Kitsto

I am so glad to see Wheels Of Confusion mentioned (I thought I was the only one who liked it). But funnily enough I think the best bit of the song is the 'pedal' where Geez plays a repeated single note and Iommi does his riffing over it (where you get the mystical howling over the top) - it starts at 2:50. I think it's magnificent.

Goth Tbird with flying skull strap

This. When I was in a covers band I had 10 basses (most of them Epi Tbirds). Now I'm not, I'm down to three and rotate them, playing each in turn for several few weeks. Could easily just do with one (I play along to backing tracks) but when I switch from one to another, the 'new' one feels nicely different. I have an active Tbird Pro, a passive Goth (a surprisingly lovely and lovely sounding bass for one that could be mistaken for a novelty thing) and an ESP Viper which is a modern take on the old Jack Bruce EB0 shape and cost double the other two combined. Why did I need so many basses back then? Dunno. Maybe to convince myself I was a 'proper' bass player?

I was my worst auditionee. The band (2 guitars, drums) sent me a list of songs. I rehearsed them for days on end, then turned up for the audition. They launch into a song without saying what it is. Then another and another. Some are in different keys from the originals. I have no clue, none whatsoever. At one point, mid-song, the lead guitarist wanders over, picks up my left index finger and physically places it at the correct fret. Then he wanders back again. Finally he says: "Roxette?" I say: "The Swedish duo?" "Nah, Feelgood." I'd never heard it before. It wasn't on the list. In the end they just ignore me and play on. Audition over I pack up and the band repair to the pub (I'd been told that going to the pub after band practice was mandatory as part of band bonding). "You coming?" one of them says. "Me? Sure." I follow in my car. In the pub I sit at the table saying nothing while they chat. I am feeling dreadful. What a complete and utter horlicks. I'm burning with embarrassment and shame. Then the lead guitarist looks over. "You in?" I couldn't believe it. They turned out to be a great bunch of guys and great musicians (the lead guitarist in particular). I learnt very quickly after that. Memorable gigs followed. I learnt later how I'd got in. Sheer desperation on their part. Not a single bass player for miles around. Not one. Except me.

My favourite Rick Nielsen quote is: "We're everyone's fifth favourite band." Their first four studio albums were superb and quite different from bands around them. I think Tom Peterson's 8 and 12-string playing provides an almost deep rhythm guitar platform for Nielsen to play over - it's why they sound so powerful live. Very touching that Nielsen always introduces Zander as "my favourite singer in the world". Very interested to hear about your book.

A friend of mine plays bassoon in a local amateur orchestra. They had to let go one of their windplayers because he was making mistakes (which matters more, I guess, in classical music). Now my mate has himself retired (mid-60s) in case it starts to happen to him. Sounds as if theplumber is doing the right thing: finding other outlets; while wondering how long this particular one will last.

The band I was in had a short contract we emailed to venues in advance. I left the band some years ago and now can't find it. But from memory here are some of the things you may want to cover: Length of set (with interval) and actual times (there may be a cut off beyond which bands can't play) Access time (what's the earliest you can get into the room to load-in + soundcheck) Space to park for load-in and load-out (check how much time after you finish you have to load out - when does the venue close completely) Public liability insurance (venue should carry this in case a member of the public gets injured) Powerpoints and availability of power Fee - how much, when and how paid (Deposit? Part on booking? Fee if cancelled?) Decibel limit and monitoring? They may want your equipment to carry an electrician's safety certificate (one of the guitarists was a sparks so did this for us). This isn't comprehensive but it may prompt additional thoughts from others.

I used to use two identical Tbirds in my gigging band - the only way I could tell them apart was by putting a sticker from International Rescue on the back of each - one was Scott, the other Virgil.

Plucking the strings hard - apparently Chris Wolstenholme of Muse does this ('harder than I've ever seen anyone do,' according to one studio engineer) - but I wouldn't be able to do that. Reasonably softly and smoothly is the way to go. Suggestions above about alternating fingers (index and middle) - I do this (I started on classical guitar and that's how you're taught) unlike Jack Bruce and Geddy Lee who play mainly with one finger, very fast - but, hey, I'm not them and never will be.

