Harryboylad

Just bought one of these - second hand but clearly never played - mint - got to say WOW! Quality feels great - pickups awesome - feels just right - and fantastic sound - love the neck and the tapering tuners I have had literally hundreds of P basses (and a few others but really don't think you need any bass other than Precision) over the years and this is right up there - I am an Ashdown devotee with Spyder 550 amp and cabs as well as Klystron Black edition head and CL cabs so I am a fan - probably would have tried one before but I didn't fancy the £1,000 price tag BUT - the bass is worth that every day of the week.

On a similar vein - we had a problem a little while back in a decent venue we wanted to play in regularly - we also headline a big festival they do each Summer so we were trying to build a decent relationship with the landlord. The sound has always been no better than average (understatement) and it is a small venue with about a 6 inch high stage and no barrier. Middle of last year we set up there and it was a cracking night - mid Summer, nice and warm and rammed as a result. Unfortunately some of the crowd had clearly been drinking all afternoon and were rocking and rolling. Midway through beer started to get thrown around and then bodies starting falling onto the front of the stage - I worked it out afterwards and we had about £5k of pedals on the floor in front of us (we have 3 guitars and bass) most of which was now liberally coated in alcohol and our mates in the support band had no choice but to try and "bounce" the front of the stage! We managed to calm it down eventually (our lead singer is great at connecting with the audience) and finished the gig. We felt we had no choice but to have a word with the landlord and told him he needed to sort the sound (as it had been a constant niggle every time we played there) and erect a barrier otherwise we would not be booking any gigs there in the future - it had got so bad I don't think we had a choice so we were prepared to walk away unless he did something. To his credit - that is exactly what he has done - he upgraded the sound system, lighting and erected a scaffolding barrier across the front of the stage - I am not sure if it was all down to us (others may have also complained) but everyone benefited including him as he managed to get "Big Country" on there shortly afterwards!!! We will be playing there three times this year - happy days!

Does anyone have recent experience of the rock music scene in Dubai/UAE as I am relocating out there for work reasons and keen to get involved in a new band! Open minded but more than likely rock original or tribute (I know - not everyone's cup of tea but pays well and fairly easy to get great gigs!) Is there much going on out there and is there much chance of gigging regularly - any info would be appreciated. Rick

Okay Mate - best thing to do is to send some information into Phil (the drummer) on the email address on the post - he will be looking for some information regarding your gigging experience etc, some idea of the gear you have and confirmation of having your own transport etc. Ideally if you have something on Youtube with you performing in a previous band - that would be ideal as everyone is fairly experienced musically and we need someone who has decent gigging experience and can hit the ground running as we have some good gigs booked through next year. Phil and the lads will decide who to invite to an audition and if selected you will be given 4/5 Foos songs to learn - it would be fairly relaxed so nothing to worry about as they are all a nice bunch of lads! Cheers Rick

Normally either Quad in Leicester or The Madhouse in Birmingham. I suspect this may vary with a new band member depending on where they are located as we obviously have picked the most convenient locations up till now.

Hi Mate The Drummer is in Leicester, two guitarists near Bromsgrove - lead singer a bit further away in Corby ( I was just outside Ashby) Rick

[center][b]WANTED: Bass player for UKs best Foo Fighters tribute band –Food Fighterz.[/b][/center] [b]Food[/b] [b]Fighterz[/b] are the UKs most authentic Foo Fighters tribute band and are seeking a new bass player as I am reluctantly leaving to go Overseas at the end of January due to non-musical work opportunities. This has been a blast, we have had some great gigs and some awesome festivals, but it's a chance for someone else to step up! The band was formed by me and the drummer 2011 and in that short time, the Food Fighterz have built a big following and have established themselves as THE best Foo Fighters tribute band in the Midlands, and perhaps the whole of the UK. We may not be the most prolific, but we are the most authentic. We are the closest thing you will get to seeing the Foo Fighters in your own back yard. The ideal candidate will be a massive Foos fan (goes without saying); live in the Midlands area; have a driving license and their own transport; their own pro gear, be able to do at least 2 gigs per month and look like Nate Medell (only kidding – looks are not important). We’re a friendly bunch - most of us are family guys with day jobs and we do this out of passion for the Foo Fighters (and a nice bit of extra cash too). 11 gigs already confirmed for 2016 (in the UKs top tribute venues) with more being added all the time. To find out more about us, please check out our face book [url="http://www.facebook.com/foodfighterz"]www.facebook.com/foodfighterz[/url] and our website [url="http://www.foodfighterz.co.uk/"]www.foodfighterz.co.uk[/url] If you are interested please email us at [email="[email protected]"][email protected][/email] and let us know as much about you as possible. If you have any videos on youtube of you playing then please send us links. Please also let us know your gig experience/history and any bands you have been in.

