dmccombe7

That's hard going. Did 34 songs in 3 weeks and i struggled with that. Played the gigs and found we only played around 20 of them. All the best with the gig and let us know how you got on.............Good or Bad Dave

[quote name='scrumpymike' timestamp='1500145701' post='3335937'] Thanks dmccombe7 for posting The Spiders From Mars Interviews - just finished watching and loved it! Brought back some happy memories of playing Bowie stuff - including The G-G - dep'ing behind a really good Bowie tribute artist at a one-off charity gig years ago. [/quote] You are very welcome. Its been another good thread. Dave

Love the Purple Nikes Blue Dave

[quote name='Trueno' timestamp='1500109262' post='3335648'] Best of luck with that... we all love Rhythm Stick... heh! heh! [/quote] Never tried it altho i appreciate the bassline. Think its time to have a go tho. Dave

[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1500109180' post='3335646'] That may be support act syndrome though, I have seen some brilliant support acts where the majority of the crowd just don't even bother listening because it isn't who they came to see so the support act just don't get the atmosphere no matter what they do. It's sad when people are so blinkered. Some of my favourite bands are ones I saw as supports acts first. And if you ever wanted to come over here I am sure that between us all on BC we could get you a good few gigs. I know a few places locally who I am sure would have you play. [/quote] UK Tour on the cards Blue Dave

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1500079207' post='3335548'] The thread is about not using punters response to a performance as an excuse for shoddy performance. The thread is not about what punters notice or don't notice. It's clearly articulated in my thread opening. And I don't see any trolling anywhere it from anyone in this post. Blue [/quote] Exactly and i'm enjoying the thread. Not sure why the negativity on an interesting thread ? If someone doesn't like the post then don't read it. Dave [quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1500102054' post='3335580'] Next opportunity you get, book a busman's holiday for a fortnight playing Open Mic nights and jams over here my friend. That'll be different enough for you. It may help you with your perspective on things. Seriously. It'd be a good old laugh if nothing else. I'd even lend you a guitar and combo if you wanted. There must be other multi instrumentalist members in the East Midlands who'd get involved in a pop-up band for the duration...? As I only play bass, I'd be happy to roadie and be involved as required elsewhere like BVs or something. Just an idea. [/quote] I like that idea. I would come along just to say hello to people i know thru BC and have a bit of a laugh. Dave

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1500062599' post='3335470'] Experience is a great topic for discussion. I have 50 years of experience. 50 years of the same limited experience. I have; 1.No travel or tour experience 2.No high level contract negotiation experience 3.No experience making sure band members have the proper passports and visas and no records with the authorities (felons) 4.No band management experience 5.No recording or video experience 6.Very little experience playing with really good musicians. 7. A lot of experience standing in an inch of piss for 4 hours and getting home at 3:00 in the morning. Blue [/quote] But how many gigs have you played. That counts as a lot of valuable experience. Many musicians i know that play regularly have that confident attitude that has been gained over many years and playing many gigs. I knew them when they were far younger and they were never as confident as they are now. Maybe age has provided that confidence but think its more to do with their gigging experience. I don't believe they have improved on a technical level as they are still playing same style of music, same songs, same routine riffs that they played years ago but they now do it far more confidently giving an aire of professionalism IMO. Dave

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1500041779' post='3335318'] Yes. But the experience is cumulated. In my case it's sporadic but over several years. For a pro I would expect that experience to be gained quickly in a few years. I think it's more about how you approach your playing. If you join a covers band and stay in that band for years playing with the same musicians concentrating on exact facsimiles of tunes, never having a lesson, you're not going to develop much. Go to college for 3 years and you'd come out with far more experience and knowledge than I have. We also talk about developing big ears. That's listening to lots of different types of music and being able to hear where tunes are going. I.e. Knowing what and where the chord changes are going to be. There are people who are open to music and new ideas and there are people who have very closed minds. Really what I'm saying is that Pro's and more experienced musicians have a massive tool kit and make it look easy, and to some extent it does become extremely easy. There is still the occasional tune that requires a lot of work. Hit me with your Rhythm stick is a tune I have to learn. I've always shied away from learning it. I'm expecting it to take a while (maybe an hour or two?) to transpose and get the right feel. But now I have reason and an excuse to learn it. That's one reason why changing bands often is quite an important driver for me. [/quote] Think this totally sums it all up for me. Explains it all in my opinion. Dave

TimR - sounds like you've reached that peak because you have put in the additional effort. Looking at your background in playing and how you describe it you have obviously gained a vast amount of experience over the years. So i guess that answers the OP question in a way. To get a flawless or a good performance requires a lot of dedicated hard work and a drive to put that job in front of other things in life. I guess that's why professional musicians are where they are too. It has to be a balance of what you feel is important to you. Dave

