MichaelDean

Made it!

I'll try and catch you on Thursday!

Anyone going? I'll be there for a child free weekend!

I've needed to wear glasses all day due to astigmatism in both eyes since I was 13. I don't get on with contacts either. It felt like I was drunk when I had them in as they moved everytime I blinked, shifting my vision. At 38, no one has ever told me I don't look the part when playing. I mean, they might have said it out of earshot, but never to my face 😂. I did wear my prescription sunglasses on stage when I was in a hop hip band (at a Christmas party in the photo below!). That worked out surprisingly well. The transitions between the songs for the whole set meant I didn't need a setlist too. If you need to wear glasses, just wear them. If you need a light bass, get one. There is no point suffering for the sake of vanity - be kind to yourself and your body!

I emailed Sonicake about the Android app not working. I had a reply today saying they're waiting for Google to approve it in the Play Store.

I'm 38 and need to lose a 3 or 4 stone. It's hard when you have a young family. I'm mainly just walking to/from work and nursery. Oh, and working on the gun show by pushing my daughter on the swing 😅 I made a rod for my own back there by pushing her higher and higher and now no-one else pushes hard enough! I used to do a lot of road cycling and I quite liked the gym if it was quiet when I lived closer to one. Bit of weights followed by 20/30 minutes of cardio three times a week and I was pretty darn fit. Strength training can have a massive effect as you age too. There was an article in the Guardian a while ago about a group of care home residents in the 80s, most of whom required help doing things like standing up from a chair or going to the toilet. They did some strength training, built muscle mass and were then able to do most of those things that they previously required help for. It's never too late to do a bit more exercise. https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/mar/11/older-adults-strength-training I think I'm going to get some kettle bells now 😂

Thanks. It felt like something that happens in a hospital drama, not real life.! I was just meaning that it goes both ways after someone dies and it isn't always just old people with perhaps more complicated estates.

Could only be a few weeks/months. People die at different ages every day and sometimes family members are keen to liquidate assets. Sudden heart attacks, hit by a car. Heck, my cousin (early 40s) died within two weeks of a brain cancer diagnosis.

I don't think I've seen any brown fog...

That kinda makes me like it more 😅 They're definitley going to be poly, so yes, you should be able to scuff it up and paint over the top of it.

Not at all!

As mentioned a few pages ago, it was my Combustion -> GX-100 -> Bass Big Muff/Mojo Mojo in the loop -> Laney Digbeth. The big head you can see next to me is the guitarist/singers old 70s Yamaha solid state thing. It supposedly imitates a Fender Twin.

Ooof, Dingwall have pictures of the green now. That'd be my pick.

Got some good pics from Fuel on Saturday!

It sounds like you might be better served with a preamp pedal of some sort anyway. If you're going direct and don't need any stage volume... It'll be less gear to take to gigs.

Oh, also, my wife got me the top of the range Thomann gig bag for my birthday. It's such a lovely gigbag. I've used it for three gigs now and it's just great. It's not cheap, but isn't as expensive as a Mono or something like that. It just feels premium though. The straps are comfy, I can jam a thin jumper or coat in the bit where it holds the straps in, it's very protective. Lovely bit of kit. https://www.thomann.co.uk/thomann_safecase_80_e_bass_bag.htm

We concluded our Welsh "tour" tonight, playing at Fuel in Cardiff. We had to go home after our set for various Father's day things tomorrow, so I'm home already after driving people back and enjoying a beer with the cat curled up next to me! We'd not played there before and save the sticky floors, it's a nice venue for that sort of thing! We went on at 8 and there was a decent crowd for us who, most importantly, stayed to watch us instead of vacating the room 😂 Always a good sign. A few gaffs, but it's all good! Same gear and footwear as above.

Just got back from playing The Pit at McCann's in Newport. An interesting night. Soundcheck was annoying. We went to go do it and one of the guitarists decided to just go to the hotel he was staying at and have a shave. Not the best timing 🙄 never mind, we eventually got it sorted. The first band had pulled out a couple of days ago, so there was plenty of time. Probably our smallest crowd yet of about 6. That might just be what happens when you play a metal gig on the same weekend as Download Festival 🤷 We played well though and were well received by the people there. The supplied cab sounds like it's on the way out though. Really didn't have a nice high end. Usual gear of Dingwall Combustion -> GX-100 -> Bass Big Muff/Mojo Mojo in the loop -> Laney Digbeth. Footwear for this evening was some Hobibear barefoot trainers. Still undecided about barefoot shoes... No photos, sorry. I'll update if anything surfaces on the socials! AQMTd9ffsrUKIQvw473CG84aAMXW5_YfPV1mCS5Yv3ZmZDz7cwMSEAAL2nHmvI0RM2jeN38zBu7K7ml6rLHzjlihBZKSa09Q5hLkWgQ.mp4

PMT did have their own "Antiquity" brand. I played one and it seemed like a really decent instrument, especially for the money. They just never got much of an internet buzz around them.

I've got a pau ferro fretboard on a Harley Benton LP copy. Feels like rosewood, very similar pore structure, just a bit lighter in colour. It's absolutley not an issue.

It's a valid question. We all haven't been 20 somethings for a while now and don't want to start at 7 to finish at 11. It makes work pretty painful the next day. We used to do 6-9 on a Sunday which was great until one guitarist moved to Newquay (travelling up in the week to work a few days in the office) and then suddenly it obviously doesn't work that well. Had to switch to midweek and then instead of doing 3 hour weekly practices, we're doing 4 hours every two weeks. It's all a bit frustrating. It really stops new songs being fresh for next practice if it's two weeks away. I think maybe we need to instigate some sort of online practice too on the non-physical meetup weeks. I've heard good things about Jamkazam.

Getting ready for a run of two gigs in Wales this weekend (The Pit at McCann's in Newport on Friday, Fuel in Cardiff on Saturday). Got a few issues with a new song ironed out, so it should be all good. I do find I struggle with the timings for weeknight practices though. We do 6-10 at a local place, but finishing work at 4:30 so I can do the nursery run, where my daughter has decided that she wants to walk to/from nursery (and I don't want the fight of trying to get her in the pram!) means I get home at 5:20, quickly try and make something for dinner and get my stuff ready and wait for my wife to get back, try not to burn my mouth as I inhale dinner and then get out of the door... It's a challenge that seems to put me on the backfoot for practice.

Good stuff! I'm a big fan of their straps. I've got two so far and they're excellent.

We're going on a Welsh tour next weekend! Well, Newport and Cardiff... 😂