dmccombe7

I know a few players that steep their playing fingers in vinegar which they tell me hardens the fingertips. No idea if its true and might even try that one too. Dave

Exact same here. Last gig my index finger-nail broke lifting gear into venue so i had to trim it and the middle finger to keep the tone even. That's happened a few times now and i'm at the stage where i'm just gonna stick with short nails. Dave

I get sore fingers / water blisters after almost every gig and i've tried playing lighter and its ok but songs dont have the same feel when i play like that. The audience have commented on it. They can feel the energy in the band (punk band). Think the big problem for me is i practice at home with a light touch so by the time i gig again usually every 2weeks my fingertips have gone soft again. I've started to practice harder at home to see if that maintains the hard skin on my fingertips for the next gig / rehearsal. It was ok when i was either gigging or rehearsing every week it never seemed to be a problem but that was pre-covid. Dave

Def a nice colour. Cant say i've seen many of them. Also think it suits your image too. I know that's very shallow but that's just me. Bass has to look good and play well of course. Dave

WOW that's pretty cool. Jack Bruce was one of my main influences back in late 70's. Dave

Enjoyed that. Very nice indeed. Cant beat a little bit of funk. Dave

Really liking your Ric there Cat. Dave

Always keep a pair of fingerless gloves in your kit bag if you're in the habit of doing outside gigs ............... just in case. I keep a pair of very thin gloves in my bag but its more for protecting a nerve ending on my left hand index finger that occasionally plays up. For some odd reason a thin glove seems to help. Its like someone stabbing your finger with a needle. Dave

Well done Rob. Its a fantastic library and very much appreciated. I've been learning some amazing bass parts from your site. Things i would never have dreamed of learning in the past. Many thanks Dave

People got used to the quiet of covid and now expect music venues to be quiet at weekends. Dave

If i could sing, play keys and / or bass pedals while playing some amazing bass then it would be Rush on the Farewell to Kings tour. Others would be with Kiss Alive II era. Genesis on the Seconds Out tour or Deep Purple on the California Jam gig. Dave

Stick with it, i'm sure audiences will return once things settle down again. Dave

If you haven't seen this band you need to get along to one of their gigs. Absolute professionalism and an amazing set of ELO hits. I've never been an "ELO fan" as such. I knew some or most of their hits but when you hear The ELO Experience you realise you knew more than you thought. Just a fantastic show watching guys that look as tho they are having a great night. Highlight for me was the girls dancing and singing along while playing their cello's. Everyone on stage just loving what they do and that rubs off on the audience. It makes you feel happy. Dave

If not fast yir last comes to mind. Dave

Seems to be a lot of that at the moment. I'm finding most people can only afford to go out one night a week if at all and its usually a Sat night. Its odd tho as we've played a few Sunday afternoon gigs with Glam band in clubs and they've been full. Maybe its age related. ? Treating them as paid rehearsals is the best way to approach it until economy sorts itself out somehow. As long as you enjoyed it that's all that really matters. Dave

Cheers for the heads up on this one. Just ordered the paperback from Amazon and will be one of my holiday reads. I love autobiographies when i'm relaxing on holiday. Dave

The punk band are just happy to gig as long as fuel and a chippie expenses are covered but its just great fun. Glam band on the other hand had a keys player that wouldn't play a gig for less than £1k. When we bumped him we decided to redress our fee and since restart after pandemic we have taken a fair bit less to help clubs and venues get back on their feet again. Fuel costs are definitely having an impact and long distance gigs are now going to be discussed more and fuel costs taken into account. Any gigs we've agreed to end of the year we will honour but need to look at increases for 2023. I know its just a hobby for me but i dont want to be playing for nothing anymore. I want the cost of fuel and food covered with some cash left over for my pocket. Dave Dave

@Reggaebass here you go. Cheers for this Rob. Looking at it i can see what you mean. Lot more to it than i first thought too. Well done sir. Dave

I found when i got abck into playing 12 yrs ago that many guys had that approach including myself. As the band progressed the attitudes changed and went through stages of 1. would play for nothing and at short notice 2. would only play if they broke even 3. would only play for a minimum fee 4. started looking for better paying venues Not saying everyone has that outlook but i did find that attitude change with 2 different bands 10-12 yrs ago. Is it possible to find an existing, gigging band that's looking for a new bass player ? Think you may have mentioned before about the lack of musicians in your area which is always gonna be a hurdle. My bands are both well spread out. New guitarist in Glam band is 75 miles and 1:30hrs from me. Takes approx 1hr to 1:30hrs for us all to get to rehearsals in Glasgow. Cant remember how far you are form main towns etc. I use FB, Join My Band, Bandmix, Gumtree to find other musicians altho both bands i'm currently in have been word of mouth thru friends. Dave

Aye that describes her very well and you just know she has the professional knowhow to do it. Dave

She's such a nice person you just dont want to say no and disappoint her. 🥰 I remember you guys talking about that gig. When it first kicked off you were all quite excited and then it faded a bit. Dave

You're right enough now that i see the XSLF. Dave

I've no idea TBH, i just assumed they were still in Ireland. Dave