Used to have nine. Now down to three. I got rid of two (Chowny and ESP Ltd 4 string) by gifting them to my local hospice (where I'll end up one of these days) and they sold them online for a tidy sum. I now just have an ESP Viper (a sort of updated EB3) and two Epi Tbirds - one a Pro which is active and the other a black goth which isn't yet packs a big punch. No longer gigging so three is plenty. No longer suffering from GAS either, which is great (I used to have GAS for a Gibson Tbird anniversary edition in bullion gold but the finish doesn't look that great to me). My big regret is that I've never been able to play Fenders (hands too small). I used to have a mid 70s Precision which I sold here a few years back. Now that was a beauty.

Willie Nile - he did a great song 'Vagabond Moon' in the early 80s and I could never find anything else by him (pre-internet days). I assumed he'd disappeared. Then a fortnight ago I was looking up Richard Thompson and one of his credits was 'Willie Nile'. What? Turns out Willie Nile (Robert Noonan) did disappear - he made just 4 albums between 1980 and 2000 but has made ten since. I now have them all. I think he's fantastic. He's 75 and rockin' like a maniac.

Sometimes it can taking something unexpected to make you reassess. Some years ago I was in a covers band that played 20+ gigs a year and got plenty of repeat bookings from pubs and local charity festivals. Then I had a family catastrophe (involving my special needs stepson) and all external activities went on hold. The band were really understanding and got in a dep. The assumption was I'd go back in due course. A while later once things at home were back on an even keel I realised I didn't want to go back. The band were great - the others all better musicians than me and I'd been lucky to be taken on by them. But I gradually realised that, although this had been my lifelong dream (to be in a band), there were niggles that had started to grate - as the new boy I felt obliged to get us gigs, to do the bulk of the loading in and out, to play songs I didn't like, the endless waiting around, etc. Nothing serious in itself. But, above all, I realised I just didn't like playing live. I loved our weekly 3+ hours rehearsals. But playing live either terrified me (can I play this song?) or, increasingly (once I could play the songs), just bored me. I dunno why. It just did. Anyway, long story short: I worked out that I loved deconstructing and learning bass lines but - like Neil Peart in Rush - the live stuff was an encumbrance. So I ditched the idea of being in a band (that one had been plenty good as it was) and created setlists of music I like to play from Karaoke Version UK. I now play 1-2 hours a day on my own and absolutely love it. I'm a better bass player than I ever was in the band. Will I go back to being in a band? No. Will I give up playing? Never. Edit: forgot to say - the point of all of this is that, but for the family event, I would never have left the band - I would never have questioned why I was increasingly unhappy in it or dared to tell the others I was off....

Spent my whole like dreaming of being a rockstar. Reached my 60s. Got a gig in a good local covers band. Hated it. Hated playing live (alternating between terrified I couldn't play the song to being bored when I could). Hated band politics. Hated having zero input to the setlist. Hated humping gear in and out. Hated the waiting around. Loved rehearsals. Loved playing bass. Now stay home (am fully retired) and play bass all day to backing tracks. Couldn't be happier - especially having put to rest that stupid dream.

"Years later, Cheap Trick re-recorded the whole of their second album In Color later on, because they hated the utterly gelded Tom Werman studio production. Jack Douglas did their first album and it's superb." I too am a great fan of early Cheap Trick. I never knew this about "In Color" re-recorded with Steve Albini - great to know. It must have been when he produced "Cheap Trick" (1997) with them and around the time or just before he did "Walking Into Clarksdale" with Page & Plant. Incidentally my favourite track from "In Color" is "Southern Girls" and from "Heaven Tonight" (which was going to be called "American Standard" after the US manufacturer of toilet bowls - hence the cover pic) "Taking Me Back" which is superb.

His studio efforts are pretty good. But I've always liked Robin Trower Live!

"Lovely to be back at the Duck & Ferkin. As usual we're packed in between the toilet and the bar. Very cosy. You won't see our bass player but you will hear him. He's back there in the urinals but we've managed to squeeze his rig onstage." Have to say: this is an inspired thread - haven't laughed so much in years! Every single one brilliant!

