Staggering on

5 hours ago, neepheid said:

 

Meanwhile, Canadians are out in their shorts and t-shirts thinking it's not too bad...

It was -13 C two nights ago where I live and we haven't even started to get real winter weather yet.😃🇨🇦

2 hours ago, tauzero said:

Open mic night. I learnt (as my friend, a singer/guitarist announced it) that an old friend who had run the first open mic I dragged Mrs Zero to had died. He'd told me the song and the chords beforehand but I didn't know the reason until he said it on stage - cue a short interval of me saying "what?" and him saying "yes, John Benbow passed away on Sunday". Anyroadup, John had hosted this open mic night that had started Mrs Zero on her singing career (if that's the right term) and I had finished up as the bassist for the house band. So we played "You ain't going nowhere" as a tribute to him, as that was one of the songs that he played regularly.

Thanks for that post, that song has been in my life for years and I played it at a somewhat similar occasion.

I was in a band almost 40 years ago(I can't believe it!) that played that song. When the bass player of that band died just before Covid hit another member of that old band and I told some stories about the band and sang a few of the songs we played all those years ago at a celebration of life for the man and ended with " You ain't going nowhere".   By the time we finished the song about half of the people in the room including me were in tears. It was especially touching because we hadn't seen him for years but we knew that in the interim he had become a very sad alcoholic and that alcohol basically killed him and we were trying to remember the good times and the fine man we knew and the song just fit the situation perfectly. By the end most of the people were singing or at least humming along with us, a magic moment.

Ah, the power of music, we are so lucky that we can play and experience what music can mean to an audience and us as well. I'm getting a bit misty eyed just remembering that day and humming that song.

Our seven piece swing band played in a store in downtown North Bay last night as part of the city's annual downtown Christmas walk that included music, Christmas tree lighting and special events on the street and fireworks at 9:00 to signal the end of the evening. It was around -11C with a very strong north wind but there was a very good crowd and we had a lot of people drop into the store to hear a song or two and I was on my way home by 9:30. As usual in venues with limited space I used my Yamaha SLB 200 instead of my DB and it sounded great. We have done this gig before and it's always a relaxed fun time although some of the Christmas tunes we played were a bit rough in places since we don't play them often but the audience didn't seem to mind. 👍

I'd go double bass because that's what I play the most now so it would be a nice 1946 fully carved European bass or a good 1946 Kay for jazz and bluegrass, not vey exciting but I'm old.

Check the Marketplace EUBs and Double Basses here on BassChat, there's a Yamaha SLB 200 listed at a good price. I have one and love it.

1 hour ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Why is it that so many event organisers can't understand that (a) you need time to switch acts (b) if an act overruns this pushes all subsequent acts back (c) it's their job to tell bands when to stop.

I played twice at an outdoor bluegrass festival last summer and the organizers really know how to run a show. The festival has been running for 30 years and there are three main weekends with music Friday, Saturday and Sunday running from noon to at least 10PM with an hour allotted to each band with big name bands getting a longer slot in the evening. This is a festival where all instruments except bass are played acoustically, no pickups allowed, so everything is direct into mics and the very experienced crew can do a sound check of instruments and vocals in about 10minutes and it is always excellent. When your playing time is almost done a crew member will approach the stage and give a signal with one or two fingers to let you know how many more songs you can play. When you finish you hustle off stage and the next band is coming on as you leave, really well done and they pretty much keep on schedule. This is a well known festival and everyone wants to come back so the bands respect the management and there are never any hassles, one of the very best organized event I have played at. They also have country festivals with more equipment so it takes longer to set up but it is still a very fast turnover.

...yes, I realize that bluegrass bands don't have drum sets, amps, pedal boards, lights and other equipment that are required for other types of music so obviously not all situations are like this but letting bands go on longer than the allotted time is easy to fix. 

12 minutes ago, Silky999 said:

This is my only regret……kit comes and goes which is sometimes a good decision, sometimes bad and the same can be said of bands and opportunities. Time, however, is irreplaceable and unfortunately you only notice the lack of it when it’s running out.

Yup, see my post above, time is getting short for me, I've been playing since I was a teenager in the '60's, I could have been really good by now.

