dmccombe7

2 hours ago, Greg Edwards69 said:

I'll definitely give it serious consideration if the gig is offered. Whilst I'm not bothered about being "noticed" and I've done my fair share of higher-end, non-pub gigs, it's certainly something to put on the CV.

I thought I'd attached that picture - I think it's quite an amusing pairing to behold, like David and Goliath.  The Jackson normally lived in a gigbag, but thought I'd make the stage look nicer with all the gear on display.

Perhaps I'm being too hard on myself - I'm finding imposter syndrome is getting stronger as I get older. As @Woodinblack (who knows me quite well) mentioned above, I'm no stranger to learning and pulling off fairly complex songs with a fairly short preparation time - I've done that many times for our UKMG meetups, and depped with the odd band. But admittedly, I'm better at learning stuff I'm familiar with several weeks' notice. I've heard of guys who'll dep at a couple of days notice or less, with unfamiliar material... that scares the crap out of me.  I have no idea how 'flygigs' work either. I guess the artist management would assist with all that.

I've found this setlist that gives me an idea of what could be required, however. There are a couple of covers that I'm already familiar with.

 

Oh well. We'll wait and see what happens. I guess it could be fun learning some of these songs as a self-improvement exercise anyway, even if it doesn't come to pass

Not exactly a big set list to learn. Sure you'll make the right decision for you but keep us posted on what happens.

Dave

11 hours ago, Greg Edwards69 said:

Back at the Cow & Telescope in Southend-on-Sea on Friday. Our third time at this venue and by far my favourite place on the pub circuit. Always an appreciated crowd who turn up for the music. A decent night with a good turnout of our friends, family and followers. Unfortunately for us, we were told by the landlady that about 15 of the regulars (who wanted to see us) were up in London to see Slash and Myles Kennedy - I don’t blame them TBH, I’d rather watch Slash and Myles than us, lol.

 

We’re gradually getting used to the Allen & Heath desk, and it’s getting easier to dial in and tweak for every venue,. I had a slight issue with my IEMs - the cable came out of the right one halfway through the second set. It was so hot and sweaty in there I could grip the plug firm enough to push it back in, so I played the remainder of the set with one IEM and a glorified earplug. Oh well.

 

Our super sub Sophie did and fantastic job yet again and received lots of compliments. She blew our socks off on Proud Mary, she really went for it.

 

I had an interesting chat with one chap. One of my wife’s younger workmates introduced me to her new boyfriend before we started who is a drummer. Nice chap, and got a chance to chat with him after our first set. He was very impressed with our drummer, asking me who he is. I replied he’s a grade 8 qualified drummer who’s a full time drum teacher, played in a number of bands, including originals and previously a busy, touring a punk band.  The chap said, I’m a session drummer and he’s better than me.

 

He then asked who our bassist is as he’s pretty good as well I don’t think he could see me where he was sitting and didn’t realise it was actually me. I said, “that’s me, and thank you.  He told me one of his regular session gigs is playing with Samantha Fox, and what am I doing in a couple of months time as there’s a gig their regular bassist can’t do. I told me I’m not a session guy and I have a full-time day job so I’m not sure about that thing. He said, “Oh the songs are easy, and it'll be a case of fly into Lithuania on the Friday, gig Saturday and home again Sunday"!

 

I'm extremely flattered and we shared details, but I don't think I'll go for it if he does end up asking. Not only do I need to renew my passport, but I don't own any flight cases for my gear not to mention a massive dose of imposter syndrome and I don't think I'd be able to dedicate time to learning a batch of songs I've never heard of at very short notice - it's just not a skill I'm used to doing.

Still, it's nice to be asked.

 

Obligatory venue pics, including the tools for the night - the very unidentical twins.

 

Appreciate it can be a bit daunting but as mentioned before its an opportunity of a lifetime plus it will get you noticed on the circuit a lot more than down the local pub.

I'd give it serious consideration.

As for learning the songs quickly you'll find once you start it will come quickly.

Dave

10 hours ago, Angelus said:

Ted’s playing in the livingroom on the 27th of April, if you’re looking for a wee trip out? 👍

Do you mean Horse & Jockey  ?

Dave

2 hours ago, Angelus said:

Sorry, missed the reply Dave. Yes, they call it “The Live Livingroom”, but we went down a treat and he’s offered us more gigs. It is quite compact and bijou. 🤣 But great audience and when you take it for what it is, it’s just fun. Any gig I’m back in Lanark before the takeaway shuts, is classed as a good venue. 🤣
 

 Friend plays drums with Jack, so will need to pop down and see them. 👍

Is that the very young drummer. ?

