Leaderboard

Wow. If I did that for a month that'd be the best paying gig I never played !

Normal for a professional studio? No normal for Stoke? Absolutely

Attention during a break. Lol Daryl

I'm quite lucky that during break time i'm getting changed for the 2nd set performance and those outfits take time to get into especially the platform boots. After Sundays gig the singers wife came into changing room and said there was a guy asked if he could get his photo taken with my wig on. I said no of course not as i wear that wig and i'm not letting a complete stranger put it on. Its like letting someone else try your underwear on. Disgusting. Apparently he wasn't too happy about it. Its the same with the jackets. People want to try the jackets on and have even lifted them from front of stage when the singer removes his and puts it down when too warm and they think they have the right to lift it and wear it to dance with. They don't appreciate the fact that those jackets are hand made and cost from £300 upwards. I did have a young woman get very excited about my boots on Sunday, so much that she went and brought her friends over to the front of stage to point them out. We were playing at the time and i thought she was pointing towards my effects board as if something was wrong and then the singer said its your boots Dave. Bit of a "DOH" moment there. To be honest i'm not used to the attention at gigs and usually leave it to singers and guitarists but in last few yrs i've had a lot of compliments about my playing. Maybe i'm just taking my ability for granted as i've been doing the same thing for 40+ yrs. I guess the outfits do tend to draw attention to you. Dave

Off topic. When break time comes or after the show I struggle with guys that are drunk and want to talk to you about music. And at the same time I complain when nobody approaches me or gives me any attention. Daryl

Did you expect musicians to be easy to work with?

This is now the rehearsal rig , and got to drive it around last night. Monique preamp , into the effect return of the Forte , and with the One 10. Light , small , and I gotta say sounded great. I could easily do a small gig with it , but I’ll probably continue to use my Bergs for gigs. The One 10 delivered. It sounded thick and rich with Monique. I love it!

@dmccombe7's comment made me realise I spend more time worrying about choosing the right t-shirt for a gig than choosing which basses to take. 🤣 But I do have (even) more t-shirts than basses!

Occupational hazard, innit? Sometimes you get some bass nerd wanting to know about your rig/bass in excruciating detail (which is really cool, because I'm a bass nerd also), the next you've got some whizzed up idiot berating you because you didn't play their favourite song, and why don't you know it, and call yourself a band etc. All the while, trying to say "thanks for coming, I need to pack up now..."

Or you could use a battery-operated headphone amp, or indeed, you may NEED to buy yourself a lovely acoustic bass guitar... 😉😎

This is one of the finest lines I've ever seen on Basschat!

$799.99 on this side of the Atlantic...over $500 off! This one's definitely a no-brainer, especially compared to rhe Player series Jazz bass for the same price.

Meatball has arrived. Only had a shirt play as it arrived just before practice last night but rather liking it so far. I like having four steps on the range filter and a blend for when using band pass mode. It’s not lost on me how the enclosure is the same as my Valco pedals (which I love). First impressions are that it does the same mutron quack after some hunting around, and there will be a lot of other sounds here too. Plus it’s true bypass and has an indicator light for the input gain and on/off. Only tried on batteries so far but will feed it a 12v supply and see what that does.

I don't think it's just clothes and costumes. But many punters just don't get that the band's equipment a) costs money, and b) is not there for them to use and abuse without asking, such as... Getting up on stage to join in grabbing my mic. If invited up, standing on pedalboards. Getting too close to the band, spilling beer, or falling onto equipment. Putting drinks on speaker cabs. or next to power outlets.

Just picked up a little Barefaced cab for rehearsals , I have some Bergs for gigs , but the little One 10 is tiny and light , and could easily handle a small gig. With a Monique preamp , and using the back end of a Forte for power it’s a fine little rig with a wonderful thick sound. Took this out to rehearsal last night and it worked like a dream. Easy to carry in , light , sounded gorgeous.