I should have switched to DB and EUB much sooner than I did in 2015 when I bought a used EUB. That was sold when I found a used Yamaha SLB200  and then I went to England in 2018 to attend the BC Double Bass Bash at Bicester and came home and bought my first DB, I now have two of them and still have the SLB200 and play in three bands and occasionally help fill out the bass section in a youth orchestra, youngest players are 71 years younger than I am!

The biggest regret is that I didn't start DB lessons until last year at age 76 and I still have weekly lessons. I have learned so much and all my playing has improved, why didn't I do that years ago? Too soon old, too late smart as they say...🙄  

I have been using the Boss WL 20 for several years now at home, for rehearsals and for gigs with DB, EUB and occasionally BG. The EUB is a Yamaha SLB 200, the DB uses a Gage Lifeline and the bass is active and I have had no problems, simple to use and charge. It has been used for hundreds of hours and up to 5 hours at a time and never run out of power. I recharge it after every use except when I am practicing at home and I have accidentally left it plugged in and "on" and completely drained it and had no problem recharging and it had no effect on the unit. I am not into technology so this small simple unit is perfect for me, highly recommended.👍  

35 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

 

Hmm... It seems that, in France, there are exactly six practitioners. The nearest is Paris, 300 kms away. Hmm... 

 

France practitioners, centred on our cottage...

 

36 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

 

Hmm... It seems that, in France, there are exactly six practitioners. The nearest is Paris, 300 kms away. Hmm... 

 

France practitioners, centred on our cottage...

 

Same distance for me, closest place is Ottawa. Part of the problem is that the best way to learn it is a series of lessons in person, books and videos can help but the hands on evaluation and manipulation/adjustment by a teacher is almost a necessity. I may contact a teacher and see what kind of program I can set up but driving that distance in my part of Canada in the winter can be tricky, I will probably wait until spring.

1 hour ago, Dad3353 said:

 

Gone 73 here; your post is inspiring enough for me to look a bit deeper into all of this. I'm not  (and have never been...) a paragon of fitness (no breath, no stamina, weak kidneys etc...), and a couple of decades ago I had a light yoga regime, but even that became too much, so, with regret, I stopped. If this turns out to be not too strenuous, and brings any benefit at all, I'll be well pleased. Thanks to all for the suggestion and experiences. Hmm... Let the Googling commence..! 

Not strenuous at all, that's the whole idea behind the Alexander Technique from what I have learned so far, remember I'm just getting into this. It makes what you do easier, less stressful and allows you to use your body more efficiently...so far it's working for me and has changed my whole approach to playing double bass.👍  

What a great story but in Canada there are very few places where it would be possible, there's an awful lot of empty space over here and winter would not be fun.

I play DB and that is a problem for a short distance let alone many miles, I guess an acoustic bass guitar would work but I think I'll stick to driving but I love the idea of walking to gigs, well done lads.😊

5 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

Every chance, but only if you go to an Alexander Technique teacher to unleash your inner non tensioned drummer self.

Strange that you should mention the Alexander Technique. A couple of months ago I downloaded a book about the Alexander Technique and playing the DB and I tried a few of the exercises and it has made a huge improvement in my playing. I finally started lessons with the bow a year ago and when I mentioned Alexander Technique to my teacher a few weeks ago he broke out into a big smile and said he had taken two Alexander courses while studying at a prestigious university and I have since found that most music schools offer Alexander courses and at some it is not an option. He is not an Alexander Technique instructor but he has given me some tips, unfortunately the nearest  instructor is over three hours from where I live but I have found some other bass related Alexander material and am trying to learn more. It has truly made a difference in the way I play DB and I use it practicing, playing in a bluegrass band and a swing band and when I am playing in a small orchestra, it can be applied to any type of music. I wonder who else on here has worked with the Alexander technique, let's hear your stories.

Not long after I started with Alexander a friend who has heard me play many times was visiting for a couple of days. She didn't know that I had been working on this new technique but after a few minutes of hearing me practice with the bow she looked up from her book and said "I hear the bass, not you" and I was astounded, it did make difference for me.

Re "old dog, new tricks", I am 77 and have been playing guitar, bass and banjo for about 60 years, 'nuff said.😊 

5 hours ago, msb said:

We did our 2Young2Old gig at my favourite old dive downtown again. One of the founding guitar players has returned to Boston to finish his music degree , so we have a new youngin in the lineup , things went well. No real rehearsal , just a list of songs to listen to. We’ll be back at the end of next month. 
And try to get a real rehearsal in too.

