HengistPod

As for how long to allow for setting up, we like to arrive 1.5 - 2 hours before start time. That's usually enough to figure out where cables are going to go, how to get power to monitors, stuff like that. What annoys me is places that have something else going on before the band (be it a pool tourney in the set-up area or whatever), and assume you can get set up and start playing within half an hour. A fellow needs to relax for a short while after getting everything in place ... this usually happens in new venues we've not been at before. Once you've done a gig a few times you soon figure it's not worth turning up til such and such a time because there's no way you'll get set up.

I would go and see us if I could see past the singer's music stand.

Good point, Dad. Perhaps in 50 years all singers will be standing stock-still, peering at their music stands, flicking through their folder between songs because the bass player said "we'd better play another dancey one now instead of Motorhead, keep them on the floor" - and that'll be seen as the norm. Persons who have learned the words will be seen as some kind of "classically-trained" music boffin. (Classically-trained. There's a term I never quite figured out.)

I don't think the pot-kettle thing is relevant here ... my frets don't stand bigly in front of the band like a slightly embarrassed black plastic palm tree, and they don't cause drunken punters to come up to the other guys at half-time and go "hey, does your bass player not know the songs?".

Respectfulness is nice - I'll vouch for mine, whilst seconding the "that's bollocks" line. Having said that, about 50% of our current set is indeed pre-1985 - which is about when our singer was born so not sure of the relevance, really. I guess an underlying point, though, is that the band who've been peddling the same set for decades evidently have a singer who's learned the songs (though it may have taken him 30 years). It kind of relates to the old memes about "rehearsals aren't there for learning the songs, do that at home before you get there". Similarly, gigs certainly aren't for learning the words - you should be well past that stage by the time you're setting up down the pub.

There are obviously two distinct camps here, neither of which are likely to be swayed in their opinion. Fair enough, horses for courses etc. Personally, I've played in pub bands for, oh, 30 years or so now. It's only in the last 5-10 years that I've noticed it becoming acceptable for singers to have a folder of words on a music stand at gigs (I'm talking pub-level rock covers here). Previously, a band would have been instantly laughed out of town for the singer not knowing the words, or at least being able to make some up on the hoof that fitted the song if he forgot them - which, let's face it, most punters would never notice if done with a straight face. Being a reasonably mobile bass player, I think a fairly clear stage area is a must - and my pet hate is music stands. I've seen shows being interrupted for several minutes when the singer's words get punted across the pub by some drunk guy. There's also the fact that you can't get a decent live photo of the whole band without making it entirely obvious that the singer doesn't know the words - most unprofessional. An iPad quietly mounted to the mic stand is about as much as I'll tolerate. Teleprompters are a whole different story for persons with larger budgets, and they tend to blend in with the stage furniture anyway. Fact is, I have to learn 30-40 songs on the bass. Why in the name of dog shouldn't the singer be able to learn 30-40 sets of words? Particularly when the chances are that the only piece of kit he's actually had to fork out for is a microphone and a stand (yeah, yeah, irrelevant, I know).

My Thunderbirds because a fellow can pull excellent poses with them. My Trace gear because it's been there for 25 years now and I'm not sure I could operate anything else.

Someone said their singer turns up early and sets up the lights and PA. I nearly fell off my seat. Surely it's the bass player's job to design and print posters, put ads up on Facebook, drive the van, own and set up the lights and PA, buy a wireless system so he can do a bit of a soundcheck from out front, keep an eye on the time for starting and finishing, and then organise the breaking down and packing of everything afterwards? Singers are supposed to turn up and spend half an hour extending their mic stand.

Is it time for a discussion about what constitutes a "professional musician" again? (I.e. I get paid to turn up at a pub and knock out Rockin' in the Free World and similar hoary chestnuts. Ergo, professional. No you're not, you're just an amateur that gets paid, et cetera. Cont. p97.)

I use a SONY Standard Definition camcorder, which you can pick up off eBay for 50 quid or so. Set it on a tripod where it won't get knocked over, frame your shot, and let it film your set. Audio quality can be surprisingly good if you happen to find a sweet spot in the room (by total luck), and it needs serious (louder than pub band) volume to distort. SONY DCR-SX44, 45, 63, 65, 83 or 85 and DCR-SR68 or 88 are my favoured camcorders (mostly cos I have a load of spare batteries that fit them, and they take SD cards. Most have a hard disk too.) Picture quality is DVD standard - you don't need HD by any means at all. Move the camera between sets to get a different perspective on the band. Then use some proprietary software to edit down the clips it creates. I've filmed every gig we've done for the last couple of years with some very good results. Certainly good enough to whack on Youtube & FB to direct potential venues to. Also handy for discovering just how out of tune your singer really is. And - if you do film every gig, eventually you'll have a bunch of clips of you playing the same song in different venues and from different angles. Assuming your drummer plays at the same tempo every time you can make up a splendid clip, using the best version for sound. Time consuming, but fun and potentially impressive.

