Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

On the star wars nights at my FLGS (armada, x wing, etc..) the place is filled with people playing stars wars themed music or background noise on their phones or tablets. I'm a big fan, although it helps that it's mostly instrumental and familiar so it's not distracting. At home in the garage I often just turn on the radio.

Radio Rivendell for fantasy wargaming.

Soma FM for some SF gaming.

Classic punk for Necromunda.

Abney Park for steampunk gaming.

The soundtrack from Fallout 3 for my Fallout game....

The Auld Grump

 TheAuldGrump wrote:
Radio Rivendell for fantasy wargaming.
Soma FM for some SF gaming.
Classic punk for Necromunda.
Abney Park for steampunk gaming.
The soundtrack from Fallout 3 for my Fallout game....
The Auld Grump

Oh I like you.
That is good stuff.
Thanks just for the Somafm link.
Some suggestions:

Necromunda:
KMFDM, Laibach, Front 242, Skinny Puppy, Ministry, NIN... many other worthy bands but I am old school.

Steampunk:
Dr Steel, Steam Powered Giraffe, (Abney Park is a favorite), Ghostfire, Professor Elemental, Jardin Mecanique (French). Many of these guys show-up for the SP Expo in my area:
http://www.canadiansteampunk.com/

Pretty much any music used in a Conan movie I use for Fantasy games.

Pike & Shot, Hail Caesare and SAGA
Fairport Convention, Sabaton, Wardruna

Warhammer
Immortal, Ulver, Darkthrone

Flames Of War
Classical music or a mix of Sabaton and Manowar

 Talizvar wrote:

 TheAuldGrump wrote:
Radio Rivendell for fantasy wargaming.
Soma FM for some SF gaming.
Classic punk for Necromunda.
Abney Park for steampunk gaming.
The soundtrack from Fallout 3 for my Fallout game....
The Auld Grump

Oh I like you.
That is good stuff.
Thanks just for the Somafm link.
Some suggestions:

Necromunda:
KMFDM, Laibach, Front 242, Skinny Puppy, Ministry, NIN... many other worthy bands but I am old school.

Steampunk:
Dr Steel, Steam Powered Giraffe, (Abney Park is a favorite), Ghostfire, Professor Elemental, Jardin Mecanique (French). Many of these guys show-up for the SP Expo in my area:
http://www.canadiansteampunk.com/

Pretty much any music used in a Conan movie I use for Fantasy games.

I will see your Laibach, and raise you a Morthound -



Great for use in Mordheim....

The Auld Grump

Sadly, lacking an opponent means I have not really played for quite some time. But back in my time (Ha, always wanted to use that saying), we used to just open up whatever media player was avaiable and play any old playlist. That lead to some very amusing results, always depending on whose PC it was. Ranged from rather mainstream music to heavy metal and some such things (which I wager would be the norm, regarding the other posts^^) to my own, rather peculiar and mixed music taste.

Nowadays, I guess I would just start up some nice soundtracks to play in the background. I am a huge Witcher 3 fan, both the game as well as the superb soundtrack, so that comes first to my mind. Or, some Flogging Molly, since I think that always fits in!

I rarely do, and it would be kind of in the background. Having lyrics and heavy metal in my head is going to have me jumbling numbers in my brain.

Some nice medieval music or Celtic music for the background is a way to keep things calm and focused.

Though some two steps from hell music will pop-up when the battles hit a turning point or a roll of a few dice can determine the game.

Ideally, yes. If gaming solo, I'm just as likely to have a movie on in the background.

Always tried to aim for themed tunes. Something that has the same vibe as one of the armies involved. Which tends to mean you aim for always having a chaos army there so you can listen black metal. Or orks so you can listen to grindcore.

Also wish the FLGS had some tunes playing but when i play at home most of my mates are rock/metal heads so we jam some heavier stuff, i think it goes really well hearing some Memphis Mayfire or some Bring me the Horizon when the grimdark is flowing.

 Stormonu wrote:
When playing X-Wing, I general have a Star Wars mix going.