Covers band I was in. Pub gig. Between sets singist/rhythm says to me (I was newbie): 'You're playing so many wrong notes.' Me (alarmed): 'Which ones? Which songs?' Singist/rhythm: 'Too many to mention.' Second set. Sharp Dressed Man. Crucial chord change mid-solo (which is quite long). Drummer (v experienced) has got into the habit of playing a little fill to warn me of the impending chord change. I've noticed that on this number in the past the singist/rhythm looks to my left hand to see when I change fret so he can change chord under the solo. Drummer plays fill. I turn my back so singist/rhythm can't see. Singist/rhythm completely lost. Train wreck. Band plays on. Lead guitar (excellent player) - still soloing - turns to singist/rhythm and shakes his head slowly and sadly. Made my night! Never criticised by singist/rhythm again.

So pleased to see EB0s and EB3s being talked about (though late to the party). I really like the Jack Bruce look but in my experience the modern versions seem quite seriously underpowered. I had a Gibson SG bass (one of their anniversary issue from a few years back). It was beautiful in matt brushed cherry. But I had to move it on because it had no power or oomph at all. OK, it's passive. So you could say that's an issue with the amplification. But I was so disappointed. In the end I bought an ESP Viper which has an EB style body twisted a smidgeon to give it a 'contemporary' feel. Now that has loads of clout.

I'm now too old and infirm but when I was in a gigging band I used a couple of Tbird Pro IVs (which are active). We had a regular halloween gig and had to dress up as zombies and ghouls so I got a Tbird Goth to fit the part. I saw it as a novelty bass and paid about 200 quid for it. Anyway, these days I play along to backing tracks at home and, blow me down, if it isn't a great bass! I think because it's passive it has a woody thump to it. Anyway, this is just to say that currently it's my fave bass (which isn't saying much - I play cheap instruments, bar a thing called an ESP Viper).

I started with modest ambitions. I just wanted to play with others. Responded to adverts in local shops, online, in rehearsal studios. Also went to see a lot of local bands and gradually got to know one or two people in them. Found a couple of guys who were at the same level as me (mucking around for fun). That helped me get my chops. Then found a band in a local rehearsal room that needed bass. Played with them for quite a while - worked really hard learning the songs they wanted to do. But they started doing original stuff - not my bag. Then, through a friend of a friend (always tell your friends what you want in case they know someone who might know someone), landed the bass spot in a regularly gigging band. I went about it the way (being self-employed) I'd developed my business (and took it that seriously) - knowing what I wanted (being able to answer BigRedX's questions above), taking baby steps to get there, building my network and being in places where bands (customers) gathered, until I found one that had what I wanted and which wanted me. Then worked really hard to get up to speed with their setlist and started taking on some of the responsibility for getting gigs, etc. It took me 2-3 years of pretty assiduous application. But by the time I got there I was ready.

I wouldn't want to overstate the case for them. It is 'just' pop music and not all of it that good. I find their albums quite odd. Their albums get amazing reviews and awards but there's an awful lot of electronic faffing around between a few real songs. Every album starts (IIRC) with a sort of instrumental intro all of which are called 'The 1975'. I don't buy much of their stuff - just watch video clips of them in concert. As for the name, they were called something like Music For Cars or Drive My Car and weren't getting anywhere (like U2 they all met at school aged about 15) and the frontman had an old copy of Kerouac's On The Road in which whoever'd owned it before him had written, instead of the date they bought it, 'The 1975' which stuck in his mind. I don' think it's a great name. You tend to think that's the vintage of the stuff they play. They come from south Manchester near where I grew up.

I agree. I'm a bloke in his 60s who grew up on Zeppelin (first gig I ever went to) but I think they're great - not all their stuff and not all the time - but in Matty Healy they have an engaging frontman and like all unique bands their dynamic is unusual: he and the drummer write most of the material and produce it. Favourite tunes are: Somebody Else (the studio session where Matty and the guitarist - also on keyboards - are the only two playing), Robbers (great bass line), 'fallingforyou' (live at the O2 from about ten years ago) and I'm In Love With You (the official video). Great fun.

Thank you so much for posting this - awesome seeing him live - love the way way he gets into the music!