FinnDave

Not long back from my second gig of the day - another village beer festival, this time in the village I live in. My wife drove me there and collected me afterwards, so I was able to have a couple of beers without worrying about getting nicked. This one was a Wirebirds gig, now a three piece blues rock band. We got a good reception from the audience and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Our new drummer is getting used to us and fitting in quite well now. I think I'll sleep well tonight after those two gigs, though!

Just got home from an afternoon gig with Franklin's Tower. It was at a beer festival in a village hall, which had a surprisingly good stage, very solid, about 9 metres by three and around 2 feet above the rest of the flooring. Surprising choice to ask a Grateful Dead band to play at a small village beer festival - but we seemed to go down well, even spotted one or two wearing GD T shirts. Even more surprisingly, we were passed a hand written note by a member of the audience requesting 'Althea', which wasn't on our set list but we played anyway. Back home now to eat and then off to my second beer festival of the day, in my home village where I am playing with the Wirebirds at the local cricket club.

Well, that was good timing as I just finished running through the set list for Saturday afternoon and was playing my US standard Precision with the GHS flats on. The only flats I find sticky are Chromes, which is why I switched to LaBella. I bought the GHS as an experiment, and so far they have been just fine, though little more top than the 760FLs. The XLs are a couple of years old at least, whereas the GHS have only been on the bass a few months. I rarely play at home (there were a few songs on the list for Saturday I haven'y played for some time, so just had a quick catch up). It's hard to compare the strings due to their different ages, and I am not good at determining tension - but to my fingers, the 760s and the GHS feel very similar. Hope this helps. Both are good strings, you can't go far wrong with either if you prefer the sound of flats.

I had a ladyfriend some years ago who always said she was from 'Hove actually'. She felt that was the correct name for the place

Never felt the need for more treble with my Barefaced cabs - it's a bass cab!!

My gig tomorrow has been cancelled. Shame, as we were getting a good fee for it. The event is going ahead, but without the planned funfair and live music.

How likely is it that gigs booked for this weekend will go ahead in the light of recent events? We are booked to play at a beer festival at a rugby club in a town whose name starts with 'Royal', so am expecting it to be postponed as mark of respect, but have yet to receive confirmation of this. Anyone else playing this weekend?

Absolutely echoes my own experience - people were so fervent about Yes and Genesis, but the music completely failed to move me at all. Krautrock and Hawkwind, Gong, etc. were much more to my taste - along with a lifelong interest in Blues - Rory Gallagher, Hendrix, Robin Trower were my teenage influences. Still can't stand the likes of Genesis and Yes.

Wirebirds gig in Witney tonight, outside but with a hastily erected gazebo in case the few spots of rain as we were setting up came to anything, They didn't so we had a fair sized audience outside with us. No set list, we just let the guitarist start and bass and drums join in. Very enjoyable playing as a three piece - even when the PA broke down. It was the venue's kit, not ours, so we carried on with instrumental versions until a knowledgable member of the audience managed to coax it back into life. Played a bunch of familiar material from the last nine years with the band, plus at least one that neither the drummer nor I recognised, but bluffed our way through it. As always with this band, we were flying by the seat of our pants and often close to falling off the edge, but always managed to keep going. We used our new lights for the first time (there were no old lights!) and they made a real difference. Real party atmosphere outside a small bar in Witney. I think it's our fourth time there this summer. I played my 2010 US Standard Precision though an Orange Little Bass Thing and a Barefaced Super Compact. Plenty of volume and punch. Next gig is out near Swindon in a week's time.

I don't have mine here at the moment, but the neck feels very close to my US Standards (2010 & 2012).

