WalMan

Thanks all. A difficult couple of days Sunday to Tuesday, but music is a great healer 🙂

1 hour ago, Chienmortbb said:

We should have been at our favourite venue last night but… our rhythm guitarist had a heart attack two days before.
 

He had a stent fitted and was sent home yesterday and is convinced he will be able to play next Friday. 

sounds like a bit of a slacker, are you sure he’s committed to the band 🤣
 

Got to be done 😁 I’ve planned operations around gigs and tried to get back maybe too soon but I can’t let go 🤪

After a difficult week when we lost my mother unexpectedly - saw her Saturday and Sunday morning, leaving her with a cheery “see you next week”, to 9 Sunday evening in A&E talking DNR’s with the doctors 😢 - last night it was a blessed relief to get out to a gig with a great crowd singing and dancing.

Sound seemed pretty good though one of the guitarist’s boost setting for solos could probably have done with a bit more.

Drummer’s stool broke halfway through a song in the set and he had to finish the night on one of the pub’s chairs as the stool was not repairable.

I clearly dug in too hard even with the IEM’s as I have a big old blister on my index finger.

https://fb.watch/shD9Bhs2So/?

13 hours ago, Gasman said:

By general band member agreement on the night, Mustang Sally's gig on Saturday was 'the worst we've done', but paradoxically the punters loved us and the 80-year old birthday boy whose party it was seemed delighted to hand over the wedge at the end. I've been trying to work out what went wrong to make us feel as we did - we're normally very tight. The venue didn't help - a large sports hall with high ceiling and a solid floor - took ages to get the PA right, by which I mean not feeding back randomly - after a generous 2 hour set-up. Maybe the other thing upsetting our vibe was the over-ambitious inclusion of several new numbers which I'm ashamed to say were under-rehearsed but thrown into the mix on the basis that 'the endings and verse/chorus structures will sort themselves out'. That's a recipe for disaster, as we found out.

 

'Footloose' is a speedy number, but not SR71 Blackbird-on-afterburner fast, leading to a triple- instead of a double-coda then a collapse into a silence that would have gone down a storm in a Trappist monastery. As for 'Money for Nothing' with me on bass+lead vocals, I actually got it all right only to find that after the last verse about banging on the bongos our gitrist had forgotten the need for a final chorus and had gone straight into that riff instead, leaving the rest of us wondering how to stop, but no worries, it just dribbled out like an old guy's piddle in a handy hedge after one too many Mackesons...

 

Perhaps I'm being too hard on us - it was first gig for a month due to cancellations, I was feeling very tired and wobbly due to some meds I'd had to take that day, there's angst about the new PA which some members feel is no improvement on the old one but £4k dearer; in the end I guess it was just another day at the office, to be forgotten as quickly as possible! 

 

 

I once came off stage at the end of a first set where I was a long term dep trying to talk a dep drummer through stuff and an utter car wreck of a set to be greeted with “you guys are BRILLIANT “ 🤦🏼‍♂️No accounting for taste. I suppose they must still have been able to discern the songs being murdered 🤷🏼‍♂️🤣

Sounds like the afternoon trouble in Bognor yesterday that led to the semi lockdown of all pubs into the evening and a tense atmosphere at our gig had actually moved out of the main town. Three pubs and a Tesco Express all trashed and assorted other mayhem and criminality. 🤬

Thankfully nothing at our gig and a great night was had by all 

Good night in Bognor despite the town being in virtual lockdown due to trouble there during the afternoon and early evening. Thankfully whatever it was seemed to be over by the time we got to load in but the atmosphere was a little tense and started and ended with the main door locked and entry only through the fire exit that could be monitored.

Thankfully despite all that we had a good night with lots of dancing and the most singing along in ages.

We were on a strict 11 curfew with punters warned that the bar would be shutting bang on 11 and that they would need to drink up and be gone quick sharp. Finished the second set and did “I love rock and roll” for the first time as a quick encore. Finished at 10:59 😁

Lots of compliments at the end of the night which is always nice 😊 

IEM’s worked well tonight with one glitch when one of the guitars suddenly drowned out everything and my iPad had gone to sleep so I couldn’t do anything about it. Turned out to be something to do with the XLR from his Kemper and thankfully not repeated.

20 hours ago, peteb said:

 

The problem is that this isn't mainstream covers stuff that you could play down a pub. To get any audience, you have to be able to market it, which realistically means doing a tribute to one of the bigger prog bands. 

