Funkmaster

Hello again all... The advice from the Musician's Union was basically this... [i]The letter appears to be giving you an opportunity to promise that you won’t do it again and to confirm any remaining infringing (including digital) copies have been destroyed. We advice you to respond by the given date confirming that this is the case and hope that is an end to it. If you didn’t make anything from the recording and have no money to pay damages, you could add that (if it is true), as that may put DEPAG off pursuing this any further. [/i] So I've taken that advice and have said to Mr Higginbotham [i] I confirm that The Welsh T Band have ceased all use of the work derived from the Work, and no copies, including electronic copies, digital copies and physical copies of same now exist and that we will desist from this or any other infringement of your rights in the future.[/i] Let's see what happens - I'll let you know if I hear anything further. Dave

Thanks everyone for your thoughts - which has proved one thing... You reply quicker than the MU! The most interesting part of the whole piece for me is this... [quote name='BigRedX' post='1199153' date='Apr 14 2011, 10:40 AM']From my understanding the problem has arisen because the sender of the letter thinks that you are passing off your cover (you are doing it as a cover and not as a derivative work? - have you changed the lyrics at all?) as an original work because the title is different.[/quote] From (fading) memory, I don't think we have ever used the altered title that the cease and disist email suggest we have. (Oh and the lyrics do have a tendancy to change on every rendition as our singer suffers with alcohol and jazz cigarette induced brain fade). I'm itching to contact them (him) back and say - prove you're the publisher and demonstrate in what way we've infringed their copyright! But I'll wait to hear what the MU say and keep you posted!

Hello lowdowners The Welsh T Band have recieved the following email purporting to be from the publisher and legal representative of the late Tommy Tucker's estate. [i]We are DELO'Music Entertainment Publishing Administration Group LLP (DEPAG, LLP), publisher for all intellectual property masters, soundrecordings, works for the Robert Higginbotham/Tommy Tucker estate. Please comply with the letter to "cease and disist" using our works without applying for a license through DEPAG, LLP. Thank you! [u][b]CEASE & DESIST[/b][/u] Dear Welsh T Band Members and Legap Representative It has come to our attention that you have made an unauthorized use of our copyrighted wort entitled [b]"Hi(gh) Heel(ed) Sneakers" [/b](the "work") in the preparation of a work derived therefrom. We have reserved all rights in the Work, first published in 1963/4, and have registered copyright therein. Your work entitled [b]"High Heel Sneakers"[/b] is essentially identical the Work and clearly used the Work as its basis. (Words and music) As you neither asked for nor recieved permission to use the Work as the basis for [b]"High Heel Sneakers"[/b] nor to make or distribute copies, including electronic copies, digital copies, physical copies of same, we believe you have willfully infringed my rights under 17 U.S,C, Section 101 et seq, and could be liable for statutory damages as high as $150,000 as set forth in Section 5044©(92) therein. We demand that the [b]Welsh T Band [/b]immediately cease the use and distribution of all infringing works derived from the Work, and all copies, including electronic copies, digital copies and physical copies of same, that you deliver to me, if applicable, all unused, undistributed copies of same, or destroy such copies immediately and that you desist from this or any other infringement of our rights in teh future. If we have not recieved a response from you by April 25 2011 indicating that you have fully complied with these requirements, we shall take further action against you. Kind regards Richard Higginbotham DEPAG, LLP 220 montgomery Avenue Suite 133 Springfield, Ohio 45506[/i] High Heeled Sneakers is often part of our live set - I had, mistakenly perhaps always believed the venue's PRS license covered the songs played there. It was also on a live CD that we used to give to venues to try to get more work. A few fans got copies of the CD too. The only other place I know there's a Welsh T Band version is on YouTube. it was filmed and posted by someone who was in the audience. I've no idea who and it's not something we have a hope of controling ourself. (And YouTube have license agreements too - I know that thanks to the PRS cheques I get every three months for people who use my published "works"! A bit spooked about this. I've asked the Musician's Union for advice - but I wondered if anyone here had any experience of anything similar and how it was resolved. Thanks for any info David

