Len_derby

Gluing cut-up bits of an old trouser belt on to a standard sized gig bag that allows it to be used for a short scale bass and hence stored in the car boot, out of sight.

22 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

I used to go to Rattle & Drum on Osmaston Road.

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.

4 minutes ago, casapete said:

Acoustic duo gig yesterday evening at a local pub - birthday party for a friend’s wife.

 

We played in a room at the back of the pub which used to be a brewery, with a flagstone floor

but very uneven. We both spent all the gig balanced precariously on stools with one foot on the

ground, not ideal but no alternative. I had to put wedges under our PA speakers on one side

to prevent them from falling backwards!

We did our usual request format and had some good ones. Because there was no room for dancing

it meant we could play more slow tempo tunes, including ‘Sweet baby James’, ‘Rotterdam’ and 

‘Let’s stay together’. Bad planning meant the buffet was served during the start of our second set,

but we ploughed on regardless as we were due to finish by a certain time. Didn’t seem to matter,

and we went down well so all good. Load out in the rain but meant it was quick!

Got two more gigs this Tuesday and Wednesday, then a week off, phew. 

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. 

2 minutes ago, snorkie635 said:

Yep, Chas. Foulds, down Irongate.

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.

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’. 😀🐕🦴

14 minutes ago, Mickeyboro said:

I love these threads, guys. Apart from helping me think things through, there’s wisdom everyone can learn from. Keep it coming!
 

Theory: being a blues band, we can attract people who want to do something different from their regular music. But, and I blame blues jams for this, they may think ‘near enough is good enough’ and practice is not as important. Thoughts?

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.

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.

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. 

@Ian Somerville, I’m glad you were able to scratch your itch with such a classy acquisition . 🙂

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.

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.

12 minutes ago, lowlandtrees said:

I had a bilateral hernia op 28/3. I’m 70 but fit….recovery is more like 12 weeks in my case. One of the mesh implants failed so I’m having to do it again so am thinking of getting an acoustic bass as my G&L weighs a ton.

I tried a U-bass but didn’t like it, particularly the strings. I don’t currently gig but thinking of getting an acoustic bass but hate the sound of them…..they all seem so boxy or have hellish action(it’s hopefully a temporary situation so can’t spend much).

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.

51 minutes ago, Rosie C said:

 

I mentioned the U-bass to the band leader in our church band and didn't sense any enthusiasm at all, yet it sounds awesome!   

 

Do it anyway 😉

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 😂

What about rearranging your music so that you don’t need a guitarist?

12 hours ago, casapete said:

Second two gigs out of 4 for me this week.

 

Saturday night the duo played for a small birthday party in York city centre. The venue was an

upmarket restaurant’s first floor function room. Combined with restricted vehicle access, no lift

in the venue and the area teaming with people out for the evening , this made for quite a 

challenging load in and out. Still, we got set up early and then had a drink or two sitting outside

watching the endless amount of people going by, including many hen parties in various states 

of intoxication. Fortunately we had a bar tab ( and a meal )supplied by the booker, as the prices

were quite hefty.

The gig went well, played a number of requests and even had a guest clarinetist! The grandson

of the birthday boy asked if he could play ‘Stranger on the shore’, so we backed him. He was only

around 9 years old, and played well. Of course he went down better than us…. 😆 Used my little 

Ibanez short scale electro acoustic, perfect for the job. Home by around 1 am, absolutely knackered. 
 

Sunday night was our regular monthly gig at The Sun Inn, Beverley. Pretty full for most of the gig,

and some great requests including ‘I guess that’s why they call it the blues’ and ‘Friday I’m in love’.

We drew the line at doing a Beautiful South song though, as one of the band’s original singers

was in the audience! I used a Sire U5 short scale into my Rumble 500, and was happy with how

it fared. A guy came up and gave us each a decent tip at the end too, really unexpected. 
Next gig this coming Wednesday, and then a week or so off. 
 

 

I think you’re having what’s termed an ‘active retirement’ , Pete 😆

2 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

 

Craig Charles does things a different way. Grumpy b'stard. I was only trying to tell him he'd dropped his wallet.

Surely the impact would have set off car alarms. 😝

1 hour ago, lozkerr said:

 

If I didn't need Faceache for band promo, I'd have ditched it long ago.

 

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. 

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 😆

6 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

 

Great perspective Len.

 

I realize that I have a pretty sweet thing going for me with Maple Road. Fantastic bandmates,  for the most part with decent gigs and good money.

 

Daryl

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!

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.

42 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

To be fair, our guy is pretty good. Not so sure about the rest of them 

Ours too, but then again, we’re obviously halfwits. 😂

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.

6 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Did some rough basslines this evening, using garageband for a project I'm helping out with. Relatively small room with lots of gear in so I took the Squier Jag SS. Acquitted itself well.

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?
 

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.