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phil.c60

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Everything posted by phil.c60

  1. Bump your kids, sucking them out will make the two bottom strings boom!! Bump your kids?The way things are going these days you'll have the rozzers round in no time if you behave like that!
  2. They were her athletic support then.... now there's a job I'm not sure I'd want.
  3. Anything that says "must have all-valve amplifier, 15" speakers a minimum and a at least a 5 string bass, as I know the sound I want" - well, you play it then. And the Alanis Morrissette thing too.
  4. Sorry, that's the long version. The short version is "Yes".
  5. I've never really heard anything else when I listen to music - from Blowin' Free Wishbone Ash to Soul to Motown and even disco (Bernard Edwards, anyone? what would you give to play like that!) - I always loved it. Took me many years to get the confidence to learn to play (I didn't start 'till I was nearly 50) but it's the best thing I ever did. I have no desire to play anything else. As others have said, it's more hard work than talent, I'm not a born musician like some of my friends,but I now gig regularly and never lack motivation to practice or learn a new song - just ability!!! Even simple stuff, the feeling when you get the groove [u]just[/u] right - can't be beaten. I've never had the desire to go "widdly widdly widdly kerraaang!) and I don't think I ever will. Thank god. There's too many of those f***ers. (only kidding, folks).
  6. [quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1409249612' post='2538006'] As mentioned earlier: Curious as to the average publican's views about bands I wandered off to find some pub landlord forums. Well, there seem to be damn few of them - perhaps pub guvnors don't have time to go online. The sense I get from those sites I visited is that live music occupies a pretty small space in the landlord's mind, being merely one of a number of traffic-driving initiatives alongside TV football, curry nights, background music and guest beers, etc. The issue of live music may perhaps occupy 10% of his consciousness on the night and 0.01% the rest of the time. My explorations threw up three other interesting facts: * The MU is soon to launch a campaign against Pay-To-Play (PDF download [url="http://livemusicexchange.org/wp-content/uploads/Fair-Play-Guide.pdf"]here[/url]) * PRS published some research a couple of years ago which showed that live music lifted an average pub's nightly take by £126 (Sun-Thurs) and £485 (Fri-Sat). Though the PRS reckons this is quite marvellous it sounds pretty discouraging to me given our collective aspirations. * A handy hint from a website marketing 'advice services' to landlords: [color=#ffffff].[/color] [/quote] So, an extra £485. The VAT element is approx.£90. We're down to £395. The average GP (gross profit) for most pubs on wet sales is 51%, so the actual extra money earned is about £200. If you pay the band £200 the actual extra money earned for all that effort is.......£0. And you wonder why they (publicans)don't bother. The sad fact is that across all the music genres, less people are going out to watch live music year on year. They're all at home watching f***cking "Strictly Come What The Who The Hell Cares" or "The Xcruciating Factor". The real issue is why. Unless you can find some pubs/publicans with a real interest in music and a clientele to match it's tough going. We've just had two gigs pulled (at a re-opened venue we haven't played yet, so it's not because we're sh*t, before you jump on me) because, and I quote: "Over the last four months, we've monitored our Customers response to live music and they seem to prefer DJ sets or similar. We have lost money on every live music night, so regretfully we have cancelled all upcoming band bookings and have no plans to reintroduce them in the foreseeable future". It's tough out there, folks, and if I didn't love it, and looked at it as a purely money making exercise I'd pack it in tomorrow, but I do love it, and while I won't "pay to play" I am well aware that we can only get what there is. The going rate is the same as when I started 5 years ago (yes, I'm an oldie but a newbie!) and according to friends who've been doing it an awful lot longer than me, the same as 10 or 20 years ago. I treat it as a self-funding hobby, and that's fine for me, it's not my living. Do I think I'm holding down other peoples potential earnings? Not in my sector (covers, Blues/Rock, pubs) - no. They can't pay more, the money isn't there. We get/charge the same rate as all the other bands. I just don't (fortunately) need to rely on it to support me.
  7. I have used an Ampeg B200r Rocket bass combo, 200w, valve pre-amp, solid state power amp with various blues based bands over the last five years. Nice vintage look, I like the tone and it's been quite reliable. One or two issues with the edge connector between the two boards (mostly vibration induced I think) but apart from that it's been very good. It has no trouble keeping up with a hard-hitting drummer, loud guitarist and harp player going at it full tilt without the slightest struggle. It also has a great xlr DI out thats adjustable for level, 4 band eq and low/md/high boost. Worth looking for second hand.
