"Driven to Tears" by La Policia - Please have a listen!

[New Zealand Promoter]

Last year I started a Police tribute band called "Lasagne Piñata" which was not entirely serious and rather rough around the edges. The drummer and myself have since recruited a new bassist / vocalist who does a rather fine job. We've been honing our sound. Here's the first of 5 live demos we recorded a couple weeks ago. The vocals were done in the studio after the session because we only had enough inputs for our instruments!

We're planning on being the best in the southern hemisphere. Website etc will be set up soon - probably a myspace with multimedia content to begin with.

We're basically doing 'live' versions of the songs - primarily first three tours with a few Ghost / post '82 songs. Trouble is, the Synch era stuff is very hard to recreate due to need for backing tracks etc....

Here's "Driven to Tears" - basically a toned down 'live' arrangement from early '81 with obvious album references for the uninitiated. Not perfect by any means but not bad, not bad...

http://www.sendspace.com/file/hq937a

[New Zealand Promoter]

[luddite lady]

Sorry, mate. It seems that there hasn't been much traffic on the forum at all lately. I've just done a few quick drive bys myself. When I get a little more time later this week, I'll give your work a proper listen and tell you what I think.

[New Zealand Promoter]

Yo, and thanks.

yeah, although there have been some 66 views of this thread
so I was starting to wonder if people just think we're crap!

My insecurities aside, I was also making a lame 'driven to tears' gag with the emoticon....

woah, oh, ohhh....

[Krokodyle]

Yeah, you're crap!

KIDDING

It's a very well-produced track, and it's obvious that the band has gone to great lengths to accurately reproduce the sound of the original instruments and mix. The only thing I could offer as a minor/constructive criticism would be that--and this is just my opinion--it sounds a bit too slick for the song you're doing. It could also be that during parts of the song, it feels like the musicians are holding back a bit, which could be a result emphasizing being technically accurate to the song rather than just playing it...or it could be because there are new people in the band and they're still finding their groove. That kind of 'loose accuracy' (for lack of a better term) comes over time.

I did notice that the sometimes the drums (snare, especially) would drown out the rest of the track, but that could be a result of the mp4 compression.

You all should be very proud. I know I would be if I was able to make something as awesome sounding as this.

I am looking forward to hearing more!

[New Zealand Promoter]

Thanks Krok,

Basically – yeah. We underestimated how long it would take to set everything up for recording and left ourselves with little time to actually play, so we didn’t really get to cook as much as we wanted. However, are sort of trying to incorporate a bit of a studio / album version vibe to the takes for the purposes of creating demos which the uninitiated will ‘get’. ie not every Police fan out there is familiar with the ‘live’ versions, their raucous tempo, the fact that Andy practically used the flanger on everything and that the harmonies were generally absent on stage. Some songs (ie Spirits) even had key changes. So it’s also a deliberate mixture of ‘live’ and ‘studio’. Personally I’d just rather do straight live versions but we’re trying to get management and gigs etc so there has to be mass appeal and lots of ‘I’ve heard that one on the radio’ familiarity (ah yeah I know ‘driven to tears’ wasn’t a single… but you dig my point I’m sure)

We’re always improving and that’s another reason I’ve started this thread – obviously praise would be welcome (!) but constructive feedback from those ‘in the know’ such as yours is going to be useful. I’m a Police obsessive and I have been slaving over my Andy sound. I’ve even got a vintage mutron III clone but as it turns out he hardly used the mutron live and I probably don’t need it. Maybe when I have the chops to play “hungry for you”….

There are a lot of Pleece tribute acts out there (although not in Australia – just one, and they are a little sad) and it surprises me how many of them feature great musicians but so little of the actual sound and texture of the Police. I may well be the only Police tribute guitarist who actually uses a vintage EHX flanger and 70’s dyna comp…. from what I’ve heard anyway! Of course production is no substitute for musicianship and vibe and we’re trying very hard to make a mark on all of those levels.

I talk too much.

