xilddx

[quote name='agoulding' post='1082349' date='Jan 8 2011, 05:45 PM']i love some of these posts, they have struck a chord with me, thanks guys i really appreciate it. I dont write music with expereinces in mind, i just poop music. Some of it is pretty rubbish, some of it is great (in my opinion). many people have suggested writing from personal experiences but i dont know how to translate that into music, my songs just come naturally from me and alot of it is inspired from artists i regard as great players, such as larry graham and stanley clarke. I'd like my music to be like a comic book, animated and abstract but i want it to, tell a story in a way. apologies for the sh*te grammar.[/quote] Alex, why don't you post up the song and we will decide if it lacks or has feel. Feel is a deeply ambiguous property. What he possibly meant was HE didn't feel it. I was playing fretless with my drum machine last night and got a riff going that gave me the shivers! I was so excited that I wanted the mrs to drop everything and come and listen. The amount of feel, subtle nuance and variation I was able to get into it surpassed most of my musical output ever in terms of feel. It was sick! I had a quick break for a ciggie and a swig of wine. Five minutes later I was back in my studio playing the riff again. I didn't feel the riff, nothing, empty. After about ten minutes I was back into it but not quite with the shivers I got the first time. I think [i]feel [/i]is a circumstantial byproduct. On stage I would get the feel back with that riff, playing with a real drummer too, or having an audience in the studio. But it's different for everyone. I think it's down to personality. It's can be a very subtle difference between feel or no feel () Nothing gets me to play with more feel than having a vocalist to play to, or some form of soloist like a sax player. All that wonderful reharmonisation potential! But you have to play music that gets you off otherwise you are simulating feel, not really feeling it. Sometime what I do when playing songs I've played for years is to concentrate on the snare instead of the hi-hat, or the backing vocal, or the keys. It can breathe new life into my lines as there are diffferent rhythmic and harmonic emphases that I haven't concentrated on before. I can get excited again. </waffle>

[quote name='Sue' post='1087295' date='Jan 12 2011, 09:54 PM']I'll say hello this time! Sue[/quote] We'll simply ignore you. Actually Diane will be out of the country, in Peterborough. So just me this time.

[quote name='crplumb' post='1086529' date='Jan 12 2011, 11:37 AM']Some good early footage of Ged and the boys. Love the Rick, pity it was effectively retired for many years. I'd love to know what happened to that Steinberger bass he played for a short while in the 80's???? [b] He is one awesome bass player - maybe not as good as he used to be but still great![/b][/quote] No No No No No! He's better than ever. Look at any recent live footage. Same with Alex Lifeson. I agree their recordings have been a bit dull for the last 12 or so years but as musicians they are as great as they ever were

[quote name='2wheeler' post='1086547' date='Jan 12 2011, 11:54 AM']Absolutely. I would say this is a lesson from a master on how to get away with a bum note.[/quote] Nah, he did not get away with it. It was a howler, a really rank note. I know, I do them all the time

[quote name='Alien' post='1085924' date='Jan 11 2011, 07:14 PM']You could do a lot worse than the Zoom B2 or B2.1u. Good sounds, relatively simple to program and operate, and fairly cheap. A[/quote] I have first hand experience of the power failing on three separate Zoom multi effect units, looked like it may have been the input socket failing. Although I had a Zoom 8 track recorder and have a Zoom H2 and they are amazing. Look at the Line 6 stuff too, and of course you have the Boss ones. It depends whether you want modelling effects or digital and how much you want to spend. I use a Line 6 POD X3 LIVE for everything - live and pro studios, no amp or cab. It's served me faithfully for over two years and I love it to bits, it has proved a very worthwhile investment as I can get almost any sound I want and twiddle to my heart's content. The built tuner is great as is the sound quality.

Amazingly cheap, can't believe it really.

[quote name='Marvin' post='1081566' date='Jan 7 2011, 10:03 PM']Stop using real names! Hamster has lost all his mystique for me now All the best with the gig. Cheers Marvin [/quote] Thanks mate, it was a fantastic, emotional evening. That's Ingrid, Doreen's Daughter, in the middle, she was awesome, a great tribute to her mum's legacy.

