Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

The most gigging I've ever did last year were a couple of house parties for about 20 of my friends. It was me on rhythm guitar, harmonica and vocals and my best friend Max on piano. Almost everyone who matters has informed both of us we need a lead guitarist. I finally found one. His name's Chance, he's an old schoolmate of mine, about a year younger than Max or myself, but he plays guitar like no other. He listens to all of the same music that Max and I do (Classic Rock, Blues, Jazz) and his heroes are Clapton, Page, Hendrix, Townshend, Harrison, Campbell, Mick Taylor, etc.

I'm happy to say that Max and I will be having our first house party gig since August. I don't know how it will pan out because Max and I haven't played together in a while, and we certainly have never had a third member in the group.

The first couple of rehearsals mostly had us doing extended 12-bar jams and mostly Blues covers (and will probably stay that way). As time went on, we ended up focusing on the whole set. The final rehearsal always takes place 8 hours before the party, where we work on any of the songs we haven't covered, and run through the set as if it's an actual show. We usually rehearse for about a week before the show.

How does the set for next month's show look?:
1. Around and Around - Chuck Berry
2. Listen to Her Heart - Tom Petty
3. Ticket to Ride - Beatles
4. Free Fallin’ - Petty
5. Diddy Wah Diddy - Bo Diddley
6. Here Comes My Girl - Petty
7. Friend of the Devil - Grateful Dead
8. Goldfinger - The Ventures
9. Carol - Chuck Berry
10. Green Onions - Booker T and the MGs
11. You Don’t Know How It Feels - Petty
12. Down Home Girl - Alvin Lee
13. Music Must Change - Who
14. Rainy Day Women - Bob Dylan
15. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Beatles
16. Satisfaction - Stones
17. Refugee - Petty
18. Runnin’ Down a Dream - Petty
19. It’s All Over Now - Valentinos
Encore
20. American Girl - Petty

I'm really jazzed about this set and hope it all turns out well.

For guitars, I plan to use my '62 RI Strat, 1997 and 360/12V64 with Janglebox, MXR Dyna Comp (for solo boost), Fuzz Face and Boss Tuner out through my Deluxe Reverb (or borrow my buddy's '74 Twin Reverb, hopefully). Our sole vocalist is just me on a microphone through the keyboard amp. If we need any backing vocals, we have the audience in the crowd who know the songs help us out.

Hopefully, you all here can give me some advice on a new member in the band, add any other songs that would fit our style and give me some pointers on what to drink, etc.

Thats really good Jake have a blast.Ive a gig tomorrow night in town I hope yours goes down well and most importantly Enjoy it.

Mic through an amp for a PA-I like it-it's old school; I'm sure quite a few forum members have gone that route at early gigs. Come to think of it, we did exactly that when MEatball forgot to bring the PAS to one of our shop rehearsals; the keyboard amp has an XLR jack, so he was able to plug his mic cable into it, and we already had a mic/stand/cable in the shop.

I don't recognize some of those numbers, but I do recognize most of them, and they seem like good party songs to me, so HAVE FUN!!!

Does your keyboardist have drum-machine functions on his instrument ?
Looks like the Max-Jake-Chance band is going to knock 'em dead.
Nice to see the younger generation enjoying the old-skool tunes !

Good luck !

I am glad to hear you are taking a Chance on lead guitar! Have fun at the HP, Jake!

paologregorio wrote:Mic through an amp for a PA-I like it-it's old school; I'm sure quite a few forum members have gone that route at early gigs.

oh yeah, for sure-----I remember plugging a mic into the other channel of the same amp I was playing guitar out of! Hey--whatever works.



Enjoy the gig, Jake---very cool.

JakeK wrote:give me some pointers on what to drink, etc.

sloop_john_b wrote:

JakeK wrote:give me some pointers on what to drink, etc.

Interesting that you mention that, JB; my parents have a bottle of it in our liquor cabinet! Do you drink it straight or mix it with something?

And it begins.........

You mix it with something. I drink it straight. Makes every gig amazing!

sloop_john_b wrote:You mix it with something. I drink it straight. Makes every gig amazing!

Pfff.....make that Tanquerey....and mix it with Tonic.

What's the drinking age in LA? Let's not get Jake in trouble, now!

kiramdear wrote:What's the drinking age in LA? Let's not get Jake in trouble, now!

Hmm. I was there when I was 18 and was buying and drinking without any hassle. Though I have a feeling that "law" had very little to do with that.

Well, I wouldn't want to encourage any underage drinking or anything, but I like Jonny Walker Black Label Scotch on the rocks.

Single Malts are wonderful as well.

Scotch is a drink for sipping, by the way.

Straight gin?? Ouch...

Jake, you're better off with something that doesn't taste like a pine tree...