uk_lefty

At one point in time there were two bands calling themselves "Bucks Fizz" on the holiday camp circuit. They tried to sue each other for exclusive use of the name. When it got to court the judge said there was no mileage left in the name and they should just do whatever they want and stop bickering, just in more eloquent language that was even more cutting, and also legally binding. Suggest you fire the lead guitarist/ founder member but only one he condition that he sets up a rival band and you have a huge rock and roll feud with local newspaper coverage.

Do whatever you want, to my eyes it's a new band, unless the original founder was appointed band leader of the original project and continues to be so now. If he quits then you really are a new and different band

Looks good! The binding on the neck sets it off really well. Hope it plays nicely too.

Potential bargain. I love mine.

I buy my CDs through Amazon with immediate download. It's often cheaper than download only! I do like to have the physical item and the cover art and notes. I like my bookshelf and CDs out on display, well organised. All guests have a nose through our books and CDs and I want my daughter to pick stuff up and have a listen when she's a bit bigger, that's how I got in to music. If she needs to wait for me to unlock my phone and supervise her then she could miss out on accidentally finding bands she may love forever.

I use my Sire exactly as it arrived. It's set up beautifully, such a low action it's effortless to play. I'm even going to use the same type of strings when I re-string it. Their standard set up, or maybe it's Thomann's, is perfect for me.

So you lot giving them hot drinks and ice creams are the ones meaning the last few deliveries don't get made!!??! It's one of those things where they pay awful money to people and so they get guys rushing it and not caring. Some of these companies pay the drivers 5p per delivered parcel, I got that for my paper round as a kid over twenty years ago! I've had a driver shout at me because it took him three goes to deliver to me (I only work from home every now and then, not my fault) and I've had Hermes actually drop a parcel through a window five and a half foot off the floor, luckily not damaging anything in my house ... And the parcel wasn't for me!!! It wasn't even for a similar address. They had no reason to be anywhere near my house, they must have just seen the open window as an opportunity to chalk off a "left with neighbour" even if that means ten minutes walk away from destination! In summary: dodgy payment practices and high pressure creates risk of low quality work. Also, we all have lots of horror stories. I guess you just cannot rely on them at all.

I would hate to see an insanely loud band. If I can't order a drink without shouting at the bar staff I won't stick around. I had our band change to a bigger rehearsal room to get the use of better kit but also because the smaller rooms created the effect of greater volume. It costs us a bit more but it's more productive and it's not ripping everyone's ears out. Interestingly (to me at least) I wore my ACS ear plugs at my gig this weekend as I always do at rehearsal but not always for gigs. I had them connected with the transparent rubber string so I could let them hang loose on my neck. I kept being told they looked "cool". No idea! Even if someone told me I looked like a twunt I'd keep them in. I don't sleep well after gigs and rehearsals if the volume is up to the point it's like there's an elephant gang bang on top of my head. Wearing the ear plugs really helps get rid of the head pounding after rehearsals.

Tough one. I guess it depends on your other commitments and priorities. I will do band one night a week, twenty-ish mins drive away. I won't do more. I have a busy work life with long travel a day or two a week which means very early mornings and tiredness. I also have a wife and a small daughter, as well as other interests and a recognition that I need to relax some nights, and should really be exercising on some nights too. I'm doing a dep tomorrow for a friend of the band, she asked if I could do it and I told her my rule, I have to be at home putting my daughter to bed at seven, then it's forty mins drive to the venue, so for me to play we need to be on at 8 or later. That's my priority now, and my choice.

In a pool of his own making. I will be using that regularly. Perhaps in the next half hour if this train doesn't get a shift on.

Loving the Sire. I've been toying with getting all sorts of basses but I love the sound of a jazz bridge pickup, I also wanted to see what having a fifth string would give me. I wanted a maple board and a decent active EQ. The Sire is great for me. Arrived perfectly set up and I think that has as much influence as anything, the action is ridiculously low and I run all over it quicker than my other basses. I barely touch the EQ, it sounds so good with everything at the middle, I don't EQ my amp or engage a preamp pedal now. It doesn't suit everything but I can calm the brightness and snappiness easily with the EQ. It was excellent value at just over £520 or whatever, feels as good a build quality as my Japanese Fender. If you're curious about them you won't regret buying one.

Here's my current bass menu ... Kramer fretless 5. Mexican jazz. Sire Vintage V7 5 string. Fender Japanese PB70

I've never robbed a house before, but if I did...!!! That's pretty much my dream bass line up... Would love a Spector or Music Man. I narrowly missed one of those Washburn's on fleabay a while back. Had a B2A with EMG pickups and it sounded amazing, just couldn't get on with the string spacing. Swap the B2A for a five string jazz and that's a collection I would be very happy with indeed!

If they have a gig in St Albans I guess I could help out. But my communication skills are only a 2 so I don't think they'd get the message.

I hate my job and have been looking for a while... But I'm not tempted by this. I don't think my driving skill level 4 will work. And I think that means they want me to drive the tour bus. And I don't like the music.

Looks the business!

Agreed, but still think you need to ask just to be certain. Someone who says they want a player for seriois gigging band might have never played outside their own bedroom. And likewise, you need to be honest about what you want otherwise everyone is wasting each others time. Having said that, my band has grown to be a good earner, so things can develop.

