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Location: North Carolina | Usually I just ignore it or explain that I've played it about a million damn times and am not about to again.
But last night I picked up my cell phone
(that I keep next to me on so I can see the time at a glance) and used it to play the slide part. Got a laugh and ended the requests for that song.
Anyone else have an innovative way to deal with it (other than actually playing the song)? |
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Location: Vermont USA | Open the cage :) |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | Tell them if I'd known they wanted to hear Free Bird, I would've brought some of my 13 year old guitar students. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Pauly beat me to it.
It never, and probably won't ever, happen to me.
If it did, I think I'd play Mrs. Brown. |
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Location: NJ | I usually tell 'em
". . I gotcher "Free Bird" . . . right HERE!! . ." |
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Location: south east Michigan | Come on Cliff... You must have at least 7 good answers to this one. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I just yell back ... "Mein Kampf" |
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Location: NJ | ". . Come on Cliff... You must have at least 7 good answers to this one . ."
Yeh, but three or four of 'em will buy me a "vacation" . . .
I've recently taken to Davis' tack by playing a "bossa nova" version of it on the nylon string.
- just throw of bunch of major 7th's in the mix . . . |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | I'd play Davis's version of it, the Ritz version, all maj7 chords to a bossa nova feel. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Ooooo I want ta hear that! |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | If it's 'people' in a general venue as opposed to a person (re drunk) in a coffee house and ya know the song, play it! Day-um, they're paying customers and they may be in a mood that may not match your present 'creative juices'. What, your gonads are going to fall into your loafers?
Went to 'Boondocks' for dinner several times in the Keys last month and listened to a capable single performer that did not know any songs that I requested, including 'Southern Cross' (one of my favorites). He let me know politely that he didn't know 'em, apologized and carried on with his sets without offending anyone.
I tipped him as I left due to his attitude and entertainment. Cop an 'pfffft' attitude and no tip for you.
The c-phone slide move is awesome. Extra$ fer you... |
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Location: NJ | ". . Cop an 'pfffft' attitude and no tip for you. . ."
I average about $65/night in the TipJar. |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Guess you have to work on that 'pffft' 'tude, Cliff. It's apparently lacking. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | For an appropriate fee...
...I can disappear them. |
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Location: NJ | I can readily assure you that I have NO "attitude" deficiency . . .
Case in Point:
"Play an Elvis tune!"
"y'Wanna' hear an Elvis tune??"
"YEAH??"
"I don't play that sh!t" |
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Location: Cicero, NY | :D |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by cliff:
I can readily assure you that I have NO "attitude" deficiency . . . No one here that I know of has ever accused ya of that!!!  |
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| Freebird used to come up back with the band but mostly as a joke. And not since I have been doing the solo thing has anyone asked. When I get into my short Zeppelin list and the people are into it I get calls for Stairway. I tell them I have not played it in years but I have to admit I did get talked into playing it once. I also have to admit that sadly it went over real well, so the next time I play there the odds are good if there are Zepp fans again I'll be hassled to no end to do it.
Hey what the hell, could be worse.....I could have to play Brown Eyed Girl or Mustang Sally again, right? I hate to admit it but some of my favorites are getting to me....I do five or eight by Neil Young and I am sad to say I am getting sick of Needle and the Damage and Old Man. even Southern Cross, and Wish you were here.
That is the only bad side of the solo thing. |
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Location: Avondale, AZ | Play what the people want to hear and be glad that you have a gig. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Could be worse... Do you know WILD Thang? :p
[or even worse... Boop Boop, Out Go The Lights! :mad: ] |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
Do you know WILD Thang? I hope to meet him/her at the Smokey Jam! |
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Location: nyc area | I was teaching at the National Guitar Workshop in New Orleans, and 3 of us teachers were on stage with the rythym section messin around... one of the students yelled "free bird" and we played it... we played the daylights out of it... it was awesome... it had been 20 years since I played it, and every word and solo came rushing back like it was yesterday.... after the smoke had cleared there was dead silence and the same kid yells... "I was kidding!!!" |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Sooo Coool, Matt... Got the video on YouTube? |
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Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado | Earlier on when someone would yell "Freebird", I'd say "Must be a Celtics fan." Now, mostly we will just say, we don't do that but will do a Skynard tune for you. |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | I don't get too many requests for that one from the church crowd...
