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Len_derby

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  1. Len_derby

    PMT

    Len_derby replied to NigeJ's topic in General Discussion

    They are still there, and have scaled back to concentrate solely on drums and percussion. Part of the former shop space has now gone over to the above mentioned Hippo Guitars. I didn’t know you had a Derby connection, Stub.
  2. Len_derby
    This one makes me think of a micro pub near me that’s in an old workshop. The cobbles are so uneven that a regular who comes on his mobility scooter shouts his order from the doorway and they bring his ale out to him. It’s a pain when the buffet gets served during the set. No only do you lose people’s attention there’s a chance they’ll be no grub left. That’s apart from the drool running down on the bass.
  3. Len_derby

    PMT

    Len_derby replied to NigeJ's topic in General Discussion

    Now relocated in the Strand Arcade, off Sadler Gate, as Foulds Guitars. There is also Hippo Guitars on Osmaston Road who buy and sell pre-owned guitars and basses exclusively. Worth a trip @Geek99.
  4. Len_derby
    Another thought, do these ‘less than fully committed’ members have any say in the set list? Maybe letting them choose a song they particularly like, within the genre, would make them keener? In my bands we call it ‘throwing them a bone to chew on’. 😀🐕🦴
  5. Len_derby
    I think you’ve hit on something there, Mick. A lot of players, especially guitarists, seem to have a preconceived idea that the structure of a blues song is always the straight 12 bars, using chords I, IV & V. The memorable songs tend to have variations and subtleties that make them stand-out. Born Under A Bad Sign being a good example. Far too many people, in my experience, have the ‘it’s just the blues, innit?’ mentality.
  6. Len_derby
    For me, one of the things that can make acoustic guitar so beguiling is alternative tunings that are used. Something that, in my experience, electric guitarist rarely seem to do.
  7. Len_derby
    In terms of the physical side; I walk a lot, swim in open water for 45 minutes once or twice a week, do balance exercises and some tai-chi movements. Nothing that costs much money! At just-about 67 I can no longer lift and carry things like I used to, but that’s inevitable.
  8. Len_derby
    @Ian Somerville, I’m glad you were able to scratch your itch with such a classy acquisition . 🙂
  9. Len_derby
    The covers band, Top Deck, played this afternoon at The Great Northern in Langley Mill, on the Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire border. It was the first time we’ve played there. Four-thirty on a Saturday afternoon is their standard time to have bands on. Unusual, but there was an appreciative audience up for a good time. We’ve got a booking there for August Bank Holiday as a result, so a success.
  10. Len_derby
    Come up further north! There’s a pub I regularly play at that’s strictly cash-only. To be fair, they have had free-of-charge ATM installed on the wall outside. So no one needs to die of thirst . On a serious note, it does make it harder for pub managers to ‘skim’ the fee they claim they’ve paid for entertainment. That definitely happened in Ripley a few years ago and the perpetrator got the sack.
  11. Len_derby
    An other option is one of the shorter-scale acoustic basses. I’ve replaced my U bass with a Taylor mini-bass. Light as a feather. Other, cheaper, options are available. Ibanez, Harley Benton are two that come to mind. I’ve found that with a feedback-buster in the sound hole it can sound great through either a rig or PA. Lighter technique with the right hand and a bit of EQ experimenting helps a lot.
  12. Len_derby
    Do it anyway 😉
  13. Len_derby
    As to the other part of your question; yes, you can gig with a U bass. I’ve done so, as lots of other people on here have. It’s obviously got a very different visual presence to a traditional bass guitar or upright. But, so what? There are bass players that even think wearing a hat indoors looks cool 😂
  14. Len_derby
    What about rearranging your music so that you don’t need a guitarist?
  15. Len_derby
    I think you’re having what’s termed an ‘active retirement’ , Pete 😆
  16. Len_derby
    Surely the impact would have set off car alarms. 😝
  17. Len_derby
    That’s the thing, isn’t it? I often think that the folk on here who get on their high horses about social media either don’t gig, or get others to do the dirty work for them.
  18. Len_derby
    I don’t know what it’s like in the cities, but in the circuit of small towns and villages I play in musicians usually know each other. If someone is a ar€ehole their reputation gets around. Off the top of my head I can think of two local bandleaders who struggle to recruit members because of the way they’ve treated people in the past. One, in particular, seems to only use the young and naive now - who don’t stick around for long. Having said that, I understand that some musicians have enough talent to make it worthwhile overlooking their ‘quirks’. We don’t seem to have those in the East Midlands, though 😆
  19. Len_derby
    I think the realisation you have there, Daryl, is a good one. If we’ve got good band situations going it’s important to nurture them. Be reliable, not a drama-queen etc. As you get older it gets harder to start over. As to why guys (and gals) give in, my experience is often physical aging. The driving, parking, gear loading, standing playing for a couple of hours etc. gets harder. Luckily, I’ve been blessed so far with good health, but I don’t take it for granted. I also have a drummer friend who now has carer responsibilities for his disabled wife. I try to cut him plenty of slack, as he did many years ago when I became the father of twins!
  20. Len_derby
    Well, I’ll start off with a quote I first heard many years ago and still holds true. ”playing music with other people is about the best fun you can have with your clothes still on”. I’m just about to turn 67, actively gigging in two bands and getting involved with new musical ventures where I can. I don’t plan to stop until I have to.
  21. Len_derby
    Ours too, but then again, we’re obviously halfwits. 😂
  22. Len_derby
    Not last night, but this afternoon. My acoustic trio, The Desperate Cowboys, kicked off a two-day festival of original music in Wirksworth, Derbyshire. A forty five minute set of our own songs. It was overcast and slightly chilly when we started but the sun came out part-way through. We were very happy to take the credit for that. 🌞 Taylor mini bass through my Trace Elliott Elf and Barefaced one 10. Black leather Chelsea boots.
  23. Len_derby
    I'm very happy with the one I bought off here last week. It feels slightly heavier than my Mustang but haven’t weighed to check. Also the bass sits naturally at a more horizontal position when I’m standing. Neither feature is a problem, though, that’s just observation. I’m not a ‘tinkerer’ and don’t change anything on an instrument unless repairs are needed. Have you changed anything, or kept it stock?
  24. Len_derby
    Sorry if this sounds too obvious, but do the batteries need replacing? I’ve got a TM-80 and it starts being unpredictable when they are running down.
  25. Len_derby
    It often is for those of us who live here Daryl! 🤪
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