bassace

I’ve always said music is a great hobby but a rotten way of earning a living. In my time I’ve played with a few that have gone on to good things - Jamie Callum comes to mind among others. And I’ve played with superb professional musicians who, even before Covid, were scratching a living, eking it out with teaching. You’ve got to be really committed to teaching: a lot of it must be quite dispiriting. I really admire anyone who is a full time professional.

I take a spare class D along not so much out of professionalism but simply to feel comfortable that in the event of an amp failure I can do a quick plug in. In the same way that I carry a spare set of strings. What pees me off is the player who turns with an amp/keyboard/whatever and a two metre kettle lead. That’s not professional.

Creative whingeing studies.

Went to Covent Garden to see the Royal Ballet with the Mrs and her friend. Friend’s man was dept editor at Autosport and he brought some overnight copies hot off the press. So he and I read them while the ladies drooled over the dancers. Fair enough? And we were in the stalls, so a bit visible. The only time I’ve walked out on bands is at festivals where things are quite ‘mobile’ anyway.

I’m not much of a Bubble fan either. But he carries a good band round with him.

Ooh, very nice!

Well, Bassman Sam, go back to the start of the thread and put an s on the end of drummer and well all be so cool we’ll be freezing.

Oh yes, there are some of those.🤭

Should we rename this thread ‘How many drummers can you name?’ They all end up like this.

That’s quite tidy.

That would be good, wouldn’t it. Let’s keep our fingers crossed; would be good to stretch our wings. Sorry: mixed metaphor alert!

Just to go off piste for a moment. I arrived for a gig and the boss was putting out the PA, powered by an eight channel Yamaha as I recall. Something made me notice the speaker leads and they were long coax instrument leads. I told the guy he shouldn’t be using those and he just wouldn’t believe me. He said that’s what he always used. So we started the gig which went well. Until there was a distinct plasticky smell in the air, when the amp went up in flames. So, yes, the load on the output stage is critical. Best not to monkey with the ohms.

If Butch Miles had been on drums it would mean that I was with the Count Basie band. And that would have done me fine.

Haven’t come across Damon before. He’s good isn’t he.

No one mentioned Jim Tavare? Not quite sure how ‘decent’ his DB playing is but form your own conclusions.

Mike Harding told a good story about a booking at a club where he had to accompany a stripper. On banjo. He said she kept turning round and growling ‘faster’. Which he did, until the end when he realised that she wasn’t saying ‘faster’ but questioning his parentage.

Moody Blues was good, wasn’t it. Very interesting how they progressed.

I walked a nature reserve I had project managed. With Bill Oddie. He was a right miserable git. Just sayin’