issue with specifically with the texas country/alternative country scene, how the frontman is just playing the chords to a song that’s mainly constructed of riffs. Lots of guitarists and songwriters these days start out by learning hit songs by just learning the chords for it on guitar, and that’s where they stop. Then they write songs using only that level of knowledge, and now too many songs are just chords and no creativity within the instrumentation.
@@WithoutTroy Even if, should we excuse the frontman who we can tell had the opportunity to put in more effort into his performance? Lead guitarist was a guest, but his chops lead to success.
Hey mike i'm ET I see you hold a jackson guitar how do you like that guitar. Because I Nineteen eighty Charvel and a Jackson like the one you're holding. I love my guitars 🎸 .
So I looked through a bunch of comments… it seems that the singer didn’t really want to play the song. That’s the energy he throws off when discussing it (and cutting off the drummer). The “band” seems more seasoned and kept the song going. They saved that performance. It happens.
this is a great idea, i think it would be really cool to have some viewer submitted videos in some episodes as well (as other comments also have suggested). but i like that it's not JUST viewer submissions cause i feel like people would tend to submit their best performances rather than the performances that are the most representative of the majority of their shows
The only time I would say "We only practiced this twice." or "Hope you like it." would be if we actually practiced it a million times and already knew they liked it.
I was in a band that did “Wait,” and while our lead guitarist and I had our share of differences, I always gave him props for his playing. He nailed the solo in “Wait” note-for-note, a true ‘80s shredder. While I don’t think the interpretation of the song by this band is what the audience was after, it’s not bad. But as any denizen of the bar scene knows, anything shy of a note-for-note copy of the original risks alienating the folks who are there to relive a couple hours of their adolescence. But then again, a half-dozen drinks in and it sorta doesn’t matter what you play. Really enjoying this series. You’re treating the bands and songs with genuine respect. Would love to see you tackle the best, worst cover ever…the infamous “Worst cover ever, the Final Countdown.”
the guitar player that Mike Tramp hired for Songs of white lion is really great actually so it's obviously NOT the lead singer of this band. Even though the songs are tuned many many steps down he still pays tribute to Vito. I actually thought this guitar player did a great job with his interpretation, but that said, Mike you nailed the solo last year or two back as your bonus solo from your top 80s riffs/solos "I can't believe this is Winger" video I believe.
I think it they did the 90s thing it'd work, they could do an ironic pavement-esque cover of some hair metal songs in the middle. Get that man a big muff and a Jaguar
If you didn’t tell me what band played the original I would have thought they were playing 90’s pop covers. This definitely could have been on a Friends compilation, guitar tone and all.
I love these great ideas of yours! They don't seem like a very good time having fun playing music together kinda band. Diva singer? The way he said: Guitar before the solo with an air of "whatever"... Love the channel! Help this band, replace the singer!!
Amp tone. Most venues are WAY too small for a half stack. Far better to use a lower powered tube combo that you can turn up loud enough to get into the power section of the amp for those sweet tones with tons of gain. Otherwise, it's like trying to fly a fighter jet at stall speed. It also enables you to clean up your tone by rolling your guitar vol back which is a lost art these days. If you already have your master vol down at 3 in your badass half stack, guess what? When you roll your guitar vol back it'll sound like crap - thin and tinsley. Like everyone else I have a lot of gear but my main go to is an 18 watt combo with 2 EL84's, a reverb tank and an effects loop. It sounds freaking AMAZING. I set it on the stage behind me and off to the side with an amp shield in front of it to diffuse the beaming effect. It's so loud that for most venues we don't even need to mic it. I get a TON of compliments on my tone from my peers - other guitarists in local bands. I have a 50 watt handwired Marshall clone but it's too loud for the smaller venues so I keep ready for larger venues.
This is a fantastic idea for video series, well done! I cant wait to see more. Maybe you can get people to send you videos of their own bands so you don't need the editing
I've seen several bands playing this way and it's a little strange the lack of energy in the performance sometimes, even if the band plays the song very well. I hope the series continues!
Technically you can use a death metal distortion pedal when playing 80's music. You have to decide if you are just gonna play exactly as the original did then dial back the distortion. But if you are gonna put your own nitch to the song to make it youts then go ahead but don't just rely on distortion to make it yours.
I love this new direction. Hell yes! "How I would FIX THIS BAND." You could turn this into a side business for real. Isn't this why labels hire "producers"? You don't even need good credentials to know if a band sucks. The problem that most bar bands have is they absolutely will not take critique towards any positive direction. If you want to get better and refuse to listen to others, just video every performance. If you can't or won't find your own flaws, please just get off the stage.
