phil.c60

There's a left handed Chowney for sale on here that I can't quite put out of m mind and can't quite decide to put my hand up for either. Mainly because it's white, to be honest. I've always fancied an f-hole bass, just because, and at the price, well....but it's still white. They do seem like a reasonable instrument for a reasonable price, even new.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1486472451' post='3232063']
ugh... who does that? going around drinking other people's abandoned drinks...?

well, my old singer in the RHCP tribute band did
he was a character
[/quote]

So did an ex-navy friend of mine when he'd had a few. "Minesweeping" he called it. Announced by him looking at me and announcing "Three Green Balls!" which is apparently the flag they fly when carrying out said activity. Did I ever join in - you betcha! Can't leave a guy on his own now, can you.

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif].........However, my conscience still tells me that I'm being a little dismissive of my role in all this - clearly learning all their stuff so that they have an option to get a replacement in quickly when they do pull the trigger is going to have an influence on what they do next, and it could be my role that means he gets sacked ahead of the album coming out rather than at the end of the Summer festival schedule. But with my mate's hat on, I genuinely think that's the best option for the band, because he is damaging their reputation already and will damage it further if he remains in the band, regardless of whether it's me that does it (and I suggested this when I had no clue they would ask me). I am clinging on to the fact that he's going anyway because that is most definitely what is best for the band, and if it's not me it'll be someone else, so why not do it when it'll be great fun? After all, if they had just sacked him and were asking me if I could learn their set in a hurry we'd all be saying "what a great opportunity" not "how badly did they treat the last bass player?" ........[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Reading the whole post and then focusing on this part: if getting someone else up to speed before they let him go is the way that they are thinking, to avoid causing an awkward gap in their schedule, they're probably going to do that with someone else if it's not you, even if that's temporary - a medium term dep, if you will - so it appears that their course is already plotted. If you fancy it, knowing that you might simply be helping them out of a short term hole, do it. Their will be plenty of other guys who will if you don't so don't miss out. I don't think you're behaving badly at all.[/font][/color]

LM3 and Barefaced Gen2 Compact for me. Light, powerful enough for the pub type venues we play and seems to sound just fine with my passive P.

Fantastic Friday night gig in Arundel. Nice place, nice owner, nice people behind the bar. We've played here a few times a year for the last couple of years so they know what we do and they like it. Walked in to find a few old friends in for the night and a sprinkling of other folks. Thought it might be a bit quiet: time of year, cold wet and miserable night etc. but a steady trickle of people then more of a stream from about 9.30 until the place was packed. Great atmosphere, band played well (despite me being a bit rough in places: no reason for it just one of those nights) and they would have kept us playing til breakfast if they could. Clapping, cheering, dancing, the whole 9 yards. Happy crowd, happy band,happy landlady, what more do you want. We've got three more gigs there this year which is great.

On the other hand the Blues/Rock trio I was in a couple of years ago did play AC/DC, Hendrix, Gallagher etc. One very inebriated lady at a pub gig asked the singer if "We do any Dolly Parton". Unsurprisingly, the answer was no.

No but I hear that Mozart's not well.....

Spice Girls "Wannabe". Every time I hear that flat, tuneless vocal line "Tell you what I want what I really really want..." I just want to smash the radio, house, car, world....you get the picture. Same goes for American Pie by Madonna. Although Don McClean quite likes it, because, and I quote "I own the publishing rights".

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1485247087' post='3222359']
........ It's just my recent experience has all been in start ups, I've found you can only go at the pace of the slowest, it has frustrated the life out of me when someone says let's learn 10 songs and then you turn up having sweated blood to find no-one else has them all nailed...........
[/quote]

Having this right now. Auditioned/tried out for an indie/post punk/some more general stuff type band and they asked me to join. Gave me a "set list" which I duly learnt some of, then some more, then started running into the "Oh you've learnt those have you, we haven't played those for ages (ever? - slight hint of sarcasm there) supposed to have the first gig in a month. Fingers well and truly crossed. Annoyingly I had a call just after I'd started rehearsing with them from someone who has what seems to be a much more together band that has just lost their bass player, but turned it down as felt I had to give these guys a fair chance (two bands is OK but three is not, for me anyhow).I'm having a bit of a sinking feeling at the moment. Slightly off topic. Apologies.

As above, only it was Van der Graaf generator a few years ago at the Barbican. I even fell asleep at one point during some endless noodling but I think I got away with it.
Fortunately Mrs.C and I share most things musical, but she sometimes goes to the Ballet or the Opera, both of which I politely decline. She goes with a friend. She does get quite misty eyed over Van Morrison but I 'm not that keen, and she gets a bit sarky about Seve Hilllage ("That hippy sh*t") but I quite like to listen to him now and then.

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1485009472' post='3220368']
Sorry, wrong thread
[/quote]

And wrong opinion......

Deep Purple's "Come Taste the Band". Most Purple fans hated it as there was no Richie, but I liked it and still play it from time to time now.

