The Mellotron Group

let me rephrase that. Can't believe the parts got played without swell.


--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, "john.mcnamara65" <jfranmac@...> wrote:
>
> Very Interesting! Unaware of the swell pedal! gawd! I'm in a cover band in which i play mostly guitar. But I have a usb keyboard and a laptop and introduced the keyboard to the guys recently. Happily we will be playing nights in white satin and tuesday afternoon. I dont have a volume pedal for the usb keyboard but at least i can use the volume slider! As a side note.... what other tron sounds did Mike use on NIWS besides the MKII 3 violins? Cello?
> 
> 
> --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, David Jacques <djacques@> wrote:
> >
> > Yeah, you would think that it would be an HONOR to play those  
> > mellotron parts, and any decent musician would be able to copy the  
> > parts exactly with the right sounds (samples).
> > 
> > It kind of bugs us as we would all love that gig!
> > 
> > 
> > On Jun 5, 2011, at 12:19 PM, Sean wrote:
> > 
> > > Finally have time to report.
> > >
> > > Very enjoyable. They were at Visalia's Fox Theater, a mere 12 miles  
> > > from my house. No way I was passing that up.
> > >
> > > They had very good energy throughout their two sets, and they were  
> > > musically spot on. It was quite a treat.
> > >
> > > Took my fiance, my dad, and grandmother. (his mom.) Anne sat with  
> > > me, my dad and grandma sat in the front row as she's wheelchair  
> > > bound. She must have been clapping along as best as she could (with  
> > > her partially paralyzed left arm from a nasty stroke) or something,  
> > > as Justin and John kept waving at her specifically. After the first  
> > > set was over the second drummer, Gordon Marshall went directly to  
> > > her and handed her his drumsticks. We're going to have to build a  
> > > display case for those.
> > >
> > > They did play a mix of both their classic tunes and their Octave and  
> > > beyond pop dreck. (I never could stand The Moody Blues the pop band,  
> > > though they are far beyond most other pop bands.) I was obvious that  
> > > John and Justin prefer that newer stuff much more, and there was  
> > > more of it than their classics. It was also equally as obvious that  
> > > Graeme prefers their classics, and he really came alive for those,  
> > > particularly for Higher and Higher.
> > >
> > > On a side note, John kept giving me (specifically) funny looks  
> > > during NIWS. I guess he'd never seen anyone playing air-tron before.
> > >
> > > On that note, I was very disappointed with their keyboardist  
> > > (they've two of them) charged with playing the 'tron samples. He got  
> > > all the right notes in the right time, but that was it. He played  
> > > with an uncharacteristically bright sound, and apparently was  
> > > unaware of the swell pedal at his feet. He played it as if it were  
> > > another keyboard. I missed Pinder's presence. He weaved a tapestry  
> > > of sound. This guy plays notes, very well may I add. Heck, on Peak  
> > > Hour he substituted stock Yamaha synth church organ sound for both  
> > > the Italian Accordion and Church Organ break in the middle. Why??  
> > > All this was bugging the shit out of my dad too. The remaining three  
> > > original members need to get on this dude. They've got video  
> > > footage. Mike is their friend. This guy needs to learn what Mike was  
> > > trying to do with those sounds. There really is no excuse for this  
> > > kind of laziness/apathy. Study up man.
> > >
> > > Also, they were using a Memotron. After the show I asked a roadie  
> > > why not the Pindertron samples (for chrissake those trons WERE on  
> > > tour with THIS very band) , and the roadie acted as if I did not  
> > > understand the Memotron is a Mellotron sampler. Hragh.
> > >
> > > Their other three backing musicians were stellar. The flute lady had  
> > > superior control of her instrument. (One professional flutist to  
> > > another, she was very good.) The other keyboard player did not  
> > > bother me in the slightest, though it was hard to see her from where  
> > > I was sitting. Gordon Marshall was obviously enjoying drumming along  
> > > with Graeme. They kept playing hot-potato with their drumsticks,  
> > > laughing, and generally rocking out totally.
> > >
> > > Again, a very enjoyable show. Would have been even better if their  
> > > so called Mellotronist knew what the fuck he was doing. That was my  
> > > only gripe. Any other band could get away with it, but not the  
> > > Moodies. That IS their sound.
> > >
> > > -Sean
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>