OldGit

Sorry I hijacked your thread .. So what happened in the end?

I depped a funk gig on Baritone sax last week ... I wasn't too surprised to see the audience fading about 2 minutes into each virtually identical Bootsy and P Funk tune some of which were 7 minutes long "'cos it is on the record" .. Bad tune choices and a blind obsession with the records from the bass player (dominant personality) spoiled it really. The whole room lifted for Car Wash and the bizarre encore of Night Boat to Cairo .. - weird choice. Still for deps you just gotta keep your gob shut, or filled with sax, mostly .. I had fun though and "make my funk a p-funk" has been circulating around my brain for a few weeks ...

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='361579' date='Dec 23 2008, 12:03 AM']That's quite possibly true but the 'extreme awfulness', as i saw it, of the the whole thing prevented me from noticing there even was a bass on it. [/quote] Ah well I'm doing my VAT return so I wasn't really looking much, just listening

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='361558' date='Dec 22 2008, 11:46 PM']I can't tell to be honest. Dollar could be major short arses. [/quote] Ha ha, I am sure they are .. Pino is certainly gifted in the length department though ...

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='361559' date='Dec 22 2008, 11:46 PM']I think it was too. I also thought it was extremely awful.[/quote] I thought the bass was pretty good on the Dollar stuff and it's always nice to see "celebrities" when they still were.. .. I assumed it was a synth but I liked the dynamics on the rekkerd .. Oh yeah that's certainly him on the Paul Young.. mwaaaaaaaaah-de mwaaaaaaah

Was that Pino miming along with Dollar on "Mirror mirror" on tonight's TOTP2? The guy was 7 feet tall, 2 inches wide and playing a natural stingray

I use one of these [url="http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/behringer-ab-100/69058"]http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/behringer-ab-100/69058[/url] Behringer a-b switcher with different levels for each channel It's terrible design, changing the battery is very awkward, the mains lead falls out and the jacks have to be very well seated to work consistantly... but it was cheap. The two channels on my MB LMK head can be set up for two different basses too, though I use them in a different way. A slightly more expensive option

Oh Silly me! What you most certainly should buy is a Randall RB2000 1990's Bi-amp. Brilliant case, lovely knobs and loads of them, nice and solid and heavy so it doesn't skip off the top of your cabs .. Perfect!

[quote name='Merton' post='360731' date='Dec 22 2008, 09:56 AM']It got moved from General Bass Discussioon![/quote] Oh Ok That makes sence

[quote name='Faithless' post='360570' date='Dec 21 2008, 11:01 PM']Sorry to interrupt, but, goddamnit, is this a section for such specific questions as amps?[/quote] Eh? This is the amps and cabs section ... What's the problem?

Well you just have to look at the Hartke LH500 - 500 watts for under £250 and you get a valve Thread to read here: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=26831&view=findpost&p=275905"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&sho...st&p=275905[/url] Other than that try a Mark Bass Little Mark II, or maybe the LM 250 if you really don't need the extra watts Then the standard questions ... What's your budget, new or used, and what kind of gigs do you do?

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='359938' date='Dec 20 2008, 10:32 PM']Finally, don't forget that - when the original owner did this - he was modifying a very common, inexpensive bass. 20/20 hindsight is all very well, but calling him a "moron" for doing this is a tad unfair.[/quote] +1 (see my "1962 fender P bass bits for sale" thread for similar youthful errors ..) Remember a '65 Fender was just a plank in '65 ... Mind you, if you guys are so clever, what should we be buying and stashing away today so that it's worth a fortune in 50 years time? Tricky isn't it

[quote name='paul h' post='359867' date='Dec 20 2008, 08:49 PM']As a follow up to leschirons thread about a guitarist who couldn't improvise, I have to confess...it's the only thing I can do. I have only ever learnt a couple of bass lines in my life. 99% of the time I just work out what key the song is in and roughly what happens during it and then make the rest up on the spot. And when I say key, I actually mean I just work out a couple of chords on the guitar because I am never 100% sure what the key is. I tend to just go by the first chord and use my ears for the rest! So when I learn songs for a band, I actually learn it on guitar. And when I say learn it I really mean find the first chord of the verse, chorus and middle 8 sections. The exception to all this being original compositions where I tend to closely stick to my original bass part. Close to 25 years of playing bass and I still can't be bothered to learn someone else's bass line. Paul.[/quote] Whatever gets you though the night er, gig ............

