Is Using A Looper "Legal" In A Power Trio?

[stevieb]

Never gave much thought to forming a "Power Trio" until recently, and reading the Wicipedia entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_trio has me thinking I'd like to experiment with that format.

I am a guitarist, bassist and harmonica player (ordered there according to which I have played the longest, but not necessarily in order of skill or profficiency) but am not sure which role I would fill- perhaps bassist sometimes, guitarist others.

If I play guitar in a PT, I would want to use my looper (Digitech JamMan as it happens, but really, make and model does not matter for this discussion), but I wonder: would that be panned and hated by the "faithful?"

As I have included a poll, please vote there before posting your comments. Thanks.

 

[MatchBookNotes]

Isn't the law; As long as it sounds good?

 

[Supercreep]

It's preferable.

Wish you were in Sacramento. Incanus and I would love to do the PT guitar showcase thing.

 

[Light]

Isn't the law; As long as it sounds good?

I think the way I would chose to put it is; Don't be an idiot - if it sounds good, it is good. Hell, most of the audience is never going to notice anyway!



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Farview]

It really doesn't matter how you make the music, as long as you get it done. The only people that will look down thier nose at you are other musicians that are looking for something to complain about. The general public that you are trying to entertain won't know and don't care how you are doing it.

There is no money in impressing the two musicians in the club standing in the corner with their arms folded. They aren't going to be fans, they aren't going to give you a break. Screw them.

 

[WhiteStrat]

It really doesn't matter how you make the music, as long as you get it done. The only people that will look down thier nose at you are other musicians that are looking for something to complain about. The general public that you are trying to entertain won't know and don't care how you are doing it.

There is no money in impressing the two musicians in the club standing in the corner with their arms folded. They aren't going to be fans, they aren't going to give you a break. Screw them.

I love this!

 

[jasonbmerrill]

It really doesn't matter how you make the music, as long as you get it done. The only people that will look down thier nose at you are other musicians that are looking for something to complain about. The general public that you are trying to entertain won't know and don't care how you are doing it.

There is no money in impressing the two musicians in the club standing in the corner with their arms folded. They aren't going to be fans, they aren't going to give you a break. Screw them.

awesome........

 

[stevieb]

Yeah, I hear you. I once did a guest walk-on- 12-string acoustic guitar and vocals- with the Executive Steel Drum Band at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. It was in one of the tents, so the crowd catching that particular show was smallish- and included lots of my friends, coming to support my first (and so far, only) NO Jazz fest appearance. But there was this one guy, never saw him before, who just STOOD there, arms crossed, peering at me. I almost blew the whole performance, he had me so flumoxxed. I just knew what he was thinking: "Who the F**k is THIS joker??"

Wish I was in Sacramento, too, Supercreep- it would be great to do the PT thing with you guys, and I can imagine Sacramento is a great place to be, anyway. Hope you can find a third for your PT ambitions.

 

[Farview]

But there was this one guy, never saw him before, who just STOOD there, arms crossed, peering at me. I almost blew the whole performance, he had me so flumoxxed. I just knew what he was thinking: "Who the F**k is THIS joker??"

Normally they come in two's. That guy must have been an extreme asshole because even his asshole friend was tired of him.

Even if you impress that guy, he won't admit it. He won't buy your CD. He'll tell everyone how much better he is than you. He's useless. F**K him!

 

[mikemorgan]

I've done the power trio thing for years. I wish I could figure out a looper pedal. It makes sense if you can wrangle it.

As for the musician staring at you...he won't even buy you a beer, but non-musicians will.

 

[DrewPeterson7]

A buddy of mine tried this once - his band was normally a four peice, but his second guitarist broke his arm the week before a gig in a snomobiling accident, so Jack figured he could just do a bunch of jammy stuff and use a looper to cover rhythm duties. So, they opened with Freebird, and during the last couple "And this bird you cannot caaaaAAAaaaAAAAge!"'s, he clicked the thing on to record his rhythm part, and then busted into the opening notes of the solo. Suddenly, the bar door pretty much exploded off its hinges, and a bunch of guys in FBI jackets stormed in, grabbed Jack, pried the guitar out of his hands, threw him into a choke-hold on the floor, and started shooting up the looper. True story - he's been in federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison ever since.