I am a guitar teacher and I also love teaching beginner bands how to play and write their own stuff...whenever I have the chance. While I have plenty of individual guitar students It isnt common to find (even among the suites local musicians) a band that will listen to critizism, specially about their song writing...I guess they do if their label says so for example, but so many people in (bad) bands out there simply believe they are doing it more than fine,period.
A friend( he was the drummer) of mine once asked me to run the video camera for his bands first gig ever. These guys were all rookies. I asked him why are you recording, his answer was the wrong one, he did not choose wisely. He said so we can improve our stage presence. Well that was all the information I needed. Well the first song I gave them a nice wide shot, after that it was shots of what they were doing blatantly wrong, to an almost comical point. One guitar player stared at his shoes and after a good verse and a half of him doing so I zoomed in on his shoes. The bass player got the deer in the headlights gaze and again a good 40 seconds of close up of just him deer in the headlights, Drummer looking around looking bored to death, Singer talking at the band members while addressing the audience. After the gig a bunch of people went back to the band house to watch the epic video. I arrived late and the video was about half over, well it was actually at the shoe gazing scene... They were pissed off. Who the eff filmed this it's terrible. Why are we looking at my shoes, Why is the only time I am in the video when I am talking to the crowd cried the lead singer. Pitchforks and torches were starting to come out until the drummer spoke up and told them. You guy's are idiots he is showing your shoes because you just spent five minutes staring at them. He is only showing us the shit we shouldn't be doing pay attention. I was never asked to run the video camera again, and by the next gig they had made big strides, all but the singer. He still would sing to the crowd but would look at the band between songs yet spoke to the crowd
Reasons to not form a cover band and write your own stuff number 1 = there's no original you're compared to so you get to "f it up" how you want. Is there a cover band people are truly pleased with?
Depends how much you f it up. Even if you don’t know a song you can tell if it gets properly messed up or the playing is generally sloppy. Also, I’ve seen heaps of great cover bands.
Plenty, tbh. There's a local Alice Cooper cover band that's been going for more than 25 years where I live; they've had a revolving door of members (IIRC I think only the singer has been going since the start), but they set their expectations for stuff like venue size realistically,, and put on a good show. A mate of mine auditioned for them like 15 years ago; he's got the chops but 0 swagger, so he didn't get it.
Yes Zoso is great. Classic Albums Live are also fantastic covering many bands note for note. But yeah I totally agree doing your own music gives you more freedom
I sometimes pick a tv or picture on the far side of the bar to stare at while I perform solo acoustic shows. It helps me focus on the words and chords. When I start looking around, I will sometimes forget the correct words (and sing the wrong verse). Jut have to find the balance to engage the audience more. Thanks for pointing that out!
Thanks for the nice comments about the guitar solo !!! I had never heard that song before. I played the gig that night without a rehearsal and was reading a chord chart, which is why I wasn't moving around on stage.
No way!! This is the lead guitarist? Awesome of you to comment. As you can see by the other comments, your solo was a hit. Hope the band takes my video with a sense of humor. I feel like it’s great material to showcase some teachable moments both bad and good.
Hell yeah! Great job, and thanks for showing up here!
Could you clarify the singer's comments about 'The Music Of White Lion' tour? I actually enjoyed Mike Tramp's re-working of some of those songs.
I legit enjoyed your solo, more than hearing someone just try to note for note it, like the original.
Your choices were excellent, and it served the song very well.
I was in a similar situation, after joining a band in summer of 2022. Songs I had never heard. Two hour gigs booked with a few days to rehearse, and only the drummer and myself, were experienced enough to pull it off without ever hearing a song.
So, it was an odd experience, but I made some money, and ultimately had fun.
It helped me realize I didn’t need to do note for note solos, playing cover songs at a bar or even a little bigger venue.
I wish you success going forward.
the Lead singer definitely has one thing down, he got the LSD bad lol
The guitar solo was definitely the highlight of this performance. It may not have been the original solo, but it was tastefully done with some nice melodic phrasing that suited this version of the song.
I do feel that the guitar solo's tone was very subtle in contrast to the singer/rhythm guitar sound which had this screaming high-gain tone to it. It made the guitar solo very diffiicult to cut through the mix, but in all fairness, it should be the rhythm part that has to turn it down here, because the bass was also difficult to hear. When you're doing band tones, less is more.
