Hey Doug,

I'm playing solo Hawaiian Slack Key, samples and info here: www.AlohaGuitar.com

The solo slack key works great for mellow vibe, background music. I play more upbeat Hawaiian music during my breaks on an IPOD and the mix seems to work great. I know 80-100 surf and instro songs to but have never tried those solo, do you have a link to samples of "Doug's Island Vibe Guitar Soiree"? (great name!)

SurfSurf wrote:

Hey Doug,

I'm playing solo Hawaiian Slack Key, samples and info here: www.AlohaGuitar.com

The solo slack key works great for mellow vibe, background music. I play more upbeat Hawaiian music during my breaks on an IPOD and the mix seems to work great. I know 80-100 surf and instro songs to but have never tried those solo, do you have a link to samples of "Doug's Island Vibe Guitar Soiree"? (great name!)

Thanks for the input!

No I don't have much in the way of recordings / video at present; just started this recently.

I completely agree about the "mellow vibe, background music" angle. I'm currently only playing a few slack key compositions interspersed amongst the other stuff. Learning as I go but 2 sets of slack key might get boring after awhile?

I may start playing some upbeat Hawaiian tunes inbetween sets as you suggested; great idea!

METEOR IV on reverbnation

Last edited: May 31, 2014 09:31:21

Check out The Johnny Zoom Hi-Fi Show. He is a one man act with a pretty sweet set up using backing drums and bass that he prerecords. It is great for small venues and he sounds great.

https://www.facebook.com/TheJohnnyZoomHiFiShow

Tidal Wave - Tampa Surf Rock
www.facebook.com/TidalWaveFL

I've played 2,3 and 4 hour gigs straight Slack Key and got no complaints yet(and actually get hired back). I play @35 tunes so I'm able to mix up the tempos and styles of the songs and of course repeat sets on the longer gigs 'cause by then the crowd turns over with new people.

Looking forward to hearing samples from your Island Vibe project. Are you considering backing tracks, or will you keep it solo and no tracks?

...I'd like to include finger style surf instro tunes one day, don't know if I can pull that off though, I'd like to hear some examples

Flamenco-Surf

Now as a former Flamenco guitar player - I wounder whats that?

An interesting topic. I have no chance of gathering people to play in a surf band , thus I was thinking about the option of going solo.

But hows the pre-recording works? What programs are you using and through what are you playing them to the public?
Are you using real bass guitar and drums , or you use some programs for that as well?

Oh boy, I know better than to try that! Without the rest of the Surge! brothers propping me up, it would be a train wreck of epic proportions.

It was bad enough the first time we ever played a show (X-rays at Twains Billiards and Tap in Decatur, 1997), without vocals, it felt as if I was standing on a stage in front of people (I knew) and had forgotten my pants.................. It was up to me to make it happen. Frightening.

It is sobering enough every time we climb up on a stage as a group.

Gotta say though, that I was fortunate enough to jam a whole set once with Matt Quilter at one of his Wave Machine gigs and playing one on one with Paul Johnson at HB Kahuna's place was absolutely wonderful. I've had some great two guitar jams with Sonichris during my visits to Colorado as well. A really cool duet like the Duo Tones would be a great way to play shows under the radar of the noise gestapos.

Reverbs gang,

ed

Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?

Marty, you really manage to sound like two guitars! That is so cool!

However it would be even cooler, if you could do without the drum machine. And I think you could actually. There is a jazz guitarist here in Germany called Joe Sachse, who sometimes plays solo gigs and accompanies himself on fake drums: He puts a microphone in his guitarcase and attaches a scrunched plastic bag on top off it. Putting his heel on the case alone gets him a bass drum, the top on the platic bag produces a snare like sound.

Check out the video on his homepage (although he doesn't use the plastic bag here):
http://www.helmut-joe-sachse.de/

In my experience people react much more positive to something basic like this then to pre-recorded or sampled drums.

Los Apollos - cinematic surf music trio (Berlin)
"Postcards from the Scrapyard" Vol. 1, 2 & 3 NOW available on various platforms!
"Chaos at the Lobster Lounge" available as LP and download on Surf Cookie Records!

Last edited: Jun 30, 2014 04:31:09

I do the occasional solo surf on uke show, but I think more people see it as a uke show than a surf show. Either way it works out fine. I usually use a small Fishman Loudbox for amplification. Once and a while the rest of Urban Surf Kings will join me on U- Bass, and suitcase. I find I really miss the interaction of a band if I do several of these in a row.
Load in/out sure is easy!

Rev

Canadian Surf

http://www.urbansurfkings.com/

Thanks Simoncoil. The videos of Joe Sachse do indeed give me some ideas. I think you're right that it's best not to go with recorded backgrounds or drum machines. The questions is, should I put cymbals between my knees or would that classify me as a "geek act"?

"Hello Girls!"

Last edited: Jun 30, 2014 19:26:38