I'll simply note that the drummer was having trouble staying in sync with the looped chords anyway when the door got kicked down, and the whole experience probably would have been a clusterfuck anyway even had the Feds not intervened.

 

[themaddog]

Was this at the Abbey Lounge, the Sky Bar, or my long gone favorite Goodtimes?

 

[ggunn]

Yeah, I hear you. I once did a guest walk-on- 12-string acoustic guitar and vocals- with the Executive Steel Drum Band at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. It was in one of the tents, so the crowd catching that particular show was smallish- and included lots of my friends, coming to support my first (and so far, only) NO Jazz fest appearance. But there was this one guy, never saw him before, who just STOOD there, arms crossed, peering at me. I almost blew the whole performance, he had me so flumoxxed. I just knew what he was thinking: "Who the F**k is THIS joker??"

How do you know what he was thinking? I know that it's natural when you are on stage and feeling nervous (and maybe a little insecure) to assume the worst in a case like that, but unless he said something derisive you have no way of knowing what was on his mind. He might have just been dumped by his girlfriend. He may have gotten hold of some bad crawfish and was just trying to keep from hurling. He might have been standing in awe of your performance and was so depressed over his own mediocrity that he was contemplating going home and setting fire to his gear.

You just don't know. You can't let that stuff bother you; it's mostly in your own head. Hey, man, you got to play at freakin' JAZZ FEST! Woo-HOO!!

 

[mshilarious]

This thread is nothing but a bunch of rationalization of immoral behavior

 

[DrewPeterson7]

Was this at the Abbey Lounge, the Sky Bar, or my long gone favorite Goodtimes?

None of the above - this place I used to play out in the western part of the state called Key West.

Not sure if you're a current Somerville resident, but the Sky Bar and Goodtimes are no more - Sky Bar got bought out by the chinese place next door to expand, and I forget exactly what happened at the Good Times Emporium, but I think they may have just gone out of business. Abbey Lounge always looked more out of business than in business, so they're weathering this recession just fine, it seems.

 

[stevieb]

Good point, ggunn, and you made your points in a very funny way. Thanks.

 

[starbuck26]

None of the above - this place I used to play out in the western part of the state called Key West.

Not sure if you're a current Somerville resident, but the Sky Bar and Goodtimes are no more - Sky Bar got bought out by the chinese place next door to expand, and I forget exactly what happened at the Good Times Emporium, but I think they may have just gone out of business. Abbey Lounge always looked more out of business than in business, so they're weathering this recession just fine, it seems.

ahhh... the SKY BAR. I shed a quiet tear when the Abbey died... but when China Delight bulldozed Sky Bar to add a dining room I was... delighted. It's simply delicious. And sky bar was probably the shittiest club ever.

y'all should go have a drink at the Tavern at the End of the World in Charlestown. I book shows there on thursdays. Drew, if you ever want a show, I'd love to have you.

 

[DrewPeterson7]

ahhh... the SKY BAR. I shed a quiet tear when the Abbey died... but when China Delight bulldozed Sky Bar to add a dining room I was... delighted. It's simply delicious. And sky bar was probably the shittiest club ever.

y'all should go have a drink at the Tavern at the End of the World in Charlestown. I book shows there on thursdays. Drew, if you ever want a show, I'd love to have you.

You know, I REALLY wanted to dislike China Delight, and in fact when I first saw that the Sky Bar section was "closed for renovations," I figured, "Fuck yeah! The Sky Bar bought out the chinese place next door, and is expanding!" As it turns out though, it's actually not a half bad mexican place. As for the Sky Bar, well, I've always had a thing for shitty clubs. It was a dive, but it looked like it'd be a blast to play.

Never been there, dude - I'll be sure to check it out sometime. As for a show, well, I sort of need a band first. :/ If I manage to put something together, though, I'll be sure to drop you a line.

So the Abby is no more? Fucker... What does that leave, Toad? I love Toad, personally... But, I mean, max capacity is something like 52, and even that was probably a gift from the Cambridge Fire Department, haha.

 

[Supercreep]

This thread is nothing but a bunch of rationalization of immoral behavior

Calm down.

 

[mshilarious]

Calm down.

I can't, I have to keep on playing fast bass runs during the guitarist's three hour jazz odyssey There's nobody else to pick up the slack!