It's basically the good part of a D- paper, because (hot take) IT'S NOT THE SONG lol
@@Stoney3KI agree but also think it was a negative for the singer and not for the soloist he made his work but the other guy didn't
@@Stoney3KYea the band sounds like a punk rock band, and the guitar solo was very clean sounding. Sounded good, but was overpowered by the rhythm guitarist
@@Stoney3K Don't forget this was probably shot on a mobile phone, so it probably sounded better live.
I have played at this bar many times, I am fortunate I didn’t end up on here!
The lead guitarist in this band is legit. He is one of the top guys in the area. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had never even heard this song before playing it in this clip.
LOL He confirmed this upthread! Good call!
as soon as i saw it was tom’s , i got so nervous it would be my band too😂
He meant "White Lyin'"
I actually said this in my first attempt of the video but then I forgot the second time. We’re on the same wavelength. 🤣👍
😂
0:46 You have some GREAT GENES to look that young and have been playing 3 decades already!! Congrats!!
I didn't mean that in a Smart A$$ way. I'm being serious!!
"Wait" is a monster of a song for being a "silly power ballad". Not for the faint of heart. The guitar player did a great job of making the solo his own, while still playing the changes. I love playing the Vito version and play it all the time, but you have to be in tip-top shape to pull it off, even on a good day.
I’m pretty sure Wait used an ADA MP1, really hard to even come close to tone in a Crate
Vito is an underrated beast!
@@galenmarek8287I met him and Mike Tramp in the red light district in Frankfurt, Germany back in the early 90s. Really nice guys.
I’m going to use a different amplifier this time, as I am interested in improving my tone! Going with a Fender Super Reverb this time instead of the crate!I’ll post a new video of from our next gig this coming Friday on 1-5-24!❤
Sweet!
Good luck brosef!!!! 🤘🏻
y
You should be done with the tone of the Super Reverb
Dude, I think your problem is not your gear, but your knowledge in guitar tones which seems to be really limited. Before spending money in expensive gear, I'd suggest you to hire a professional or someone who is really into guitar tones and ask him to help you in shaping the right sounds for your needs, using the gear you already own or, at least, asking him what to buy. Hope to have been useful to you
Please keep this series going! It's both entertaining and informative!
100%
And kind😅
@@davidfrueauff6933 He isn't really being unkind to them, he's giving constructive feedback. But I did notice that he seems to give the most feedback to the vocalist... lol
Almost every local cover band I have seen has two guitar tones. Whitesnake distortion or cleans that sound like they are running straight through the monitors with no EQ. The genre of the song they play doesn't matter at all.
To be fair, as a metal guitarist I also only have 2 tones. Clean and distortion
I've noticed this too, and have this issue in one of the bands I'm in. I think when it comes to cover bands, you usually get one really good guitarist, usually the guy who plays a lot of hard rock or metal, has a versatile rig, and handles all the leads, while the other guitarist is into indie/pop/blues or lighter music and isn't used to dialing in heavily distorted tones. The good cover bands have two guitarists that can both go from heavy distortion to crystal cleans and compliment each other.
As someone who's in a cover band who plays a lot of bar gigs.... PLEASE keep these up. Gonna take a lot of this to heart to improve upcoming gigs.
This literally why I followed this guy. I hope he makes an entire channel of this. Grab random bands. Just help them.
Legendary. I hope this channel owner gets rich on this series. It’s needed.
To me it sounded like the Gin Blossoms were covering a White Lion song.
Nailed it!😂
Nailed it
Agreed
The arm raise at the end to dead silence, that one hit me 💀
And the crowd goes mild!
mild mild mild
Im actually in this same Facebook Cover Band group that this guy or "band" posted in, and apparently he posts a bunch of bad covers, gets some constructive feedback, and never takes it or complains back. Heard him post a really bad Journey cover too. I dont think hes really even in a band, he just gets randoms to play with him and does solo acoustic White Lion song shows from time to time. Thats why theyre probably sitting there bored. He did do a good Wagon Wheel cover though.
That whole Facebook group is filled with toxicity though with people complaining about their band members, pay, no one paying attention, sound, setlists, etc. Its kind of sad and really shows how low the bar is for local cover bands. If you heard them complain about how much work they put in and how little pay they receive, youd think they were all high level, pro players...until you hear them play and they sound like trainwrecks who didnt practice together, have bad sound, or theyre covering stuff outside the singers range like bad karaoke. Its really not hard to be a local cover band. Much harder to stand out amongst the hundreds of them or do originals. There are some really good bands that occadionally post in the group though, so not trying to trash everyone.
