Leaderboard

I did a little jam session thing yesterday, second gig in three years and I had no amp so went through the pa and sounded dreadful. There were poets and the usual string of lunatics but watching the tiny crowd watching enjoying themselves was life affirming and I realised that life is not about how I experience things but how WE do so. For that reason, it was a triumph. One lady who was celebrating her 70th birthday yesterday sidled up to me and said she had been volunteering at Rock Festivals for decades and had never heard anyone play bass like I did. She said, '...but I got it. I really did'. Made my little day. 😊

Sunday evening gig in a local, with a new guitarist and new drummer. Slimmed down setlist, of which we’d only run through half together on Wednesday afternoon. Vocalist/guitarist and I have gigged together for the last eight years, so fit well together. Drummer and I gigged together for 12 years in the late 80’/90’s, he dep’d with us for one gig in 2022, so I trust him and he’s brilliant. New lead guitarist has some brilliant vocals, especially with the couple of Cult songs he’s brought, gigs with another Band and does his one man show too, so he’s fitted in well. New line up gives us four ( well three and me ) lead vocals and an awful lot of gigging experience. Cant help but think this might be the start of a good thing.

SATURDAY NIGHT! (I know that's not last night) Depping with Manchester Ska Foundation at The Empire in Rochdale. I play with them about once or twice a year, but hadn't for a while so I was looking forward to it. I love playing with these guys as the gigs are always good and they're all cracking musicicans - I really have to raise my game! Early get there (6:45), I had to drive down actual cobbled streets to get to the venue which my crappy Hyundai i10 wasn't happy about! Bit of waiting around as the sound engineers were covering for the usual guy, so there was some confusement about channels, stage boxes, phantom power and such and such... All setup evetually, soundcheck all normal then lots more waiting round as we weren't on until 9:30. (I popped over the road to see the Town Hall, which is "widely recognised as being one of the finest municipal buildings in the country" apparently. It is rather grand.) The place was pretty full when we went on for the first set - a decent mix of people who'd come to see us and random Rochdalians (Rochdalers?) who were in there anyway. We cracked through the first set and sounded great. Highlights were 'My Girl Lollipop' which I absolutely LOVE playing and 'Ghost Town' (one of my favourite songs EVER), especially the trombone solo... Goodness Gracious, that girl can play! Oh, and 'Nite Klub' (Bass Solo!) which I did well on - I got a 👌 from the Sax player after my solo, which I was happy about! 'Hands Off, She's Mine' (The Beat) was a new one for me but I did pretty well (It's pretty straightforward to be fair) I'd done my homework so I was happy with my playing, right up until I completely (and I mean COMPLETELY) buggered up the 'coming back into the slow bit' bit in 'Special Brew'... I wanted the stage to open and swallow me up. I apologised profusely to the band at half time, they laughed and said "You did it better than Al (the usual Bass player) normally does" and blamed the drummer, so no harm done. Quick Lime & Soda and (Strawberry Jam Firerose) vape break and back on for the second set. The place had filled up nicely and the crowd were loving it. Second set highlights were 'House of Fun' (RELENTLESS Bassline! Lots of fun!), 'Too Much Too Young' which is a blast to play, 'Message to Rudy' (there's about four notes in it, so I just went on autopilot and enjoyed myself), 'Our House/Wings of a Dove' Mashup which is pretty complicated (all modesty aside... I'd put a lot of work into that, so I smashed it) and 'One Step Beyond' which always goes down a treat (except I forgot about the 'Swan Lake' keyboard solo in the middle and had to busk it (badly)... cue more laughter from the rest of the band and an amused 'Gotcha!' look from the keys player). We end with 'Night Boat to Cairo' and everyone gets a solo... my solo was... perfunctory at best... (It's over F and Eb minor... can't get my head round it!) but it went down well enough. The band were grateful for me stepping in and I feel lucky to play with them, so everyone was happy. Decent payer, quick packup as we didn't have to take down the PA, twenty minutes back to my dear old Ma's place for a bottle of Henry Weston's Signature Vintage (6.8% ABV). Played the StingRay (I'd taken the P as well, but... couldn't resist the 'Ray) -> Small board (I only used the chorus for the 'Nite Klub' solo) -> 'secret weapons' board (Thumpinator -> VTDI) -> MarkBass 802 -> PA. Shoes were the Black and white leopard print Converse (Peach Pink sparkle don't really go with the whole 'Two Tone' vibe...). An absolutely fantastic night all round. Apart from 'Special Brew'.

