taunton-hobbit

All the above is the reason that I drove 300 miles to Matamp (Meltham) to personally pick up my two new amplifiers. 🤨

So, not UPS, but Securicor, back in the day, managed to 'lose' a package - I'm in the High Wycombe depot patiently explaining that the parcel contains a couple of matching walking sticks for the Queen Mother's 100th Birthday - cue sneer of disbelief from the idiot manning the counter. After a certain amount of time, I manage to retrieve said package, take it home & gift wrap the contents. The best moment was when I walked back into the depot, with my 'new' package, nicely labelled up to HRH, Clarence House............. Counter clown looked totally stunned.

I'm very enthusiastic about Van Damme cables - can't comment on the plugs, I use Neutric or 1/4 jacks...........

London in the 70s used to boast a number of this type of 'venue' - usually small basement areas with no fire escapes, no ventilation & occasionally, no toilets. Unsafe doesn't even begin to describe this sort of opportunist carp...............

Matamp hand-build some very good all valve kit (I know, I own a couple) Their prices aren't silly either (no, they don't pay me)........😁

I went to two, one at the Royal Albert Hall & one at the Barbican - messy, over loud, under rehearsed - and that's just the good stuff.............

^ ^ ^ Good luck with that, I just tried Google translate on it - epic fail............

People still dance to it, though.............

Most of the venues that I wouldn't play again have since closed - no surprise there. I started to refuse to play gigs anywhere that had noise meters years ago - nothing like a couple of k hitting the speakers on reset - couldn't see the promoters being keen to foot the bill, somehow...... 😒

I was using backwash with PAR38s in the sixties.........always was good. I remember using my light boxes to hit the inside of the domed roof of Taggs Island a few times - looked amazing ! 😎

This is one reason why I drove up to Matamp to collect my kit (280 miles + each way) so I could be sure that it got 'home' ok........... 😎

Yeah, the 'tags' thing is usually a good giveaway.......... as for bought at Xmas & returned in May - I'm relieved that I don't have a monopoly on tw*ts....... 😎

"I'm still amazed that clothes shops allow changes for so long after purchase - the amount of people they must have buying stuff and wearing it for a party and returning it must be mental." I don't know what others do (nor care) - I run a clothes shop - I'll take back & exchange within a couple of days, or issue a credit note (neither of which I'm legally obliged to do)......... fortunately I don't sell anything that would be (normally) worn for a party - this is what killed C & A in the UK, & lately Majik & Sparkle have severely curtailed their trading policies........... I'm thinking that some of the aggressive online clothing firms are heading into very choppy waters with 'distance selling' returns - which helped murder the mail order catalogue retailers........interesting times........... (whistles gently, exits stage left) 😎

^ ^ ^ which completely negates the whole thing - MOT certs next? 😎

Mmm - a 'dealer' would probably offer around 350.00 - it needs paint stripping & workshopping......it's an 'Orange' not an 'Orange Matamp' which are very much more desirable. These, I think, are a clone off the Ormat 120, which is a very nice bit of kit............if someone wants to knock it out for 50.00, I'm happy to take a chance (!). 😎.

Met Jon once when he came to drop in on some of Tony Knights Chessmen at a shop I used to work in.....I was introduced by John Gummer....... Jon was a tall, nice bloke - I probably gigged with him at the Refectory a couple of years later with John Mayall, always sad when another one leaves.

I once 'lost' a pair of 2x12 (with horn) Selmer prototypes......... the police found them for me quite quickly.........stupid really, there was only one band that could have 'accidentally' walked off with them, and we had their gig list............at least they didn't nick my bass bins........... 😎

They're just music for Gawds sake - you don't have to like them (or approve)! Personally I don't give a rats derrière what they do, as long as the originals are still around..........(original is not always best)..........I notice that the Aretha has been delisted (no surprise there) 😎

I'd forgotten this one.........s'probably an age thing............. 😎

Being more-or-less retired, I look at my kit from time to time......... I have some frighteningly good Matamp (valve) 300 watters, which are mint, never having been out. If I were to consider gigging, I think I'd use my Crown 2000, which is immaculate, but not irreplaceable if 'something' happened.........does anyone else have kit which is 'too nice to use'? Or am I just being 'old'?

Interesting thread - we used to run a couple of Garrard SP25s, fitted with Sure jukebox carts & additional headweights (usually a 2p piece)........400watts of Ormat Amps & some 18" speakers with Vitavox S3 horns......kept a lot of people happy for a long time (!) 😎

Back in the day I had a few 'odd' gigs in areas best described as 'between Abingdon and Drayton' I came to the conclusion that it was a sort of musical Bermuda Triangle.......... 😎

Now you know why I failed maths - 2yrs is a 'near miss' for me! 😊

Actually, that's an interesting statement - care to elaborate? ☺️

I've just pulled a Drifters cd randomly from t'other room - 1986 after 34 years it still plays fine............ 😎