My new music gig

[SnikPlosskin]

My shows here in Austin were going very well - too well. As the shows became more popular, the expectations of the venues, the musicians, the crew also grew.

When my wife got cancer it became clear that, despite it being a ****ing blast, it was getting to be too much work for too little money.

I thought I’d just quit for good but, like the mafia, it doesn’t work like that.

I amassed a total of 61 players in my pool to draw from for shows. From unknown monsters to very well known folks. But the reality is, it’s hard to manage top players because they get booked up and expect to get paid a fair bit, or they can get a different gig for more money. Or go on tour.

That means I was constantly scrambling for players trying to align the finances with availability.

My producer said “you need the $50 guys..” I said “I don’t know any…” but I have found a bunch of really good players who have day jobs and don’t care about the money.

So I’ll be playing just for fun, in small clubs, no engineers, no fancy lighting likely for very little money and I don’t care. I’m going back to playing traditional swing and blues for the pure joy of it.

If the crowd is thin, I don’t care. If the club doesn’t like lower attendance, I don’t care. (I’m not going to do hours of promotion and worry about drawing 200 people every night - **** that. They will be lucky if I send an email blast.)

I still refuse to play covers of popular music. I could get paid nicely doing rock shows or weddings or whatever but it’s not my thing. I hate that shit.

All I need are three chords and 12 bars. Maybe six chords.

[SnikPlosskin]

Oh, I’m also releasing more video that hasn’t been seen yet of past shows.

Check this out

YouTube (Short URL)

I absolutely love Malford Milligans voice and style.

[Tikiman]

Originally Posted by SnikPlosskin

So I’ll be playing just for fun, in small clubs, no engineers, no fancy lighting likely for very little money and I don’t care. I’m going back to playing traditional swing and blues for the pure joy of it.

You can't go wrong with that. What good is it if you don't enjoy playing it?

[justaguy]

12 bar blues!

[the new me]

Originally Posted by SnikPlosskin

My producer said “you need the $50 guys..” I said “I don’t know any…” but I have found a bunch of really good players who have day jobs and don’t care about the money.

Check out guitar George. He knows all the chords. It's strictly rhythm, he doesn't wanna make it cry or sing. An old guitar is all he can afford when he gets up under the lights to play his thing

And Harry doesn't mind if he doesn't make the scene, he's got a daytime job, he's doing alright. He can play the honky tonk like anything, saving it up for Friday night.






Pardon me. I didn't get to sleep until 5am, working too much.

[TheHammer]

Originally Posted by SnikPlosskin

My shows here in Austin were going very well - too well. As the shows became more popular, the expectations of the venues, the musicians, the crew also grew.

When my wife got cancer it became clear that, despite it being a ****ing blast, it was getting to be too much work for too little money.

I thought I’d just quit for good but, like the mafia, it doesn’t work like that.

I amassed a total of 61 players in my pool to draw from for shows. From unknown monsters to very well known folks. But the reality is, it’s hard to manage top players because they get booked up and expect to get paid a fair bit, or they can get a different gig for more money. Or go on tour.

That means I was constantly scrambling for players trying to align the finances with availability.

My producer said “you need the $50 guys..” I said “I don’t know any…” but I have found a bunch of really good players who have day jobs and don’t care about the money.

So I’ll be playing just for fun, in small clubs, no engineers, no fancy lighting likely for very little money and I don’t care. I’m going back to playing traditional swing and blues for the pure joy of it.

If the crowd is thin, I don’t care. If the club doesn’t like lower attendance, I don’t care. (I’m not going to do hours of promotion and worry about drawing 200 people every night - **** that. They will be lucky if I send an email blast.)

I still refuse to play covers of popular music. I could get paid nicely doing rock shows or weddings or whatever but it’s not my thing. I hate that shit.

All I need are three chords and 12 bars. Maybe six chords.

Get back to your roots and pace yourself.

[simpleman68]

The tone of that sax

That dude riffin' at 3:07 is alright too.
Scott

[Big bob]

Good job.

[Frankie the Fink]

It could be worse:

YouTube

[SnikPlosskin]

Originally Posted by simpleman68

The tone of that sax

That dude riffin' at 3:07 is alright too.
Scott

Let me tell you a bit about that guy. His name is Derek O’Brien and he has been the house guitarist at Antones for over 40 years.

