The Admiral

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1434864939' post='2803348'] Imagine the problems once Gene Simmons announces that if Gene wants to, Kim Kardashian is going home with him, not Kanye. [/quote] Their two heads and her bum - there definitely isn't a tent big enough for that challenge. Although some might say that's 3 huge arses in the same room!

[quote name='police squad' timestamp='1434871463' post='2803368'] I saw a band recently, that had a sound engineer, with an iPad. wandering around the venue to get the sound right. It was dreadful. Muddy as hell. people don't know how to use a mixing desk. They boost everything when they should leave it flat and add a little treble for clarity (well that works for me and the bands I watch that have a good sound). Their sound was so bad that we moved on to another pub [/quote] I've lost count of the number of cars I have rented where the tone controls are all set to +9 : people, but especially the under 30s, don't have a clue what 'good' sounds like, which IMHO, is linked somewhat to years of listening to MP3 through cheap headphones and poor sound systems.

[quote name='lurksalot' timestamp='1434872085' post='2803374'] I think it is one thing to offer some help with the overall sound that you can hear at the back of the room , but telling them they are using the wrong type of guitar and have the wrong image would be a touch indelicate [/quote] I thought their image was good - and I'm not one for worrying about whether someone is wearing the 'wrong' brand of jeans. John Lee Hooker did fine with an Epiphone semi, and my Tele comment was about the sound, not the look : the 'sutably cool' comment was in the sense of his thinking that, and being prepared to be seen playing it - I know how image conscious most guitar players are. I just get inordinately frustrated that better players than me sell themselves short like this, and effectively fail to show their abilities to their best, by avoidable mistakes. They were a really good band, and it pissed me off that they were not making the most of that. We left them to it after the first set, but they were going down well. The trouble with that is, it's like being the star player in a 4th division ( I still can say '2nd division') football team - the fans love you, and you are playing every week, knocking in the goals, but with a bit of application and working upon the small detail, you could be playing in the championship.

[quote name='redbandit599' timestamp='1434669447' post='2801782'] Having just come back from Download where I saw Kiss, I think they'd be a great replacement for the Foos - on the condition that Kanye West has to share a tent with Gene Simmons. I imagine that'd be fun... [/quote] I don't think there is a tent made which could accommodate 2 egos of that size : maybe if you get a TARDIS version of a marquee.

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1434853399' post='2803337'] Did you manage to chat to them ,and give them some input ? [/quote] No. I'm always wary of coming off like an arse in situations like this, and I'm very conscious of how this looks from their side - some random bloke from a pub audience telling them how to use their gear. It's the kind of thing which turns up in the 'How was your gig last night?' thread on here all the time! They also had a table full of WAGs and mates with them, plus a few people who were there specifically to see them, who were lapping it up, so it didn't seem as if it would have landed too well. So frustrating though, particulalyr as, if I put my 'producer's' hat in, I could also have given them some input on the arrangements and general performance too! I would definitely have suggested the guitarist swap his semi for a telecaster, or something solid bodied and suitably 'cool' - and whether he could be persuaded to do so or not, certainly go for an overdriven Muddy Waters type sound - which would have worked far better. I don't know if they were going for a kind of Eddie Cochran/Rockabilly guitar sound, but it didn't come off - not aided by DI'ing the guitar : far better to have played with a small back line amp, which would have taken a lot of the mush out of the PA sound too, as it wouldnt have been competing for the mid range.

Spent a very frustrating hour in a pub tonight listening to a Blues duo : slide/harmonica/Vox and guitar/BVs. Nice guitars, good players, and a good set - but completely ruined for me by the frankly sh*te sound they were getting from their Mackie rig of 12 ch powered mixer into 2 1x15 plus horn tops on stands. They had no monitors, which didn't help, but they had set the speakers up behind them, and had them pointing off axis, at the walls, to avoid feedback, and everything sounded like wooly mush : dull rumbling strumming, with far too much reverb, from the semi playing guitarist - and wooly, indistinct vocals and harp. I was desperate to get up and take charge of the mixer for 2 minutes to at least bring some clarity to what they were doing, but that was clearly not an option. They were fiddling all set too- trying to get it better, but with no positive result. What fascinated me is that the pub punters were well into it, even though it sounded like they were playing under water, which perhaps bears out many people's belief that most punters have got cloth ears, and the stuff we worry about, they don't hear, and/or care about. I don't understand why guys who have clearly invested huge amounts of time learning their craft, and big bucks on their gear, don't appear to have spent any time learning how it actually works! Bizarre, or is it me?

[quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1434656382' post='2801635'] You could replace them with any old bollocks really! However, the best way would be to get a band who have a song that rocks a little bit or is soft in the verse. Then a chorus that rocks a little bit more. Repeat, then do the last chorus but with shouting. You could even maybe go really quiet for a little bit before the shouting. Then repeat this formula in every song choosing which type of verse you want and whether to have a quiet bit before the shouting. [/quote] Better get Metallica back for another go then - they do all that very well.

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1434294326' post='2798362'] Open air, public event yesterday afternoon, went pretty well and considering this band do heavy rock covers was very well received. Got a couple of videos, this was the opener, will add the other when it (finally) uploads. http://youtu.be/8omzYNI5SW8 [/quote] Nice tone! Just out of interest, what was Plan B if it rained?

[quote name='urbanx' timestamp='1433969526' post='2795604'] You've done this before! Yeah, I think bottled water and bog roll will deffo be added to the list...just in case! [/quote] Joking aside - have you thought about what happens if the baby turns up and you need to go? Have you got a contingency for the bass parts - can you guitarist cover it, or can you go in and bash the bass tracks out in one go, once the rest of the tracking has been done? Not to pour rain on your parade, but people without kids don't understand that you need to do the family stuff first, and if the band doesn't progress after the recording, you don't want anyone using your inability to do the recording 'properly' becoming the default scapegoat. Might be an idea to try and agree you will do all your parts first, then if you need to go, no problem. Well worth spending some time boxing it off. Finally, forget to mention that peppermint tea or earl grey is a good option rather than endless coffees, and, even though it's summer, some gloves to wear to keep your hand muscles 'warm' : bad cramp or a muscle twinge will really spoil your day. Have fun.

Bottled water Rennies Fruit juice Toilet roll Hand Sanitizer A music stand (seriously - useful for the notepad, pens etc) Lots of patienc And details of the studio landline number, just in case the baby decides to make an appearance!!!

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1433686630' post='2793083'] IME the U.S. and Canadian immigration officials are ok if you play along with them. However, they are trained to wind you up as much as possible so that you give them any excuse not to let you in. I managed to get into Canada with a letter from General Motors stating that I was being paid by an English company. However, the guys who had entered 3months earlier had spent 5 hours being asked the same questions over and over again, often by the same official. The worst I ever had was one guy asking me five times in slightly different ways what I was going to be doing. I gave exactly the same answer every time. I wasn't sure at what point he was going to get bored. We also ran into trouble crossing the border when we had an old cut-off section of plastic pipe left in the boot of our car. "I thought you say you had no trade materials in the car." - 2 hours to explain that one. [/quote] We crossed into the U.S. from Canada at an obscure ferry point across a small lake about 4 years ago, and the border control point was one bloke in a phone box sized hut. He was amazed to see British passports, and kept us talking for about ten minutes, not to question us, but just chatting about the UK. Turns out he's a bit of an Anglophile and wants to come to the UK one day. He let slip that his normal punters are the people who commute daily to jobs across the border : some Canada to the USA, and others vice versa. I was a bit worried as I had guitar in the boot which I had brought over as a gift for a friends birthday, and it might have got hard to explain, despite it being totally legit!

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1433711656' post='2793364'] I can see why he lost interest if it was set up like that..! Doesn't look too bad; the bass drum seems to be an 18", and only 6 lugs, so it will be a bit of a pig to tune. Toms look like 12", 13" and floor 14" (same diameter as the snare..?), so it's what I'd be tempted to call 'jazzette' size. No problem for practising; less good for pop/rock gigs. As a general rule I'm not fond of metal snares at all, until we get into Black Beauty territory, and I'd not want to play on that one for very long (that could just be my snobbishness, of course..! ). Again, for practise, and especially with damping pads, it would be fine enough. I can't see what Paiste model that is, but it looks OK; could be an Alpha, or even a 2002, which would be ace. I maintain my pricing estimate; I wouldn't want to shell out more than £150, and would really see that as generous. Keep us informed as to outcome if you would, please..? [/quote] Thanks for the input - very helpful as I'm a tourist in this world. It seems to me that there are a huge number of generic far east kits manufactured in the same factories and sold under a variety of brand names. Ebay is whipped with the, frequently on the bass that hey are a gift which has barely been used, and now the teen is off to Uni etc. it's time to clear the loft out. I've seen a couple of Mapex kits, and some old Premier stuff which are going for about the same price, and seems to be better quality, but it's very much a first kit for me : bit of a mid life crisis probably - always wanted to play as a kid, but had neither the space or the money for kit and lessons, so ended up with guitar/bass as it wa cheaper/took up less room. Now I can afford the space (big double garage) and can afford to give it a go, and if I don't take to it, sell it on. Any suggestions as to what to look for? I'm aware of the number of lugs being a measure, and the entry level kit cymbals are generally trash - but any pointers welcomed.

http://www.gumtree.com/p/drums/full-sized-drum-kit-/1116754675

[quote name='julietgreen' timestamp='1433663207' post='2792816'] It sounds like percussion plus' century kit. Made for youngsters. Retailed around £500 originally. Now going for less than £200 on various sites. [/quote] It is - good spot, and thanks. I've just found some online pictures of the Century kit and its a match. Anyone any thoughts on a fair second hand price, very good condition, with at least one Paiste large crash and stand ,in addition to the stock cymbals (hi hats and a crash/ride) and and a set of silencing pads?

