OldGit

eeeeugh I feel sick

[quote name='BOD2' post='455178' date='Apr 6 2009, 09:52 AM']I used to have one of these superglued onto my guitar strap where it attached to the upper horn of the bass. Really easy to reach, no damage to the scrathplate and it holds several picks so you can afford to drop a couple and still have more ready to hand.[/quote] Ah! option B

[quote name='yorick' post='455170' date='Apr 6 2009, 09:46 AM']How about this.... [url="http://www.guitar.co.uk/jim_dunlop/911-jim_dunlop_pickholder_guitar_plectrum_holder"]http://www.guitar.co.uk/jim_dunlop/911-jim...plectrum_holder[/url][/quote] One of those with the clip from a tape measure Araldited to its back, then clip it to the front of your strap. I have one on every strap in the same place and can get, and then park, a plectrum with speed and accuracy .. I used to be a scratchplate pick parker but it does scratch the bass eventually

Scott Resurfaces ... Bass Player this month has a soapbox article from him and a transcription of his bass line on Alien Orifice .. [url="http://www.bassplayer.com/article/frank-zappas-alien/apr-09/94337"]Article about Scott Thunes' Alien Orifice bass line[/url]

[quote name='Boy Thunder' post='454691' date='Apr 5 2009, 02:34 PM']Never shag the bride....[/quote] Playing a wedding in a few weeks and one of our Dave's is hoping to break that rule - but it is his wedding ~

Oh that sounds good .. If you were not what they were looking for they'd have packed you off after the frist time through .. Might want to use a sat nav nect time though

100 Watt Marshal stacks in pubs and clubs? and before Master Volume amps, I suspect. We used to get the "turn down or F.O." message on a regular basis with just an AC30 for lead.... I bet they died when you turned up with that lot.

Steve Tyler's 61, Mick Jagger's 65 Don't worry about it. I'm not stopping 'till they cart me off ... Get a semi-pro sax player .. Loads around, try the local school big band for a kid with talent and ambition ..

Oh and if I was playing that list I'd not expect to rehearse for 6 months. As an experienced covers band player I could probably gig that lot in about 2 weeks time, if everyone else knew what they were doing. That's the other side of taking on experienced covers players .. They are not used to heavy rehearsal schedules ... Make up set list CD's, give them out and everyone learns that version. It's a lot easier than hammering orginals arrangements in to everyone .. You just say "Don't believe a word, Thin Lizzie live version from Alive and Dangerous, Key of G." and that should be enough for a lot of people.

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='454373' date='Apr 4 2009, 09:45 PM']To be honest OG, I'd be happy to play any of those. I sometimes find songs I don't personally like are more fun if I'm playing them. I'd probably have a slightly less modern set, you know, thrown in a few more golden oldies, but it s a good starting point. Trouble with playing originals is the sets are so short, you usually get 8 songs max and its hardly much of a challenge to remember 8 songs![/quote] Yeah you'll find the physical effort to keep the energy going for 2 or 3x 45 is a totally different thing .. order your wide strap now Go and watch your "competitors" and see which tunes get a good reaction and which don't .. Stay sober, take notes. Then you can go back t the pub looking for gigs and say "we're a bit like -Monk Sponky" (Name of band that plays there and fills it) to give your landlord mates a handle for your new band. They can then tell the punters "come and see Big Beef Chief, they are a bit like Monk Spunky" and get the best punters for you. If you are playing 80% floor fillers you can get away with a few left field choices or unknown stuff but you don't want to try it the other way around, not initially anyway. You may not want to play Mustang Sally and Valerie but if you do them to start with it's 6 minutes of easy and well received stuff ... You can drop them later when you have something better to put in that bit of your set list. .. If you can get a first gig from your friends you can build on it. If you work hard on your set list, presentation and show in rehearsal before your first gig you can look as if you've been doing it for years and are pro-minded and you can be entertaining from the off. It sounds less fun than playing gigs but really if you learn your craft in front of strangers they will remember you being crap and messing up, or worse, boring. Whereas if you spend a couple of extra weeks polishing your performance you can play good gigs from the start. This will build your following faster and more effectively. Getting someone back to see you when you were crap the first time they saw you, is really hard so don't risk it. What you really want is to be so good the first time they see you that they bring 5 mates to see you next time.