Sauce???
i'm not shocked at all. whole time i was thinking, if this was a spectresoundstudios video it'd be half as long at most, because glenn fricker would just shout FIRE THE SINGER!
I would recognize that Crate 100w anywhere. I used one when I was playing shows as a teen. I don't miss it.
I really do not understand why anyone uses a Crate. I've never seen a good guitar player use one. Ever. That I am aware of. Nor have I ever heard one sound good. You never even heard them talked about. So it kind of goes without saying that they aren't well liked, yet there are these rare strange holdouts that use them. Where are people even buying these things? I've never seen one in a store - ever. In 30+ years.
Crate wasn’t bad, it was the choice of gain settings for this particular song were just too much. Less is more when live. Now, I actually think that these amps got a bad reputation because they were bought by the inexperienced player, and its reputation for tone was hit as a result. And, some people just don’t like the flavor of tone, and that’s ok too. A speaker swap to something better quality actually helps the amp tremendously. The two guitar amps I own and love are my Crate GLX and my 65’ Deluxe Reverb.
Pitch issues aside, lead vocals sound much more 90's "modern" rock than 80's hair metal. A whole lot more attention to the style and delivery will sell the song. And as I write, you mention "90's alternative cover band," which sums it up. Interesting series!
In a nutshell shell, there’s a big difference between playing songs and putting on a show. Even in my cover bands we planned every set, every pause between songs and every break. We even brought in our own music to play while on breaks to keep the vibe of the music we were playing. Great idea for a RUclips series !! Very helpful .
Great advice! That's deeper than you probably thought when you typed it, but it's so true. There IS a difference between thinking that you can play a song well enough to add to the set list and actually taking the time to polish things to entertain the people listening.
Man, I really needed this. Im always beating myself up, never think Im good enough to perform anything. These guys are out there doing it. Good on em.
I agree. It's so easy to judge, but it takes balls to get up there and just do it.
Sometimes it's not pretty, but that's life and learning.
@@jacealbineand money…
Never got in touch with many musicians, so while I built up skill over 2 decades, I couldn't build up confidence. Then I met a local music legend, who encouraged me to keep going.
I've now taken his bass part in a garage punk band and it's like an evil spell being lifted. We didn't play live yet, but I'm sure we can do it and maybe more importantly that I can do it.
If you're not in a band yet, try finding like minded people and just try putting a 20 minute set together. It's going to be a fun time and sooner or later you'll forget about your doubts
I love this analysis. This has value for those who want to get outside themselves and realize that a live performance is for the gratification of the AUDIENCE, and band satisfaction comes from pleasing the crowd. Stage presence, rhythm, and setlist are some of the crucial elements that too many aspiring musicians struggle with.
At this level,with this 'pay', a live performance is for the gratification of the BAND. Never pander, play what you thrive on. Pandering in the only possible sin.
I am not sure dive bar bands playing white lion can be helped in the first place
One thing I do when playing live is to get into the music. Dance, sway, walk, wave, laugh, interact with the audience. This helps hide any mistakes, but also show I’m having a good time and it helps the audience have a good time.
No need to feel bad about providing constructive feedback to help people improve. That’s coaching. There are folks out there just too proud, or just totally clueless, to realize that they’re not perfect, but hopefully these guys incorporate all the sound advice you provided. Would love to see more of these. I also think it would be cool to see bands submit their performances for this. You then might be able to do follow ups, looking at a performance post-your advice and see how they did or did not improve.
All the constructive commentary were on the singer and his playing. I think the rest of the band was fine other than possible mix.
I really love this new video series. Me and you are around the same age and I wish I would’ve had a band mentor 20years ago. I saw your Beatles video and I brought back so many memories of my bands and the problems we had. I realized now that someone has to have a vision for the song and take the lead role even if it’s only a cover. But also it’s a collaboration.
Maybe you can have bands submit stuff. Even do LIVE q&a for advice
Keep up the good work!
I like when even a local band acts like rock stars on stage, even if there is only a few dozen people in attendance who aren't paying attention. It helps take the imagination away and feel the intensity like you are at an actual concert instead of just at a local bar.
WHAT THE F*CK IS UP DENNY'S
90's cover band sound. You nailed it.
I also did get the impression that the cover had a very '90s alt-rock feel to it, almost as if this is how the song would have sounded if it came out in like 1993.
