progben

Yep, me too. 2 1/2 years into my current band and we've covered 2 (neither of which we play anymore) and written around 30. For me its all about playing music you cant find anywhere else!

Great shout that Graham. Awesome record. I was worried it'd be the standard flat reunion type fare but they proved me wrong!

Any genre, any style. Just share the album which stood out to you this year (edit: which was released in 2017) For me, it was unexpectedly The Desaturating Seven by Primus. I didn't like the prerelease songs much but the record as a whole has sucked me in completely. Claypool always does the unexpected but this one really took me by surprise and won me over in a big way. Over to you guys. Hopefully this will introduce some people to some gems!

I think what you're seeing nowadays in terms of Radio 1's variety is a representation of how we digest music in 2017. There's less record label and media control over what we should like, and the industry is now trying to react to us in an organic way. It seems as though lately, the industry has gone oh, you're interested in 80's culture at the moment? and has responded with a wave of 80's inspired records and an emphasis on 80's style sounds in modern pop production, as well as TV shows like Stranger Things and films like IT.

Hopefully that was on the money

I get ya Andy. There's a clear difference, maybe more between what I'd call passive and active music listeners, rather than "musicians". There's cross over for sure - I enjoy the s*** on the radio and Cannibal Corpse in equal measure haha - but there's a limit for the passive consumers, and that limit is fully recognised and honed in on by the music biz.

I'd love to partner Lars Ulrich to be honest. The ultimate thrill-ride of time keeping.

Thanks to everyone for their input! I think I'm going to change strings (as suggested by Cuzzie) and maybe invest in a Sansamp, since I could do with a DI box anyway. That should open up some more options and limit mindless spending!

I can deal with no show and a great performance, but I cant deal with a massive show and a crap performance. As always, the grey area is the answer for me but taken to extremes, the songs always win.

I use Barefaced Midgets and am happy enough with the cabs, and often try whatever backline options are already available at gigs too. Very true though - I'm keeping my current set-up for this reason. I don't think spending a lot on a bass or amp will provide me with big enough returns. Since I've not had much experience with the pedal world, I just wanted some recommendations of things to try that could potentially enhance my sound. It may well end up being that my trusty tuner is all that I require!

A fair comment, although there's always room for improvement isn't there Like I said, I'm not really after a major upheaval of the sound, but having never gone near pedals (apart from a trusty tuner) I don't have the experience to know whether it'd be a good idea to add some

This is pretty much bang on the sort of info I'm after. I do really love the Tonehammer's warm vintage sound (my guitarist uses a very treble-heavy Telecaster so the TH warms it all up a bit) but the option for more clang would be useful also. Do you think any of the Tech 21 stuff would pair well with the TH to give me more options?

Hello friends of Basschat, In short, I've achieved a sound I'm happy with (the dream!) but I'm still interested in upgrading my set up to either improve the core sound, improve consistency or give me a few more options. I play in an originals rock/punk band so don't need a wealth of filters, wah pedals etc. (Although they'd be a nice for a song or two) My Set Up 80's Aria Pro II Special (both pups wide open) Aguilar TH500 (Bass + Mids boosted a bit, gain boosted quite a lot) Resultant sound is quite P Bass-y but with a bit more articulation and grind at the top (Quite similar to Paul Simonon from The Clash I think, but more aggressive). So, I know very little about pedals or what would help improve my live sound beyond what I've already come up with. Would you guys recommend a Sansamp or similar in front of my head, a compressor maybe? Ideally I'm looking for something for an 'always on' type of solution which will help improve the core tone even more. Any suggestions welcome!

Apart from my bassly duties, I dive into a lot of our marketing work (posters, logo, packaging, merch etc) which is becoming increasingly important these days. I'm also the most nitpicky guy of the four of us, and spend hours listening to our rehearsals and studio recordings to spot when the magic happens (or doesn't). Fascinated with the mixing process too so generally involved in that.

Personally I love rap and hip-hop. A source of brilliant basslines a lot of the time too. Nas' Illmatic is probably the best example of thought-provoking lyrics, great instrumentals, tasteful samples (especially that Michael Jackson one, damn), and catchy hooks in the genre. I'd highly recommend it as a gateway to those who aren't familiar with rap. It paints an incredible picture of 90's NYC. Elzhi's cover of the entire album is also excellent. He re-recorded it with a jazz band (who are absolutely superb) and played around with the lyrics to make it contextually relevant to his life and Detroit (rather than Nas' life in NYC).

I think the mistake most people make (and this is more apparent for originals bands IME) is that they don't treat their set like a show or consider their audience enough. [ Case in point: I asked a popular metal touring guitar player about how his band arranges their setlists. His answer was that it was 100% down to the guitar tuning because they had to change instruments every 2-3 songs. I understand the reasoning for this but I still find it quite surprising that a band would let logistics govern the flow of their performance to this extent. ] In essence, a live performance is the same as any entertainment art-form, and there's a reason why everything from theatre, to Hollywood blockbusters utilise a formula based around a hard hitting opening/conclusion and a more slow-paced and thought-provoking mid-section. It just works. My only advise is to put yourself in the position of a punter (we've all been there, after all) and try to come up with something you'd enjoy!

Both sound alright to me from the sample! As others have said, a P will definitely come into its own when with a band/recording. Personally I use a Warwick Dolphin Pro II at home which has the MEC Js and its brilliant for solo play. I'd never take it to band practice though, just doesn't sound right.

A fine art indeed. Start strong, end strong (both sets) and chuck some downtempo and/or experimental stuff in the middle. At the end of the day its a momentum game. Best to be able to shuffle things around as you go if possible too!

This'll be for my first ever gig on bass. I'd played a few on guitar before this but nothing I'd chalk down as 'serious' Date: September 2015 Location: Temple of Boom, Stourbridge, UK. This was actually our rehearsal room at the time, which occasionally gets opened up for BYOB parties with live bands. Bass: Yamaha TRBX304. Before this point, I was using my friend's dad's old Aria bass. I'm not convinced the strings had ever been changed and it was like playing razor wire. I managed to get the Yammy nearly new for around £100 and it was a great workhorse for the year or so I had it.Amp: I think it was the practice room's Ashdown Cab (absolutely awful, as you'd expect from a cab which had been pushed to breaking point far too many times) and a Laney head (again, not great). I've since upgraded to Barefaced cabs and an Aguilar TH500 and life has been much better ever since.Set List: We'd only been a band for a month at this point but already had a short set of material ready to go. From memory, it was 6 original punk tunes, a cover of Crucified (Agnostic Front) and Acquiesce (Oasis). Embarrassing part: Everyone was so drunk that I think any potential for embarrassment was basically zero. We had a few fun moments though - the one that sticks with me is looking up to see someone flying overhead and straight into the bass drum and guitar amps. Overall, a pretty great first show!

Very tough to pick one but if pushed I'd have to say Pink Floyd. I remember listening to DSotM with my Dad in the car on a late night motorway excursion and it opened my eyes to music as more than just memorable songs. Even though Floyd aren't my favourite band, the way music can create a whole world you can live in has always been something I've searched for since that experience.

I design all the posters, CD artwork, packaging, T-shirts etc for my band and would be more than happy to help people if they need assistance! I'm no expert, but I do try and make striking designs which catch the eye. If interested, drop me a PM. Happy to help with posters, flyers, booklet design, copywriting and all that good stuff.

Got the new Primus album on. Somehow they've managed to do something even more weird and left-field than usual... Seems like a bit of a marmite release, but despite some issues, I always love Les' playing.