Due to ill health The Welsh T Band's drummer is having to stop playing soon. So... we're putting feelers out for a replacement. If anyone knows a good drummer in the West Yorkshire area who has transport and has a desire to gig as much as possible, and travel, would you please give them our e-mail address - [email protected] There's plenty of work waiting for the right drummer. We've an album due out later in the year, which we hope will expand our presence on the blues and R&B circuit. Thanks for any help you can give us. Cheers Dave

Word is... Jack's got his bass back!!! Thanks for all your great messages of support on this! Dave

A friend of mine told me a very sorry story on facebook late last night about a friends blue 5-string Shuker Jazz Bass that went walkabout in Marsden West Yorkshire in the early hours of Sunday Morning. Here's the tale... [i]"A friend's brother left it momentarily and stupidly, he says, propped up against a lamp post early hours of this morning in Marsden and it was 'moved'....police are involved and there is cctv footage. He is gutted as it was made specially for him. He is asking people to keep their ears open. It may have been moved for safe keeping...but then it may not. If you hear anything..being in the business ...maybe you could let me know."[/i] If you hear anything about this it would be great to get this guy's bass back to him. Thanks everyone. Dave

Horrible Jedson short scale bass - £19.50. Selmer Treble and Bass 50 amp with two home made speaker cabs with Fane pop 60 15" speakers. Can't really rember the cost. Ah... 1973 - those were the days. I wish I still had the amp!

I think the new Bass Terrors are still as rare as rocking horse poo - but the production line is obviously starting to roll on these now and I've got hold of one with the 2x12 cab for my gig tomorrow night with The Welsh T Band. I used a couple of late 60s Orange Graphic 120s for a bout 20 years when I started playing so I'm interested to see how these new ones shape up. The gig's at Harry's Bar just off Westgate in Wakefield. It's a (very) small place so it might not be too representative a gig to try it out on but I'll let you know how I get on with it later in the week. Cheers Dave

Hi Al Having seen you at Colne you'll do great! Good to hear that bookings are flooding in for you - I'm having trouble getting The Welsh T Band's diary started for next year in any meaningful way - which is a shame as it's our 10th anniversary year! Mind you we're never going to be offered any corporate stuff either! Have fun Dave

I played a gig on the day I got my first bass guitar! It was disasterous (but I think it cured me of performance nerves right from the outset!). I was 15. I'd been pursuaded to become a bassist by the band that was in my year at school (back in those days every year had it's own band!) I could play the piano a bit and had been playing guitars round mates houses for a few months. That Saturday afternoon they took me to Leeds and I spent £19.50 on a horrible short scale Jedson bass. On the bus back home they said 'Oh by the way we've got a gig tonight!' The guitar came out on the bus and by the time I got home I could play 'Sunshine of your love' And a 12 bar progression. I think by the time the gig came I could do four songs so the 12 bar jam we played lasted some time. The gig was at the house of another school mate - an old victorian pile that had a small wharehouse out the back that he'd converted into his own little nightclub! The first gig was crap and I threw up before it but it was a particularly good summer after that!

[quote name='jezzaboy' post='633892' date='Oct 22 2009, 08:50 PM']Agree with you on Rod the Mod, Maggie May, but didn`t Ronnie Wood play bass on Rod`s early solo stuff when he was still in the Faces? But agree with you, Ronnie Lane had great feel. Try and find a live version of the faces song "3 button hand me down". It was on a TOPTP2 special. Just found a link, [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeZ4FMIVqto"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeZ4FMIVqto[/url] Jez[/quote] Ronnie Lane was a BIG influence on me as a bass player - and particularly Maggie May, a song I've always loved with a perfectly integrated bass line in the song. So natural, so 'couldn't be anything else' kind of line! Used to do Three Button hand me down with The Roosters but their version had a bass solo to start and at several places during the song. And it was a hundred mile an hour kind of band! I loved the song but I always looked forward to getting that one out of the way!

