Downdown

Well, it's an opinion, but who cares? It's a bit like photographers who don't consider digital photography as 'real' - whatever 'real' might mean. As far as I'm concerned, one thing results in something you can hear and the other in something you can see. If you like the end result then it's all good If you don't, then just move on. No need to disparage other people's work.

[quote name='graham1945' timestamp='1488211984' post='3246835'] Got asked for this for the first time after playing for over fifty years. Is this a new thing? Anybody else experience this? I declare all my band income on my tax return, but I don't want to get involved in other band members' tax affairs. [/quote] Did you ask the landlord why they wanted this?

So the PRS licence is effectively also permission to play covers? But what happens if you want to release a recording of the cover, ie it's not a performance? In other my previous point about not needing permission to cover a song is incorrect, and if so (I genuinely don't know), what's the mechanism for getting permission? Is there some sort of PRS equivalent for recorded covers? EDIT: oops posted at the same time that BRX was providing the answers. many thanks!

[quote name='EliasMooseblaster' timestamp='1488034986' post='3245234'] I'd be interested to see what the MU say about this one, as I had a different-but-comparable dust-up over recorded material a couple of years ago. The key thing I quickly learnt from that exchange was a distinction between a song and a recording. Legally, it turns out they're slightly different entities. The songs, obviously, are yours. He cannot claim ownership of those - though by the sound of it, he's not trying to. However, because he made the [i]recording[/i] himself, he might be able to claim to own that. On the other hand, he almost certainly shouldn't be able to sell that recording, because it contains songs to which he does not have any rights. He would only be allowed to sell it if he'd reached an agreement with the people who owned the songs (i.e., your band) in which conditions of use, royalties, etc had been hashed out to everyone's satisfaction. [/quote] Interesting point. What's the situation with covers? I've heard that you don't need permission to cover a song but you do need to pay royalties to the copyright owner. is that actually the case? If so, perhaps the promoter CAN sell his recording of the concert (and it certainly is his recording) but he would be legally obliged to pay royalties? I'm not sure, just guessing.

[quote name='taunton-hobbit' timestamp='1488034844' post='3245233'] With written stuff it used to be that you sent it to yourself by registered post and DIDN'T OPEN IT unless it was needed by a court/solicitor. I'm musing that you could probably send a cd registered in the same way? [/quote] Yes, that is a widely touted idea, but it's not so much that you APPLY for copyright because it automatically belongs to the creator of the work. The trick is to be able to PROVE you're the creator of the work, hence sending yourself a sealed letter. There will be other methods of course.

[quote name='dyerseve' timestamp='1487969933' post='3244770'] If it's meaningless why make the most of it? At least you chose your username well. [/quote] Er, why not? But that's an interesting take on it all - hadn't thought about it that way. I guess I meant that life is really only meaningful to each individual, so it's for them to make the most of their life and not try to live it through other people. Basically, enjoy the short time you have because no one is going to miss you when you're gone (well, after a few decades or so). All this 'the world is a poorer place without so and so' is just mawkish sentiment and, actually, pure guesswork really because no one knows, either way. Someone living longer might have been a disaster for the world

Sounds like the person to speak with is the promoter. No need to get arsey (at this stage), just ask who gave permission to sell your songs because you were planning to release your own album soon. If it was in the gig contract then he'll be able to point out where, if not then you can start discussions about YOUR terms for allowing him to sell YOUR songs.

[quote name='Ashweb' timestamp='1487709406' post='3242112'] Such a sad loss, went far too soon. [/quote] And yet, the world carried on without him . . . and all those other so-called influential people of their generation who died 'too soon'. I don't mean that disrespectfully, just pointing out that life is very short and ultimately meaningless, so make the most of it while you can.

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1487641701' post='3241487'] The Stones would rehearse not necessarily the playing of the songs, there's an awful lot of technical stuff that goes on in shows that they have to get right. Cues and ends, lighting and projection etc. [/quote] Good point. A few times I've been to a couple of gigs close together on the same tour and a lot of the chat, jokes and one-liners between songs were the same! I guess there's more to putting on a show than just knowing how to play a few tunes and then winging the rest.

Yes, but even a local repairman should be charging for his time, his test equipment, etc etc. For anything non-trivial (e.g. a blown fuse) almost any fault diagnosis is going to take an hour or so, and £50 for that seems reasonable to me.

The problem is, what's the alternative? Imagine you were setting up a repair business, how would you deal with such things if you had to earn a living from it as well as pay for all the business overheads of a workshop, test equipment, etc etc. I find that depreciation is a useful concept in this regard. So, you buy, say, an amp for, say £500, and it works fine for, say, 10 years before breaking. Is it really worth £500 after all that time? I don't think so. in fact, at around £1 per week I'd say it has done pretty well. I've got an old Ampeg combo that I bought second hand about £30 years ago - when it breaks it'll be going in the skip and I'll buy something new. it's the way of the world we live in.