 

One of my less frequent bands is a prog cover band nowadays doing mainly Floyd, Yes & Genesis. In the past we also did Porcupine Tree, UK & Spock’s Beard, which confused many 🤣
 

Fun gig to do, though the Floyd covers are a bit of a nothing for bass (IMO). It is a very few and far between gig - two + years between last March and the previous gig.

The last gig was self promoted and had just under 100 paying customers through the door. Went pretty well as well. Photos of the set up for that including McMillen 12Step bass pedals through a soft synth on my iPad and acoustic on a playing stand. Probably the most demanding from that set was Firth of Fifth, Roundabout or Spirit of Radio and a lot of the ‘standard’ prog covers feel like it’s just pedalling a single note whilst stuff shifts around on keys and guitar.

Volunteer Club in my sig is a proggy project with one of the guitarists in my main band.

20 hours ago, mrtcat said:

Pretty much my dream bass. I feel I've earned the right to own one having played 512 gigs in the last 5 yrs but the prices are really high at the moment so I'm just struggling to justify pulling the trigger.

I was lucky and got the S2 during lockdown and just before Rob announced his retirement. The S2 was a constant at South East Bass Bashes for years and I eventually bought it from Barney when I was in need of a 5 string quickly to use whilst I had an insurance repair carried out on my old L2500. It looks a mess and was cheap, but plays well and sounds great so is always in 

2 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

Nice looking bass. What is it ? 

Dave

It’s a Status S2. Generally my go to nowadays, that or a beaten up FPPR S1 for even tighter venues where cats cannot be swung and I’m likely to be knocking into things all night. Both really solid in tone, light and playable. The Wal doesn’t often come out to play at gigs anymore & just used for recording.

Landed back from hols at sparrow’s fart. Bit of a nap then lock and load.
 

A couple of ‘how does this go again’ moments to start but woke up and cleared ‘flight throat’ for backing vox and overall a great fun night as ever at a small but appreciative pub 🤘😁

I still need to get things sorted with the IEM feed as something doesn’t seem quite right. I should be getting pre-fade, but I’m not convinced that I am. I set my mix, and then it changes leading me to suspect I’m getting post.

i also need to get a damn sight fitter and shed a few stone!!!! New bike due I a week or so so I must get on it regularly!

Two nights depping done and great fun as ever.
 

Phone call/ message 9 am Friday morning. 11 hours later load in for gig one. Got through relatively unscathed for a slightly later start and finish at a pub I’ve not played at for years. Last time I depped with them was January and it’s a mix of a set with only a few cross overs to my normal set (though different keys to those I usually play those few in) but good players and an easy bunch to work with and off.

Second gig closer to home and a bit earlier to finish which is just as well as I’m in Mrs Walman’s bad books for taking two gigs just before we head off on holiday. 
 

Reasonable crowds both nights and running full IEM’s which worked well. A bit more holiday spending cash, which is nice. And so to bed and head to the airport tomorrow afternoon ready for Monday morning 😁

13 hours ago, Clarky said:

The deal was the door receipts would be split between the two bands and they would give us something towards petrol money. In other words, buttons! I don't do it for the money, purely for the fun of gigging (it's a hobby for me). I can only assume the Nottingham band are just trying to build a national following - they were all 50s/60s and have been gigging for decades so I guess they also like the rock and roll life!

2 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

How far was the run to Brighton for you @Clarky ?

Playing is still a hobby for me too and i've played gigs and it cost me money but i'm trying to avoid that nowadays. Need to at least break even. 

The gigs where i took a loss were when fuel prices were ridiculous but we had already agreed a price with the venue.

Dave

Hobby for me as well, but I am known as a musical whooer by my mates for taking on all offers to play pretty much whatever because I enjoy playing and can afford to (within reason) as wifey is accommodating to my regular disappearance to gigs and rehearsals and the day job keeps me solvent.

I probably did around half of @Clarky's journey Saturday in the opposite direction (from the coast inland to Horsham). After costs we had £10 each Saturday night, and the final tot up for 92 punters through the door, after room & PA means I have another £10 to come apparently. 🕺EV & a bit of sun in the morning means I probably broke even on mileage for the gig & three rehearsals - though not once the extra bits to make running the bass pedals easier and other odds & sods are factored in 

7 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

What's the band called @WalMan. I'm a big fan of Prog and love hearing covers of classic prog songs.

Dave

The band is Epsilon. Sadly doesn’t get to gig often as getting everyone together is akin to herding cats. I also have The Volunteer Club as a recording project with one of the guitarists from The Alibi as a progish non gigging project.

