I thought it was interesting that Paul McCartney has spoken about his history of pre-gig nerves, saying that he felt like quitting playing live as he was so nervous before The Beatles performed at Wembley Arena. It’s interesting that even someone like him get those feelings before shows.
McCartney is currently in the middle of a European arena tour and also said that he still feels like he has to win some of the crowds over. Speaking about his record of pre-show nerves, he told the Daily Mirror: The first time we ever played – pre-Beatles – I screwed up. So I never played lead guitar again. When the Beatles did Wembley (Arena, then known as the Empire Pool) for the first time (in 1963), I felt sick. I thought, I’ve got to give this up.
McCartney added that even now he encounters crowd members who are “just standing there”, but added: “We always manage to get them back in the end.”
The singer also spoke a recurring nightmare he still has about where he is performing with The Beatles and people start walking out of his gigs. He said of this: “I’m with The Beatles and it’s going great, then people start leaving. I turn to the others and go, ‘Oh God! ‘Long Tall Sally’ – that’ll get them back’”.
Motley Crue is going to have a cool new interactive show in Las Vegas which is set to start in February, 2012.
The dozen shows will happen at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino from February 3 – 19 and will see the Crew indulging in over the top craziness.
The Motley Crue in Sin City shows will also be interactive. We all know that Vegas is pretty much based on big, big shows, and Motley Crue is also. They are putting together a show right now that’s something they have never done. It’s a stationary show. It doesn’t have to move around, so they can do all kinds of stuff they only really dreamed about.
Drummer Tommy Lee said this about the show: “I think more and more people are wanting an experience, and we’re trying to bring that into this where people aren’t necessarily at the show, they’re in the show… Why not make it a full-on experience, really? We’re putting together moments of this show where the actual audience participates. They’re in it. They’re around it. It’s going to be really exciting.”
Lee recently announced that he will performing on a ‘drum rollercoaster’ during the band’s UK tour this month. The band will undertake a joint UK arena tour with Def Leppard, which will seem them play six shows, with Steel Panther providing support on all dates.
I can tell you that I saw the Crue on the Girls, Girls, Girls tour in the 80′s. Tommies spinning drum kit solo still is the craziest and best drum solo performance I have ever seen. This Vegas show will be something to see!
For this week’s Music Connection Friday Freebie, Mike Wells Mastering is offering its full service for up to 5 songs (a $500 value). Included is their signature personal service, featuring the Groundwork Session, Mastering Session, and Master Pack delivered to you.
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The other day I was in a music store and they had a video playing with Pete Townsend. He was talking about his stage presents and was giving some details on how he came up with the windmill guitar strum which he is famous for. Apparently he first seen Keith Richards do this move and he thought he would copy it cause it looked cool. For about a year Pete was thinking he was just imitating one of his idols Keith Richards with this move.
Pete met up with Keith and they were talking and Pete told Keith about the cool windmill guitar strum that he was using and was thanking Keith for it. Pete then said that Keith looked at him “like he was a germ” as Pete put it. Basically Keith did not recall ever doing this cool guitar move! So Pete kept it in his bag of tricks and as you probably well know is one of his signature moves on guitar.
Check out the video below to see this cool guitar move.
If you play live do you have any cool things you do on stage? If not, it’s something to think about. Pete has the windmill the old classic metal band Cinderella had the guitar/bass spin (see the video below toward the end). Hendrix played behind his back! Think about what you can do to entertain your audience when you are on stage. These little things make a huge impact and people love them!
If you have never heard of Rhema Marvanne then you need to watch the video below. This young child has an amazing story about her family and how she is using her gospel singing to reach people. I know this sounds corny, but this video and little girl will touch your heart. Check it out!
Today is a very special day for our country and I wanted to say thank you to all of the veterans who are and have served this great country of the United States. Lets all pause for a moment and realize that we all could not be doing the things we all love to do without them doing their service.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. Without these wonderfully men and women I could not publish this blog and enjoy the time I have playing my guitar and spending time with my family and friends.
This year I decided to give a donation to a worthy cause which honors our veterans by providing free guitar lessons and gear to those who have experienced traumas and hardships as a result of their service. My heart goes out to these brave men and women. This wonderful organization is called Guitar for Vets. I highly encourage you to follow my lead and give a donation today. It’s just a small special way of saying thank you for your service!
If you like to donate or learn more visit the Guitar for Vets web site at: http://guitars4vets.org
I get many questions from students who are just starting to play guitar about what are things to look for when they purchase their first guitar. Here are a list of five good tips which will help you when you are purchasing your first guitar.
Acoustic vs Electric
A common question I get from students is, should I buy an electric or acoustic guitar for my first guitar? I recommended that beginning guitar players purchase an acoustic guitar to start to take lessons with. There are a few reasons for this. One is that you do not need to worry about purchasing a guitar amp and guitar chords which an acoustic. Basically just pick up the guitar and start playing it. Secondly, on both types of guitars you need to learn the first position guitar chords which are the same on both electric and acoustic guitars. What you learn on the acoustic can later be transferred to the electric as you progress in your lessons.
Where should I get my first guitar?
I don’t recommend that you purchase your guitar online. You need to play the guitar to see if it feels right in your hands. Every guitar has a unique body, neck, sound and feel. You needs to play it too see if it feels good in your hands. If you are a total beginner then try to get a friend that has some skill playing guitar to come to a store with you to help you pick out a good guitar.
How much should I pay?
You do not need to pay $800 for a top of the line Ovation guitar when you are first starting out. As a matter of fact you may be able to find a used guitar which will work great for your first axe. As a general rule expect to pay in the $100 – $200 range for your first acoustic guitar.
Nylon or steel string?
If you are not trying to learn how to play a classical or flamenco (or some other style which needs a nylon string) guitar style then you should purchase a steel string acoustic guitar.
Get a guitar case
You should get a guitar case for your guitar. This will help you carry the guitar and keep it protected if you decide to take private lessons outside of your home. The case will also protect your guitar while you are not playing it (which is especially useful if you have small children or pets in your family).
I hope you enjoyed these short tips when you purchase your first guitar. Hopefully you can use these tips and they will help you purchase your first guitar and get you on the correct path to starting to learn how to play it.
I thought it was interesting that Paul McCartney has spoken about his history of pre-gig nerves, saying that he felt like quitting playing live as he was so nervous before The Beatles performed at Wembley Arena. It’s interesting that even someone like him get those feelings before shows. 
Motley Crue is going to have a cool new interactive show in Las Vegas which is set to start in February, 2012.
For this week’s Music Connection Friday Freebie, Mike Wells Mastering is offering its full service for up to 5 songs (a $500 value). Included is their signature personal service, featuring the Groundwork Session, Mastering Session, and Master Pack delivered to you.
Today is a very special day for our country and I wanted to say thank you to all of the veterans who are and have served this great country of the United States. Lets all pause for a moment and realize that we all could not be doing the things we all love to do without them doing their service.
I get many questions from students who are just starting to play guitar about what are things to look for when they purchase their first guitar. Here are a list of five good tips which will help you when you are purchasing your first guitar.