Leaderboard

Had a very busy weekend and a break from the norm with some great dep gigs. Fri night & Sat morning depped in a production of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, a very professional show and a chance to flex my reading chops, I then went straight from that gig on Saturday 120 miles down to a Holiday Park near Scarborough to dep for a band playing at an end of season party to finish off a very busy Saturday. Quite a contrast but some fun tunes to play. The theatre show was in a really nice old Theatre in Newcastle city centre, I took a few photos from the pit where I was sitting, it really gives the place a proper old timey feel rather than some of the sterile newer places.

We don't play at The Thornton (club) very often but it's always a nice friendly place. We managed to pull a few in, so it made for a good time. Lots of dancing. Lots of compliments. Although we were totally upstaged by one of the guitarist's young grandchildren who stood on stage dancing while we played the last set. The heat combined with a very busy weekend meant that I was pretty tuckered out by the end of it. I have next weekend off so hopefully can crack on with a bit of spannering on my old VW camper.

A weekend of Eagles tribute shows. Halifax Playhouse on Friday - a beautiful old hall, formerly a methodist church. A lovely, friendly crowd. A bit of a nervy trip back to Tyneside which involved negotiating a couple of floods. Next day, another Playhouse - this time at Alnwick, a little closer to home. Another lovely crowd. The front row of seats is int he same level as the band, and one particular highlight was when a chap in the front row spilled his drink, sending ice all over the stage. He got on his hands and knees, and crawled around under our feet trying to pick it ip, which he couldn't quite manage as ice is rather slippy. It all went on for a comically long time. This is the stuff you really remember in years to come. Next stop - Edinburgh & Whitehaven. Pics...

I went on tour with a soul band last May, and they made a compilation video of one of the shows. Turned out pretty nicely. It was the only show that tour I used my JMJ Mustang, I played my vintage '73 Mustang on all other shows. But it was great fun. Germany is an amazing country to play!

In for a penny etc. Annoying creaking noise, source identified, trip to luthier, frightening estimate for diagnosis and repair, DIY aesthetic engaged. DB friends over the pond advise and encourage. What could go wrong? Its just wood and glue. And a £2k vintage collectors bass... Tools out, nerve held. Top off. Cat impressed. A little bit of splintering. Oops. Chance to clean up the inside, label was almost invisible under 80 years of grime. 1114 = 1937 The problem. Bottom block partially detached from ribs (and from front, removed). Bass bar reinforced (precautionary) with hot-hide-soaked calico. Hot hide liberally applied. Ribs heated and clamped. Broom handle is strut holding rib 'garland' open to avoid creep. Homemade spool clamps ready to go. 20 of them for under £30! (cf £180 at Allparts...) I like a challenge. The advice and encouragement I'm getting from caring pros has been amazing, essential and comforting. Wish me luck ... top refit next weekend probably. I want to leave that block clamped for a good week, with occasional heating to coax the ribs back into line. CAVEAT: IF YOU CAN AFFORD A LUTHIER, JUST PAY THEM!

Another gig with the Goodwood last night. Little pub in Edinburgh (The Home Bar) - easily covered the space with bass and assorted effects. One trip load in and out. Love it.

Had a couple of rehearsals last week that involved a fair few of the same people in different configurations. There's my main band of 20+ years, and there's the band I've been depping with for a year or so - but one of the guitarists from the main band has been a full member of for a few years. After a patchy year (hence my involvement) they parted ways with their bassist just ahead of a co-headline slot at an all-dayer, and we'd agreed to play a set at a charity tribute gig before finding out that our singer would be out of the country at a conference. So they pinched me, and in return we pinched both their singers. The all-dayer was on Saturday and the charity gig is this Friday, so I'll see how that plays out and post a wash-up of both in the gigs thread at the weekend. The rehearsal with the main band had potential to be a bit weird as it was held at the other band's room and had the possibility of making our drummer and rhythm guitarist feel like visitors at their own show, but to be fair it was the only full rehearsal we'll be able to fit in so it had to happen irrespective, and a mixed bunch of people from two originals bands playing a set of covers with very little together-time beforehand was never gonna feel 'normal'. The first run-through had a few iffy bits, most of which were ironed out by the second time through. Third time was pretty decent to be fair. If that had been the show then I think people would have enjoyed it and we could have gone for a beer, so whilst we've all got our homework for this week there's now at least a hint of that comfy feeling that it can, and hopefully will, be alright on the night.

