bluesparky

Initially, Mr Orton, my GCSE music teacher at school. He bought a bass for the school orchestra after I said that I wanted to learn to play the guitar - his point of view was that it'd be better if the school bought a bass then I'd have something to learn on without having to buy anything and then the school would have a bassist. At the time I was the school's only GCSE music pupil (I had to fight for it) so my thoughts managed to get to the top quite quickly! Another One Bites The Dust was the first line I learned / picked up so John Deacon was my first inspiration, then it was Flea, Flea, Flea, Flea and more Flea.. Then Jaco & John Paul Jones.

I'm all cabled up thanks, but here's a merry Chris-bump!

Ahh, ok, thanks chaps!

Me, yeah, I tell anyone who listens! More often than not people who I work with are frustrated / out of work / never really made it musicians anyway so there's always plenty to talk about.

Jamiroquai came up in a conversation today and it eventually wangled it's way onto the Space Cowboy track. Did anyone ever eventually officially announce / declare who Mr X is?

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1354880429' post='1891498'] bluesparky - I completely agree what what you say from a logistical PoV. However, that leaves me as a musician at a bit of a loss as to what I would get out of endorsing a particular make of backline. For me the whole point of being an endorsee would be so that at "fly-away" gigs like this the local distributor of my chosen amps and speakers will be responsible for ensuring that my specified rig is on stage waiting for me when I turn up. Otherwise surely the technical rider supplied with the band's contract should be sufficient? [/quote] I can see where you're coming from, I'm sure everyone would like to think that if you're an endorsee, or even have a technical rider that needs to be met at a gig, then you should expect to get your gear of choice when you arrive. Sadly, regardless of what instrument you play, whatever lighting / sound / production equipment you request or even what star hotel you demand to stay in there are often times when even the best will in the world the perfect answer simply can't be achieved. These are the times where you just suck it up and deal with it. Having a gig or two here or there is something that just needs to be dealt with - however if you're an endorsee and you're consistently not getting the gear you request then you're either doing too many shows in the wrong place where it's simply not possible to get the equipment there, or you need to re-think the production aspect of your setup (whether it's your production management or whether you're endorsed with a smaller company who don't have worldwide customers). This is of course my random ramblings and are not specifically related to the OP - the reason why the JJ isn't using his amp could be utterly different ... (it could be broken! ).

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1354839503' post='1891236'] He's not playing on a commercial recording, he's doing a Youtube video. He can play what he likes, it won't matter. I think some of his improvisation is ropey, and his bass sounds terrible, but it's not like someone's paid him for a session and got this self-indulgent mess back, it's just a guy in his back bedroom entertaining himself. This is why I don't get why anybody ever uploads videos to Youtube of themselves playing along to records. It always sounds like this to me, if not worse. [/quote] ^^^^^ This. My thoughts exactly.

It's very common to do one-off gigs, festivals or tour-ets in far away places and only take a "fly-pack" as I'm sure you'll realise it quite difficult / expensive to take a band's entire backline setup on a commercial flight. This is usually consists of the guitars & basses, pedals, cymbals, snare & kick drum (and possible laptops for sequencing and sampling) and most of the band and crew only taking hand luggage in order to be able to check all of the gear in. Most of the time the band's rider will be fulfilled by local supply company sourced by the promotor but it can lead to some comedy and rather boring substitutions and also threads like this! A band who I've regularly worked for over the years has a few endorsees in it, most notably the bassist who is currently using the TC blacksmith but is able to take the RH750 away on these fly-pack gigs as it's so small and light. Everyone appreciates that comprimes sometimes have to be made so you have to be a real diva to throw your toys out of the pram if you don't get the exact spec / make / cabs that you want - after all, most of the sound that you hear from FOH or on stage often comes from a DI anyway (depending on the monitor & FOH engineers' mixes of course - feel free to correct me if you believe otherwise). The drummer in said band, is a Tama endorsee and whilst loading into a fly-pack gig recently we noticed the kit that had been supplied from the local company was a Yamaha which was controversial to say the least - a couple of quick applications of PVC tape later, and the kick drum proudly said "Tama". Happy days!

I have just received my ABRSM Grade 5 Theory result - 91%, distinction. I'm happy with that, I was also happy with the fact I was in the pub 49 minutes after the two hour exam started.

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I thought I'd add this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20554442

It's shocking news and having just spent the last two months on a similar bus it's something that's always in the back of my mind, especially as I was in bus crash a few years ago. My thoughts go out to Marcus, his band & crew, all at Coach Services and the friends and family of the driver. On a tour the bus driver isn't "just the driver" as he is a member of the crew, known by all, good friends to some and a key part of the tour. Terrible news.

It's a great song and a classic video to boot too! The whole lighting rig in the ceiling was made out of around 1,000 refrigerator bulbs and it took one poor chap pretty much an entire week to manually program the looks with about 3 hours sleep for the whole time. Lenny wanted to tour the rig after seeing the video, until someone had a quiet word and he realised it just wasn't possible.