I have one of these: http://www.cymaticaudio.com/products/recorders-players/live-recorder-lr16 No messing around during a live gig with laptops etc, just records up to 16 channels into wav files on a hard drive. Then, at your leisure, just import the wav files into your DAW and edit, overdub and mix away.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1487348822' post='3239218'] I've heard that in the days when electronics manufacturing was still a decent sized industry in the UK, the assembly line tasks mostly employed women, as that was the norm for lighter duty factory work. My mum had a job soldering PCBs for TV sets in her youth. Probably not massively relevant to the discussion, but there you go... [/quote] While that is quite right, I suspect the particular woman in your photograph would be about as useless as a chocolate teapot in that job as she'd be off work all the time with serious burns on her fingers!

I can't remember selling anything except my house and cars (if selling a car after 10 years for about £250 can be considered 'selling' rather than giving away!). If I can afford something I'll buy it outright, after which it ceases to have monetary value to me, only its utility value. It means I have no regrets though it does tend to clutter up the place.

[quote name='rmorris' timestamp='1487255838' post='3238416'] But why not use the EQ on the preamp itself - it'll doubtless give you much more control whatever type it is ? [/quote] This.

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1486723970' post='3234076'] Just had a mail from "See tickets" advertising Dylan at various venues. Not a huge fan but I see him as one those names you sort of ought to maybe see before either of us dies. [/quote] I wouldn't bother at £25, never mind £250. Saw him in the mid-80s at Wembley arena and it was probably the worst show I've ever seen, such was his obvious distain (or was it contempt) for the audience.

[quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1486458705' post='3231860'] Signed. Still need 70k more signatures to get it debated though... [/quote] Need to stamp your foot harder and throw more toys out your pram . . .

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1486295857' post='3230605'] . . . . but we have the power to stop them, just don't use them, as with inflated ticket prices, supply and demand is what it's all about [/quote] Exactly. I'd like petrol to be cheaper. Heck, I'd like cars to be cheaper. In fact I'd like everything to be cheaper. I'm sure we all would, but what difference does anyone think a petition will make? A few empty venues would have far more impact than a petition, but it's not going to happen is it? Frankly, the touts are just another level of rip off when the basic ticket prices can easily be £150+ these days. I'm just glad I got to see all the 'big names' years ago when ticket prices were sensible. I won't pay today's 'big name' ticket prices, but that's of little consequence if loads of other people will - which is fair enough I s'pose.

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1485892109' post='3227590'] Never got any awards involving the Arts. Its all subjective. In music, if you have sold 10s of millions of albums and done loads of huge sell out tours would you care if you got a trophy or not? I'm sure I would not. [/quote] Doesn't everyone appreciate the recognition of their peers? Why create and perform music in the first place if you're not interested in anyone else's opinion of it.

My point was that for top professionals money is usually no object yet many still use regular instruments (would be interesting to know the ratio). For most players, I'd suggest that spending some money on a good set-up would be a more useful investment than a whole new custom bass, but of course this whole issue is not about the fitness of an instrument to do a job it's about fashion and vanity. I've no problem with either, just let's be honest about it.

If high-end/custom basses are so good, how come so many top professionals/bass gods use regular instruments? Perhaps they're in it more for the music than the gear?

http://www.screwfix.com/c/tools/hex-keys/cat9780003

Good for you, if that's your decision and you're happy with it. There's more to life than playing bass - or should be!

John Deacon reportedly gave up music altogether after Freddie Mercury died. And what about that guy in The Troggs who went into researching UFOs - or was that just the drugs? Personally, I can understand why people decide on such a big change, especially after being so successful as in Deacon's case. Life is short and it seems a shame to focus just on one thing, unless that's the only interest you have I guess. Nico Rosberg is another example (though not musical obviously) - has achieved what he wanted from one activity and decided to move on to new things.

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1484848207' post='3219092'] I think that when you have the amount of money that Macca has and you can afford it all anyway... gear is of little importance. You could argue that a lot of the stuff that made him famous and sold the records was the techniques and equipment in the studio... so whilst it may be fair to say he's not a gear head... he has certainly used a lot of gear throughout his career. [/quote] I don't think gear is of little importance just because you can afford anything. Fair point about studio techniques, but that actually supports my basic point. Macca (and plenty of others) became world famous musicians using gear and techniques that still exist but are nowadays widely laughed at as being too primitive. Even as amateurs, we have access to instruments, gear and even recording facilities that 60s musicians and producers could only dream about. Indeed, isn't that one of the amazing things about the music business? No one here (I assume) could afford to buy themselves an F1 car (arguably the pinnacle of motoring technology - but let's not actually argue it!) yet most of us here (I assume) could afford to buy the exact same gear that our musical heroes use. Bass gear is eminently accessible to everyone who wants it, but musical ability and accomplishment clearly isn't - which is why no-one is held back by their instrument or gear. Gear is of little importance. Period.