NickD

Here is my contribution to the Basschat Composition Challenge, inspired by the picture chosen by one of last month's winners Nail Soup (with hearty congratulations to the rest of the winners circle too... Dad3353, Leonard Smalls and Skankdelvar). The image spoke to me of circus tricks, which in turn tickled my sinister bone. There's always been something about circuses that makes me uneasy, and I've always had a sense that behind the thin veneer of spectacular glitz and glamour there's probably rampant animal cruelty, violent, alcoholic clowns, and all sorts of dodginess. ... this idea of the sideshows distracting us from hideous goings on, naturally led me to draw comparisons with dodginess going on behind the curtain while we watch amazed at the current shitshow. Tech wise... Recorded in Cubase Elephants 10. MT Drums. EUB straight into the interface, and an old Westbury Standard through the Helix. All additional instruments are the bundled Cubase VSTs, and the samples came from Looperman. Vocals treated with Waves Audio CLA Vocals.

It's getting harder and harder to choose. Well done everyone!

Another fine crop!😎

It's a done deal, I picked up a pretty tidy 2008 Megane Estate, FSH, , flat load in, and really clean. I took a tape measure with me, not sure what the seller thought I was planning. Hopefully that's us sorted for a few years!

Yeah, I'm not looking too new. I'd hate to have a car I'm precious about around here, that would be asking trouble. 2007/2008 ish. I've kinda excluded the people carriers (although I've run 2 Grand Scenics before) as they're not particularly economical and most I've seen have been pretty neglected. Current faves are the Focus and Astra estates, plenty of load room and low tax/good mpg. Off to look at a Megane Estate later too.

Bass and Drums would be the ideal, the Mrs is our drummer.

Zafiras of that kind of vintage are on my list. I assume they're comparable to the Grand Scenic I used to have, and I could get full drums in hard cases, bass and amp in that without an issue.

Thanks chaps! If I can keep it a bit smaller than the last one that would be great, as it's pretty heavy around here. As long as I can get all our stuff in it that would be enough.

Useful stuff, Thanks!

.... Yeah, I know, wrong forum! So I scrapped my big ol' dirty diesel yesterday, and I'm looking around for something more ULEZ friendly.... and I think in the not too distant future double bass friendly. I'm looking at older stuff, 2006-2009, and my options are limited. The estate I got rid of would do camping trips with the kids easily, and when we needed to, a full drum kit, my bass and amp (seats down obviously. I'm finding it hard to envisage the dimensions of a DB, but want to make sure that when I finally succumb, I have a car that will handle it. I'm sure a Zafira will be fine, and the Astra/Mondeo Estates, not sure about the C/Max, there's a lot of bargains about and they look pretty roomy with the seats down... So, what's everyone driving?

Same! Really impressive stuff, and yet it never feels like a novelty act.

Pat Metheny just now. Some quality stuff with great sound, and no talking inbetween... Well over 2 hours of great performance. For all that folks bang on about Jaco, the keys player managed a good approximation of his lines with his left hand, while simultaneously doing keys stuff with his right hand 😂

That sounds slick as hell! Just the weather for it too!

I've always used superglue (carefully). I read about it in an article about Stevie Ray Vaughan when I was a kid, who had a hideous action and really heavy gauge strings. The first few days of a tour were always tough, playing much harder than I would in practice, so I'd carefully puncture the blister and flatten it, then I'd apply superglue over the top. It's suggested that you rough it up gently with an emery board or similar, but I never bothered.

Pat Metheny on Sunday night. Cheeky git hasn't got a bass player on this tour, so we've got Adam Ben Ezra on Monday night to rebalance things.

I'm not sure. We saw a picture of his years ago while touring in Germany. Looked him up when we got back to find he was a fellow Yorkshireman. I don't think he was lauded at the time, as he was completely self-taught, and I get the impression the establishment looked down on that and his relatively humble roots

Got to love a bit of Grimshaw, We have his 'Two figures in a moonlit lane' on our bedroom wall. It'll be at least mid-month until I get to sit down with this though... fingers crossed!

Thanks! It's pretty standard. I just specified the non-script logo, the black hardware, the naked Ash finish and no position indicators in the fretboard.

Ditto. Mines passive, but just between the blend and the tone (and a bit of foam under the strings for my country gig) it's always managed everything well. It's probably my least 'posh' bass, and the only one without a pre (I've an East, a Glock and a Bart NTMB in other basses), but it's always my first choice.

Top tune! Well done that Fella!

I've always preferred combos, as long as you're happy with the sound of both elements. From a gigging perspective, it's one less thing to account for when packing for the gig, one less thing to account for when packing up afterwards, and one less thing that's easy for someone to walk off with.

It's another bloody tough field. Hard to whittle it down to 3! 😎

Shree Sriram and Dennis Rollins on Thursday.... Bowed Bass and Trombone... It shouldn't work, but it does (for me anyway). Also the Ilario Ferrari Trio, and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra on the same bill.

Drumming is crap! No... wait... MY drumming is crap! I jump on the Mrs's kit from time to time, but my co-ordination is rubbish. I suppose if I spent proper time it would come together, but when I look at her level of independence, particularly obvious on Latin stuff, it's clear how much work would be needed. Not the same, but I find even programming drums really helps, usually for the Basschat Comp Challenge each month. Something feels wrong, and something as simple as moving one kick lets everything fall into place.