ricksterphil

Thanks for the advice guys, much appreciated

So what's the benefit to your playing of a fretless bass. I get the 80's mwaah and channeling your inner Jaco, but what's the benefit to your playing and technique. Would a fretless newbie be better to go lined, marker dots or totally naked?

We've all done that. I had an early 70's Rickenbacker with the rare white chequered binding which I foolishly sold in the early 80's for peanuts.

You're doomed, I tell ye, doomed (insert John Laurie voice here)

tried to beg a ride..... sorry!

Busk songs you don't know with other musicians and try and play up the dusty end. I do this every week over https://jamulus.io/ and it's helped my playing.

We've played there, decent set up and sound guy, and as you say, great range of beers

Played The Bodega in Nottingham for a Bowie 75th Birthday Celebration gig. We headlined it with a support band and a solo guy on guitar all doing Bowie. Fabulous night, place was sold-out and absolutely jumping. People were coming up post gig with their eyes shining saying what a fantastic gig it was. Some night just gel and this was one of them.

me and my Mike Lull P4 the band....with me looking a bit grumpy having been separated from my beer in order to do this photoshoot

Quite liked the first album. Everything since that I've heard seems very bland and 'phoned in' I guess it's hard to break out of the mould which is why I have huge respect for artists like David Bowie who manage to reinvent themselves, often spurning commercial success. Bowie made some Turkeys (eg Tin Machine) but also some of the best music ever created

Many of us more experienced low-enders still aren't quite sure!

I did a gig at The Crown in Southwell for a 'Rock Night' with a mixture scratch bands like us and established ones. Great night and a good crowd in, with the bonus of an excellent soundie who brought his 7k pa rig (slight overkill for a pub gig perhaps). Last band on was a scratch band made up of peeps there on the night. The singer for this band was well trolleyed and continued topping up his intake during the set. He's the singist for a very popular local rock covers band and had dragged in a few friends so the atmosphere was bouyant. He'd blotted his copybook earlier while sitting near the front while the previous band were playing and yawning dramatically for everyone to see, apparently commenting on the song choices and had to apologize to them before being allowed to do his set. His antics were capped off spectacularly at the end of his set when his alcohol intake got the better of him and at the end of the last song he fell backwards into the drum kit, spraying toms and cymbals all around! Rock n roll eh! Cheesy pick of our little band with Brian the drummer at the back - easily the best drummer I've ever played with. (that's me in the cap.....but not the corner)

Check out 'Criminal World' off that album for a stellar bass line