Lozz196

Best - Sex Pistols at Finsbury Park 1996, something I never thought would happen, they’d been my fave band since 1977 so the expectations were hopeful that they’d be good - and they weren’t, they were superb. Worst - Siouxsie & The Banshees, Hammersmith Odeon 1985/6. She’d broken her leg so performed sat in a chair and the rest of the band just stood there. Totally uninspiring so went to the pub instead.

A guitarist and old friend of mine joined the band I was in. The others voted him in. He didn’t have an amp or transport, and his single coil feedback Strat was no good for our music, so we had to source everything for him. Which would have been fine… We wanted a great lead player, and he was that, but he just couldn’t remember where the solos were in each song. They were after the second chorus. In every song. No Carol Vordernans required to count to two. Wrong it seemed. After a while I got fed up so said I wouldn’t be in the band with him anymore. So they sacked him. Didn’t bother me which way they went to be honest, would have been equally happy if they’d stuck with him.

Seymour Duncan Hot Stack or Dimarzio Model J might be a solution. Both humbucking so less top end than regular Jazz pups.

And given the “I want it all now, but most of all I want more than those I know” mantra where everyone has to have better than everyone else, and be able to show it off I’d doubt many would choose this anyway.

Yep, just because drive CAN go all the way to 10 doesn’t mean some (many?) of us aren’t interested in hearing it at 2 or 3, just adding a tad of grit into the tone. Gives me a far better idea of if a pedal is suitable for me.

The Ashdown Studio range looks worth checking out but I think given the situation with the Rumble before I’d reckon that’s where to start, I’m yet to read of anyone finding the 500 watt combo not powerful enough.

Yep, a 45min set, even from my fave bands is generally enough for me. If they’ve got an hours worth of hits then fair play I can last that but anything more and my attention span wanes. I prefer to hear new songs on recordings rather than live so debuting half of the new album at a gig doesn’t usually work for me (and indeed it’s something I always tried to stop my band from doing).

As far as I know the US Geddy Lee has a fairly chunky neck. And is reputed to be one of the best Jazzes around as well.

Does make me wonder how much JJ would have been appreciated if he’d not played in a punk band, he has some serious chops (both bass and karate).

And quite often the bands will stop playing mid song if someone looks to be badly hurt, to summon help from venue staff, I’ve seen that a few times. As you say Steve, happened for years and long may it continue.

Likewise. On the punk scene you get the established bands playing often with newer bands supporting and some of those support bands have been excellent, and have gone on to be big bands in their own right. It might be cool (in some peoples minds) to only watch the main band but in my experience that means missing out on what just might end being your new favourite band.

I’ve recently bought a bass that has what I think are Dunlop flats on it, and they’re very nice, tension good, sound good. I’ve never really gelled with flats but these ones just seem to work, so I may we’ll look into their rounds as well.

In my latest band we are very loud - it’s the drummer, he is simply the loudest drummer I’ve ever been in a band with. Anyway I had a set of the usual £20 from Amazon jobbies that blocked some noise out but they cut off most of the top end. Now said drummer and the keyboard player both have ACS plugs and said that essentially with them in the band sounds like stereo at home volumes with all frequencies still there. Good enough recommendations methought so I bought a set. And they’re exactly as the guys said. Now I know fitted ACS isn’t the answer to the OPs question but to anyone reading this thread who is in a position to get a set of ACS plugs (or the like) I’d recommend doing so if you’re in a loud band, or even a reasonably loud band. They cut the volume down so much that the band sounds like recorded material, you can hear everything so clearly and focus on exactly what is being played. It really makes playing a lot easier and more enjoyable. I wish I’d had the sense to get them years ago even tho my last couple of bands weren’t really that loud.

There are some sad & scary accounts in there

Hubba Hubba, that is one amazing grotto of Ashdown gear @Painy

Looks a great bass, if I was @police squad I think I would have started a hate campaign against DHL by now.

Looking back at the 70s & punk lack of money seemed to be a main factor for many of the bands, living in squats & rehearsal rooms etc. Move forwards to bands like Guns N Roses who did similar. I think today’s “glossy polished” music it would be unlikely to get people from those types of backgrounds & environments. Def time for a guitar resurgence, played by scruffy unpolished young people who don’t get sent for media training & image awareness.

Those little Marshall MB amps are pretty decent, you got a good deal there at that price.

£149 for the pedal looks good, be interested to hear how these perform. The staggered 410 also looks interesting.

I suppose seeing as the post is what do you love or hate about going to gigs and I’ve already said what I hate then I should answer the other part, what do I love? Well seeing the band obviously, but that first chord/song just brings a smile to my face. Hearing how a band represents their recordings live is a good one, can they do it or do they fall short. Checking out their back lines and instruments. Seeing how they adapt recordings for live arrangements, and finding out who the natural performers are in the band (not always as obvious as would be thought). Buying a t-shirt or the new CD. I suppose I like a lot more about gigs than I dislike. I do prefer to stand at the back/near the sound desk rather than down the front but that’s not age related, I’ve always preferred that, I can hear better there and it just makes sense to me if going to see a band to be where the best sound is.

£40 (used) Ashdown After Eight amp £200 (new) Ashdown Original pedal Somehow seems the wrong way round

You have to be over 7 feet tall to see pretty much any big band now, due to the raised hands holding mobile phones pointed at them, usually whilst the owners of said raised hands try to talk to each other. Because we all know the sound quality & picture on an iPhone tomorrow morning at work will be superior to actually watching & listening to the band at the actual gig.

I was going to say “how very dare he” until I looked at the spec, I may well have to try one out myself.

Red Red Wine, UB40. Jealous Guy, Roxy Music. I Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston. All very good versions of very good songs.

Lovely looking bass Trevor