Stub Mandrel

Nice to nail it, but sometimes you can't. If it's complex, I generally learn the bones of it then add detail, but I get a lot of satisfaction from playing something spot on, especially a walking line. It also depends on genre. If it's the Faces or a Rory Gallagher song then why try and duplicate something the originals would have played differently every time themselves? Use it as a chance to develop my improvisation. Or circumstances, doing a gig on Saturday, mostly new stuff and styles for me. Acoustic, fretless (me) and vocals. Very few rehearsals and some songs I've only played once so far... some songs are totally improvised, some are in the spirit of the original, a few are by the book. I've learned up to the start of the second verse of Wherever I Lay My Hat and beyond that I'm 'in the style of' - going to be hairy as it's just going to be bass and vocals (am I scared - no I'm s***g myself!) *Ace of Spades - I've had to learn how to play bass chords, super fast, with a plectrum. I would never have attempted this and have now discovered the main risk is cramp! OTOH, doing a battle of the bands with the main band the week after. Eight songs, six of them we're aiming to nail*, one I simplified but I'm now adding in bits and for one I'm going to just have as much fun as I want as we'll all go OTT 🙂

https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/relationships/impressing-women-by-playing-instrument-does-not-apply-to-ukulele-20200210193359 MEN hoping to impress women by playing an instrument have been reminded it does not apply to the ukulele. Experts stressed that the ukulele should only be learned by people who genuinely love the instrument and not by those hoping to look sexy. Professor Henry Brubaker, of the Institute for Studies, said: “While there have been a few cases of male ukulele players succeeding with women, it is purely coincidental. The women were not aware that those men played the ukulele. “Indeed, many ukulele players go to great lengths to conceal their ukulele playing. For example if they are in a social situation and a friend says ‘Jim plays the ukulele’, ‘Jim’ will say ‘no I do not, that’s a lie’.” Professor Brubaker added: “Recommended instruments include the guitar, the bass and the piano. Even the violin and the harp could do the business, especially in the hands of an Irishman. “The only thing that comes close to being as bad as the ukulele is, of course, the trumpet.”

You could say it has it's ups and downs. But it doesn't.

🤩 To speed things up I've just emailed all my bank details direct...

Last night I was playingStand By Me (sorry!) on the fretless and it just felt wrong unless I played the major third distinctly flat (going by my finger position and my tuner). I've just checked and in just intonation a major third is about 14 cents flat compared to equal temperament, while the fourth is almost spot on. Does this mean that (a) I'm going to start listening to classical music (b) feel an overwhelming urge to start pulling frets?

Indeed. And every single band member has a 'Bev Bevan' haircut 🙂

Bet that was great acoustics...

We just left them out...

I'm shamed. I only have about 20-odd (including guitars, mandolins and Ukes)

Very William Morris!

Mornington Crescent!

I can manage that one 😁 How about De-da-da-da?

Jama-wool padding? Or just swap it for one of these (only £43 to you...)

Nyango Star does Slipknot...

Odd problem.. are you using long scale strings on an SS bass?

Having seen many people invest a fortune in the 'right tools' just for many of them to never be used again, my advice is that, aside from the obvious basics, see what needs to be done THEN identify a cost effective solution and build your collection of tools as you need them.

Hmm. First concert - Stormqueen, Barry Boy's Comprehensive 6th form common room about 1978 Last concert - Cadstock Fundraiser (including Brothers band Stonehouse and the 'Popular songs in a ska style played by guys in clown constumes' Black Jam Circus) Best concert - Black Sabbath New Year's Eve 1981 at Hammersmith Odeon Worst concert - Cornershop, before they got famous. Just random feedback. But Gong/Here & Now who they were supporting were brilliant. Loudest concert - Motorhead. Hammy Odeon, 83. Seen the most - Probably Fairport Convention, or perhaps Hawkwind. Was once the Stranglers. Most surprising - Dave Swarbrick and Martin Carthy - because my friends invited me along to see a 'quite good' duo on at their local folk club. Or Slade. Next concert - Saxon. Wish I would have seen - Sabbath with Ozzy. Wish I could see again - Heaven and Hell Honourable mentions: Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons - for being awesome. Oysterband - for blowing away Chumbawanba Radiohead - for playing Paranoid Android so I realised I HAD heard of them. Rush - for having an iMax screen as backdrop. Hawkwind - for being Hawkwind.

I didn't actually leave but... In my first band the guitarist/BL had a Dire Straits obsession (about 1/5 to 1/4 of our songs). He was a very able rhythm guitarist but he had a sort of 'Guitar George Syndrome' which meant he wouldn't play lead (OK, he did a bit on Show me the Way, enough to show that with effort he was quite capable...) so the KB player covered most of the solos and I even did a couple on bass (Like a Hurricane with a Bass Solo anyone?) <edit> For some reason I was convinced we were not very good and couldn't understand why we seemed to go down OK at gigs (we even got rebooked...) but from a 30 years later perspective we were pretty tight and in all honesty, despite my angst, the punters at Valleys working men's clubs weren't exactly shouting out for guitar histrionics...

I just found this pic, it's a relatively recent selfie of me with a t-shirt for a band I was in in the early 90s. There must be lots of historic and hysterical t-shirts for basschatters' bands out there, so share yours !

A popular style, but it can look 'sixth-form art portfolio'... Not that my own attempts at cover art are any better:

Utterly rammed and a good time was had by all.

You're doing a beautiful job there, but are you your own worst enemy in the balance department?

The crappy graphics put me off, but when I read that I thought 'must listen' 🙂

Or a skateboarding 'Oss...

There was also the 'Celeb by Ligger' strip in Etavirp Yee...