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You might want to watch this as well http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEdGA-FmENY

I just added a new demo tune to my page - something I wrote today http://soundcloud.com/munkio/something-i-said Hope you like it - very much raw and a work in progress - sounds promising I think... (hope so)

Definitely Rob - I don't exactly nail it here either! I just love try out solo ideas on it - it's the B section that's the tricky part - but love to hear your efforts - post when you can.

Great topic for discussion - it's the eternal question 'where do you start?' especially now with so much technology freely available - Simon's post is spot on - I agree wholeheartedly on the topic of mixing and mastering - I think we can all do a half decent job at home but like he says mastering especially is a real art and best left to the pros - likewise I have very recent experience of letting someone else mix tunes I've recorded live in the studio and it's much better not being there while they do and hearing it fresh afterward. The temptation is always there to offer bits of advice to the mixing engineer while they are doing it - providing you trust the person doing it and they are right for the job (that's an important issue too - choosing the wrong person can be disastrous!). It's definitely good to have a fresh perspective on a song too away from the musicians as they can often be too close to the music to see/hear some things that need changing. Personally I often start writing a song via a chord progression - pretty much everything comes after that - I use Melodyne Editor to create MIDI parts from my bass chords/melodies/basslines - which works pretty well and the tracking is pretty much flawless if you've played the bits OK. I've recently then got some brilliant musicians to come in a re-record or add parts and that really is the icing on the cake - but a strong melody/chord progression and a good song or musical idea are the foundation of a good performance IMO - I prefer cutting stuff live, but when that's not possible most things can be recorded at home and luckily for me I have a good friend who's a great fully paid up studio engineer who can track drums for me any time... The one thing I will say is I still have a massive amount to learn about recording stuff but I learn so much each time I do it - I'm so much more confident and (relatively) knowledgeable compared to when I started fooling about with Garageband 5 years ago!

Hey folks - just taped another little morning shedding session - the sound does peak a bit as I was just using the camera's mic and not going into Logic - but it's OK for the most part... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuLEADgRAWk Please post your own efforts on this tune - always open to discuss bits - I'm just trying out lots of ideas, still trying to play more melodically and work on phrases - sometimes succeeding at others not Cheers Mike

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1320496320' post='1427543'] I just spent the entire video watching your right hand, there's some magic going on there. So, my weekend plans are now to focus on what my right hand is doing... Oh and the whole thing was a pleasure to watch and listen to. [/quote] Thanks dude - I still work on my picking - playing with two fingers is still very hard...

Oh yeah - and he mainly just plays a frikkin' four string... I love that too - makes me want to just play my 4 string Jazz and practice a lot!

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1320709452' post='1430507'] I know Victor comes up a lot on bass forums and I think the guy is technically amazing, if not my cup of tea. I tend to turn off when he starts talking about God too, again nothing personal, just not a practicing Christian. But more impressive than any of his technique I always find is his outlook on music is incredibly inspirational. Rightly so should he revered as a bit of a legend. [/quote] Just to clarify here - and I am absolutely not for or against any one's personal beliefs - but when Vic talks about 'God' I personally think he's referring to the concept of a 'god' rather than anything religious - his song 'I Saw God' is about exactly that and yet it gets massively misunderstood and he's immediately labelled as preaching religion - he's not IMO - I've met him a few times, interviewed him a few times - listened to him speak a lot, read his book and at no point has he referred to religion or God in a Christian sense - he may well be religious but he really keeps it to himself - and let's his music do the talking. However he IS 'spiritual' and is massively into nature - whatever that may imply - like I say I have nothing against people who are into or believe in religion - I don't for the record - but as with every other misconception about Vic that's floating around on the internet - I really don't think he ever preaches about religion - he just uses the word 'god' in a song... you dig?

