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James Brown Medley - Funky Good Time / Sex Machine (Live)

3,164 views · Published 11 December 2011 · 9:32 · Indexed 30 September 2026

Channel: FluffyWagglekins · 2011 · Music

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It occurred to me that I don't have any live videos posted, so here's a clip of a James Brown medley ("Funky Good Time / Sex Machine") from a gig I played last night with a band that I often sub for.

If you're hired far enough in advance, I think the most important thing when subbing is to listen to the recordings (if provided) and get the material down well ahead of time so that the rest of the band feels comfortable with you and forgets that there's a fill-in there. Since I don't have the luxury of any rehearsals, I'm often playing new songs with them for the first time in front of an audience. I make charts for myself since this particular band almost always changes the arrangements from the original versions. During the gig, I keep my eyes on the leader and the drummer for changes, especially for arrangements like this where we have to segueway into different sections (Key change, bridge, next song, etc). It's a fun challenge to pull off subbing.

The bass I'm playing here is a Spector NS5XL made in the Czech republic, with Bartolini pickups and pre-amp.  The amp is a MarkBass Tube 800 head with a Hartke 4.5XL cabinet.

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