Mickeyboro

Form your own band! That's how I got round it...

Form your own band! That's how I got round it...

Dead right!

'Love Cliff Richard but please don't tease'

Now there's a lyric...Kiss didn't understand!

We have a Hammond player rehearsing with us tomorrow. Hold Your head Up is very much on my agenda!

We kick off with The Seeker - never fails!

Somehow the matt finish of the p/g doesn't work with the gloss of the body. For me, anyway.

[quote name='Adrenochrome' post='585054' date='Aug 30 2009, 12:09 PM']I use a cheap Samson Airline bass-specific bug and it suffers from none of the problems listed above. It's seen regular use from the tiniest pubs to 2000+ outdoor festivals and rallies.
The points listed above as 'facts' are grossly inaccurate.[/quote]

+1 for this! I wouldn't be without mine, secured from another Basschatter, and it's become a bit of a trademark. Good when you can't soundcheck, too!

Edit - Look at my avatar for another advantage, access to the bar...

Is the second one known as a 'five-year'?

PM'd

The Rumour (as in Graham Parker and the...)

Early Music Man user.

The seller seems familiar...

Emailed!

PM'd

Is that you practising your scales, Clarky?

I have to tell you, that's not the right kind of bass.

I play in a functions band and dep with a party band. They have two or three duplicate numbers (eg Saw Her Standing There, Ruby) which are played in D (one band) or E (t'other) depending on the singer's ability to hit the high notes.

I have to engage brain before moving fingers, not an easy thing to do at my age...

Remind me why I got rid of it, Clarky

If the leggings come attached, I'm in

That qualifies as a punk joke.

The s is silent...

That reminds me of a joke about a handbag made from an elephant's f*reskin.

Fortunately I can't remember the rest of it.

What's the difference between a buffalo and a bison?




You can't wash your hands in a buffalo!

[quote name='Clarky' post='565465' date='Aug 10 2009, 10:04 PM']excruciating ear infection[/quote]

I could tell you a few stories about them too! Right hardcore mob...

Ditto - am playing a barn in distant Devon, must be mad! (As a dep, don't hit me...)

Used to share rehearsal space with 999 in '79, a very tidy pop band - never thought of them as authentic punks but what did I know? Nearly got into a fight with Billy Idol for claiming Generation X sounded like a second rate Deep Purple!

As I was a foot taller than him he chickened out.

Can't resist sharing this - not my own work (credit to a certain Rusell 'Sacko' Saxton) but I found it all too true. Apologies for rude words, too.

THE 1-2-3 OF BANDS

A '1' is the person who generally runs the bands, is either very creative or up his own arse, writes the bulk of the stuff, makes most of the decisions and generally sorts stuff out. The dominant figure. A control freak more often than not. Usually the singer or guitarist. Classic 1s-Rory Gallagher, Dio, Blackmore.

A '2' is a similar personality but not quite as powerful a personality as the incumbent 1 and will therefore spend a lot of time, stress and energy trying to usurp him. It rarely works unless the one is so obnoxious the rest of the band hate him and defect to the 2.

You can always spot a 2 in any band because they make solo albums. 1s have no need.

'3's are the rank and file men, rhythm guitarists, bassists and drummers in the main but not always. The guys who just either go with the flow or plain don’t care and are just happy to be in a band and making money while the 1s and 2s give themselves hypertension and coronaries due to stress.

1s have no friends in the band UNLESS the band is a three piece (never larger) and the line-up consists of a 1 and two 3s or a one and a two in which case he has a mate in the three. If the band consists of 4 or more the 1 and 2 hate one another and the threes stick together in a little club with the roadies.

The history of every rock band in the universe can be charted like so;

1 forms the band and recruits three members beside himself. For a while everything is rosy and for a short honeymoon period the band is going great, hes written lots of songs and gets the band to learn them. They seem happy with the direction and may play a few gigs. Unbeknown to him however, he has recruited a 2, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Sooner or later, depending on the instrument played the 2 will reveal himself by the innocent phrase 'I want to try this song I’ve just written'. It will be awful or will be utterly unlike the stuff that 1 writes but the 2 will insist. This is where the fatal turn of events happens. If the 1 refuses then he has made a deadly enemy. If he acquiesces he has opened the gates to the barbarian hordes who will rip up his cosy little world, stamp on it, sh*t on it, piss on it and then stamp on it some more.

1 is now f***ed. Every rehearsal will degenerate into a slanging match with number 2 until 1 either tells 2 to get f***ed off or 2 leaves which takes YEARS to happen during which 1 and 2 will age three times the rate they should. Nothing will get done. The trouble with 2s is that because they are also creative and dynamic personalities they are often pivotal members of the band and really the 1 cant be as successful without them unless possessed of true genius. 1 will then recruit a replacement who MUST be a three. Must must must must be. Trouble is 3s often have little to contribute and sooner or later 1 dries up and the band goes arse upwards.

Really 1s need to employ people rather than be in bands with others because there is always a 2 waiting unseen like a fag end in a half empty can of lager. Threes don’t have to be weaker personalities - often they are the most intelligent and always the most well adjusted people in the band. They know a good thing when they see it and see the fate of those who challenge Caesar.

The sole example of a band with several 1s that lasted anytime is Queen. If you look at the writing credits for Queen stuff its always one man wrote a song, few are collaborations if any. As four intelligent and astute men they realised they had something good and agreed no doubt to record each others stuff and play only the hits live. A pure business arrangement that benefited all.

Though it may be significant the bassist has nothing to do with the current activities of May and Taylor....

PM'd

A band I dep with recently told me they prefer my playing to the incumbent's.

But I would consider it bad form to try and get his gig, just as I am sure they have no intention of offering it me.

At the end of the day, unless it's your living, there should be a bit of honour among musicians.

PM'd