I was wondering why the singer's vocal style sounded so familiar, but then you mentioned Toad the Wet Sprocket - he definitely sounds like he should be with one of those jangly '90s pop-rock bands. He actually sounds a lot like the lead singer from the Gin Blossoms, now that I think about it...
to me dude sounds like he's desperately trying to be wes scantlin from puddle of mudd. maybe this band should take a shot at covering about a girl next
Gin Blossoms doing, "Wait" after turning up their regular level of distortion a couple notches. Now I can't un-hear it!
Guitar guy did a great job nailing the feel of the solo for this. it's a hell of undertaking, learning it note for note. I know because I've done it, and even still it's something I have to work up to. It isn't one I can just rip out with little or no preparation.
🤘🏻🔥 Congrats on 845k Subscribers! This is awesome. I look forward to more vids in this series 🙂
I thought they sounded like how The Gin Blossoms would sound covering this song. Had a real 90’s sound to it, kind of an interesting spin on it.
Babe wake up, art of guitar posted
Nobody comment on this
@@godsfavoriteboybandI agree nobody comment on this
I thought we had moved past this cringe comment but I guess I was wrong.
How bout no.....
Hey, I'm straight as a dime but even I would consider turning for you
This is great usually RUclipsrs will upload videos like this to make fun of the band, or simply never acknowledge their existence, but you're doing a great job teaching from it.
This should DEFINITELY be a new segment on the channel. Great video!
I was expecting the lead guitar to absolutely butcher the solo, but that was suprisingly good. That dude definitely knows his stuff, and he really got taste. I didn't know this song before this video, and with that in mind, that solo fit perfectly for me.
right before you said it, my thought was this guy needs to sing in 90s alternative bands. he sounds like, as you said the dude from TTWS, Dave Pirner from Soul Asylum, and Robin Wilson of Gin Blossoms.
in a cover band these things crop up often. Songs are picked because they are loved, however little consideration is ever given to if the vocalist/s can sing it. The singer here sounds a little closer to a baritone and Mike Tramp is more of a tenor. It happens to everyone and it's a part of growing as musicians. They will figure it out. When the floor gets a little sparse they will figure out how to bring them back!
When I was a teen and learning guitar, I used to sneak into this bar to hear one of the top cover bands in our area, they toured around the whole Gulf Coast and southern region. They were kind of a big band, I think seven members. Everybody could sing, they had one female member, and between them all they could play just about anything and one of them could sing it well. That was one of the keys to their success, and taught me a big lesson early. Whether you're playing covers or originals, you can't have any weak links and the material has be right to play to your strengths. Those guys' strategy was just to have someone for every song.
Videos like this boost my confidence to actually play live.
I loved this and was sooooo ready to binge watch the whole series, and then realized this is the first one! Know that I'll be here for the rest to come. Just subscribed!
I love the premise of this new series. I look forward to future episodes!
Modern showers should have two built-in LEDs, a red one and a green one.
If the red LED comes on when you're singing in the shower, you're not ready to climb onto a stage yet.
Just like the singer in this band. Deep red.
Not a nice comment :/
Hes not thaaaat bad
@@dummbobqqqqq
Didn't know this was a competition for the nicest comment.
Keep it real, not nice.
@@dan_kay sometimes rational argument are a justification in order to be mean. Just imagin reading this of your own gig.
@@dummbobqqqqq
I am being honest, not mean. I don't have to justify that.
And I will never be on my own gig because, you know, I suck at guitar. I am simply not good enough at it, and I know that. That doesn't stop me from playing inside my own four walls, though :)
The White Lion "Wait" solo is the hardest solo ive ever tried to learn. There are techniques in it that i had never even needed before....friggin harmonic prebends & licks that are so stretchy & finicky, i cant imagine how long it would take to nail it every time. I was never a shredder though --
Honestly - if my band couldnt do a song justice, we just didnt play it. I guess you have to be self aware enough to know that.
But hey -- good for them for putting themselves out there. I miss my bar band days.
Same here. I’ve never attempted a solo this difficult. And I’m really bad at it. But it’s fun trying.
Wait and Beat It are two solos I've attempted learning over the last few months and my first real introduction to tapping. What I did not expect after 20 years of playing guitar was to realise I don't have calluses (or technique) on my picking hand, so it hurt like hell and reminded me of my early days. There was only so much practice I could do before I had to give up for a day or a few.
The lead guitarist actually posted in the comments to this, he was playing off a chord chart and had never played or even heard the song before. Given that fact, I’d say he killed it. He has some other videos of his performances on his channel. He’s pretty talented.
Clean playing, dude!
