louisthebass

I've lost 3 confirmed gigs because of lockdown, and anything else that might have got in the book. I'd love to be back doing rehearsals this year and gigging next year, but the longer social distancing has to continue, the further away both those targets seem. 

Will this thing just dissipate, or will we be totally dependent on a vaccine / drugs before life gets back to the way it was - who knows?

On 03/06/2019 at 16:49, Stylon Pilson said:

I'm looking to up my backing vocals game - better breathing, more volume, mic technique, that sort of thing. Can anyone recommend anyone near the centre of the Berks/Surrey/Hants triangle?

Thanks,

S.P.

Try Sarah Geary: [email protected] - based near Farnham. Her hubby is Paul Geary who did a lot of articles in BGM, and has taught a few people on here.

Without trying to be all doom and gloom, I don't see rehearsal rooms being able to open until the authorities get things down to Level 1. I'm hoping to get back to rehearsals with both my bands in the Autumn, but who knows...

Bit of video of a band I've been working with (up to lockdown), looking forward to getting back together with them after this madness is over. This was filmed about the start of February:

Suzie's a bass playing legend - I was at junior school when she was popular.

My crush around about that time was Diana Rigg - Emma Peel was John Steed's best ever sidekick 😉

Looks like a complete waste of everybody's time. Gigs are for people to congregate in numbers regardless of whether it's a pub, club, arena, or festival, and I doubt that any of will see anything like that until sometime next year if we're lucky. 

Just had a quick look at one of your videos (nice playing by the way!), and this is what I do on a 5, but it can be used on a 4 just as well.

If you're playing the E string, try resting your thumb on the pickup. When you go to play the A and D strings, drop your thumb onto the E string - that way, you're muting the E string and when you play the A and D strings, your rest strokes will mute naturally. Do the same thing when you play the D and G strings by dropping your thumb onto the A string - the fleshy part of your plucking hand will mute the E string and you will already have muted the A.

I know that seems a rather drawn out description (hopefully it makes sense?). See how you get on. 🙂

1 minute ago, Maude said:

The worrying thing is the only reason a pub pays for a band is to pull the punters in. Why pay a band to attract punters if the pub can't let them in due to social distancing. 

It's sad but as long as social distancing is a thing, I don't think there'll be a pub band circuit to play. 

I really hope I'm wrong but I just can't see how it could work. 

I think you're right. Until "social distancing" is eliminated, I don't see how bands will be able to do gigs or even rehearse. Where the latter is concerned, you're (usually) in a small or medium sized soundproofed room with double doors. Like everyone else,  hope the sooner this thing disappears (or a vaccine is found) the better...

I haven't got anything against it - quite admire the players on here (as well as the pros) who do it tastefully, and within context of the music being played. It's not a skill I've acquired in 35 years of playing (mainly because it sounds pretty crap when I do it), and it's not something I've prioritised - a bit like my pick playing. I'm more interested in playing with a good tone and time feel more than anything else.

2 minutes ago, ambient said:

 

Given that social distancing will be with us for the foreseeable future, how many pubs will even bother booking bands, given that they’ll require the space for customers spending money.

That could well be the case. I'm not expecting to do another gig this side of Christmas / New Year - I'm planning (and keeping my fingers crossed) for sometime next year.

My feeling is that when (or if) things get back to whatever the "new normal" will be, a lot of bands might be playing for next to nothing in the pubs / clubs for a very long time. The pub industry will have been hit very hard by this, and it will take a long time to recover from the financial hardship this will have caused.

Another thing is that if some of those pubs have had to close, then that will mean fewer venues for bands to play in. There will be a huge scrap over that...

Absolutely loved that interview. There was only one thing wrong with it.... It wasn't long enough!

Paul Weller was the original bassist in The Jam.

Already decided mine:

"Both Sides Now" - Joni Mitchell

"Ashokan Farewell" Jay Unger & Molly Miller Band

"In My Life" Judy Collins version

Looks good - subscribed 😊

Kevin McCormick is a really good player - saw him with Melissa Etheridge in 1992 at Hammersmith, and as @BlueMoon mentioned, check out her early albums - "Brave & Crazy" is excellent. 😊

I have to suffer Radio 1 at work, and the quality of what's out there is pretty appalling. I'm aware that the station in question isn't aimed at a guy in his mid 50's, but I don't hear any real creativity or musicianship going on.

It's just bland, quantised and unimaginative, but that is just my take on it. 

Yep, but as tastefully as possible. Depped with an old band of mine recently & they play "Masterblaster" & "I Wish" - the middle part of the neck is where most of the action in those two numbers takes place. 

Haven't used a 4 on a gig in years, but would be good to have a half decent P or J kicking around in my collection...

2 hours ago, bubinga5 said:

I really like the thought of a lower priced Xotic. I believe they use the same pickups and preamp as the USA models. Very much like Lakland. 

I'm really impressed with the quality - made in Indonesia, but finished off in the U.S. I've gigged this bass a few times and used it in rehearsals with a couple of bands, and really does hold it's own in the mix.

2 hours ago, ubit said:

What sort of price are we talking for this baby?

£1,299 - bought from Bass Direct 😊

Can thoroughly recommend the Xotic XJ Pro 1 - have got one, and absolutely love it:

Really admire your courage to do what you did in the face of adversity, and I feel you can take a lot of positives from that. Too many in this life do things that they have no passion for, and you decided not to do that. I wish I'd had the courage to do what you did, so fair play to you.

As others have said, you made contacts while you were doing music as a career, and there's no harm in getting back in touch with as many as you can to help you along the way. You'll be surprised how many people are out there to give you a helping hand. 

21 hours ago, yorks5stringer said:

Cancelled last night and another one tonight, due to snow ( or rather they can't get the staff in work tonight).😕

Same here - we made a collective decision to cancel at the venue due to snow in Woking. Hoping my gig in Redhill tonight will still be on.

On 12/01/2019 at 20:53, Graham_C said:

I don’t suppose anyone has a copy of the above mentioned course they’d be willing to share?

Some wally has half-inched mine somewhere down the line. 😡

Joe's part of the membership on here - might be worth dropping him a PM?

There was a celebration of tv theme tunes (mainly ITV) in London towards the end of 2018 - a friend of mine who used to work for DeWolfe was invited, and there was a bit of footage shared on Facebook (Phil Mulford was playing bass in the house band).