Leaderboard

I've been trying to get a Spinal Tap tribute band together for years, but can't find a drummer.

Never seen the words 'stunning' and 'Bongo' in the same sentence before. However that does look rather pretty. The headstock shape does still remind me of Peppa Pig's head, though.

This whole tribute act argument bores me to death, what's the problem? If you don't like it move on to something you do like; if I stopped to add comment to everything I didn't like I'd be typing for the rest of my like and never get off page one, the sooner you grow up and get on with life the better. We're all different, accept it, don't make yourself look inadequate by trashing everything you don't like. Like it or lump it, the market for bands is driven by audience demand, if they don't want to see it they won't pay and hence you don't get the booking. The universal truth for any group of musicians is; if you want to get on you have to give the audience want to hear what you have to offer or make the audience want to hear what you have to offer and no amount of whining or whinging will ever change that Very sorry about that, one of the few things that annoy me are people who like to put others down in any way, why not try and make them smile for a change?

Thank you, Christine. You have been on the forum for 2 days and this is the most eloquent and sensible thing I read read on the tribute band subject and in response to this ridiculous post.

I've worked for the last 20 years in a show featuring imitators of everything from Elvis to Edith Piaf. In that time, there have been lots of funny and bizarre stories, but the oddness of one has always pleased me. We have a Ray Charles impersonator who is an old white gentleman who uses black make-up on stage. This already feels a bit sticky and I'm not sure how I feel about it, but..., anyway my black colleagues have never commented one way or the other, so I don't know what they think about it. There is a shared dressing-room for the male acts and one for the female acts. Some years ago I walked past the mens dressing room and the door was open. There I saw, sat directly next to each other, the white guy putting on his black make-up and seated next to him a Michael Jackson impersonator, who is black, putting on his white make-up to do MJ. The irony (if that's the right word) of the situation didn't seem to have struck any of those present. I just kept walking and felt like an extra in a Jim Jarmusch film.

Here’s my 4 HCA Sandy’s Umbo, TSBS, 48, TM2

A House In The Boonies / S13 Ep4 / Wales Final Broadcast Transcript Run Time 29’:22” Pre Creds: Presenter (Wendy) to camera “This week we’re in Wales helping Ron and Marjorie to find … A House In The Boonies” Opening Creds – Theme Music: ‘Plinketty Plonk’ Scene 1 – Establishing segment Wendy to camera: "Ron and Marjorie Blart currently live in a poky, condemned one bedroom flat in London but hope to exchange it for a gigantic mansion in Wales possibly with turrets. Ron’s a retired astrophysicist and Marjorie’s a lion-tamer so they need some land for Ron’s collection of radio telescopes and an enclosure for Marjorie’s pride of lions” Shot of lions ripping zebra to shreds – Incidental Music: ‘Banjo Breakdown’ Wendy smarming to camera: "So how did you two love-birds come to be married?" Ron and Marjorie to camera, holding hands: Incidental music: ‘Disco Love Theme for Ukulele” Ron: “We met when Marjorie’s circus came to perform at Jodrell Bank. It was love at first sight” Marjorie: “I’d never seen a little man with such a huge telescope” Music stab: ‘Trombone Wah-wah-wah descending’ Wendy: So what’s the most important feature you’re looking for in your new House In The Boonies? Marjorie: The master bedchamber must have have lots of light. And I want a snug little room somewhere to do colonic irrigation. It's a hobby of mine. Ron: I’d need an absolutely stable gravitational environment with no electro-magnetic eddies… Wendy: Right… Ron: … but it’s not a big issue as long as Marjorie’s lions are happy. Particularly Rex… Marjorie: Yes, Rex. Rex is a bit picky. Wendy: (simpers) Well, we’ll be looking at three luvlay generous properties after the break Break Bumper Music: ‘Pizzicato Plonketty Plink Plinketty Plinketty Plonk’

Terrible when that happens, it's the bitterest pill, you might as well light your funeral pyre and all around the world, in a strange town, a town called malice in fact , this English rose and the man in the corner shop along with Smithers-Jones will write to the news of the world for publication in the city but not pretty green fields filled with carnations How terrible is that?