[quote name='The Funk' post='359337' date='Dec 20 2008, 01:01 AM']I remember one of your posts in response to that thread with the same message as you always give out - and you were bang on then and you're right now.[/quote] Yeah, Sorry, I'm a cracked record on this one "Pay to Play is evil, why can't they recognise my musical genius for it's own worth?" has been coming up for years and it probably always will. So, if you are a new originals band reading this and moaning about playing toilets to no one and having to pay a promoter or venue for the chance to play at all, remember [b] all you have to do to get around that is become entertaining.[/b] You clearly are not entertaining now 'cos no one wants to see you, either that or you just don't tell them when you are playing. My money is on the former. That is it. It's as simple as that. No, really. Once you are entertaiing you will not only feel good about getting your mates along to your gigs, they will feel cool about getting [i]their[/i] mates along to the next one and so on. That's how you build a following, then you take control of the gigs situation and leave behind the pay to play trap. I'll not tell you what "being entertainig" is in your context, you have to work that out for yourself but your audience has to go away and say "hey, saw [insert band name] last night and they were great. They are playing down the [insert venue name] next week, Wanna come?" If you can generate that response you are sorted.

[quote name='MB1' post='359473' date='Dec 20 2008, 11:43 AM']MB1. "Here!...Have you seen my Washboard?"....... Adventures in a John Sparkes landscape! Sold a Fender 62 P RE CIJ to Simon! Great guy to sell to ,nice drive out!,Bought me Coffee and sandwiches too!(O Dear!,may have started something there! ) Must say a couple of things youve gotta remember! 1. People Often dont look like there Avatars! 2. Youll never get anywhere calling youre band a fruit based drinks name! Have a great Christmas and a happy new year! Martin.[/quote] Dunno what you mean I look just like my avatar ...

[quote name='P-T-P' post='51038' date='Aug 26 2007, 08:21 PM']Top bloke, drove all the way from Manchester to S. Wales on a bank holiday Friday to deliver his Warwick Thumb to me. Ace guy to deal with.[/quote] Double Top Bloke! Did the same trip to deliver his P bass to me today in Cardiff, then took my Yamaha BB414 to bassman2790 on his way home. Total star, very entertaining stories over Lunch too Oasis!

Sold Mark my Yamaha BB414 to add to his yammie collection. Excellent comms and a very nice guy to deal with Thanks!!!!

[quote name='Golchen' post='359182' date='Dec 19 2008, 09:19 PM']Aye, can't beat a headless![/quote] Said Henry VIII......

[quote name='The Funk' post='359069' date='Dec 19 2008, 07:13 PM']I'd only book places that already have these. But it doesn't have to be one of the "name" venues that offers f*** all value for money. I'd tend to go for a place that has a stage already! Security - only ever played two gigs where there was security (ie. one doorman). And at most of the venues we've played the door staff have been incompetent. I'd rather place a trusted friend at the door. Almost anyone can do that job. We always provide our own backline. I'd normally book a place that had both a decent PA and lights. I'd pay for my own engineer. At least then I won't feel so bad for shouting at him at the end for ballsing up the sound so badly. Radio? Radio? Seriously? Publicity for most of these clowns = listing it on their myspace page/website (free to do and takes no more than 2 minutes) and/or getting Time Out to list it (again, free to do and takes no more than a 2 minute email). Tickets - only played one gig where there were physical tickets. I've seen flyers/posters only for the 1 good promoter we still play with. I've only played for 1 promoter where the bands were compatible. And I have never, ever seen a promoter make bands act like grown-ups, force each other to share equipment or do anything to minimise Primadonna tendencies. I have seen promoters scrap the agreed running order, beg for equipment at the last minute that they were supposed to provide and weasle out of any kind of confrontation. I've also never seen a promoter cut short an overrunning soundcheck or support set. And I've never seen a promoter clean up afterwards. That's the venue staff's job and the promoter's usually gone home long before then. I'm not saying I disagree with you about a lot of bands thinking it's ok to be completely passive about self-promotion. I just think you have an idealised sense of what a lot of the clowns in London actually do - and therefore I think that bands should just put on gigs themselves.[/quote] London? Where's that? Funk, you are clearly living in the real world and, as you have said, you have graduated from the toilet circuit circus because you are entertaining enough to sell a reasonable amount of tickets and you also put your own gigs on. My post was only a reality check for people who whinge about being expected to contribute a tiny amount to the overall costs of creating an opportunity for them to play their gigs by bringing a very small number of punters to their gigs. Call it play to play if you want. It was ever thus and it will always be because every average band playing uninspired music in an unentertaining way still thinks that they somehow deserve a platform, and more than that, the venue and promoter should subsidise their performance.

