Musician Archive

Have any of you done something more than just form pickup groups in cantinas and perform cantina crawls?

Have you guys ever actually formed bands, created a set-list, practiced songs and detirmined full orchestrations for multi piece bands. Then advertized and performed in some awesome setting, with backup dancers and special effects, creating one big stage show?

Cause in reality, every time I go to a cantina, all I see is buff bots who happen to talk back occasionally and perform some emote to the "regulars".

I've been a musician and singer in real life... and jamming is fun... but when it's the only thing you ever do... well don't you guys start feeling like you just happen to be ATK Buff Bots? Cause thats what I'm seeing from this side.

I want a performance. I want a show. I want a 5 piece horn section which actually plays the same flourish, while a woodwind section plays a contrasting/complimentary one, while a group of backup dancers gyrates on stage.

I don't want some random jam session.

Tell you what...

You get a band together, 4-20 members (on any server). Put together a single song fully orchestrated and schedual with me a time. And I'll come watch it. If I like it I'll offer tips to make it better, work with you on some more songs, and promote you. I'll set up concert events on your server and hopefully... you will see just what Entertainers can be in SWG just with what is currently availible to you.

My Real Life Qualifications include.

Professional Jazz/Ska Tromboneist (9 years Amature 2 years Pro before I had to take up a real job)
Life Performance Sound Technician : Worked the sound boards for 5 different Los Angeles based bands in professional gigs.
Theatrical Director : Comedy and Dramas mostly at Hollywood Fight Club Theater in Hollywood Ca.
Film Actor : Member of SAG with multiple credited appearances in SAG Contract motion pictures.

In Game

I've been at one time or another (not from grinding) Master Entertainer, Master Musician, Master Dancer.

/tossGauntletonFloor

The ball is in your court.

It's late, and I'm not in the mood to do research to find other sources, but I'll just for now point you to this sticky thread that has band listings.

To answer your question, yes, it has been done.. it has been done successfully, and it has been done artistically. I myself wanted this from my musicianing, but the few times I was seeming to find enough musicians to form a band with, people quit the game or the profession and it didn't pan out - as for now, I'm on a server with a very small population and a *very* small musician population, so I'm not getting my hopes up, but would be quite happy to try again (I have music background, so yeah, I'm interested in the artistic side of things).

However, I'll go ahead and guess that at least 90% of the bands in that thread no longer exist, and that at least half of those have disbanded because people left the profession/game due to being completely disrespected by a large percentage of the general swg population.

It's not just our buffing and healing that is suffering in the current state of things, it's general appreciation for what we do, and it hurts our ability to find enough people willing to withstand the abuse enough to make a full time band (typical band abuse: "Get back in the cantina where you belong, you good for nothing AFKer!" when trying to perform anywhere other than a cantina (which you'll have to admit is not the most well designed place for a band performance)).

Anyways, I do hope there are some bands still going strong right now that can show you what we can do. Hopefully you'll treat them with honest respect, and not have any "I told you so" attitude when trying to make them "see just what Entertainers can be in SWG just with what is currently availible to [them]".

(Btw, yes, I followed you here from another post that I didn't particularly like).

I am on the CoE mailing list on Radiant. The next time I get an email for one of their gigs I'll pass it on. I've missed a few but the last one I attended was a weekend-long event with orchestrated shows in different spots. It was great to watch and experience. Whether or not they are interested in the offer I am not sure - but I am sure you and they both would have fun discussing the ins and outs of promotion, practice, etc. And its worth the trip to Radiant to see a performance no matter what.

I think this is a very cool idea Minerunner. The thing that makes many bands difficult to maintain is the lack of a solid organizer. Thats why we are so lucky to have the people on Bria, Flurry and all the other servers who are willing to put inthe time to organize and set things up. These are amazing people.

Message Edited by Vorpaks on 12-09-2004 07:35 AM

Paks and Esharra awesome... I'll keep an eye out.