What a cracking gig last night. Played with Nine Lives in a wee pub in a wee village (specifcally the Pittendrum Bar in Sandhaven - a small village just along the North Sea coast from Fraserburgh). Funnily enough, we had played in this village a few years back, in their village hall on Hogmanay just before the COVID hit (so 2019, I guess? The "before times"). One of the advantages of playing a small place is that you don't need many folk as long as they're up for a dance or a singalong. There were 20ish folk in but they were a musically omnivorous bunch and seemed to be up for just about anything, which makes our job a bit easier. Anyway, long story short, we had folk up dancing to most of the songs, and a few head bobbers at the bar, so can't really ask for more than that. The pub said that they want to book us again, so that's what you want to hear. Easy load in/out - side door onto the street right next to where we're playing. Really was a fantastic wee gig. Gear was my "cheap night out" basses - Gear4Music bass with Lace Aluma-P then Epiphone Em-bassy with Entwistle PBXN Neodymium, into the usual Markbass modular nonsense. Also because yesterday was May 4th, I geeked out a little. R2-Neep2?

Saturday night was a wedding at a new venue for us in Lincoln. Long old day with travel included. We performed the ceremony, drinks and evening + DJ which is fairly regular package for us. But when we have a few hours travel on these as well they are killer days. Woke at 6am… Left the house at 7.30am and got home at 3.20am. Worked out at around 20hr day (ish). Still, just the one gig this week so not too bad. This can get relatively regular in the Summer so taking it as a nice easy week. All round a really good day. Lovely couple and group of people which were well up for it in the evening and a good sound with no limiter! Good first dance too. ‘Silver’ by The DMA’s which we smashed (if I do say so) Although, we are going through a few weeks of technical frustrations. Struggling quite a bit with something causing an intermittent cut out/ crackle in our IEMs. Thought we’d cracked it but it appeared again for a couple of songs... Sometimes wonder whether we’d be better with corded IEMs but with only 1 aux feed sending to 2 IEMs I don’t know whether this is achievable…? More investigation needed Also struggled with a horrible grounding type issue on my bass in soundcheck. Noise gate and reducing the gain on my pedal seemed to fix it but strange it’s never been an issue before. I’ve gone back to the Zoom B3 after having a few gigs using my new Laney Digbeth pedal. But, I really missed the cab sim within the SVT patch so not sure whether I’ll just stick with the B3 or try and find a way to make the Digbeth work as it does sound great. Anyway, the important bit… Brown Asda boots that I picked up on the way to a gig a few months ago after the guitarist let my Dr Martens fall out of the van on his drive without realising.

Last night was a joint 60th and 40th birthday, but in an open pub. This is about the smallest place we play, crammed into the corner. I always prefer to have my amp on the floor, but had to put it up on the seat for this one. Our regular drummer is still down with bronchitis, so the seat was filled by Rob Hewins, a musician I really admire - he did a great job drumming, filling in harmonies and taking the lead vox in a couple of songs. He's a pretty mean guitarist too! As usual the place was rammed, so I hovered in that thin line between having my teeth knocked out by the crowd knocking my mic stand and being stung in the back by a cymbal crash 😂 Sire P7-5, GT-6B, Rumble 500, burgundy suede Vans

This ^^^ 100% ! We had a similar gig yesterday, our regular slot at The Sun Inn, Beverley. It was pretty full by the time we arrived at 4.30pm, then absolutely rammed by the time we kicked off at 5.30pm. Obviously the bank holiday had a fair part to play in the amount of people coming in, but we managed to keep them from moving on to other local drinking places. We did our usual request thing, and probably the most we’ve ever had. ‘Dad rock’ was the main theme on a lot of them , so we hit them up with ‘’Smoke on the water’, ‘Highway to Hell’ and ‘Stairway…’. These were intertwined with ‘Copacabana’ , ‘Don’t dream it’s over’ and the awful ‘Hi Ho Silver lining’ Drink does appear to affect a lot of people’s preferences it would seem. Funniest thing was when a group of young lads came in, with a trophy held high as they’d just won it at a local football tournament. As they were about to be served one of the bar staff asked what the team was called, to be told it was a village under 18 side!! A swift exit followed ….. No pics taken, except for the lovely Beverley Minster as we were loading out.

