Graham56

More Lefty versions!! Although, as I don't have any money for new basses I wouldn't be much help to them....

I love LaBella flats. I get them from the Bass gallery - they usually haved a good selection in stock. I haven't had the courage to put the heavy gauge Jamerson set on though...

[quote name='witterth' post='1349738' date='Aug 24 2011, 12:03 AM']Ever tried doing that "sonic clunk" that you can do with fingernails,Pick,fingers or even your thumb? you must know that "Vague attack" to the string without making a real note 'till you find your feet. ....just me then....... top tip, or nonsense?[/quote] I do this. If I play short, percussive notes vaguely in the correct key most people don't notice the actual note values. They will notice if I drop out completely or screw up the rythym.

My pub covers band often plays Sugarhill Gang's "Rappers Delight", which is based around the "Good Times" bass riff. In fact we usually throw in a chorus or two of "Good Times" just to make the point. It surprises the audience as it stands out from our usual rock/blues sound. It's not that difficult to play the notes in Edwards' bass line. Nor Niles' guitar work. But to make it sound anywhere near as crisp, bouncy, danceable and just so damn groovy as they play it? That's a LOT more difficult. We come nowhere near it... Cheers Graham

Boredom... I took it up in my late 40s after many years of strumming the odd chord on a guitar. I wanted to do something else apart from work and bring up the kids. Then I inherited a no-name crappy bass from a family friend and did very little with it until I saw an evening class in bass advertised at Morley College in London. That class was the trigger. Aretha's "Respect" was the inspiration. Tommy Cogbill's line just stands out to me: driving, rythmic, melodic, with brilliant use of space, and yet defining the structure of the song. Cheers Graham

I'm a lefty and I play a lefty. When I tried to play righty it was really uncomfortable and gave me a headache. I also have a cheapy righty strung upside down but the balance is all wrong and the neck-dive is ferocious. One advantage is that I stand to the right of the drummer with the headstock aimed out to the side. This is a useful space-saver in some of the postcard-sized stages we play. It would have been better if I had learned on a righty as I would have a full choice of instruments rather than the very limited selection there is now. Playing lefty also means I need to be completely self-sufficient and I always carry a back-up bass. It's highly unlikely I'd ever be able to borrow another player's bass in crisis. Cheers Graham

Well we played the gig last Saturday and it went really well. The marquee was very long and split into two parts – a sitting/standing/talking drinking bit and a dance floor with the band. There were two heavy duty power leads running from the house to the marquee. One to a distribution board for the lights, disco lights, mirrorball etc. Another to the back for us and for a small PA used for recorded music when we were not playing. We set up and all looked good. Switched on the amps and PA. Plugged in our lights. As the second light unit went on – phutt... all the power in the marquee went off. I ran around checking circuit breakers until we realised that it wasn’t just the marquee - we had tripped the main circuit-breaker in the house. There was a chef hired to provide the food and he was also running around, panicking about his ovens and microwave. We reset, got everything running and decided to go without lights. Just about ready for the downbeat when... yep, down went at the house mains again. The houseowner did admit it was a very sensitive trip. The chef was by this time at 60,000 feet and climbing... We tried a reset but it tripped again before I’d even made it back to the stage area. The chef by this time hated our very existence and wanted to kill us... This time the houseowner couldn’t get the trip to reset. Luckily the next door neighbour was at the party. And luckily he had external sockets on his house wall. So we draped a power line over the fence which was used to supply the band and the stage area. We were OK to go now. The chef still had no house power and was sharpening a very large knife... So we played. The first set was fairly laid back and we had some dancing, although most people stood at the far end, talking and drinking. The chef got his power back and began to calm down. In the second set we started with an impromptu version of happy birthday just so we could drag everyone into the dancing area to sing. Then we immediately kicked into Lady Marmalade, a song that we find guarantees dancing. We kept it up for the next 90mins or so, and had a good proportion of folks dancing all the way through. We were much more disciplined than normal between songs – finish one, 15 seconds to sort yourself out then “A wun, chew, three four...” into the next one. We also changed the set on the fly to keep things moving, but this time with no discussion or argument. Somebody, usually the singer, would call the next song then off we’d go. And it all went really well. Sounded great – no reverb or boominess from floor or walls. And not too loud – no complaints from neighbours. The host and his wife loved us. Lots of people came up to us, said how good we were and took fliers away with them. Even the chef had mellowed by the end... So thanks for all the tips. A much better night than the usual two drunk blokes and a dog in a dodgy Saff Lunnon drinking hols. Cheers Graham

In our pub gigs we very rarely have the luxury of a soundcheck. Plug in, switch on, make sure everything works, then go. The singer usually plays a little with the vox PA in the first song or two. One of the few times I did play a few lines in a soundcheck nearly caused me trouble. We played a gig the same evening as one of England's less-than-stellar games in the World Cup. The game had finished, the TV had switched off and there was a gloomy and quiet mood in the London pub. I was checking my gear and without thinking played the bass riff from "Another one bites the dust". A meaty hand attached to a large bloke tapped my shoulder. "E're mate, we don't want any of that 'bite the dust' stuff here". The thing is, I have a definite Scots accent. And he was a big and rather pi**ed bloke. Hmmm, I thought, if I say anything now this might not go well... So a nod, a raised hand, a smile, and I played something else. Cheers Graham

