Rock Band Bar Nights encourages sloppy thrashing in watering holes
By Darren Murph 
posted September 2nd 2009 8:32AM
posted September 2nd 2009 8:32AM
[Via HotHardware]
posted September 2nd 2009 8:32AM
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Bad singing, bad playing, bad shirts in bad bars are on the top of avoid list
Can't be any worse than karaoke, can it?
Except the drums will always be broken and the foot pedal always missing like in Best Buy.
im actually better after a few beers. after 10 or 11 is another story.
drinking alcohol is a sin
@DanielT
So are a lot of other things, doesn't stop a lot of people from doing them. Few minutes in the sorry closet and you're fine, confession the original loophole.
Set to rock...Asia?
Sounds pretty fun. Will there be a list of participating bars? I don't know how well this will work though as I seriously start to not to be able to drum after about 4 beers. It's funny that you don't know how impaired you are after a couple until you start drumming...
Always beware of a DUI on a night out on the town.
Drumming Under the Influence.
I can tell that man on the left has never put on a guitar strap ever
I had to yell at my wife for the same thing the first few times we played.
Noob.
Lead singer chick is cute.
I guess we're ahead of the curve around here. Guitar Hero and Rock band nights were big at a couple of my city's bars a couple of years ago around the time that RB first came out. They helped bring people in on the quiet bar nights for a while but eventually people got bored.
Sometimes I feel like I'm in some strange alternate reality... can no one else see just how lame this is? It's mind boggling to me. A bunch of adults playing with crappy small-scale plastic toys? How about an open mic night and a few people who can actually play? For that matter, for the price of one of these dumb games you could actually get a decent guitar/drums/mic and actually learn to play. If you can memorize these patterns you can learn to play... actually *easier* to really learn to play.
Yeah I hate people having fun too.
I agree. Why have fun when you can be a raging pretentious douche? Fuck fun.
ah you must be one of those 'artists/musicians'.
as for the open mic night, yea if a bar goes to rock band nights its because open night mic is just as bad (imo, worst when you have a avg band trying to be awesome and end up just sounding like crap).
also, music is NOT just memorizing; you still need an 'ear' for music (well maybe not the latest bands but back in my 'day')
My guess is that teasphere is just one of the literally millions of people who have never, and will never, cut it as a professional musician. If he (or she) was good enough to be a professional and be paid for the guitar that he professes is so much more fun than Rock Band, then why should he care if others are having fun playing Rock Band? I've heard countless interviews by successful professional rock guitar players who either indifferent about Rock Band/Guitar Hero, or actually like it because it gets more people interested in music.
Basically, I'm guessing he's another failed musician who is bitter that everyone has more fun playing Rock Band than they do at his pathetically awful shows.
Wow, thanks for attempting to analyze my entire life via a web post about a videogame. You have amazing powers. I'm actually in IT and art, not music. I do play guitar but never in a band or out at bars and mostly just play some improv blues or learn a riff or two here and there. No deep-seeded angst or heartache over not being the next Santana. I've played around with GH/RB and Frequency before all the plastic peripheral craze, it just isn't my thing. I can't - personally - see the fun in spending tons of time memorizing patterns (that have no real correlation to the actual song) when actually playing the real song is easier and more rewarding... to each their own. If you don't think that photo above looks sorry and lame, then by all means go for it.
You show your ignorance on this genre of video game by saying, "if you can memorize these patterns." I don't know if you noticed, but the notes scroll down the screen as the song plays. No memorization needed.
While Rock Band (and possibly Guitar Hero) does offer a game play mode for people that want to take it to that level (the charts can be removed so one can play completely from memory), it's safe to say that most people don't play that way.
Don't let facts and logic get in the way of bashing other people for having fun, though. Your ignorant quips are amusing, to say the least.
The drum kit won't last a week.
o/~ California laaaady o/~
Sometimes I feel like I'm in some strange alternate reality... can no one else see just how lame this is? It's mind boggling to me. A bunch of adults reading crappy books? How about writing your own? For that matter, for the price of one of these dumb books you could actually get a decent pen/pencil/paper and actually learn to write.
REPLY FAIL
Fail indeed. Your analogy fails. I'm not saying you have to write your own music, learn to play the same song from Rock Band from some free tab off the web on a real guitar. I guarantee it takes less time to master the real thing, with more fun and sense of accomplishment, than to play the plastic toy. I get that it is just a fun diversion, but the fact is that you have to practice and put time in to even play the game at all. It's not like dropping a quarter into Pac-Man.