In fact, the Vienna Mozart Orchestra dresses up like Mozart (see post above) and performs only his work. The Bach Ensemble was formed in 1978 by the esteemed Joshua Rifkin, plays Bach almost exclusively and has recorded only the works of Bach. Indeed, in the geographic home of the tribute act The Haydn Orchestra of Australia hews pretty closely to his works but occasionally chucks in stuff like Boccherini to sweeten the pot. The list goes on... In fact, it's a pretty established tradition among jobbing classical musos to form scratch bands with rotating personnel and to name the aggregation after certain well-known composers; to begin by performing a mixture of that composer's faves and rarities and then - when the steam starts to go out of it or they've made their name - to start throwing in music by the composer's contemporaries. On the other hand, you get outfits like the Bach & Beethoven Ensemble of Chicago who go off the rails and don't perform anywhere near as much of the eponymous composers' work as one might expect but instead branch off into commissioning new stuff and generally being a bit arty-farty in the community (the better to score donations from charities, quangos, philanthropists, I suppose). So - within classical music - there's a clear and living distinction between 'function bands' that play a mix of well-known covers (the LSO, The Berlin Phil) and sort-of-tribute bands such as those mentioned above. Then there are era-bands like the Academy of Ancient Music or The Consort of Musicke or The Tallis Scholars who roughly equate to I ♥ the 80's acts. New original music is regarded as terribly worthy but not as good at putting bums on seats as a programme of old chestnuts, unless it's ghastly pabulum by the likes of Einaudi and Karl Jenkins as hawked by Classic FM in between the good stuff. In fact, the more one thinks about it, the more the classical world and the pub music market come to resemble each other with the financially-driven need to pull audiences in with the offer of familiarity and / or focus.

Yeah.... that's what the JAM tribute say....

I would phone you and talk you through this... but I suspect you wouldn't be able to hear me over your tinnitus.

Bass Guitar Magazine has been raising funds for pro bassist and staff writer Ellen O'Reilly, who has been diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer and is undergoing all sorts of unpleasant chemotherapy, keeping her off work until she is better. LBGS exhibitor Strings&Things donated this bass with a view to getting it signed by as many stars as possible and then auctioning it for Ellen. This is the link, in case any of you would like to own the bass, and help. Many thanks from all at BGM! (Yes, I have Ped's permission to post this.) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Totally-Unique-Sterling-By-Musicman-SUB-Series-Bass-Guitar-See-Description/222980908977

When Later first aired over 25yrs ago (pre-internet/YouTube etc for most of us at the time), for me, it was like a breath of fresh air in terms of being able to see live bands on the telly. It gave music fans the opportunity to see bands/performances that we wouldn't otherwise have access to. So, in the spirit of the above here's something that blew me away when I first saw it in summer 1993, and still does, in fact... At the time I think it was one of her first live appearances after Debut came out. I love the song, but this version, to my ears at least, is the best live version I've heard to this day. Captures the original and adds that little bit more. And I was (and still am) intrigued by the bass/guitar (?) that is used as a percussion instrument by one of the keyboard players. Anyone else got any standout moments from Later?

Could be worse, could be me waving my Beef Bag under your nose

I reckon that north of 90% of the acts on Later have not been to my taste. That doesn't make Later a bad show. Later is a good show because it features live music. Why anyone would want to take it off the air just because they don't like the acts beats me. What these people should be moaning about is that lack of alternative music shows on TV. With more choice, maybe, people would stop bleating on about Later.

Acme do cabs that go down to -6 dB at 31 Hz. They need a LOT of power to drive though. With bass cabs, you can get them to go deep, be small, or be loud... pick any two! Al, get some 18" subs for your next gig, get Cuzzie to lend you his Beefbag and we'll all turn up to experience the true meaning of heft. Of course nobody will be able to hear the other instruments or even focus their vision due to their retinas vibrating, but they are but minor drawbacks to an otherwise excellent plan.

I actually started to get trolley GAS ... no, seriously, stop laughing ... and came up with https://www.sitebox.ltd.uk/clarke-cst12-industrial-sack-truck-oclarke_6500185?paid=googlepaidproducts&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0PTXBRCGARIsAKNYfG15YVWAjE6e5U9jhnKD4qWopfRbEjIUDHizjKwf5HHJoH089U7QP2UaAjCeEALw_wcB Luckily, I had the sense to ask what the (unladen) trolley weighed before I bought it. 21Kg. Ah, right, so now I need a trolley to move around my trolley ... perhaps not.

Copied to BC Famous Quotes thread. Laydeez'n'Gemmun, we have a new record for fastest newb into FQ's. Kudos.

