bassninja

Nice one. Once you start you just can't stop. Now get on with it...

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='174361' date='Apr 11 2008, 09:35 AM']Jazz trio - shocking :wacko:[/quote] Come on Bilbo, hop up on the couch and tell us about it. You're among friends...

First gig with a new band. However, this time last week we'd never even been in the same room together (eek!) We rehearsed five numbers on Friday night and performed twelve at a local acoustic music club last night. Fortunately the band just 'clicked'. Line up of drummer, me on bass, guitar/cittern player and two outstanding fiddle players (doubling on low whistle & mandolin etc). Kind of Moving Hearts/Donal Lunny/Fairporty stuff, lots of deep trancey groove with beautiful traditional melodies on top. Some strong folk ballads that I was familiar with, having been dragged up through the clubs as a kid. Much playing by ear, since I couldn't cop the chords from the guitarist's left hand when he was playing cittern. A few 'brown adrenaline' moments but very well received. Phew. And * bonus* another band I'm in has been booked for Larmertree festival in July. Chuffed. Myself and Mrs Ninja had already booked, so two Thurs>Sun adult tickets may become available at face value (subject to contract, o'course).

I always dug "Once in a lifetime" by Tina Weymouth from Talking Heads (Speaking in Tongues & Stop Making Sense albums) Only 2 notes, but what a great 2 notes...

Jazzy three piece gig in a restaurant: one of those underground venues in an old cellar, like playing in a tunnel. Quite sedate, 50th birthday party. All a bit 'nice'. Sound terrible, just above acoustic volume. Rolled of loads of bass and everything I touched still went 'BOOOOOOOOM!!!!' I expect we would still be able to hear the last number if we went back now... Ironic though, the owner loved it and wants us for other functions throughout the year. [i]What are the chances[/i]...?!.?!.

Ossum: Who says The Devil has all the best tunes?

I really can't believe that ([i]insert name of bass player[/i]) didn't get any votes. His work on ([i]insert album title[/i]) was way better than anything ([i]insert name of bass player[/i]) ever did. This is why I hate Q magazine...

[quote name='modulusq6' post='165954' date='Mar 29 2008, 04:54 PM']I also think it's more of a 'real' instrument, like a piano or a guitar.[/quote] *[i]wince[/i]* I'm glad Jaco, Jamerson, Entwhistle, etc etc etc didn't live to find out they'd wasted their careers on a 'fake' instrument...

[quote name='PaulMartin' post='161960' date='Mar 22 2008, 08:35 PM']...and after a similar sort of attitude from the assistants in Andertons in Guildford I tried Guitar Village in Farnham just on the offchance that they would have one and they did. Wow what a revelation!! The chap I dealt with was so friendly and helpful...[/quote] + 1 (including Anderton's amp repair service)

Over the years, there have been some gigs/venues that I really look forward to, only for them to turn out to be a bit (or a lot) crap on the night. Similarly, there are gigs I approach with a certain dread, only for them to turn out really well. I try not to think about it too much these days. Is it just me, or does anyone else recognise this reverse-type ar$e-about-faceness?

To local Butlins at 5pm to load most of the stuff in to their Irish bar, it being St Pat's. Agency gig on an 'adult themed weekend' with some kind of Motown theme (fine by me...). Geno Washington was playing upstairs. Lots of stag/hen parties in a bar about the size of Cornwall. Many ladies in seasonally inappropriate clothing (also fine by me...) Due to our booking guys 'confusion', we had also committed to a charity gig on the other side of town & didn't want to let them down. So back in the vehicles with minimal kit for second soundcheck with a superb & laid back PA guy, quickly getting us a great sound, and helping towards a similarly warm reception. So '[i]thangyewg'night[/i]' and into the vehicles again for a dash back to gig A. Meanwhile, back in the Irish bar... [i]Casualty[/i] playing on the big telly, and all manner of weirdness going on in the audience with strange costumes, Red Coat enforced jollity and cheap booze. Straight into a bit of 'diddly diddly' and didn't look back, really. Lousy sound, decent fee (for once). In spite of initial apprehensions: really friendly staff & punters and a good time was had by all. Home by 0100, knackered but grinning

Cool. Playing in a Butlin's Irish bar tomorrow night with a bit of fiddly-diddly. How about Dave Pegg on Fairport's Dirty Linen as another prime exponent? [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1gopdN3yTI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1gopdN3yTI[/url]