This is why we do it! I played a gig at a marina bar. Blues and funk covers and was going through the motions really (as double bass is my favourite instrument to play) and I looked over a guy in a Led Zepplin T-shirt rocking out like it was the best gig ever. All packed up and home by 10pm and he told us we were brilliant, etc. Some of the gigs we play I wonder why I bother, then you do one like this and it becomes a bit clearer. Doing a run of 4 next weekend (is that a tour?). Hope they’ll be as good

Well, had my fretless debut on an all-nighter BBC session las week that's broadcast tonight!

I'm still in. All I've bought remotely related this year is a display cabinet for my halo. 😇 🤣🤣

Had a shift in focus for the bigger board. New band requires more heavy tones, so tweaked to add more drive.

A rugby club up in the valleys on Sunday early evening. Modest attendance but enthusiastic reception for Bendricks Rock. I'd driven to London at 1:30 am, got four hours of non-sleep from 5-9 then drove back for 1pm. About 20 minutes of fitful nap, eat, shower lots of tea, then picked up by vocalist for 50 minute drive. I was amazed that not only did I not eff-up, I had a good gig. Nearly dropped off in the car back. Now I'm going to sleep early, goodnight.

I recognise this feeling so much. I've played a lot of jam nights in the last 2-3 years, and they can be just like that. One particularly rough pub in Reading yielded occasional moments of inspired stuff, truly eclectic song choices and some hair on the back of the neck moments. Random people telling you they love the bass and normally it doesn't get a chance to shine - when I hear that, I just know someone really heard what I was doing. That's when the house band fee feels like it's worth the candle. I hope you get that feeling as often as possible - it's the feeling of having actually entertained someone. 🙂

Also - bonus video! Pittendrum-end-trimmed.mp4

Also IdiotBox:

Well… I love 51’/tele basses. Had a very nice custom shop “sting” and have had a MIJ reissue at some point. Saw this on a facebook page and just went for it. Thanks to @walshyfor doing the middleman bit. So spec is Fender neck - stripped, nitro refin guitarbuild ash body, nitro BSB fralin pickup Gotoh reverse machineheads bakelite pickguard bakelite saddles etc some posh pots and capacitors etc. Fender covers all slot-head screws as per early 51’s needs some tweaks to suit, but it’s ace. slightly heavy at 10.5lbs…but it’s a resonant chunk.

As above, don't know if its been mentioned before. Just got a twin pack for 22 quid. Seems good value, gigged them last night and they sounded great. https://www.amazon.co.uk/DAddario-Bass-Guitar-Strings-Intonation/dp/B0006IQLG8?pd_rd_w=7YoFJ&content-id=amzn1.sym.6d8ed89c-516c-44b0-b8e3-62363d275168&pf_rd_p=6d8ed89c-516c-44b0-b8e3-62363d275168&pf_rd_r=6X4DHCR9V21VSXP4W7N5&pd_rd_wg=cdhbM&pd_rd_r=b4fa98a4-1ed4-4a18-9c5e-c6ae89039ca4&pd_rd_i=B0006IQLG8&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_d_grid_rp_0_1_ec_pr_i

This is sublime

My late 70’s Yamaha pulser 400 (39” nut) with Bartolini 8cbp pickups and chrome flats. oh boy does it sound sexy lol.

Fender Tariffcaster perhaps?

Fragile and Close To The Edge by Yes feature the best bass playing ever recorded.

It isn't necessarily unpopular, merely divorced from the reality of selling creative input. If I make a chair, and someone copies the non-functional aspects of my design, that person has infringed my property rights. If I have a patent on an aspect of the chair's design, that is also my intellectual property. If I have a trademark, that belongs to me too. If I convey those rights to, say, Ikea for a lump sum, do I somehow not deserve to be paid for my work? One of the reasons that intellectual property concepts exist is that they encourage creativity and innovation. Put simply, the possibility of income provides an incentive to create speculatively. Otherwise, the market will do what markets without intellectual property rights always do: reward people who make things with known values and deter people from making things with untested merits. If the incentive to innovate does not appeal to you, consider this: I write for a living. I insist on payment prior to publication, and my fee is high by the standards of my field of expertise. I can set a high fee because I am very good at what I do, and I am a free agent. The end result, however, is that a very small number of potential buyers of my products can afford to buy my products. My "honest work" is beyond the reach of most of the people in my tiny corner of the world who would like to buy it. Something similar applies to, say, a novel by Salman Rushdie, or a recording by Bob Dylan (or a chair that you can buy at Ikea; try getting the same thing from the chap who makes it by hand). A system of royalties, or other ways for creators of intellectual property to be paid, allows customers to pay very small amounts of money for enjoying fruits of someone's labour, usually because a company or other entity facilitates widespread access. It bewilders me that people actually seem to resent the wealth that successful artists sometimes accumulate, instead of thinking, "This is great! A novel for the household, and its costs less than a modest lunch for two!" Or, "I can't believe that I get this song for the price of a bar of chocolate." Try getting a decent chair for that. Intellectual property is what makes it possible for a broad public to enjoy what might otherwise be available only to the wealthiest among us. I would argue that intellectual property is also what made it possible to reward contributions to the public good without requiring the contributors to serve the interests of privileged investors. Sure, we could go back to a simpler time, but honest artisans were always outnumbered by the serfs, sharecroppers and industrial workers who put in 12-hour days for the benefit of magnates rather than themselves.