1 hour ago, tubbybloke68 said:

T’was a great gig Alan, and so nice to see everyone again, it’s been a long long time. Glad I didn’t help with your load out 🤣.keep the prog flag flying! 
Jeff x 

Cheers Jeff good to catch up again after the SEBB. Funnily enough I was last out on the load out (though I did get caught chatting to friends rather than packing up 🤦‍♂️)

1 hour ago, StingRayBoy42 said:

I love that BF/Tonehammer stack... my GASlight is on!

Just seen a phone clip of Court of the Crimson King from the back of the room last night. The BF/TH was running a Moog Model D soft synth on my iPad with the 12Step and sounded thunderous 🤩

Prog gig tonight and took a large proportion of my gear

 - Big Baby 2 with the Darkglass, small pedalboard and BassRevolt for the bass

 - 2 x One10’s with Aguilar TH350 for the bass pedals

 - was lending the other BB2 to the keys but couldn’t get the mixer and power amp that had worked fine Thursday night wouldn’t at the gig🤬

Generally went well and the crowd were really appreciative which was nice.

1 hour ago, borntohang said:

... My friend is fond of "you looked like you were really enjoying yourselves up there" when she can't find anything nice to say.

🫢oh dear I've never taken that as a backhanded 'compliment' the many times I've had that. 🤣

@AndyTravis pretty sure it was one of these

https://www.k-m.de/en/products/stands-and-accessories-for-instruments/fretted-instruments/14761-guitar-performer-stand-black?c=156

9 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

@WalMan what stand are you using for the acoustic?

 

I was debating having my ABG on one for the 2 songs I’ll use it for.

I can’t quite remember now, had it a while but I’ll try and find the details. It’s a solid stand and a better solution than the one I used before that fixed to the top of a mic stand and just strapped to guitar to it. Cost about £150 IIRC

Proggy rehearsal tonight. Better than a couple of weeks back when I was too tired and had been working all the hours so also under rehearsed 🙁

Spent some time last night brushing up on parts and tonight it was sounding good where I was stood rehearsing for the first gig in a long while (getting everyone together is like herding cats)

Keyboard players gear is unfortunately very old so the hope for a slick set and quick changes is out of the window as certain changes require much stabbing at buttons and scrolling of menus to setup patches. No laptop and preprogrammed setlist and scenes for us unfortunately.

Took everything tonight, bass, bass pedals and acoustic on a stand. I rather think for the gig I shall forego the bass pedals as one thing too many to worry about. Shame but I can get by without.

Tonight’s studio madness, left to right as you look at it:

- iPad running Moog Mariana bass soft synth driven by McMillen 12Step pedals

- volume pedal for the acoustic on a stand

- Status S2 into Boss CE20, SkarBassOne, MicroThumpinator, TwoNotes Bass Revolt and into the FX return on the studio’s Laney

- Faith acoustic on stand

I like the 12Step but my big feet and the wrong shoes didn’t help hitting the right notes 🤦‍♂️

6 hours ago, FinnDave said:

You're welcome to drop in any time. My wife has relations living in Wallasey, we go up there once or twice a year.

We’ll see. I got a rather frosty reception to the suggestion 🤣

Well now, if it’s still about at the end of the month I might have to consider a detour on the way to the Wirral 🙄

Very nice and still worth it with import duties to get it to Blighty, but something to remember to factor in I suppose. GLWTS

Nice ... and within striking distance from the office 🙄🫣

2 hours ago, asingardenof said:

People tend to steer clear once they've had a headstock to the head a couple of times. Even our singist has taken the hint 😁

Ours pointed out that very thing last night (that it's normally him being whacked in the back of the head.

6 hours ago, neepheid said:

If I had a quid for every time I had to do my best Bill Wyman impression to allow admission to the bogs - it's not a bass guitar, it's a manually raised barrier!

Also had from the same audience member mid song: 1) a mime that looked like 'can my chum  play your bass?' Eeeer No, even though I know him and he depped for me a few years back tis neither the time nor place; and 2) can I sing in your mic? Again no, and definitely not without me killing it in my IEM's 🤣 To be fair he was looking v apologetic and running a blocking play for me at the time 🙂

We have a slot at a largish local festival later in the year. Not quite sure what we'll do with all the space!!?

1 hour ago, StingRayBoy42 said:

Done plenty of those - Used to have a semi regular gig at a bar in Manchester where I had to move out of the way to let people leave.

I suppose I got goosed a couple of times and at least one was a young lady(?) ... well they're all young to me nowadays 🤣

All you lucky people doing gigs with acres of space and without the route to the bogs through the middle of the band! The green eyed monster is here 🤣