ubit

Slammed the hatchback door shut on my old Vauxhall Astra GTI when I had the gear in the back. Smash!

Don't ever rely on idiot sheets for lyrics. Learn the lyrics. I had an episode once when we were playing a dance and a drunken idiot thought it would be funny to steal my book of lyrics and refuse to give it back. I was all for kicking seven bells out of him as the bouncers didn't seem to care but I was talked out of it. Eventually it was returned after being dropped and all the sheets falling out. I had them in order of our set. I used to always learn lyrics but for some reason latterly I didn't have time. Lesson learned.

That has to be the best quote ever!

It was a case of mic up every drum, bass and guitars all through the p.a. Even turned down we were loud. To be fair when the pub is rammed with noisy punters you need to be a bit loud otherwise you are as well not being there. The bands I saw with a lovely balanced sound and a small vocal p.a. usually got lost later when it got busier and rowdier.

There, fixed it for ya.

Yeah we were guilty of using our expensive, powerful Electrovoice p.a. for every venue. It was total over kill sometimes. We would justify it by saying we need a balanced sound. I've heard lovely balanced sound coming from bands who have just had a little vocal p.a. When I think back we were just using it because we had it.

I had an occasion once where we started with a song we had been playing for years and I knew back to front. I completely forgot how it went. Couldn't remember the notes, the melody, nothing. Total blank. I quickly said do something else and off we went. The next gig the same thing happened and the next after that. I had to sit down and re learn the song as I had some kind of memory block about a song we had been playing for years. I don't know if it was subconsciously happening after the first time but it was a strange indeed.

A lot of Rush die hards are slagging this project off but Lifeson never said he was continuing Rush. Personally I love this new band and I am a Rush fanatic. Curve are another band I loved and I can hear the resemblance.

Perhaps in cities or larger towns this is more prevalent but certainly up here in the sticks no venue has an included p.a. system. They may have sound systems but these couldn't handle a band.

It must be scammer season. I just got a phone cal from someone claiming to be going to repay me £125 for the overpayment on my washing machine. She had a broken English which immediately puts you on high alert. Ok, I said. She quoted me my address which was almost right but not quite. She then asked for my bank details. Just send a cheque to the address you have I said. She then said let me put you onto my supervisor. Another girl came on with an even more broken English voice. You must provide your bank details for this to go through. No just send a cheque to that address I countered. She was about to argue when I just had to laugh and tell her I am sick of these scams just do one. Obviously companies are selling your details to others and they are posing as legitimate businesses always going to give you money which gets some peoples attention. I just hope others are not taken in by these pricks.

I agree with the o.p. If you are wanting to go on to much better things you will strive to become better but if you are just playing weekend gigs for a few extra quid why bother going through all of that time consuming rehearsal if you don't need to? I take notions now and again to sit and practice but I don't do it as much as I did years ago when we had real aspirations of making it. When that dream died we fell into the routine of being good enough without being incredible musicians. I know I am usually better than I am at the moment because I haven't kept my hand in for a while but I am not worried about that as a few hours practising and muscle memory comes back. Mrs Ubits younger brother is one of those annoying people who can just play anything and excell at it. Only this weekend he was playing in London supporting Robert Plant. He can't read music but can outplay most people on the guitar and is well sought after. The musicians he plays with learn all of their parts by sheet music but he just turns up and plays the thing by ear. I guess he just spent more bedroom practice time as a teenager than I did.

I can honestly say we have never played in a place with a house P.A. We have always had to lug our own gear about.

Rehearsal and studio back in the 80's Our rehearsals used to encompass visuals as well as musical practice.

This is so true. I was the singer in our band so had to deal with playing bass and vocals. On occasion I would be known to make a mistake, hard to believe I know but it did happen now and again. Our guitarist used to glare at me and shake his head. It used to drive me up the wall because I knew that 99% of the audience hadn't even noticed until he did that. He was a hypocrite anyway because he was guilty of Les Dawsonesque playing sometimes and I used to cringe but wouldn't react. Drunk punters don't care unless the song falls to bits, which never happened. Under all circumstances the show must go on.

I wasn't in any danger of being scammed because there is no way on Gods green earth I am sending money without getting paid first. I mean the guy was telling me he had paid the amount plus the insurance into this postal service that I had never heard of. He said I had to pay the insurance first for the company to know that I wasn't scamming. I told the guy straight, look pal, that aint happening. He started saying but I have paid, you will be doing me out of money, then threatening me with fines and jail terms which were way out of a flight of fancy, £75,000 and a seven year jail term 🤣. I was armed and ready for the next one and as soon as the "you are liable for the insurance" came up that's when I hit him with the I'm coming your way I can bring the item, give me your details, he left the conversation. I was disappointed as I wanted a bit more fun with him.

I am in the process of selling some of my basses and have one for sale on Facebook Marketplace. In the last week I have had two scammers message me asking is the item still available? I say yes and they say ok, I will send a courier to your house with the money and you can give them the bass. Ok, I reply, as soon as I have the money the guitar is yours. Next message is I will pay the money but you have to pay the insurance. Don't worry as I will pay this back to you. I say ok, no problem but I won't be paying anything until I get the money. Then I get threats of legal action to which I laughed. The second one I thought I will play along here. They said they came from Cambridge even although their command of English is questionable. I said that's a coincidence because I am actually coming to Cambridge next week so we don't need to do the postal thing. I can give you the guitar and you can give me the money. Can I have your details please? Immediately they left the conversation. Is there a group who are doing these scams or is this just a strange coincidence? When I check their Facebook pages you can tell there is like three pictures of random people and no friends so the profile has obviously just been set up for the purposes of the scam. Anyone else been the victim of an attempted scam?

Check these out. There's even a guy playing the chain pull!

I'm sad to hear that as I liked Steel Pulse too.

I love Big Country still. This a particular favourite of mine. Just listen to that bass sound and the energy being shown on stage by a bunch of young guys really enjoying themselves. So sad that Stuart had those demons that took over. At least we still have these memories.

So true, plus if a bass is taking up those low frequencies and a guitar is heavy on the low mids and bass frequencies, the sound can get muddied and messy. Coupled with high volume and you can be looking at a mush of noise.

I was turned into a newt...........I got better.

A Wurzles tribute band? Now I have heard everything!

Why not The Boo?

I hold my hands up and admit to lumping all of the rock bands from the early 90's as Grunge but what the hell is Grunge anyway? You come from Seattle in the early 90's? That's the worst reason for labelling music I have ever heard. Music should be labelled by its style or type if at all. As far as I am concerned, that kind of sleazy American type rock that was prevalent in the 90's is a better reason to call something Grunge.