Would you actually play a gig...

[Conner Malvecino]

If you had a slammin 'Rock Band'...all four of you and your pals on Expert level, and a guy came up to you and said, "Man, I love your "act" you guys just HAVE to play a 7 seven song Rock Band set at my club this Friday!"

...would you? (Knowing fully well that it's really just prerecorded music that you're "posing out" to)

If so, what things/equipment do you think you would need to pull off the show convincingly?

My thoughts and answer would be...maybe. Maybe yes provided that:
* my band had a really dynamic vocalist that can get the crowd going (after all, Rock Band still is a subgenre of the newschool Karaoke)
* all my members of the band actually memorized the majority of their parts(I know overdrive tends to loosen up the requirement a little)
* separate visual monitors for each performer so we're not all staring at the same place should we still need some reference
* crowd didn't boo unless we got less than 5 starts per song ;)

However...I may definite say YES if I and the audience definitely knew this was a promotion for the Rock Band video game! :)

Your take?

[SoulScreme]

I think that if I ever considered this for a second I might ask somebody to shoot me in the head.

[Conner Malvecino]

I think that if I ever considered this for a second I might ask somebody to shoot me in the head.

This is true...however, we must realize that there are 1000+ YouTube videos of people doing the exact same thing...with not as much talent...and at no risk of having tomatoes thrown at them.

[RedTsunami]

umm...hell yes?

[Conner Malvecino]

umm...hell yes?
Well it seems like we have a divided audience so far...50/50.

[Quinarvy]

umm...hell yes?

Hell no? I'd kill myself for considering this...tell the guy to get a REAL band.

[RedTsunami]

Hell no? I'd kill myself for considering this...tell the guy to get a REAL band.
well, hey. If you played it out right, you could make people think it was a karaoke machine instead of a fake-band-be'er-do'er-game. That might be worth something. Specially if your singer's actually good.

[SoulScreme]

well, hey. If you played it out right, you could make people think it was a karaoke machine instead of a fake-band-be'er-do'er-game. That might be worth something. Specially if your singer's actually good.

That would make you Milli Vanilli... which is pretty ***tarded.

[Conner Malvecino]

That would make you Milli Vanilli... which is pretty ***tarded.

That's/They were exactly what I was thinking.(Not sure if everybody here knew who Milli Vanilli was though so I didn't reference them) Well, I know that there are Guitar Hero nights that are replacing Karaoke nights on occasion at bars. ...are people who hang out and watch are just waiting for 'their turn' and is it pretty much a self-indulgent occasion, or are there actually people who hang out and watch? My thoughts are if Freddie Wong was able to rock the crowd by himself on Guitar Hero...what's the difference when you bring in Rock Band but now with a legitimate singer who is actually doing the singing(pending that they do pull out the guide vocal track completely)

Actually, Freddie Wong also felt that the crowd knew they were in 'on the act' as well.

[SoulScreme]

That's/They were exactly what I was thinking.(Not sure if everybody here knew who Milli Vanilli was though so I didn't reference them) Well, I know that there are Guitar Hero nights that are replacing Karaoke nights on occasion at bars. ...are people who hang out and watch are just waiting for 'their turn' and is it pretty much a self-indulgent occasion, or are there actually people who hang out and watch? My thoughts are if Freddie Wong was able to rock the crowd by himself on Guitar Hero...what's the difference when you bring in Rock Band but now with a legitimate singer who is actually doing the singing(pending that they do pull out the guide vocal track completely)

Actually, Freddie Wong also felt that the crowd knew they were in 'on the act' as well.

Yes, it's like Karaoke and there is nothing wrong with that. Putting you on stage for a "set" as if you are a musician... totally different.

[Conner Malvecino]

Yes, it's like Karaoke and there is nothing wrong with that. Putting you on stage for a "set" as if you are a musician... totally different.

Wow, I guess now we have to go into a philosophy of what the term musician is. Unfortunately, you and I probably know a friend or two that has a stack of LPs and because they can beatmatch from one song to the next, they feel they have the right to call themselves a musician...and you know what, there's a decent amount of people that aren't Spinners who would call Spinners/DJs musicians. I myself don't necessarily agree but if you put it in that context, somebody who is pattern/rhythm matching to a scrolling musical score I would say would have the same right to be called a musician too.

Perhaps we're in a new era of redefining that term...but I surely hope not.

[RedTsunami]

That would make you Milli Vanilli... which is pretty ***tarded.
No it wouldn't...that would only be if you were lip-syncing songs. In RB, you actually supply the vocals, you can make up origonal lines, etc. But you know this already.