I was made to love her, How sweet it is, Signed sealed delivered and The 'What's going on' album are my personal faves, but I could name dozens more... Makes me smile just thinking about it

[u][b]BassNinja: [/b][/u] Embarassed folkie. Lover of unusual jam-rock bands, often with a beard ratio of over 50%. Used to manage up to 255 a year, but now bumping along around 75. Snuggly '73 Precision (mods: Badass II, P/J EMGs), Elegant '91 Thumb V through-neck. Various amplification, all of it thoroughly unreliable. Works in psychiatric intensive care. 'Nuff said.

Roots around the World gig with The Carolina Chocolate Drops. I'd read their review in The Independent and was looking forward to it. Turned up early for soundcheck (good boys that we are), hurried up and waited as seems to be the typical way of things. Also as often happens, found I had a better chat & hang out with the crew than with the band. But hey ho... Our sound check done & dusted in 15 mins. Given the hall, a bit tricky to balance my backline with the vox & 2 acoustic instruments in the absence of subs, but the Mackie's always sound great anyway. Wrought carnage on the rider, played great, everybody happy, good reception. Next Saturday: 2 gigs in one night due to our booking fella's 'intricate filing system'. Stand by...

The Bull, Chichester. Phriendly guv'nor & staff, nice laid back vibe. Nowhere to set up on arrival, so the guv'nor buys us a drink and says, 'no rush, lads...' Finally load in and set up, beginning only 10 mins late. Played well, but all of us a bit knackered and firing on about 95%. Still went well, with folks travelling a fair distance to see us ([i]which was nice[/i]). Beginning to GAS after a Jazz V. Anyone want to buy a kidney, one careful owner? Playing Thursday at a 'Roots around the World' gig with a band from Carolina. Looks interesting, I'll let you know how it goes.

Oh dear. Can open, worms everywhere...

Yup, I'll sign up...

Apologies if its been posted before, but I stumbled across it while 'working'. I gather Michael Manring finds it amusing, so it must be... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waIhJDgC5dQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waIhJDgC5dQ[/url]

There have been times when I've been 'pro' (i.e. the only pittance coming in to put grub on the table is through gigs), but mostly music has provided enough £, with other bits & pieces, to just keep my chin above the sewage . I now work F/T in the NHS, get paid to play music at work and gig as much as I can with the odd session. I've had the opportunity to tour/sessioneer etc over the years, but have never gone for it because I need music too much for it to become tedious and stressful (like a job). 'Professional' to me relates to your approach, not your status. If you turn up late to a gig with no backline and your leads in a carrier bag (as I have seen 'pros' do more than once), I don't really think you can call yourself professional, regardless of your main source of income.

Coach & Horses, Chichester. A good one for us, plenty of friendlies (including the guv'nor & staff). All went pretty well. There are some folks about who enjoy jambands, after all then... Spontaneous, on the hoof Roundabout>Immigrant Song>Copacabana jam less terrible than it sounds(!) Thanks Steve for travelling to see us.

".....thats to be accepted,it looks plain freaky compared to a [i][b]limited[/b][/i] range Bass" Surely only limited range minds are the problem? Great music has been and will continue to be made on 4/5/6/7/8/9 & more string basses. What about Tony Levin's 3 string MM? Who was it who said " There's only two types of music: stuff I like and stuff I don't..." This feels like a redundant debate to me, of the type you're criticising in the first place.

[quote name='nick' post='129252' date='Jan 28 2008, 01:25 PM']I basically bypass whole EQ section too on my Trace. Could never seem to get a tone I liked without endless fiddling. Sound comes from a Behringer Sansamp-clone pedal thingy....[/quote] +1 When I used SWR gear, my EMG'd Precision with jazz p/up added sounded great with the EQ totally flat and 50/50 on the blend pot, biasing in either direction for punch or snap.

Dave Mattacks

So our banjo player parked outside the gig with his new sparkly Deering banjo left across the passenger seat, because he hadn't got round to buying a f/case for it. He was first to arrive so he put the hazards on and dashed in to find out about the load-in, and when he came back out about 30 seconds later, someone had smashed his passenger side window, reached in and left another banjo on the passenger seat...