ubit

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1423809728' post='2689211'] Here's a thought, perhaps we should bill the singers for 5 string purchase if they can't sing it in the record key [/quote] Well I'm the bass player and singer, so I suppose I am being billed. I like playing in E flat as it makes it easier to sing. What's the point in straining for notes? It's hard and not nice to listen to. When we play the other stuff in standard so the accordion player can play on his white keys, I can manage as long as it's not all night. Using a five would not allow me to sing lower, the song would still be in a certain key. As I've said before, moving to unmarked frets would be confusing if you are playing and singing. Maybe it's just me as I learnt everything with the majors on the marked frets. When playing on a badly lit stage, muscle memory is essential and playing one fret out would be a recipe for disaster as far as I'm concerned!

[quote name='cybertect' timestamp='1423745077' post='2688492'] I just tune down for the bands I play in that tune half a tone flat, with any of the basses that I might take to a gig with them; 4, 5 string or fret less. With electronic tuners it only takes a few seconds while you're setting up if the instrument is at concert. I've done the same for various outfits over 30 odd years and I've never seen it as a problem. [/quote] Exactamundo, moi point totally !

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1423753045' post='2688635'] She didn't mention slapping then? [/quote] Laughed out loudly to that

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1423734427' post='2688342'] But if you'd changed your sound on sound check to one you liked it wouldn't have sounded good for the gig. A sound check is a work in progress till it's done. Then it all starts again when an audience comes in and the band start playing, usually louder than they sound checked. If you're serious add a FOH guy to your band line up. [/quote] I totally agree, but we were playing with a very experienced sound guy and I didn't want to fall out with him by telling him his job. I just thought, surely he's not happy with that. We would love a sound guy, but it's hard to find one who would give up the time, plus you have to then pay him, and of course we have to trust him.

I took a walk out front during the sound check and I was pretty under impressed with the overall sound. Whilst being clear, I thought the bass needs to be right up there with the kit to give it the punch we all love. I expressed my misgivings to the rest of the band, but during the set, our accordion player went out and came back saying the sound was spot on. Now either the guy fixed it, or lots of people have differs ideas of a good sound. That's why I like having our own PA, which is a pretty impressive, loud system, which I have more control over. I know it's good to have a decent soundman that you can trust, but if you are worried at all, it can be horrible. Great bands can sound bad if they have a bad mix or weal sound.

We are torn between playing stuff we like and playing stuff the baying masses like. Myself and the drummer want to play rock music, the lead guitarist and accordion player think everyone wants to hear traditional stuff and the acoustic guitar player will do whatever he's told. What we've ended up with, I hope, is an eclectic group of numbers that will please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time as the old adage goes. Trouble is when we play dances, functions etc. we are forced into playing some horrendous dirges, which seem to go down really well. We have to gauge what kind of audience is in that night and then you know whether you are going to feel great about your art, or feel like a machine, going through the motions, although, I will say, some of the best nights we've had, have been playing old standards to a more mature audience. We've also found that if you give them their basic fare of brown eyed girls and wagon wheels, that you can throw in a couple of rock songs and get away with it. It's a funny old game being a cover band, certainly in the west of Scotland. I do , however, have certain songs I will never touch. Mustang Sally Money for nothing Walk of life American pie Anything by the Doors Anything by the Beatles I think there's a couple of others but they have been burned from my memory!

f***in "Angels" ! God I hated playing that, luckily everyone's forgot about it these days

[quote name='Bradwell' timestamp='1423660897' post='2687550'] Is it not better to just have a 4 string bass tuned half a step down and then use a capo on the first fret? Means you can have one set up as a back-up on stage, doesn't require the purchase of a 5-string and maintains the possibility of keeping the open strings tuned correctly when you need them. [/quote] Jeez, that would do my head in. I like the major notes to be on the right marked fret. Playing one fret out would confuse the hell out of me. I'm the singer right enough and need to be playing on autopilot

[quote name='Jenny_Innie' timestamp='1423645581' post='2687295'] Granny arrives in the middle of the stage, sort of queuing up to talk to us. Tries to attract my attention in the middle of a song, by shouting in my ear while I'm still playing. I thought she must have been from the pub and was telling us to stop as there was a fire or something. We finish the song, I say "wot is it?" and she says: "Can you play Sweet Home Alabama?" "We are a punk originals band" "But it's my favourite song" "Who's it by anyway?" [size=3][i]** I thought it might be a Rihanna song or something by Beck - but it turns out it's something by some old age pensioners.[/i][/size] "I don't know, but it's my husband's favourite too" "No sorry, can you get off the stage" "Well you don't have to be so rude!" This type of thing has happened at half of our 7 or 8 gigs so far. Everything from Sex on Fire to One Direction requests. Is it me? [/quote] You should be a bit more polite to the older generation because that will be you sooner than you think

I thought a 5 was to give you another register , I mean when you delve into a low B, your getting more than just 5 more notes, your getting a new world of depth. The same note played on a low B has much more beef, which is sometimes great but for some songs not so much. I seen a band where the bass player had gotten himself a 5 string and to be honest, I thought he was playing some deep notes that didn't suit the classic rock that they were playing. It was like he thought, I've got a 5, I'm gonna use it. In metal for instance , the 5 is awesome!