  8. [quote name='paulears' timestamp='1408983913' post='2535221'] If you give away your 'worth' then you are spreading the problem. If band ABC play for free, then the venue expect XYZ to do the same, and it's a downwards spiral. I liked the comment where security people at the venue get paid, and so do the bar staff. I like the musicians union stance on charity work. You get paid the same as if it was a normal gig. when you get the money, you can, if you wish, give it to charity - and many do. The point, however, is that you get paid for working. Working for free, and bringing your mates along is just you lining somebody else's pockets - who's making the money? Not the musicians. It devalues what we do. Doing a gig at a posh venue and being charged for food really gets me too - especially when they charge the band the same as the public. [/quote] Being charged for food? If you get a builder in or plumber, or decorator, do you cook their lunch? I mend cars, and might nick the occasional sweetie, but I don't expect to open the boot and find the owner has left me a picnic hamper and a nice bottle of claret!
  9. There's gonna be a Bristol Breakout.......
  10. [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1408981126' post='2535184'] ..Depends who is working for free though.... Multi event charity bills now are often run by an events team... and they aren't often free, IMO, altho whether they want you to know that is another thing ( I get it is a whole load of work, of course,) and neither are the various venders on site, or security, but somehow the bands are... why.. ?? Because they will do it for free... [/quote] Yes, but the point still stands: if you are willing to play for free and donate your time and effort that's your decision. They could do the same, but perhaps they don't choose to. That says as much about them as it does about you. We played a charity festival type event this year where we got paid, as did the security etc. and the profits went to a nominated charity, and a small local fundraiser for a hospice charity yesterday for free where the pub fronted the cost of the stage, PA etc and a hog roast and event t-shirts that the sale proceeds went to the charity. They kept the bar takings to cover the costs. It was a great day and we really enjoyed it. On the other hand you have hmm, Live Aid (contentious point alert) where a lot of money was raised, but I'm sure a lot of money was made, too.
  11. Sorry, I've come a bit late to this thread: aren't most people trying to break out of Bristol?
  12. I think that it depends: I'm against "free" gigs where you are providing something (entertainment, I hope) for free, and someone else is making a living off the back of that. It's really just exploitation of a band's keenness, desperation for exposure or gullibility, you choose, but charity gigs are a different thing :if you want to support it and play for free then really what you are doing is making a donation, just time and effort rather than money.
  13. [size=3]I'll bet that if you asked them to name two songs full stop they'd probably struggle, and if you asked them who they were by they'd think you were picking on then (and want to start a fight about it)! I'm glad you got away without it turning into an all out war, and I'm sorry you did it all for nothing.[/size]
  14. ......And if the venue did what golf clubs do, ie provided a stage, a PA, a mixing desk with someone to run it properly, top quality backline, promoted the venue constantly, a changing room with showers, etc. etc. and all you had to do was turn up, plug in and play, then maybe, just maybe...hold on, I've just looked out of the window, and there goes that pig again.
  15. I wasn't there so I don't know, but a good guess is that drunk fighty man had wound her up with "If we don't get our f###in money back me and the boy's 'll job them" or whatever your choice of vernacular is, so she was between a rock and a hard place. And probably drunk too. Everyone loves a wedding!
  16. [quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1408887031' post='2534310'] Yep, [b]andyonbass[/b] and I have just been discussing our travel plans [/quote] ...and afterwards a cheap hotel?
  17. Three gigs this weekend, and a bit of a mixed bag. Friday in a great little music pub, it's tiny so the audience is never huge but they are always engaged and enthusiastic so a good gig. We did it at short notice as another band cancelled, we've played there before and they were really pleased we could cover it. Saturday at a barn of a pub that opens late. They wanted us from 9.30 to 12 with a break, first half not to bad, crowd-wise with some dancing too, but then thins out as the "normal" people drift off towards 11 and then starts to fill up again as people arrive from other places that are closing: mostly youngsters who have hit it pretty heavy already. Not our sort of crowd, really, and a bit thin in front of the band, and they don't really notice or respond (or care? no, perhaps a bit harsh) when one song stops and another starts which always p#sses off our drummer. We finish by 11.45 as it's hard going, and perform the quickest breakdown and load-out in recorded history (while packing it away properly, natch) Weirdly the landlady says she thought we were great, pays up instantly and would like to book us again! We'll see. Yesterday a freebie at a small afternoon/evening charity event to raise money for a local hospice. Nice people, running it only four bands so plenty of time for stage swap-over, no pressure, no hassle, a good crowd, (70+ which is great for a pub garden event, with lot's of families and kids, really nice atmosphere) and we played well. An absolute pleasure. Open stage with PA and sound guy so thank god the sun shone all afternoon. We've got a gig there as well, so worth the effort. Today: decorating at home. How Rock and Roll.