[quote name='fusionbassist1' post='635977' date='Oct 25 2009, 11:51 AM']I change my strings about every 6 weeks haha! Have you tried the Elixir strings? They're coated to have a more consistant tone for a much longer time so they might suit the way you play and how you prefer not to change all the time. They feel strange to me due to them being coated but I'd suggest you try them out because they do last pretty long from what i'm told.[/quote] I've heard that about elixirs. Trouble is I got a couple of sets of elites so with luck they'll keep me going for most of the next decade!!

[quote name='fusionbassist1' post='635815' date='Oct 25 2009, 12:56 AM']I'd have thought with a name like funkmaster (and obviously a funk fan) that you'd change your strings more regularly than joe bloggs?[/quote] Ah.. well... I'm and R&Ber rather than a funker I just like the name. Funkmaster is a name that I've got from one of the bands I play for - I'm introduced as 'the Funkmaster himself' (or once or twice as 'the Ossett Sound Machine'). I'm sure I'd never be good enough to be a funker! My strings can be on for 3 or 4 years - until one breaks. Strangely the last set was only on about 5 or 6 months - a set of Warwick Black Labels which I hated! They just felt odd on to my fingers! So I was pleased when a string let go eealier on in the week. Back on Elites now - which hopefully will be around for longer than the Warwicks.

Got the new string twang thing going on tonight as I've just put new strings on. It's a rare occurance in Funkmaster world. But I love that sound!

[quote name='Dr.Dave' post='600269' date='Sep 16 2009, 02:50 PM']I often think the Blues Crew/Dr Blue/Roosters/Welsh T saga would make a good rock family tree!! We've had both Welshy and Rooster's drummer help us out this year - I know you used Mick and Tony before Graham. Rod and I have both done Welsh T gigs - not forgetting the infamous Dr Welsh ' I've just bought another Boogie and he's just bought a Rivera ' street fight in York last year. I often wish you'd have done that one and me your ceiligh band that night then you'd have had to try and control that pair of noisy sods instead of me!!! BTW - all the best at DNE. I'm on hol. from tomorrow or I'd def. have been there. Get your fee up front from the bits of gossip I hear!![/quote] Ha - yes Dave - now that would be a project and a half to do the rock family tree. I think I liked the way that York gig turned out! Yeah thanks for the nudge on DNE - I'd heard the same but it's a gig worth doing for other reasons to be honest. Have a good hol!

[quote name='Dr.Dave' post='600036' date='Sep 16 2009, 11:41 AM']Not quite a reunion. I was in a band called the Blues Crew in the late 80's but the frontman - Pete - died , sadly. Fast Forward to late 90's and the early incarnation of Dr Blue - my current band. We bumped into Pete's widow at a gig and she ended up marrying our guitar player just a few months later. We then sacked our drummer and replaced him for a while with the drummer from the Blues Crew. As a result of Our guitarist's marriage we got to know Pete's son , now all grown up and home from college and he started playing harmonica with us as his father had with the Blues Crew. For one gig only the Blues Crew's guitarist joined us on stage. As close as we'll get barring reincarnation. ...[/quote] And I think that's where the BLues Crew's guitarist met Welsh T... And we all know what happened then! But on to reunions. I had a busy time in the mid 90s with a band called The Roosters. They were a Martini band (would play anytime anyplace anywhere - and did to the extent that for a couple of years we were getting close to 4 gigs a week. Growning family and career commitments (their's not mine!) meant that level of playing wasn't sustainable and it kind of imploded on us. After that the singer, guitarist and me would do the occaisional acoustic trio gig, garden parties, bbqs weddings etc. Then we suddenly realised that nearly 10 years had passed since we'd done a live recording for a CD back in the day. 'I know', says the singer, 'lets get a band together for a one-off gig... same venue as near 10 years after the date as possible. You can organise all that can't you Dave!' I'd continued to be as busy a bass player as possible after the band fell apart originally so had plenty of mates I could call on to do this one off gig. So I got a drummer in and keyboard player. Booked the venue. Tried to get a bit of a buzz going locally so the venue wouldn't be completely be empty. On the night it was packed - and we got the offer of gigs at three other venues that night. And we're still doing a couple of gigs a month or so. And thankfully because I organise em they don't clash with my Welsh T Band work!