[New Zealand Promoter]

now i'm starting to feel embarrassed....

comments? feedback? bueller? anyone?

[New Zealand Promoter]

140 views and only one person comments... man.... we really must be freakin' terrible....

[Rusty James]

Don't feel embarrassed, tj7.
I think your band's version of Driven to Tears is very well done
(the crappy little half inch speaker on my hard drive is not doing your song any justice).
Don't hassle the Synch era stuff, man.
With the exception of a few select songs, that album never did float my goat.
Look forward to hearing the rest of those demos, tj7.
How about a rendition of Shadows In The Rain?

[New Zealand Promoter]

[quote="Rusty James"]
How about a rendition of Shadows In The Rain?
[/quote]

ah, feedback... sweet feedback..... thanks
we didn't record shadows but i have a decent rehearsal room recording of it somewhere that i'll eq and put up.... demos are still being vocalled up first!

[masayo]

I tried to listen to the song and downloaded it, but it couldn't work for my computer for some reason.
I'm sure that just the same thing happened to some persons here...?
So sorry tj7, thanks for posting

[DirtyMartini]

^In the same vein as Masayo, I can say it has taken me until now to get it downloaded.

[quote="Krokodyle"]it sounds a bit [i]too[/i] slick for the song you're doing. It could also be that during parts of the song, it feels like the musicians are holding back a bit, which could be a result emphasizing being technically accurate to the song rather than just [i]playing[/i] it...or it could be because there are new people in the band and they're still finding their groove. That kind of 'loose accuracy' (for lack of a better term) comes over time.[/quote]

Krok expressed well what I was thinking as I listened. It's a pretty good rendition and it's evident you're paying attention to detail, but it feels stiff, as if you're all gripping your instruments with white knuckles and counting furiously. Practice and familiarity will definitely help loosen you guys up. I also agree that the new singer does a rather fine job: his voice is really quite appropriate. My one beef with him in this recording is that he sounds more bored to tears than driven. But light a fire under his ass, and I think you've really got something.

Kudos, tj7. Looking forward to the updates.


ETA: So you're not called Lasagne Piñata anymore?

[moonstone]

[quote="masayo"]I tried to listen to the song and downloaded it, but it couldn't work for my computer for some reason.
I'm sure that just the same thing happened to some persons here...?
So sorry tj7, thanks for posting [/quote]


Me too tj7 though it's probably because I have possibly the slowest internet connection on the planet. Anything that requires a signal is a no-go here, can't even watch TV though my neighbour, whose house is about 10feet higher than me can get perfect signal. I must be down a hole.

From the other comments though, it sounds pretty positive and you are obviously working hard to get the sound that you want. Good luck to you all.

[New Zealand Promoter]

Thanks Dirtymartini, good feedback and I tend to agree with you. We wanted to run through ‘tears a few more times but we had to vacate the studio so we weren’t all loosened up for it yet. As for the vocals, they are all post hence the ‘polished’ vs live energy thing. We’ve discussed that aspect. Dan is extremely self-conscious about his vocals and he worries that he doesn’t sound enough like Sting when he really goes for it – I’ve told him that the band sounds enough like the Police for him to be able to just put some aggressive energy into his voice and to hell with the Sting doppelganger factor – he has a fu^&ing great voice when he lets himself get into it.

I’m quite obsessive about getting it all “right” but might have to let some of that go for the sake of more raw performances.

I’ll be posting more soon, we did “Next”, “DeDo”, “Message” and “Moon”. Have to get a myspace up soon.

As for the link not working for some – not sure what’s happening there, it works for me when I check it, but if anyone has a more reliable option for me to post files to instead of ‘sendspace’, I’m all ears….

[ltwoman]

Me too tj7 though it's probably because I have possibly the slowest internet connection on the planet. Anything that requires a signal is a no-go here, can't even watch TV though my neighbour, whose house is about 10feet higher than me can get perfect signal. I must be down a hole.

Me three. I have dial up at home and have to schedule my youtube, etc. time at work on the DSL.