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Burns-bass

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Posts posted by Burns-bass

    Is the cost of living crushing music?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I fear it was my post that brought property values into it (and for that I apologise).

     

    The broader point I was making was that we need to create the social conditions where creativity (in music, art, acting, etc) can be enjoyed by everyone.

     

    The alternative is that culture becomes the preserve of the upper classes. Evidence is everywhere. Most of our actors are upper class privately educated, as are our musicians, writers and journalists.

     

    As a society we should invest in and support arts at every level. I bang on about working with old people, but seeing how music can transform people is incredible - and we should all be able to enjoy that.

    • Like 6

    Is the cost of living crushing music?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    21 hours ago, BigRedX said:

     

    For those people who absolutely HAVE to create music (or anything else) will always find ways of avoiding the obstacles in their way. IMO anything that discourages the casual dabbler who has heard a Coldplay or Sleaford Mods album and decides to have a go, is a good thing. There are far too many musicians playing in uninspiring bands, and if they want to have a bit of fun in the privacy of a rehearsal room that's fine, but lets not have them clogging up venues, Bandcamp and Spotify.

     

    I think that too many posters on here appear to have forgotten what it was like to be in their first originals band. You don't need half the stuff that older musicians seem to to think is absolutely necessary, and many other things are far cheaper in real terms than they were in the 60s, 70s and 80s. If you want to do something badly enough you will work out ways of doing it within your financial constraints.

     

    Firstly almost no originals band needs the hassle and expense of PA ownership. All the venues worth playing on the originals circuit have in-house PA systems and if you want to play somewhere different that doesn't it is still possible to hire a system for the gig. In 50 years of playing in originals bands I been two that had their own PA and in both cases that is because we had our own dedicated rehearsal space. The PA was primarily rehearsals and only used for gigs on a handful of occasions.

     

    These days everyone thinks they need personal transport but actually you can get a long way (pun intended) without car ownership. In my first few bands hardly anyone could actually drive and if they did, only a couple of them owned cars which were invariable tiny and unreliable. For local gigs we walked or used public transport. For out of town gigs we would hire a car or a van and if none of the band could actually drive we'd have at a least one fan who could and would be happy to drive for us. Remember that all the decent out of town gigs your band would most likely be supporting so all you'd need to take would be instruments amp heads and drum breakables. A four-piece band plus that fits into a typical car. It might not be comfortable but it gets you to the gig and back. If you put on a decent show you'll soon get better gigs with better pay and be able to think about buying a cheap van. I still go to local gigs by taxi. It's cheaper than the running and parking costs for the evening (especially if the gig goes on past midnight) and taxi drivers have no problem stopping in the middle of the street directly outside the venue while I load in/out.

     

    As has been said plenty of other aspects of being in a band are much cheaper in real terms than they used to be. Instruments and equipment are a fraction of the price for the same level of quality. In fact unless you buy something dodgy direct from China you are very unlikely to be saddled with the sort of unplayable crap that was all most musicians could afford when starting out right up to the end of the 80s. And recording (if you're not doing it yourself) is ridiculously cheap these days. For my first 3 forays into proper recording studios, we had to watch every minute on the clock otherwise we might not be able to settle the bill at the end, and there were always "hidden extras" like the cost of the tape, both master and multi-track, that you used.

     

    Back when I started gigging there were all sorts of free or cheap resources available to those of us who were prepared to put the effort in tracking them down. And they still exist if you can put in the time networking to find them. Four out of the first 5 recording sessions for The Terrortones were absolutely free because they were either part of some training initiative, the studio owner liked us enough to offer us a couple of free sessions when the studio would otherwise be empty, or paid for by the record label who were putting out a compilation album with the band on.

     

    Maybe the challenges that face originals bands these days are different to those when I was first recording and gigging, but anyone really committed to getting their music heard will find ways around them. You do have to be living and breathing and dreaming about music 24 hours a day 7 days a week if you want to treat it as anything other than a hobby, but IME that has aways been the case.

     


    I’d politely ask who decides what’s good music and who decides what’s derivative rubbish that should be avoided? 
     

    All individual artistic expression should be encouraged, even if you don’t like the output. The music you make I simply have no feeling for, but I’d damn near fight anyone for your right to make it and share it. Why deny that to someone else?

     

     

     

     

    • Like 5

    2024 Gear Abstinence Thread

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    3 minutes ago, neepheid said:

     

    Ooh, what turned your head?  Do tell!


    I found a Squier Dimension bass nearby for £85. They’re quite rare and it looked great. But I resisted, as I don’t need it.

     

    Instead, I set up my existing bass and realised it does precisely the job I need it to do. 

    • Like 3

    Is the cost of living crushing music?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    8 hours ago, tegs07 said:

    Yep. Remember when St Werbergs, Montpellier, Southville etc were cheap rent? Same with Kemptown, areas around The Level in Brighton or Camden Town or Nottinghill in London??

     

    Same pattern throughout the country. 

     


    I’d obviously read about gentrification and how it erases existing communities and replaces them, now I’m seeing it first hand - and it’s pretty crazy here.

     

    It’s the paradox of it, too. People (like me) came here because living costs were low, there was always a party going on, and the city was full of artists and interesting people.

     

    Now it’s becoming one massive middle class paradise. On one hand, I still love it, and on the other feel a bit sad.
     

    Of course, that’s an indulgence as I’ve massively benefitted from the process of gentrification (and obviously played my part).

    • Like 2

    Is the cost of living crushing music?

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Burns-bass

    I’m lucky to live in a city like Bristol where live music is everywhere. The costs of living here are insane. 
     

    To illustrate, the cost to rent a single room in a shared house on my street (£600) is equivalent to a mortgage payment when we bought the 4 bed house (in 2013).

     

    Couple massive demand from students and young professionals with a buoyant BTL sector and you get a housing crisis - which is what Bristol is experiencing at the moment. 
     

    Yet they’re still out there doing it and I’m massively impressed.

     

    From the young people I meet doing gigs and who I play with, music isn’t ever going to be a full time career. Arguably they’re much more commercially savvy and less egotistical than (from what I’ve heard) musicians were in the 70s and 80s. And if my mates are playing in a band, I’ll still go (don’t like lager)
     

    To the young music makers: I salute you!

     

    • Like 3

    Scientifically speaking….

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    9 hours ago, knirirr said:

     

    Interesting. As a British scientist myself, I'm pleased that this meme didn't exist when I last had to visit Russia. 


    To be fair, memes are a joke and one I can’t imagine any scientist would find this one funny. 

    Free stuff

    in Recycling

    Posted

    I’m getting rid of lots of stuff and you can have it (if you want).

     

    I’ll add more later but we start with this JLS keyboard stand.

     

    Collection only in Bristol.

     

     

    986788A8-71C2-4159-8FDE-6878401EB78B.jpeg

    • Like 1

    Transport Help Please…….

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    13 minutes ago, walshy said:

    Yup I can do that easily enough and my courier can arrange delivery too. Fire me a DM if I can help or ring Tim direct 07873 401907 and tell him I gave you his number


    Tim is a thoroughly lovely chap, I have used his services a few times and it has always been a pleasure.

    • Like 3

    From DB to (fretless) e-bass

    in EUB and Double Bass

    Posted

    4 hours ago, AndyTravis said:


    I want one. Have done for years…

     

    The wallet always says no when they (rarely) come up.

     

    I've played one, but only once. It was(as youd expect) a beauty, although the neck got some getting used to!

     

    Of course, if the OP wants an electric bass, you can get a strap for the WAV and NS basses and play those like a normal electric bass. Use a good enough pre-amp and the results aren't bad!

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