I think if you weren't interested in music in 1979, then you probably won't appreciate just how ground breaking Peter Hook's bass playing was when Unknown Pleasures was released. By the early 80s most bass players who weren't playing fretless or slap were influence by his playing. He may only have one style and be a self-avowed non-musician but he's been massively influential for a whole generation of musicians. Mick Karn was had similar traits - single style, non musician - and is IMO equally influential, but he doesn't get anything like the same stick as Hooky.

Back at it after a weekend off, with Nine Lives at The Railway Club in Keith. A weird one - I wasn't feeling 100%, had been fighting a lurgy for the past few days but had got myself to the "you'd be well enough to go to work" type state so I decided to go for it. Unfortunately, it wasn't very busy - probably an effect of the Greece vs. Scotland game being live on the Beeb. Things got a bit better in the second half, we had people sporadically come through from the bar area to see us for a few songs then bog off back to the bar. Yet we were still treated to some chair dancing and acrobatics/tumbling. How odd! It was more interesting from the gear point of view, as this was the first time I had taken my Jack Casady out to a gig since I finally got a replacement coil and fitted it. Happy to report that it is back to its normal self - capable of generating feedback, but in a controlled way (instead of reacting simply to being in the same room as a not very loud amp, as was when the dodgy coil was in there). There was a sustained note for 4 bars during one song during which the JC did a lovely slow feedback buildup - became noticeable around bar 2 and built up gracefully (and quite musically) but never to annoying levels. Chopped it dead at the next bar. Loved it. My JC is back doing its JC thing. Gear was the Epiphone gang (Jack Casady then Thunderbird) into the cubist wasps.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" I'm OK with technology but genuine musicians still seem like magicians to me. We had a keyboard player in one band who was classically trained. We'd finished our reherasal and were talking about female vocals and Pink Floyd's Great Gig In The Sky came up; which she'd never heard of. We played an MP3 to her once over the PA and she played it back, both hands, pretty much perfectly whilst our singer did the vocals. I know that 'it's just scales' but to see a human doing something like that in real time seems like magic.

I think bassists are the worst people to pick the three best bass lines as it'll most likely be some virtuoso nonsense like Joe Dart or Jaco Pistorious or some million note a second slapper. Here's my possibly terrible pics. Peaches - The Stranglers Rotten Apple - Alice In Chains Turnover - Fugazi

Last night's rehearsal (at the local village hall, our regular practice venue) was largely a celebratory home made meal and several bottles of wine to thank our sound engineer who is present at every gig but who rarely gets noticed behind the desk. His first gig with the Hulla band (before I was with them) was landed as a result of the single qualification he had - that he was available on the day. He was placed behind a 32 channel mixing desk and had to do FOH sound for several bands at an outdoor event in the village. From no knowledge of sound engineering, he has become a very knowledgeable and capable operator of the desk and now takes the annual Hullabaloo festival (last year - 6 bands, a choir and 850 festival goers) in his stride. He has even branched out into DJing. We did manage a couple of songs. Our next gig is the annual Crown Court Christmas party so we concentrated mainly on the Christmas standards we'd be expected to play. After the bottles of wine, it wasn't the sharpest rehearsal and there are only two more before the gig but with a bit of work I think we'll be ok. I was trying out my Sire Z7 last night. It needs a setup but is still very playable. I was also back to my pedal board after a couple of minimalist gigs with just a DI. Unfortunately, in wiring it all up yesterday afternoon, I mist have made a mistake as the output levels were well below normal and I had to resort to bypassing almost all the pedals and just going through the (new) Valeton GP5. All good in the end.

