In a couple of months I'll be headlining at my church's bazaar! It's not like a huge deal, but it's in front of about 500-1000+ people at any given time and it lasts all evening. First the church band I'm in will play and then I'll have about half an hour to do my own thing with my own band! Last year was insane, I slapped together a band in less than a week and we played (or plowed) our way through a set of Cream, Hendrix and SRV classics slaughtering each song along the way. But we didn't have a single practice and I was basically telling everyone how the song went right before we played it. Plus last year I didn't have the experience I have now and I was more nervous than I get now.

But with an entire two months to prepare I should be able to nail down a good lineup of people to play with and most importantly I should be able to have at least a couple of band practices before the gig so everyone will be on the same page. It's definately going to be classic rock/blues oriented since I met another kid my age who's into the same kind of music I am and plays guitar very well. Last year the trio thing didn't work out very well and it'll be nice to bounce solos back and forth with someone. And hopefully this year all the singers I know won't crap out on me like they all did last year.

Do any of you have suggestions for the set list? I for sure want to play Pride and Joy, since everyone will recognize it and it's fun to play. I'm thinking mainly classic rock with some blues. Popular songs that people will recognize and songs that are short enough to hold people's attention.

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Johnny B. Good, nail it Texas and that 500-1000+ will become your cheerleaders, actually Texas I think they will anyway so play anything your heart desires

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

for the ladies in the house that like groovy blues stuff: John Mayer#s trio version of "every day i have the blues". found on John Mayer - where the light is - live in LA.

cheers

I haven't got any suggestions for you but just want to say "Good on ya and good luck!" I'm sure you'll play an awesome show and hopefully have an absolute blast while you're at it.

Cheers.

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MIM Std Tele, MIM HSS Strat, Homemade Mongrel Tele, Blues Jr, Champ600, coupla pedals...sweeeet!

Memphis, Knockin' On Heaven's Door, Mister Tambourine Man are a few that come to mind. Easy to play and sing.

Break a leg man!

- Further up on the road
- Just got paid
- Marry had a little lamb
- All right now
- Up on the cripple creek
- Who do you love

For the church crowd I'd try ZZ's Jesus Just Left Chicago, Doobies Jesus Is Just Alright, Genesis Jesus He Knows Me, Joan Osbourne's What If God Was One Of Us and see how many eyebrows you raise. Then again maybe that's just the poop disturber in me coming out. Or if you're like me and you like stirring things up maybe you could go the other route and try AC-DC's Highway To Hell. I'm sure you'd get more reaction than a just few raised eyebrows belting out, "Hey Satan, paid my dues, playin' in a rockin' band,"

OK the bad boy is leaving now, resume.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

Christian artist Todd Agnew has some bluesy sounding stuff you could look into. If nothing else you could just re write the lyrics to some of your favorite other songs to accomodate the christian crowd you are performing for so nobody is offended or uneased. Either way good luck and have fun.

Lots of good suggestions, awesome!
I actually was thinking about doing Waiting for the Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago, but then I thought about more and it's probably not the best idea. Then I thought La Grange, but then that's probably even worse. Maybe we could get away with TV Dinners.

I was seriously thinking about Jesus Is Just Alright though, so that one might be a good one. (A Christian band called DCtalk covered it back in the 90s, so if I get in trouble I would just say it's their music. I don't think I'll get in trouble though, the pastor loves SRV and knows I like Hendrix/classic rock so he knows what to expect.)

Johnny B. Goode is a good idea too, I didn't think about that one. I still need to learn it. lol I've been telling myself I need to learn it for about a year now.

Todd Agnew would be good for the praise and worship band actually. My Dad's a huge Todd Agnew fan.[/i]

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I don't have any suggestions for you because you should play whatever you know and feel the most comfortable with. I'm confident you'll knock them out with your improvement from last year. We're rooting for you from Louisiana!! Geaux Girl!!


PS Try to record some video for your forum friends to enjoy!!

Congrats TGS I'd jump in and play with ya if I was anywhere near you...I know it doesn't have to be Church related but throw in a little Lincoln Brewster.
Build your set list around your singer or singers. Don't push them beyond their range and change keys if you need to. You might try doing something chronological starting with older songs first. Plan everything. Time everything. Do not leave anything unscripted and you will come off as a professional and not someone in a Saturday afternoon garage band.
(Not that there's anything wrong with garage bands).

TGS
Anything Beatles would fit the Classic Rock part of your set list.

Have fun,
John.E

We're playing Lincoln Brewster in the praise band. I'm so glad I found out about him, he's one of my favorite guitar players. Who says you can't throw in a nice guitar solo every now and then?

I've been thinking about the Beatles too. I'm pretty comfortable with I Feel Fine. Maybe Taxman. I'm not sure yet, but there will definately be a Beatles song thrown in there. The other guitar player knows a bunch of Beatles songs, so I'll be sure and ask him what he's comfortable playing too.

There are two different singers I'm thinking about bringing in. I want to keep as many of the same people on stage the whole time, but I may have to change the singers out halfway through the set. One of them has a great voice for southern rock/blues type of stuff and I know he can nail SRV. The other has a voice that would be more suited to the Beatles. I know the second guy would be uncomfortable singing blues stuff and the first guy may be uncomfortable singing Beatles stuff, so I need to work out who sings what and when before making any final choices.

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Well if you want to come out of the shoot with the Beatles Revelution would be a good opener with Claptons version of Key to the Highway mid point. Then you could close it out with Voodoo Chile. Good Luck and we will be rotting for ya

A bunch of the old Seals and Crofts stuff would be quite suitable for a church gathering. You'd have to have a listen and see if anything strikes your fancy.