That's it - still love the guy and his playing OK - this one is a bit frantic in places [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7Bp9HxY_LI[/media] but this one is just great - funny and beautiful [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7YnvFsBprw[/media]

[quote name='blackmn90' timestamp='1320668977' post='1429608'] I just don't see why £45 is required. There costs can't be anywhere near the equal to £45 per person times maximum capacity. Just sounds greedy to me. [/quote] Sadly it's that much to pay for the band's fee/air fare/hotel bill/transport and then the venue's rent/staff/tech staff/door staff/waiters etc etc etc - it's all relative I know but Ronnie's don't make a fat profit from such gigs - and to get a band that would normally play a 2000 seater venue to play a 250 seater one is pretty amazing - go figure on the cost of booking them - the point is it'll be a special chance to see one of the all time great soul funk bands... - but hey that's for you to decide.

All I can say is seeing a great band up close and personal in Ronnie's is a great experience - I've been lucky to see quite a few really amazing gigs this year at the club - Pino Palladino, John McLaughln band, Incognito, Hiromi, Robert Glasper and Scott Henderson - all of which were incredible - you don't have to eat, the sound system is amazing and the performances people give in a small club are way more intense and special - I think - than on some mega-bowl/dome/stadium where they are miles from the audience and appear like ants on a huge stage... I generally hate big gigs so perhaps I'm not the person to offer an opinion here.

Not much to say really except this should be good... http://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/performances/view/760-tower-of-power?&utm_source=20111104&utm_medium=email

As a rule I'm not massively bothered about gigging - I've done hundreds over the years some really great most OK etc - and as I have an alternate career of sorts for me playing live is about quality not quantity so this year has been great from that point of view as I've been working with some phenomenal players and playing some fantastic venues in London, really classy clubs like the new Hideaway in Streatham which I've done 5 times this year, and then the Pizza Express Jazz Club on Dean Street - which is very prestigious and the 9-piece jazz funk band I play with really rose to the occasion and got an amazing reception, and played a blinder. I'm also finishing off an album with a singer, I've written and produced a few of the tracks which has been great - it should be out next year - I'll let you all know when it's done but it'll be on a proper label etc so that groovy. But I'm going to be a dad again as of January so I'm playing my last gig before that on Sat 12 Nov, Spice Of Life London - as part of London Jazz Fest - as of January I won't be going out for a while

Hey - this was cool today - lots of fun even at the smaller venue, lots of good playing and gear but more importantly lots of nice hanging with some new friends and old - cheers to all Mike

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1320369287' post='1426110']This rocks, Mike! Especially around 2:55 when you play lower down the neck - that's one helluva groove you have going on there. I'm going to have to take a sampler to your videos one of these days... [/quote] Thanks fella - I definitely need to get writing some new tunes but yeah I love using the 4 finger picking stuff when I get the chance Cheers Mike

my latest bit of drum'n'bass style noodlage - just trying out some more ideas etc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So_-RBcFXW4 Hope you enjoy Mike

See you there folks M

Thanks dude - I'll bear that in mind next time - hope you watched the vid too...

A little something I cooked up this morning - trying out a few ideas - hope you enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So_-RBcFXW4 (sorry for the repost - I couldn't edit the title so started again - hope that's cool) Cheers Mike

Yeah man - PM'd you

Well looks like I'm popping up from Lahndahn for the day - looking forward to seeing hearng some bass related stuff seeing as I've missed all the bashes etc this year - anyway it'll be great to see some of you there so do say hello if you spot me. Cheers Mike

These guys are playing at the London Jazz Festival in a couple of week's time: http://www.londonjazzfestival.org.uk/events/2011-11-12/ben-loncle-soul Looks like a great live band for sure - probably well worth catching if you can

Rocking stuff Rob - I think once you built up a head of steam it really got going after a slow start but that's all good in terms of building from nothing to something - I was just comping a long actually with some chords as I'm trying to work on my chordal language etc - it sounded cool but I could also really hear the form in what you were playing which is a compliment to the clarity of what you played. Very good effort sir - though I have to say fretting precise 5ths on fretless as well as DB is bloody hard! Mike

Thanks dude - I think it may well be my daily espresso that did some of this - it usually takes me about two to wake up...

This guy is a country music session legend but he's also a bit of monster - not usually into this kind of thing but this is super tasty... the back to front slap technique is rather good too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo_lG_-r2Tc Mike