@ teabagger "I guarantee it takes less time to master the real thing, with more fun and sense of accomplishment, than to play the plastic toy."
Really?! I took guitar lessons for almost a full year, and while I could strum along with very basic songs, I could only play chords or very, very basic riffs. Since then, life has gotten in the way (law school, a new career, and now a child) and I don't have time to devote to practicing my guitar, so I probably can't even play a basic E chord and then switch to an A chord, let alone remember enough chords to play along with an actual song. But, I can pick up a Rock Band "guitar" and have fun "playing" a song I've never played before ON MY FIRST TRY. I don't care that I can't "master" it, because in my life there are much more important things to master, like being a good father, or trying to become excellent at my chosen profession. All I want is to have a little fun. Rock Band fulfills that RIGHT NOW, with no extra effort required.
As I said below, you aren't pretentious and a douche because you prefer playing the "real" guitar to Rock Band. You're a douche because you look down on us who DARE to have fun playing Rock Band.
You know what I think is more fun than playing plastic guitars for a video game cover band?
Playing a real guitar in a band and playing original material. Nothing compares to that. And I can still drink while I do it.
Suck it, Rockband! People will be embarrassed to play you in 2 years, while playing real guitar will always be cool!
Better watch out, I dared to besmirch Rock Band in favor of real instrument/open mic night and was called "a raging pretentious douche" I believe. Apparently adults are very attached to their 2/3rd scale plastic toy guitars and drums and believe that actually learning a cool talent is the antithesis of fun. Because actually ripping out a tune (original or cover) from a couple hundred watts of amplifier is nowhere near the fun attained from a plastic toy with playschool colored buttons. We are just pretentious douches.
Is being a prick a talent?
If so, you are one talented mo-fo.
@ stereobot
I have no doubt that playing real music, with a real band, and playing original music is more fun than playing Rock Band. I don't think anyone is denying that. But, most of us don't have the time or talent to be competent enough at an instrument for this to be an option, nor do we HAVE A BAND, as would be required to do that.
Rock Band is simply for fun. How the fuck does it bother you one bit that I have fun playing it? That's right, it doesn't. Douche.
Yeah, teasphere. You being called a douche had everything to do with a bunch of adults that are overly attached to a video game, and nothing at all to do with you actually being a douche.
I'm amazed you actually caught that. Most people would go for the most obvious answer...but not you. You're special.
There is a company that does this locally and they have some sick drums they use for the setup. We used to go every wednesday night until the bar they hosted at down the street from me decided their 500% increase in business wasnt worth detouring the old faithful customers for one night.
It was fun while it lasted.
There is a local bar near me that has been doing this for a few months already. A good friend of mine goes with a few of his buddies on fridays and pretty much takes the cake each week. He says it's lots of fun and the people who show up all have a good time. It's basically Karaoke Rock band style.
The AF of M are gonna love this one. I wonder if the pubs will pay union scale. Oh wait, they stopped doing that in the 90s when they started hiring bands that would undercut for exposure and pocket change. Well, pubs won't even pay pocket change anymore and I wouldn't hold out much hope for exposure either. Exposure...that's a funny word isn't it. To my understanding if you gain exposure, it's a sort of recognition for the work you've put in to deliver a higher standard of entertainment rather than background music. Even DJs can get this recognition, but from the looks of it, some pubs don't even want that either. Do I really want to spill my pint because Sally, Jimmy and Bob are butchering Back In The USSR? Do I want to sit for a few hours with my mates watching other people's friends push plastic buttons to canned music and sing out of key? Is it fair to give average Joe the recognition because he never practices Rock Band (let alone an instrument) and missed every robotic offbeat thus suffering a severe whammy bar fail? Don't get me wrong here. I love the idea of Rock Band and I think it's awesome when you can have a few friends over to flail away over a pint or two. But for pubs, it's a cheap out for entertainment's sake and the hype will die out soon especially in a public place. I've already been to a couple places where there had been a Rock Band or Guitar Hero night and it was abysmal. Most people weren't there for the music and many people left. Hendrix proved that a wood guitar smells better when it burns. Harmonix are proving that a burning plastic guitar is just toxic. Keep it real. Rock out at home when you're not alone.
I hear you... how dare people have fun.
Jerks.
You obviously missed the part where I said, "Don't get me wrong here. I love the idea of Rock Band and I think it's awesome when you can have a few friends over to flail away over a pint or two." I'm not bashing the fun part of it. I'm talking about the fairness and value of entertainment in pubs. It's hard enough for musicians to get gigs as it is. Give us a break.
