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Best Rock Cover Band Opening Songs
October 31, 2012 by Leave a Comment
If like me you’ve been in a rock covers band or three, you’ll know that the first song of the night is important for a couple of reasons. First, if there’s an audience there, it’s the initial impression that can sometimes set the tone for the whole gig. Second, whether you’ve had a good sound check or not, it’s the time for your sound person to get their levels right.
For the hell of it, I thought I throw together a list of what I think are great rock songs a band could open with and make a big impression. I’ve kept it 1970s to today, and it’s all obviously subjective. I’d love to hear your thoughts in comments of opening songs you’ve had that have gone down a treat.
One other disclaimer: some of this songs would require a major commitment to pull off well – personally I think there needs to be more of that approach as it gets too easy to decide to play Sweet Home Alabama or Mustang Sally instead…
Here we go, in no particular order:
1. John Mellencamp – I Need A Lover
The album version of this song gives every member of the band a chance to jump in boots and all:
2. Hothouse Flowers – Hardstone City
The Hothouse Flowers themselves have opened with this and for good reason – it kicks arse:
3. Boy and Bear – Feeding Line
If you’re outside of Australia you may not know this song. Even so, have a listen and tell me it wouldn’t make a good opener:
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4. U2 – Where The Streets Have No Name
A worthy inclusion although I doubt a lot of bands actually cover this:
5. The Who You Better – You Bet
Not for the faint hearted – particularly if you play bass, but what a song:
6. The Killers – Somebody Told Me
’nuff said:
7. REM – Me In Honey
This is a bit of a left field REM choice but it’s always made a great impression on me as a potential opening song – particularly if you have both a male and female vocalist.
8. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – My Love Will Not Let You Down
If it’s good enough for The Boss to open his 10th night at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 2000, it’s good enough for me. Also watch the clip to see a true band master at work:
9. Spacehog – In The Meantime
10. Fountains of Wayne – Stacy’s Mom
Some will argue this is definitely saved for later in the night but it has a good place as an opener:
The Impossible Dream: Dave Matthews Band -Drive in Drive Out
If you’re in a cover band that can pull this one off, I hope you’re aware you have a very bright future. Drummers in particular should listen to this one from start to finish:
Over to you: what openers have worked well for you?
Times Tables Worksheet to Download and Print
October 26, 2012 by 1 Comment
In the past week my daughter needed me to print off a times tables worksheet of the twelve times tables. There are a bunch of online but none exactly what I was after. So I did my own. Here’s a shot of what it looks like:
You can download the PDF for yourself for free by clicking here:
Enjoy and I hope it helps your kids learn those damn times tables. I still get a little bemused that in the 21st century this is still such a central focus but I suppose it does provide a foundation to a lot of other stuff, although there’s some debate still going on in regard to maths literacy.
Mayo Clinic in Second Life
September 13, 2012 by 1 Comment
Looks like an interesting session of the non-profit commons in SL this Friday:
This Friday, September 14th, Nonprofit Commons is happy to feature Brian Kaihoi (Svea Morane in SL), of the Mayo Clinic. The Mayo Clinic has had a presence in Second Life since January 1, 2009, which has grown now to 4 regions. They have been working to provide consumer health information, patient care services, internal work team support, and even modeling physical spaces inside SL before they build the buildings. Most significantly, they have found many partners in SL who share similar goals and values, that can work with the Mayo Clinic to have a larger impact on patient care. This presentation will report on Mayo Clinic’s virtual world activities in the areas of patient care, research, education and administrative services.
Brian Kaihoi has been with Mayo Clinic for 35 years. During that time he has held a variety of administrative and operational positions. As a member of the consulting staff of Mayo Clinic, Brian has worked with the Mayo Medical School and Mayo School of Continuing Medical Education on content development and delivery strategies. Currently, Brian is the Mayo Foundation Web Administrator, working with all Mayo Clinic Web activities, and works with the Center for Innovation, which is finding ways to transform the way health care is experienced and delivered.
Follow him on twitter at @bkaihoi
About the Mayo Clinic:
Mayo Clinic: Â Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy of “the needs of the patient come first.” Mayo Clinic is governed by a 33-member Board of Trustees. Â Every year, more than a million people from all 50 states and nearly 150 countries come to Mayo Clinic for care.
www.mayoclinic.orgJoin us in Second Life!
Nonprofit Commons Weekly Meeting
Friday, September 14th, 8:30 AM SLT / PST
Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheater
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Plush%20Nonprofit%20Commons/88/126/26AGENDA
• 8:30 am Introductions
• 8:40 am TechSoup Announcements
• 8:45 am Mentors Central
• 8:55 am Main Speaker: Brian Kaihoi (Svea Morane)
• 9:30 am Open Mic / AnnouncementsThe mission of the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is to create a community for nonprofits to explore and learn about virtual worlds, foster connections, and discover the many ways in which nonprofits might utilize the unique environment of Second Life to achieve their missions.
