KevB

A dog that can use the internet is impressive enough, playing bass too is just the icing on the cake. I'm sure plenty will show up to see the spectacle come July Bob

[quote name='bonzodog' timestamp='1464180035' post='3057271'] Depending on how England do they may be playing 2 Saturdays later too. [/quote] Yes, aware of that too but we won't know until the end of the group stages so just have to figure it out closer to the time.

It wouldnt have been so bad if we could have set up whilst the game was on or overlapped a bit. However I was told that the big screen used to show matches is directly behind and above the band playing area so we would have to set up and sound check wayyy before kick off time to mnot get in anyone's way. I'd have been happy to watch the game but then play for a couple of hours, break it all down and get home it looks like a very long day for not a large amount of money. We already had six bookings for June not includng the 11th so I think we've made the right call. I've done gigs around main sporting events before and they have been quite hit and miss.

Most of you will know but there are those who do not follow football so a quick heads up. England's first match in the Euro's is Sat June 11th, kick off 20:00. Just the time you don't want if you are gigging in a venue showing the game. I highlighted this to the new band when they told me we were gigging that night. LL was still keen for us to arrive early, set up then kick our heels for hours before playing at 10pm. We've just asked for another date instead

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1464168850' post='3057054'] If you like prog, buy Celestial Fire by Dave Bainbridge [/quote] Had it for a while, good album. I would have gone to see him at an upcoming CRS gig in Sep but its the day I come back from Crete and I'll probably be knackered.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1463986389' post='3055447'] My advice if you want to play prog? Relocate to the continent. Poland, Holland, Germany, even ex USSR states. They love their prog over there! * BTW, Pendragon hail from the West Country, or at least main songwriter/singer/guitarist Nick Barratt comes from Stroud... [/quote] It's very strong in the Scandinavian countries too, has been for some time. As for the Pendies I saw them last weekend, had a chat with Pete Gee after the gig. Nick was full of man flu so I didn't get to see him after the show.

I have one of each, [i]and[/i] a Ric. So there...

Think I'll stick with my old power brick for the time being.

Axes-r-us do 3 ply pickguards to for fender P's for £18 though OP doesn't state model so maybe no use to him http://www.axesrus.co.uk/1960-Modern-Bass-Pickguard-p/modernpeebasspg.htm

I'd see how it developes. If the band haven't gigged for a while due to lack of bass player they might be a bit rusty. Six weeks is 6 rehearsals or maybe less. You can use the male singer as a guide vocal and get the band really sharp and gigging ready by the time proper singer is match fit again. Find some gigs for say 2 months time, have a goal to work to.

One of the (but by no means the only) reasons I left last band. He also seemed to be more interested in pursuing other hobbies when he'd be better off knucking down and getting some home practice in. Enthusiasm only goes so far and if I'm paying my share of rehearsal time for him to turn up unprepared and start learning the song there then I'm out.

Pendragon tonight,sold out apparently.

If I did this I'd probably ask them to just send over the separate bits (would fit into a smaller package that way too) then get someone reliable to assemble it over here and give it a good pro set up into the deal (fret levelling for instance).

As BRX says, plenty out there already with that config. I'd be tempted to pick one of those up first, really convince yourself you are getting something extra tonally for what you play before cutting into your No.1 bass. You can always sell on the 'test' instrument without much, or possibly any, loss. I've had 2 with this sort of config (a Squier and a USA P special) but they both became surplus to requirements and were moved on.

There are lots of prog bands aroud that I wouldn't personally describe as metal/math but I guess it depends on your own definitions, maybe if they don't fit that subgenre someone might just dismiss them as 'not really prog then' and it becomes self serving.

[quote name='AndrewJordan' timestamp='1463580612' post='3052528'] Best kind of gigs IMHO! I've had a bat in the mouth [/quote] Ozzy was notorious for it...

I'd be more concerned with the 'tiny sweatbox' and 'minute playing area' bit of the description. There is a point where a lack of delineation of where band area stops and crowd area starts can become a PITA.

I think the environment Blue plays in is more like we would experience on something like a holiday abroad. Theres an act on most of the night playing a set, having a break, another set and so on to a fairly constantly changing audience drifting in and out, in our case almost entirely tourists. I went to a bar in Skiathos last year and a duo (gtr/vox plus a drummer) must have played for nigh on 4 hours split over 4 or 5 sets. Started about 10pm and were into their final set as I left about 1:30am. They do cut corners to learn the material though. As it happened the act I saw was doing classic rock and some greek trad mixed in. I noticed he avoided playing nearly all of the signature guitar solos

Said it before, I was born about 10 years too late. I liked what I experienced in the 70's but it would have been so much better to have been old enough to have seen the likes of Yes, Deep Purple, Led Zep, Tull etc etc at their peaks in the early to mid 70's. I was only 9 in 1973, would have loved to be 19 in that year. By the time I was taking serious notice of music it was the rise of punk and music had, for me, turned quite crappy.

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]OK folks here's the next batch of upcoming gigs. Covering the likes of Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Judas Priest, Ozzy, Marillion, Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, Europe etc. Usual start time is 9:30pm unless otherwise stated.[/font][/size] Here are our upcoming 2017 gigs. Listing for March: [size=4]Mar 18th - Gate Inn, Codnor[/size] [size=4]Mar 25th - The Crew, Nuneaton[/size]

Andy, I was at the CRS Magenta gig on Saturday and shall be at Pendragon this coming Saturday. My first CRS gig was spock's Beard in 1999!

I never really got them first time round. I quite like a bit of late 60's garage and psychedelia too. I think it was because they seemed to give the impression that it was something new and different

[quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1463387441' post='3050839'] You might also be interested in this - 'Last Flight to Pluto' It's a new band I'm delighted to be part of, album has been released and is available on itunes now, tasters available on youtube here: [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh-Ea8ZpQm0"]https://www.youtube....h?v=bh-Ea8ZpQm0[/url] - 'See you at the End' - album taster [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs3YK-xuGVQ"]https://www.youtube....h?v=zs3YK-xuGVQ[/url] - 'Heavy situation' - First track of the album in full We've a 'limelight' feature in the next issue of prog magazine, so we hope to get some good exposure following that. Not many prog bands have a female singer, we hope that'll cut us apart from what's already available!! Hope you enjoy.. [/quote] Didn't know this was your band, had the album a while and enjoyed it. Lots of prog bands with female singers though - Mostly Autumn, Karnataka, Touchstone, Magenta, Panic Room to name a few of the current ones Then there are those from yesteryear but still working like Renaissance and Curved Air...

Prog's doing very well, shame the OP can't find enough like minded people to have a go. You can get an idea of how many bands are around from just the soon to be released/new releases from online sources like these guys: http://www.progrock.co.uk/newsletter/20160513online.htm

Our own Sproketflp's Kate Bush tribute 'Cloudbusting' on Friday (excellent as ever) then Magenta on Saturday (first time I'd seen them, also excellent) supported by 3 young lads doing proggy jazz rock intrumentals. They call themselves Kinky Wizards and the standard of musicianship was brilliant.