Back when I did my solo gig, it was a staple in my last set: always had a 12 string (Pacemaker or an Elite) and it was actually fun...I would get faster and faster at the end...the crowd loved it.
That said, there have always been requests that I have hated: Esp. back in the day: "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head"...man, I can feel the bile coming even now...lol |
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Location: Omaha, NE | Couple of months ago we had a stunningly healthy looking young woman positively beg us to play some "Whitesnake". She even demonstrated how she wanted to dance. Wow.
Sadly, we just didn't have it. What a shame. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | improvise! |
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Location: Avondale, AZ | Originally posted by Omaha:
Couple of months ago we had a stunningly healthy looking young woman positively beg us to play some "Whitesnake". She even demonstrated how she wanted to dance. Wow.
Sadly, we just didn't have it. What a shame. That would have been a good time to play "freebird". |
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Location: Chicago | I play "Birds of Fire". Mahavishnu Orchestra is exactly like Skynard, only better. |
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Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | I always try to play songs that are requested whenever I can (other than Freebird). Last Thursday, I did a gig with Rick (Cliff's ex) and Cliff (on the cajon). Some guy yells out "Chicago". I happened to have the lyrics (but NO chords)to "Beginnings" in my book and started playing the intro. With that, Cliff starts picking up the beat on the cajon as Rick (who didn't know the chords) joined in. I thought that it turned out to be one of the better songs we did. Maybe not in a "musical" sense, but it was a lot of fun and had good energy. The "crowd" seemed to enjoy it too. At least the guy who requested it clapped. |
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Location: NJ | . . . the trumpets were a little "flat". |
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Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Originally posted by cliff:
. . . the trumpets were a little "flat". Yeah, but the trombone solo was awesome! |
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Location: NJ | . . . it all about having a "scosche" more room in the inseam . . . |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | paging, "Rusty" |
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Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Originally posted by Jeff W.:
paging, "Rusty" It was just a matter of time .... :rolleyes: |
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Location: NJ | “. . Play what the people want to hear and be glad that you have a gig . .”
Oh, I’m VERY Glad (and Thankful) for EVERY gig.
I’m just not into being the de facto “juke-box” cranking-out EVERY obligatory “standard” to appease the whim of EVERY vociferous drunk.
I play tunes that I ENJOY playing. If I don’t enjoy playing ‘em, it shows.
Making it LOOK like I enjoy playing something that I don’t, is bullshit. I see people doing it(badly) on any given night.
I’m at the age now where I value My Time and My(albeitLimited)Talent too much to be just another wind-up clockwork monkey.
There’s enough of those around, and they can have the gigs that I don’t want.
When I play something I enjoy, it “shows”, and that enjoyment readily translates to the crowd.
The “Elvis-tune” example stated previously WAS the “extreme”, WAS used in good-natured “fun”, and WAS judiciously used on a crowd that got a big “laugh” out of it. I’m not THAT much of a “prick” (well, . . . . MAYbe I am . . .).
I DO have a cadre of “one-off” tunes by bands that I simply abhor (Dead, Skynyrd, Elvis, Springsteen, etc.), so that when someone deservingly DOES make a request for a specific tune by that person/band, I can (if I choose to) appease them with the one tune.
Or, I’ll just politely say “Yeah, . . sorry, but I’m just not a fan of (or “INTO”) “_____” (insert band name).
If they come back with (and sometimes they do) “Oh yeah?? . . well why NOT???” the response is “because they suck”.
(Don’t Tap on the Glass . . it Annoys the Animals).
That being said, there’s a hideous KidRock/Skynyrd tune (they even nicked some of Zevon’s “Werewolves” on it) that’s getting tons of airplay.
I can’t wait . . . . |
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| Right on Cliff. One of the downsides so far for me with the solo gig work is I am burning out on some of the songs I once loved to play. The upside is I play pretty much what I want to play. That is my selling point, I play stuff no one does. Pink Floyds "DOGS" done acoustically, except for the long keyboard & dogs barking break, goes over better than any of the guy's who told me "you can't do it" would believe. Peter Gabriels Solsbury Hill had about 300 kids screaming and clapping on the forth of July gig I did. "Ten Years Gone" gets all the Zeppelin fans up off the bar stools every time! Songs like Stairway are requested and I either try them or not depending upon how good the crowd has treated me until then. I'll tell ya when you get a house that takes the time to clap or whistle or yell comments between songs or groups of songs this makes me dig in much harder and sing the hard notes a little better.
