Baxlin

One high spot of my music career- the band I was in went on stage after the Spencer Davis Group in Nottingham in the 60s. (Err, but approx 24 hours after - they had been there the previous night.......😇)

As is Phoebe Bridgers, and that’s where we came in 11 pages ago!🤫🤫🤫

Maybe he is less innovative and exciting nowadays, but that doesn’t necessarily make his playing mediocre. And I agree, audiences tend to go to concerts by ‘maturer’ artists to hear the old stuff anyway. eg, Barbara Dickson is one of my favourite female singers, but I went to one concert where she had a very small band, and hardly played any from her well-known catalogue , instead concentrated on traditional folk stuff, with weird bagpipes and the like. Quite disappointing.

Whenever I sell a bass or guitar online that has to be sent by courier, of it doesn’t include a case, the first thing I do is, using wrapped cable ties, strap a length of 2x1 wood over the strings from bridge to headstock. Then use whatever other packing I have - lots of bubble wrap and heavy cardboard. I’ve never had a breakage yet. But search YouTube for the vid “United breaks guitars”......

Well I am getting on a bit, which could be a contributory factor... (And possibly sends the thread off on yet another tangent)

All I wanted to do was comment on a relatively unknown artist’s opinion of a very well-known artist’s work..... (he says in a very small voice, head down................) 😇😇😇

While I really enjoyed The Two Ronnies’, they were classic examples of finger wavers when it came to ‘playing’ instruments in their sketches, particularly Ronnie Corbett. But a brilliant sketch was Eric Sykes ‘duetting’ guitar with John Williams......

And to back up they excellent photos, they’ve given a fully detailed description.....

Not born in the USA, so that’s one person it couldn’t be.......

At least the tuners are on straight on that one

Hey, no apology necessary 👍 Let me clarify.....I’m just fed up to the back teeth with the hysteria this country seems to have over football/soccer or whatever. Making gods out of multi-millionaire players, etc. You will have gathered I’m not a fan. On a tangent, there was a photo of one the other day, some ‘top’ player or other, riding a pushbike, ‘look mum, no hands’, no gloves, and although wearing a helmet, it was unfastened. What an example to youngsters who worship the likes of him. Southgate has warned of player burnout, because of the ‘crowded’ imminent international fixture list, but compare his players with say Tour de France cyclists, who hardly have a break during the 3 weeks or so of the Tour. Having finished my rant, I’m off out for the day shortly, so won’t be able to see the flak I’ve attracted from those members I have upset - and I’m not drunk-typing, but as Mrs B would say, I’m sounding just like my Dad.....😀 (talk about thread going off topic!) Malcolm

Yes, soccer, as opposed to RUGBY football. I suppose I could have used the more correct, or pedantic, description, Association Football. Either way, I never gave our Colonial cousins across the pond a thought......

You wouldn’t get me starting (or even posting in) a thread even remotely connected with soccer......🤫

I don’t want to comment further.

I’m well over 70, so the music of the 60s is engrained in me, but I agree with the summary above, although I have to say I can’t get my head round rap, so I’ll exclude that. I’ve recently re-found (is that a word?) Bluegrass, not necessarily by the original artists, but there are some new, young bands, playing older stuff, and their own originals, in BG style. Also there’s a lot of YouTube acoustic stuff around, some really talented youngsters, like Josh Turner, (search Josh Turner Guitar, as there’s another Josh Turner) and Toni Lindgren. Searching for ‘bass backing tracks’ on YT, I’ve found some jazz-type arrangements to play along to, again something I’ve not looked at or liked previously. So for me at least, lockdown’s not all bad!

Do you know, I could never get ‘into’ his music. Apart from Space Oddity and possibly (ok, definitely) Starman, I don’t think I can recall any of his songs, certainly not to pass the whistle test (ditto U2). But then he never sang any of mine, either........

It was just the gravitation to racism in general that I felt was unpleasant, not any one member’s postings, and not what I started the thread for.. Malcolm.

If it helps calm things down, I’ll apologise for starting the thread, although I did say ‘maybe better if we didn’t mention comments about his racism’, naively expecting comments about his music. I’m happy if the thread is closed/locked, to prevent (further) unpleasantness. Malcolm

I was interested to read comments by Phoebe Bridgers about Clapton, (maybe less said the better about her accusations of his racism) that he produced extremely mediocre music - and also calling ‘tears from heaven’ the dead baby song, apparently. Music is very much a matter of choice and opinion, and there’s some of his music that I can take or leave, but it’s always well performed, and professionally presented/arranged, surely? Certainly not mediocre, with the likes of Nathan East and Andy Fairweather Lowe featuring at times in his live band? And, tbh, is Phoebe Bridgers someone I should have heard of, because I have to admit, I haven’t. Edit: having googled her name, I see she’s (been?) involved with someone called Conor - same spelling.......

I’ve recently discovered The Petersens, primarily a bluegrass band, but they stray into mainstream, I suppose via country. If you rely on their lineup before listening to them, it’s a bit ‘cheesy’ - 3 sisters, one brother, one friend, and Mom on double bass! But they are seriously good vocalists and musicians, with one of the best Dobro players I’ve ever heard. Give them a try!

Bass player playing piano? Its more likely he/she’ll be playing fortissimo......

Long-ish anecdote post, sorry. I auditioned as a drummer in the mid 60s, and the band couldn’t decide between me and another bloke. The band was aiming towards being a ‘showband’ (the lineup already included sax and Hammond), and we both had similar ‘Red Silk’ kits, but he was left handed, and set his kit up accordingly. This visual symmetry appealed to the band, so we were both offered, and accepted, the job. Anyway, the next day I phoned the other lad to arrange a time to get together to work out who did what when, but his Dad answered, saying that his lad wasn’t going to be one of two, he was going to contact the BL to insist his lad got the seat. Nice. So I phoned the BL immediately, and he asked if I was happy being one of two. Yes, says I, as that’s what I had agreed to. Ok was the response, you’ve got the job, I don’t want or need that sort of hassle, I want someone we can get on with....

Aren’t many of us Bedroom Bassists currently? Try Stealers Wheel’s ‘Stuck in the Middle’ - Including a bit of Noel Redding’s ‘Hey Joe’ riff. And I’ve recently found some ‘bass backing tracks’ on YouTube, things like Sunny, Georgia on my Mind, and Fly me to the Moon. Enjoy!

I sympathise with LeftyP: I have a long scale Epiphone EB3, and an old Marlin sidewinder (amongst others), the latter being heavier, but both having the same overall length. However, the Marlin has a longer/bigger body, so the weight is distributed differently, and obviously the strap button is on the top horn, resulting in no neck dive, and being more comfortable to play, even with an unpadded strap. Trouble is I prefer the Epi! Edit: re Dad’s comment, as an experiment I did move the strap button on the EB3 a couple of inches, actually onto the neck, didn’t really help, and presented the strap at a funny angle, so it was moved back....

I’ve failed here, as I can’t remember the first song I learned /played on the bass, but Peggy Sue was the first I learned on guitar. I’d been given a guitar, and I ‘acquired’ a Buddy Holly songbook and a book of 750 chord shapes. It would be 1962-ish, in my early teens.