Weekend off for me this weekend but starting next week its every weekend until some time mid January if i remember right. All Sat nights except for the Fri and Sat before Xmas. Good thing is PA is supplied on both those gigs so its an easy load in and out for me. Got a rehearsal this Thu night to run thru the Xmas songs ready for some party night Glam fun. Dave

Here is my new part bass I finished recently and which make me proud of: Warmoth body, Musikraft neck, nitro paint, Fralin splitcoil. The design, paintwork and the printing I made with the help of my wife. Enjoy it!

It's never a bad thing to seal up the cab. I usually use draughtproofing foam strip to seal my connector plates and the baffles and rear panels which on my personal cabs are just screwed and not glued. Interestingly some allowance for leakage is made when calculating the cab sizes and tuning Using a factor called Ql. WinISD defaults to Ql=7 which is what I've always done anyway and by and large the measurements on the cab come out very close to those expected. You can't seal everything and the magnetic gap in the speaker itself is almost always open but sealing things where you can is good.

It's how you find out who your mates are.

These little cabs are ridiculously good aren't they!

If this happened in Scotland the band would have broken up the band leader....

I got the confidence to jam during covid. I would put on Planet Rock and try and play along to every song. Not aiming for perfectionn just in tune, in time and try to get the right feel.

Those voices work so nicely together 👍

This Friday I'm appearing with both bands in Southend at Chinnerys The Policed and U2 Tribe Love this venue

A bit shocked by the comments re Hooky above... I'm not a New Order fanatic by any means (I think I only own their original run of LPs) but the man essentially created the blueprint for the next two decades of indie (and a lot of rock and dance) bass playing and bass tones. Propulsive, melodic and often as hooky as the top line itself without being obtrusive - his best basslines are, for me, textbook examples of what the instrument should be doing in a pop song.

Give me Hooky's playing over virtuoso jazz widdling any day. Take Mark King, the absolute master of slap but produced some of the most insipid songs ever made. It truly is all about context. Looking forward to it though whoever is on.

As an ex-rugby player, appearing naked in public is actually far, far less embarrassing than playing something I've never heard before. Far too many pictures to prove it as well, and it's got to the stage, that Zoe, my long suffering partner, simply sighs when yet another old picture surfaces. I also have a crap ear for hearing and am in awe of people who can listen to a tune and work out the chords as they go. I can't do that and suspect I never will. I'm doing a song writing course in Kendal and the lady who teaches it can listen to a piece of music and then just play it on the guitar immediately afterwards, and play it very, very well. I sit and watch her and wish I had as much talent as she has in her little finger. I have to repeatedly work at learning a song, its hard work. I do like the idea of a common song book though. Never thought of that. I would have a songbook of stuff I know and then other people can use it Admittedly its going to be a thin songbook at the start but it is a start. Rob

It's a confidence thing, I've rarely jammed along to anything and I hate being out of control. I've not got a great ear either. Playing something I've never heard before without even a chord chart sounds to me about as embarrassing as appearing naked in public I used to run an open mic night/jam session and was looking to build up the idea of a 'great song book' which as an organser would have helped me to get as many people as possible on stage and performing. I always liked the idea of getting sole musicians/young musicians the chance of performing with other musicians and was gradually building up a house band to support this. Sadly the pub relaunched as a gastropub just as we really got going.

I've done some improvements to my board itself over the last few weeks. First up, the feet all needed replacing. I leave my board in the flightcase so I just have to lift off the lid and plug in, but the feet I had on there were pulling the T-nuts out of the wood. I cut up some old spare laminate flooring for extra height, and glued and screwed new feet on. They're much more secure now. And then, I've had a big plug socket coming out from the power supply for years. The velcro keeps falling off it too. It wasn't a great solution. I finally found a better method with a panel mount IEC socket extension lead (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008002957857.html). So the top goes from this: To this: Much tidier and room for more pedals should I ever change up my setup!

