lowregisterhead

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1503504379' post='3358784'] I'm with Big Red on this. For me, I want to be as good as I can be when I'm depping, irrespective of the reward. That does not include not making time to do my homework. If he was that busy, he shouldn't have accepted the gig. Combined with the flippancy of the response when challenged, it does not do the person in question any favours IMHO. [/quote] I see what you're saying, but if you're a pro musician trying to make a living, and you get offered a low paying dep, you'll take it because it might make the difference to whether you can make the rent that week. I've been there in the (thankfully) distant past, having to sell my bass to keep a roof over my head. Whilst I agree with you that considerations of quality of service shouldn't be set aside if a gig doesn't pay much, there has to be a balance. Regardless of whether his preparation should be considered adequate or not, we don't really know how it went on the night, and as TimR said, how would your respond if you'd done a perfectly good job, yet your playing was still picked apart? I found out long ago that it's impossible to manage everyone's expectations, having been at the sharp end of that problem a few times. On one occasion I was asked to dep in an originals band on a gig in Dudley - JB's, for those of us who remember that lovely venue! I was living in South London, the band were from East London, and I had to meet them in North London to get a lift to the gig. There was an hour of originals to learn, but was young, foolish yet eager to please, so I only asked for £50. I was somewhat dismayed when on being picked up, they tried to negotiate me down from that price! Needless to say, I didn't budge. The band leader hardly spoke to me the whole night. There's nowt as queer as folk.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1503504722' post='3358789'] Oh yes. . . . what's the internet without a little hyperbole and a sweeping statement or two? [/quote]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1503488424' post='3358612'] IMO if he wasn't prepared to do a proper job for £50 then he shouldn't have taken the gig in the first place. If that had happened to my band I'd be naming ans shaming the drummer in question. [/quote] [quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1503492884' post='3358669'] This guy is a fantastic drummer. Naming and shaming is not appropriate. His £50 listen would have turned in a better performance than most of the drummers in the fully rehearsed bands on Basschat. [/quote] That's a slightly sweeping statement there chris_b, but in the main I'd have to agree. There's two sides to any argument, of course - perhaps the drummer wasn't that great on the night, and who knows how insufferably anal the band leader really was? None of us were there. For me, the bottom line is if he wanted perfection, he should have been prepared to schedule in a proper rehearsal and pay for it. Sounds like he was trying to keep the gig on the cheap without the original drummer, which for me shows scant respect for the audience in general, and musicians in particular. If things did go awry, it would have been down to him, not the dep. And knowing the drummer in question, chris_b is right, he would have delivered the goods. Like I said, it's an minefield!

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1503420050' post='3358095'] Initial PS, by any chance? [/quote] Indeed! Probably best we preserve his anonymity...

It can be a minefield, for dep and depee(?) alike. There's a story I heard many years ago about a drummer who was asked to dep on an originals gig in a pub up in central London for the paltry sum, even then, of £50. The band leader sent him a cassette tape of the songs (as I said, it was a few years back) but with a busy schedule, he only made time to listen to it in his car on the way to the gig. It was fairly straight forward stuff, so apart from one or two hiccups, he discharged his duties quite well, or so he thought. Afterwards, the band leader took him to task about these and other minor infractions. Feeling aggrieved at what he perceived to be nit-picking, when asked to explain himself, the drummer said "Well, I gave it the fifty quid listen, didn't I?!?" As an odd post script, a few years ago I was playing at a posh wedding. The band were having a very nice meal provided by the client, and afterwards I told this story for the umpteenth time. The drummer, who was a dep, didn't even crack a smile. I asked if he'd heard it before. "Course I f-ing have." he said. "It was me!!"

Very pretty, but I'll bet it's a bugger for fingermarks...

£2301. Blimey. Hopefully it won't need a new neck or anything major! Was the buyer a BC'er, I wonder?

Now bids are up to £1500... and it could cost a whole lot more to make it playable!

I was just about to say I thought it looked rather nice - horses for courses and all that...

I used to have one of those. Left it on a bus. Oh no, sorry, that was a Les McKeown LP.

£409.55.... bargain!

Brings to mind that old gag about the drummer who finds the bass player sitting on the stage weeping, and asks him what's wrong. "The guitarist has moved one of the knobs on me amp..." he sobs "...but he won't tell me which one!"

[quote name='CameronJ' timestamp='1497304104' post='3317230'] A bargain indeed. I shall resist... [/quote] You don't have to, you know - it's not the law! Why not let a little Lakland into your life... I've currently got 4 of 'em...

[quote name='CameronJ' timestamp='1497304161' post='3317231'] Glad to hear you have a keeper! Has she had any gigging action yet? [/quote] So far, just an impromptu pub gig in South East London with some mates the day after she arrived. Played through the pub's own back line, which had been 'extensively pre-enjoyed' shall we say, so the amp sounded a bit grim! I'm doing a few festivals over the summer, so it'll probably get a more serious outing then.