Barking Spiders

Pan's People was the only reason I watched TOTP, mainly for Sue who I had a mahoosive crush on as a pre-pubescent lad.

KevB - I get that but I thought rock fans might be more open minded about the less familiar than your average Radio 2 / commercial pop radio listener. According to RAJAR data , 71% of the audience is male, and 62% ABC1. 68% fall into the 25-54 age group, So PR is not really dealing with teens and housewives. There's a freighter load of tunes for PR to pick from so we don't really need or want to keep hearing Smoke on the water, Alright now, Satisfaction, Sultans of Swing etc ever again, do we?

After a couple of years lay off I've been tuning into Planet Rock a few days recently just to see if owt's changed but no. Still the same hoary old classic rock staples from the 60s, 70s 80s i.e. More Than A fookin Feeling, bluddy Kiss, Journey, John Mellencrap, etc etc. Had a random gander at several shows playlists and was hard pressed to find the likes of Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage , Mastodon, Ministry, Killing Joke etc. Yet PR continues to plug Tax The Heat and the Dead Daisies which are at least current, though I don't rate them much but each to their own. So, anyone else think PR needs to be a bit more adventurous in their playlist selections?

I don't stream myself and prefer CDs but i totally get those who aren't big music fans and don't feel the need to own hard copies. I don't buy into Spotify etc are killing music claims. Most people are probably casual listeners and in them dark olden days would've made do with the radio and home taping anyway. People who liked to buy hard copy then probably still do, if there's owt of interest. I hardly buy any new music these days, not because of streaming but because most music being made these days is utter pants..

Too right, if a band looks like they've just arrived from the late shift in a factory then my attention is lost from the word go. If a band looks like The Tubes or the P-Funk crowd you're gonna stay around and see what they sound like. Stands ta reason dunnit?

Bassist groupies

Bass Hero

I've been there so can appreciate your disappointment. Way back in time I played in a Pigbag-early Thompson Twins type combo and there were as many in the band as there were punters but we had a good laff about it and got quite pally with them. From the perspective of punters who just want to go out with their mates for a chat, live music might be the last thing they want. I've often given pubs the swerve if they've got music acts on. It's the way things are going, lots of bands out there but a dwindling crowd base.

I dislike all bursts but especially tobacco sunburst and above all Les Paul's with SB finishes.. I have an abiding distaste for the Les Paul in SB though that's probably due to an association with bands I cant abide such as Led Zep and Guns n Roses.

Have a bit of D Train, the ace Paul Hardcastle remix. Takes me back to 80s clubbing

beat me to the punch there. Plus those for Bladerunner and the recent sequel, American Beauty, + 1 for Paris Texas, Southern Comfort, Streets of Fire.

A fair point and one which I've been mulling over as I look to offload several instruments including guitars, drums and other stuff. As with many others, the problem is deciding which to lose. I think I got into this position in the first place as none are all rounders i.e. good for fingerstyle, and slap and pick playing

Cant see any problem with that at all. Much rather that than ubertw@t Lame Gallagher with his head up towards the mic approach and just standing there snarling

I've got no academic training in music whatsoever I'm afraid so I've no useful advice here other than I know the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester has a very good reputation. Personally, I'd like to leave the UK and live in Slovenia, one of my favourite countries. I currently have Lake Bled wallpaper on my computer

Probably my #1 album evah! And i have over 900 CDs. Then if it's basslines you're talking the classic one is

Maybe if the punters get bored they should be allowed to set fire to the instruments?

The most boring gig I ever saw outside of a pub was G3 (Satriani, Vai, Fripp) at the NIA in Brum. Sure they had the chops but they generated all the excitement of a sunday morning sermon. I've seen plenty boring gigs inside of a pub too. Competant musicianship and decent playlists was never the problem. Lack of presence and communication with the punters most certainly was.

That is a beaut for sure and I'd like to have one like that m'self yet I'm unlikely to as while I still love playing bass and other instruments I don't enjoy gigs anymore -other than a few summer festivals - and nowadays only really enjoy listening to stuff labelled as electronica where there isn't much call for bass. So it makes sense for me to sell off most of my instruments and just keep an acoustic guitar, one electric , one bass and a basic drum skit. I'll be tough picking which to sell but straight thinking calls for it

or you can store them at different places and then it doesnt look so bad. I have some at my gaff and the rest at my girlfriend's . She actually likes them being there and says I should hang them on her living room wall.

anything that goes, sometimes a mix of three fingers, plectrum, thumb only and a bit of slap n pop in the same song. Some lines should only be played with a pick like the ones on all those early Stranglers toons otherwise they sound a bit limp

There are those basslines that may sound challenging , e.g. fast chromatic runs or high speed slap but can be nailed without too much hassle. Then there are those that on the face of it may not appear too much of a problem but on closer inspection are bluddy tricky. One such is What Is Hip by Tower of Power which I starting working on for the first time last night. Scott Devine has a vid on this and even he admits he found it a bit of a bvgger to nail. The nub of it is playing 16ths while muting the notes with the middle or ring finger on the fretting hand while keeping a steady rhythm going with the plucking hand, leading with the index finger while accenting the odd notes...I think. Anyone here tried this line or what others do you reckon are tougher than they first appear?

I have a Vintage V940FL. Small body but the bubinga wood makes it deceptively heavy. Lovely little instrument . IMO Vintage are very underrated

Unlined fretlesses just look the coolest of any guitars and you can still make them sound as funky as f**k What's not to like?.

Love 4 string basses. No buts here. I've tried 5 stringers but they just don't do it for me with slap n pop and double thumbing . I often like to dig in hard and play aggressive fingerstyle but I need the space 4 stringers give

Not this time, now that the way younger people mainly chose to listen to music has changed.