Who doesn't love a tidy threesome...

I'm effectively being paid to NOT play my bass. No, I'm not so terrible at bass playing that folks are paying me to put my instrument down (put perhaps that day is not too far off!). We have Octopus as an energy supplier and have been joining their winter "saving sessions" where we're paid to NOT use electricity (e.g., between the hours of 17:30 and 18:30 on a given day, announced in advance). So, when I would normally come home from work, fire up the amp and start jamming away... I just keep everything turned off. So far I've been paid a whopping £1.09.

Oh, don't get me started. "You do any Pink Floyd?" Oh sure, I'll just trot out this saxophonist and these backing singers along with some weird synths and frickin laser beams that we clearly didn't arrive with and we'll get right on that for you, you f'n moron.

Might be a better idea to buy a good bass and then pick up a little practice amp. Those package deals aren't really good deals. We're talking bottom-line basses and you'll eventually have to buy something better if your serious. I'm not saying they're bad basses, but why buy a decent bass when you can buy a great bass for a good price? I've seen too many people quit because they bought the wrong bass. Don't be one of them.

Sticking very much to the 'eye of the beholder' comment, a track that I'm no big fan of, but surprised it hasn't shown up yet, George Michael Careless Whisper. An incredible pop song, and written when he was still a teenager. No idea what makes it great, but I would argue strongly that it is.

Vague ～ Madonna

I acquired an older 300 watt combo and not knowing its history just wanted a quick MOT so I can rely on it. I removed the head from the cab, sent it by courier and Dave Green turned it around within a day changing the control pots and deemed it all okay to fight another day. Charged me £9.20 and £10 shipping plus vat, came out at an amazing £23.04. In this day and age of utter wangers out there, it is so refreshing to have an absolute smiley encounter with an amazing company. Thanks again DG and Ashdown.. 5 stars!!

Not sure about the graphics on this one but hey ho….😆

I struggle with that big time, mainly as hearing wise I can never fully - or sometimes hardly - understand them.

You still play your bass, just not with the amp switched on. I do nearly all my practice with the bass unplugged, and only have it plugged in when I am sorting out the sounds on my Helix that I am going to use for a song.

Three hour afternoon gig on Sunday at (the pink torpedo (LoL)) the C*ck in Dereham with the Checkmate Kings (blues band). As you can see from the photo, it’s very tight for space and the punters are spread across three rooms but it always turns out to be a good gig (this was our 5th in two years). We got plenty of positive feedback and the landlord was talking about getting repeat gigs every three to four months next year, which is a result. I used my BF Two10 with Mark Bass LM III (overkill for the venue really but I like the tone) and Maruszczyk Elwood 4a medium scale. I’ve got two more gigs to go this year but with two different (non-blues) bands and very little overlap in the set lists. A bit of practice is called for!

Here's the showreel for a new project i'm involved in. Quite looking forward to getting out there...

I was in a band for a few years - 2x guitar, bass, drums. The other 3 all sung. One of the guitarists was messing about with one of his pedals and he discovered he could make it do a sort of spacey drone that sounded a bit like the opening synth on Shine On You Crazy Diamond. He demonstrated it to us one rehearsal and guitarist #2 obliged with the opening notes and we kind of busked it for a while. Next rehearsal we had all learnt it and it stayed in the set for 3 years until the band folded. Sounded amazing and always went down extremely well. We usually followed it with a rockabilly version of 'Walk Like An Egyptian'. Anyhoo, it is entirely possible without keys but with some imagination.

People may refer to you as a good player with the added bonus of not being able to slap.