Hello - my name is David. And I like buying guitars. They've got to be before 1960 models, they've got to be Gibsons and they've got to be sunburst. They don't even have to be proper guitars as I've been known to buy a 1952 mandolin and a 1953 twin neck Console Grand steel. Recently I'm only interested if they come with their original case - I'm currently giving serious consideration to a 1959 ES330 with its original case. Once I buy them I can never sell them, and sometimes I really hate myself for this addiction because I'm a bass player and although I've a few good basses (all Warwick Thumbs 4s and 5s, fretted and fretless - plus a Triumph upright) I have no interest in adding to them, I'm not a very good guitar player either - but I do have some rather nice guitars though!

I find that, for me, advancing age and good memory are rather uneasy bedfellows! I'm sure you'll be 'alright on the night' though. It seems to work like that!

Good stuff Alan! Congrats! Good to see you yesterday. Thanks for your help with the load-in! We had a great weekend again in Colne!

Hope it goes well Alan. Enjoy! David

Just three weeks to go! Who's going to be there this year? The Welsh T Band are round the Roadhouses like a rash this year! There'll be details in the festival brochure. If your going, come and see us and say hello. Dave

[quote name='Dr.Dave' post='555513' date='Jul 29 2009, 07:58 PM']Blacked out people carrier waiting at the airport - Ampeg SVT and an 8x10 - bikini clad strumpets (law of averages says at least some of them must have a 'daddy' complex) and all the 5 star nosebag I can trough ..........I'll manage mate , thanks !!!!![/quote] Ah the joys of touring! [quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='555662' date='Jul 29 2009, 10:13 PM']The isobaric cabs should agree nicely with the huge wattage. There aren't very sensitive but have lots of bottom for a small size (if you like your cabs they way I like my ladies). Damn, I sound like a sleazy Claber.[/quote] Even more interested now!

[quote name='Dr.Dave' post='555401' date='Jul 29 2009, 06:16 PM']Ah - you're serious then , Dave. You sure did have an issue or 2 with the MB last Friday. Odd because I've heard you use it many times problem free. After our chat I've been searching 'Orange Terror' all over t'internet and I'd be inerested to hear of any frst hand use too.[/quote] Yeah it was an odd night. From my ears the GK stuff just seems to be 'lacking' something - dynamics or something. But anything would have to to be bloody good to encourage me to swap. Electro do the guitar version, so I'm guessing... Might make a trip over there. Sadly thought it'll be after Colne before I have chance. Hope your trip goes well this weekend. Bit of sunshine too - nice!

Just interested in views really. 500 or 1000 watt versions have been advertised with some 'interesting' cabs with speakers monunted on e in front of the other. The wattage output seems fairly bonkers to me having used GK MB150's which seem to compete 'adequately' for everything I use them for. Used to use Orange Grphic 120's back in the day and loved them.. But I'm not loving the GK MB stuff at the moment. Might be worth a look at something new!

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='527416' date='Jun 29 2009, 08:12 AM']Rumour in the industry that Jacko was only contracted to appear onstage for 13 mins at each gig. News Of World also claiming that he was so out of it on painkillers and prescription pills, he didn't realise he'd signed for 50 shows. Edit: typo[/quote] Do we get the feeling there will be a series of 50 dates at the O2 starting shortly in celebration of the life and career of MJ?