Played in a band years ago with Jack called George's Kitchen named after Jack's dog that he always left in kitchen when he was out. We've kept in touch since 80's. Incredible guitarist and a pure showman into the bargain hence his Zep band. 

I went to one of the jam sessions but it was too busy for me. Couldn't move anywhere. Its well attended and quite well organised for different bands.

Wee Ted should consider it as he's a legend in Wishaw.

Dave 

3 hours ago, Obrienp said:

My Mum made me have piano lessons: I wanted to play clarinet (it was the time of Stranger on the Shore). I hated it. Couldn’t get it. The piano teacher was called Mr Bassman: must have been a sign😀! He got so frustrated with me that he used to poke me in the ribs with his long bony fingers (probably be arrested these days). Anyway, my Mum eventually gave up and decided to save her money. I don’t know who begged more for the lessons to stop: me or Mr Bassman.
 

The experience completely put me off playing music until I was about 13, when a confluence of a friends guitar and hearing the Stones, Led Zeppelin, etc, persuaded me that maybe it was worth having a go. I still expect everything that goes wrong to be my fault and I drive my band mates crazy by constantly apologising for my perceived imperfections! 🤣

I mentioned it earlier. Its never your fault. That's why bands have drummers. 😂

Dave

35 minutes ago, Franticsmurf said:

This is the over riding factor for me now. The band as a whole should genuinely be having a good time regardless of the performance. The audience will pick up on that whether they realise or not. I've had a few compliments over the years along the lines of 'you looked like you were enjoying that', which to me is job done. But part of the enjoyment for me comes from knowing my part well enough that I'm not working hard at playing it. So I'll put the effort in behind the scenes so I can relax during the performance.

100% this

45 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

A faultless YEAR?  Your aim is high indeed - I don't think many bands will have a faultless gig, singular!

I did say aim high but realistically i'm happy if we have a completely faultless gig 

I'll accept 1 mistake, 2 means punishment with the lash and 3 well you might as well pick up your jacket on way out. 

I jest of course. I think most bands will aim high but we won't achieve it every time.

Dave

38 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

I think mine is earlier than that. When I was a kid i had a very strict, and not entirely mentally stable piano teacher. Well, actually I had 2, complete contrasts. The first one i went to and loved, but my mum took me away from there, as whenever we went or she picked me up there would be other kids there too, and the lessons merged from one to the other (ie, you got there 5 minutes early you would listen to the previous kid, then at the end of yours the next kid would be listening). She was great, but my mum though it wasn't the right personal attention as others were there, so we went to another one. None of that there. But she was strict, very strict and almost took all the joy out of playing sometimes (but not quite!). I still have manuscripts with very large drawn angry pencil marks around a sharp I got wrong (F# - always hated it since). so when I got something wrong we would stop and do it again until it was right.

 

Which means I really hear every mistake reverberate around my head, and every note that is wrong overides the 100 that were right.

 

I have learned recently that just laughing at the mistakes with the drummer when something sounds bad is a more enjoyable way of doing it, but it takes work!

Whenever i make a mistake i just turn round and look at the drummer. Takes the pressure off me. 

Is that not why we have drummers.........to take the blame for all mistooks. 

Dave

42 minutes ago, neepheid said:

I think my overly glib reply needs expanding upon.  I prefer to get it right.  Every time.  I do not have a phone it in, "that'll do" approach and never had.  Serious bloops need addressed as a band. 

 

I think my mistake management has improved.  When I started out, I would be very uptight and small mistakes would put me off a lot - my drummer is still mentally scarred by the "death stare of '09" when he had the audacity to miss a snare I was expecting!  Nowadays, I am a lot better at recovery when I make a mistake, and see other people's mistakes as an opportunity for humour - a knowing look with a smile tends to get a better performance out of others than a death stare.  Looks better from an audience point of view - whether they notice the mistake or not, they see a band having a good time, so they feel predisposed to having a good time.  Good vibes transmit way better than a scowl or grimace of "F F F BolloX I made a mistake!" followed by several bars of self flagellation.  Forget about it for now, pick up the song ASAP.  The time for discussion/review is after the gig, not during.

We have an approach that if a mistake is made we carry on and if after the gig the person realises they made it and it was just a senior moment then job done. That's just human error and can't be helped. It doesn't need the band have a rehearsal to rectify. It just means someone goofed a bit and knows it.

We never have a mistake where we are wondering WTF happened there. 

I think as long as the band are aware what happened and its not the norm then its sorted.

Please don't get me wrong either and as a band Yes we make mistakes during a gig so i'm not saying every gig i play is spot on 100% perfect but its what we aim for. I don't think many bands will have a faultless year of gigs. Certainly not me. 