I think I win "most pickups on a single fail"...

We all know the real reason why some people like IEM's over bringing proper cabs 😈🤘:

So, I've resumed playing after a while out and been helping out a mate's band. Been using their Carlsboro Cobra 90 bass combo, first with an Epiphone semi-acoustic, and more recently a Gibson SG. It's impressive how both sound exactly the same, and having tweaked what I would generously describe as the graphic equaliser, everything still sounds the same. The bottom end exists in a kind of murky muddy splodge of ugliness, the middle is dominant no matter how much the mids are cut, and the top resembles a fish being slapped across the face. Thankyou for this thread which has provided much needed therapy.

I've lost interest in vintage instruments, I used to love the mojo and feel of a 60's or 70's Precision, but ultimately they're an expensive - and increasingly a risky - luxury, I can make often equal quality instruments from some carefully selected used parts on eBay 👍

The Giltrap geezer keeps knocking John's instruments off the shelves in the storage room. I found the whole video slightly sad. John mumbling and grunting away noncommittally. Giltrap slightly too eager with his poodle mullet and 'I'm mates with John Entwistle, me!' The prospect of John alone in a vast country pile with his fake pub in a spare room and a stack of vintage basses hidden away. Talismanic icons of former glories, the lean and hungry years of The Who now decades past. All the time and money in the world, but nothing to do.

I've been playing in bands since 1967. I don't get involved with house sound or lights. Daryl

Driving home, our old drummer " dropped off " after a late night gig and ran into a fence. He announced he was leaving the band at the next gig. His wife was not happy with the event. Daryl

The top left pedal is a Dark Father preamp from VVCo. They sadly seem to be in the process of closing down owing to a death in the team. It’s a weird one but sounds quite good once it’s dialled in. The chain is: T-65 (Octave) > Grand Tarkin (Fuzz) > Resurrector (HM-2 Hybrid) > Han Taun (OD) > Dual Knightfall (Distortion) > Tarkinfall (Distortion/Fuzz Hybrid) > Destroyer (Fuzz) > No Moon (Dirt Galore) > Royal Jelly (OD/Preamp) > Hyperspace (Chorus) > Darth Fazer (Phaser > Rebel Rebel (Delay) > Blue Harvest (Reverb) > Dark Father (Preamp) T-65 effects loop: Boba Fuzz (Fuzz) The big pedal at the front is their Darth Jelly from last year. I have a similarly themed Harmochorus from the previous year too which isn’t on this board.

I think today’s the logical day for showing this one. May the 4th be with you, and all that! I’ve added a delay since last year and a more fully-featured drive pedal. The drone, a multi-chorus and a fuzz have made way. I’m happy with the functionality of what is essentially a novelty board though. In particular, the bass chorus and reverb both sound right up there with some of the best of that type of pedal.

Played at the North Bar in Peterhead last night with Nine Lives. Bit of a weird one. A venue we've never played before. An area so wide, but with paths customers will take across where the cables to the PA speakers have to go, so I spent most of my time sticking cables down with gaffer tape. Really going to have to investigate using wireless bugs to get the signal from the desk to the PA speakers for places like this in future. Rushed setup as a result, and we were a bit late starting. And after all that effort, it was pretty sparsely attended - in the first half we ended up playing to 4 (four) folk plus the bar staff. "Paid rehearsal" came to mind, but thankfully some people came in later on and it was better in the second half. On the plus side, the sound was good, and the SB-2 performed admirably, with the Wunkay seeing out the second half. I do love my G&Ls. MFD FTW. Gear was the fantastic MFD brothers (G&L Tribute SB-2 then Wunkay) into the usual Markbass cubes of low frequency. Please excuse the terrible photos, my phone was having a 'mare focussing, it would seem.