Looks like there are some new colours for the JJB-300. Anyone seen any in the UK? Bass Guitar – JET Guitars

On Friday I went and saw the fantastic @sprocketflup (Dave) playing with his wonderful Kate Bush tribute show 'Cloudbusting' again, but this time with an Orchestra, at the massive Basingstoke Anvil Theatre! 😎 Such a wonderful performance, with the orchestra and arrangements bringing out the depths.... and the subtleties... of Kate's music like I've never heard before. Dave nailed it on bass, as always, and I was fascinated to hear from him afterwards that a couple of the basses he was using in the show had actually been owned/played extensively by the late Del Palmer 🤯 It always make me happy and proud to see my fellow basschatters involved in such wonderful projects and I can't wait to see these guys again as they never disappoint!

We've discussed it many times, but nothing concrete one way or the other.

Well, I had been ill since Thursday, nothing major - just a lurgy but ill enough to mean I didn't get around to sorting out the tuners until today. I won't bore you with a complete step by step - the results of polishing are great but the process isn't exactly a spectator sport. But to give you an idea of the amount of difference I was making... Anyway, very long story short - all tuner parts rinsed of cola, dried, polished, reassembled and greased. Frets polished. Fretboard and headstock polished. Tuners reinstalled - had to put some cocktail stick and wood glue in a few of the holes as the screws were just spinning. String tree polished. Doesn't look that shiny now, but it looks a damn sight better than when it got here. And I don't have to wash my hands after tuning it up, so that's a bonus!

This evening I was rehearsing on guitar with the rockabilly band that I recently joined. The guy who runs the band plays upright bass and has a very clear vision of what he wants. My job is to work out what that is (mainly old-school but not slavish copies) and deliver. Fortunately it seems I can do that more often than not. Previously I’ve played my Gretsch Duo Jet but tonight I tried my Palir Titan C4 (Cabronita T-style) which was great, and my Jazzmaster, which in sound terms wasn’t right for that band. I realise I’m talking to bass players here so you probably want to know about the BL’s bass. It’s blond, that’s all I can tell you.

I was talked into doing an open mic session at the Craven Heifer in Stainforth on Thursday. I tend to dislike these things as I rarely know the songs and if often tends to be quite cliquey. Took along the 3d printed headless bass and a Strat (I have no shame) but left them in the car "just-in-case". It was incredibly tight to fit in a drummer (one toy bass drum, one Tom and one cymbal) but Bev knew how to play so small kit but workable, a PA perched on a chair and a mixer, two mics and needed to fit everything else in in an area about 2.5m by 2m. I sat out the first few sessions and was roped into more classic rock sessions. Cocaine, Green River Rising and a wonderful blues song I have never heard before but was about a train (that narrows it down). Never played them before but could see the music so started carefully and simply and built up. By the last song, was thoroughly enjoying myself so have now decided to attend more and stop being a dickhead about it. It certainly focuses the mind on picking things up quickly. Rob

We played the Wheatsheaf in Calne last night with the drummer from our first band, 35yrs back. We’ve reunited a handful of times in recent years and it’s both nice to have a real drum beat & good to have 60% of my Sixth Form band back together. We’re just so comfortable in each other’s skin. I thought we played well. I was on my mandocello for 90% of the show and there were flashes of us all being really on it at times. The two bands who were on after us both came up after and said “how are we supposed to follow that?”, which was typical of the ego free and friendly nature of this multi band gig, raising money for Bristol Children’s Hospital. For the record, music has never been about competition and both bands did their thing well. I was particularly impressed with some of the earlier bands who were so young. I was talking to some 17yr old bassist who really impressed me and it’s so good to see that generation getting out there and doing it. A great day.

I put a "Bassist available" ad. on Gumtree. I've just had this reply: "Hi. I have a germ of an idea that I'd like to discuss with you. I have no musical ability whatsoever. I can't sing, and I can't play any musical instrument. There is almost certainly no money to be made from my idea, although there is a musical aspect to it. Intrigued? Curious? Ring me on........."

