KevB

+1 for playing with other better players. Before I started doing the regular local jam sessions I thought I'd pretty much peaked but after doing it regularly, particularly in stints with the resident house band, someone mentioned to me one day how I'd improved over the last year or so. I didn't really see it myself but it was someone who sees live acts all the time as a self employed ents manager so had to take it on board. The other real wakeup call was going to my first ever bassworld gathering in Northampton years ago and seeing the standard of the guys there, just other forum members mostly doing it as a hobby. I was close to jacking it in completely but gave myself a kick up the backside and came to a compromise of amount of work i was prepared to put in compared to what I was getting back from performing.

But even dear old Pammie's changed a bit recently.... [URL=http://s30.photobucket.com/user/KevB64/media/pammie_zpse3393db3.jpg.html][IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c307/KevB64/pammie_zpse3393db3.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Shopping trolley? luxury mate. Did a wedding [url="http://www.lustyglaze.co.uk/"]here[/url] last year. Only way from car park at top of cliff to venue on beach is via one hundred and thirty odd steps (quite deep, narrow concrete steps) and every bit of kit has to come down it and back up it at the end. Did about 5 or 6 trips to get the gear down and another 3 or 4 (wedding guests helping) to get it all back to the van at the end. Never, ever again.

Here you go Dave... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLjtajNuAm8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLjtajNuAm8[/url]

Once you do enough gigs where you don't think you've played well and get exactly the same audience reaction as those where you think you were really on the money makes you realise how much leeway there is from their perspective. Always aim to do your best sure but don't get over anxious if it goes a bit astray. Unless you are doing a solo gig remember there are others there to put the music across as well as yourself, its a team effort. My last gig was well below par for me personally, just didn't feel with it at all. However the band as a whole were good, we got a good reaction and two other band members both indepedantly made a point of saying how well they thought it went which they don't normally do, all different perspectives.

Tend to go along with Lozz in post 3. If it [i]has[/i] to be new and from a shop and in the budget the OP mentions then the Yamaha's are a great workhorse bass made to a good spec and with plenty of tonal possibilities.

Rattled through it in 30 secs, 7/10. Couldn't recognise Oasis, Strokes or Coldplay. Rather pleased at the ones I missed tbh

Fair enough, I [i]am[/i] too senile to be thinking about getting involved with smartphones Gardening well and truly mastered and finished just before it started drizzling. So if any other basschatters spot the confused looking old bloke wandering around in a Stones 50th anniversary t-shirt it'll be me and you are allowed to get me a swift half in. Setting off in next 20 mins to avoid traffic and have something to eat on way.

Love the woman on standby with the fire blanket, rock'n'roll health & safety

Talent show winners eh? scourge of the earth mate.

Apparently the support band is Voodoo Six. Not seen them live but have an album of theirs and they sound a solid rock band too so decent value for the ticket.

[quote name='martthebass' timestamp='1404734739' post='2495144'] Despite spirited renditions of Clash, Alarm, Cure, Dexys classics it ws definitely a case of Costa Rica/Netherlands 1: Band 0 [/quote] Two of our regular venues are very sports oriented pubs (big screens everywhere) but at least they turn off whichever screen is closest to the band setup when we play. We've had a lot of overlap during WC but by going on at 10pm and playing till after midnight we've avoided too much clashing. What's tended to happen is that the guys watch the match and all their w.a.g's come to watch us and have a boogie. We haven't complained

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1404723862' post='2494958'] got cut off after four songs to make way for a book reading that had apparentely been scheduled in. [/quote] Should have insisted on hanging around to provide suitable soundtrack backing for the reading, all improv

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1404684589' post='2494767'] Sod the gardening jobs, Kev. Anyone would think you had just turned 50! (pokes tongue) [/quote] There is a proper emoticon for poking tongue y'know maybe I'm not senile enough yet to miss it

Yup, I'm planning on going just as long as I get the gardening jobs out of the way during the day.

Routine pub gig at one of our regular monthly venues. Considering how warm and humid it was in the place we had a surprising number of (mainly female) dancers. Had one (obviously worse for drink) young lady intently looking at my fretting hand from about 6'' away working out how I was playing what I was in some sort of mesmerised trance, quite funny to watch. Even got a positive reaction from a bloke there with his other half who turned out to be an ex bass player himself. Must have lost a couple of pounds in sweat by the end of it but all in all a decent run out for the band.

Good isn't it? been a long time since i did it but remember it well. Unfortunately we were mostly all driving so ended up giving half my tokens away to non-playing mates We did manage to blow all the mains power to the stage with our PA though

The impact of 'provenance' (along with rarity)just seems to get greater all the time. We live in a world where stuff is mass produced on a global scale all the time. We look for ever more abstract ways of adding extra 'value'. If there is an association with a 'known' person then the value is higher whether we like it or not. Blame the antiques roadshow.

Yes it's an odd thing 'value' and really quite flexible and relative. A US Fender P bought new in say 1965 would be much less affordable for most average earners than a new one would be today. Fast forward to say early 80's or a time when old Fenders weren't particularly fashionable then with a bit of wear and tear that 65 P would probably end up in a S/H music shop and get sold for less than £400. It might be worth over £2000 now.

[quote name='toneknob' timestamp='1404378047' post='2491982'] I watched Robert Plant's set this morning - for someone who doesn't want to play with Led Zeppelin, he played an awful lot of Led Zep songs, and the same ones he's been playing for ages. I love him but I'm glad I held off getting tickets for his tour later this year. [/quote] Opposite for me. Not seen him live since 1995 and much against my expectations found myself warming to the old codger again so I will go see him in Nov.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1404374402' post='2491933'] Rush would die on their arses at Glastonbury. [/quote] Thought the same when they were mentioned earlier in the thread. Can't think of a band [i]less [/i]suited to a large general UK music fest than Ged & the boys. They might get away with it in Canada but not Glasto.

Oddly enugh this was the arbitrary number I came up with years ago for my limit. I don't know why, I just thought 'I'm never spending more than a grand on a bass' and so far I've had some very good instruments under that budget. In fact as I'v enever had to buy afull PA I've nver spent more than a grand on any piece of musical kit. Incidentally if the OP wants a [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/228759-usa-fender-deluxe-precision/page__p__2484637__hl__deluxe%20usa__fromsearch__1#entry2484637"]USA P Deluxe [/url]active in mint condition he can have one from me for well under £1000

Max Webster were on the TOTP's repeats from 1979 a few weeks back, making their one and only appearance. A mate of mine is a fan of both MW and KM solo. Underrated artist. I have one or two MW albums in the collection and best of comps of both MW and KM. Can't remember if Lemon Wedge is on it though, not played it for a while. Some fo the MW stuff sounds quite Zappa influenced to me.

I'm camping out for one whole night at the [url="http://www.facebook.com/HaberdashersProgadelicSummerFestival"]Progadelic[/url] thing in Staffs next week - do I count as a festival goer?

Gordon Lightfoot. OK, not exactly 'rock'. Loverboy?