Japhet

East River - The Brecker Brothers

No surprise that I'm way behind the curve (as usual). However, that gig looks surreal (and sterile) to me. Audience didn't look too engaged in it either.

I can't help but wonder whether there will come a time when audiences too are supplied with headsets at large gigs. How surreal would that be? Huge crowd, band silence in the arena as they jump about and sing out of tune. I wonder what the reaction would be if you told potential punters that this is how a gig would work. I'd hazard a guess that many of them would be horrified and would much rather prefer the rawness of soaking up a conventional gig at normal volume.

I play in a 3 piece rock covers band and have 2 drive pedals on my board. Ampeg Scrambler as an always on for a bit of grit. I also have an EHX Battalion (maybe changing to a Joyo Orange Juice) for when the guitarist is soloing. That boosts the mids a little bit and fills the sound out a bit more without making it sound mushy.

Probably in a tiny minority here judging by some of the stuff I've read, but I've played a couple of gigs with IEMs and absolutely hated it. Just feels like you're in some sort of cocoon where you're shielded from everything apart from the band. No connection with anything else and also I found them uncomfortable and irritating. Give me an amp and a cabinet any day.

Come On Baby Light My Fire, primarily because of the God awful intro played on what I assume was one of those plastic Bontempi keyboards. Either that or a Stylophone.

Tiger Feet - Mud

I think it's more genres of music that I can't stand. For instance, the pseudo operatic wailing of Bruce Dickinson just instantly boils my pi55. I don't mind a bit of heavy music but don't go all 'Pavarotti' on me, please.

My Favorite Things - Julie Andrews

I Can't Gopher That - Hall & Oates

The one in our setlist I dislike at the moment is Bad Moon Rising. Not that it's a particularly bad song, but there are so many great CCR songs and everybody plays this and Proud f'ing Mary.

Wake Up Boo! - Boo Radleys

Ava Drink On Me - AC/DC

I Feel the Earth Move - Carole King

Engineers generally like as clean a signal as possible which means pre EQ. That's all well and good until you run into a sound engineers who doesn't know what a bass should sound like.

Used to really enjoy playing You Oughta Know - Alanis Morrisette when I played in a band with a girl singer. Great stuff from Flea on that one and nice dynamics in the song too.

Rolling and Tumbling - Muddy Waters

I've just turned 65. My back is fine while I'm playing but kicks in big time at the end of gigs when I have to get down to unplug the pedal board or extension leads. I'm starting to develop a strategy now where the first thing I do is take the bass out to the car at the end of a gig. That little walk about seems to help to get a bit of gentle movement into my lower back. I've also got a rotator cuff issue but that is actually helped by lifting stuff with my arm pointing straight down so that's not too bad. P.S. I've agreed to help some friends (who are doing a self build) tomorrow. Pouring a 180m2 concrete slab. Half of the 'crew' have dropped out at the last minute, so what I thought might be quite an easy day doesn't look so good now. Dreading it to be honest but I'll give it a go.

Lettuce Stay Together - Al Green

Circle Of One - Oleta Adams