Len_derby
-
Posts
2,005 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Shop
Articles
Everything posted by Len_derby
-
Played tonight with the Daz Kelly blues band at The Boat Inn, Cromford, Derbyshire. A good, appreciative crowd out for a Friday night. My @Andyjr1515 Swift Lite bass through a TC Elf and Barefaced one10 was just the ticket. The landlady told us we were the first band, ever, to put the tables back in place after we’d finished. We’re not very Rock n’ Roll, but very polite boys. 😆
-
Bad luck mate, but onwards and upwards. Did they tell you why they turned you down? Always useful to know. It may well have had nothing to do with you or your abilities, in which you may not get an honest answer, The old ‘guitarist’s brother-in-law’ scenario.
-
I’d forgotten about meeting Jeff Rich. For the last few years of my working career I was a teaching assistant in a primary school. The headteacher had a social connection with Jeff and got him to come in and give a drumming demo to the kids. He also bought a ton of percussion items and generously let them bash around with them. As you say, a really nice bloke. Over a cuppa we chatted about music and he said ‘shame you didn’t bring your bass in, we could have had a good old jam for the kids.’ The nearest I got to playing with Status Quo. 😆 -
I’ve been going there since about 1973, so it’s quite possible I was there - although most of it’s a blur! After a shut-down of a couple of years the place is back in business and somewhat tidier. When on stage, the pungent aroma of the nearby gents’ toilets seems to have gone.
-
The band was Parasight. They called it a day when Danny De La Cruz moved to London and joined Inglorious. The rest of them are still involved in music although not as high-profile as Danny. Joe the bass player is with Eddie and the Wolves. The drummer, Tom, went to study music full-time in Birmingham. The other guitarist, another Tom (Platts) is playing in a covers band while completing a Masters degree in music production at Derby University. Were you part of the local scene then, or just visiting the Vic?
-
I rarely go into a big town or city these days, so I’m definitely out of touch, but these venues must have deliveries of drink, food etc. Do the drivers just take hit on fines, is there special dispensation or do they deliver outside a certain time range? I’m interested how it works because people must be driving up to these places regularly to drop-off and pick-up.
-
I think I’m more on the @Bluewine side of things. I want to play with people who are good musicians and not unpleasant. If they’re friends as well, it’s a bonus but not essential. So, being good work-mates I suppose. Back to the OP. Pathetic football rivalry. We had a drummer who liked Nottingham Forest and a guitarist who liked Derby County. For those who don’t know, there’s a tedious local rivalry. The ‘banter’ between them was irritating enough but when they started to wind-up audiences with their back-and-forth comments - to the point of fights nearly starting - it got too much. When a landlord said “don’t ask for another gig, I don’t want you back”, that was the end.
-
Lovely looking bass. Are you interested in any trades? -
-
Liquid and funky. Reminds me of being on nappy-duty when the kids were little. A nice description of bass-playing, though. Well done 👍
-
David has just bought my PJB Cub combo. Everything went very well. A top Basschatter to deal with.
-
I’d echo what Uk_Lefty says above. Leave it as it is and just enjoy playing it. I gig with my HB short-scale P bass left just as it came out the box. Does the job just fine. And congratulations on having some cool sisters!
-
Yes, I’ve noticed the “mid-century” thing in the last year or so. I recently saw it applied to houses for sale. I think a lot of us on this forum fall into the category too. 😎
-
Clothing fashion seems to have hijacked the word. My daughters talk about their ‘vintage’ outfits. When I was their age I called them Jumble Sale.
-
As for @casapete, I’ve seen the Sunday afternoon gig grow scene grow in the last 5 years. There are four pub venues doing it around my small town. None of them ‘food’ pubs, either. The Flowerpot, generally Americana, blues or folk. The Smithfield, exclusively heavy rock or metal, (no housing nearby 😆). The Crossroads Tavern, generally covers bands. The King William, usually acoustic acts. Having played Sunday afternoons at two of them my experience is that pay rates are lower than an evening slot. However, there’s a balance of getting home early, usually easier drive-in and parking and more sober audiences.
