Thoughts Before Gig Day - T-Minus 2 Days

Hello. It's been awhile. Some thoughts before With Intent's big debut as a four piece this Saturday.

With Intent is ready for our first gig as a four-piece. We're playing at the Metaphor again this Saturday the 10th, and this will prove interesting. Due to our conflicting schedules, we haven't had too much rehearsal time together. Ed and I managed to get together with Dan and Mark separately once each, and since then we have had two 3-hour practices together. We plan on having a full-on run through tomorrow (Friday the 9th), then off to the gig on the next day.

We have a lot of work to do, but the potential is evident. We all mesh together pretty well. It is obvious to me that we are four good musicians who are musically on the same wavelength. We are also definitely four very compatible people. Four up-front guys who just want to play good Rock 'n Roll and work together as a team. The nucleus of talent is also there, we have a good, aggressive sound, yet we also have the potential to be as deep as we are wide, if you know what I mean. In other words, our sound has some heart and soul in it. We now have to work to hone it and let it come out. But come out it will. I am excited.

Dan's lead guitar work is impressive. Solid guitarist, he mixes the right amount of flash and stability. Truly a joy. Mark is getting more comfortable with the tunes, though he would tell you otherwise. He is going to be just fine this Saturday. His drumming is bringing an intensity to all of our original tunes, where in my opinion is where we truly shine. And of course, Ed is his solid, dependable self on vocals, rhythm guitar (he just bought a really nice Carvin guitar) and fearless leadership. We're going to take a conservative approach on Saturday as we haven't had much time as a foursome to rehearse. But I am jacked about this gig, and I'm going to have to really work at just laying back. I must remember to stay disciplined and focused on the groove. It's all about the groove if you're a bass player.

It's been just a short time that we started this endeavor in March. In that timeframe, we have learned about 35 songs, with 8 of them being originals. Ed has one on the docket and I have two. Dan has two ready to go as well. That's 13 originals. I have a few extra ones in my back pocket as well, but all in due time.

Anyway, it will be a challenge this Saturday. Cramming to get ready in a short amount of time. Hauling our equipment and attempting to fit ourselves on that tiny Metaphor stage - we will have to have Ed and Dan play in front of the stage on the floor.

Oh yeah, I am bringing my 600w Carvin amp with 2x10 speakers tomorrow in preparation for the gig as well. I'm having issues with headroom from the little Ampeg B-100R. The Ampeg is a great little tone monster, but it gets lost in the mix of a full band, and I've been pushing it a little too hard so I'm bringing in the big guns. There will be no issues with headroom with the Carvin. I will probably leave the volume at 1.5 and it will be plenty loud enough to cut through with a clean tone.

I have to put a plug in for my Fender '57 Vintage Series bass, my beloved Fiesta Red P-Bass. That thing is a tone monster since I took it in for setup and restringing. I had some TI Flats installed on it, and it gave me a good vintage thump ala Motown and Stax. But I felt something missing, and I soon (re)discovered what that was - that sizzle that I used to get from playing roundwound strings. I have been listening to The Who's Live at Leeds CD in my car for the past 4 weeks, and really getting back into digging my bass-playing role model and absolute favorite bassist of all time John Alec Entwistle, "The Ox". Now on that recording he played his beloved "Frankenstein" P-Bass, which was essentially cobbled together from parts from various P-Basses he had either broken or smashed. I started Jonesing for that tone big time. So I took the '57 Fiesta Red P to my Guitar Tech, the brilliant Fred Marotta at the Repair Zone in Kearny Mesa (San Diego) off Ronson Road (http://nakedguitar.com). If you live in San Diego and you are a guitarist, I highly recommend that you let Fred and his crack team take care of your axe. Fred put some D'Addario XL Round Wounds on it, tweaked the setup, and wouldn't you know it, I was able to cop the Entwistle Live at Leeds tone with no problem. Been working on the typewriter tapping style that The Ox popularized, and although I am just a hack trying to emulate a true artistic visionary, I am getting a little more adept and I'm actually using this technique to some extent on a few of our tunes.

Anyway, the Fiesta Red P-Bass (which I will someday write about in it's own little Blog, there's an interesting story behind it) is the Best Bass In The World. You can have your high-end boo-teek basses, I'll keep this one thank you very much. It will be interesting to run this through the Carvin and see how it sits in the mix.

Well, that's all for now. I hope to be writing more regularly.

Good night now.