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1433634308' post='2792715'] ...but in which direction..? [/quote] Much to their chagrin - into the USA.

[quote name='mike257' timestamp='1433617443' post='2792588'] I reckon they're going to harvest your organs and flog them on the black market, tidy profit to be had. On a serious note, I know of at least one band whose current line up consists of two of the original members from their 1980s heyday and a handful of session guys. Despite the fact that the hired hands have been 'with' the band for a number of years and done tons of UK and international touring and festivals, our friends in American immigration refused visas for everyone except the two founder members on the grounds that there were plenty of American session guys who could do the same job. Said band had to go to the states a week early to rehearse with their new Yankee band mates! So yeah, don't pin your hopes on it.... [/quote] I know someone who works in a very specialised area of engineering which deals with healthcare uses, and he was travelling to the USA to consult with a number of US clients regarding the equipment they had bought from the UK. At the time, the yanks had no idea how to build the kit, and had to buy in the world leading British capability. He got stopped at US Immigration in New York, despite having all the right papers - lovingly prepared by his very experienced PA, and got a hard time, along the lines of 'why do we need you to come here - an American could do what you do'. He very much enjoyed telling them that the sole reason he was there was because there wasn't an American who could do the job, which was why he had to come over : they didn't know how the science worked. They should also feel free to call the companies and hospitals he was going to see, if they had any concerns about that. They kept him waiting for a good few hours just to make a point, and then told him he could leave.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1433545395' post='2792114'] Plenty enough pictures when I searched for 'Performance Percussion drums', such as this ad... [url="http://www.trade-it.co.uk/bath/musical/drums-percussion/drums/performance-percussion-black-TT444A827"]S/H drums ...[/url] I haven't seen a '500' model, but judging from the others, and the ads for 'em, they look quite bland, with (as stock...) pretty nasty cymbals. The kits, s/h, seem to be offered for sale between £80-175. Depending on future use (Starter for ado..? Home recording..? Gigging..?), most drum kits can be tuned up to play reasonably well, but some can't take the punishment. Hope this helps. [/quote] The pictures I have seen are quite frustrating - poor quality mobile phone shot of a set up kit. It's possible to see that the hardware looks better than standard entry level stuff, and one of the cymbals is at an angle where you can see the Paiste logo. The toms are badged, but not with a brand logo I recognise, and it's too out of focus to read. The seller, mum, suggests that she paid £500 for it about 6 years ago, so it could be an entry level kit, and the hardware upgrade is wher the money went, but I'd like to know what I'm looking at before agreeing to go 70 miles to do the deal. I'm promised more pics over the weekend, so I'll ipdate when I hear more. I found a Mapex kit, which is their 500 series, but it doesn't look like a Mapex logo, and when I asked about the brand, the answer came back "Percussion 500". Curious.

Yes, I found the electronic kits, but can't find a standard acoustic rock kit. They seem rather posh, and hugely ignorant - in that 'couldn't care less' way, so I wonder if they've been overcharged for a cheap white label Chinese or Taiwanese starter kit, by an unscrupulous seller? Thanks

No, not a joke about drummers, but a genuine question- anyone heard of a kit by the name of Percussion 500? I've got a chance of one, but its being sold by the lad's mum (he's gone off to Uni and its spent 4 years in the loft) and she maintains it was over £500 when bought new, but its not a brand I know, or can find on Google. Any suggestions? Thanks

I bought this brand new in 1999 (not my photo, but identical) and it's a cracking bass. A mate of mine who runs a studio was very impressed with it, and I managed to find one on eBay in January the other year for £116, which I would happily have kept, but he wanted it for the studio, so, owing him a favour as I did, I let him have it for my cost. It's now apparently the 'go to' bass, and if he ever has problems getting a good sound from a client, he offers this. This is usually met with a rather reluctant acceptance of 'giving it ago', wherein, within 5 minutes, people are raving about it. BBG4A - Active circuitry, does the P and J stuff real well, and they were about £320 new back in 1999. Someone on here was selling agreen one at about the time I bought the second one on eBay, but I don't remember whom : I wonder if he kept it. I recollect it had been bought for an eighties band project which fell through.

