peteb

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1422272264' post='2670449'] Lennon was an outgoing people person, and I suspect Alex and Geddy are too. Neil can probably be filed alongside Kate Bush. [/quote] People person or not, Lennon had a level of fame that must have been very difficult to deal with and ultimately cost him his life. Alex & Geddy are by all accounts very pleasant affable people. I fear that young be doing Kate Bush an injustice by comparing her with Peart. There is a difference between shunning the limelight and treating people with such bad grace...

[quote name='tonybassplayer' timestamp='1422221499' post='2670096'] I believe he doubles as a friend and riding companion. In the books he tells a couple of stories of how some fans have got just that little bit close and it has spooked him a little. He quotes John Lennon who was of course shot by a "fan" [/quote] Strangely enough, Alex Lifeson doesn't feel the need to make similar arrangements! NP may 'enjoy' a certain amount of fame, but Lennon was on a different planet in that respect...

[quote name='ubit' timestamp='1422263662' post='2670329'] I watched a clip on yoo choob of Daryl hall off of " live from Daryls house" fame, ( absolutely superb series if you haven't caught it) and he was walking through an airport and folk were shouting out " hi Daryl" to him and I thought , that would annoy me, because these people don't know him on a first name basis. Maybe that's the price of fame. He was clearly in a hurry and folks kept stopping him for pictures, which he very graciously, posed for. I can see why these rock stars wear sunglasses all the time. It's to hide their dead eyes as they smile for the umpteenth time for some random photograph. Maybe we should not be so quick to judge famous folks attitudes when confronting " fans" ! [/quote] I think that literally is the price of fame. There is obviously a line where it all becomes too obtrusive but I don't think that exchanging pleasantries with well meaning fans is such an odious thing to do compared with the downsides of many jobs!

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1422239055' post='2670253'] What are the LLs like in the UK. If the place is packed and they have an extraordinary night for alcohol sales. Will The LL let it "trickle down" and slip the band an extra $100.00? Rarely happens over here. However, on those nights we usually do very well with tips. Interesting because over hear tip jars are common for bar bands. We packed a place this past Friday night and there was over $200.00 in the jar. When it's that much we divide it up and pay it out at the end of the night along with our standard fee. I understand you guys frown on tip jars in the UK. Cultural difference I guess. You guys aren't as money hungry as us Yanks? Blue [/quote] Occasionally landlords will give the band a bit of a bonus if they get a better night saleswise than expected. Happened with us on Saturday night. The issue with tip jars, which tends to be a bucket being taken round the room depends on the venue. Some do but most don't. You can get quite a big boost to your money from the bucket, but pubs that tend to have a lower base fee if they know that they can rely on a decent tip collection. It's not so much that Brits are not so bothered about the money, more that there is a recognition that you're not going to make much from playing pubs! You will find that we're a lot hotter on how much we get paid when you start getting into function bands, eg where there is potentially money to be made...

Back in the 80s I played a Guild Pilot 4 string thru a Hartley Thompson bass preamp, powered by a HH V500 PA power amp. One channel of the power amp went into a Marshall Silver Jubilee 4x10 and the other channel powered a huge Yamaha 2x15 cab with JBL speakers. Sounded absolutely immense, but totally unpractical once I found myself in a band without any roadcrew! I couldn’t even lift the Yamaha cab on my own. In recent years I have been using a Mesa Boogie mpulse amp thru a variety of cabs. Originally I had a couple of SWR Goliath 2 4x10s, which sounded great but the cabs were getting a little tired and were not too efficient; then a SWR Goliath 6x10 (brilliant but I got a new car and couldn’t fit it in the back; and now a Bergantino 4x10 (Jigster’s old cab), which is a great piece of kit. I’m generally been using either a Warwick Streamer Stage 1 or an active Jazz (currently an Xotic)…

[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1422132667' post='2669155'] I've played that Huddersfield pub near the station as well. [/quote] 😄😄

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1421894816' post='2666395'] Ok, looks like number 5 is the way it's used on this forum. Blue [/quote] Good to see an American (or Septic) getting to grips with the vernacular of the Mother Tongue. You will be reinstating the letter 'u' in written language next! You are, of course, quite correct that we are using definition number 5 of the word 'punter' - a shockingly high proportion of the audience are clients of prostitutes... 😄😀

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1421883007' post='2666328'] Just picked up sticks and left, eh..? He must be on a roll. [size=4] [/size] [/quote] 😄😄 Boom tish...

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1421880195' post='2666278'] You've got to hammer the marquee pegs in with something. [/quote] 😄😄 It certainly looks like it's been well 'played in'!

The drummer for one of my bands has taken being friendly with fans to another level – he has just left his missus to shack up with one…!

Cool looking bass - and just over the hill from me...! Pity that I can't afford to put an offer in!

I thought that you were taking a break from Nearly Dan?? Glad to see you back in the fold! You will like the Picturedrome – great little venue…

[quote name='ashsagar' timestamp='1421755632' post='2664537'] Hello. Bingley you say? I could use this. I'm over in Leeds [/quote] Cool - I will PM you my mobile number if you want to arrange to call round and pick it up...

Update on this thread - the problem was a sheared wire to the battery clip, now fixed by my friendly local repair guy...!