I agree with nearly all of this except....
"[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Posters are a pointless waste of time"[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]All of our (mostly pub) venues demand and expect them. Some, not all, use them on their Facebook and Website, as do we. All of them use them on the walls to at least give the impression that there are always things going on at the venue. Whether that persuades people to come and see you in particular is an open question, but every little helps. Personally, if we play somewhere and there's a poster up for a band I fancy seeing I'll go if I'm not gigging. Would I be trawling through the listings and pick them out? Probably not. A case in point: was in a local pub last night and spotted a poster for a couple of guys I know doing a Sunday afternoon acoustic in a couple of weeks - I'll be there.[/font][/color]

Exactly. So 2/3 of 350W is 235W which is more than my perfectly adequate B200R.
Also:
[size=4]"[i][color=#333333]The 4 ohm version exists for two reasons - getting maximum power out of low power amps if you intend to only use one cab or for using with valve amps whose highest impedance tap is 4 Ohms"[/color][/i][/size]
[font="Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][color="#333333"]And as I said, I don't think 350W is a "low powered Amp".[/color][/font]

I play in a similar band, in similar venues. I use a LM3 and a gen 2 Compact which is 8 ohms. I don't run my passive P bass with the volume on full as I like to be able to turn up a bit for one or two songs, so at about 90% most of the time. I rarely turn the gain up past 1 o'clock, and the master past 1 or 2 o'clock. I'd be surprised, therefore, if you couldn't get enough volume out of your LM2 with the cab as standard. I understand your worries though - it's all very well just trying it, but if that means you spend a whole gig not being able to hear yourself or being as loud as you feel you need to be, it would certainly spoil my night but I don't think that's likely. If you are worried, the amp is designed to run at 4 ohms, so you've got nothing to lose by converting it: Alex doesn't make the conversion kit for fun or because he had nothing better to do one afternoon! If it made no difference to the cab's output, surely he wouldn't bother. If it is going to give you more headroom, why not? Just because you could then be louder doesn't mean you have to! Having said that, he does specifically say that the 4 ohm conversion is to allow you to use a low power amp, and I wouldn't have said 350w at 8 ohms is low - my old rig is an Ampeg B200R combo and that's only 200W but is perfectly adequate for the same band. I'ts just heavy! On balance, I think you'll be fine with it as it is.

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Agadoo by Black Lace[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]The Birdie Song[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]The Macarena[/font][/color]

It's quite simple, isn't it? We play in mostly small pub venues with people sitting or standing within 3 feet f the band. If people move away and leave a gap, don't sit at those tables and generally seem to congregate further away then you are too loud. There is always going to be a compromise, however, because it must be louder the nearer they are to you, and if you want to be heard properly half way back in a long thin venue it will be too loud at the front for some. NYE one comment was that it was a bit quiet at the very back (the place was chock a block) but that it was better that way than earsplitting at the front. At least people could be heard at the bar when they wanted a drink!
I've just started rehearsals with a second band, and for the last three occasions the drummer complains that he can't hear me. That's after we've been playing for an hour or so. Either my Compact is suffering from thermal issues (unlikely, it's never a problem gigging with my main band)) or he is just playing louder as the night goes on (much more likely). I can tell from my amp settings relative to where they are when I gig that we are too loud at rehearsals. Suggesting that perhaps he should play quieter has not gone down well. We've got the first gig in March, and if it's an issue on the night (and I will have some reliable friends coming who have seen my other band numerous times who will let me know) there probably won't be a second one.

No criticism intended: just a bit of a light hearted poke at how wild some peoples points of view can be. Including mine, occasionally!

Yeah - we're thinking about doing a couple from the new Rolling Stones album with the blues band.
I'll get my coat.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1483536297' post='3207991']
Hell no! Not even close!


[/quote]

Well, he is "No Longer A Newbie" so cut him some slack, Jack (see what I did there!) perhaps he hasn't had a chance to fully immerse himself in the "Precision or Jazz" , "Fender is for mutants" or "Flatwounds are for dullards" threads yet. But don't worry, they'll be round a gain soon and he can find out what a depressing or wildly inacurate point of view [i]really[/i] is.
Happy new year, all!

Well, I've just started rehearsing with a covers band, and am quite enjoying playing Gary Numan's "Cars". The Cure's "A Forest", the Vapors "Turning Japanese, the Jam's "Start" and that's just off the top of my head. I'm sure they are all as passe to you covers band chaps as "Mustang Sally", but it makes a nice change from my blues band. Although I really enjoy that too.

No, even duller it's a Hot Rod P/J, the one that even Fender guys don't like!

I gig with a Fender, so I'm a dimwit with limited taste, and we charged less than £2000 for last nights NYE gig.

Most people want to wash their hands after they've shaken mine: I don't care what they use.

We had a real blast last night too. Three 50 minute sets from 9 until 12, Auld Lang Syne to finish off with everyone singing along. A bit quiet to start with but absolutely rammed by 10.00 and stayed like that until the end. Music has to stop at 12 sharp, but the bar is open later so I was able to have a pint at the end (I don't drink while we're playing). The pub took a chance on us as a blues- ish band last year (the year before?) booked us again for this (last?) year, and it went really well. Lot's of people who came last time came again this time. Had the usual chat whilst getting paid, and a very friendly conversation about whether they wanted a change for next NYE and if they did we would understand etc. and was told "No, I'm really happy, everyone's had a great time for the last two years why change it. Consider it booked." which was a very good way to begin 2017. I am a bit knackered today though. We shoved quite a lot of fast paced stuff in the third set so it was a bit relentless at the end: The guitarist looked at his fingers over a pint at the bar later and said "Oh look I can see some new calluses already".