super al

I should ask the old bassist if he did farty slides (in I Wish 😊). Good call on the band name, I was in a covers band called the Lava Trees one time and a drummer mate was in Hoof Hearted.

Maybe one day... Too many other mountains to climb with the new band like 'I want you back' in F and now Earth, Wind & Fire tunes! Every day's a school day!

I got back into covers again a couple of years ago (so much easier writing your own basslines for originals). I did agonize over the whole playing it note for note thing but in the end I thought if I'm not doing it right for the level of band I'm in they'll probably tell me! The punters aren't usually there to listen out for the bass player so I'll probably be safe not playing 'Footloose' like Nathan East! Does anybody play all the farty slide bits in 'I Wish'? I doubt it, play it straight and it sounds just as good (as long as the drummer doesn't speed up throughout the song!). I'm now playing in a band where the original bassist switched to guitar and he's very good on both instruments. It can be a help, it can be a hindrance (on my part, mentally), I'm not exactly the new boy but I don't feel I've bedded into the band yet. Having said that they're all great. Give an infinite number of monkeys bass guitars and still only Flea will play 'dani california' like Flea

At the start of the year I was made permanent bassist in the band I depped for last year. Last rehearsal before the 1st gig the singer gives me a set list. At the soundcheck for the 1st gig I soon realise that apart from the singer and the horn section (horn section all have tablets with set list and scores!) I'm the guy that has the set list! Guitarist had printed off one from a previous gig and the drummer just didn't bother ("what's next Al?"). These guys are 'old pros' so it doesn't seem to bother them, I'm a bit of set list jobsworth as I always carry A4 paper and jumbo felt tips (sad). In answer to OP's question, I put my set list on the floor if there's enough room! My eyesight is going so I find myself bending down to pick up my water between songs to find out what's next 😎. May have to work on a new system, larger print, sheets of A3!

Quite a strange experience to see them live (they supported rhcp in '03), didn't know about them so 1st time hearing them. They sounded like 2 different bands playing simultaneously at times and there was only 5 of them I think! Got the album deloused on the strength of that strange performance, nuts!

Haha... I did go off them a bit after trying to like the album several times. They should've had a competition, ask fans to whittle SA down to a decent 45 mins.

Nearly stole the show in Back To The Future 2 as well 😃 I saw rhcp live a few times in the noughties, Reading's Mad Stad gig in 2006 being the least inspiring. Always loved the support bands though, aren't they hand picked by the band? James Brown, Mars Volta, !!!, Ben Harper, among them. BSSM clearly a high point in their career but I like them all pretty much apart from Stadium Arcadium, not sure why that warranted about a dozen or so 'b' sides.

Course you can, an Ibanez SR1205

Ah...now there's thought...two skinny necks, essentially a 6 string but 3 a piece. Any takers? 😁

Slim neck, depth or width? (If you see what I mean). The 5 string I have has a thin neck, very comfortable to play. Probably as easy on my left hand as my jazz bass.

Necessity was the mother of invention with myself. I've only played 4 strings since I were a lad but moving into the function band thing, I suddenly had to deal with different tunings. I ended up carrying 2 basses to rehearsals and gigs, one tuned regularly but with a drop d extender and a bass tuned down a half tone. PITA! Keyboard player said "get a 5 string", "no" I said but it made me think mmmmm...wash n go, why take 2 basses into the shower! I've been playing a fiver for 15 months now, the function band folded but my new band play funk and soul and I find playing a 5 so much easier. Having the low E fretted rather than open is darn funky 😎. I may have to thin out the 4 stringers I own, I played a few of them for fun t'other night at home but I'm not sure when I would gig with them again! In short, I'm a convert. Played 4 strings about 30 years, lightbulb moment then 15 months and upwards on the 5 😃

My first bass lessons book was 'first steps bass guitar' by Russ Shipton so I probably learnt either 'whiskey in the jar' or 'house of the rising sun'. When I plucked up the courage to play with real people who could play a bit, I think 'hey joe' or 'green onions' would've been the first songs slaughtered!

