phil.c60

"Talent" - the thing that singers think they have which means they don't need to rehearse. It doesn't seem to matter whether they do anyway, as they'll still come in at the wrong time, forget a verse and make up the words as they go along and then look at you as if it's your fault.

^^^^^ Ouch, but the "superior equipment" just doesn't look quit right....... I'm just going to lock myself in my safe room before the sh*t storm hits.

Solid: A player who.....no wait a minute, didn't we do this a while ago!

Vintage: As above only old. There's not many left because most of them were thrown away years ago.

Going to see them at The Ropetackle, Shoreham in May - really looking forward to it!

Very good of you to reply, Carl, your post does not quite answer the original point although I did shorten it to stop it turning into war and peace. I rang, and specifically asked if you had two 8' cables and an 18' cable in Whirlwind Elite tweed with silver stripe and was told that you did. We had a conversation about them, and I said I'd come in Sunday and asked if I needed to have them kept for me and you said no, they're a stock item, I've got lots. I came in Sunday morning, asked the guy in the shop, he said "all the ones we've got...." etc. I looked on the rack, their were two 18' silver and no others (in silver). I asked again and got "all the ones we have......" I pointed out I had come specifically for them having been told they were a stock item and got "all the ones we have..." at this point I expressed my displeasure and left. I appreciate your apology, but if the guy in the shop had offered to order them, post them, been apologetic, anything really, I would have probably taken the 18' one and had the other two sent. The service was not great, he clearly didn't seem to care much and that was the overall point. It may seem a lot of fuss over small items, but they are not cheap: the three leads come to nearly £100. I do appreciate you're response, as I said it's good of you to take the time but I will be going elsewhere.

Have spoken to Dave via email - he's away now until the 18th and doesn't really get involved with the tweedy thing (he has some in yellow but doesn't really like it much as a cable) so it may have to be Whirlwind after all.

Unless they're asking when you're playing next so they can make sure they're busy that night

"I just have a loin cloth made out of an old tea towel" - no you don't, I've seen that photo of you in your pants.

Were it just ordinary instrument cable I'd happily do them myself, but I've never had a lot of joy repairing the cloth braided tweedy ones and keeping the cloth covering neat and tidy.

Have just emailed obbm - for once I'm doing as I'm told.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1454942468' post='2974417'] Order your leads online from Dave. . . OBBM. My OBBM instrument lead is 5 years old and gets used about 2 times a week. [/quote] I will. Right now. If he does the tweedy thing.

Yes, both Anderton's and Nevada are real shops. I've been to both a few times but they are a bit of a trot from where I live which is why I order online from them. I just fancied "going local" for a change. I've always had quite good service in both when I've been there and also price matching, especially in Nevada.

Sorry Hobbayne: I just edited it to do just that.

I have broken another Fender instrument lead. No big deal, except I'm quite careful with my gear, and it's the second one in months. It's a tweedy one, which I like, and it's broken at the jack plug entry as the shrinky tube they use is not very stiff and does not support the lead terribly well. That's also what happened to the last one. "Aha" says my guitarist mate "you need some of those Whirlwind ones. They're not cheap but they are the mutt's nut's". I look online, I ring a local -ish (25 minute drive) guitar shop who advertises them and ask: "Do you have these, I want two 8' ones and an 18' one, all tweedy, all with sliver stripe" "yes" says man "I've got a whole wall of them, come on down". Sunday morning, guitar friend and I pop off down there for a look see and to spend some money. Uninterested spotty youth says "they are all there, that's all we've got, there's non anywhere else" and points to a smallish rack with a lot of Fender leads, and some Whirlwind leads but not the ones I want. "Are you sure" I ask "as I rang and someone said you'd got loads of them" "That's all we've got, there's no more anywhere else....." like a stuck record. I express my displeasure at having our time wasted: spotty youth doesn't really give a s*** makes no effort to offer to order them, can't wait to get back to whatever he was doing before we ruined his Sunday morning by wanting to buy something. I won't go there again. Ever. Even though it's the nearest one to where I live. I don't suppose my mate will go there again either. Will I miss it if it goes? Not really.I'll just order them online from Nevada or Anderton's like I should have done in the first place (but I did want to see one this time so I could make my mind up that they were worth the money) What part of "Service" don't these places get? Oh - and in case you're interested, it's "Guitar Sound" in Chichester. I don't normally "Name & Shame" but on this occasion I'm so pi**ed off I will.