Here's my latest bass build... Built from reclaimed Scaffold Boards and old floorboards with a mystery veneer on top.....🤟🏻👍🏻

It was hard at first TBH, the guitarist borrowed my Strat and proceeded to blaze up and down the neck like a man possessed. He loved the Strat and I just looked on and inwardly sighed as he was 100x better than myself. I blame the fact that my fingers all point in different directions, please do not mention Tommy Iommi and his lack of finger ends, it doesn't help me here . Once we got the rhythm sorted out, it did start to click. I started running up the dusty end of the bass and then realised the bloke on the mixer had basically cut off anything above D on a filter on the mixer, so had to move down again. I wasn't really sure what it sounded like at all. Everybody was very nice but we were also very nice to the lady who was strangling and disembowelling a cat earlier in the evening. For next time, I'll try and have the Basschat 8" speaker with me, and politely drop that in the corner. Anyway, early days, the fact that the lady got away singing with a voice like that gave me hope my bass playing wasn't too bad. Rob

I picked this up cheap because it's in a bit of a state and I felt sorry for it. It's not a particularly common bass around these parts, so I figured I could get it back to being hale and hearty again. It's pretty dirty - the tuners are green in places and I had to wash my hands after stringing this bad boy back up - boak! But that's just dirt. The main issue with this bass is the neck pickup. The coil windings have been... interrupted shall we say. Thankfully most of the coil is intact, the break is pretty close to the beginning/end of the coil so I'm going to try to unwind it slightly back to good wire then solder it back up and see if that works, failing that I guess I'll need to get it rewound. A wee project for the weeks ahead. Its mostly cleaning and polishing, the pickup to attempt to repair, and maybe some finish repair on a couple of nasty chips in the neck finish. Dunno if it's worth a build diary, so I'll probably just document my progress here. FWIW, the remaining pickup sounded pretty decent in my wee Laney 30W combo in the office here. For all the dings/dents/scuffs/scrapes/lacquer cracks, the bones appear to be solid and it feels quite nice to play. I think with a bit of work this will end up being a fine counterpoint to my BB1200.

Sometimes I think it would be great to work in something other than IT. Then I remember how much I like food and shelter! Hats off to you both, but especially your wife the artist.

May his next turd be a hedgehog. Onwards and upwards 👍

Bass players are exactly the same as any other group of people. Some of them are tw@ts.

Last night we had our first stadium gig. 80,00 screaming fans, helicopter in and out, 50kw PA, individual dressing rooms. Then I woke up from my pre-gig nap. It's true we were in a stadium - the Swansea.com stadium - but sadly all the rest of it was fanciful daydreaming. Last night the Hull band played in support of the annual 'Big Sleep Out' event, raising money for the local homeless charity drop in centre, Matthews House. We've been raising money for them for years and we regularly play with their choir so they asked up to do a short set at the event, in which folks get sponsored to spend a night sleeping out in the open. We were due to play in the stand overlooking the pitch (the pitch itself was strictly off limits to all) but Storm Claudia put paid to any open air performance, and instead we played in the main concourse under one of the stands. The audience was limited to the people who were volunteering to sleep out, the choirs and the staff and volunteers who were helping out on the night - about 200 in total. Swansea City football club were sponsoring the whole event, hence the venue. We were due to play for about 30 minutes; the choir kicked off the entertainment and we joined them for three songs before carrying on. We ended up playing on longer than expected as the audience kept asking for one more song. Well, you can't say no to the punters. Eventually, the stadium's own noise curfew brought us to a stop. Great atmosphere, dancing, singing along etc and more than £42,000 raised by the time we'd finished playing. And no, that wasn't money paid to get us to stop. We used the stadium's events PA but our own desk as we are a 13 piece and we brought our own sound engineer. My kit for the night was my Squier PJ into a Behringer pedal tuner (I just can't get on with clip-on tuners) which also acts as a mute and my Ampeg SCR DI. Straight into the desk as usual. Outfit was geared towards remaining warm and black boots completed the look. Highlights for me included dedicating and playing the song 'Heroes' (already a favourite) to the folks staying out overnight and dancing with the choir leader at the back for our encore of 'Hey Jude'. The Matthews House choir The stadium. Ready to soundcheck Mid gig

Politics are wrong, a bassist needs a drummer to offset the egos/madness of the guitarists and singer I've done it, once, never again 👍