[quote name='The Funk' post='358984' date='Dec 19 2008, 05:17 PM']Who says you have to put them on at traditional music venues?[/quote] Rent a room, pay for an entertainments licence, bar licence, bar, bar staff, beer etc. to sell, security, door staff, stage, backline, PA and driver, lights, printing and distribution of publicity materials and tickets etc., do the publicity, radio, Facebook mailout, Email mail out, website, myspace, flyer distribution, promote the event and sell the tickets. Then book the 5 compatible bands to make a fine show and decide who goes on when in the evening, make sure they act like grown ups, lend each other kit and minimise their Primadonna tendencies. Then manage the stage and bands on the night, make sure the fights are sorted out, pay the bands and sweep up after yourself... Yeah "money grabbing" venues and promoters don't really do much, especially compared to selling 20 tickets, turning up, plugging in and playing a few tunes

Yeah I heard that too .. It's really decorative, a feature of the tune, even for civilians, and well in your face

[quote name='coasterbass' post='358966' date='Dec 19 2008, 05:06 PM']In essence the venue have 'insured' themselves by selling each night to a promoter. Hey ho.[/quote] You can't blame them. There are so many bands that are full of sh1t about how may people they will bring and who think that filling an empty pub with fabulous music for an evening is a viable alternative to a trib or covers band playing tired old hackneyd tunes to a pub heaving with ticket and beer buying punters ...

So stop playing those venues or the P2P nights .. As Dangerboy says, put your own nights on., cut out the profiteering, do nothing promotor. Simple ...

[quote name='Musky' post='358613' date='Dec 19 2008, 10:30 AM']Sorry, but that's just tosh. 'Promoters' of these events (and they don't really deserve the title promoter) pass all risk involved in putting on a gig over to the bands. Their costs are more than covered by the bands before a note is played, so they don't actually have to do a thing to promote the gig. So they don't (and no, updating a myspace page isn't promotion). I wouldn't expect you to have heard of Club Mgrif in Cardiff, but nobody except the bands that play there have heard of it in London either - he's been operating for long enough at plenty of venues so you might expect some kind of profile. But he doesn't have to lift a finger because even if the place is completely empty the bands will be earning him a tidy profit. P2P promoters don't even have to bother putting on a matched bill. Of course a band will always do better if they can pull in friends/family/fans, but that is not the issue. The issue is that all risk is pushed onto the band giving the promoter no incentive whatsoever to put on a good night. When you say that these gigs are 'financially viable for all' the truth is that it's just financially viable for the promoter - the bands to often end up out of pocket (on top of usual band costs). If the promoter believes a band can't pull anyone down, what the hell is he doing putting them on in the first place? Plenty of other promoters manage to put on well matched gigs without charging them a bean - if the band doesn't pull any punters they don't get rebooked. A P2P promoter on the other hand will happily continue putting on these bands safe in the knowledge that he's lining his pockets regardless. So what we get are depressing gigs of bands that need have little in common with each other, hence no reason for punters to hang about to watch other bands. 20 years ago these types of promoters had a strangle hold on London venues - we don't want them back. It's band for bands, it's bad for the live music scene. [/quote] All you have to do to switch the power from the promotor to the band is pull 200 punters every time you play. Then you call the shots and they ask you nicely when you'd like to come back and do it again.

[quote name='Paul Cooke' post='358604' date='Dec 19 2008, 10:13 AM']yeah, no-one owes you a gig, but the whole job of the promoter is to promote the event... he's getting you to do most of his job for him and riding off it. He should be the one with the risk of unsold tickets, but he's passed that off onto the bands by making them buy tickets up front.[/quote] Well we've been round this a few times but... I'm assuming you are playing originals or obscure covers and not Mustang Sally . If you think the promoter will do all the work then you are likely to be paying to play (in one form or other) for all of your musical career. It's the [b]band's[/b] job to promote [b]themselves[/b]. The promoter may help you do it but his real job is to promote his venue, and help the 14 other bands playing there that week. If you can't be arsed to sell 50 tickets, or aren't good enough to sell 50 tickets or you aren't marketing your band well enough to sell 50 tickets then why should he bother to give you a gig that will cost him money when the next band along will do the work and will bring 50 or 100 paying punters ? It's just pure economics and competition. If you want to play his nice prestigious venue that is well known for putting on decent nights ( I assume, or why are you playing there at all?) and use his backline, his PA and his lights, and his stage and his bar staff and his electricity, business rates, etc etc etc then someone has to pay and if the punters aren't coming in, then it's you paying for a rehearsal space .. Remember for him the choice is not[i] your [/i]band or [i]no[/i] band, its [i]your[/i] band Vs a[i] band that packs the place[/i].. If you think he is doing a crap job then play elsewhere or play covers in a pub or put on your own gigs.