JapanAxe

I don’t see it that way at all. They actually offered dep work when they play closer to my area but I said I would be happy to travel to their area. I expect their ideal candidate would live in the same area, whereas I’m about 70 miles away. There was always the risk that the travel to gigs would at some point start to get wearisome for me, but not if it’s just the odd dep gig. I do actively promote myself as a dep, and we discussed that at the audition, so that’s all fine with me. YMMV!

I’ve recently been looking for a quality band to join, on either bass or guitar. In the last month I’ve attended 3 auditions and I thought I’d share my experiences here. (1) Lead guitar in a 5-piece playing a mix of pubs and festivals. I wasn’t sure I wanted this as I’m trying to move away from pub gigs, but I thought it would be worth trying in case I really liked the band. I played the audition numbers ok but I reckon my lack of enthusiasm showed and the next day I got a polite and friendly Dear John message. (2) Lead guitar in a start-up function band. The audition venue was an old farmhouse in the middle of an industrial estate populated mostly by dodgy car repair businesses. A bass player turned up to unlock the door but had little idea what was going on. Inside the building, which smelled strongly of mould, a first-floor kitchen had been equipped with a PA, drum kit, and a couple of amps. The BL (drummer) was late and the singer who was to be auditioned at the same time had cried off, so we played one song with no vocals, and I sang a couple more. As I was leaving the next candidate arrived and I was amused to see him heft a huge speaker cab from his boot, oblivious to the steep and narrow staircase that awaited him. All I’ve heard since is that the BL had had some car problems. (3) Bass guitar in a well-established party band. Although the band is not especially local to me, they do decent well-paid gigs including weddings. I did a fair bit of preparation before the audition, going through their online videos to see how they tackled the songs - not just the 3 audition numbers. The auditions were in a proper well-equipped rehearsal studio, and I took my cue from the band by taking my ampless rig and IEMs. They were a nice bunch of guys and all went well. Next day I got a message thanking me for coming and inviting me to be on their dep list - they are still looking for a permanent bassist. I call that a result. My search continues - on Thursday I am playing guitar at the first try-out rehearsal for a start-up functions band. The organiser is an excellent female singer who I’ve worked with previously. The best leads often come through people you already know. The rest of the rhythm section seem to be from the big band / theatre pit world so I’ll be interested to see and hear how that translates to a party band environment.

The Daddy Warhols

Not this year. Our son and his wife are over from Spain so our daughter and her family are joining us too for festive frivolities. At midnight we’ll try not to choke to death on grapes - it’s a Spanish thing…

...at €3990!

Sorry you’ve had to move on an instrument you loved. I’m going to chip in on Mustangs too. I’ve owned 2 modern ones and they were both so easy to play that a gig with them was like a night off! The necks were super slim and comfortable. Just be aware that for through-body stringing you need to allow for the extra length, so a 30in scale bass would need 32in scale strings. I haven’t seen you play but you mention difficulty stretching between frets - don’t be afraid to move your fretting hand instead, that whole ‘one finger per fret’ thing is a bit of a red herring.

I have no skin in the game as far as digital modellers are concerned but I have found the same with the cab sim in my Origin Effects BassRig. Instead of the speaker-simulated balanced out I now use the amp out into a DI box and tweak the Amp Out EQ to taste.

Yes there is also the issue of keeping svelte enough for clothes to look good!

I have a few western shirts from my time playing the country and western club circuit. I generally wear one when I am depping with Dire Streets (ahem). I quite like to rock a black suit, black shirt and turquoise bolo but only if there is somewhere to change after loading in. I also own what I consider to be the best shirt in the world - floral pattern with little sparkly bits and tassles! I like to combine that with silver shoes and black chinos on Bowie tribute gigs. I often see what I think would make great stage wear, only to find it’s not available in my size because it’s intended for women.

I’d say I’m happy with my rig. Most gigs it will be Demeter head into BF Super Twin with whichever of my basses best suits the gig. Sometimes I might take the BF One 10 instead. GAS still strikes and has me looking at other heads, which is how I came to own my EBS head - it’s great but I still prefer the Demeter.

On gigs I have a piece of grip mat on top of my amp where I keep small items - mobile phone (in flight mode), reading glasses, and a plectrum (or ‘pick’ if you must) for the occasional number. I also have a little pouch on my key ring containing a bass plectrum and guitar plectrum, and a couple more in that little pocket on my jeans.

What’s the charge for membership?

The BBE Acoustimax takes 12V AC, so half the time your HPF was getting the wrong polarity and that will be what’s killed that cap. Electrolytics can be sourced cheaply on eBay but it’s worth going to a reputable supplier - I buy mainly from Switch Electronics or DM Components.

I work a fair bit around the Bristol area with a rock'n'roll band and they get £280-£320 on pub gigs, maybe £360 for a social club. It makes no difference to the venue how many are in the band so it's ok for a 3-piece, bearable for a 4-piece, and after that the pickings become decidedly slim.

I check access and parking before accepting a dep gig - some load-ins are just not worth it!

Bought a tool from John - another hassle-free transaction

I estimate that 99.92% of slap bass demos are in E or Em.

No, I’ve never contemplated giving up either playing or gigging. I began on guitar 45 years ago and added bass in 2000 and I still find lots of new music to try and gigs to play. I started using a bullet journal to track, organise and plan it all. I’m keenly aware that an unplanned life event could come along and change things in a heartbeat so I’m enjoying doing everything that I can while I’m able to. I also recognise that as a ‘boomer’ with grown-up kids I now have the dual privileges of spare time and disposable income - not something to feel guilty about, but I realise many people have far less of both and consequently fewer options when it comes to playing and gigging.

@jimmyb625 what is the lead time once you have paid? Do you get a pdf to download or by email, or do they post out a paper licence?

I think this has answered my questions: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/manage-your-licence/radiocommunication-licences/pmse/pmse-technical-info/mics-monitors/shared