I think the most important point of these videos, is to record your live shows. There's no better way to improve, then to see your band from the audience perspective. Keep up the series!!
So I know the lead guy in this band he’s one of my best friends. He’s also very close to Mike tramp they are both best of friends. I know this bcuz I’ve seen the two together Mike gifted him one of his guitars on the tour there’s a video of it. And he’s not dismissing the drummer the drummer is talking to the crowd not to Joey. He’s a great guy one of the sweetest guys I have ever met. Also he’s playing for fun just trying to have a good time. Everybody has to take everything so serious. ITS A DIVE BAR! Joe I love ya buddy keep up the good work!
How our band takes requests: "Write your request on a $20 bill. If we don't know the song, we will give you $10 back. That's our personal guarantee!"
I like it :)
This series is a great idea!!!! You deserve more subs. You have one of the highest-quality guitar channels on here in my opinion!
I can't wait for more of this series.
I am sure the feedback will help my own live performances. I hope the singer's pitch issues are a simple fix, like hearing himself better.
It’s like a 2010s pop punk singer trying to do 80s hair metal vocals. And I totally took the “and the bass player said” was like “if we have to play White Lion, can it be something people know!?”
Love the idea of this series. Feel like we can all learn a lot from these insights, not to mention it’s hilarious at times. Good idea man
Listening to the person who has the mic is really important. It gives direction for the whole band. If one is speaking listen to them and respond with a short phrase
As a musician, I've never understood how a band could get up on stage and not have their sound somewhat together. If my band did not have a song nailed, It did not get a spot on the play list until it was polished.
This wasn't bad. It was like White Lion played through the lens of the Gin Blossoms or some other early 90s soft alternative. They made it their own
Please continue this series. Like how you analyzed the stage presence factor. There are takeaways from your analysis that can be helpful to those new to playing live, or those of us who perhaps can use a refresher.
I think this singer WAS on tour with Mike Tramp doing an acoustic opener slot.
Imagine flexing that you're friends with a White Lion cover band
You can tell the dude who played the solo knows what's up, his tone is great from the first note. That's really cool that he commented!
Keeping the band anonymous is such a pro move.
Btw, I think the singer was saying how he was on tour playing White Lion covers, not the band themselves. He said he went "on tour with songs of White Lion," not "with White Lion." Very odd thing to say after ignoring his drummer, almost as if to assure the audience that he's qualified to play the next song.
Since Bocchi The Rock I've started to appreciate when Drummers get to talk
As someone always trying to get better and improve I appreciate this kind of content a lot. Feels like learning a whole lot of what not to do without making the huge mistakes lol
Good call on the lead singer sounding like he should be in a 90s alt-rock band. That's exactly what I thought. Lead guitarist definitely has chops.
Before you played the video I kept saying “Please don’t be my band! Please don’t be my band!” 😂
I work with high school kids and you comments are spot on. Also learned a few new things, big thanks. Happy Holidays.
Really good analysis! I remember gettimg nervous playing in a classic rock cover band. It gets easier with time and effort. Gotta remember to have fun.
Youre right about the energy and mood and how the crowd can feel that. Love your insight...👍✌️
@The-Art-Of-Guitar So funny, when i was little i always found bits of songs i wanted to change. Just bookmarked all over the years. & when i finally got to work with bands i was ready to help them! Should have pursued Producing more! Really glad to see this run of videos from you! Can't wait to see how we sync up 👍
I have to agree that these guys would do a great job covering 90s music.
Singing live is such so difficult. For one, nerves will absolutely affect your pitch, in a way it won't with guitar and bass.
And, if the monitoring isn't good or loud enough, again, the pitch will drift.
Agreed. I don't perform much, and when I have it's been cozy acoustic settings and I can sing perfectly in tune. Then a few years ago, I sang at a bigger open mic night with a proper setup and I could only hear myself through the PA. I was totally thinking to myself "why is my voice singing the wrong notes??" Takes a bit of experience to be able to pull off good pitch without proper monitoring.
thank you for the MN vibes.... you inspire me to keep the axe sharp.
I see that Robotron: 2084 arcade plate! Great video with solid advice too.
I like this kind of video! It's cool to see this kind of analysis of a regular band doing what 99% of all bands do.
I use a Boss HM2 with a BC Rich Warlock tuned to drop G in my Barry Manilow cover band and you can hardly tell the difference from the source material.
the solo was very good imo, probably the best part of the performance
I procrastinated watching this for a few weeks, but I am glad I finally did. Your platform is interesting and I like how you've made a series on tips for guys like me who have very limited playing experience on stage.