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1499988529' post='3335043'] How do they get to that level? Attitude, hard work,conviction, disipline, gifted, and smarts are probably all a part of it. I also think playing with like minded people and playing with musicians that challenge you helps. It will be tough for young guys in bands with guys that have the ability but are just plain lazy. I'm sure a few of you have been through that. Very frustrating. Blue [/quote] Agree with you on reasons Blue. I do regard you as a Professional musician tho as you earn a living from playing. Not sure whether TimR is also a full time musician or is it a hobby. My question was for TimR on how he managed to get to that level himself. If he's a full time musician then i would expect that kind of level. If its a part time job then i'm curious as to how he reached that level. Its not a sarcastic reply to TimR and not having a dig at anyone here. I am curious to know how a part time bassist achieves that higher level. Some guys are just sh*t hot at playing and have a natural ability and that would be the answer to my question. If it's solely down to putting in the additional effort and hard work then that kind of explains why some people are just better at it than others and partially answers Blue's original query on this thread. Dave

Don't really see it as a badge of honour. I've always had a well paid job and never really needed the money from gigging. For me i just enjoyed playing. If the gigs were well paid i really appreciated the extra cash but if not it didn't really bother me as long as i was enjoying it and the audience were having a good time. The big difference Blue is that you made a decision to make a living from playing and that's admirable but as you say doesn't make you a better player just more dedicated to earning than myself. I have found thru friends that make a living from it that they do put in a bit more effort into their performance and their overall band package. That comes across in both their ability as musicians and the overall presentation of the band. That's just a personal observation of people and bands i know. If you ask yourself "is money the driving force behind you playing" i would say No whereas some would have to say yes because it pays the bills at the end of the day. That's maybe a bit crude and simplistic view of it but it does highlight one of the differences between why we are all playing. Blue - i def don't see you as the bad guy either. I do see you as someone who has good strong opinions on the subject and posts that i thoroughly enjoy. If we were all the same it would be a boring world i reckon. Think there are many reasons for why we all play. No Good or Bad ones. Just different. Dave

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1499962090' post='3334869'] Regards professionals having more time to practice, most of the professionals I know don't practice in the same way as hobby players. Once you have achieved a certain amount of experience, playing and learning new material is extremely simple. I have a dep job with a band in 4 weeks where I have to play 35 tunes that I've never played before. I haven't practiced one of them yet let alone met the rest of the band. [/quote] How did you get to that level of experience tho. ? Surely you must have put a lot of hrs in to practicing at home or you have played a lot of gigs over the years. At some point in a professionals playing career they must have put the hours in to achieve the level of experience that you mention. Altho i personally have never quite reached that level i can see how it would be a lot simpler to learn new material at short notice. Is it not the case that they have reached that point either by playing and gigging more hrs than the average Joe who is working a full time job elsewhere. I guess that is where their commitment has taken them to a higher level of experience than many amatuer musicians. There will always be the exceptions to the rule but i'm talking more a general point of view rather than every individual. Dave

was always 40-100 until bought my Warwick Thumb in 89 which came with 35-95 Elites. Tried them for few years but went back to 40-100. Don't recall ever trying anything heavier on my 4 stringers. I always thought Rotosound 40-100 was the standard gauge. ?? Been a long time since buying them and this poll shows 45-105 is most common. ? Dave

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1499924258' post='3334492'] [url="http://www.bravewoodguitars.co.uk/page5.html"]http://www.bravewood...o.uk/page5.html[/url] [/quote] Cheers Now i see it. Not my taste in basses. I'm not a fan of distresse or worn basses to be honest. I like mine pristine. Dave Dave

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1499940557' post='3334644'] Its not for another thread. Punters DO notice the difference, thats why I always want my band "On". A Pub band can and should be just as professional in attitude to practice and rehearsal as a pro band. That was my point, punters do notice if a band is having a great time rather than simply playing the right notes in the right places. Its about a professional performance/show, rather than just being a good musician. [/quote] I see your point but i've found that the reality for many amatuer bands is that they simply don't have the same amount of time available to rehearse either at home after work or rehearsing with their band. One of the main differences i see is that a "professional" musician spends his days learning his material and has less distraction in life. If i was spending my days learning songs and perfecting my performance in general i would expect to be up there hitting all the right notes and interacting with my audience to ensure they have the best night of their lives. Sadly i don't have that time available but still strive to do the best i can. I learn from each gig to perfect for the next gig. I learned a fair bit from Blue's other post on "Stage Presence" that i need tp perfect so i'm learning all the time. Every day a school day. With regards putting on a professional show i agree with you and all bands should be aiming for a high standard. Dave