Ped, can we ban Christine please?

-

Edit, edit LOL I was just typing the same, Going underground now LOL

Al, you've spent the last 6 months raving about high pass filters, now you want to evacuate everyone's bowels by reproducing notes at 20Hz. Get a grip man! Psycho-acoustics is a complex field, your piano test doesn't quite take all factors into account. You could roll off everything under 100Hz and still be able to tell the difference between the low E on your bass and 7th fret on the A string. Your brain knows what a bass guitar or piano sound like and the typical ratios between the various harmonics that give it it's unique timbre, so it's very good at detecting the difference between two notes an octave apart when the fundamental is chopped off. However where it gets interesting though is that musician's brains are better at this than the general population - with enough low end rolled off, some people might perceive a step from 7th fret on the A string to 1st fret on the E string as a step up in pitch rather than a step down. The Wikipedia link posted earlier goes into this.

I put some sadowsky knobs on my PM5 last week. I can now tell what the settings are without touching them!

-

I was a founding member, and spent 26 years, with a KISS tribute band. We wore the full outfits and boots (custom made and VERY expensive), had custom guitars made (and existing guitars customised) and took the musical/vocal/arrangement accuracy very seriously. To me, that's what makes a 'tribute' band, rather than a 'cover' band. I even went as far as to learn firebreathing and we filled our performances with the expected pyrotechnics too.... It all paid off though... We were the first KISS tribute to perform all over Europe & Scandinavia and played numerous international fan conventions too. Over the years we played with, played for and/or appeared with almost all original and latter members of KISS as well as appearing on both of Gene Simmons worldwide TV shows. We performed for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Def Leppard, headlined festivals and launched products (Volvo etc). We also performed at music 'trade shows', played Halloween at the Cafe De Paris in Monaco and toured Japan with The Bootleg Beatles, Counterfeit Stones, T-Rextasy and Royal Family (Queen show), gaining endorsements from Washburn, Ibanez, Cort and Spector along the way.... We even discovered that KISS were keeping up date with our performances and later found that a mid song breakdown/arrangement I had created had been adopted by KISS themselves in their live show! It was very hard work, but great fun and gave me life experiences that will stay with me forever. I also spent spare time in originals bands and cover bands over the years so have seen both sides.... Tribute haters gonna hate...... usually from their bedrooms...... but I guarantee I worked 10 times harder during every 2hr tribute show than haters ever have onstage....

I do miss that amp. But, it took more work to get it to do what I wanted, compared to the Markbass stuff. Markbass just works for me. It's not as beautiful or solid as the Glock, but I plug in and it sounds good whoever the room or band setup.

Singing Alex's praises is one thing (actually tbf I've always held his gear in high regard, remember my choice of VK210 only just pipped getting a BF BB2), but there's worse to come...I've started to not just use the clean channel on my DG M900 but have been engaging the B3K(!!) on a couple of tracks e.g. Free - Alright Now (where I started using a plec which then got held between my teeth for the guitar solo bit as I reverted to fingers and then back to plec...great fun) and nods of approval from band-mates during rehearsal last night. Didn't I promise you some major penance if I ever used DG dirt and liked it? Well I've just publicly confessed... Ask this guy: @M@23 sold a Glockenlang head and VK cab for a Markbass rig which he's loving (and may just have bought his favourite bass ever), but that's another story for him to tell on another thread...

So over three years later and desperate to get the herd fit for playing (or the market)..Might actually start pulling this together This became one of four stalled projects Quality celluloid (or part) pickguards are the missing link... Montreux one I got via Thomann was awful. Good sources anyone (not Spitfire £€¥$). Photo's soon (by my standards)

Of course, the reality of the situation is that we shouldn't really care, we just plug in to whats available... a bonus if we didn't have to carry it to the gig and back.

OK, this one's a fence not a wall... The old RSRE North, Malvern around 1980

This fits my budget and has all the specs I need. Sounds like a winner. Thanks

Didn't you say that you have a Vanderkley 210LNT cab? According to the specs on their website, it only goes down as low as 40 Hz. So how do you hear any notes lower than an E flat ??? And what exactly do you think you are gaining from allowing the frequencies between 20 and 40 Hz through to your cab by not HPF'ing them, when the cab itself is incapable of reproducing them? I'm a bit confused.