When it is just me and my son playing 40K, I'll put on some instrumental music like Two Steps from Hell, or if its Nids vs. Imperial Guard the AVP (PC game) or Aliens soundtrack.

I don't usually play music in the background, but when I do it's Two Steps From Hell. Got to have the correct loop for epic battles though, the random peaceful stuff throws it off a bit when my Boyz are WAAAGH!!!ing

 biggie_reg wrote:
I don't usually play music in the background, but when I do it's Two Steps From Hell. Got to have the correct loop for epic battles though, the random peaceful stuff throws it off a bit when my Boyz are WAAAGH!!!ing

Every time I envision a WAAAGH! I always think of "The Mob Rules" by Black Sabbath:

When playing? I don't ever have any music going. My FLGS doesn't have any ambient music either, but it's usually loud with other players anyways so that's no big deal.

At my GW, they sometimes play music over their speakers, consisting of music from Pirates of the Caribbean and Lord of the Rings.

Painting wise, I used to back before I got married and did all my painting exclusively in my room at my parents's house with the door closed, and when I did, it was a mix of Baroque, Classical, Classic Rock, and Classic Country/Country Blues. Until recently, I have had to paint in our bedroom or living room, or even the FLGS. In any of those cases, whatever background noise is in the background is all I get for painting.

I still can't listen to Queen without thinking about painting up some Lizardmen models...

 BunkhouseBuster wrote:
When playing? I don't ever have any music going. My FLGS doesn't have any ambient music either, but it's usually loud with other players anyways so that's no big deal.

At my GW, they sometimes play music over their speakers, consisting of music from Pirates of the Caribbean and Lord of the Rings.

Painting wise, I used to back before I got married and did all my painting exclusively in my room at my parents's house with the door closed, and when I did, it was a mix of Baroque, Classical, Classic Rock, and Classic Country/Country Blues. Until recently, I have had to paint in our bedroom or living room, or even the FLGS. In any of those cases, whatever background noise is in the background is all I get for painting.

I still can't listen to Queen without thinking about painting up some Lizardmen models...

I need something a bit more involved than music to listen to when I paint. Audiobook, podcast or similar.

Sabaton !

I load up the Imperial Guard Song on youtube, when my IG lay the Hammer of the Emporer on the heretic. I crank it up and tell my opponent over the sound of how much butt my guys are kickin!

 Sam V. wrote:
Sabaton !

When the cavalry arrives from reserves ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75zmIj_4LFQ

Not when I'm gaming, but when I'm painting I'll listen to Sabaton, or Black Sabbath, sometimes.

Used to love some old Glen Stafford tracks from Warcraft 1 & 2 for WHFB games. Still one of my favourite fantasy soundtracks.

The soundtrack for the old 40k PC game Chaos Gate was great also. Captures the mood of 40k and the Astartes perfectly.

I usually paint to a serial podcast that I am listening to or a topical radio show (BBC R4). I find that something low-key and relaxing, spoken word usually, helps with painting. I barely play tabletop.

This will be playing on Thursday when I run a Kings of War game for a bunch of 9 year olds - and one eight year old that is already working on her own army!




That song always makes me a happy Grump.

The Auld Grump - I was at an SCA battle where they had hired Heather Alexander to play it live.

Since I usually play at home with my wife, we do have backround music on during each and every game. We have two playlists, one for 40K and one for Necromunda/Shadow War (but the latter is also often played with classic Fallouts OST, which we also use often while modelling/painting).

It became our tradition to always start a pre-game rolls and deployment to new Mad Max OST "Redemption" track (Pavlov effect of excitement comes to play at this point ), and then leave playlist on shuffle. The playlist itself contains various OSTs: Mad Max, 300, Ender's Game, Tron: Legacy, Speed, Kingsman, recent DC music and Nolan films... We add more tracks along the way from suitable films. It goes along perfectly with our narrative/spectacle approach to 40K and games would lose a lot of feel to them without such background.