[Conner Malvecino]

No it wouldn't...that would only be if you were lip-syncing songs. In RB, you actually supply the vocals, you can make up origonal lines, etc. But you know this already.

Good point! I think you'd have to come up with a really good twist to your performance. Exchanging the lyrics for Weird Al-like vocal deliveries. The exciting challenge is that the audience knew in advance that you had to score a 5-star or above in order to move on to the next song in the set. Almost Game-Show-esque.

[Conner Malvecino]

I think most people would if the GH3 patch was finally released...that's why we're uptight here! ;)

[jonfitzsimon]

i would do it!

[Bakkster]

Yes, it's like Karaoke and there is nothing wrong with that. Putting you on stage for a "set" as if you are a musician... totally different.

Exactly. If I got invited to play at a Rock Band night like a karaoke night, I'd do it. Pretending to play a show is like having a jukebox that skips every once in a while. Rock Band, Karaoke, and Guitar Hero are meant for group participation entertainment, not for having a single person play for the entire night as a "performance".


Wow, I guess now we have to go into a philosophy of what the term musician is. Unfortunately, you and I probably know a friend or two that has a stack of LPs and because they can beatmatch from one song to the next, they feel they have the right to call themselves a musician...and you know what, there's a decent amount of people that aren't Spinners who would call Spinners/DJs musicians. I myself don't necessarily agree but if you put it in that context, somebody who is pattern/rhythm matching to a scrolling musical score I would say would have the same right to be called a musician too.

Perhaps we're in a new era of redefining that term...but I surely hope not.

I hope not as well. Beatmatching is not music, nor is rhythm gaming, although both require skill. Just like you wouldn't call a Halo sniper a Sharpshooter in real life, you wouldn't call a GH/RB player a musician in real life.

When I play my bass or guitar, I have a very different mindset than when I play Rock Band, and that's what makes rhythm gamers different from musicians.

[SoulScreme]

Music is about emotion and interpretation. It's about being free to go off of the charted course, to improvise. Rock Band and Guitar Hero are about pushing plastic buttons to play an MP3.

[TheTogfather]

I know a group of guys who, in college, formed an 'air band'. In any bar, on any random night, they'd cue up one of their 'songs' (usually an 80's hair-band special), take their positions, and proceed to mimic being an actual rock band, with all instruments accounte for and assigned appropriately. And everyone loved it. At the peak of their 'career', they actually performed a set on stage opening for a real band. The performance has since become legend around here.

With the right personalities/performers, this would totally work. In fact, it did work, as me and three friends played an opening set at my 30th birthday. Sure, everyone knew it was a game, but we bought into it 100%, even dressing up for the occassion, and everyone had a blast. We even had to win the crowd back as we got a broken down-strum halfway through that caused us to fail out during our 3rd song. Our last 2 songs, w/ bass switching to up-strum, won the crowd over though.

[Table16]

Oh yea I would do it. Maybe not at a club but maybe at a part or something. Nothing real serious though. It would be sweet. Perform and then have a sort of open mic thing. It would be a good time I think.

[RK Frontman]

Personally, I'm really hoping this will be on the WSVG circuit. I know Guitar Hero was huge on that circuit last year. I think Rock Band would do even better.

[Table16]

Personally, I'm really hoping this will be on the WSVG circuit. I know Guitar Hero was huge on that circuit last year. I think Rock Band would do even better.

they wouldn't need to hire bands for entertainment...

[WiredRacing]

It's an issue of putting on an "original" performance when trying to cover something note for note, pitch for pitch.. and I think that's where a lot of the problem comes from.

Karaoke works because you're doing a vocal performance and you do not have to conform those vocals to anything but the melody really. GH/RB are glorified simon-says games. A blast to play but if you have any (dis)illusions about how cool it would be to play in front of a crowd, you had better come up with some kind of routine where you are the show and the music is just background fodder.

This is possible when you look at DDR routines and such. But all in all, it's still pretty cheesy. It wouldn't be difficult to learn to play 7 songs for real, but would the learning experience be as much fun?

I could see things like tug of war drums or something being something to watch.. the competition aspect works.. but just to "perform" a song.. oi.. you had better have an awsome voice and some really crazy costumes ready to entertain.

[xxjoesusxx]

i think its time to get a real band

[des]

who the heck has time to waste doing this???? when i play online with strangers it feels like im playing in front of a crowd. usually the other people have friends over watching and i often get comments like ....man that guy is awesome on the drums. its as if there only watching me or something. then i get pissed because i cant really show then how good i am in real life but insted im only limited to this toy drum set.