Dave

46 minutes ago, Franticsmurf said:

Early in my live playing career I thought the same. I practiced endlessly and never thought I'd reached the level of skill to play live, let alone perfection. I fretted (pun intended) about every mistake I made and cringed at every botch-up of an arrangement made by the band. But the BL at the time explained that most audiences wouldn't notice and/or care if there were mistakes, missed verses, wrong words etc. Sadly, he was right and for a few years afterwards I didn't make the effort I should have, using his explanation as an excuse not to practice or learn specific parts for songs and the repeat bookings as evidence that it didn't matter. To my shame! Then I discovered the joy of 'making and effort and getting it right', which coincided with a new band. Now I don't care if the audience care or notice. If I (or my bandmates) notice, then it's an issue that needs to be addressed.    

Yep that's where i've always been. I've always aimed high.

I hate to hear a band make a lot of obvious mistooks. I feel embarrassed for them. If i notice then others will too. I wouldn't go back to see a band that makes a lot of mistakes.

Dave

50 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

Striving for perfection is admirable, but don't let it drag you down.  Did the audience have a good night?  Then you did a good job, case closed.

I aim for perfection but i know we'll never achieve it but i like to think we can get as close to as possible. The higher you aim the better the results for everyone. That's my theory anyways. 

I'm well aware that we will always make mistooks at a gig but hopefully the better you are will minimise the outcome.

I'm so full of theories, others would call it something else but that's a different theory altogether. 🤣

Dave

On 25/02/2024 at 17:59, agedhorse said:

What doesn't make sense to me is that it doesn't seem to be national loyalty because I'm hearing that in Europe there doesn't seem to be any concern for where a product comes from as long as it's cheaper. This implies that there is no national loyalty... either to USA manufactured products or those manufactured in their home region. 

As long as the amps are well-built, reliable and come from a reputable company the country isn't a main concern for me. Mesa's quality control is one of the best, they use top grade components and for me that should mean reliability and less chance of something going wrong.

I saw it in my first Mesa gear an Mpulse 600 that was approx 20 yrs old when i bought it 2nd hand and it has never let me down other than a crackling pot that was a simple skoosh of cleaner to fix. Everything about it just said quality. The new SW cabs i bought 3 yrs ago are the same. Solid well built cabs with speakers that can take anything i can hit them with.

That is what Mesa means to me. Reliability, quality and one of the best tones i've ever had. Expensive ? YES but you get what you pay for in life.

The TT800 i originally ordered 3 yrs ago was £1150 and now £1550. The WD800 from £1150 to £1299 which i don't quite understand but the TT800 is the amp i've been trying to buy for some considerable time and if that means paying more then i'm ok with it.

I have to admit i'm a Mesa fan and love their gear. I associate quality with Mesa.

Dave

8 hours ago, leschirons said:

Just back from the second gig with a band I joined.

 

Audience loved it, pub paid us an extra few quid, other band members had a great night as all they hear and see is the audience reaction and then believe their own publicity. I thought it was terrible and it seems that I'm the only one who can hear it apart from two others in the audience. My wife, a singer and bodrahn player and my brother, a guitarist and sax player.  I need to knock them into shape before the next gig.

Its odd but i've experienced this too where audience seem to love every song, the band are enjoying and yet i hear things that aren't quite right and when i mention it i'm told "ach the audience will never notice that" but some do and historically we always aimed for perfection every rehearsal and gig.

Luckily the same things don't happen every time but it does annoy me more than the rest of the band.

Dave 

WOW another amazing amp for sale at dafty money.

Also had the 600 and was sorry i let it go. Amazingly great amps.

Unfortunately i'm about to push the button on an amp i've been trying to get for 3-4 yrs now and oddly enough its designed by the same guy that designed the streamliners.

GLWTS

Dave

WOW that looks tasty. Not seen one of these before.

GLWTS.

Dave

23 minutes ago, Angelus said:

Great night last night, not too busy, at the Horse & Jockey in Lanark. No rehearsals, just straight in and only fluffed ne song (Dakota, as I play it in a couple of bands and play different structures). However, a load in, gig, then load out, after not having gigged for two months, has taken it out of me and I’m on again in Wishaw at 16:00 today. Nothing since the start of February and then two at once. 🙄 

where in Wishaw Lee ? 

Found it ........ Bar 6. Have fun tonight mate and remember to breath in tight as it gets very tight in there when a band is on. Seems to be doing well and taking a bit of business away from Girdwoods these days. Mate from The Led Zep Story Jack Nimmo helps out a lot with bands in there and does a lot of jam sessions in it. 

Dave

7 hours ago, neepheid said:

 

Lucky you.  Tonight I'm an hour in each direction.  In two weeks time, it's two hours in each direction (on one of the most pitiful so-called "trunk" roads in existence, the A96 so 2 hours is assuming no lorries, tractors etc.).  Two weeks after, admittedly it's like a 5 min drive for me, but that is only one of the venues we play.  

