Ok update on my (not so new now) band. working name is Richie and the Rockettes, so not quite sure how I feel about that but you have to call it something.
Good news is we've formed into a really tight "family style" unit. Everyone is committed (more than half the battle LoL), we rehears mostly in my lounge room on Wed nights, (conveniently I live on my own and my lounge room resembles a recording studio), and my neighbours keep saying turn it up, how good is that
). So what stared as play easy rock songs which I could sing and the bass was easy (e.g. Wishing Well, Hey Joe etc.) is starting to amp up as we pick more "slightly" complicated songs to do, e.g. Yellow Brick Road, Head up in The Clouds (powder finger), Remedy (Black Crows), What do You Want From Me (Adam Lambert). Well our angelic singer is starting to find her rock "inner-self" and also "just" starting to convert her 5th grade piano credentials into (when needed) keyboard/accompaniment. Our bass player just completed a round of the Aust Nat University (ANU) school of rock playing with other people. They are all learning to sing and play at the same time (not easy, and takes time), all 4 singing voices are good and meld really nicely
. We have a way to go yet but all signs are so positive. Over my 44+ years doing this, IMHO this band is going to be good. I'm also teaching them all basic sound engineering, the singer now rolls leads under over as well as I do
(and I've had plenty of practice
). And the main focus is "it needs to be fun!" or why are we bothering..... I don't know how much or where we'll gig, but we will, and we'll enjoy it.