New band : Les Blues Dogs

Dear The Fret friends,

My main band stopped playing a year ago since my bass player and my drummer went to join forces wuîth a very young and talented player so I stay a bit on the side for awhile but recently some musicians that I met 2 years ago contacted me and ask me if I would like to join them in a new band so here it goes a new chapter is tarting for me and I'm pretty hapy by teh way things evolve.

We played our first gig 21st of june (National day of Fête de la Musique in France) and got very positive feedback despite several shitty technical problems (Pedals crashed, guitar saddle crashed...


We call the band Les Blues Dogs forged on a Blues Rock base playing covers and original tunes (so far 3 from me and one from Nico).
Quelques photos et vidéos

https://i68.servimg.com/u/f68/09/04/06/82/blues_12.jpg

https://i68.servimg.com/u/f68/09/04/06/82/band_110.jpg

https://i68.servimg.com/u/f68/09/04/06/82/band_210.jpg

https://i68.servimg.com/u/f68/09/04/06/82/band_310.jpg

One song of the great bluesman Fenton Robinson



One song from Popa Chubby

Cool! Everyone sounds great.

Awesome! You guys sound fantastic!

You are one smoove mofo! I'm watching now and totally love the music. Great sounding band. I hope you have a blast with them.

Sounds great. Best of luck

I like it a lot! Keep us posted.

Jipes, glad to hear that you slipped right into a new band that you are enjoying - you sound great!

Woah !!!!!!!!!!! Thanks a lot guys you made my day, I had lots of question in my head whether or not I should continue playing music you know this type of interrogations which leaves you so sad. I guess I have too much expectation on my one self but I love so much interacting with friends and crowds that I couldn't stop and I'm so happy that I could do it again.

I don't know if any of you guys have runned through the same type of negative thinking I'm curious to hear your thoughts "Have you never ask yourself why do I go on playing music ?

I'm sure that everyone does, especially when you're at live performance level and have long played in a band. But I think there is underneath those questions the recognition of the feeling that the music, the playing, is just important to you at a soul level and you really can't let it go.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jipes

I'm curious to hear your thoughts "Have you never ask yourself why do I go on playing music ?

---

I can't really explain it properly. To me it's an itch I can't quite scratch. I LOVE music and I love to play music. I get an urge to pick up my guitar and play and it's a very cathartic feeling. If I hear a song on the radio that I really like it's like a catalyst for me to go play. It's always been this way since I was a kid. I guess it's just a drive some people have. :rockon:

Thanks it's nice to hear your feelings about this problem. I guess the desire to share emotions is more powerful than all the hurdles that one needs to go through as a hobby musician

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jipes

Woah !!!!!!!!!!! Thanks a lot guys you made my day, I had lots of question in my head whether or not I should continue playing music you know this type of interrogations which leaves you so sad. I guess I have too much expectation on my one self but I love so much interacting with friends and crowds that I couldn't stop and I'm so happy that I could do it again.

I don't know if any of you guys have runned through the same type of negative thinking I'm curious to hear your thoughts "Have you never ask yourself why do I go on playing music ?

---

Maybe there's a bit of a language barrier here, but could you talk more about what you mean by "this type of interrogations"?

It's clear that you love playing music, you're good at it, and you like being in front of a crowd. I can't imagine better reasons to keeping playing. It's great that you found other people who are like minded.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by marnold

Maybe there's a bit of a language barrier here, but could you talk more about what you mean by "this type of interrogations"?

It's clear that you love playing music, you're good at it, and you like being in front of a crowd. I can't imagine better reasons to keeping playing. It's great that you found other people who are like minded.

---

In fact I felt put aside because I had quite some expectations for this new line-up planning for example to record a new album with some new material that I wrote and all of sudden both musicians decided to join a talented younger player and I felt like a "dog shit" asking myself why should I go on ? Did I had the real motivation to start all over again ? On top of that I suffer from joint arthritis and this really made me loose confidence and the will to go on.

I guess I'm so addicted that it would be impossible to stop even with the pain ( I've now switch to lower gauge strings to lower the pain)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jipes

In fact I felt put aside because I had quite some expectations for this new line-up planning for example to record a new album with some new material that I wrote and all of sudden both musicians decided to join a talented younger player and I felt like a "dog shit" asking myself why should I go on ? Did I had the real motivation to start all over again ? On top of that I suffer from joint arthritis and this really made me loose confidence and the will to go on.

I guess I'm so addicted that it would be impossible to stop even with the pain ( I've now switch to lower gauge strings to lower the pain)

---

Hey Jipes - I kind of read this between the lines of your first post - and was kind of surprised since the band had been together for so long. It had to be understandably painful for you, and then dealing with the physical issues at the same time (which would already be discouraging, I'm sure), really hard to take. SO, your questioning of how to go forward and whether you wanted to, are really normal. I'm just glad that you are finding a way to climb out of those feelings and reconnect with the love of music to enable you to keep on keepin on! Best wished going forward.

Thanks TJ Curtin I appreciate !

Jipes you do what you love doing for as long as you are able to. You're a very good musician. Remember, people come and go all the time. Don't let that get you down.

Thanks a lot Stingx I guess that's the way to go

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jipes

In fact I felt put aside because I had quite some expectations for this new line-up planning for example to record a new album with some new material that I wrote and all of sudden both musicians decided to join a talented younger player and I felt like a "dog shit" asking myself why should I go on ? Did I had the real motivation to start all over again ? On top of that I suffer from joint arthritis and this really made me loose confidence and the will to go on.

I guess I'm so addicted that it would be impossible to stop even with the pain ( I've now switch to lower gauge strings to lower the pain)

---

Ahh, the joys of getting older! :) In my mind, it's better that they go off with someone else. Otherwise, eventually the band would just be miserable for you because they would make it that way. Might as well keep on playing with others who appreciate what you can do!

Mercifully I don't have arthritis (yet), but as most people here know I had a serious hand injury 17 years ago and lost my first three fingertips on my right hand. I had to decide whether I'd keep playing or not--although I just play for my own enjoyment, not in a band. I had to relearn a great many things and there are some things I can't do (fingerstyle, for example. Ironically I was just starting to work on that before the accident). But I still enjoy it. I can still slap and pop on my bass. For hybrid picking I learned to use my intact pinkie. Basically I decided not to let my own stupidity keep me from playing :)

I remember the topic where you had exposed your problem, for sure that's great that it didn't stop you from playing. I always thought that maybe I could switch to play only sldide guitar if ever the pain would be to intense. Thanks for your encouragements !

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jipes

I remember the topic where you had exposed your problem, for sure that's great that it didn't stop you from playing. I always thought that maybe I could switch to play only sldide guitar if ever the pain would be to intense. Thanks for your encouragements !

---

Except that, unlike Tommy Iommi, my injury is to my right hand and I'm right handed so slide wouldn't necessarily help. The hardest thing was learning to hold a pick when you don't have a fingertip to hold it against. That's why I like V Picks so much since they are slightly "sticky" so they're easier to hold. The good thing is that I could go back and learn proper technique, unlike the first time.

We had another concert recently and I thought that I share with you some videos, I think it sounds much better than our first gig (luckily). Let me know what you guys think about it.

We are preparing our set for a nice event where we will open the night for the great Josh Smith

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PODMpywIWgI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7_PWQnEajA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zkNdEFZPYk