Not a bass, but I recently purchased some stage lighting from Gumtree for £60. When I went to pick the gear up (from a private school, as it turned out, who just wanted to clear some space), I thought to myself, "these look pretty good quality!". There were 8 Selecon fresnels, and 4 zoom spots, with very substantial tripod stands, T-bars, and two dim/chase controllers. Anyway, I sold 4 of the fresnels for £260, a controller for £100, and two of the spots for £230. A very tidy little profit, and I'm still left with 4 fresnels, 2 spots, the tripods and a controller. Not sure whether to even keep them, because they take an extra 45 minutes or so to cool down after a gig. LED is the way to go for a pub band that just wants to pack up and get home after the show ...

I agree with bassjim - ask for youtube clips, or sound files that highlight your potential band member. If they can't produce anything, be slightly (but not completely) wary. Also ensure that they have appropriate gear for the level of gigs you're planning. Many singers have no PA gear, and others don't even own a microphone. Guitarists without a decent amp aren't much use to anyone. And transport. They need to be able to get to rehearsals, and - depending on whether there's a band van - to gigs. For us older folk, make sure their Mrs doesn't mind! We recently had to pass up on a great singer because he'd gone behind his wife's back to audition and she simply wasn't having it. Some ladies still seem to think that being in a band means you have flocks of girlies flying at you legs akimbo.

I did this a couple of years ago, after having not been in a band for 10 years or so. Started when my old drummer (who plays in a wedding band too) suggested the possibility of getting back in the saddle. So I advertised on Gumtree for a guitarist and singer. A guitarist appeared fairly quickly, with tastes very similar to ours, so that was a bonus. A singer, who I half knew, and who also plays in another local band, offered his services as a singer because he fancied singing without having to also play guitar. Rehearsed up an hour's worth of stuff over a couple of months, once a week, and played at a local barn dance / mini festival thing. It then became apparent that the singer liked his beer a little too much, and he didn't turn up for our first "proper" gig, claiming illness. We got a bloke in at short notice to do the gig, which was consequently a minor disaster. We've not been booked back there ... An ad on Facebook produced a singer who'd done the rounds in lots of local bands. He soon turned out to be unreliable, hence the number of bands he's been in. So, back to Facebook and Gumtree. Facebook produced a lady singer, who's been with us since. this despite her throwing a strop recently which led to us cancelling a few gigs and looking for someone else. Auditions were utterly horrendous, with no-one suitable turning up. In the meantime, our singer decided she'd actually like to be in the band again. So she is. I'd think that identifying your market is pretty easy for most pub bands. Are there pubs that put on live music in your area? Are the bands vaguely similar to what you plan to do? Market research complete. The first serious step is finding others with a similar level of commitment, and a similar vision of what they want to play and how often they want to gig. Never overestimate someone who says they already know the songs you mention to them. They may sing along, or play along, with the record and not have a Scooby how to play them in a band situation.

I have recently taken vague notice of the "charts", because my 10-year-old suddenly wants to listen to Radio 1 in the car all the time now. Most of the stuff that's in there is fairly inoffensive. I can let it play and kind of ignore it - it really is that bland. I have no idea what the "artists'" names are, but there does appear to be a Top 40 rundown still. It's even done with a straight face. As for the Sheeran fellow, I understand he's getting to do something in the upcoming series of Game of Thrones. Perhaps he'll play a minstrel, and be slaughtered in an interesting way for being offensive. He strikes me as the kind of bloke that would go along with that for a laugh.

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1488400519' post='3248706'] Where have all the Carlsboro amps gone?[/quote] Good question. I've no idea where my Carlsbro head went. I must've sold it when I got my Trace gear back in the mid-90s. I do know that my 2x15 eventually just fell apart. I gigged with it for a while with gaffa tape holding one of the sides on, until it literally collapsed and died. My Carlsbro was a nifty little grey-covered thing like this one: https://www.gumtree.com/p/other-studio-equipment/carlsbro-150w-bass-amp-with-1x15-and-1x10-cab/1183186250

My first Gibson Thunderbird was bought for me by my girlfriend at the time (nice). She said the guy in the shop told her it had been custom-built for Floyd London of Glasgow band The Almighty. It's stamped on the back of the headstock "For Promotional Use". Gibson USA confirmed it was from their custom shop, but didn't have a record of who it was made for. About 15 years later I came across Mr London's email address, and wrote to ask him if this could be true. After a bit of describing it turned out that it had been his - and he sent me a pic of himself rocking it up at Manchester Arena with the bass, supporting Alice Cooper.

