joeystrange

I few months ago I got an artist deal with Ampeg. I've wanted an SVT CL for years but, as I'm sure you're aware, they're bloody expensive! Anyway, this deal made it affordable so I sold some gear (including my amp) and e-mailed the guy at Ampeg yesterday afternoon to order the CL. Turns out Ampeg don't have any amps! Well, they don't have a single CL or VR in stock and he said they've got no idea when they'll get any more in as they're moving production to a different factory. It's nobody's fault but it just happens to be really bad timing and now I'm left without an amp for god knows how long. Pain in the bum.

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1334562461' post='1617480'] Had a look on the Newtone website - look really interesting (and they're British!), especially the Platinum Bass type. Anyone had any experience with these? At £25 a set (3 times the price of the Legacies) I'm conservative with trying out new strings, but these look really interesting. [/quote] I used them for a while a few years ago - they're actually made about 2 mins from where I work. Anyway, I used them for a few months and they were great. Nice and bright and lasted pretty long too. Then I put on a new set and a string broke at a gig the next day. T^hey were the last set I bought. I've also heard that they're really helpful and will make you a balanced set of strings for whatever tuning you want.

The sad thing is that even godawful covers bands get gigs and get paid. I'd be willing to bet they get paid more and more regularly than most of our original bands too. I've had this conversation many times and me and my drummer have even thought about starting a purposely crap covers band just to see how east it is to get paid gigs doing it. I know there are rubbish originals bands out there too but the difference is they probably don't make any money. What a completely arse-backwards industry we all choose to work in!

I use Dean Markley Misfits Skullbusters. Not bad strings. I'd like a heavier set but I'm not gonna complain, I get them for free!

Hey! Have fun around here! Played a gig at Meisenfrei in Bremen once. It's a really nice place!

[quote name='Nibody' timestamp='1334224448' post='1612690'] They (Cowell etc) tried the same trick with that music charity - Rhythmix. [/quote] Didn't they do it with Liberty (who were forced to become Liberty X) too?

I heard about that yesterday. I can understand wanting them to change/stop using the name but wanting a share of the band's profits is just silly. Why do they think they're entitled to a single penny?

During one two week tour in my old band our van broke/lost parts of the exhaust three times (that happened fairly often). One show was at Newcastle Academy. The exhaust had already broken and been fixed that day so we were already running late when the fan belt broke. After waiting for a repair guy to show up we called the headliners and their manager drove 45 mins from the venue to fetch us after they'd loaded in. Oddly enough their van had broken down on the first night of the tour so they had a replacement van which was smaller than the first so we had the drums and bass amp in our van. We finally got to the venue ten minutes before doors, got the gear on stage so the headliners could do a quick soundcheck then the openers went on. I remember a guy that we didn't like very much came to most of the gigs on that tour. One night he gave us a bottle of brandy which we drank most of and topped up with piss with the intention of giving it back to him. Our manager either forgot or didn't know this and gave it to the guy that came with a new fan belt. Poor guy. To top it off we managed to get a puncture as we were leaving the car park after the last gig. It was a fun tour though! Over time I don't think there was anything that didn't go wrong with that van.

I once played the entire intro and first verse of a song completely wrong but still in the right key. The weird thing was our guitarist was also playing it wrong but playing exactly the same thing as me! It worked with the drums too so we somehow got away with it! Fell over the drum kit once too

Most of the basses I have now I bought from new however I had a flight case that my friend bought from a guitarist in Saxon. Apparently. That same friend has Iron Maiden's custom built 1979 AMEK mixing desk in his studio that he bought from their FOH engineer about 6 or 7 years ago. THAT'S a piece of history. He found out recently that a couple of their live albums were recorded with it too!

[quote name='ThomBassmonkey' timestamp='1333290752' post='1599602']Joey, you should've hit us up for gigs. We have them every couple of months, I'm sure you played with us there while you were in PWG? [/quote] Yeah, I did one with you whilst I was in PWG. I'm sure we've spoken to Joe or Dan about it before but I can't remember! I'll mention it to the rest of the band again though. Cheers for reminding me!

The Squier VM series is incredible! I got a new P Bass for less than £200 a couple of years ago and the sound and feel of it is fantastic!