Sunn Mustang P copy Bass Collection SB311 Encore E83 P copy (I de-fretted it!) [b]MusicMan Stingray 5[/b] Another Sunn Mustang P copy, which I kept at work to practice at lunchtimes [b]Aria Sinsonido Travel Bass[/b] Dean PBCE Acoustic Bass Fender Jazz American Deluxe 5 Fender Jazz Std [b]Warwick Streamer LX II[/b] And another no-name bass I bought from a friend then gave it back to her as a birthday present a few years later. Amps: Peavey Microbass Peavey TKO 115 Trace Elliot GP1215 SMX Trace Elliot 4 x 10" cab Trace Elliot Boxer 30 Ashdown Evo II 500 Ashdown 2 x 10" ABM Cab Ashdown 1 x 15" ABM cab No-name practice amp which lived with the 2nd Mustang at work. [b]Marshall Park 25 Practice amp[/b] [b]Ashdown 4x10" Bentley Ltd Edition Cab[/b] Gallien - Krueger 1001RB-II Amp Aguilar DB115 1x15” Cab Aguilar DB210 2x10” Cab [b]TC Electronics RH750 Head[/b] [b]TC 2 x 10 RS210 Cab[/b] [b]TC 2 x 12 RS212 Cab[/b]

I've got a few coming up - ABRSM Music Theory grade 5 on Wed & Grade 3 Piano in a couple of weeks and the RGT Grade 8 Bass at the start of Dec. Sadly as I've been away working for the past couple of months and i'll be away again on-and-off until the end of November I doubt I'll get the results I'd ideally want - but I'm fully confident I'll pass and get a merit in each. I'm eyeing up the Trinity College Rock & Pop exam for the spring and furthering the Music Theory & Piano too. I really enjoy doing exams as it gives me something to focus on - the lack of time at home means that I'm not able to be in a band and this is the next best thing for me! Good luck to all those taking exams.

[quote name='fender73' timestamp='1351470682' post='1851640'] They were great tonight, start to finish. Sound was good from where I was sitting and PRB has in my opinion breathed some new life into both the band, and the tunes Mark and the boys.did good tonight :-) [/quote] T'was a top gig last night, a great way to end the UK leg. Mark's daughter showed she had no fear and nerves of steel to be an opening act there too.

[quote name='bluesparky' timestamp='1351408390' post='1850806'] Hmmm... I hate to argue for the sake of arguing but there has been at least one bass solo on literally every date on the tour so far, some better than others, some absolutely incredible. I'm not sure what you want out of their set list but I personally think its a very strong one. Lots of older funk tracks and many I their bigger hits too. It is the RITF 25 anniversary tour so their is a strong hint in the name of the tour as to what a chunk of the set will be. [/quote] This was sent on my phone, my thumbs are too fat and i'm too lazy to correct the spelling and grammar miscakes.!!

[quote name='popoctave' timestamp='1351212576' post='1848887'] I beg to differ they were sh1te in Birmingham, you couldn't hear or feel the bass at all until the last song Chinese way, the set list was pants, not one bass solo, by his own admission he had that many pedals 'it was like riverdance' WTF? and if I wanted to see a fat bloke playing acoustic guitar I'd have gone to see Ed Sheeran or whatever his name is, not Mark King, put me off Lev 42 for life real disappointment. [/quote] Hmmm... I hate to argue for the sake of arguing but there has been at least one bass solo on literally every date on the tour so far, some better than others, some absolutely incredible. I'm not sure what you want out of their set list but I personally think its a very strong one. Lots of older funk tracks and many I their bigger hits too. It is the RITF 25 anniversary tour so their is a strong hint in the name of the tour as to what a chunk of the set will be.

[quote name='barneyg42' timestamp='1350589944' post='1841058'] +1 Met him on many occasions and can't say a bad word about the man [/quote] Yup, indeed. Very funny and generous to boot too.

Good point, well presented. I'm guilty of selling many things on here and not contributing, I do feel like I should amend that. I will, once I get online properly. Great things don't come for free in this world.

Also, for whatever reason when I type "slap bass" into my iPhone, it wants to correct it to "slapass". I have no idea why.

Ha ha ha! Most pointless and funny thread ever. This type of humour tickles me...

I think I might pop along to one or two of the shows....

[quote name='redbandit599' timestamp='1348345837' post='1812698'] [b]This was to such an extent that a large proportion of the crowd were still hanging around watching the crew start to strip down the set because we still thought something else was going to happen. [/b] [/quote] I was part of that crew! That gig was Rammstein's last for that world tour so the Pyro guys used up as much of their leftover stock as they could get away with to save having to transport it back home again. It was a great show, and a good weekend. I remember that after I'd finished the turnaround from Rammstein to Maiden at about 11am I headed back to my hotel and the next door Wetherspoon's for breakfast but they'd run out of everything except baked beans and hash browns so I ended up having triple beans, 8 hash browns and two pints - Breakfast of champions!

I love mine! Musicman Stingray 5 and a Warwick Streamer LX 5. I ALWAYS wanted a stingray and ever since I bought it over ten years ago it's been everything I wanted and more - I bought the Warwick last year and I love it too. I'm very happy! I've also got an Aria Sinsonido for when I'm away from home, I only like it because it's lightweight and it fits into my bunk on the bus with me but it sounds horrible and it's far from being a pleasure to play..... On a similar note I've got a Casio Privia electric piano at home which I love too and I've an Alesis 49 key midi USB keyboard which I take away on tour / to work with me in the same case as the Sinsonido - once again it plays terribly but being lightweight and small it does what i need it to do

For me, it's this!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2oVj1gLcew&feature=related