Can't be helped. Accidents happen.

1992 - Platform 9 in Aberdeen (since closed down). We were supporting a mate's band, and from what I remember I used his Laney stack, playing my Arbiter Ric copy. I seem to remember my own gear at the time was some kind of grey Carlsbro head, about 150W, with a no-name 2x15 cabinet. Also had an excellent little HH 60W combo with a single 15 in it. (edit): ah, clothing. Tight black canvas jeans and a cut-off Waysted T-shirt.

There are many bass players I love to listen to. Only one of them - in a live performance which was an epiphany for me and totally re-wired my brain - made me actively want to play bass, and spend 15 years pining for a Thunderbird. October 19th 1980, I was just a young lad. October 20th I was a bass player (even if I'd no idea how to play one ). I give you ... Pete Way. UFO is but a shadow without him - Schenker or not. You fellows who mention Steve Harris and Nikki Sixx need to go back to their direct inspiration.

"is", not "was". Technically correct, though.

Currently playing my white Epi Thunderbird Classic Pro with a black pickguard, more because it's the same colour as the guitarist's Jackson than anything else. Gibson T-birds (one with chrome Chinese eBay pickups) and Epi Blackbird on the subs bench. All on-board controls to max. Rotosound Rotobass 45-105s, mainly because they don't have silks and therefore I get metal contact on the string saddles. Boss Compressor-Sustainer. Green 0.88 turtle picks. Mid-90s Trace 350W GP7 4x10 combo, with Trace 1x15 extension cab. Got a wireless system, not plucked up the courage to use it live yet ... (My rehearsal rig is a Trace 150W GP7 head going through a Trace 1048 and a Peavey 4x10 thing. Also got a Trace AH600-12, which I actually don't like that much.)

Aye, the Epi Blackbird has a bolt-on neck. However, it has the same 1.5" nut width as a proper Bird and - like the Gibsons - possesses a more lightweight "slinkiness" than other Epis (including the Classic Pro). I've not tried a Goth, but I'd certainly be interested to give one a go. NJ - I might well try one when the urge for something a little different gets to me. But I've found that the 3-point suits me fine. If only the saddles didn't fly off and disappear into the darkness when you bust a string ...

You won't find anyone at Epiphone or Gibson that will admit to having anything to do with the July Vintage Pro alluded to by that picture (which only appeared once on Facebook and made its way round from there). Fingers crossed, though. Apparently, it's based on the Classic Pro with different hardware. That would make sense. If it exists. As for neck dive, get a strap that doesn't slide around on your shoulder and that'll sort that out. I find that if I use a polyester style strap then, yes, the headstock dives. A cloth-based strap (I use a Seymour Duncan which you can get off eBay USA, and which is super-long. Neck-dive *is* a problem. If you need both hands free between songs to fight off all those girlies, for example, or to hold a glass of water whilst tweaking your sound at the amp or whatever. Strap material is the single biggest help, I've found. That and having the strap button at the neck "joint" rather than on the upper bout (which is just silly). Choice of machine head makes a difference. I recently replaced the Grovers on one of my Gs with lighter Wilkinsons, and that helped a lot. All the Epiphones have a thicker body than Gibsons, by at least several millimetres. That includes the Classic Pro, and so it's consequently heavier than a Gibson. It is, however, very well built and eminently giggable. In fact, I've been gigging mine ahead of the Gibsons recently. Very reliable. There is no way on Dog's earth that it approaches the Gibson (mine are 1990 and 1991) for quality and playability, though. The Gibson is more slinky, lighter to the touch and more responsive. The Tokai TB48 is a totally different bass which shares only the basic body shape. The neck and nut-width are much more like a Precision than a Thunderbird. Mine lives in the attic. The Pro-IV is also a different animal, being active with a different bridge and weighing a ton. I don't like mine at all, and it also lives in the attic. The cheap Epiphone also has a wider nut (apparently some have 1.5" though). Because of this, and the jack on the front of the body ... yep, attic. The TV silver limited edition is a nice bass, with a much more T-bird-like neck and a good strong sound. The finish is a bit dodgy, though. Way too patchy. And the Epi Blackbird is splendid. I often gig mine. A lot lighter than other Epis, and no fannying about with knobs. On/off switch is all you get. Grand. As a final note, I like the 3-point bridge. It's part of what a Thunderbird is all about. I tried the Hipshot bridge but found it to be an enormous slab of metal which made very little difference to my sound. So it lives in a box now. I like to feel the 3-pointer under the edge of my hand, which is now suitably calloused on the fleshy bit at the base of my pinky.