[Conner Malvecino]

i think its time to get a real band

Would I like about Rock Band that is has a ‘get decently good on your inexpensive plastic instrument fast’ mentality. Unfortunately, with a real band you get decently good only after some arduous and extensive practice sessions by yourself and with the complete band…in addition to having to invest in some costly equipment. Even semi-serious garage bands can spend a bare minimum of $3k on their equipment and that’s just for your ‘a little above entry level’ instruments/amps/PA. $169 out of the box…such instant ecstacy.

[DesiredFX]

If you had a slammin 'Rock Band'...all four of you and your pals on Expert level, and a guy came up to you and said, "Man, I love your "act" you guys just HAVE to play a 7 seven song Rock Band set at my club this Friday!"

...would you?

Well, that depends...what are the hours?

[Credge]

There's nothing worth paying to watch in Rock Band. Further, playing live isn't fun if no one is there. It becomes a glorified practice. So no.

[Feigned]

Honestly, if the people coming in knew what was going on, I'd be up for it. I had a blast during the Rock Band Tour just watching the various bands perform. Granted, they only played the same 3 songs over and over. But I think it would be cool to both play and watch.

Yes, I'm learning to play a real guitar, but that doesn't mean I'll be able to even consider playing at an open stage night any time soon, as I still need months of practice before I'm to that level. However, I can play a mean plastic guitar right now. :cool:

[Mushroom]

What, you guys haven't done this yet? :p

This is me playing Rock Band live on stage in Trafalgar Square in London. Not the ideal set up, but an AMAZING venue
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[dfjdejulio]

If you had a slammin 'Rock Band'...all four of you and your pals on Expert level, and a guy came up to you and said, "Man, I love your "act" you guys just HAVE to play a 7 seven song Rock Band set at my club this Friday!"

...would you? (Knowing fully well that it's really just prerecorded music that you're "posing out" to)
I do that basically every day at lunchtime anyway. We have it in the lunch room at our office here. Every day a few of us get up and play to a room full of people eating their lunch, cheering, singing along, and sometimes mocking us. :)

Today we even had a guy brave enough to get on vocals! Usually only the ladies here are brave enough for that.

I finally broke down and got an XBox memory card, so I can move my profile and game saves around with me, so I'm finally going to be able to use our lunchtime gigs to progress my world tour gameplay too. Look for more World Tour achievements on my profile soon!

[Atsumi]

I would.

For comedic value alone.

[Conner Malvecino]

I do that basically every day at lunchtime anyway. We have it in the lunch room at our office here. Every day a few of us get up and play to a room full of people eating their lunch, cheering, singing along, and sometimes mocking us. :)

Today we even had a guy brave enough to get on vocals! Usually only the ladies here are brave enough for that.

I finally broke down and got an XBox memory card, so I can move my profile and game saves around with me, so I'm finally going to be able to use our lunchtime gigs to progress my world tour gameplay too. Look for more World Tour achievements on my profile soon!

Man, I'm fricken jealous...what I wouldn't give to have Rock Band at my workplace! On the 15th floor we have a LCD TV room for presentations but you have to bring your own goods :(

[dfjdejulio]

Man, I'm fricken jealous...what I wouldn't give to have Rock Band at my workplace! On the 15th floor we have a LCD TV room for presentations but you have to bring your own goods :(
Well, it is my own copy of "Rock Band" and my own DLC (just Creedence and Foreigner for now, but co-workers are offering to chip in for more songs already). I carry Rock Band and a memory card back and forth to work every day.

The company bought us an XBox 360, and bought us "Guitar Hero 2" and an extra guitar, so we have two old-style USB GH2 guitars. But, the copies of "Guitar Hero 3" and "Rock Band" are mine. Our vocalist just uses the headset that came with the XBox for now. I figure in January I might buy the drum kit (my boss is a drummer in a real band), but I'm not sure how portable it is...

(Heh, and actually... they bought us GH2 because I had brought in an old junker spare used PS2 with my own copy of GH/GH2 and my own two guitars. They were a little embarrassed that more people were playing with my PS2 than with the XBox that they bought for us, I think, so they ended up buying us GH2 for the XBox!)

[RK Frontman]

they wouldn't need to hire bands for entertainment...

I never said anything about hiring bands... I'm talking about having it as part of the tournament. They did GH, they HOPEFULLY will do Rock Band.

[Bakkster]

I never said anything about hiring bands... I'm talking about having it as part of the tournament. They did GH, they HOPEFULLY will do Rock Band.

OP did, though. Gig implies a performance, and some form of compensation (maybe). A tournament isn't a gig, nor do I think anyone is against a live tournament.

