Huge Hands

It looks like I was right after all. This is the BBC concert with only Melvin from his usual band (he does allude to people being missing). You can see Melvin guiding the band at some points. The leather jacket is there though! Nothing against Benorce, butI do like some of the licks and fills this guitarist plays on this.

Probably get to see him in action more in this one, but you'll just end up watching James Gadson like me!

I was wrong - the classic leather jacket (and how could I forget tartan trousers sitting cross legged!!) uber coolness was from OGWT with James Gadson and his amazing "pyjama suit".

Found this recent interview with Melvyn but he doesn't get as far as mentioning his time with Bill: https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/melvin-dunlap

That was usually Joseph "Lucky" Scott on Curtis' recordings. Another hero of mine.

I wouldn't dare to count how many times I've listened to that album. There is live UK TV concert footage knocking around of Bill playing (I think where the still in your video is from) with Melvyn sitting looking so cool with his long black leather jacket, playing his early P-bass with his thumb. Most of his band at the time is missing (James Gadson included) but it is worth a watch anyway.

I once advertised a cheap combo cab as "collection only" but then a buyer persuaded me to ship it for him, even though I didn't want to. I had just bought my new smaller cabs, so thought I would hack up the boxes to make a big one. Once I had spent ages doing this and taping them up, all the extra polystyrene padding made the dimensions a size that made shipping more expensive than the cab itself. In the end, the buyer agreed to me packing it just as a cardboard sleeve over the cab to get the dimensions down for cheaper delivery. I seem to remember it was a giant cost difference between a few cm in length/height. However, it meant I had to go out buy a load more gaffa tape and spend a whole night cutting/taping up more boxes. I think he had only offered about £10 over the postage amount for packaging, so I'm pretty sure I ended up making a loss on the postage costs if you totted up all the extra stuff I had to buy and petrol to get it etc. I also accidentally went through the cardboard to the carpet with the Stanley knife which cost me later with my landlord when I moved out... I was massively panicking over the cab getting damaged with such a thin layer of packing. It got there and the buyer contacted me to say it was dead. Luckily it turned out to be that a spade connector had fallen off, but shows the knocks it must have had in transit as I'd never had that happen before. I'm not blaming the buyer as it was my first time doing this so was a learning curve for me, but what I learned was never to do it again!

You called? I would like to point out that I am definitely not the subject tinkerer of this thread. I did defend him earlier in the thread as I thought people being snidey about his level of actual playing went too far as there are all levels of ability in this forum. However, I have no issue with his level of dodgy bodging being highlighted to protect others. Interestingly I would be interested in a guitar with wide spacing as I have tried to play guitar before but struggled due to the size of my banana fingers. I think I'll pass on this gentleman's products though....

Have told this story before, but without a doubt - Paul McCartney. I originally played drums but watching the "I Am The Walrus" bit in Magical Mystery Tour made me realise that Paul looked so much cooler than Ringo (no offence Ringo - I love you too) and without doubt meant I would pull more girls if I played bass. 28 years later, I'm still waiting for the ladies to fall at my feet.....

Welcome back. Hope your band mate/BFF is ok. Sounds horrible.

I love the worn look on my basses, but that is because I can point at most dings and say "that it where I clipped the doorframe in '92 when getting on the bus with it", or that is where the strap broke in 2004 and I caught it, but still did that". It tells our (mine and the instrument's)" story, especially around how clumsy I am. When I see old basses for sale covered in dings and scratches, I love to imagine what those stories might have been with their previous owners. I'd feel I'd been cheated if they were faked and added on. Of course, this is only my own opinion, no criticism of others intended.

Totally agree. To continue further, maybe not all read music, but many have a copy of the script and make notes about who comes in where, which effects get played when - basically anything they want. I have done a few theatre shows in my time and the script was vital to remember everything. I have also done FOH on many band gigs and had notes written on a copy of a set list - I.e. which effect number to dial in for a certain song, remember to turn guitar mic 1 off in that one etc. I worked in a venue mainly, so didn't really get to know bands well enough to write scripts - that was probably the "playing by ear" analogy. I don't think there is anything new to be invented here, although you youngsters probably have it all stored in a digital desk now....

I play in a concert band with lots of wind and brass instruments. I learned to read with this band (they were very patient at first). As Bilbo says, you only get faster and better at sight reading the more you do it. I still struggle with anything faster than quavers! In terms of the rest of the band, there are a lot of players whom I've noted can read well, but can't adjust if the timing goes awol or hear that the incidental they are playing is flat. As the only bass player (the tuba players are intermittent at showing up) I like to add a little improv to my lines if it is a non-classical more modern piece to try and get the rhythm right for the original. I think that is my right unless the MD notices it and tells me off. He recently thanked me for adding bits to an Elton John arrangement to make it sound more like the recording. I'm not sure many of those that have only ever read and play ensemble instruments could do that as all they have ever done is read. I also note where many use dots to learn a piece - in our case, although we rehearse to learn the hard bits, I I doubt any of us would be able to play any of our pieces (no matter how many times we've played them) if the music was suddenly removed and we had to play from memory. It is almost like a different technique - you whizz through the music without really taking a lot of it onboard.

We eat at our local PE a lot. You can exchange your Tesco Clubcard vouchers for payment for the meal, so regularly eat a £60+ meal for the price of drinks only. I think this constant allowance of vouchers and discount deals is reportedly what is making their business fail. Not sure I'd be happy spending the full price for a pizza meal, but there you go. Coincidentally, I was asked to dep in the Soho one later this month by my old band but wasn't available. It is their first time playing there, so can't comment on what it's like, but as others have said, parking nearby is a nightmare/impossible.

Thanks WoT, of course this all just my personal opinion! I was on the side of tBBC against Janek's huff all them years ago, so I am probably not consistent.....