Stub Mandrel

Shat 69?

I go this about 11:30 last night... it's off a 20-year-old album. I have the freedom to be creative but will start by learning the original, now in a minute...

Played Crazy at a jam then at a dep and it just felt awkward ascthe drummers didn't leave any space. Felt so good when back with a drummer playing it properly.

The 'gold standard' is a link to the exact version. Beware I found an official lyric video and it turned out to be a semitone flat! Annoying but not terminal!

Bluesfire... I choose the odd song. Total freedom to play what Iike, so some originals some improvised skme in between, which is more trusting me to get it right than licence to go crazy. Bendricks Rock... very democratic about song choices. Pretty close to originals, go a bit mad sometimes (e.g. Crossroads...) Fortunate Sons... the new boy so take the setlist as I find, but my comments are heard. Pretty much playing the original lines. Fractured Persona... all originals, all my own lines to other's songs. My interpretations have pushed songs in interesting directions but new guitarist is doing a good job of 'producing' the material. Play my part in getting gigs for all four.

Jazz,Jazz, evolved Jazz and PJ with a j-type neck.

Looks pretty typical, should go down well at a younger venue. Let's dance is great fun to play but sooo easy to get out of synch if you aren't paying attention (don't ask). Enjoy!

Some of us have given up on 2025 as a bad job.

That's only one step away from cargo shorts! 😁

Fortunately, they aren't changing them on the fly, but they've played 'their' arrangements of some songs for so long. The setlist changes every gig and it seems they have a LOT of songs stashed away that reappear, so each one is learn the basics then get their arrangement.

I feel like a b**** for doing this but you did say...

For one band I'm in I've given up practicing to the originals... better to rely on my wits.

Short version. Long drive. Double booked. Agreed to be paid of for reduced fee. Then sorted that other band would do one long set then we do two sets for original fee. Landlord getting increasingly 'tired and emotional'. Luckily the band organiser was sober. Landlord decided that as the other band only played half set, wouldn't pay them. They got half fee in the end but we gave them a bit of ours in solidarity. So we went on at 6:45 instead of 5. Crowd were great, several musos present who gave us some reasonably convincing praise. Our setlist which continually evolves works great in the valleys. First half is all pretty heavy classic rock, second half also includes a few crowd pleasers and a 'Welsh Bit'. Anyway landlord disappeared but landlady gave us the full fee and apologised. They want us back (not surprising as normally it would go dead after the band finishes at 7 and we kept it busy until 9) . We were told this had never happened before. Two of our band are in other bands booked there so they checked their bookings. One was double booked and the other was booked in on the wrong date. Apparently we were down for 30 November... this morning I got messages saying 30th November no good can we do the friday. Then actually can we do another date instead. As you might imagine some of us are 'unkeen' about returning.

You could file down some round bar and use it as a peg to reattach the old knobs - if you have them.

They once sent me a euro power lead instead of a uk one. They sorted it.

Pretty much what I would expect. Piezo tweeters won't do a great deal unless you are 'slapping and popping'.

Notice has ranged from hours to weeks. Most bands send far more songs than necessary. Biggest issue is usually odd arrangements, learn to anticipate on the fly. Expect up to about 30 new songs usually only 2 or 3 will be tricky. Simplification is ok e.g. a song with lots of minor variations, just play the basic line and maybe improvise. Gotchas are strange key choices and weird arrangements. Same pay as the band, no deductions, no expectation to chip in for rehearsal costs. Only dress code has been 'wear plain black', but don't wear something that draws attention from the band.

All I can say is I've not bought o of his instruments but they are lovely to see and play and he's a nice chap to discuss basses with!

We have a Liverpool fan... that can be stressful, less so since we've persuaded him having a Liverpool FC banner at gigs is not always a great idea (it was ok at the Liverpool fan club gig though...)

It looked like a post from my famous thumbs. 😁

I spent 56 minutes trying to decipher that before I gave up 😁

My dad, who died less than a year ago at 92, used to tell a story. When his brother was a baby and he was about 12, a minister who was visiting the parish called round. My grandmother offered him the baby to hold, and while he was holding my uncle, he started crying. It was the first time he'd ever been offered to hold a white baby. Old people grew up in a time of casual racism, but not all old people are racists.

I want to be friends with my band mates, and that means mutual respect. One of my bandmates is quite young and of mixed east-Asian heritage. He's not afraid to call out racism and do a bloody good job of it. Did have one odd situation... someone who was very performatively 'politically correct' - wouldn't do 'Hey Joe' as it's 'misogynistic'. Irony being that they were the sort of person who gave off a sort off creepy vibe at odds with their professed stance... they didn't last. I am considering getting a 'Stop the Scrotes' t-shirt. I'll let you decide who I think the scrotes are...

The GP11 mk iv won't be very different from the mk 5.

James is a really nice chap, and as mentioned he's great fun to jam with but expect to fly by the seat of your pants. I find his gigs great fun. He does have some crazy banter, but he doesn'ttake himself seriously... he named an album 'frantic' as a response to a reviewer. In the time I've known him ( about 4 years) his playing has developed a lot more subtlety and feel. It's not just crazy fast riffing. He has some great bassists, not just Norman, but his go-to drummer Mark Kemlo is incredible.