The funniest ones are when people buy a ticket clearly advertised as a 70's Glam Rock covers band and then asks us to play some funk, AC/DC or even U2. We've even been asked to play "something modern". The Sweet was modern in 1973. Dave

100%. Oddly enough we had a quick cost of our gear on Sun afternoon before the doors opened and it was circa £30k. That included spare amps and basses / guitars and spare desk. The PA alone cost the drummer around £14k altho we didn't bring the subs on this gig. Main desk is an Allen & Heath digital one no idea what version as its all rocket science to me. My own gear incl cabs, amps, basses, wireless, effects and clothing cost me around £7k in total possibly more. When you stop and take stock of what you've bought to keep your band running without hitch it soon adds up. Clothes alone cost me over £1k. Dave

Simon & Garfunkel Live in Central Park did the same for me. Bridge Over Troubled Water must be on the great song list.

The front pickup is wrong, the rosewood is too pale, and it does not have an output jack! Of course, I am the proud owner of a 2003 AJB65, the original Aerodyne Jazz, or actually a PJ.

Going by what I`ve heard at The London Bass Guitar Show you`d probably be named as a bad bassist. I remember trying a bass out there and playing Warhead by The UK Subs with a plectrum and people were literally open-mouthed, seems I wasn`t a part of the slappers gang.

last practice of the year last night

It took me about 5 ventures into 5 string before I actually found my way. Persistence is an important factor IMO.

The trouble is they normally chose the moment when you are about to start the next set, or are trying to pack your gear up at the end of the show. Either way, they get in the way but I am sure I have been there myself, so try not to be too judgmental.

I'm happy to talk to them if they're complimenting me

Since You've Bin Gone — Rainbow

I first picked up a bass when I was in fifth form. I was sixteen and wanted to form a band with my mates. Unfortunately I had no musical theory, experience or talent, and although I (thought I) could write songs, this wasn't enough. There were five of us, and as the other lads got their instruments first, I realised that I was going to have to suck it up and be the bass player. Anyway, we sucked, I sucked and the band sucked. We only had a few rehearsals and none of us hand any idea what the hell we were doing. By the time university came around I sacked the bass off and spent the next goodness-knows-how-long (20 years or so, probably) kidding myself that I could play guitar. I played in bands and played lots of gigs but, had I been honest with myself, I'd have said that I was an incredibly mediocre rhythm guitarist at best. I could do the power and attitude bit fine, but not the playing ability bit. Anyway, about eighteen months ago my then-band folded, and I was faced with the grim reality of my situation. I was never going to make it as a guitarist or songwriter. For a laugh I suggested to some friends that we form a covers band, and for some reason decided I'd give bass another try. We did, I did and I bloody love it. There's something I get from bass that I never ever had from playing the guitar - I just love it. The band is good, I'm gigging again and those four strings are far more rewarding that six ever were. I still suck, but I JDGAS.

Two gigs with Public Service Announcement this weekend. Saturday night was at the Trinity Bar, Harrow. Originally, we would be opening the show, followed Damage UK (who organised the event) and headlined by Eddie Roxy and the Adjacent Kings. Unfortunately Eddie Roxy had to cancel, so Red Anger joined the bill as opener and Damage UK headlined. Venue had an Ashdown combo to use and knowing bands play upstairs, I decided to use house rig as frankly, I couldn't be arsed to lug my rig up stairs! Something in me said to have my little Warwick gnome in my bag and my Orange SP212 cab in the boot - just in case. Good job I did, as arrived at venue to find the house rig wasnt working. Back up rig sounded great. Onstage sound was definitely one of the best we've had. All thee bands played well to a very receptive, but small crowd. Not sure the line up change at fault or just a slow night. I find originals gigs really can be hit and miss attendance wise. Drive home was just 30 mins, so home well before midnight Sunday we headed down to a rainy, windy Brighton for the Punk 4 the homeless gig at the Pipeline. We had a 5pm slot. We parked in a multi story and then three of us lugged guitar, bass, pedal boards, cable bags, mic stand, cymbal bag across Brighton in search for venue. Why we didn't pull up outside venue, drop off gear and then park, I don't know... We got to venue in time to rest our achy arms and enjoy a pint while we waited for the drummer, who'd headed down earlier with his wife. We waited, and waited and waited and then we got nervous, and then we got anxious. As the band on before us finished their and started to pack up, in he strolled, looking a drowned rat. He wiped the rain of his glasses so he could see, took his wet coat off and rushed to the stage.... House rig was an Ampeg head through an Ashdown 4x10. Sounded great! Wish I noted what model the head was - not that I have need or money for any more gear. we played really well and went down a storm. Calls for a encore which we had time to fulfill and some great moshing from the younger audience at the front. We then grabbed a beer and enjoyed Watching Rage DC before lugging the gear back through the now dark streets in the wind and the rain, loaded the car and then sat in the traffic jam on the M25 And exhausting weekend. Loved every minute