  18. [quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1408932487' post='2534710'] There will always be bands who are happy to go out for little to no money and will bring their family with them.They are an attractive prospect to landlords, regardless of quality because they know that they will make a certain amount of money with minimum outlay.. [/quote] I,m not sure that's necessarily the case. I suppose if you have a town center venue that is mainly passing trade, that might be so, but the majority of pubs we play in have a music reputation and regulars who go to see the bands. Sure, we bring some extra, and that helps cover our money, but as one landlord commented when I said we like playing there because we always get a good responsive crowd "That's because I don't book sh*t bands" It's why getting gigs at these places can be a long and frustrating process if they don't know you/haven't seen you. You just have to persevere with the venues that you think are right for you.
  19. ....and breaking news: the streets of London are not paved with gold. Like everyone else here, I don't mind doing gigs for free, especially local charity gigs, for all the reasons above. Pay to play? I don't think so. I'd sooner hire the bandstand in a local town center for a couple of hours and show off properly! Having said that, up and coming bands often have to pay (OK, "contribute to the touring expenses of") bigger/more well known bands they support on tour. Depends where in the game you're at, I suppose, and where you think it might get you. I am, (like most posters here, I suspect) someone who plays as a hobby for which I am fortunate to get paid: I'm not looking to be the next big thing. We play some places where we get good money, and some tiny places where they have a good reputation for music but can't pay much because the venue doesn't hold many but you can pass the jug round (a good way of working out whether they really liked you!). They are mostly pub gigs so they don't charge entry, and we never have a problem getting repeat bookings. None of them has ever asked us to pay, and if a prospective venue did I think I'd pmsl.
  20. I think it all comes down to putting the work in and being organised/reliable, as many others have said. When I have auditioned for bands in the past (covers, so makes the next bit more relevant) I have been amazed that I seem to be the only bass player who bothered to learn some of the setlist so we had something to play. Just turning up and standing there for five minutes going back and forth with "do you know this" - "no, do you know this?" - "no..." repeat ad nauseam does not lead to a happy time. Having said that, it does seem that bass players seem to be more organised generally. Something to do with being slightly obsessive, perhaps?
  21. The P-bass and flats is really the way to go[i],[/i]however I have a very nice Tanglewood acoustic bass I keep around the house for those "hang on, how does that go?" moments or for twiddling about in the garden. I have played that with some success through a Roland basscube (30W, I think) which is my practice amp, and if you want to have an all-acoustic look that's about the best compromise imho as it has quite a lot of amp models and some basic effects you can play with to get a sound you like. And they're quite reasonable s/hand - I gave £60 for mine. Oh - and they're so small you can tuck it away somewhere unobtrusive!
  22. Slightly different slant on the same thing: My dad was a great amateur snooker player. When I was young and started playing, I hankered after this cue or that cue in the local Riley shop - should it be one piece, two piece, ash, maple, this size tip, that size tip, this make, that make etc. I came down to earth with a bump when my dad said "Always remember, son, you can have the moxt expensive one here, but Steve Davis will still beat you even if he uses a broom handle". That said, I do think you should try and divert some of your gig earnings to save up for someting half decent.
  23. [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1407836150' post='2524402'] World peace is just SOOOOO last year ... [/quote] Even sadder, Ebola is soooo this year..... I hope to attend, but can't commit (yeah, I know) so I'll confirm later.
  24. I'm planning on coming - I live quite near so it would be rude not to, really. Don't know as I can bring anything interesting - my current giging bass is a Fender Hot Rod Precision, and I have a 79 Jazz too so standard stuff, really. Excpet they're both left handed. Cos I am. I do have a proper left-handed double bass, but It's very early days with that so I'd be far too shy to bring that out in public! Amp wise, I've got a Litle Mark 3 that I need a cab for ( a recent aquisition) and an Ampeg B200r Rocket bass combo. If anyone is interested in any of the above I'll bring them. Oh and a tenner on the door is fine by me.
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