I feel like this is the best thing for any band.
Honest critique.
Great job.
In a way, it does almost sound like they are trying to change the feel of the song and turn it into a 90's alt rock song. But not quite.
And that would be fine, if it's what they were going for. I applaud the idea of taking a song and turning it into something different. But you need to really lean into. You pretty much have to rewrite the song. Look at what Disturbed does with their covers, for example.
You touched on a huge issue with specifically with the texas country/alternative country scene, how the frontman is just playing the chords to a song that’s mainly constructed of riffs. Lots of guitarists and songwriters these days start out by learning hit songs by just learning the chords for it on guitar, and that’s where they stop. Then they write songs using only that level of knowledge, and now too many songs are just chords and no creativity within the instrumentation.
Perhaps, but you may be underestimating how difficult it is to sing well and riff intricate melodies at the same time.
@@WithoutTroy Even if, should we excuse the frontman who we can tell had the opportunity to put in more effort into his performance? Lead guitarist was a guest, but his chops lead to success.
Hey mike i'm ET I see you hold a jackson guitar how do you like that guitar. Because I Nineteen eighty Charvel and a Jackson like the one you're holding. I love my guitars 🎸 .
Wait by white lion? Fair play that’s a brave cover you need to do the right solo… oh dear
Such a humble and informative musician, and hella chops. love your content !
Guitar solo was dope. Dude told a story, worked a nice melodic motif, and then tweedledy-tweedledy'd his way to glory! Well done.
So I looked through a bunch of comments… it seems that the singer didn’t really want to play the song. That’s the energy he throws off when discussing it (and cutting off the drummer). The “band” seems more seasoned and kept the song going. They saved that performance. It happens.
this is a great idea, i think it would be really cool to have some viewer submitted videos in some episodes as well (as other comments also have suggested). but i like that it's not JUST viewer submissions cause i feel like people would tend to submit their best performances rather than the performances that are the most representative of the majority of their shows
It sounds like a pop punk cover of wait. The lead singer even has that classic pop punk/right before emo took over type of stance.
You were super kind here. No way that singer toured with a professional band unless he was a roadie. But great advice.
Interesting.. Joey's video of this exact song showed up on my youtube feed. It's much better without any blurred out faces.
The only time I would say "We only practiced this twice." or "Hope you like it." would be if we actually practiced it a million times and already knew they liked it.
I was in a band that did “Wait,” and while our lead guitarist and I had our share of differences, I always gave him props for his playing. He nailed the solo in “Wait” note-for-note, a true ‘80s shredder.
While I don’t think the interpretation of the song by this band is what the audience was after, it’s not bad. But as any denizen of the bar scene knows, anything shy of a note-for-note copy of the original risks alienating the folks who are there to relive a couple hours of their adolescence. But then again, a half-dozen drinks in and it sorta doesn’t matter what you play.
Really enjoying this series. You’re treating the bands and songs with genuine respect. Would love to see you tackle the best, worst cover ever…the infamous “Worst cover ever, the Final Countdown.”
the guitar player that Mike Tramp hired for Songs of white lion is really great actually so it's obviously NOT the lead singer of this band. Even though the songs are tuned many many steps down he still pays tribute to Vito. I actually thought this guitar player did a great job with his interpretation, but that said, Mike you nailed the solo last year or two back as your bonus solo from your top 80s riffs/solos "I can't believe this is Winger" video I believe.
I think it they did the 90s thing it'd work, they could do an ironic pavement-esque cover of some hair metal songs in the middle. Get that man a big muff and a Jaguar
"To LaHahooOhuvvv you!" 😂
If you didn’t tell me what band played the original I would have thought they were playing 90’s pop covers. This definitely could have been on a Friends compilation, guitar tone and all.
I love these great ideas of yours!
They don't seem like a very good time having fun playing music together kinda band. Diva singer?
The way he said: Guitar before the solo with an air of "whatever"... Love the channel! Help this band, replace the singer!!
