lozkerr

A very belated +1 for Dylan covers. Peter, Paul and Mary's covers of Blowin' In The Wind and The Times They Are A-Changing are sublime.

Not forgetting Janis' cover of Piece Of My Heart.

Just back from the Audio Lounge in Glasgow after a gig with the punk band. We were second out of four and went down really well. Quite a small venue - it certainly isn't the Barrowland - but I'm really warming to more intimate spaces.

The Stingray acquitted itself well, although it's getting a bit clattery. I think it's going to have to go to Chris McIntyre for him to work his magic.

The backline was deffo old skool - SVT plus Workingman 810. Awesome sound and it was great to feel the air hitting the backs of my legs but completely OTT for such a small room. I wasn't complaining though, as for once I had enough oomph to hear myself over our volume 11 guitarist!

21 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

Yes, over time you get to realise that their standards aren't the ones of any community that you would want to be part of!

Social media's 'community standards' are just American cultural imperialism. As long as you remember that the only racial slurs that might get pulled are those seen as such over there - the N word comes to mind here - and portraying the destruction of life is fine but its creation is verboten, then you won't fall foul of their malgorithms.

If I didn't need Faceache for band promo, I'd have ditched it long ago.

14 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

I am so unlikely to buy (and retain) a 4 string bass, I often get annoyed that the sales area doesn't have a filter to filter only 5 strings, then I remember it would have to be me that did that and I let me off

 

I'd find that a handy feature too. I'm impressed with folks like @40hz who can easily switch between the two. I have to stop and think for a moment whenever I have to do that.

Just back from another outing at the Reivers Sports Bar in Galashiels. A bit quieter than last time but we still had a few folk up and dancing. It was someone's birthday, so the Altered Images song made an unscheduled appearance.

This was the first gig since I added the Thumpinator to the pedalboard and it made a hell of a difference. Tone was much more punchy and clear. Deffo money well spent.

Rig: Sterling Stingray 5, Eden WTX264 into an Eden 210 cab. Pedals as shown:

Footwear by Primani:

My first pro instrument was a five-string MIA Fender Jazz. It's a lovely bass - plenty of bite, perfectly balanced, looks the biz and is dead easy to play. I'll never part with it, even though my current weapon of choice is a Sterling Stingray 5.

14 hours ago, Sean said:

I think we should have a rule/guideline where we don’t post people’s names in the subject of the thread without some context. 

Concur. I had a huge 'oh shit no' moment when I first saw this.

I've been pondering the idea of a video wall. My 80s band played a gig in front of one a few years ago, and our frontman's daughter very kindly created an MP4 of instantly-recognisable 80s films. We'll pass lightly over the licensing fee issue...

It worked really well. I'd have liked to include some more political footage - the Falklands war, the miners' strike, a few memorable Spitting Image sketches and so on - but the link between the music and the footage made quite a difference.

Video wall controllers aren't as expensive as they used to be, and second-hand flat-screen TVs could be used instead of pricey monitors, but including one involves (a) more gear to cart about, (b) a longer set-up time, (c) whoever is rigging the video wall needs to be done and dusted before the drummer and bass player need to set up and (d) most importantly, the video wall support needs to be stable enough so that it won't tip over and fall on the band. And it needs to be easy to fit-up and strike, too.

Not a simple ask. But if I can find solutions, it'll solve the problems with having to have projectors out front in just the right place.

The Clickbait Adverts.

10 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

Now when you say "queer punk gig" it creates a rather odd image in my head. 

Dave

Oops, missed a word out. The promoter is called Queer As Punk. They arrange queer-friendly events, including gigs.

Queer punk gig last night in Edinburgh's Wee Red Bar with two other punk bands. Great atmos, plenty of people dancing, including one of my students from this Girls Rock School term. It was the first chance I'd had to make full use of my wireless rig - at its previous gig, I'd been literally backed into a corner at the Reivers Sports Bar in Galashiels with the 80s band. The stage is tiny and surrounded by railings, which meant that getting a six-piece band on was a very tight squeeze and once the bass player's on, she's staying there. But last night, I was able to wander out front and dance along with the audience. Big grins all round. We premiered a new song, too! And to cap it off, the headline band invited us over to Belfast. World tour! 😅

I took my trusty Sterling Stingray along and it acquitted itself very well through the venue's Peavey backline (I don't know the model - it was a combo with "Peavey' on the front) although it didn't have the clout that it does through my Eden rig. I had been thinking about adding my new sfx Thumpinator to my pedalboard, but then I remembered that fiddling with one's pedalboard just before a gig is officially Asking For It. I had a play with it today and it seems to work best when placed just after the wireless receiver / tuner. Next step is to see how it sounds in the studio as opposed to through a wee practice amp.

No pics yet, as we're still waiting for the photographer to provide them, but we had a great time!

Oh dear. Tier 1 fail.

At least I lasted longer than last year.

19 hours ago, tauzero said:

Prohibit amplified busking.

Absolutely this. Up to the end of last year, we were living on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. When the festivals came back after covid, every wee guitar hero prick turned up with an amp cranked to eleven. By the end of the first week, we'd given them all names, none of which were polite. Acoustic secondary glazing did manage to reduce our stress levels from 'imminent homicide' to 'annoyance' but of course that meant we couldn't open a window in summer. The street performers got in on the act too, last year. Every one of them had a wireless headset and an amp whereas before they just used to talk loudly.