[JohnDubbyaRocks]

I think that if I ever considered this for a second I might ask somebody to shoot me in the head.


I couldnt have said it better myself holy crap man some of you people have too much time on your hands

[Conner Malvecino]

I couldnt have said it better myself holy crap man some of you people have too much time on your hands

Nope, just that some of us have outlandish imaginations! :)

[SoulScreme]

Nope, just that some of us have outlandish imaginations! :)

Not really, the scenario you proposes is basically the plot to the Guitar *****-o episode of South Park.

[bounchfx]

I would.

It would be totally awesome and I would rock out so hard.

[jimmyn28]

I'd do it.

[rockst01]

No I wouldn't this is a horrible idea.

[SoKGiX]

i wish they had this game setup at bars, i'd rock the **** out of it. kinda the same thing. but if they wanted me up on a stage, i'd prob decline... unless i was drunk there already...

[batsu336]

You would never make it past the second song without a drunk coming up and sayng it was his turn to play the game. Then you would have to beat him for grabbing your guitar. At that point the classic bar brawl would break out, in which you always have someone hiding under the table drinking their beer, ans someone else getting knocked into the drum set. You would then get kicked out without getting paid, as well as having a ruined drum set. Now you and your bandmates will get in a scrum on the sidewalk, arguing who should pay for the drums. At this point you'll all be arrested for fighting in public and what little cash you had will go toward bail instead of a new kit. When you make bail and return to the bar you'll find your car has been impounded, along with the game which was in the trunk, because you were parked too long on the sidewalk while you were incarcerated. Since you spent all your money on bail you will have to hitch a ride off the bass player's mum. Unfortunately you got drunk last Christmas and made a pass at her, so you all have to spend a very uncomfortable 20 minutes riding back home in her car.

This is all hypothetical, of course, and in no way represents a real incident that occurred to any band at any time...

[shoombabi]

You would never make it past the second song without a drunk coming up and sayng it was his turn to play the game. Then you would have to beat him for grabbing your guitar. At that point the classic bar brawl would break out, in which you always have someone hiding under the table drinking their beer, ans someone else getting knocked into the drum set. You would then get kicked out without getting paid, as well as having a ruined drum set. Now you and your bandmates will get in a scrum on the sidewalk, arguing who should pay for the drums. At this point you'll all be arrested for fighting in public and what little cash you had will go toward bail instead of a new kit. When you make bail and return to the bar you'll find your car has been impounded, along with the game which was in the trunk, because you were parked too long on the sidewalk while you were incarcerated. Since you spent all your money on bail you will have to hitch a ride off the bass player's mum. Unfortunately you got drunk last Christmas and made a pass at her, so you all have to spend a very uncomfortable 20 minutes riding back home in her car.

This is all hypothetical, of course, and in no way represents a real incident that occurred to any band at any time...

QFHT

Quoted for Hypothetical Truth

[tbradshaw]

I think it'd be hilarious. I'd do it for sure. :)

[Conner Malvecino]

So I guess the real question would be...

***what would be the most definitive and ideal stage setup for a Rockband competition performance? ***

I still think that 4 separate TV monitors would be essential so that not all band members are staring into the same 'black hole.'

[Frederf]

I thought about doing this with my or not-my set at a bar or so. It kind of comes down to how enjoyable Rock Band is to people who are watching it and not playing it. I mean Rock Band is just like an overblown version of Karaoke to some extent and that's quite fun.

[SoberScott]

My buddies bar has GH on PS@ set up on one of teh flat screens. It is actually a big hit fro those that frequent the bar. However pickup a chick after playing it seems a little impossible lol. Though I have played with women on it so hey who knows. The only problem with rock band is the drums take a up a lot of space.

[Conner_Malvecino]

So I feel a bit vindicated...I surfed the web to find this:
http://volcanoboy.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=3233&forum=8
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/8264/1rockbandcomppe8.jpg

So there are a few peeps out there brave enough to test the waters and perform their Rock Band skills. I take it this place isn't TOO far away where Rock Band was developed (being in MA)

Any ROck Band competitions going on in your area?

Here's a place in New York, NY:
http://30boxes.com/public/147878/Angelsandkingscalender/2ed7c7e5a0ac3067e028abea84a23112/1/
Another one in Modesto, CA:
http://www.myspace.com/rockbandnight

Okay before I go to far here...is there already a thread for Rock Band Nights on this board?

[RavagerX]

I live in Arkansas. I will never be able to play this game out in public :(

[Conner_Malvecino]

I live in Arkansas. I will never be able to play this game out in public :(

Well...would playing at a party outside your house be considered, "Public"? I'd say so...