[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1433252743' post='2789412'] Right haven't got time to read all the responses but here is his next email he sent me. This guy is bat sh*t cray cray, but I believe genuine. I might try learning the songs but I don't have a passport. His reply!Cool man, ya lot of info there that I sent, but I wanted to give as much details as possible in order for you to make a decision.. if you go to http://www.leavingeden.com/ on the front page there is a "play music" Soundcloud link scrolling down just beneath the first pics you see.1/4 way down. Please shoot a vid of you playing one or 2 of our songs, that's all I need. Please let me see that and next step will be to maybe to a facetime conversation or skype so we can discuss getting you here. as I said, we will pay travel so we have to go over logistics. sound good? any questions? peace!!! [/quote] Two options IMHO : 1. It's the next step in establishing bona fides, in a clever sting, which I still wouldn't rule out, or 2. He's just a nutter, and has no grasp on reality. As has been said, there is a very complex and expensive process to go through to get a work visa for the USA,and even if you had a passport, it would take months and lots of cash, even if it were ultimately possible. That said, not for anyone else to tell you what to do - we are all just worried about the welfare of a fellow player, and we will all be interested to see how it pans out!

I don't know what your budget is, but I'll second the Yamaha love, and suggest you'll struggle to do better for the money than this in the marketplace section of BC. Don't know the seller, but it looks like a huge amount of bass for the cash : http://basschat.co.uk/topic/262985-yamaha-bb1024x-vintage-white/page__pid__2785125#entry2785125 Or for a bit less cash - a nice vintage option : http://basschat.co.uk/topic/254037-yamaha-bb-1500a-early-90s-last-price-drop-now-l330/page__pid__2667001#entry2667001 Or this for £270, albeit short scale : http://basschat.co.uk/topic/262709-yamaha-bb-7s/page__pid__2781710#entry2781710 Good enough for Michael Anthony to play Yamaha with Van Halen!

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1433158191' post='2788304'] And as if by magic, this suddenly arrived in my in-box: [font=arial, sans-serif][size=3] [color=#800000]Hello! I'm sorry you're getting the mail from me at this Point in time,my family and I came down here to Istanbul, Turkey for a short vacation unfortunately we were mugged at the park of the hotel we stayed,all cash credit cards and cell were stolen off but luckily for us we still have our passports with us.[/color][/size][/font][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3] [color=#800000]I have been to the embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all and our flight leaves pretty soon from now but we're having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let us leave until we settle the bills.Please be so kind to reply back so I can tell you what to do and how to get some cash to us.[/color][/size][/font][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3] [color=#800000]I'm freaked out at the moment[/color][/size][/font] [font=arial, sans-serif][size=3] Now this is from the Outbox of a guy I used to play 5-a-side with, never a particular friend of mine, haven't seen him in at least five years.[/size][/font] [font=arial, sans-serif][size=3] Unfortunately, his use of English (he's a native Londoner) is - if anything - even worse that this, but bears no resemblance to this sort of speech ("Please be so kind ..." etc.).[/size][/font] [/quote] What scammers miss is the nuance : Brits don't take vacations, they have holidays, we would talk about Turkey, no need to say whereabouts, unless of course the recipient is American, and then they would need a clue, given their generally stunning grasp of world geography, and we carry mobiles, not cellphones. Also, who says 'the park of the hotel'? As you have also said, the language is all wrong for the suggested sender. I've had the same email from a vague acquaintance I went on a lads golf holiday with a few years ago. It's a common scam.

This has been written by someone who doesn't speak English as a first language IMHO, which doesn't in itself make it bogus, but it certainly makes it very fishy if it purports to come from someone who is an American. I'm not talking about the spelling, but rather the oddness of the punctuation, the capitalisation of some band names and not others, and the fact that Seether, at one point becomes 'see there's'. To me it reads like the instructions for a Chinese product which has been badly translated, and all the names dropped are all in the public domain. The video of the meeting with the 'Spiritual Adviser' could be easily created on a phone, using a couple of starving actors, who have been told they are auditioning, and ditto the band website. My reaction Is that it's a scam, and as has been said, they will probably ask you for your passport details - or a scan of it, and your bank details, on the basis they need to send you the air ticket and some out of pocket expenses. All scams rely on preying on the desires of the mark, which for most people is about winning a lottery, or a unique investment, but with musos, it's about being signed, famous and rich. Reflecting on the old saying 'if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is' - how likely is this scenario, that a band from the USA (population 300m plus), looks to 'Europe' for a member, on the say so of a spiritual adviser, can afford and is willing to fly the guy over, but needs them to sort out their own visa, and will be playing shows for $100 a go? Personally, it might be interesting to string these guys along for a bit, just to see where the sting comes, but no question in my mind it's totally bogus, with the whif of the Nigerian Prince scam about it. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/419_scams