[quote name='cytania' post='1300374' date='Jul 11 2011, 10:19 PM']Been reviewing some of our songs tonight and noticed that I've been playing 'I Saw Her Standing There' wrong. I've been spanning the riff over a bar when actually to be McCartney correct I should be playing it twice every bar. I can just about manage this speed but it struck me that at present I carefully work behind what is a bit of a group thrash. If I double up to Paul's flurry of notes then I may just get carried away and the group sound could degenerate into a furious blur. Not sure what you'd call this dilemma? Any advice? Less is more? Or more is more?[/quote] Whatever works best! There are plenty reasons for not playing it exactly like the original: - your band setup as against the recording - your band arrangement - your bass sound as against the original - your skill level - the band's skill level There are very few covers where I play the bassline note for note. I try and get something of the original in my line but then I modifiy it to fit all the points listed above. Think like an audience member and not like a bassist worried about paying accurate homage to Sir Paul. What would you like to HEAR rather than PLAY? Cheers Graham

My pub covers band is playing the Hob on Friday, just opposite Forest Hill Station. You get a rock choir (really!) from about 9.00pm. You then get us from 10pm through to about 12.45. We do rocky, bluesy, soulful, poppy covers - the ones you'd expect from a band of folks 40-50+ Free entry, but we'd really appreciate it if you spend lots money at the bar. Cheers Graham www.talkingstrawberries.com

+1 for the Bass Gallery. And here's a word of warning. You may have heard of Denmark Street in the centre of town. It's packed full of music shops and even has a specialist Bass retailer - the Bass Cellar. So why is no-one recommending them? The Denmark Sreet retailers have a reputation for being overpriced, rude, arrogant and generally really poor to deal with. In only one or two visits I've seen some of the worst treatment of customers there that I've seen in any retail environment. Visit if you like but don't expect it to be a pleasant experience! You can read [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=25829"]this thread[/url] for some background! Have fun when you get here, Graham

Our guitarist often wears a battery-powered T-shirt with LCD units that light up. A crowd favourite shows illuminated EQ meter displays with the columns jumping up and down in time to the music. He also has a wireless unit and goes walkabout in the audience. We finished a recent pub gig with AC/DC "Highway to Hell". He and the singer really go for it, climbing on tables and throwing hero poses as the song comes to an end. After the big rawk wigout at the end of the song they both go for a synchronised leap off the furniture, landing as the very last drumbeat/chord sounds. Except this time, as Dave guitar jumped he realised that he was going to catapult forward into a large group of folks carrying drinks. So as he landed the threw himself backwards. Landed on his back with a crash, smacking his head on a chair on his way down and on the floor as he hit. As he lay there, stunned, the final chord still ringing from his guitar, one of the punters came over and bent down anxiously to see how he was... "'ere mate, where do you get them T-shirts?" It's nice to know they care. Cheers, Graham

Some years ago I used to live near Canterbury but worked in London. I'd get a train out of Canterbury at about 7am. As the train pulled out of the station you could see into the empty car park of a DIY store. If the weather was OK I'd often see a guy standing in this car park, next to his car, blowing away on a sax. That's dedication I guess. Cheers Graham

Watch your tempo! Adrenaline, nerves and excitement means that almost everyone plays too fast on their first gig. If you've got 45 mins of material you can end up getting through it in 30. Stay calm, play it like you rehearsed it and you'll be fine. Best of luck! Graham

I'm a freelance trainer and end up travelling quite a lot around the UK and to Europe. I can usually make weekend gigs (not always Fridays though). Committing to a regular midweek rehearsal schedule is impossible . Which is fine for my existing band as we've been going for over 5 years and only rehearse occasionally. That band is coming to a natural end soon and I'm not sure what to do next. I can see how it's going to go if I start answering ads for new bands: "Sorry, I can't rehearse next week. I could to the Tuesday the week after but that's it. And nothing for the week after either..." I'm not that good a player that people will build a band schedule around me! Cheers Graham

[quote name='dmccombe7' post='1261109' date='Jun 8 2011, 12:59 PM']WAS IT GOOD THOUGH ? Bet you still enjoyed it !!![/quote] Sure did! Our singer was one of the organisers so it was a 'home' crowd. They liked us. They liked the music. They were sober and friendly. Compared to some of the pub gigs we do it was great fun. Cheers Graham

I saw them a couple of times in the late 70s, early 80s, twice with Chas Jankel and once with Wilko. They were a combination of a brilliant band and a compelling, edgy front man. You couldn't take your eyes off Dury. He always gave off a slightly scary, unpredictable "What's he going to do next?" vibe. Saw them again on his final tour, a few months before he died. He had to be helped on and off stage and spent the show leaning back against a large flight case. On one level it was desperately sad, as it was clear he didn't have long. One another it was life-affirming. There he was, this frail figure, ravaged by cancer, aware he was dying but still on stage, singing his heart out, refusing to give in and go quietly. There were a few tears in the audience I can tell you, along with roars of appreciation and affection. Cheers Graham