I absolutely loathe amplified busking.

10 minutes ago, ezbass said:

With the seating looking very pew like, I would have been hard pushed not to say, “Dearly beloved, let us play,” in that environment. Nice venue.

I'd have done that! Be rude not to 😉

18 hours ago, LowB_FTW said:

You know when you know the notes you want to go to, but because your fingering is in a different position/shape before the change that you literally just trip your fingers over each other?

100%. There are a couple of bits in Paradise By The Dashboard Light that throw me every f'n time. Most of the verse is a simple twelve-bar, but there are a couple of places where the rhythm changes and I just cannot get them right. Play them through slowly, yes - but as soon as I try to increase the tempo, even by a few bpm, my fingers are all over the place.

I haven't given up on it yet, as I hate being beaten, but it's very frustrating knowing where my fingers need to go and them deciding to do something else!

Three-set outing at the Reivers Sports Bar in Galashiels last night. Six of us had to squeeze onto a stage that was all of three metres square and boxed in by railings. It was tight, to say the least. First time we'd played there and the punters were quite boisterous, with many of them celebrating Rangers' 4-3 win over whoever the other lot were. Dundee, maybe.

Went down really well, including six new songs that were having their first outing. Plenty of happy punters dancing and singing along. On the downside, the back of the stage was in almost complete darkness so I spent a lot of time squinting at the neck trying to see the fretboard markers. Then during the second set, my strap came off. I had to perch on the edge of my cab desperately punching out root notes on the one until the song ended. I think that'll be me out of the gear abstinence thread when I get a set of Schallers.

We're playing there again on the 17th May. The rig will be the same as last night - Sterling Stingray 5, Eden WTX264 atop an Eden 210 cab turned on its side (the space was that tight!). Something to cast a bit of light on the neck is on the cards - the light from my tablet helped a bit but not enough.

All in all though, a great night!

2 hours ago, tauzero said:

Why on earth would you do that and not 4th on B to 6th on A?

Beat me to it. Fourth on B to 6th on A is exactly what I'd do.

Perhaps an obvious step, but have you checked your spam / junk email folders?

I have a moon, but I'm not sure about letting it out of the house. The last time I did that, the police arrested me for indecent exposure.

On 03/02/2025 at 22:52, EMG456 said:

When it reaches the front of the stage, it does a kind of ski jump off the foot of a mic stand and launches itself onto the floor and into the crowd who are now scattering in all directions from it's path which ends with the first table it hits, spilling all the drinks and generally ruining everyone's night. But the sound it made was amazing.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. I have just (literally, unfortunately) wet myself laughing at this!

I now can't get the Breeders' Cannonball video out of my mind.

4 hours ago, cocco said:

I'm working to a similar idea. Trying to leave 2025 with less gear than I started with. 

Same here. PA, lights and a couple of amps will be finding their way onto the marketplace shortly. 

I'm not packing in gigging - it's just that the gear isn't getting the use I hoped it might and I can think of better uses for the money I'm spending on storage costs.

Games People Play - the Joe South version.

ETA: the first song I played in public was Pretty In Pink.

4 hours ago, mikebass456 said:

Guess it's going to be a bit of a quiet period gig-wise for the next few weeks at least.....

What's the next thing anyone's starting to prepare for/looking forward to?

For me, the next gig with the full band is a private birthday party on Feb 15th, and the acoustic band first gig is a paddys day gig on March 15th. Having to learn a load of stuff for this one, including some stuff new to me (Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys).  We currently do lots of Levellers stuff which can slot in nicely as we have a fearsome fiddle player and can 'borrow' an accordion player so I'm really looking forward to that one.....Happy New Year everyone - power to your callouses!! 😆

First gig of 2025 with the punk band is a two-day mini festival at the Home Bar and Leith Depot in Edinburgh on the 17th and 18th January. We're kicking off the evening slot at Leith Depot on Saturday the 18th.

6 hours ago, Richard R said:

Updated the first post in the thread with the Rules as I understand them 🙂

 

Currently on the starting line - plenty of space left:

@neepheid

@Richard R

@SimonK

@Franticsmurf

@barkin

@Velarian

@Phill

@AndyTravis  - I have high hopes for you this year Andy - because I'm somehow going to tell Iris that you've joined this thread and I reckon she'll make you toe the line!

@prowla

@ezbass - I think you're in?

@bass_dinger

@Jono Bolton - Refinishing hasn't come up before.  Probably out, but we'll have to put it to the jury in March.

@SumOne

@Lozz196

@bassbiscuits

@Mudpup

@miles'tone

@tauzero
@Suburban Man

@fretmeister - yes repairs and consumables are OK

@OliverBlackman

@paul_5 - let us know what the compressor sounds like when you've built it

@King Tut

@Marvin

 

@Shockwave

@NJE

@jimmyb625

@mr zed

@wavemaker

 

I'm in too! Unsure how long I'll last though...

I'm in too. A house move has all but wiped out my gear fund, so it'll be consumables and repairs/like-for-like replacements only this year.