God damn it! I'm always too slow with the puns 😡 Skidder, well done!

Haha, the rehearsal room is a school dining hall! Bring sandwiches and an apple 😊

Maybe we should swap numbers in case we need to dep each other, sounds like we're doing a similar thing 😀 That's if you don't mind rehearsing in Amesbury 😉

Agree. I Got You (I Feel Good) is da nuts if everybody hits those staccato notes bang on.

There's 2 Rev. Al Green tunes in our set that I love playing - take me to the river and let's stay together. At first it was the basslines but now we have a lovely new horn section these songs are flying to another level played live! I'm actually loving all our set but those 2 stick out as 'tingly, warm feeling inside' moments 😊

Our singer has just sent me a recording of a tune from last night, the bass sounds sweet and cuts through nicely. This is the 1st time I've heard the bass recorded (with a band) since I bought it a year ago 😊

I can't comment on the Nords v Barts argument other than my bassist neighbour bought an Ibby 4 string with Barts on and loves it. We've yet to get together in a room and compare notes!

My 1st gig as bassist with the Flotonics! I depped 4 times for the Flos last year and when they went through a personnel change at Christmas I was made 'full time'. They're a soul band playing mostly Otis, James Brown, Al Green & Stevie so it takes me back to music I loved in my teens and early 20s. The personnel change involved sacking off the guitarist and drummer. The original bassist moved to guitar, the new drummer now keeps time and a 3 piece horn section was added 😍 (everything sounds so so much better with the horns). Sorry, too much background, I'm waffling. The gig was at a working men's club in Durrington (for those unfamiliar with Wiltshire, it's a stone's throw from Stonehenge which I passed in the moonlight on my way there). We played the function room on a small stage, I was last to set up and was shown a tiny area between the desk and drummer "you're going there Al". Luckily my stack is like the Spinal Tap Stonehenge and I squeezed my two One10s and the TC electronic bh550 into that tiny space. We had one rehearsal as a full 8 piece band so I was apprehensive but the band is a mixture of seasoned pro musicians and dedicated amateurs (I'm probably the 'weak link') so the whole gig went like a dream and with the horn section playing so well it was like being at a recording session at Muscle Shoals or at Motown. Small but appreciative audience, a few dancing. The usual drunken requests "play some Robbie" came up too many times and some friendly hecklers too! The new drummer was very complimentary about my playing "we were locked in", "you make my job easier" he said. He was an absolute pleasure to play with, some lovely fills and adlib playing, I'm loving this guy and this was only our 2nd time playing together! A little coincidence to @FinnDave. I was playing an Ibby SR1205 last night. Ok, one string less but a lovely bass. Played it in passive mode, I think it sounded ok. Have to wait until our singer has sent round MP3s of last night. Just need some gigs now!

Always worth checking 'basses for sale' on here. My budget for a 5ver was about £700, got an Ibanez SR1205 for £550 from another basschatter and fell in love with Ibbys. I love a 2nd hand bass' lived in feel but you may be looking for something fresh out the box as a 50th b'day treat.

First time I had a proper big blank was forgetting the middle 8 on 'Californication', the song plods along and I suddenly thought "middle 8's coming up soon and I haven't got a scooby as to how it goes!". We must've played it at a dozen gigs before then without incident. Same band did 'Reptilia' and when the song breaks down to just guitar the guitarist would mess it up without fail at gigs. It became a running theme, Tim's jazz solo! Played in a trio and the guitarist was excellent,a great player but song structures were his Achilles heel. He wanted to play 'American Idiot' so we rehearsed it loads and it was ok but made me apprehensive. Started fine at the first gig but he soon lost the plot and we just ended up playing the riff in a never ending loop with no vocals! The drummer and I looking at each other and shrugging our shoulders a lot. These all happened a long time ago thankfully but the memories are still quite vivid 😳

I used to be a Big Al but then got promoted 😎