| Author | Message | ||
| essenceman
Junior Username: essenceman Post Number: 24 Registered: 10-2002 |
I play in a 5 piece function band here in the UK. We are called "Reaction" and our job is to get people dancing - whether they like it or not!!!! We play covers for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and corporate functions. It's not pure, and it's not rocket science, but... people seem to like it and that's what brings in the money. Here's a picture of our guitarist from a typical Reaction gig. Cheers Rob  (Message edited by essenceman on May 06, 2004) | ||
| keavin
Advanced Member Username: keavin Post Number: 323 Registered: 12-2002 |
the "Reaction" must be good cause you got the bride on her feet .,,,,, hey is that pete townsend??? | ||
| essenceman
Junior Username: essenceman Post Number: 25 Registered: 10-2002 |
No, it's not Pete Townsend, but Jeff is a huge Who fan. This bride was great. The evening that this particular picture was taken England were playing Germany at soccer and beat them 5-1. All the guys at the wedding rushed out after the speeches to watch the game n the TV in the room in which we had set up. It was a fairly early finish to the dance that night and so the bride was keen to get the party started. She asked the men watching the soccer to turn off the TV so that things could get started - no reponse. Hands on hips, she stood in front of the TV and said, "This is my wedding party, the f****** TV goes off now! The TV went off! What a woman! For more pix, try our website http://www.reactionpartyband.co.uk Cheers Rob | ||
| keavin
Advanced Member Username: keavin Post Number: 326 Registered: 12-2002 |
hey those are some good band shots!!!, what kinda guitar is that (lefty?)i like that wood on it.dude looks just like a 'younger' pete.,,,post more pics of the group in action! | ||
| essenceman
Junior Username: essenceman Post Number: 26 Registered: 10-2002 |
Thanks for the complements, Keavin. Jeff's guitar is one that I made for his 50th birthday a couple of years ago. It's based loosely on a PRS Santana with mahogany body and neck, a 5A quilted maple top and rosewood fingerboard. The machines are Schallers with ebony buttons and it has P90s. The bridge is a Wilkinson tremolo. If you look carefully on the picture below, you will see that the guitar is strung right-handed, even though Jeff plays left-handed. It was a nightmare trying to work out what chords he was playing when I first started jamming with him ten years ago. Cheers Rob  | ||
| hollis
Intermediate Member Username: hollis Post Number: 168 Registered: 11-2003 |
You do very nice work Rob. | ||
| essenceman
Junior Username: essenceman Post Number: 27 Registered: 10-2002 |
Thanks Hollis. What is a real kick, though, is watching and listening to something I made being played on stage. Cheers Rob | ||
| keavin
Advanced Member Username: keavin Post Number: 339 Registered: 12-2002 |
man! not everybody can play upsidedown!!,that is a one of a kind art!& that's one hellof a guitar you built?,,love that stripe in the middle. one question,,,wheres the alembic pickups? | ||
| bracheen
Senior Member Username: bracheen Post Number: 425 Registered: 11-2003 |
How about upside down AND behind the head like he's doing in one of those photos. That's gotta be something to watch. Sam | ||
| essenceman
Junior Username: essenceman Post Number: 28 Registered: 10-2002 |
As you requested, Keavin, here are a few more live Reaction pix.  If you pull a face, it sounds better!  Nice shot of my Essence 5  The nice thing about the sort of music we play is that it does get folk dancing. Cheers Rob | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 1330 Registered: 9-2002 |
I always say: "If you get a good drummer, you cana get people to move, get a good jeyboardplayer or guitarplayer and the people will sing, but only when you add a good bassplayer ...the people will start to dance"! So Rob ...congratulations. I sinderely think that wedding dances are the far most difficult gigs you can get as a bassplayer! Paul TBO | ||
| essenceman
Junior Username: essenceman Post Number: 29 Registered: 10-2002 |
Hi Paul, Did you ever get that compressor? My saying about drummers and bassplayers is slightly different to yours. "Our job is to tell them how to move. The drummer just tells them how quickly." Cheers Rob | ||
| davehouck
Senior Member Username: davehouck Post Number: 510 Registered: 5-2002 |
Paul; I'm thinking the gig in Chick Corea's Elektric Band might be a little tough to get <g>. | ||
| essenceman
Junior Username: essenceman Post Number: 30 Registered: 10-2002 |