I would think that Ann Wilson and Peter Frampton as an example have reached that point in their career because they put the effort in. They've obviously taken on board any criticism from early years and worked to improve what they percieved as flaws or failings in the performance. I would hope that i strive to do the same altho don't see me reaching their level as its more a hobby for me and its not a career for me. That being said i want to put on the best show or performance i can as a band. I would expect "professional musicians" to have put more time into their material and performance and therefore expect a higher level of show than the guy who has to work 40hr week and hopefully get an hour or two at night to learn material for his pub gig. You have to draw a balance between what your full time job is and what you can realistically achieve as an amatuer. A good positive attitude to the performance and a high level of confidence is a huge help no matter what level you are at. Its a bit like comparing a repair tech who does it for a living and a guy that does the odd repair in his spare time. I would expect the full time repair guy to know his job better and offer a better service level. That is a general observation and there will lalways be the exception to the rule. Dave

No image or link on the post. Am i missing something here ? Dave

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1499890543' post='3334391'] We have a local rock guitarist here Greg Koch, maybe you've heard of him. I've heard critical comments from other local guitarists, because they don't like like his "in your face" aggressive execution and style. [url="https://youtu.be/jQQIT4SJHpY"]https://youtu.be/jQQIT4SJHpY[/url] Greg also got to where he is on the "hard work express" Those other guitarist are on "excuse express" Blue [/quote] Now he's mighty impressive. Nice. Dave

I've seen many top bands and they've made mistakes but they continue with confidence and majority of non-musicians don't notice. Those that do notice are usually musicians. Rush being a god example. All at the top of their game for bass, guitar and drums but i've heard them all make the occasional mistake or with Niel his kit didn't work as it should have and he improvised best he could. Crowd probably didn't know what was coming and therefore didn't recognise that as a mistake and just thought it was his performance for that night. For me i like to rehearse to a oint i know the songs inside out and can play them without thinking too much about the songs and that way i can relax and enjoy the show more. Short notice gigs where not enough prep i sometimes make a mistake or i'm too busy concentrating to "enjoy" the show as much as i would like. I like to to think that our band aims for perfection but doesn't always achieve it on every night. We set perfection as a target tho. Dave

[quote name='Bridgehouse' timestamp='1489322833' post='3255988'] Funny story there.. I tried the 74 through it when I got home. It was as quiet and hum free as anything I've ever heard before. Silent. Even with quite a bit of gain up. With the tweeter on full there was a bit of hiss, but winding it down it was super quiet. I was really impressed. Plugged the 64 in and there was some hum. Not a huge amount, but clearly some hum. Oh oh I thought - grounding issue. Out came the multimeter - checked the continuity on the 74 for reference, all 100% perfect. The 64 however - perfect from pots and pups to the jack, but the strings weren't. Hmmmm. There was continuity from the bridge ground solder on the pot to the jack, but not from the bridge and strings. Strings off, and pulled the bridge. It was clear I was the first person to pop the bridge off since new (!) - and there it was, the ground wire bare end had sunk into the lacquer over time and wasn't making a good connection. Moved it, tightened it up and reseated the bridge. Guess what? 100% continuity and absolutely no hum. Clean as a whistle. Sounds superb. You live and learn huh? [/quote] I'll need to check my Jazz as it has a little bit of hum. Dave

[quote name='hrnn1234' timestamp='1499837699' post='3333907'] [url="https://www.facebook.com/crowheart/videos/1667102649984638/?hc_ref=OTHER"]https://www.facebook...8/?hc_ref=OTHER[/url] here I am again. got the 7th place on a speed contest (out of 20-something). free beer, so extra fun [/quote] When i try to look at VID it comes up with a Facebook LOGIN request even tho i'm already logged in. Doesn't happen with every VID just an occasional one. ? Dave

Here's a couple of VIDS from our Guitarists birthday bash earlier this year. He's the one with the waistcoat on. 3 bands playing that night so a little cramped on stage. Was a bit hectic getting set prepared in such a short time. Not my usual style of playing but good fun all the same. Only been with the band few weeks when we did this so not the best performance but a great night was had and i thoroughly enjoyed it. Also the bass only arrived that day from GAK and took a little getting used to it. Sounded ok tho IMHO. Not my bass rig and being a Hartke L5000 with 2off 15" cabs it sounded pretty awesome on stage. Lots of low end. Dave http://youtu.be/Ru-rCOGYB2g http://youtu.be/nJXWcBM_3G4 http://youtu.be/fzsRBDDiW6g

Excellent. Advertising doesn't come much better than that. Well done. Dave

Welcome to the Forum. Love the Highlands in general. Cracking roads up North. NC500 being quite famous for all types of transport. I holiday at least once every year at Drumnadrochit. Been doing it since mid 90's. Dave

Old VID clip and not the best quality but sound is ok. UK :- In the Dead of Night http://youtu.be/AeXSQl56no8 Rush :- YYZ http://youtu.be/LdpMpfp-J_I Dave