Paul S

My blues rock trio Toredown at playing at the Shamrock in Ipswich, our local, tonight. Slightly concerned that there is an England game kicking off at 7pm and how that impacts on our set up etc. Anyway, if you are free and like a blast of good old fashioned RnB do pop along.

For a while I used an Airturn Ped Pro as a blue tooth page turner/scroller combined with an Android tablet - easy enough to pair. The app I use for the set list is SetList Maker but there are loads of these types of thigns.

To be honest I think he lost contact with earth some while ago.

7 minutes of joy

Saw SAHB many times - once really early on before 'Next' had been released, they opened an all day affair at the Ally Pally (just looked it up - 5th August '73, Uriah Heep headlined) starting with a cover of 'Crazy Horses' Front row were chucking bottles up at them, for some reason. As good a front man as Alex Harvey is, I found I was always completely entranced by Zal Cleminson. Saw Zal a couple of years ago when his band Sin Dogs played at the 100 Club in London. He's stil got the charisma.

The 8th of Noughtober 2021?

I am sure it's a doddle if you have the skill, tools and steady hands! I am sadly lacking in all those departments But - it looks like there are off-the peg lightweight bodies to be had. I can't work wood but can screw things together

Oh well, Bach to the drawing board Looks like it is the '54 P bass body I am after, didn't realise the distinction until I did a bit of reading this afternoon. I guess I could always put a bitsa together - looks like lightweight bodies are available. Sell a couple of basses to fund it, maybe.

Yes, I believe that is the thing with these - quite a lump. I wonder about the MIJ Fender versions. The Bach ones Davie suggested might be getting stock in the new year but the guy who answered my email said shipping costs into the Uk now are crazy high. Still, I am not exactly down to my last bass so am in no hurry.

thank you! It does indeed.

Thanks Davie. Now they look very interesting, although the one I would be most interested in is out of stock. Have you dealt with them or even own one?

I was wondering if there were any that fitted the bill. Superficially looking like a 50s but lightweight with an arm contour. Just curious Muchas gracias

They used to make cheese triangles, wrapped in silver foil. I use the term cheese loosely. I don't think there is any band - not even the ones I favour the most - where I like all of their output. So it is always a balance of % good/bad. And for me, despite growing up in the 60s, the % of good in the Beatles is very low. I like a few songs, especially when they were a Chuck Berry tribute band :), but mainly not my thing. But that is music for you - just like any art form it is subjective. Not liking the Beatles doesn't make me a bad person*. Plenty of other things, perhaps, but nothing Beatles related. 😂 *I was in a band for 5 years where the other 3 were all massive Beatles and Zappa fans. Especially Zappa. I had to endure lengthy passes of song lyrics being quoted and everyone giggling.

Fleetwood Macaronesia?

It's probably easier to fit a blues trio in the corner of the Dog and Centipede than a 7 piece funk band with brass section. But, bottom line, it all depends upon what you like. If you don't like the genre you aren't going to find it a good fit. Maybe ask for a sample set list before auditioning? If you see 'set one' Red House and nothing else listed you might want to swerve that band.

I couldn't do that. Turn up to rehearsals/gigs with someone knowing you were going to sack them. Seems a bit shabby tbh.

TI Flats on everything for me Love the sound, love the feel.

Your post could be a copy and paste of my thoughts on these little beauties. I put a Hipshot bridge on mine, much more confortable for palm muting as well as any other benefits. What is the pickup you have?

For my blues rock trio I have a tablet attached to the mic stand. Even though it is all about the guitarist I actually do most of the mc stuff. On it I have the set list with some notes such as key, who wrote it and when. The latter two I like to throw in occasionally, a few folk who see us regulalry have said they find it interesting. I can usually remember the key (though not always!), most often remember who wrote it but certainly struggle to remember when certain songs were written. But I don't sing at all so when we are playing I am nowhere near the mic stand anyway. Well, small pubs I am but not through choice. Going to be adding a smartphone holder soon as we are trying out some lights that are controlled via an app, if I actually need or want to change settings - for some reason the app isn't available for my tablet, which is a shame. But big names using scrolling screens - seems to me to be very common. A few times at the O2 we've had seats right to one side of the stage and you can see the screens on the front edge of the stage, plus the tech sitting at the side with his laptop controlling the screens. Bottom line - I'm not sure I like to see a singer staring fixedly at words when singing but if it is just a safety net I really don't see what the fuss is about.

I had to count up. 12, plus an EUB and an electroacoustic (but they don't count, do they) 12 is too many, I need to shed a few.

Absolutely. His solo in The King Will Come on Live Dates has one of the best uses of wah-wah I have ever heard.

That doesn't surprise me. MT's sense of entitlement and indignation comes across so strongly it was beginning to overshadow the evening - one of the reasons I left early, couldn't be doing with it. I can easily imagine he was a nightmare to be in a band with. Nevertheless, I will spend this afternoon trying to somehow dial in a similar tone to his Thunderbird out of my Epiphone Classic Pro I'm thinking more high mids.... we'll see.

I just had a little read up about the twists and turns of the band. Apparently Andy Powell sued Martin Turner to stop him using the name 'Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash' so I guess that puts a future reunion off the table.

I would imagine that ship sailed a while back, sadly. Be nice, though. And Ted Turner.