Message Edited by Minerunner on 12-09-2004 07:31 AM

Hi there Minerunner

If you play on Eclipse, I presume that you have heard of Talus Moon, the band is over a year old now, started back in August last year, and is now as far as I know the only band left on Eclipse, after Astral Fantasia and The Slice Hounds/The Force had to call it quits with all the members moving on or stopping to play SWG.

Talus Moon on the other hand is going quite strongly. While we have had periods of low attendance both bandwise and gig wise we are now seeing a bit more performers coming back.

We have rehearsals every friday, and a gig a weekend or so, sometimes more.

Some gigs, mostly weddings it tends to be a private party so we dont advertise them, but we also perform at gigs which is free for all to come and see, then you'll see the posts about it on the Eclipse Player events forum.

The core of Talus Moon is based in Tirius RP city on Talus, and its here that we rehearse. We do all our music manually during the performances, with alias files calling for specific flourishes that the musicians play, we dont bandflo, because that takes away some of the fun for the performers as well as it doesnt look as good with the Mando/Bandfill(Ommni)/Nalargon -1 flo problems.


Our repertoaire is pretty extensive, with lots of self-made material, and some adaptations of known songs, with duet's and solo performances, we have also done a-capella songs.

We have had gigs with a full band and 4 or 5 dancers in the past. Last Sunday we had a big gig with 4 musicians and 2 dancers present, but we also use droids to fill out the instruments we cant play, so we always have all or most of the instruments playing.

We got a big gig on the 18th of December, in Tirius for a Life Day party, open to all, I think as it stands that we'll be able to show with a full band and 3-5 dancers.

More than that is pretty unrealistic as timezones, real life and other things tend to come in the way.

Talus Moon currently consist of mostly UK/Euro people so our shows tend to be afternoon US times, depending on where you live.

If you want to know more the links in my sig should point you to the right places, or contact us ingame, If you want to you can probably be allowed to attend a rehearsal

Awesome, Leoaf will be there (I hope I can make it on the 18th at least) sporting his Ace Jacket. If not I'll catch another gig, let me know the time of the next couple.

I just moved to Eclipse semi-permanently from Starsider back in October. I had not heard of your band... but now that I have you can bet I'll be there.

Glad to be of service

Our PA deparment have been somewhat lax in the last months

Ill note your name down and get you on the gig-invite list that we run

Perfect.

The Rancors are a band on Kettemoor. They have been around since just after launch from what I understand. They have their own cantina (The Ragin' Rancor in New Hope, Naboo) and perform in it every Thursday night starting at 9 EST. They also perform at weddings, parties, or any number of other events. They have tons of songs, change costumes, are extremely coordinated.

Just because you haven't seen a band in SWG before doesn't mean there are none.

EDIT: Just so I'm clear I'm not a rancor and I'm not accepting the challange for them. I'm just stating that there are bands around, good bands.

Message Edited by Etdentarie on 12-09-2004 01:23 PM

Thanks for the heads up. Can't make it tonight, but I'll shoot for next week.

I am aware of the attempts to do it in the past. And was aware of that sticky as well as the fact that most of them gave up.

My challenge still holds, and I wouldn't make it if I didn't intend it with the utmost respect and honor.

Muscians and Dancers can bring themselves above Buff Bots with no other tools than are already availible... and in reality... so what if a few people heckle you. Put them on ignore.

You are not the buffs you give. You are the emotion you inspire. And sitting in a cantina playing random bits of music with people who play random bits of music is not the most advantages way to bring an awe inspiring performance.

There are tons of places performances can be held in which no one could question your reason for being there.

Theaters Player and NPC, Verendi Isle, etc etc etc...

Cantinas be damned... play music... perform... inspire yourselves and others... Do not be a sentient buff bot. And do not let others classify you as such.

Do not play by macro!!!! Perform, feel the performance, hear your bandmates.

I look forward to hearing what you come up with.