Thanks for all the pointers folks. In particular I hadn't thought about using trips - that's a good idea. That's a nice setup flyfisher. I don't think we'll get anything quite as elaborate as that. The venue is a large house in a wealthy area. Which is good because they have lots of space, a huge garden and lots of parking outside. But bad because if the neighbours get really pee'd off they have the clout to get things done! Our guitarist uses a radio unit and goes walkabout in the audience on some songs. I fear he's going to try and find out just what kind of range it has. Thanks for the council links Bloodaxe. We're actually in Bromley so I should have found that page myself! It sounds reasonable enough - they'll negotiate first before they get heavy. Papers and crib sheets blowing away? That'd be a laugh - it would completely silence our singers... And Bilbo - I'm a Scot so I don't really 'do' sunlight. Or happy songs. It's not natural. Cheers Graham

My covers band is playing outdoors at a private party in July. We've been asked to play in their (very large) garden on a Saturday evening. There will be a marquee but that's about it. We need to supply everything else. Anyone got any tips about this, in terms of staying safe, staying out of jail or any other gotchas we might not have thought about? The thoughts that occur to me: [b]Water protection[/b] - we're inside the marquee so we'll be protected from above. [b]Flooring[/b] - we'll need a stable floor for gear and drums. We also need to be insulated from any damp ground or the possibility of ground water coming in. [b]Power[/b] - I think they'll be running leads from the normal house supply. We need keep cables and especially connnections covered and insulated from the ground. We run a small vox-only PA, one bass, one guitar (and pedal box), one harmonica amp. That should be OK from a load point of view. As long as we're all off the same ring we should avoid any 'clashes'. [b]Lighting[/b] - I think we'll need to supply this too. We have access to some but I'll need to check the power consumption. [b]Volume[/b] - we need to keep it sensible. The householder wants us to finish by midnight. They've also invited all the neighbours, side and back, to the party. [b]Law[/b] - It is a private party. Should they have told the local council (a London Borough), or is that just inviting them to stick their oars in? [b]Set[/b] - We've done parties before and we are flexible enough to respond to the crowd on the night. It'll depend on the weather too. If it has been a baking hot day (dream on...) we can start fairly summery and mellow before building up to a full-on drunken dance-athon at the end. It's a 50th so we've have a pretty good idea what will work. [b]Sound balance[/b] - we do it ourselves, we don't have a sound guy/gal. We know what works indoors but have less experience of outdoors. We'll have a reliable friend in the audience who will shout advice but is there anything worth knowing about? OK, what have I missed? And what are anyone's experiences of similar events? Thanks Graham

[quote name='dmccombe7' post='1258861' date='Jun 6 2011, 08:10 PM']Aaaahh Summer i remember that day in early May just before the 2nd snow. At least we have nice scenery in Scotland.[/quote] Summer? We played an outdoor street party on Saturday afternoon in south London. And it poured down. We were crammed on the pavement under two gazebo things, trying to keep power leads and gear out of the rain. I ended up doing a Bill Wyman impression, with bass vertical, trying not to spear guitarist or singer with the headstock. The crowd were really enthusiastic, although they ended up huddled under other canopies and umbrellas Yeah, I know, we needed the rain - but not right then OK? Cheers Graham

[quote name='Hutton' post='1251398' date='May 31 2011, 01:05 PM']It's perhaps not very fair to damn Scottish presbyterianism as a whole. One persons experience can be vastly different from another's.[/quote] Sorry, I don't mean to touch off a religious debate - all I'm referring to is my personal experience. And I'm quite prepared to accept that my comments say more about me than any church...! Cheers Graham

...and not a slap in sight! If my local church had been like this when I was growing up I might have stayed with it. But dour Scottish Presbyterianism had a slightly different effect. Cheers Graham

I'm one of the main drivers (carrying me, my gear, the guitarist, his gear, the PA) in the band so I find it easier not to drink any alcohol. Not before or during, because I KNOW it makes me lose time and groove. Not after, because I don't fancy adding alcohol to the mix of driving around, knackered, at 2.30 in the morning in the surprisingly crowded streets of Saff Lunnon in a heavily laden vehicle. Like others here, lime and soda is my gigging tipple of choice. The rawk'n'roll lifestyle eh? Cheers Graham

It's never gonna happen. I'm a lefty player so the chances of being able to borrow or play anyone else's bass are slim. I have to be completely self-sufficient, which is why I always take a back-up bass to a gig. That's the main downside about playing lefty. If I went to something like a bass bash all I could do is ogle the wonderful (righty) basses...

Then there was the time we got paid not to play. The pub was nearly empty when we arrived, with about 6 or so heavy 'saff landon' geezers settling down to a night of drunken oblivion. We set up then the owner asked us to wait awhile until more people arrived. They didn't, then the owner went off in his car. The youg barman then came to us said he'd been told to give us 100 squids but we were to pack up and f*** off without playing. We started to argue but the large heavy drinking blokes began to rumble menacingly. So, f*** off we duly did. We wondered if we could turn this into a business model. We could probably do maybe 4 venues a night like this... Cheers Graham