Someone's selling a black one on here I believe. Duke that is. Ugly.

[quote name='Hamsalad' post='1085203' date='Jan 11 2011, 09:51 AM']Okay, poor wording, replace 'political correctness' with equal opportunities. Have you [i]seen[/i] the pop market? I don't advocate that kind of thing but a coherent image is pretty much as important as the music.[/quote] Equal opportunities is much bertter, thanks. Oh I totally agree, and I do advocate it. It's very important in the pop market. And others too. The music is often the last thing that matters, sad but true. Cheers.

Me and Mrs silddx hope to be there too mate!

[quote name='Hamsalad' post='1083676' date='Jan 9 2011, 10:11 PM']Christ. Here's a simple explanation which might put a stop to all the political correctness banners being thrown around. If this was a position for an un-seen musician (pit, studio session etc) then of course it would be wrong to discriminate against age and image, because the musician is paid for their musical ability, not for their appearance and are therefore judged on the merit of their playing. Whereas in this case, image is extremely important, as the ideal candidate would have to be part of the visual branding of the act. Any deviation from said branding/image would make the band seem less professional, and therefore deter a lot of opportunities. Dyageddit?[/quote] It has nothing to do with "political correctness". That is a ridiculous label. [i]"Any deviation from said branding/image would make the band seem less professional, and therefore deter a lot of opportunities."[/i] You clearly trust their marketeers to make the right and most effective branding decisions.

[quote name='Jam' post='1083624' date='Jan 9 2011, 09:22 PM']I decided as a resolution I would learn to read standard notation this year, and have finally found time tonight to sit down and get stuck in. I've spent 3 hours going through Josquin Des Pres's "Simplified Sight Reading for Bass". My brain is utterly fried, I'm not too bad with the rhythm side of things for the moment, and I'm working on actually reading the dots (as the first half of the book is about 100 different rhythms all played on the same note :/ ). Question is, is there a better book I can use? This one is doing my head in, the exercises are so boring. It's not that it's not a challenge, perhaps I'm just tired.[/quote] I'm doing the same thing, with the same book. My opinion is quite contrary to your own. Stick with it, it is the sort of thing that requires much repetition and there are few shortcuts. It's only boring if you can't see your progress.

[quote name='Hamster' post='1081398' date='Jan 7 2011, 06:35 PM']Have a great time Nigel - wish I could be there![/quote] Ah thanks Colin!

Just had a wonderful soundcheck here! So nice to work with pros who know exactly what they're doing and nothing is too much trouble. Great sound system and great people! Gonna be awesome tonight! Can't wait to hit this stage baby

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='1080879' date='Jan 7 2011, 11:38 AM']Good luck tonight Nige. Can't make it as I'm gigging too.[/quote] Hey, you too Adam! Break a leg! as Jack might say

Love the White and gold Cora, but the Princess Isabella guitar is a winner for me, absolutely gorgeous!

[quote name='algmusic' post='1079850' date='Jan 6 2011, 01:55 PM']I meant stating that this is illegal is irrelevant in this case.. it's an unsigned band, we're all intelligent enough to read this post in a reasonable way and my point was they were just stating a framework. The age thing in this ad has turned into a 'PC' issue based on the wording 'Male between 20 and 27 years old' we all can read between the lines.. well I though people could.. you can't compare that to race.. and pulling extremes, if that's the case, then all girl or boy bands are illegal I guess.. also It's not a job. They're not signed.[/quote] Exactly. That ad's age range would not stop me applying because I look younger than I am, however if I was an 25 year old lumpen ugly bastard, I wouldn't apply because I wouldn't want the humiliation and I'd knnow I would have little or no chance, unless they were auditioning for a drummer. I really think the ad can be read 'looks like age 20-27'

[quote name='Skinny Machines' post='1079643' date='Jan 6 2011, 11:25 AM']Hi there, Thanks for your interest and comments. In the ad we do not mean to discriminate in any way but if you submit your CV and pics you can be considered like everyone else. Please submit to Jay - [email protected] Thanks, Rikki[/quote] Thanks Rikki. I won't apply, I am happy in my current situation, where the ages range from 22 to 53 in the same band. I was highlighting that age is only partially relevant, appearance is more important than age really, especially in this band as it seems to be the object of a very strong marketing angle. Cheers, Nigel