Furthest I've had to go is probably Dingwall, that's over 3 hours each way (using the same crappy A96 mentioned before).

 

We may both be country bumpkins, but you don't have stupid effin mountains in your way...

Yep i've driven that road. It aint great.

Dave

9 hours ago, FinnDave said:

Thank you for the suggestions, but I would find it difficult to adapt to a different way of braking, especially in an emergency. I ride a Harley FXD, I have tried other bikes since my last Harley (involved in an RTA nine years ago) and nothing really does it for me like a Harley does. 

Harley did bring out a mod of some sort that lightens the clutch lever. Can't remember the detail Dave but i did think it would make a huge difference as i get clutch ache on longer journeys on twisty or traffic in town.

Could be worth asking your dealer if they can help out ?

Dave

44 minutes ago, Muzz said:

Last gig wasn't a good one - Easter Sunday, 7pm start, 45 mile drive, there for half five. I'd arranged (given the early start/early finish) to pick the other half and the Boy up from her mother's on the way back (I'd come straight from the Sunday Lunch there), but the 7pm start morphed into a 10pm start, so it all kicked off. During the third encore after midnight (I'd made my position clear ('I need to go ASAP tonight') during the interminable wait to go on) I packed up (thankfully only Stomp and inears) and left - as I was leaving the car park the fifth encore was still going...

 

Picked them up, had a row (the other half was on a 14 hour (Nurse) shift the next day starting at half seven, so I understandably didn't have a leg to stand on), raided the fridge, watched some telly, went to bed.

Ouch but she has the upper hand there i'm afraid. Don't envy you that one.

Hope she was ok for her shift. 

Have to ask why she does a 14hr shift. I thought the max in any one day was 13hrs with 11 hrs away from work. Obviously NHS is under a lot of pressure and i'm guessing that's the reason.

Dave

10 minutes ago, dclaassen said:

 15 minutes home.

Now that is a dream gig.

Certainly beats 2.5hrs.

Dave

9 hours ago, MichaelDean said:

 Home now and I've had some toast and the cat has had a good fuss on the sofa. Bedtime methinks!

Life in a gigging band. Cannae beat it. 

Dave

47 minutes ago, Fionn said:

Ha! Yes, I always travel far to work. No cutting shapes with Hollywood darlings in the Hebrides!
 

I’m in Lewis, so I don’t know your friend. I’m sure everyone in Harris does though … if he’s driving the bus.

 

 

Lewis being the next village i just assumed you would know everyone in Harris 

3 hours ago, Fionn said:

Had a shower, smoked some weed, went to the afterparty, drank mead, cut shapes with some Hollywood darlings you know, drank more mead, smoked more weed, watched the sun rise from arid hills into the pink-blue hue of an LA morning (the strangest light).

 

 

Living the dream in Outer Hebrides. Got friends in Northton on Harris altho i haven't seen them in a lot of yrs but have stayed at their house a few times when it was just a holiday home but they now live there permanently. Donald drives some of the local buses now i believe. 

Dave

6 hours ago, Gasman said:

Last night’s gig was one I never anticipated, wanted, but felt compelled and eventually pleased to do. My son died three weeks ago suddenly from a second heart attack a week after having stents for the first one, seems the surgeon did half a job. Julian was 46, three kids, fitness fanatic, my best friend, top DJ and drummer

 

Today was his funeral. His widow had booked an acoustic duo for the wake in the local pub. However, the girl singer had to leave early for some reason; the landlord knew I played and pointed me out to the remaining guitarist/singer suggesting I might help, so as my gear was in my car I played bass and sang with him for the second set.

 

It was good distraction therapy, busking 15 numbers I’d never played before with a guy I’d never met. Despite this glimmer of light in a dark, dark day I’ll never be able to rationalise why I’m still here at 74 to write this while he will never read it. 

 

Parents shouldn’t have to bury their children...

So sorry to hear this @Gasman our thoughts are with you.

Dave

16 minutes ago, neilmurraybass said:

I bought this bass today. Luckily I live a bit nearer Perth (area) than perhaps most of you do. Absolutely zero issues and very good condition in general - the seller just probably isn’t a much of a gearhead compared to most Basschat people (he was a bit taken aback when I explained exactly how the controls work, though he had owned it for quite few years). I used borrowed Alembics on two Whitesnake albums and a few other sessions, and owned a new 20th Anniversary model briefly before finances became tight and it had to go.

Superb stuff Neil. Good ending to this thread. Maybe you could post a NBD review on it for us all.

Dave