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From Russia with Love - Matt Monro

I watched Supergrass do a really good set and struggle for any reaction. What appears to be wrong with festivals like this now is that there is a mad scramble for tickets months and months before the acts are announced, because there is this huge things about being seen there and saying you've been. It's hardly about the actual music anymore and fans of the bands concerned rarely get tickets to see them. The only bands guaranteed to go down well are 'the legends' and any with suitable hype behind them.

I'm incredibly tempted by an XR18 to replace our ageing and slowly dying Xenyx mixer. I think the XR18 will solve a lot of needs - we're planning on going over to IEMs to reduce the volume of gear (both in terms of noise volume and physical volume), and I was looking at getting an 8-channel interface and an adat extension to do recordings with anyway. It looks like it'll do everything I want/need. Someone talk me into/out of buying it.

Growing up in the 80s, I always hated the whole idea of what we called cricket bat basses. I remember seeing Bill Whitman and Tina Weymouth with them but it was never enough to swing it for me. As I have gone through my playing career, I have met loads of owners who swear by them. Then over lockdown, I became obsessed with this video… https://youtu.be/wjv_KI4BTaM?si=mYxweEJPccEeAoaL I thought it might pass but I found myself wanting one. I thought it might pass but it’s the “never say never” one I thought I would never own. The guitarist from my duo bought the Steinberger Spirit guitar so I ordered the bass a couple of months back. It came today. I haven’t bought a bass in a long time and my first impression is that it is heavy for what it is (but light, given that there isn’t much of it). It could use a bit of a set up, although the bottom strings are good. There’s a lot of tone variation and I am looking forward to the whole matching vibe with my duo. I don’t think it will ever be my favourite but for something to muck around with, I anticipate it’ll be a lot of fun.

There's still a fair few chancers on there now. I might do the same.

America - Yes

Watching a bit of Glasto today the singer in Shed 7 is obs falling foul of the ‘needs glasses/bigger set list’ as he was constantly bending over to look at his. Even announced the wrong song and the guitarist had to correct him! it’s horrible being old! 😂

I put retired on my quote details. Same on both.

My daughter and her band mates are working together in the Woodsies crew bar and were asked to play the stage in there so took their instruments with them. With their youthful enthusiasm, they decided to wander around and see if they could blag another gig. Tonight at 10:35 they (Butane Skies) are playing the Avalon Inn and that will be their third gig so far with another possibility tomorrow as well, all fitting in around bar shifts.

It's about 20 years since I worked in car insurance software, but back then putting "musician" as your profession (as I did for some test data) would give a rather higher quote than other professions (like, er, "computer programmer").

Mine arrived today as well! There were some chancers on ebay trying to sell these at £20,000 - more than a real one! Naturally I offered £40.

Well, it is still a current topic. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Keeps it further away from his ears. (Not really a 'ride', though; more of a 'trash', a technical term, cymbal...)

Why is his ride cymbal so crazily high up tho?!

Far Far Away - Slade