Dave, You want to try playing a wedding gig when Auntie Gladys screams out during the sound check - "It's too loud!!" But your point is well made. I am very rarely (read "never") asked to play any Chick Corea type basslines, mores-the-pity! Who is playing bass with him these days? Cheers rob | ||
| adriaan
Advanced Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 216 Registered: 6-2002 |
The last I heard, John Pattitucci was in Chick Corea's Elektrik Band. I've also seen them with Mike Pope (I think they named the Pope preamp in Fodera's after him) so there may be an opening from time to time - Paul, you gotta make that call before the end of the week, or else. | ||
| davehouck
Senior Member Username: davehouck Post Number: 511 Registered: 5-2002 |
According to Corea's web site, he is currently touring Europe with Touchstone. The bass player is Carlos Benavent. There is certainly nothing wrong with playing weddings or playing dance music in general. Personally, I have no desire to do so and will gladly leave those gigs for those of you who do <g>. On the other hand, my limited abilities ensure that I will also not be playing with Corea either <g>. | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 1331 Registered: 9-2002 |
Well ...I'm such a MORON that I absolutely don't A THING about Chick Corea's music. Did SC played for him??? Well ...I'm the kinda guy who can walk upon and say "he ...i wanna play with you". Of course I will be beaten up musically but ....well ...oh ...evolution will always be teh same as "trying harder, reaching further, etc...etc...". I LOVE playing weddings ...no wrong ...I LOVE playing were people can get to dance. Even in a simplle bar ...if we can get the people to dance ...THAT MAKES MY GIG!!!!! Paul the bad one Rob ...no I didn't get a compressor. I DO have the LEXICON 100MPX multieffect dual channel rack-device. THat is for sale BTW. | ||
| adriaan
Advanced Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 217 Registered: 6-2002 |
Hi Paul, SC and CC - if memory serves me right they were both in the original Return To Forever line-up. Anyone can confirm that? | ||
| joram
New Username: joram Post Number: 5 Registered: 5-2004 |
That's right, Adriaan. SC & CC along with Joe Farell, Airto Moreira and Flora Purim. Don't think I knew those other three, that would be a little strange, wouldn't it? I looked it up, of course.  | ||
| bob
Advanced Member Username: bob Post Number: 205 Registered: 11-2002 |
Maybe I'm stuck in the past, but to this day I like Stanley's work on those first two albums (Return to Forever, and Light as a Feather) at least as much as anything else I've heard from him. And Light as a Feather still holds up as a great example of a remarkably talented set of individuals playing together as a cohesive unit, where everything just fits, for the entire album. (No Alembics here, though...) | ||
| davehouck
Senior Member Username: davehouck Post Number: 515 Registered: 5-2002 |
Bob; I have those two albums as well and they are indeed wonderful. | ||
| essenceman
Junior Username: essenceman Post Number: 31 Registered: 10-2002 |
I started this thread just to let people know what I'm doing - not that that matters, but... ...it seems to have moved on from lowly Reaction, a function band in the North of Engand, to the dizzy heights of Stanley & Return to Forever. Woah, follow that train of thought, if you can. Dave, if I had my 'druthers' I would be playing in a modern jazz outfit, where musicians' efforts are appreciated and the bass isn't 1-5, 1-5 (sorry Paul) or 1-3-5 and occasionally I'd get up to the dusty end. However, if I were playing in such an outfit, I would be rehearsing and never playing to an audience, let alone an appreciative one. I have no idea what the music scene is like in your part of the world, but in mine "Pop Idol rules" and the only way to play music is to play by their rules. It's a very sad fact of life in my area. Five or six years ago I was playing with a band whose singer was one of the most talented writers I have ever met. His lyrics read like poetry and the songs worked equally well as solo acoustic numbers or with a full band. If you can imagine an amalgam of early Genesis, Jethro Tull and mid-term Pink Floyd, that was "Cowfish". Absolutely stunning!! In the 18 months I was with that band, we played 5 gigs!!! Reaction play about 60 gigs a year. I need to play and if people enjoy what I/we are doing, then I'm happy. (Thanks Paul TBO) Rob | ||
| hollis
Intermediate Member Username: hollis Post Number: 175 Registered: 11-2003 |
I like it best when the music plays the band..... But any way the music is playing has always been just fine with me....... Enjoy |
