Help me improve this build.

[Bard]

So... I made this build, looked nice at first, but it doesn't quite cut it as it is, so I'm looking for changes to improve it (levels are pretty much set except the 1st one, but everything else can be retrained as of PHB2 rules, except the Exotic Armor Proficiency since it's tied in the background of the character, at least not till he's got the money to finish removing the ACP from his mountain plate)

Human Bard 1/Crusader 4/Ur-Priest 2/Ruby Knight Vindicator 10/Crusader +3
ACF:
Divine Bard (UA), Mimicking Song (DS)
Adaptation:
Ur-Priest to be follower of non-evil dead god, likewise the RKV
Feats:
1st: Able Learner, Iron Will, Exotic Armor Proficiency [Mountain Plate], Combat Reflexes
3rd: Spell Focus (Good)
6th: Practiced Spellcaster
9th: Mage Slayer
Planned: Stand Still, Power Attack, Defensive Sweep.
Gear he has to keep: Mithril Mountain Plate of Legendary Quality (Races of stone for the plate, War of the Lance for the quality)
Roles to fulfill: tank/lockdown, off-healer, ress, needs to be able to sneak well (the whole party is commando-style

Issues: not enough "lockdown" at early levels, even with items the bard level can't do much since there's only one use of bardic music so I need either more uses of bardic music and someway to fit Song of the White Raven (Inspire Courage with items and stuff still gives a decent bonus, but 1/day is not nearly enough) OR some other class to get the prereq of Ur-Priest AND hide/move silently. The build is pretty powerful as it is, it just doesn't feel like it's filling his main role well.

Edit: PS: Psions don't exist in the setting.

[Ivory Knight]

How about getting Combat Reflexes from a template(Blooded One, Unapproachable East), buying off the +1 LA ASAP?
That would make room for either Artist(PGtF, regional feat), or Extra Music(either RoS, or Comp. Adventurer, don't know which one).
OR you could take Stand Still earlier.

[Shiki]

Ur-RKV. Yeaaah..

Off the top of my head, buy Iron Will from Otyugh Hole (CS) and rip Combat Reflexes (and +1 to Ref I think, w/e) from the Serpent Armor (MIC) to enchant your plate, freeing 2 feats. For sneaking, I think Darkstalker (LoM) is a given.

[Maat_Mons]

Can you substitute Mechanus gear (Planar Handbook) for mountain plate? 

[Bard]

Uhm... Mechanus gear saves up a feat good one.

Ur-RKV. Yeaaah..

Off the top of my head, buy Iron Will from Otyugh Hole (CS) and rip Combat Reflexes (and +1 to Ref I think, w/e) from the Serpent Armor (MIC) to enchant your plate, freeing 2 feats. For sneaking, I think Darkstalker (LoM) is a given.

I'll see if the DM lets him use the Hole, and where were there rules for ripping magic from one item to another?

[Shiki]

Read out the Crafting Magic Items section starting on p.232 of the MIC.

As said on p.219 (Specific Armors), 221 (Specific Shields), and 226 (Specific Weapons), "The following specific suits of armor/shields/weapons usually are preconstructed with exactly the qualities described here."

So.. it's all kinds of open to (ab)uses and w/e, depending on how you see things. Check around, some other people did mention this before. I do not claim this to be any sane, like things mentioned... here and here, and probably others I can't recall off the top of my head.

[Bard]

I also found a part in the "improving magic item" section that says that you can add the powers of specific magic items that occupy the same slot to each other. So yeah...
I also noticed that if I add a level of fighter I don't lose Initiator level, I get a better choice of power and stances AND another feat!
So I have 3 more feats! yay me!

[kremti]

Should it be Fighter?  It can lend to a few possibilities, I think.  Too bad Level 1 Divine Bard is locked, because you could have had another class there that might have worked out better...

Anyways, one level could be:

Feat Rogue - Feat, just like Fighter, but gains trapfinding and lowers BAB
Warblade - More maneuvers...
Swordsage - Ditto...
Totemist/Incarnate? - Wonder how they can be used to improve your main role...
Binder? - Dunno well enough.  Someone else recommend
Monk? - Too bad, second Monk Level coulda given you Combat Reflex and Evasion...
Cloistered Cleric - 3 domains -> 3 feats (Devotion, or otherwise from some of the Domains that grants feats)

-K

[Mixster]

Why divine bard? You know you wont give up regular bard spellcasting with Ur-Priest, right?

Why mage slayer? -4 To your caster level means this costs you another feat. Are you facing a lot of enemy spellcasters? I usually see many more spell-likes from monsters.

Cloistered Cleric is actually a good choice (despite losing spellcasting) for a one level dip, you could add Travel Devotion, Trickery Domain (which gives Hide/move Silently IIRC), and Knowledge Devotion with just a 1 level dip.

How about going the tripping route instead of the mage slayer/practiced spellcasting thingie?