Jambo10

[quote name='Muzz' post='1144479' date='Feb 28 2011, 02:08 PM']I can't be the only person who was disappointed to click on this thread and find no pictures... [/quote] +1

I remember when I learnt this a few years ago, it took a while to get the a handle on the change of rhythm. You just tried breaking it down into smaller segments?. When it comes to the chnge in rhythm, I bend, just slightly the C, that makes me remember to alter the pace on my right hand.....cocked it up a couple of times, not majorly, just a note, in the early days, but practice is all it is. Step away from it for a while, deep breath and back in again. Just take my advice when I say, never try doing this straight on the back of Town called malice...totally buggers the brain lol.

If only more guitarists appreciated what we actually contribute to the band! Now and again, I get a look, you know, a guitarists scowl, across the studio or stage that I'M playing the wrong thing...then the sheepish look of apology when he realises its him thats playing the wrong riff....that kinda makes up for some of the crap lol.

Hi there. We are called SO WATT!, 4 piece (vocals, guitar, bass, drums). Female fronted covers band hailing from Fife, though the drummer is in Dundee. Total mix of music, from AC/DC, Queen, Stones, Blondie and Slade through to Muse, Franz Ferdinand, Foos and Feeder and some rocked up pop too, Katy Perry, Pink etc. Band been on the go nearly 2 years and been gigging for over a year now. So Watt website - [url="http://so-watt.co.uk/"]http://so-watt.co.uk/[/url] So Watt facebook - [url="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=310512454090&ref=ts"]http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=3105...4090&ref=ts[/url]

[quote name='leschirons' post='1136165' date='Feb 21 2011, 08:22 PM']If it's for a charity, yes, do it all the time with no expenses. Mate's partys etc, yes. Expect grub and wine. Jam nights and impromptu get togethers, yes, just good fun. Local village thing? yes. Usually free food. Some bastard making shed loads off our backs, NO[/quote] Exactly, put brilliantly.

We are a covers band and we have done quite a few free gigs (Teenage cancer trust etc), and it gets you exposure and normally results in a couple of bookings, so they can actually work in your favour. As for playing live and never getting paid, not sure to be honest. You would start all well meaning, but would eventually get into that *can't be arsed* mode. A few free gigs is fine, but nothing beats waking up in the morning with some extra cash in your pocket after a fab gig.

[quote name='Count Bassy' post='1130391' date='Feb 16 2011, 10:47 PM']Yes. Despite what I said above I do too, but then we of Basschat are not a representative sample of the typical pub audience. As musicians ourselves we probably look for something slightly different than the typical weekend pub crowd (and as bass players we actually notice the bass line - but that's a different thread). I, and I'm sure most of us, have seen the lift that an audience gets when it hears a good old favourite (especially if it's a sing-along song) start up, both from the floor and from the stage. Mustang Sally and All Right Now being prime examples. If you want to get the audience going then throw a few of the standards in early on. Leave the less well known stuff till they're warmed up and oiled. Of course the definition of good old favourite does depend on who the audience is, particularly their age.[/quote] Oh Im not disagreeing with you. We play All Right Now, and it goes down a storm. My point being that its not wrong to be a little different with the setlist. If every band did the same songs, albeit good stomping ones that everyone loves, then the bands get lost to the punters, as in, it doesn't matter who the band is, the punters will hear the same songs. We want people to hear songs that other bands might not do, but are still famous in their own right, and, hopefully, people will remember us, and hopefully for the right reasons. So the old faavourites are smattered in and around the set. You always need some. Again, different venues define the set, sometimes its full of 60s-80s stuff, other times more modern.

[quote name='4000' post='1130313' date='Feb 16 2011, 09:48 PM']+1. Couldn't agree more. I think there's a perception that "people" want specific songs, but which people? And if they're never presented with anything else how can anyone actually tell that's what they really want? I know people who'd sooner hear a million other things than the typical standards. They're punters too. How many people actually have a record collection that solely consists of the typical cover band set? I don't know any![/quote] When you hear many bands do the same songs over and over, you get a bit fed up with them all. So when I see a pub band etc, I want to hear something different, not always stuff that nobody has heard of, but stuff you dont hear all to often. Songs that make you think..."hey, I remember that"

