PaulWarning

not many share my opinion then, us bass players are the most underrated members in the band, guitarist's think it's easier and the public don't really know what we do, not helped by being low in the mix a lot of the time, and only last night someone said to me " I've tried guitar and couldn't do it, might try bass it looks easier". So standing there playing an open string with the freting hand dangling by your side sort of disrespects us IMO YMMV

is it just me or does anybody else find it irritating when bassists take their hand off the neck when playing an open string, usually with a 'look at me aren't I clever' look on their faces? when it's exactly the opposite to being clever.

colleagues then?

this, I've got 2, none of them in the band, I've got people I'll happily chat to in the pub but wouldn't call them close friends, I couldn't ever see me being close friends with someone I'm in a band with, band politics get in the way

so I guess it depends on the type of gigs you do, sounds like function type bands will get asked but pub type bands won't

we've been asked a 2 or 3 of times in about 400 gigs, then they've never bothered checking when we got there, a lot of it is common sense, making sure the plugs and mains leads are in good condition mainly, I've got some blank stickers, I think the regs say they have to be tested by a competent person, well, that'll be me then

suppose it depends how busy the band is as well, I get on better with people outside the band, I am guilty of fighting my corner with a little bit to much enthusiasm at times, I was watching a documentary and it was saying, correctly in my view, that the longer a band goes on the less time the members spend together, so with that in mind 4111

depends what you mean by friends, friends as in, you've known them years, you'll have heart to hearts with and see regularly outside the band, or friends like in, see them when you happen to be at the same gig or pub, or even worse, friends as in Facebook.

never under estimate the power of nostalgia, that's why people go out and watch covers bands, thankfully.

this is it isn't it? they may be cheap and decent cabs, but the reason is, lightweight cabs are the way to go, a bargain is a bargain only if it's what you want anyway

must say I can't agree, it's such a distinctive part of the song, some attempt should be made, if not don't bother at all

Bill Wyman also got screwed, he wrote the riff for Jumping Jack Flash, or so I read somewhere

not sure you should be bracketing Sid Vicious and Glen Matlock. Punk had some really good bass players (JJ Burnel, Bruce Foxton, some of the The Rezillos bass playing is exceptional, not sure who it was as they changed bass players at the time) as well as the root note merchants

it certainly did, which is a big reason why we had some many good bands in the 60's, but it was forgotten, punk reminded people of that and I don't think it's been forgotten again, probably punks lasting legacy

I think I'm being taken a bit to literally here, what I was saying is by extending the songs as they were recorded (and some of them are far too long, Hey Jude for example) they weren't/aren't adding to them, it might be fun for those playing long solo's but not for those listening IMO, bit like jam sessions, and after punk it was far less prevalent than before. Some songs are better longer, but not many that I like anyway, YMMV

Why do bands extend songs live? another thing punk put a stop too (to start with anyway) if you can't say what you want to say in 3 minutes you're saying too much

not to mention 20 minute drum solo's, God I hate drum solo's

If punk did anything at all it took music back to grass roots, it had all got too elitist and pompous, no wonder Whispering Bob Harris hated it

you'd probably get away with that, the drums are low in the mix

don't think that'll work very well, there's no point in the song were there's not something else, like drums, going off in the background

yes got to agree @Lozz196 when we're are trying to get pub gigs and they ask what sort of music we play, we have to say Punk but quickly add stuff like the Buzzcocks Undertones and Clash otherwise they get totally the wrong idea, we've had people coming up to us after gigs saying they never realised how many punk songs they knew or liked

nothing much more to say really, once glam died we were left with pretentious prog and artist who took themselves way to seriously, punk really did take us back to Rock and Roll's year zero with the Ramones, the period I liked best was pre 1980 some great simple speeded up pop songs then, after that it all got a bit too shouty shouty for me. A lot of people fell for McLaren's publicity stunt about them not being able to play, some of the bands in the early days had been around for years, Stiff Little Fingers, The Stranglers, The Jam etc, great pop songs don't need to be complicated

yep, John Otway uses something similar during his version of Crazy Horses to great effect

if you walked out because they were musically pony that's fair enough, must admit I was disappointed with them at Butlins last year, extended songs just so his Bobness could prance around, should have gone to see Sham instead, still think it's a bit much for (so called) punks to be walking out because he was winding them up, they fell for it, when I first went to punk gigs 1977 that was part of the fun

His Bobness has his faults but I thought that was brilliant, he upset the so called punks (in fact, middle aged men who think being a punk involves wearing a leather jacket having a Mohawk hair style) by insulting them and some of them didn't get it and walked out, oh the irony