John mentioned Beginnings, I have to add that one to the set list. Forgot all about playing that one years ago. Working on my version of some Yes stuff now as well. Nobody plays this stuff and so far no complaints from the owners. I do envy the trio thing though.......I could use another creative outlet for the electric guitar from time to time or the bass.
I say play the music you like and they will come around. If it is good music! There is no money in it anymore anyway so I do it for my own enjoyment. To hell with the so called "popular" set lists.......Christ everyone has those. People thank me for playing songs they had forgotten they always liked but have not heard in years.
I suppose if they want Brown Eyed girl I could give it a whirl from time to time. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Holler back "Free Dumb" or "I told you to wait in the truck"! |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | Back in the early 70's, I was at a concert where a classical guitarist was the "warm up" act. Some wise-guy hollered "Jimi Hendrix", and the guy, (wish I could remember his name) didn't even bat an eye. He just went into a classical-style version of
"The Wind Cries Mary" that knocked people's socks off! |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Originally posted by CanterburyStrings:
...He just went into a classical-style version of "The Wind Cries Mary" that knocked people's socks off! There was a Bass player who did that on a five-string at the Portland Saturday Market...
I was impressed! People with more talent than me [which is everybody] always impress me. :eek: |
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Location: NJ | ". . "I told you to wait in the truck" . ."
I writing THAT one down, Woody . . . THANKS!!! |
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Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | ". . "I told you to wait in the truck" . ."
I could've sworn I'd heard you say that to Rick on more than one occasion. |
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Location: NJ | No.
That's "ShutUp, Stupid!"
They DO sound similar. |
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Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | ah yes......
my mistake |
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Location: NJ | ". . my mistake . ."
eh, no . . that's what HE usually says . . . |
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| I did not want to mention it but I do a solo version of Hendrix's Mary on the bass as well. Just 4 strings is all ya need. Have never hauled the bass and amp with me to any gig's as this is the only bass song I have that can stand on its own. It is my favorite Henrix tune.
I do need to work out a Freebird thing on the acoustic that is real short and funny. That might be a great way to crack the audience/musician wall that is sometimes very high. |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by Northcountry:
I do need to work out a Freebird thing on the acoustic that is real short and funny. That might be a great way to crack the audience/musician wall that is sometimes very high. Now there's an attitude that will go a long way!!! |
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Location: North Carolina | Originally posted by OldLiverJones:
Play what the people want to hear and be glad that you have a gig. Nah, these are not sincere requests, but hecklers. I treat all legitimate requests with respect, whether I ultimately play the song or not.
However, I'm not going to play a song I don't care to just to keep a gig. I'm not doing it for the money but the enjoyment. If I don't enjoy the material . . .well, that's one reason I don't do any rap gigs. |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | My favorite comeback was: "Yeah, I remember when I had my first beer"...guaranteed to get an audience behind you and laughing...
I always kept the sets moving at a good pace: it kept the wisecracks and the tired requests at a minimum |
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Location: Avondale, AZ | Originally posted by First Alternate:
Originally posted by OldLiverJones:
Play what the people want to hear and be glad that you have a gig. Nah, these are not sincere requests, but hecklers. I treat all legitimate requests with respect, whether I ultimately play the song or not.
However, I'm not going to play a song I don't care to just to keep a gig. I'm not doing it for the money but the enjoyment. If I don't enjoy the material . . .well, that's one reason I don't do any rap gigs. |
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Location: Nashville TN. | Have security remove them???
btw
one of the bands at the Marion Country Music Fest
covered Free Bird 3 hours before Skynard hit the stage..... inser eye roll |
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Location: Hopkinton, MA | Originally posted by MusicMishka:
My favorite comeback was: "Yeah, I remember when I had my first beer"...... Steve Martin used this on a heckler in one of his stand up routines.
jack |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Gmaj7/ Bm, Dm7/Em / Fmaj7/ Csus2 x35533/ D x57770/
repeat as necessary |
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So What Do You Do When People Yell, "Freebird?"