This is exactly so scenario we said we wouldn't go down. we didn't want to do Mustang, Brown eyed girl etc etc. So we try, and I emphasise try to do the less well known songs, We will rock you by Queen, the rockier live version from Live killers album. Bad Day by REM, Plug in baby by Muse, Whole lotta rosie by Acdc etc etc, and they go down well. Sure, we do some usuals like Summer of 69, You really got me and One way or another, but we balance that out with Hedonism by Skunk Anansie. And as for the modern songs, Hot n Cold by Katy Perry and Pokerface etc are all beefed up with heavier riffs and rocked out just to give it an edge. So with all that we do not bad with bookings, we have 20 so far this year and did just over 20 last year, so some folk must like it. Either that or they're not fussy what they hear!! Basically, no, you don't have to do Mustang Sally is what I'm saying.

Iconic. If you have all those tunes down and you are not in a band....why not? I myself only picked up a bass for the first time a few years back, same as yourself, just happily learning tunes at home. Then after 18 months and having a folder of well over 100 tunes in it a la muse, feeder, queen, etc found that, although there is limitless songs to learn, it would help to play with other people. So I hooked up with a band, crapping myself at the same time, and found it an even better and faster way to learn. The singer is into pop stuff so we have rock out version sof katy perry and lady gaga, drummer and guitarist is more rock, so we have plenty acdc, stones etc. Now, I was apprehensive about joining a band after only been playing for a year+, but, and im sure others will say the same, your playing comes on leaps and bounds after a few practices with other people. Now we have been gigging for the last year, things are looking up and where a tune might take a week to learn, now only takes a couple of nights. I am not a *built in gene* bass player either, but the sheer love of playing it makes up for that, just like yourself. Basically, what I am trying to say is, our situations aren't totally dissimilar, so my advice is to get out there and find some like minded folk to jam with and see how much more you can enjoy it.

Here is a few vids of what our band does, filmed at recent gigs at the end of last year.

A not altogether fabulous picture of me at one of our Boxing day gigs just past. [attachment=72013:P1010166.JPG]

We had our first gig of the year on friday night, headlining out of 3 acts. Played for an hour, musically really tight, singer was a bit wobbly an a couple of occassions though. It was held in an ex-servicemans club, a right mix of ages and we seemed to go down pretty well. Prob over 100 there I would guesstimate. The likes of Free and Blondie always go down well for the more mature crowd and the younger ones always like Pink and Katy Perry (a bit rocked up of course)!! The gig blew away our cobwebs as it was first gig since boxing day, and sets us up for the next 2 before february is out.

I suppose there are pros and cons to both, fingers and pick. I myself just cannot get used to using a pick, just can't get any speed or proper rhythm going with it, I have tried, although to be honest, I probably should try it more often, but in the meantime I'll stick with the old fingers.

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='1107867' date='Jan 30 2011, 09:22 AM']Been asked to learn this.... struggling to get it to sound anything like (embarrassing for what I expected to be a five minute song to learn)... anybody play this? Is it in some weird tuning or something? Help appreciated Oh... and Are You Gonna Be My Girl is bloody difficult too, but that's more because my fingers won't go in the right places at the right time [/quote] Re- We play Are You Gonna Be My Girl. Once you've got your fingers around it, its fine....just don't cock up the intro!!

Our band generally plays 2 sets at about 1hr 15min each with about a half hour break. Most pubs/clubs round here the norm is 9-12, now and again its a 1am finish so we aim for a slightly longer break with an extra 40 mins worth of material bunged in. On boxing day there, we did 2 gigs in 2 different towns. Each gig was 4 hours (inc break), total 48 songs for each gig.........never again!!

Hello there Kyle, nice to see another Scot joining up....

Thanks chaps....now for a rummage through the forum properly.

Lurked around a wee while, so I thought I would take the plunge and sign up properly. A bit about me then........was a drummer as a teen then kind of turned my back on playing whilst I played football, then got too many injuries, gave up and went back to music, but thought I would try my hand at the bass instead. Been playing a few years now, worked my way up through Squires and Washburns etc, and now settled with my Fender Jazz and Spector Legend. And for some reason I keep going back for a tinker with my Yamaha BB424. In the house I play through a Marshall B65 but while gigging I use Ashdown ABM C410 575 watt amp. Pedals wise, I use ye olde Bassballs, Big Muff and use the Boss bass Synthesizer for a few quirky bits and bobs. Don't know how many others are up here in my neck of the woods in Fife, Scotland, but would be good to catch up with anyone that is. Have fun everyone.