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.
@@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
"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
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.
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.
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!
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.
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
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.
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!
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 UA-cam 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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
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!
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.
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!
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.
This is great usually UA-camrs 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.
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 :)
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.
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...👍✌️
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!!
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
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
Thank you for this video, I loved it! I am also in a rock cover band and I can very much relate to these common tendencies and mistakes that we all make. I look forward to you next video in this series. We are always learning and striving to improve. Well done! Aaron
@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 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!!
Please keep doing this series! I dont watch many series' on youtube but to find one that really intrigues me is really exciting for me! Keen to watch more :)
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.
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
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.
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.
Everybody should do there research on Barry Richman. Incredible guitarist. Has played with many of the greats. and made amazing solo records. Also a teacher of the craft. I’m blessed to know him as teacher 🙏🏻
Looking forward to the rest of this series. This clip reminds me in a lot of ways of my first band's early gigs (the nervous energy, the slightly off singing, the not really reading the room). We were lucky enough to have a more experienced musician who saw us play and took us under his wing. He came to a couple of our practices and coached us a little bit in a similar way to what you do in this video. We got a lot better quite quickly after that. So it was nice to watch this for the nostalgia. I hope this band, or maybe another up-and-coming band, sees this and learns from it too. Looking forward to the next one!
I love this! Very good suggestions. I would love to see more. My band would be open to any suggestions you might have and would not mind being featured. Keep up the good work!
What's your band & is there online video already of your band? Very brave to "volunteer". Must of never been in the military & learned, never volunteer.
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
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!
I like this format, you have done it in a very cool way, substantively and without hesitation to criticise emphatically, but all the time with understanding and respect for the members of this band.
Honestly, I’d appreciate it if you would do a video in this series on my band’s last shows. Check out our channel if you’re interested. We’re beginners to the whole band thing, and would love to see what we could do better.
Reasons to form a cover band number one = if you like to just drink beer and play at your local small town bar with your drink buddies who will like you anyway if you can't play it professionally and like to just have fun ... wich i think is the case here
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.
Lol, I don't expect anyone to actually nail the legendary Vito Bratta Solo! His interpretation was pretty solid! BTW what ever happend to Vito Bratta? My far the most underrated guitarist of the hair metal era!
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.
![Underrated Metalocalypse Moments S1 [Ep 12 - 20]](/img/n.gif)
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. 🤣👍
😂
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
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!!
And the crowd goes mild!
mild mild mild
The arm raise at the end to dead silence, that one hit me 💀
"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
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
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.
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!
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.
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
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.
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!
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 UA-cam 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Is that Mike Lindell singing? "My Pillow" must truly be floundering!
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.
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!
🤘🏻🔥 Congrats on 845k Subscribers! This is awesome. I look forward to more vids in this series 🙂
This should DEFINITELY be a new segment on the channel. Great video!
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!
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.
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!
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.
I love the premise of this new series. I look forward to future episodes!
This is great usually UA-camrs 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.
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 :)
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
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.
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...👍✌️
Imagine flexing that you're friends with a White Lion cover band
This series is a great idea!!!! You deserve more subs. You have one of the highest-quality guitar channels on here in my opinion!
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
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!!
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
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
Thank you for this video, I loved it! I am also in a rock cover band and I can very much relate to these common tendencies and mistakes that we all make. I look forward to you next video in this series. We are always learning and striving to improve. Well done! Aaron
I am not sure dive bar bands playing white lion can be helped in the first place
thank you for the MN vibes.... you inspire me to keep the axe sharp.
@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 👍
Such a humble and informative musician, and hella chops. love your content !
the solo was very good imo, probably the best part of the performance
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!!
Great idea for a series. Keep 'em coming!
Love this new series... guaranteed it's going to take off and you'll soon see others doing it... Cheers!
This was a great episode. You should keep it up with the series.
great new series. enjoyed it a lot!
Please keep doing this series! I dont watch many series' on youtube but to find one that really intrigues me is really exciting for me! Keen to watch more :)
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.
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!"
Great series. Keep it going! Love your content and perspective.
Love all the new video ideas, Mike! Always keeping it interesting. Cheers 😁
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 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.
Love the concept of the series, looking forward to more
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!
Babe wake up, art of guitar posted
Nobody comment on this
@@Incorrect._.PoliticalI 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
"To LaHahooOhuvvv you!" 😂
Great video. I would definitely watch more of these!
I see that Robotron: 2084 arcade plate! Great video with solid advice too.
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.
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.
Everybody should do there research on Barry Richman. Incredible guitarist. Has played with many of the greats.
and made amazing solo records. Also a teacher of the craft. I’m blessed to know him as teacher 🙏🏻
This an awesome concept
And it is positive empowering
This is awefully fun
Awaiting for more
...
Looking forward to the rest of this series. This clip reminds me in a lot of ways of my first band's early gigs (the nervous energy, the slightly off singing, the not really reading the room). We were lucky enough to have a more experienced musician who saw us play and took us under his wing. He came to a couple of our practices and coached us a little bit in a similar way to what you do in this video. We got a lot better quite quickly after that. So it was nice to watch this for the nostalgia. I hope this band, or maybe another up-and-coming band, sees this and learns from it too. Looking forward to the next one!
I love this! Very good suggestions. I would love to see more.
My band would be open to any suggestions you might have and would not mind being featured.
Keep up the good work!
What's your band & is there online video already of your band? Very brave to "volunteer". Must of never been in the military & learned, never volunteer.
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
I lived this
I’ve been a touring musician in the 90s and I’ve talked to bands like this before. Great idea for a series!!!
why does the singer sound like billie joe armstrong? i mean, if they did green day covers instead that would be an awesome idea, just saying
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!
I like this format, you have done it in a very cool way, substantively and without hesitation to criticise emphatically, but all the time with understanding and respect for the members of this band.
Great series - I’ve already forwarded these videos to the rest of my band.
Guitar solo was dope. Dude told a story, worked a nice melodic motif, and then tweedledy-tweedledy'd his way to glory! Well done.
Honestly, I’d appreciate it if you would do a video in this series on my band’s last shows. Check out our channel if you’re interested. We’re beginners to the whole band thing, and would love to see what we could do better.
Such cool new series idea this you find. Excited to see more..
I love the video concept already haha great job!🤝🫂
Wait by white lion? Fair play that’s a brave cover you need to do the right solo… oh dear
Reasons to form a cover band number one = if you like to just drink beer and play at your local small town bar with your drink buddies who will like you anyway if you can't play it professionally and like to just have fun ... wich i think is the case here
Videos like this boost my confidence to actually play live.
You do such a great job with your commentary. I respect your ability to offer constructive criticism in a truly constructive manner.
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
Lol, I don't expect anyone to actually nail the legendary Vito Bratta Solo! His interpretation was pretty solid! BTW what ever happend to Vito Bratta? My far the most underrated guitarist of the hair metal era!
When he stopped i think he had a restaurant. But thats just wat ive heard so dont take my word for in
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.
wow great vid man pls keep this series goinggg its seriously so good