Yes - I agree - still have the same set on my Precision and they still sound great. Decent number of gigs and rehearsals too in the time - so can't fault them. I also think they stay in tune well - don't seem quite so quick to go out of tune with a change in temperature - can't think why but seems to be the case???? Might have to actually buy some!

Oh yes and the benefit of the "road worn" is that I am not quite so worried gigging it regularly as they inevitably get the odd knock no matter how careful you are and on this you just don't notice with all the other "designer" dings!

I have had one of these since they came out - I didn't have the bucks to buy a new one so I had to hustle like mad to get a reasonable priced second hand one as it was essential for my Foos tribute. I would use it even if I wasn't in the band as it is one of the nicest Precisions I have played, the neck is a bit narrower Jazz bass style and the thump from the Quarter pounders is awesome. I also have an Japanese Aerodyne which is a fantastic bass and the only one that might choose on certain occasions where a more varied tone is needed. I also reckon they will hold their value pretty well which is handy

I won a set in a similar competition run on bass guitar magazine and previously was a Roto fan and a Bass boomer user - BUT - I was really impressed by these strings - the tone is great just the right amount of zing and depth. They have lasted really well too as I normally change my strings once a month maximum, depending how many gigs etc but these have kept their sound for longer so it seems their claim is true. I haven't noticed much change in the feel other than a little smoother. The only thing I don't like is the price as they are significantly more expensive than other strings but I suppose if they last longer it may balance out? Rick

Hi All, Thanks for all your comments, I have been offline since I posted the original information so this is the first chance I have had to reply. Malcolm Allured and I have embarked on this journey with a number of goals in mind which came from the many years Malc has spent since he left the spotlight with Showaddywaddy finding and encouraging young bands without any structure or reward for himself - he just loves music and can't imagine doing anything else, he also still has his own band, so understands how hard it, is even for him, to get paid for what he loves doing. Our aims are simple - to find some great bands, to produce a successful and entertaining TV show and to work on an ongoing basis with bands that we think have a future. The company behind Thunder Valley Rocks is Thunder Valley Rocks Management Ltd which has been set up with the long term goal of developing the careers of great bands and making them successful. The management company will put a lot of effort into breaking a band and as normal will expect to be rewarded for doing so. I would like to answer various concerns raised on this Forum - Firstly, in relation to the contractual part of the relationship Thunder Valley Rocks will have with any band that applies - we have asked in our terms and conditions that any band applying for an audition must sign to waive the rights to their voice and images Worldwide and waive any rights to fees for these. The reason we have done this is that we are filming the auditions as well as the live shows and it is standard TV industry practise that ANYONE appearing on ANY tv show has to sign to agree that their image and voice can be used. Without this minimum they cannot appear on the show in any way, but, this has nothing to do with the value commercially of their songwriting and performing ability. We also ask, as has been mentioned, that bands applying will be asked to enter into further contracts with Thunder Valley Rocks and that they will abide by those terms. Again this is normal practise and no-one will be forced to sign any contract that they are unhappy with. When a band is successful in the audition process and is chosen to appear on the TV show we will provide them with a contract, at that time, that clearly spells out what we expect from the band and what they can expect from Thunder Valley Rocks Management. The bands will be advised to obtain proper legal advice in relation to the contract and will ultimately make the decision whether they are willing to sign or not. We are putting a lot of money and effort into this TV show and it is not unreasonable to be paid accordingly if we are the driving force behind a band making it to the big time. As long as the contract is fair, most bands would feel this is a reasonable business relationship. On the matter of asking bands to bring a core audience to the auditions and the show - the reason behind this is that we are determined that Thunder Valley Rocks is VERY different from some of the fake TV talent shows currently being aired and to this end we have some advantages:- This show will only feature bands that play their own instruments, we have a great venue that is a bit different and forms part of the character of the show, we have Malc's musical history and his connections to some very credible music guests all of which we think will combine to create a great show. With these aims in mind, the director, producer and crew have advised us that the whole atmosphere and energy of the show will be better if the bands all bring a core partisan audience - you could imagine that a room with 300 people in it who have no connection to or frankly any idea who the next band is or any real interest in them will be VERY different than a room full of the fans of each of the bands. All of the bands who we are talking to regarding coming on show have understood and embraced these aims and whilst it's easier for local/semi local bands to bring more fans than bands situated further away - all have been willing to play their part in what we see as a mutually beneficial relationship between Thunder Valley Rocks and the Bands. The £5 charge for guest entry is a small charge that goes a small way towards paying for the sound crew, recording crew, film crew, security, bar staff, additional temporary dressing facilities etc and we think is a very reasonable price to see 6 exciting new bands. We are very different from some of the corporate rip off situations some people have experienced in this industry and had hoped that this had come across in the way we have presented ourselves so far. With Malc's history we have credibility in a founding member of a band that had 26 top 10 hits, who regardless what anyone thinks of this type of music they would accept that Malc has "been there, done that" Any bands who are successful for the auditions will have first hand contact with me by phone in order to be able to ask any questions that they may have. We were hoping that most people trying to make it in the music business who understand how hard it is to get a break would embrace any idea created by credible people that can help give musical talent a platform for national TV exposure? Thankfully, it is clear from the volume of fantastic applications we have had so far that a lot of people agree with me and want to be part of this show. Rick