S&T donated one to the Herts Bash which we had signed by Jools Hollands R&B Orchestra before raffling it off.....Andy Cocklin (CEO) is a Bassist himself and a totally fine gentleman.

I really recommend the Novation controllers! I have a Launchkey 49 that I picked up in an online dealing I love it! Lots and lots of assignable controls including drum pads for programming grooves but also knobs that can control say a mixer in a DAW or filters in synth VSTs etc. One thing I really love is the action of the keyboard itself. It knocked spots off a 'pro' synthesiser I had years ago! Finally, it will plug in to my iPad without the need for external power, meaning it and iPad become a very powerful standalone workstation! (Novation also have free apps specifically designed to work with Launchkey which are just superb to play with.) There are also 25 and 61 key models too depending on how much space you have!

I have the Helix, so tune through that mostly. But on occasions where I'm not using it, I also have the TC Clipon and I'll never buy a pedal or rack tuner again. It works perfectly. Even in some very noisy rooms.

Excellent answers above. I tend to use 24-bit/48kHz for just about everything. I think the difference between 44kHz and 96kHz is audible; but it depends a lot on the playback system.

the clearance at the bottom for the bass is pretty small, only about a half inch. the acoustic sits higher, about an inch or so. the bass did sit closer than i was expecting as i was working from the acoustic while i was eyeballing things and hadnt entirely accounted for the smaller body of an electric. i would probably bring the bars at the bottom at least an inch closer together next time. i was a little burned by a previous attempt which had the guitar facing out like a normal single stand and the acoustic was really unstable thanks to the bars being too close. in hindsight this design would not suffer in the same way. but hey, thats the beauty of making a test one first. i am taking a look at some types of leather i could get as the type used would dictate how its fitted. the other way would be to use cord/soft rope wrapping. i have used wrapping on other things and it looks pretty good, if a bit nautical, and provides a good amount of padding. thanks for the input.

0000 wool is the thing to sand it with gentle and does the job

Here's mine.

I don't actually care whether a band is tribute, covers, or so-called originals. All that matters is ... are they any good?

No probs, Mick. Pleased we got it all sorted and it was good to see it again. Thanks also to @Len_Derby and @Chris Sharman for letting me use their respective bass rigs to check it was all working OK

Thought I'd give ep 2 a chance but regretted it, yet again. When will I ever learn. Went back to to ep 1 and watched ToP again but was less impressed this time yet I'm a fan of their first 5 albums, well the more upbeat tracks anyway. Always felt they sounded a bit sappy with the slow soul numbers. Anyway, as ever the playing on Later was gnat's ar$e tight but for me it didn't swing enough like the best funk tunes do.

I formed/joined a Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers tribute last year, a few months before TP passed away. I was all for chucking it in as I didn't want it to appear that we were cashing in on his demise. However, after some soul searching and some positive comments along the lines of, "No, you should still do it, Tom would approve," some of them on this esteemed forum, we decided to keep going. Only two gigs thus far, but we're going into the studio next week to record some promotional material (I'll share here when they're mixed). We don't try to look like TP & The HBs, but we do try to nail the songs correctly, either studio or live performances. We are, wait for it, The Heartfakers.

Kev Fletcher isn't real? Say it ain't so ...

I have played with a singer who regularly uses a music stand. He was by far the best singer I have worked with. No-one ever came up to me and said 'your singer has a music stand, thats terrible'. Many people came up to me and said 'your singer is fantastic'. Most audience members won't even know what a music stand is.

Depends entirely on the type of show. Big Band type thing with complex arrangements where the players are pretty stationary - stands are pretty common. Rock band - Nope. Not now. Not ever. Everyone else in the band has to learn their parts so they can tart around and put on a show. The singer is the most visible element of any band. A music stand completely ruins the performance for that type of show. Imagine any good rock / pop / funk band you like. Queen / Iron Maiden / Metallica / Prince / RHCP etc etc and think how bloody awful it would be if there was a music stand up there. But even if we ignore those - most of the other local rock bands won't have stands and your singer is going to look like a twonk next to them. If the rest of the band can learn a 30 song set list then so can the singer.

A successful completion to a home build. It looks grand. Those knobs should be easy to adjust with the edge of the little finger while playing. Cool.

A band is supposed to work as a team, both on and off the stage. There should be some give and take. It's obvious and natural that no one will like EVERY song on the list. IMO the most diplomatic way would be to take turns choosing a song.