Hi Blue Doing OK, hope you are too. We played Althea last Friday, first time in quite a while. It was in the second set so about 2 1/2 hours into the gig - that lovely slow rhythm almost sent me to sleep, I was just swaying along with my eyes closed and just zoned out. Don't think anyone noticed, but it was a shock to realise I had been 'out' for a short time. Franklin's Tower usually play for free, it just seems to be something of a tradition with bands in Oxford. Last night was typical - a two or three day 'festival' that was basically just about every band in the city playing a 40 minute set at (for once) a decent venue. The bands didn't get a penny, not even a free drink, though they were taking money on the door. I don't think there were many paying customers, though - virtually everybody in the audience was wait there turn to play! The Saturday gig with The Wirebirds (now a three piece) was a freebie as well, but that was a fund raiser for a local chap, and run by people we trust. We did get free food and drink, plus the promise of a paid gig at the that venue in the future. We played a similar event there a few years ago, and did get another booking on the back of it. It worked for us, as we are still breaking on our new drummer, and we didn't have to pay for a rehearsal room. I had booked the Friday gig with the Franklins, and they were all amazed and delighted to get not only free drinks but a decent payout at the end. And yes, as you say, none of the 'we only play for free' guys said no to the money! I enjoy the music too much to leave the Franklins right now, and it was easier yesterday as I had my bass taken there by one of the guitarists so I didn't need to drive into town and look for a parking space - just rode in on my motorcycle and parked beside the venue.

Third gig of the weekend successfully completed - with Frankin's Tower again, at the Oxford City Music Festival. Single set, so no holding back. Great ride home on the bike down dark country roads, the only way to survive is to have 100% concentration on whatever is in the beam of the headlight. Not unlike playing material that is always changing, really.

I think you spelt 'stupidity' wrong there. Same letters at the beginning, easy mistake to make! 🤪

Just back in from my second gig of the weekend, this was a charity gig with the Wirebirds in Swindon. Not some abstract charity, but a fund raiser for a local chap in need of help. Great atmosphere, real family feeling. We played a similar event there a few years ago, and it had the same vibe. Great to be playing with our own drummer again, as last few gigs he has been on holiday. Real power trio stuff, great fun and a very refreshing after the discipline of playing in a six piece last night. Two down, one to go, with the six piece in Oxford tomorrow. I really hope we aren't on too late as I am proper tired already!

My main arguments against playing for free are as above, that it makes life harder for musicians who need to play to put food on the table, and also that we all have to buy our equipment, maintain it, store it, and transport it. I have a larger car than I need for everything in my life except music, so have to bear the expense of buying, insuring, taxing and fuelling a larger car than necessary for 90% of the time. But my main beef with free gigs is that the band is not respected. People tend to value objects and other people based in what they are worth to them. A band that turns up and plays for nothing is exactly worth that to the promoter/landlord or whoever put the gig on - nothing. If they are paying a few hundred pounds to have you play, they treat with the respect that their investment in you deserves. I have never received shoddy treatment from anyone who has been paying to have us play, but at free gigs, you are a worthless commodity and I have often been treated accordingly. I have driven myself and equipment into Oxford several times, a distance of 10-12 miles, paid to park, hung around at a venue that has booked us, only to be told they are out of time and we can't play. A complete and utter waste of my time and money.

Played a pub gig with Franklin's Tower last night. It always interests me to see how the music of the Grateful Dead goes down to an audience unfamiliar with it. It was at my local pub, so there were quite a few people there who turned out to see me play (for some reason!), locals out for a meal and/or drink and one or two Deadheads who'd come just to see us. It was an outdoor gig in a marquee, which works well for us. We need to work on our set length, though - the first 'short' set lasted an hour and half, so break between sets was taken up deciding which songs to drop. We still managed nearly an hour and half for the second set, though. I was almost asleep by the end, running on automatic. People told us they'd enjoyed it, which was nice of them. The band usually plays for free or for a drink at most, so they were amazed that we were well paid. I'd arranged the gig, and I don't like playing for nothing unless it is for a genuine charity. Overall, a good start to the weekend. I have a gig in Swindon this afternoon with The Wirebirds, and another in Oxford tomorrow with Franklins Tower again. I am not planning to do very much on Monday!

I've been to Bass Direct a few times, my only complaint is that there is too much temptation there and they make it very easy to spend money!

I think I have managed to independently arrive at the 'floating thumb' technique. Whatever it is, I now have the speed and feel I had before my accident and no longer need a pick. Having said that, I played some of my best gigs using a pick - but I think they would have been even better if I had been able to use my fingers.