The kids are enthusiastic , jumping up on tables and stuff. The old guys don’t have to bother with that. 
It works.

I have been following your posts for some time and I was in Halifax a month ago on a holiday trip and was hoping to see one of your gigs at Bearly's. Unfortunately I came down with a very nasty variety of Covid and had to change my plans and make my way back home to Ontario, both my partner and I are still suffering from the lingering effects of this miserable disease. She had been to Bearly's a few years ago with a friend from Halifax and was hoping to go again on this trip. Maybe next time...

Busy week for me. Last Monday night the seven piece swing band rehearsed for a couple of upcoming gigs including one that features some Christmas swing arrangements that are challenging in a few places. On Wednesday it was a jam with a couple who used to be touring folkies and are wonderful finger picking guitarists and among other things we worked out a nice arrangement of Ashokan Farewell, I learned that sometimes less is more in terms of bass parts. I enjoy jamming with them, intricate guitar arrangements and they both have great voices and have worked out good harmonies.

On Thursday I had a rehearsal with a bluegrass band I have played with at a couple of festivals, we are working on material for next summer. Unfortunately the leader will be off to spend the winter in Florida soon so we are working now because he will be gone from mid November until April. 

 Friday afternoon I had my DB lesson and we worked through some material I will be playing with my teacher's youth orchestra in December. I just started weekly lessons with the bow a year ago and my teacher is amazed at the progress I have made and so am I, I should have done this years ago. I am old but he adds several of his adult students for a few pieces to fill out the cello and bass section of his youth orchestra and it is a lot of fun and a challenge, the last concert was one of my best gigs ever, next one is in December.

For my lesson I play my Shen SB 100 but I use my Yamaha SLB 200 and Acoustic Image amp for the others.

Not a real "gig" but just a few songs for extended family members at a Thanksgiving dinner (I'm in Canada)on Saturday.

My nephew's 15 year old daughter has been playing flute at school for about 4 years and is also taking private lessons. She has played in various school bands and a flute choir(who knew they existed?) and is quite good and is a good reader. When I saw her in the summer I suggested that she should try some jazz charts, she had never played anything like that so I sent her a few charts and some advice and a few links to the songs. After a bit of rehearsal time we played a flute and bass duet(I used my Yamaha SLB 200 and Acoustic Image amp instead of hauling my DB around) for our little family audience and it sounded pretty good, she wants me to send her some more charts and is planning to talk to her teacher about some music. I'm hoping she will get right into it and we are already talking about a flute/bass version of Canadian Moe Koffman's Swingin' Shepherd Blues when we get together in a few months, should be fun. On Saturday we played Gravy Waltz, Perdido, and Four and a couple of others and played them at nice snappy tempos and she did a fine job, I hope she gets into some more jazz in the future.

We live a long distance apart and only see each other 2-3 times a year but we are both looking more to playing together.

Sorry if it doesn't quite fit the topic but it was her first "gig" other than large bands so I hope no one minds.😊

Seven piece swing/Dixie "little big band" gig last night to a packed house. We played our usual two sets of swing/jazz and then a set of Dixieland when I switch from DB to tenor banjo and a sax player takes over the bass parts on Bari sax. We had a guest vocalist for some of the swing tunes and the crowd was with us from the first note.  We played well and the Dixie went over even better than usual with clapping along on the first song. All in all a very good night and my Shen SB100 with a Realist Lifeline sounded fantastic direct into our Bose PA. 😊

My second bluegrass gig, one set on Saturday and another on Sunday. I used my Yamaha SLB 200 again, this is a "liberal" festival where EUB's are allowed for bluegrass but all the other instruments are strictly acoustic the sound guys mic each one and really know their job, excellent sound. Both sets were around noon so the crowd was a bit thin but they have speakers all throughout the campground/trailer park so you can hear the bands anywhere on the property. This festival has been running for years and features a mix of country and bluegrass bands with 8-10 bands each day over the four day Labour Day long weekend.

Two different players from the last gig so we had a quick rehearsal beside the leader's motorhome before we hit the stage. Perfect weather and a great atmosphere at the festival and I did my first bluegrass vocals and my rather thin nasal voice fit right in, at least it's good for bluegrass.😊 Lots of fun! 