On Saturday I was back at The Angel this time with In Isolation supporting B-Movie. The gig was sold out and I have never seen the venue so full. There were people queuing up the stairs waiting to get in just after we had finished our sound check, and during the gig the room was rammed with the promoter turning people away who didn't have tickets. Played really well including the new songs and the audience who more mostly there to see B-Movie were very appreciative. Sold some CDs and T-Shirts. And got more gigs in 2024 from the promoter. I don't think there will be any photos to post as I didn't see anyone taking any while we were playing. New gig on Sunday 3rd at The Black Bull in Gateshead - apparently it's in the afternoon.

My band 'Shreds.' played in Boston, UK at The Carpenter's Arms ("The Carps") on Saturday. It was a great show with a number of excellent bands and one solo act, but had one unfortunate incident. An audience member was crowd-surfing and fell, landing on his hip (not during our set). He was screaming in pain and yelling for someone to take him to the hospital. The bar staff called for an ambulance straight away, but it was taking too long to arrive and ultimately one of the other musicians drove him to the hospital. Fractured hip apparently, with a few days in hospital. Otherwise it really was a great show. We played well, although the sound guy was all but absent. While this seems really bad, the lack of his attention actually made our show easier since we always record our set live using our mics, preamps and a laptop. He was visibly drunk by the time we arrived, and at some point handed me a broken SM-58 to use but when I turned it over to plug in the XLR cable I found a vacant cavity missing any pins! Our show recording turned out great. Perhaps the best yet. I gigged the Rickenbacker, and used Ric-o-Sound... I sent the bridge pick-up through some distortion and into my bass amp during the show, and sent the neck pick-up directly to our recording gear (it was a small venue, so only vocals were going through the PA). Once back at home, I re-amped the clean neck pick-up and mixed it in with the recording of the amplified bridge. This turned out really well! At the end of the year, we're going to take our 2023 gig recordings and make a live album.

Well .... why not .... Very modified Squire Precision Special, into a few pedally things and into the Genzler Magellan 800 plus a couple of Mesa Subway Ultralites. Lots of room this weekend and new IEMs getting a run out. All looked a bit more "Rock an' Roll once the house light were off!! 🤠 The hat was resting.

Similar to me.....been playing for donkeys years on 4 strings and currently doing about 40+ gigs a year in a covers band. I use a detuner on a few songs and thought a 5er might work a bit better a few years back. Traded for one on here, tried to get my head around it for about a month, did a gig with it. Lasted about 6 songs and i had to switch back. Sold it.... Fast forward to a couple of months ago and I inadvertently tried a 5er in a music store. It was actually a £1500 fan fret headless 5er. Loved it and actually found it a lot easier to play than my previous attempt a few years back. I don't really know why but i can only think that it was SO different to my previous one that my brain was treating it as a different instrument rather than trying to adjust to something sort of familiar. So I now have a lower spec used version of the same bass bought from Basschat for a third of the cost of a new one residing in the rack. It's a no pressure situation and I'm treating it as a project over the next few months and having a noodle when i feel like it. I'm not rushing into any gigs with it. If i get on with it confidently I'll introduce it into the band or i can just have some fun at home. Or flip it of course.