Things seem to be getting a bit confused. All of the venues where we play except this one pay a fee, some pay a smaller fee and then pass the jug - primarily smaller venues. The 15% thing is a new one on me, and the venue in question, which both Mykesbass and I have payed at regularly (us for a long time before the current guy took over which is about 18 months ago: can't speak for Mkyesbass about that) has only just started that as a policy. It always used to pay a fee. I can certainly see, as JTUK says, that some bands will drop it s a venue: It wouldn't surprise me at all, and it will be the better bands so the whole thing has the potential to turn into a downward spiral. It would be a shame as it's a nice place to play.I also agree with Casapete's comments. The main point was that as the jug is an established local practice, if people start to pay and more at the bar by debit card, and come out with no cash things will have to change. The venues will be reluctant, but if they won't up their fee, and the jug values drop so the bands don't want to play there it will probably mean less venues. Not good. As for the "Why aren't you in an originals band then" comment form LayDownThaFunk: WTF has that got to do with he price of fish? You, Sir, are clearly a troll and I don't propose to enter into any further comment tennis with you on this subject or any other. Life's too short. As is probably a certain part of your anatomy. (Sorry, Mods - couldn't help myself).

[quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1453998425' post='2965192'] Business men are better paid than musicians, what can I say? [/quote] As am I - It's fun all the way for me when it comes to music. I don't need the money and I'm with Mykesbass on this. We even share some venues and he's quite right about the quality of audience, they tend to be more than just "punters" and often are sprinkled with other musicians enjoying other peoples playing.

[quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1453919218' post='2964268'] Nothing less classy than the jug - go and busk if you want tips or up your fee in the first place. [/quote] There are quite a few pub venues down this way where a fee plus the jug is well established; a lot of them are long standing venues where some [u]very[/u] good musicians play. I'm pleased that you don't have to lower yourself to their level

The collection agent in question has those attributes (amongst others)!

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1453899325' post='2963945'] There are plenty of gigging opportunities here in Manchester. Sure, we’ve lost some venues over the years… but this has largely been due to pressure from city centre residential developments, rather than a lack of punters. I think the key consideration in discussions of this type is demographics - especially age. The market for older bands may indeed by drying up. That’s natural selection of sorts. The opportunities for young bands still seem reassuringly healthy where I live. I’m not speaking from personal experience as a young person (I’m 42), but I work with people in their 20s who are frequently attending performances by up-and-coming local bands and more famous names. For them, the live music scene is very much alive and kicking. And their musical tastes are very diverse - far more so than when I was their age. …and that’s not counting less ‘traditional’ performances (electronic/dance music). So in summary, if you want to know the future of gigging then don’t ask a bunch of ageing bass players. Ask someone who’s 21 years old and up for it. They’ll most likely have a very upbeat answer [/quote] Yes to the above - one of my wife's best friends son is a young (21) hip hop artist who is often now on Radio 1. He also gigs a lot, and his current mini tour has sold out in some places. His gigging future seems quite bright!

Last Saturday I went to see a band and the drummer turned out to be someone I knew quite well. The usual deal at this particular venue is a fee plus "The Jug". At half time he told me that their policy had changed, and it was now 15% of the bar take between 8.30 and 11.30 plus "The Jug". Hmm. He also asked if I'd go round with the jug so the staff didn't have to (more staff behind the bar, more sales, especially as it's a small pub with only two staff). More than one person said they had no money whatsoever, and when I told her this my observant wife had already noticed that they were paying for rounds with debit cards. Not contact-less yet but that must be next - a tap your card type terminal on the bar. If this becomes more and more prevalent, as surely it must, is there any future for "The Jug"? It only matters because bar sales are not necessarily the sign of a good band, where as what people put in "The Jug" probably is, which is why this type of deal suits both parties: the pub don't have to pay out a large fee but the band have the opportunity to earn well if they are entertaining (and have a good "Jugger" with a bit of personality - we do, fortunately). Any thoughts? And my harp player has already suggested we get our own wireless terminal so no prizes for that one!

the whole thing (apparently): http://www.bigbasstabs.com/ocean_colour_scene_bass_tabs/riverboat_song___accurate_and_complete.html

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[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1452879172' post='2954423'] yes I think that's the yardstick I would use, if there's no chance of seeing the original band, the Bootleg Beatles for instance, I've no problem at all with them, but I do feel a little uneasy about Green Day tributes [/quote] The brother-in-law of the guitarist in a band I was in a while ago was (is? he said he was stopping so I'm not sure) John Lennon in The Bootleg Beatles, and he apparently started the band. He came to see us play once (and stayed!) had a long chat with my wife and told her about it. The Beatles clearly were never going top play again, and he thought there was a big appetite for them so he put the band together, hired a London theatre and advertised it. They sold out very, very quickly and so he booked the place for another two nights and sold those out as well. The rest, as they say, is history. He reckoned he was about to stop, as he was beginning to find it wearing after having done it for quite a few years. He saw a market, put a band together, promoted the first gigs with his own money and made a success of it. If that's not something to be applauded (Har Har) then what is?