We use our guitarist (and have done for years before I was in a band with him) who is an incredible designer. Check out his site: [url="http://www.bingercreative.co.uk/"]http://www.bingercreative.co.uk/[/url]

[quote name='Ed_S' timestamp='1332864713' post='1594156'] I wasn't a member of BC so didn't know it at the time, but I saw Thom(Bassmonkey) playing with the James Warner Prophecies [/quote] I didn't know Thom was on here. Seen and played with JWP a bunch of times too.

I listened to the isloated bass from Helter Skelter with John playing a Fender Bass VI last week and it was terrible! Sounded awful and the playing was really sloppy.

I head about this yesterday. This was their official statement... [quote][color=#333333]As of this afternoon The Old Bell, Derby will no longer be managed and run by the current team. This is due to a difference of opinion in regards to the future plans from the company who own The Old Bell. [/color] [color=#333333]The Old Bell has always fought to bring the best Live music to Derby, and following the way the company want the venue to head would compromis[/color][color=#333333]e the integrity of what we stand for, undo the hard work we have all put in over the years and change the Old Bell into something that it is not. The Old Bell are a team in every sense of the word and we are all sticking together. Currently we are in talks to acquire another venue within the city where we will be moving all our equipment, shows and team together to a new home. We are confident that this will be resolved quickly and we can carry on with our program with minimal disruption. Until then we are talking with local venues to try and accommodate some of the shows we have booked in to avoid disappointment. What has been missed by the company is that The Old Bell has always been about more than the building, it has been about the devotion of the team that works within the building, to provide a great place for music lovers of all genres to reside and to always make sure we put on the greatest shows we could. It was also about the dedication and knowledge of the promoters to provide the shows that the people want to see instead of what is going to make easy money, as well as providing the support to bands and musicians at all stages of their careers. These are the morals that we have always lived by and these are the morals that will be following us to our new home. We would like to thank everyone who supported us in our time at The Old Bell, all the bands who have graced our stage (often on several occasions), and especially all the people who have turned up for shows. It is because of this support that we are 100 percent dedicated to coming back bigger and stronger in a new home and look forward to inviting you all to join us again as soon as were operational again. THIS IS NOT WHERE WE END, THIS IS WHERE WE EVOLVE. SEE YOU SOON.[/color] [/quote] Sad to see it go, we had some pretty good gigs there. Although it seemed almost impossible to ever get a gig there!

I've seen (and played with) Big Red X's band, Dick Venom & the Terrortones, a few times and they're just f***ing brilliant! There's another guy on here who plays in a band called NG26 that I've seen a bunch of times but I don't know his S/N.

Not exactly 'tone' but adeadenemyalwayssmellsgood by Future Of The Left has an incredible sound! In fact, that whole album sounds great. As far as pure bass and amp tone I love pretty much everything on No Push Collide by Serafin.

Last time I played a venue with a noise limiter the bass kept tripping it so I kept having to down down and down and down until I could barely hear the amp so I just switched it off and ran direct instead. I hate those things.

[quote name='coasterbass' timestamp='1331631951' post='1576029'] I was there!!!! Reading '95 was my first festival and it was awesome. I spent the whole weekend in the moshpit - White Zombie were the best. Anyways, yeah I went to see the Foo Fighters. To this day I've never seen such a crowd. I was expecting a lot of interest but from about 2hrs beforehand there was a general shift away from the main stage to the marquee. Perhaps because (if I recall rightly) they were on at the same time as Bjork! I managed to get in the marquee (the crowd went back for miles outside) and was about 25m out wide stage left. My enduring memory was of a guy (guys?) climbing right to the top of the central pillars of the marquee. The whole gig was mental though. I wasn't aware of a recording - not that I ever looked. If its available somewhere and you have a link then please PM me. Would be great to hear it in a more chilled setting. [/quote] That's cool! Yeah, he keeps telling people to get down or they'll get kicked off stage but apparently they didn't listen. They put it online a few days ago, probably as a precursor to this year's announcement. Here's the link: [url="http://reading.foofighters.com/?utm_campaign=&utm_medium=awe.sm-twitter&utm_source=t.co&utm_content=foofightersreading-foofightersreadingtwitter"]http://reading.foofighters.com/?utm_campaign=&utm_medium=awe.sm-twitter&utm_source=t.co&utm_content=foofightersreading-foofightersreadingtwitter[/url]

I'm currently listening to the Foo Fighters set from Reading '95 and wondered if anybody here was there? I think it would have been a pretty cool thing to see!