[quote name='Stuart Clayton' post='1079507' date='Jan 6 2011, 09:19 AM']It will undoubtedly seem that I am saying this because I sometimes work for BGM, but do people honestly think that Bassist was a good magazine? I read it (and bought every issue) purely because it was the only UK mag available at the time, and something was better than nothing. However, the blokey, man-in-the-pub writing style was appalling, the reviews were dreadful, the editorial was poor and... well, there was that Burt Reynolds bass cartoon as well wasn't there? I did not miss it when it went. I think BGM, for all its spellchecking faults is a good mag. There are some great writers there - Mike Flynn being the one who springs to mind - and Nick has done a great job since he took over as editor. After all, taking a bi-monthly magazine to a monthly magazine during a recession can't be the easiest thing in the world to do now can it?! It's also a shame to see Bass Player US getting slimmer every month and losing staff - I was sad to see Bill Leigh go, and don't feel that Jonathan Herrera was quite good enough to replace him. I'm really hoping they keep it going and don't merge with Guitar Player. [b]I personally think some of the online bass mags are starting to create some real competition to their printed counterparts.[/b] Stu[/quote] That's all fine, Stuart, but I don't have an iPad I can read on the khazi [i]I think BGM, for all its spellchecking faults is a good mag[/i] There are more faults than just spelling and grammar though, like reviewing a different bass to the pictured one, awful ratings systems for reviews, and reviews for cheap basses pitched in the same way as those for £4k basses (does the potential buyer of a £4k bass need a picture of the bridge with the caption "the bridge is adjustable for each individual string"??). Another problem is photos rarely having captions which can be very annoying. Parts of an interview was missing recently and there was no redress in the next issue, despite complaints. Dud information, incorrect transcriptions in the learning section. That awful, awful, pointless scholarship blog. The lack of any challenging editorial that gets players, manufacturers and retailers thinking. You are right that Mike is an ace interviewer and writer, and I trust his CD reviews too. Mike Brooks however has suddenly started writing like he's been told to "sex things up a bit" or something. It's not all bad, but it could be so much better with some care and attention, and a more balls.

[quote name='machinehead' post='1079359' date='Jan 5 2011, 11:55 PM']They are excellent all round. High quality construction and finish and a great sound. Mine has the rosewood board which seems to be much more rare than maple. The best thing about them though is the neck. I think it might just be the best feeling and playing neck I've ever played. They're probably over-priced compared to a US standard jazz. I wanted a 70s jazz for the funky, burpy neck pickup sound and I was seduced by the looks. I think you'll love it. Frank.[/quote] Sadly, I won't be getting one now as I couldn't bear to part with my Warwick that was part of the trade. I will have to stick with looking for an MIJ Power Jazz and pay for it. Thanks so much for that info though. I really appreciate it!

[quote name='bassbloke' post='1068663' date='Dec 24 2010, 12:17 PM']Some of the responses to this ad are a joke and show the authors up to be, at best, naive. If you don't understand why a professional band needs to stipulate an age and desired image, then stick to playing along to albums in your bedroom, local covers bands or jam nights.[/quote] I couldn't agree more. God bless them both but can you imagine dood or bilbo in that band? However, the age thing is a misnomer, I myself look younger than the geezer on the right, certainly happier, and I'm well on the way to 50. He looks like he's had a paper round on Ben Nevis for a 25 year old. They should maybe ask for someone 'youthful' or something. But, it's a bloody good advert, professional. What do you want, a piece of torn off paper with handwritten scrawl on it like one I saw in my rehearsal studio claiming to be from a touring pro band?? It does seem a bit stage managed though and although the music is good - I liked a couple of the songs and the singer has an interesting voice - it's derivative and it's not saying much to me. Interpol without the honesty and conviction. You'll also be playing what the guitarists tells you to. Probably.