As above, be really up front about what you're expecting from the band... One gig a month? New mates to jam with? Regular wedding and function gigs paying £3500 a week? And ask them the same... I got my slot over a lad who was hands down a better player but he wanted weekly paid gigs, the band was bringing in about one gig a month, few paid. I wanted to play good music, have fun and maybe cover my costs.

Inspired by the "worst ever gig" thread, What's the best Heckle you've ever had? Meaning funniest, weirdest, best timed, etc? Mine, in other thread, wasn't a heckle as such but while doing a solo acoustic spot in one of those cosmically aligned timings where everyone in a rowdy pub is quiet at the same time I heard "he's a good guitarist but stinky poo singer!" And the offender was.... My own Dad!

And that should really be the conclusion... What do you think suits it best the way your band wants to play it? Even if you're backing a Bryan Adams tribute act, are you a tribute bassist note for note? Go with what works best for your band in your performance.

If we aren't including bass playing then there's the acoustic gig I did on an August bank holiday aged 19.... I used to book the acts at a pub I worked in during a summer holiday from uni. The boss kept asking me to do a night because he knew me through my band. Someone dropped out so I did August bank holiday. Singing and playing acoustic for the first time live ever. I had my guitarist/ singer from the band with me for a few numbers. He packed up and left once his bit was done. We were late going on because I didn't feel nervous but my bowel did. Knowing the pub toilets I used the loo in the flats above so everyone thought I'd done a runner when actually I was doing the opposite (sitting very still). I played, got some great reaction to some originals, some so so reaction to some others... Then some drunks decided to sit right in my face, read my set list and shout "he's playing *song name* next! Bet it's this song next!" As well as "play some Elvis, kid!" And my favourite, "he's a stinky poo singer but can play guitar" which was actually my dad!!!! He didn't shout it as a heckle but said it to the landlord in one of those prime moments where you think you're being discreet but all other noises cease in a moment of planetary alignment to embarrass the offender. Also, singing an original about a girl from work who she and I were stringing each other along in front of my dad was interesting.... The chorus of "you were such a b!tch" repeated was ok, it was the closing line of "even now you're offering s3x, but I won't take cos you're my psycho ex" while making eye contact with my dad was excruciating.

These are fantastic! Mine cannot match up, I've only ever been threatened with violence while DJ'ing! Worst gig would be with my first band. Played the cellar bar of a rock pub, nobody knew we were down there. Singer and drummer made no effort to get anyone in so we were relying on my ten or less mates to turn up.... They did about half way in to the set. I got a bit too tipsy, being eighteen and having the glory of our first proper gig as a band, not just on the bill with others, and re-enacted lots of rock-god moments from the likes of Jim Morrison and Flea while playing Hendrix and Sabbath covers. Front man, and barmaid, not impressed, I was a shirtless tool. I borrowed some lighting from the rock disco, a whirly thing that sat on the floor, had the plug propped on an extension lead to press down with my foot during the intro of the first song when the drum and bass kicks in... Whirly thing took hold of my bass lead and pulled it out! I retrieved the lead, tried to keep playing all while kicking the metal out of this borrowed lighting thing.... Rock DJ mam arrived at the end of the gig horrified that a rock band was entertaining HIS audience. Horrified more when the audience now of fifteen reduced to his usual five when my mates left with me. At least I pulled a girl from college that night. Worst gig recently was end of last month. Last year we played for a motor racing club at a famous British motor racing circuit. We went down a storm and lots of people got carried away. It was unpaid and lots of travel but we got invited to do their awards function so all good. I recently learned that we were invited back this year but had to start and finish earlier and there was a warning about behaviour. It seems some of the amateur racing drivers got too carried away after our first gig up there and one of which had pulled out of a race after puking in his helmet during the first race of the Sunday. We played in the new bar, a huge metal shed, that had terrible acoustics and a sheepish audience under orders to behave. There was also big TV screens everywhere showing some formula ford or other obscure racing nonsense. Got paid the same as we do for a local pub gig despite four hours or driving. It was so flat we didn't even bother playing our biggest and best songs. Gutting, it was my first outing with a new bass too.

Isn't the London symphony orchestra a covers band?

Always used to play it without a low D, never did any harm. Saw Bryan Adams a couple of summers ago and didn't notice the bassist drop D for it, though wasn't looking out for it, he played a p bass for the entire set. People love the song because it's an easy sing along chorus and it's iconic. I would have no problem whatsoever playing this in my band, though it is a pub cover band cliche, guess you just have to play it better than most.

I left Scarborough years back and the uni has changed hands and location at least once since then, but there was a music recording degree course which my guitarist was on. I got in to that band via the noteboard in Dean's music on At Thomas Street, no idea what that is now. Surprised you can't get anything set up though I guess a lot of the bands I've seen back there have been student bands. Leeds has a lot going on, my mate has been in a few rock typical pub covers bands and auditioned for some funk/ disco and jazzy stuff too. I bet there's allsorts going on in York. Don't know if Lemomrock is available up there but maybe have a look through that to see what type of bands are about and what type of "wanted" ads there are.