I didn't find hysteria that bad. Rhythm stick , however, is solid! YYZ, I just can't seem to get it up to speed, but then again, I haven't spent more than 20 minutes on either.

Brought together by our common love of E strings! Don't you mean G strings love? No..E strings!

Could this be the start of something magical? I thought this was a bass related site. Who knew it was e harmony in drag?

All Kanye has done is make me want to go and download the new Beck album, so maybe this was just a publicity stunt organised by the Beck camp. If so, it's worked By the way Kanye? No ye can't!

I can't see the problem. You have two basses. We play in those same different tunings in one band. I am swapping between two basses all night. It takes seconds.

Just go for it mate. Music is all about enjoyment. Concentrate on getting the root notes solid and don't try to be too fast too quickly. Concentrate on getting a good technique. Speed happens naturally after you have a piece off pat. You'll be amazed at how many easy songs you can play with a band and you can gradually improve your technique whilst jamming. Nothing brings you on more than playing live. You can play forever in a bedroom, but playing live makes you a complete player. Good luck and remember to enjoy yourself

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1423582790' post='2686606'] JTUK is also spot on with the 'bring a crowd' bit, which begs the question ... can you? And not just for the very firstest gig ever, but also for repeat gigs? Never oversell yourself to a pub; they have long memories. Be as straight as you can, and when some pubs then shaft you don't react. On the charging thing, never perform for nowt if it's at all avoidable (or if it's liderally for charidee), but don't expect to start at £250 a night. Offer a LL a package of three gigs, charging (say) £50 for the first, £150 for the second, and then £250 for the third and following gigs. You can tell him that, if you're crap at the first gig, he'll just cancel the remainder anyway. And no, I'm not trying to be funny. [/quote] Fair enough, that's probably a better idea for getting a foot in the door. As for taking a crowd. I don't know a band that wouldn't take a crowd for their first ever gig. Your always gonna get your mates and girlfriends coming, so I'm sure it would be a good night. It's keeping that up that's the problem. Support will fade unless you can garner more by playing great stuff.

I have a wide taste in music but it's based mainly on the heavier side of rock. You would never get me listening to more or less any of our set. We play all the old classics like brown eyed girl, crazy little thing called love, proud Mary etc, but we also do traditional Scottish based tunes like the Gael ( last of the Mohicans theme tune) and battle by Wolfstone . Whisky in the jar, wagon wheel, Galway girl. As I say, not my taste, but essential for gigs up this way.

I would offer to play for free just to get a foot in the door. Many landlords will be worried about paying for a band that turns out to be rubbish, but if you are doing it for nothing, he's not losing anything. Hopefully, you'll get a good night , then you can ask for a fee next time.

[quote name='AndyTravis' timestamp='1423526700' post='2686072'] Never happens to me, am I doing something wrong? 'Sixteen' by No Doubt shows that it is to be embraced. Enhanced by overdrive, but still. Fit. Love Tony Kanal http://youtu.be/NGwx3I70YbY [/quote] Whilst I agree with you, I can't hear any string squeak in that track. Maybe it's just me Bloody good song right enough !

[quote name='timmo' timestamp='1423570585' post='2686382'] This is the first and only song that i know of his. After hearing it, i just wondered how he became a well known rapper. a very third rate rapper. I am surprised Jools Holland would want to showcase this http://youtu.be/cuZEjI0AWRY [/quote] I am quite proud of the fact that I have a very wide and eclectic taste in music, some rap included. The late great Tupac, Cypress hill are among others on my playlists, but this, I would probably list under the colloquial heading of pish !

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1423511150' post='2685784'] Beeyonsay gets my award for the 'Single Ladies' video, which I have no problem watching with the sound off, so maybe my award should go to the director and stylist. Come to think about it, I wish she'd get out the way of the other two. Beck gets my award for his Airline and Billy Bo Jupiter guitars. Oh, hang on, that's Jack White. [/quote] That's my favourite too, but come to think of it, I'm not too familiar with anything else she's done. I mean, I know she's done a lot, but it's not my scene. Same with Kanye. I have no idea what he's done apart from hes a rappist. Kim Kardashian however, I do know, has done absolutely nothing to become famous apart from feature in a reality show and have an unfeasably large arse!

At one point, I did a kind of pregnant, disabled Angus Young walk right out the front across the stage in front of the monitors and I was like, sh*t! I can't hear anything anymore and quickly reverted to using my personal square metarage of stage area. So any rock star moves have to be carefully thought out as they could potentially leave you in a musical wasteland. I suppose big bands who do put it about a bit, have bass coming through every monitor along with a nice balance of every instrument , so that they are never left in dead areas. As long as I was in the one spot, the sound was spot on, but the guitarists obviously have a different idea of what constitutes a good sound than me.

I did try to make use of the space, but as the lead singist, I was too often tethered to my mic stand. It rather annoyed me that my band mates hardly moved from their respective chosen spots. I think this heightens my dislike of larger stages. If we were a visually vibrant sight, then maybe the whole experience would be better .

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1423501097' post='2685583'] It's a Kardashian init? [/quote] Yes it's the very untalented Kim does my bum look big in this? Darling your bum looks big in everything Kardashian!