Amp tone. Most venues are WAY too small for a half stack. Far better to use a lower powered tube combo that you can turn up loud enough to get into the power section of the amp for those sweet tones with tons of gain. Otherwise, it's like trying to fly a fighter jet at stall speed. It also enables you to clean up your tone by rolling your guitar vol back which is a lost art these days. If you already have your master vol down at 3 in your badass half stack, guess what? When you roll your guitar vol back it'll sound like crap - thin and tinsley. Like everyone else I have a lot of gear but my main go to is an 18 watt combo with 2 EL84's, a reverb tank and an effects loop. It sounds freaking AMAZING. I set it on the stage behind me and off to the side with an amp shield in front of it to diffuse the beaming effect. It's so loud that for most venues we don't even need to mic it. I get a TON of compliments on my tone from my peers - other guitarists in local bands. I have a 50 watt handwired Marshall clone but it's too loud for the smaller venues so I keep ready for larger venues.
This is a fantastic idea for video series, well done! I cant wait to see more. Maybe you can get people to send you videos of their own bands so you don't need the editing
Me personally I really like the super distorted sounds.its reminiscent of pearl jam and other grunge bands
I've seen several bands playing this way and it's a little strange the lack of energy in the performance sometimes, even if the band plays the song very well. I hope the series continues!
Technically you can use a death metal distortion pedal when playing 80's music. You have to decide if you are just gonna play exactly as the original did then dial back the distortion. But if you are gonna put your own nitch to the song to make it youts then go ahead but don't just rely on distortion to make it yours.
I love this new direction. Hell yes! "How I would FIX THIS BAND." You could turn this into a side business for real. Isn't this why labels hire "producers"? You don't even need good credentials to know if a band sucks. The problem that most bar bands have is they absolutely will not take critique towards any positive direction. If you want to get better and refuse to listen to others, just video every performance. If you can't or won't find your own flaws, please just get off the stage.
I am a guitar teacher and I also love teaching beginner bands how to play and write their own stuff...whenever I have the chance. While I have plenty of individual guitar students It isnt common to find (even among the suites local musicians) a band that will listen to critizism, specially about their song writing...I guess they do if their label says so for example, but so many people in (bad) bands out there simply believe they are doing it more than fine,period.
*among the shitiest
A friend( he was the drummer) of mine once asked me to run the video camera for his bands first gig ever. These guys were all rookies. I asked him why are you recording, his answer was the wrong one, he did not choose wisely. He said so we can improve our stage presence. Well that was all the information I needed. Well the first song I gave them a nice wide shot, after that it was shots of what they were doing blatantly wrong, to an almost comical point. One guitar player stared at his shoes and after a good verse and a half of him doing so I zoomed in on his shoes. The bass player got the deer in the headlights gaze and again a good 40 seconds of close up of just him deer in the headlights, Drummer looking around looking bored to death, Singer talking at the band members while addressing the audience.
After the gig a bunch of people went back to the band house to watch the epic video. I arrived late and the video was about half over, well it was actually at the shoe gazing scene... They were pissed off. Who the eff filmed this it's terrible. Why are we looking at my shoes, Why is the only time I am in the video when I am talking to the crowd cried the lead singer. Pitchforks and torches were starting to come out until the drummer spoke up and told them. You guy's are idiots he is showing your shoes because you just spent five minutes staring at them. He is only showing us the shit we shouldn't be doing pay attention.
I was never asked to run the video camera again, and by the next gig they had made big strides, all but the singer. He still would sing to the crowd but would look at the band between songs yet spoke to the crowd
Reasons to not form a cover band and write your own stuff number 1 = there's no original you're compared to so you get to "f it up" how you want.
Is there a cover band people are truly pleased with?
Being a standout member of a good or even decent cover band can be a gateway into bigger and better opportunities
Depends how much you f it up. Even if you don’t know a song you can tell if it gets properly messed up or the playing is generally sloppy.
Also, I’ve seen heaps of great cover bands.
Plenty, tbh. There's a local Alice Cooper cover band that's been going for more than 25 years where I live; they've had a revolving door of members (IIRC I think only the singer has been going since the start), but they set their expectations for stuff like venue size realistically,, and put on a good show.
A mate of mine auditioned for them like 15 years ago; he's got the chops but 0 swagger, so he didn't get it.
Yes Zoso is great. Classic Albums Live are also fantastic covering many bands note for note. But yeah I totally agree doing your own music gives you more freedom
Brownout has amazing covers of Black Sabbath, especially Planet Caravan and a bunch of others
I sometimes pick a tv or picture on the far side of the bar to stare at while I perform solo acoustic shows. It helps me focus on the words and chords. When I start looking around, I will sometimes forget the correct words (and sing the wrong verse).
Jut have to find the balance to engage the audience more. Thanks for pointing that out!
This was a great episode. You should keep it up with the series.
You do such a great job with your commentary. I respect your ability to offer constructive criticism in a truly constructive manner.