Thanks for the nice comments chaps .. tBBC .. Here's a setlist I lifted from someone on here a while back ... I does have Mustang Sally and Valerie but the rest are almost all modern guitar based things .. > Dakota- Stereophonics > Sit down-James > Live forever-oasis > Why does it always rain on me- travis > Laid-James > Good Souls-Starsailor > Stop and Stare-One Republic > Getting Away with it- James > Teenage kicks-Undertones > Love it when you call- the Feeling > American Idiot- Green Day > Have a nice day-Stereophonics > Twist and Shout- The Beatles > Mustang Sally- The Commitments. > > Never Miss a Beat- kaiser Chiefs > Monster- the Automatic > Creep- Radiohead > Sex on Fire-Kings of Leon > Read my Mind-The Killers > Starlight-Muse > Yellow-Coldplay > Dont look back in anger-Oasis > Valerie-Mark Ronson > Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs > I predict a riot-Kaiser Chiefs > All the Small Things-Blink 182 > Message in A Bottle-The Police > Chasing Cars-Snow Patrol

[quote name='Adrenochrome' post='454254' date='Apr 4 2009, 06:18 PM']/\ that's some grade A advice OG! You should write a book on it.[/quote] Funny you should say that

Listen to Crez, he knows what he is talking about... Read the [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5436&st=0&p=56924&#entry56924"]Tips for Playing Weddings[/url]thread. Read the [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=8685&st=0&p=90010&#entry90010"]Guaranteed Floor Fillers[/url] thread for ideas of what works in various covers band types. You will need at least 3x45 mins of material. That's about 45-50 tunes ('cos covers tunes last about 3 minutes on average) You'll probably need Mustang Sally and Valerie too ... You will need your own PA and backline and lights, and some way or transporting them and somewhere to store them between gigs and insurance. You will need it all PAT tested and you will also need Public Liability Insurance. Some venues won't let you play without it and will ask for your certificate before you set up. The PA will need at least two monitors, a third one for the drummer is ideal so that they can hear what is being sung and what is being said in the talkie bits. That makes things happen in a more slick and professional way. If I was starting from now I'd get a 16 channel mixer and 2 powered front of house speakers on stands and three powered monitors - probably from Mackie. Plus radio mics, stands etc and you'll need all the cables to wire them all up and at least one spare of everything. You'll need 16 channels so you can run small amounts of the back line through the PA for projection and thus play quieter on stage. You may need bass bins. All in a PA like that will cost a fair amount but will make you sound a hell of a lot better than some ol' cheap poo off eBay You will also need lights (there's a WIKI on that) [url="http://wiki.basschat.co.uk/info:industry:stage_lighting"]here[/url] You will need a top front person. Without this key ingredient you will not do well. There are ways of faking it - PM me and I'll tell you all about it .. You'll almost certainly need that other rarity, a very versatile keyboard player. Only taking on players who have no covers band experience will set you back about 2 years, in terms of being successful. Successful in this case is getting asked back for more than one gig in the same venue and earning enough to pay for your beer, petrol and PA. Playing in a successful covers band needs a lot of skills that are totally different to originals bands gigs, especially the type you describe where you play short gigs using their PA and backline to a few mates. You would be a lot better off getting a band full of well experienced covers band players who can help you learn how to do it well. The fun bit is playing great gigs and getting paid well. Getting to that bit as fast as possible is a very good idea 'cos the bit before that is fairly pants. There are many different audiences and many different "markets" for covers bands. Go and see successful bands do gigs in your area and the venues you fancy and work out why they are successful then emulate what they do. Playing pubs is a mile away from any kind of function - wedding, corporate, services, balls .. and the difference in fee and what they expect of you reflects that. The good news is that in general it's easier to build a following for regular pub filling than an originals band and in some places you don't have to take an audience, the venue does all the work (but see threads passim about how that doesn't always happen) The bad news is that for the well paid gigs you need to be totally professional and organised, have someone doing the management bit (even if you don't call them a manager) talking to teh venues and punters, doing the contracts, someone doing the band diary, a deps list for when that gig you've had booked and contracted for 18 month is in jeopardy because your drummer calls up at 8 am on the day to say he has Delhi Belly... etc ... You will need a lot of chutzpah to get gigs as a new band (this is also where the experienced people come in handy cos they can say "Remember me? I used to play here with "The Mon Moe Band" Can I bring my new band one Monday?" and get you a gig a totally new unknown band won't get.) Otherwise you have to have a publicity pack, demos and other "proof" that you are a good band and will be worth risking a night on, and that's just for a pub... You may be able to bullsh1t your way in and build on that but it's a lot easier if you have the conventional sales material. Also get a copy of [url="http://www.gig-getter.co.uk/indextest.htm"]Gig-Getter[/url] which is a book on how to get loads of pub gigs. £15 well spent To get functions you'll need all that and a website - a real one, not a myspace, and great pictures, video and stuff like that. Not easy. If your combative nature extends to your gigging life I'd forget it as you will be treated like poo, shouted at, rejected and challenged on a regular basis. You will not be the centre of attention at weddings and corperates and you will not be able to play drunk or drugged up. You will not be able to start late or finish late ,or early. You will not be able to chat during the bingo and if some drunk p1sses you off at a wedding you will not be able to smash them in the face ... Yes the money is better but that's because a lot of the gigs are not nice to play. Pub gigs are a lot more fun, if you can find band mates who will work for a pittance ... So overall .. Good luck, there's loads of help around here and you've asked for it which is an excellent start ..... I think I'd join a covers band for a year or so to see how they work from the inside before starting one of my own. Oh and if you start a band you will be looked upon to do the management stuff- make sure there are gigs, rehearsals, a set, a PA and lights, etc etc unless you also look for a manager. and +1 don't use agents, there's no need these days and don't accept a social club gig early on. They will eat you alive.

