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Steven Wilson at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall last night. First half of the set was his new 2-track, 40 minute concept piece, in which he essentially meditates upon the Total Perspective Vortex from the Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy. I've been struggling to properly get into the album despite repeated listens, but with the volume & full-length visual accompaniment it made a lot more sense - in fact it could be argued that the presence of a band on the stage underneath the enormous screen might've been a bit of a distraction... That was probably my favourite part of the gig, the remainder of the set was picked from his back catalogue, including very early Porcupine Tree days. Broadly I like SW but not sure I consider him the towering genius many prog fans do. He's certainly prolific & not afraid to move out of his lane, but I can't help having an underlying feeling that a lot (not all) of his music doesn't quite achieve the substance & gravity he's aiming for. Stevo's band comprised the superb stalwarts of (an uncharacteristically subdued-looking) Nick Beggs, Craig Blundell - probably my favourite prog drummer at the moment - and Adam Holzman on keys, with the guitarist revolving door occupied this time around by Randy McStine, who is every bit as versatile & technically accomplished as his predecessors. When Wilson joked that he always made sure he was the worst musician in his band, he wasn't necessarily being that self-deprecating! Photography opportunities were fairly limited but I'm quite pleased with this one.

@tauzero There's only one loose connection and that's from the bass driver. I've wired it up to the top side of the terminal block with the red square. I've used a significantly bigger terminal block as well and so all three wires fit. From looking at the billfitzmaurice website (https://billfitzmaurice.info/forum/viewtopic.php?p=294776) it appears that the piezo tweeters don't need a crossover and that the cement resistor is so "That resistor prevents high frequency oscillation with inexpensive amps." according to Bill. Since he designed it and knows more about this than I do, (which is not difficult), I've just wired it up and plugged a Warwick Gnome in and plugged a guitar (not a bass in). Sounds great with and without the tweeters switched on. I think it's now aorking so I'm a happy bunny Rob

Got to play Desertfest yesterday. It’s been on my bucket list for years. Brilliant time, really great crowd and atmosphere.

Not last night, but this afternoon. My acoustic trio, The Desperate Cowboys, kicked off a two-day festival of original music in Wirksworth, Derbyshire. A forty five minute set of our own songs. It was overcast and slightly chilly when we started but the sun came out part-way through. We were very happy to take the credit for that. 🌞 Taylor mini bass through my Trace Elliott Elf and Barefaced one 10. Black leather Chelsea boots.

Looks an absolutely cracking bass, a proper Super Jazz!

Strange Town (crier) - The Jam

Thanks for your kind offer. I've got the Fender 9050L flats ready to go on, so I'll pass, but thanks anyway. I'll see how the flats go, if I like them I guess I'll keep the Fenders on for a while, then maybe try the Ernie Ball stainless steel Groups.

Not Hamer - apparently Burns! Well, not a 12-string in the modern sense, but still. A random pic of The Hollies popped up on Facebook the other day, and I was surprised to see Eric Haydock playing what looked like a Burns Double Six instead of his usual Fender VI. On closer inspection, those strings do look a bit thick... so I did a bit of digging and yes, Burns made a 12-string bass in the 60s. It was even on their now-archived website so potentially was still available as a custom order in recent years - the Double Six Apache model. It seems that all the featured players of the Apache Double Six played it as a standard 12-string guitar, however the glamour shots on the Burns site are all clearly strung as a bass: And, it seems it was used for recording as well! Jump to 1:10 for a slightly hesitant bass solo. Begins well but then he seems to regret starting it at all.

Thanks. I’m unfamiliar with cleaning new strings, come to think of it I never clean my strings at all, though I do always wash my hands before playing. Can I pretty much use any isopropyl alcohol (IPA) for this? I may have some in the shed, will check when home. I guess you just apply with a soft paper towel or similar? Also I suppose there are packs of IPA wipes out there too. I see there are actual guitar string wipes such as Ernie Ball Wonder Wipes. Are these worth getting? Thanks

The first time Marcus Miller (knowingly) came onto my musical radar was in 1985, when he appeared as a session player on Bryan Ferry’s Boys and Girls, and Cupid & Psyche 85 by Scritti Politti. His bass line on The Chosen One is fab (though Wikipedia credits it to Alan Spenner, which I’m pretty sure isn’t correct), and is well worth a listen for anyone who hasn’t heard it. For full disclosure, I know it may be considered heresy, but I’m not really a fan of Marcus Miller (sorry!), but his playing on The Chosen One I could listen to all day…

I've just bought a MXR pedal from Lee. It arrived when promised and was well packaged. Great comms throughout made this an easy transaction. If you are considering buying from Lee you can do so with confidence.

Market Square Hero - Marillion

Hollywood Squares - Bootsy's Rubber Band

Gone Hollywood - Supertramp

I'm Going To Spain - Steve Bent