He is single-handedly responsible for the blues resurgence of the 80’s and 90’s.

Back in the late 70’s, a kid moved to Austin named Steven Vaughan from Fort Worth. He was a natural talent on guitar and Antones Nightclub was the epicenter for blues music at the time.

Clifford Antone was bringing in originators of the style including Muddy Waters, Albert King, Albert Collins, James Cotton and many more to play for a week at a time at his club. He would pay them and put them up at his home. At that time none of these artists had any money despite their fame.

Young Stevie Ray Vaughan as he had come to be known wanted to get on stage at Antones to show his stuff. However the man in charge wasn’t very keen on letting some kid play.

Stevie kept up the pressure, coming to the club almost every night, even having his more famous brother Jimmie put in good word for him but Derek kept saying no. Until he finally said “yes”.

SRV burned that house down, ultimately changing the face of music forever. When you hear SRV playing, you are hearing Derek and Jimmie. Stevie copied licks from them as well as many others including Albert King, Freddy King, Kenny Burrell and another great Austin player named Denny Freeman.

Derek is known as the most famous guitarist you’ve never heard of. His credits in the studio are astonishing, he has recorded with literally every major blues artist.

He is the kindest, most humble man you will ever meet. He hates playing with other guitarists however he and I play together regularly and have recorded an album together. Our styles fit together perfectly - sometimes we can’t tell who is playing what on the recordings. I can tell because his tone is incredible with his 57 Strat and 59 Deluxe.

You will see him on many of my videos. We’ve played hundreds of gigs together.

When he unleashed SRV, he also set in motion the power to renegotiate contracts for all the famous blues originators who finally were paid for their work.

[GixxerBill RIP]

No Zombierella on bass guitar, no ****s given

[SnikPlosskin]

Sax player Mark “Kaz” Kazanoff - the most recorded contemporary blues artist in America.

YouTube (Short URL)

[69camfrk]

Do you still gig with Jimmy Vaughn any? Always great music man!

[SnikPlosskin]

Originally Posted by 69camfrk

Do you still gig with Jimmy Vaughn any? Always great music man!

No. I only played with him once. Still acquaintances - I see him at shows. He is a total southern gentleman.

[Frankie the Fink]

Guess I've worked my way up to a $50 guy now

Been playing about 4 months and have the pentatonic scales pretty much down and memorized the fretboard.

Now working hard on Allman Brother's "Jessica" song. Dickie Betts was WAY under-rated as a guitarist and I got to see him live twice.

[SnikPlosskin]

Originally Posted by Frankie the Fink

Guess I've worked my way up to a $50 guy now

Been playing about 4 months and have the pentatonic scales pretty much down and memorized the fretboard.

Now working hard on Allman Brother's "Jessica" song. Dickie Betts was WAY under-rated as a guitarist and I got to see him live twice.

Right on man!

If you ever want to do a Zoom session I love to share licks and help people learn the instrument.

What would you say is your biggest challenge with the instrument?

[Frankie the Fink]

Originally Posted by SnikPlosskin

Right on man!

If you ever want to do a Zoom session I love to share licks and help people learn the instrument.

What would you say is your biggest challenge with the instrument?

I think I have ignored good picking technique in my enthusiasm to learn the fretboard with the left hand - working on that now...

Let me get a little bit better so I don't waste your time and I may just take you up on that offer !

[LATB]

I don’t think we all know how much of a cool cat Pete is.

[Vette40th]

Originally Posted by simpleman68

The tone of that sax

That dude riffin' at 3:07 is alright too.
Scott

I agree, when you hear someone really clear, its like a new language, spoken perfectly..
When an guitarist , or any musician sounds good live, they are the real deal.

[SnikPlosskin]

Originally Posted by Frankie the Fink

I think I have ignored good picking technique in my enthusiasm to learn the fretboard with the left hand - working on that now...

Let me get a little bit better so I don't waste your time and I may just take you up on that offer !

Frankie, you have helped me immeasurably by sharing your knowledge of the C2 over the years. You can’t waste my time because I’m indebted to you.