Following on from the many threads on compression I thought that I would start one on the MXR - M87, which I know loads of players are adding to their live rigs due to its transparency, monitoring and flexibility. However, I am sure that there are plenty like me who are struggling to set the f**kin thing up and getting completely lost on how the various knobs work together (to the extent that I have put my old EBS multi-comp back on my board ahead of the next round of gigs I’m doing starting next weekend). I have always used a small amount of compression (without really understanding the nuts and bolts of how it works) left on all the time so that you hardly know it’s there. The idea is that it helps the bass sit in the mix and evens out the differences in volume between different techniques i.e. playing chords, pumping out straight eights on an open E and then playing faster higher runs, etc. Personally I find compression helps to ensure that none of these parts get lost in the mix and have happily used an onboard compressor on an amp and then an EBS multi-comp for many years with no problems. However, I am struggling with how to set the Attack and Release controls on the M87. Also, I have tried to set the Input so that my signal tends to light up all the green lights, occasionally going into the yellow on the Gain Reduction monitor. I read somewhere that this was the thing to do but am I compressing the life out of my signal by having way too much Gain Reduction? Would I be better to try and keep it generally around -3dB?? I know that perhaps I might have to go back to a simpler compressor, but is there anybody here who understands these things who can help me to make the most out of what is what is supposed to be a great piece of kit? I am playing hard rock or blues rock fingerstyle and using active basses (either a Xotic Jazz or a Warwick Streamer Stage 1). Any advice / help please??

I’m having a bit of a clear-out and have a Korg Pandora headphone amp free to a good home. Quite a useful little unit – great for practicing thru headphones and can be hooked up to a PC or iPod easily enough. I’m not looking for any money for it, just buy a big issue next time you’re out and about and tip the vendor a couple of quid. I don’t want to post this out so pickup only from Bingley in West Yorkshire and I’ll get the kettle on… Cheers - Pete

[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1421180469' post='2658202'] I wonder if in 20 years the thread will be called [b] [size=4]Over 80 & Still In The Game...[/size][/b] [/quote] We can only hope so... I suppose that we can take inspiration from Pinetop Perkins who still had a full diary of gigs for the year ahead when he passed away aged 99 years of age and Honeyboy Edwards who was very nearly as old and still gigging when he died...

One band I’m in currently ends the night with a medley of Blitzkrieg Bop, Breaking The Law and Ace Of Spades. You can probably guess the type of crowd we usually play to…!

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1420897193' post='2654714'] I'd be surprised if many pub bands were operating a business model. [/quote] Every successful one does...!

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1419338638' post='2638869'] Yes, thinking about it you (and the others saying the same thing) are probably right. SRV was brilliant, with great feel, and technique, but not really ground breaking or revolutionary so I'll withdraw my nomination for the list (Still bloody good to listen to and learn from though). [/quote] Actually, what I was trying to say was that even though he wasn't as massively ground breaking or revolutionary as the others I would still nominate him for inclusion on that list, just because he was so incredibly f***in good...!

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1419284234' post='2638418'] Really like him, but not so sure he would be placed in that very select few who inspired so so many. I mean VH started a whole gtr playing style all on his own.... and Hendrix just blew everyone away. Beck is Beck and still unique after all these years... so not quite sure I would put SRV in that league myself... Others might but I don't think he stands side by side with the most influential Gtrs of the last 50 in a top 5 or so..??? [/quote] I would say that SRV inspired countless players but was perhaps not quite as original as the other three, maybe more the sum of his influences where there wasn’t really anyone like Hendrix, Beck & VH before they appeared seemingly out of nowhere! However, he was undeniably s*** hot and I would say certainly ‘in the same league’. Probably my four favourite guitar players…

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1418685745' post='2632429'] I'm sorry to say I've had to resurrect mine from the boot of the car - got a 50+ song New Years eve gig with a scratch (but very good) band with at least 50% songs I don't know - it's a dinner dance do so I rather doubt anyone will be walking out. But just in case I do forget Moon River or any other of the songs I should know but have long forgotten, and haven't commited to memory from the two rehearsals, my music stand will be in use - don't want any of the people dancing waltzes tripping up because I've forgotten its in 3/4 lol!! [/quote] Surely that is exactly the type of gig where you would expect to see music stands on stage. However if I walk into a pub expecting to see a rock band and they have music stands visibly on stage when I'm expecting a bit more of an energetic performance - well I'm not saying that I would immediately walk out by any means, but it is a strike against them before they've played a note...!

[quote name='Old_Ben' timestamp='1418581027' post='2631388'] Have you tried it with a power supply yet to see if that is the issue? [/quote] I do need to check this out, but I am worried that it did work for a short while with a battery (at home) but didn't function at all on the gig!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyTTX6Wlf1Y

I have recently changed compressors on my pedalboard, swapping a new MXR for my old EBS. The idea was to keep the EBS for gigs where I don’t need the full board and run it linked to a tuner pedal. However, the EBS seems to be developing problems and I wonder if anyone here can help with a diagnosis? The EBS has lived happily on my pedalboard with no problems for 3 or 4 years, but since I am trying to power it with a battery it seems that it doesn’t want to work anymore. Firstly I used it at a rehearsal where it would not work but was ok when I disengaged the compression (i.e. in bypass mode). Then I tried it at home with a new battery and having applied a liberal splashing of switchcleaner to the jack sockets, pots and circuit board. I tried it with a different connector and a patch lead and it seemed to be working ok in the house but at the gig last night it would not work at all, either with the compression switched in or bypassed (or with a variety of connectors and patch leads). Does anyone have any idea what the problem might be? I’m guessing that it may be due to it being powered by a battery rather than the mains, simply because it worked ok on the board but have no other thoughts. If it makes any difference I am running it in multiband mode.