Maybe you just suck?
Why do local bands think that people appreciate lameness just because they are local?
Look, I'm willing to look at both sides of the argument here. I find it unfortunate when others won't use critical thinking to look at the bigger picture as well. I'm not trying to take a pot shot at you or others especially with snide remarks. I'm trying to engage in fair intellectual conversation and maintaining a level of respect. All bands are all local at some point and it's the years of experience of playing live, that makes them better. Most of the biggest bands in history started off in pubs. It takes a lot of time and effort to even get a gig these days, even for bands that aren't lame. There are pros and cons to everything. I'm not denying that. And yes there are some local bands that suck, but if you read my original message, most bands used to play for union scale and the standard was higher. In my city bands wouldn't play for any less than union scale and stood up for each other. Most pubs stopped paying bands union scale years ago. This was a result of other non-union bands undercutting each other. The pubs loved it because they could pay for less. The result was you get what you pay for, crappy local bands for cheap. The biggest bands these days are still a part of the union and get paid better, local bands not so much if not for free. What I'm getting at is, Rock Band in Pubs as fun as it is for a while, is cheap and may loose its appeal fast. I personally would rather be at real show than this. Others may differ. I just feel that it's a cheat for cheap. On another note, recent sales figures have shown that the big record label's are starting to see more residual money through games like Rock Band now than music sales. I have a feeling the big labels and game companies are behind this a bit too.
Ok, if you think that being in a band instantaneously makes you worth "Union Scale", you are an idiot. You are only worth what people are willing to pay for you.
You're totally right. That's why most bands don't start off in the union, it's smarter not to join at first and yes you get what you pay for at most pubs. These days pubs aren't paying much though, even nothing and yes most of the bands are a dime a dozen. What I think would be cool, is if a pub that has Rock Band or Guitar Hero night, they could equally have some live bands in there too, maybe even have them in between games. I've seen it happen at some Karaoke nights. The irony of it all, is that Rock Band is getting closer and closer to allowing you to plug a real guitar, midi keyboard or electric drums in too. So, the line between Rock Band and cover band could get blurred at some point too. I'm interested to see how the harmonies work in the Beatles Rock Band that I've ordered. Just wish they had a Funk Band soon, so I could through some horns in.
Agreed, you are pretentious as well. If Rock Band isn't your cup of tea (see what I did there, Brit Boy?), fine, DON'T PLAY IT. But insulting people who do, and enjoy it, is the height of pretension.
I agree that *good* live music is preferred to some drunk jackasses playing Rock Band... but do you really think the bars that are hosting "Rock Band Night" were going to pay a band to come in instead? Of course not. The whole purpose of "Rock Band Night" is to let patrons (who you don't have to pay) have some fun pretending to be rock stars, while the other drunk idiots laugh at the bad people and applaud the good ones.
You aren't pretentious because you prefer good live music to Rock Band... you're pretentious because you look down on others who are just trying to have a good time.
BTW, referring to yourself as "moi" when you are a native English speaker also doesn't help any argument you may have that you aren't pretentious.
I co-host Rockband and Karaoke nights at 2 locations here in Orlando, FL and people have massive amounts of fun. Basically, they can choose between karaoke or Rockband and just get up on stage and jam - it's been really successful thus far and have Rockband make it all official can only help it more. Really, you can check it out for yourself: www.karaoke-in-orlando.com
Eight white russians? Makes a more hilarious performance. Plus, that's what No-Fail mode is for.
Listen... I can play a REAL guitar. You can sit here and bash rock band all you want but the fact is that my neice and nephew walk around the house singing stuff like Van Halen and the Rolling Stones even though the music is decades older than they are. How do they know this stuff... because of Rock Band and Guitar hero they play with my brother and his wife. Even though it's true that these games don't teach kids how to play real instruments it still gets them into the music that's called "classic" for a reason.
I personally can't bring myself to play these games because I just don't like the mechanics of it all. But still, I think it's great that people of various walks have fun doing this. And why not have it in a social atmosphere like a bar. Granted, yes, drinking and doing this stuff don't always mix but at least this way you won't have to pack your friends in your living room to have fun getting tanked and playing.
One side note, you know all those youtube videos of the 10 year olds playing songs on guitar hero on expert level and nailing it... my nephew is one of them. :) He posts videos of a new song he learned on there and sends it to his dad who's stationed in Iraq.
Well, I salute your brother, and your 10 year old shredding nephew.
Just not as much saluting to your nephew as your brother.