The Hulla band played a 50th birthday party last night in what is becoming a regular venue for us in Port Eynon on Gower. We've played inside and outside the hall, in teepees and marquees there and, for the first gig I played with them, open air outside the fish and chip shop on the sea front back in 2022. That day we were paid in food. 😀 The stage was cramped but I wanted to play my new 5 string Ibanez. I was aware that it might not be possible without repeatedly stroking the guitarist's lower back with my headstock (not a euphemism) and took my headless shortscale Ibanez as an option. But I managed to find a little spot between drums, keys and guitarist that I was able to make my own. I had planned on using the onstage monitors rather than my in ears but the cramped conditions and proximity to the drums and the guitarist's amp meant that I ended up with the IEM. Our sound man had brought the PA subs and during the soundcheck my bass was booming away but once the hall filled up and he'd EQ'd properly, the sound was good. I kept the board to a minimum - Zoom MS60b giving me a noise gate, compressor and tuner and my Ampeg Classic preamp going into a DI box and into the desk. IEMs were through my Behringer P16 via Ultranet from the desk and a pair of KZ ZS10s earphones on which I've replaced the silicon buds with foam ones for much better isolation. Footwear of choice was the lace up black Skechers which have become an intergal part of my sound. This was my first gig playing a 5 string for several years and there were a few string faux pas but nothing the derailed the night and overall I was happy with my performance, and with the 5 string. I love the narrow string spacing and neck, which suits my hands perfectly. As usual, we had a lot of fun on stage and the audience were up and dancing from the first number. Hiding behind the guitarist.

Old British proverb: If it aint broke, you're not trying hard enough! 🤣🤣

Membership revoked!!

Here's some useful advice on re-skinning an antique zither banjo. After soaking the skin, fitting a flesh hoop, stretching the skin with the hoop and carefully tensioning all eighteen screws, you may find it useful to emply a pair of screwdrivers to coax the nut blank in its little plastic bag out of the inside of the instrument.

Well there you go...

Those are some eagle eyes you have there, Mark. Good work. I was so surprised at the ‘accuracy’ at the headstock end, that I failed to make a full perimeter search. Good to know that computer generated (no intelligence evident just yet) images continue to be inaccurate in the silliest of ways.

John is that he always had an extremely dry sense of humour and rarely seemed entirely at ease in interviews, although if you see clips of him talking in the 70s he seems a lot more relaxed and easy-going. By this time his hearing was seriously impaired and having read his biography it seems he found situations like this quite hard work and could appear a bit withdrawn. As for his playing/tone, he always has and always will be the absolute guvnor for me. As much as I adore Chris Squire, Geddy et al, they're all standing on John's shoulders. And it should be noted, he never had the one tone, at least not until his senior years. He changed his sound quite a bit.

I love my current gig but man, I wanna do a Beck tribute act, I just love the basslines and the general madness of it all 👍

I am not on Insta, but I don't suppose Mr Tuah apologised yet there, where his main "audience" resides? 😁

And here's a guitar I'm doing as well......🤟🏻👍🏻 I'm also doing my version of a Tele that is probably going to be HH pickups with hot rod flames on the body but that's not a definite as yet..........🤔

I tried 'bass tape' when I first started. Let me say firstly I'm an aggressive rockabilly/psychobilly slap player and also occasional eczema sufferer since childhood. Firstly the bass tape that I bought from http://www.doublebassfingertape.com/ seems to be identical to medical 'strapping tape' or 'zinc tape' you can buy for less than half the price from eBay/Amazon etc. It's super sticky (both the stuff from Basstape and the medical stuff) and if you have sensitive skin it's quite painful to remove. I also found it utterly ruined my slapping technique ... it was too slippery and I couldn't get a proper grip on the string with my finger pads. My own solution was two fold: firstly I went for Rotosound 4000 strings which have a fairly low tension - then I bumped the set. This gives me the softest and easiest action possible - and as I'm only ever amplified except for home practise - the lack of volume is actually a plus point. Then I simply let my fingers toughen up - I actually think the chemicals in tape 'glue' can be worse for skin conditions than just developing thicker skin naturally.

Pick up the Pizzas - AWB