-
It might be worth talking to Roqsolid. Based in Yorkshire, they make excellent amplifier and cabinet covers and I’ve got several. From my experience with them, If they don’t want to take on your requirements they’ll have someone else they can recommend.
-
Top quality combo, great for home use or quieter gigs. It is in perfect condition, but the carry-case has been repaired by me. I’ve stuck some vinyl patches over where some splitting of seams happened. The case is still fully functional. It’s not used anymore because the acoustic blues trio I used it with no longer gig. £275, with postage to a UK address included. I would deliver or meet-up up to a max of 60 mins drive from Derby DE22. Reduced price for collection, too. Here’s some blurb. The Small Practice Amp That Can Be Used Live Sometimes all you need is an amp that can deliver true bass tone without the hassle of hauling a big rig amplifier. The Bass Cub is 100 watts of pure tone in a “shoebox” size package. It is so light, that it can be lifted with one finger! With these features and great sound there is no longer an excuse you cannot practice. It can sit on the floor or on top of a desk. Two independent channels can accept two instruments or one microphone. It also has a stereo input for Drum machine or iPod/MP3 player. Practicing can be done with the 2 internal speakers or headphones. It can sit on top of, and be connected with a PB-300 250W active cabinet, making a 350W powerful stack.-
- 4
-
-
As it’s been said before, budget instruments used to be of poor quality, but mostly not anymore. I’ve been thinking about this topic with relation to the jam night and open mics I go to. I’ve realised that, generally, if someone gets up with an expensive instrument they are most likely to be a fumbling newbie! (Nothing wrong with being a fumbling newbie, we all were once). It could be that someone who wants to start out and has the money still believes that you have to spend a lot to get an adequate instrument.
-
All true. One of my favourite gigging bases is my Harley Benton short-scale P bass. £79, brand new. Any snide comments from band members about whether I could afford a ‘better’ instrument is met with “it would have been a waste of money playing with you.”
- 57 replies
-
- 18
-
-
-
That looks exactly the same as mine. I love it, and it’s much more versatile than some would think. Realistically priced, too. GLWTS. -
NBD - I know some BC members won't like it - but I do
Len_derby replied to Marc S's topic in Bass Guitars
Brilliant, I love the look of these. In fact, getting one is really the only bass ‘itch’ I’ve got. Did you buy it new? They don’t seem to come up second-hand very often.- 168 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- nbd
- danelectro longhorn
- (and 1 more)
-
Small Behringer mixer. Bought for a project that never got started. Unused and with all original packaging and manual. £35 delivery included to a UK address.- 1 reply
-
- 1
-
-
My take on this, based on my experience, is that he’s ‘coming in to landing’. He sounds like he wants to carry on playing the same songs, in the same way, until such time as he retires totally. I don’t think you’ll change him and it sounds like suggestions you’ve made already have been resisted. So, if that is the case you need to decide how you will manage that. How do the rest of the band feel about it? Another possibility is that he’s got things going on in his life that mean he needs to disengage with aspects of the music. Increased caring responsibilities for a partner, for example. You’ve got a good schedule of gigs for the year, so you must be a decent band!
-
How many songs for the next rehearsal is realistic?
Len_derby replied to Jamesemt's topic in General Discussion
My covers band is in the process of a complete overhaul of our set list. We’ve agreed a schedule of two new ones per rehearsal, which usually happen weekly. Of the five in the band, three are still working full-time and of those, two have young children. It seems to work for us. One aside is that I encourage the band to come clean if they haven’t had time to learn a song - real life stuff happens. Precious rehearsal time is wasted if people are learning songs on the fly. That’s my view, anyway. -
That looks good. I swapped out the bridge on a Squier Telecaster bass. I replaced the old-style two saddle bridge with a Badass. It improved the adjustment and intonation no-end and basically, made a good bass even better. I originally bought and set it up for my daughter. When she lost interest I gladly took it back 😆