Thunder Valley Rocks is a new TV series based around new and upcoming bands. We will be filming a pilot for a new 9 episode series in November/December of this year and the subsequent episodes will begin filming early next year. Over an initial four week period we will be auditioning 20 bands to appear in the pilot show which will feature the best 5 bands from the auditions. Further auditions will take place later in the year for the remaining episodes with the last show being a finale when 8 bands will compete to win an exclusive slot in one of next years music festivals. We are looking for applications from original unsigned bands who would like to appear on the show and are ambitious enough to play a major festival. Thunder Valley Rocks will take place at Thunder Valley in the stunning Amber Valley, Derbyshire which is a long established Rock and Bike Club which as well as hosting some great bands also hosts fantastic bike and car events bringing up to 20,000 visitors per month. Each episode will also feature well known celebrity music guests who give some insight into their past success and talk about what they are doing now. These guests will also be appraising the bands’ performance, offering tips and advice and finally between them they will choose one band who will win the chance to play live at one of the UK's big festivals The programme will be relaxed with celebrity music guests, including Malcolm Allured, sitting on sofas and discussing the bands, their potential and their talents as well as reflecting on their own past experiences and success stories. Their will be some flashbacks of the guests performances and discussions about how they finally made it to the big time. Once the series starts there will be a further audition process to find the 5 bands needed for each show. At the end of the series the "Best" band as decided by the celebrity guests at the finale will be invited to perform at one of the UK's big music festivals. Audition Dates:- Saturday October 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st 2015 Live Filming of First episode:- Saturday 14th November 2015 Last day for applications 15th September 2015 www.thundervalleyrocks.com

[color=#111111][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][size=4] Thunder Valley Rocks is a new TV series based around new and upcoming bands. We will be filming a pilot for a new 9 episode series in November/December of this year and the subsequent episodes will begin filming early next year. Over an initial four week period we will be auditioning 20 bands to appear in the pilot show which will feature the best 5 bands from the auditions. Further auditions will take place later in the year for the remaining episodes with the last show being a finale when 8 bands will compete to win an exclusive slot in one of next years music festivals. We are looking for applications from original unsigned bands who would like to appear on the show and are ambitious enough to play a major festival. Thunder Valley Rocks will take place at Thunder Valley in the stunning Amber Valley, Derbyshire which is a long established Rock and Bike Club which as well as hosting some great bands also hosts fantastic bike and car events bringing up to 20,000 visitors per month. Each episode will also feature well known celebrity music guests who give some insight into their past success and talk about what they are doing now. These guests will also be appraising the bands’ performance, offering tips and advice and finally between them they will choose one band who will win the chance to play live at one of the UK's big festivals The programme will be relaxed with celebrity music guests, including Malcolm Allured, sitting on sofas and discussing the bands, their potential and their talents as well as reflecting on their own past experiences and success stories. Their will be some flashbacks of the guests performances and discussions about how they finally made it to the big time.[/size][/font][/color][color=#111111][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][size=4] Toyah has agreed to present the show and we have some fantastic guests lined up - check the website for details. Once the series starts there will be a further audition process to find the 5 bands needed for each show. At the end of the series the "Best" band as decided by the celebrity guests at the finale will be invited to perform at one of the UK's big music festivals. Audition Dates:- Saturday October 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th 2015 Live Filming of First episode:- Saturday 14th November 2015 Last day for applications 15th September 2015 Apply online at - www.thundervalleyrocks.com[/size][/font][/color]