Yeah and like a job interview, remember to "leave the door open", if they don't offer you the gig this time they may come back in 6 months ...

[quote name='Stingray5' post='453834' date='Apr 4 2009, 03:12 AM']Incidentally, no prizes or anything, but I'll leave it to other BC-er's to say where the title for the programme 'Jazz 625' comes from.... [/quote] Oh I know!! but I was watching back then too

Shuker Fretless from a shop [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Shuker-Fretless-Custom-UK-Bass-Guitar-Spalted-Beech_W0QQitemZ320353442574QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item320353442574&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262"]here[/url] £995 BIN ...

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='453476' date='Apr 3 2009, 04:16 PM']Denim, bass, and motorcycle. That's what its all about people! Great thread![/quote] Denim and bass still a daily thing. The motorcycles were set to "Pause" though when I got scared and found transporting gear to gisg a tad hard - the bass I could handle but the amps and cabs were impossible Oh and that's actually my mum's bike

Also a "Agony Aunt/uncle" column for tekkie questions. Common things like how the effects chain should be arranged and other things we cover in the WIKI here, and on the BC tech forum. These things are sometimes included as side bars but a few questions per issue, reproduced on the website, could make for a valuable resource

+1 on the auditioning them, and not just for music. Best to make sure your overall objectives are the same +1 on crib sheets. better to do that than to appear as if you've not been arsed to try and learn the stuff .. Also try to remember which tune is which as if they are originals the names won't necessarily be associated with the tunes in your mind yet. Don't feel you have to play exactly what's on the recording they gave you unless it's key to the tune. Be yourself and don't be afraid to say that [i]you'll[/i] let [i]them[/i] know as you have a few other bands to see.....

Baker 30 speakers Oh yes ... Actually the first thing I used to make my bass audible was the family valve wireless which had an "aux" input. I attached a jack socket to two wires and jammed the wires into the two input sockets with matchsticks. It was very quiet and farty but it was louder than nowt..... Here's one from about 1970 Not sure about the bass probably a Framus or Columbus I think. This thread is playing havoc with my "smell memory". Lots of the stuff I remember from then had very distinct smells - like that bass, the wireless cooking, the fiberglass stuffed in my speaker cab - and the memory of those smells is very acute,

[quote name='alexclaber' post='452983' date='Apr 3 2009, 09:26 AM']Awesome. I was obsessed with "In A Broken Dream" as an eight year old school boy doing his damnedest to avoid the music of 1986! Alex[/quote] That is one fantastic record. Certainly on my Dessert island (with ice Cream) disc list. Fabulous melancholy feel to it. I wonder if the story is true about Rod Stewart being called in to "show them how to do it" perhaps you can enlighten us.