Channel 9’s Olympic Coverage in One Picture
August 2, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Am I wrong?
[via Facebook]
Marvel MMO unveils first developer diary
July 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Have a look for yourself – it even contains some gameplay footage. I’m happy to make a prediction: there are going to be a LOT of people wanting to plan the Hulk.
I’m more of a Dazzler character myself – how about you?
Game Masters: Play Dozens of Games from Your Life
July 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I had the pleasure this morning of attending the Australian Centre for the Moving Image‘s Game Masters exhibition.
I’ve been to ACMI exhibitions before and they’ve been superb, but this one beat them all hands down. If you’ve ever spent more than a couple of hours playing video games, you need to see this exhibition if you can.
It’s hands-on, with most of the exhibits able to be played. I’m talking everything from 1970’s arcade games right up to today’s console games. I spent a little time typing the names of every playable game I saw into my phone.
So for your benefit, here’s what you can play if you go:
Gun Fight
Space Invaders
Centipede
Asteroids
Donkey Kong
Gee Bee
Pac Man
Xevious
Rip Off
Reactor
Elevator Action
Scramble
Robotron 2084
Tempest
Missile Command
Metal Gear Solid
Super Mario 3D Land
Super Mario Bros
Super Mario Bros 2
New Super Mario Bros
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Hang On
Out Run
Virtua Fighter
Shenmue
Mario Kart 7
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Sonic the Hedgehog – full series of games (I think)
Ico
Shadow of the Colossus
Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne
Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty
Diablo III
LEGO Star Wars
LEGO Batman
LEGO Harry Potter Years 1-4
LEGO Clone Wars
Populous
Dungeon Keeper
Black & White
Fable III
Sim City
Sim City 2000
The Sims
Spore Creature Creator
Monkey Island 2: Lechucks Revenge
Maniac Mansion II: Day of the Tentacle
Grim Fandango
Ultima Underworld
Deus Ex
System Shock
Disney Epic Mickey
Singstar
Amplitude
Frequency
Rock Band
Lumines
Sega Rally Championship
Space Channel 5
Rez
Child of Eden
Minecraft
Blueberry Garden
Braid
Journey
Critter Crunch
Flight Control
Spy Mouse
Real Racing 2
Angry Birds
Machinarium
Botanicula
Samorost 2
From Dust
Heart of Darkness
Another World
Darwinia
Defcon
Parappa the Rapper
Vib-Ribbon
Jetpack Joyride
Fruit Ninja
Castle Crashers
Alien Hominid
Winta
I missed a couple of handheld games too I think, so there’s even more on offer than above. For me, playing the full working arcade version of Xevious for the first time since the mid-1980s made the price of admission worth it alone. Seriously – if you’re in Melbourne or are planning to be there in the next couple of months, go and spend half a day at Game Masters.
If you’ve already been, would love your thoughts in comments
Fatherly love at its best
June 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Ok this doesn’t really have much to do with technology, although I would never have heard of this otherwise I suppose.
Here’s the start of a mightily touching story you should read in full:
I graduated High School this week. When my Dad said he had a present for me I thought I was getting some cheesy graduation card. But what I received was something truly priceless. Following the ceremony he handed me a bag with a copy of “Oh the Places You’ll Go,” by Doctor Seuss inside. At first I just smiled and said that it meant a lot and that I loved that book.
But then he told me “No, open it up.” …
Seriously, read the rest and if you’re a parent I guarantee at least a lump in the throat.
How Often Should I Charge My Gadget’s Battery to Prolong Its Lifespan?
May 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment
There is a lot of confusion surrounding this issue, mostly because lithium-ion batteries are different from older, nickel-based batteries (which suffered from a nasty memory effect not present in lithium-ion batteries). You’re right, though—charging them incorrectly can decrease their lifespan. Most lithium batteries should last you a few years, but improper care can decrease that lifespan, meaning that your battery will be unable to hold a charge—or unable to hold as big a charge as it used to—quicker. So, to clear things up, here’s how to actually extend your battery’s health as much as possible.
Perform shallow discharges. Instead of discharging to 0% all the time, lithium-ion batteries do best when you discharge them for a little bit, then charge them for a little bit. The table at the right, from Battery University, shows that discharges to 50% are better for your battery’s long-term life than, say, small discharges to 90% or large discharges to 0% (since the 50% discharges provide the best number of cycles-to-usage ratio).
Don’t leave it fully charged. Similarly, lithium-ion batteries don’t need to be charged all the way to 100%. In fact, they’d prefer not to be—so the 40%-80% rule you heard is a good guideline. When possible, keep it in that range to prolong its life as long as you can. And, if you do charge it to 100%, don’t leave it plugged in. This is something most of us do, but it’s another thing that will degrade your battery’s health. If you need to charge it overnight, use something like the Belkin Conserve Socket to stop it from charging after it’s full.
See on lifehacker.com
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