3 hours ago, Paul S said:

 

Me too!  I have this constant internal conflict of being a perfectionist but not being especially good.  This leads to my being hypercritical about my own performance/abilities but, unfortunately, it can sneak into my expectations of band mates, too.  And not just playing but commitment to rehearsals etc.  I can be a Royal pain in the backside, sometimes.

 

This is one of the things I love about my current band, though - we high the high spots most of the time and are getting better.  

You have described me perfectly, especially the part about being a "Royal pain in the backside", thank you.😊

I play DB and about 18 months ago I developed the same thing in my left thumb and a finger on my right hand. I mentioned it to a guitar playing neighbour and she told me that when she had the problem her doctor suggested 250 mg of Vitamin B6 per day. I was a bit skeptical but decided to give it a try and after a few months, 4 or 5 I think, the problem was gone and apparently it worked for my neighbour also. I no longer take it but will try it again if the problem reappears. 

I don't know if the B6 was the cure or not but at least the problem is gone. I did not stop playing when it was sore so that wasn't the reason it got better, so it may have been the B6, it might be worth a try. I couldn't find any solid research about this.

On Saturday I had my annual blacksmithing gig in a replica logging camp blacksmith shop at Marten River Provincial Park. They have a lovely forge and decent anvil and I had hundreds of visitors to the shop as I made smoke and flames from the forge and sparks fly from various things I made during a hot but fun 5 hour non stop session. The only music was the steady rhythm of hammer on hot steel but I think I can still count it as a gig. I've been doing this for over 25 years now and it is always a good day and they want me back next year. I volunteer for this so there's no pay but this year they gave me a swag bag with some nice goodies from the park store. Forge on!

Next band gigs will be early September at a bluegrass festival and a jazz gig a week later.😊

3 hours ago, Beedster said:

Music is an aesthetic and increasingly the visual and audio components of that aesthetic diverge; modelling instruments, convenience instruments (e.g., EUBs), real time audio correction etc all take away so much authenticity. A nice big Ali bass puts a whole load of it back in the mix, metaphorically and literally 👍

So true.

People listen to live music with their ears and their eyes so instruments, staging, band members appearance and antics and other visuals are all part of the "music" for the average audience members, musicians in the crowd will usually see and hear something quite different.

I use my EUB for rehearsals but almost always play DB at gigs, it is an attention getter and just looks better, especially, at the jazz or bluegrass gigs that I play.

I played my first bluegrass gig at a festival on Saturday and Sunday. I'm primarily a jazz player but got involved in bluegrass when the mandolin player saw me at a jazz gig and after a few rehearsals I became part of the band for this festival and one in September. I had to learn 26 songs but it was great fun playing with really good musicians and it certainly keeps you on your toes since the arrangement that was rehearsed may not be what happens on stage, very common in bluegrass so you have to listen carefully. Great weather and a decent crowd and I'm looking forward to the next time. I used my Yamaha SLB 200 instead of my DB, easier to haul around and easier for the sound guys to deal with. Quite a few bluegrass bass players have gone to EUB's especially for outdoor gigs, it doesn't have the visual impact of a DB but it's more practical. It was at a large campground on a beautiful river and In the photo things look pretty "rustic" but it was a great place to play and the sound system was superb. 😊

Yes if I'm reading charts, which is a lot of the time including practice time at home and at most gigs. Sometimes if it's very bright or outside I'm OK without glasses. 

13 hours ago, Marty Forrer said:

I was playing in a 6 piece swing band with a residency (on bass guitar) in 1990 and the band leader told me I had to get a double bass. I did, but then he said I have to play it live the next weekend! I did, and I was terrible, but I got better over a few weeks. About a year later I went and started lessons, but the damage was done. My improper technique had deformed my lefty pinky finger and it gives me grief 32 years later.

Sorry to hear about the finger problem, playing a DB is definitely a real workout on a lot of parts of your body.

I've been lucky so far, a few aches and pains in my wrists and hands from practising for too long but nothing permanent. I have more trouble with my right hand when bowing but I have learned to stop before it gets too bad. I play every day if at all possible and that helps and I do some hand exercises to keep the arthritis under control.