TimR

Bass chatters who only think they're funny? That narrows it down a bit...

There's millions of ways to approach it. If the band is going to get arsey over some well meaning friendly advice that's their problem. Most likely they'll lose another potential follower.

I think if someone offers you advice you should be reasonably competent to work out very quickly whether they know what they're talking about. If you can't work that out within a few seconds and people are coming up 'willy nilly' to advise you, it might be wise to listen to them!

I don't think anyone is moaning that their guitarist does do those things. I wouldn't play in a band with a guitarist or a drummer like that.

It was just something I read in another thread Dad. So although your band are young, one of them is your son? And while he's young he's experienced so technically been playing a while.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1435953356' post='2814016'] ... Why anyone chooses to be in a band these days I don't know. Apparently all guitarists are idiots and no drummers can play. [/quote] I suppose you missed the smiley. Anyway. I said the good ones were in short supply. Generally they're in high demand and already playing in bands. I'm guessing you've not had to audition anyone recently.

But how old are you and how long have you all been playing? Anyway, what about that 2nd guitarist...

I suspect there is no smoke without fire and guitarists who don't crank their amps to 11 are the exception to the norm. Rather like drummers who can control their dynamics without resorting to using hot-rods. Yes, they exist but they're in very short supply. Swimming against the steam and complaining that all guitarists aren't like that is a bit of a pointless exercise. You'll find a guitarist who cranks to 11 and a drummer who says "Drums don't have a volume knob you'll have to turn up to match me." are often found in the same band and looking for a bass player who can "Just play roots in this one." .

[quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1435926709' post='2813679'] As usual, those moaning are the one's that didn't go. A week on though and everyone is still talking about Kanye's set... [/quote] Well he did 'headline'. I suspect those who did go and didn't like it went to a different stage and listened to something else. I spoke to two friends last night who went. They listened to a couple tracks and headed off somewhere else. They did point out it's a festival with music and not a music festival.

By 'large' I mean anything bigger than a pub where you have enough room to move around a bit.

Yes, the top end is very important for the definition. The other thing I've found is that on big stages without multi-channel monitoring, you need to keep the backline tight. Having the bass amp miles away from the drums which are then miles away from the guitar amp is a recipie for incoherent sound.

If you can't hear the guitar properly mixed with the bass in a pub environment then there is a good chance the guitar amp is pointed straight out to the audience and not angled inwards. Try changing that and see what difference it makes to your perception.

Having played a 15" combo for years I've now switched to 2x 2x10" stacked vertically. The top speaker is now near my ears and my 500w amp is plenty loud enough set on 4. The combo was 300w and loud enough for most venues but difficult to hear on stage due to the speaker being level with my calves.

[quote name='randythoades' timestamp='1435679810' post='2811374'] Gig Saturday night. Needed: spare amp as powered monitor failed. Check. Needed: spare strap as guitarist strap broke. Check. Needed: extra mic cables as run back to PA longer than expected. Check. I feel vindicated. [/quote] Ok. How can a strap be ok in the morning of a gig and then snap during the gig? I admire your standpoint and I have been there but you're (possibly) playing with a guitarist who is not looking after his own gear or not checking it. Sooner or later his gear will catastrophically fail and the band will be looking at you to get them out of a hole. Trust me on that. Who looks after the PA? Why don't they have spare leads? That's a fundamental failing. Seriously, I was carrying so many extra boxes it was unreal, extra trips to the car and storage at my house. After I left the band I was still getting calls on Saturday night asking what they should do because X had broken. Madness. .

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1435836247' post='2812850'] We have a very insecure and immature drummer/person who really can't take ANY criticism AT ALL and will point blank ignore it entirely. Ideally I'd like to replace him, but he's generally very good and it's [i]so[/i] hard to find a decent drummer... come to think of it, it's not the drummer I don't like, it's the person! [/quote] I payed with a guy like that for too long. Is he quite happy to tell everyone else what they're doing wrong?

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1435827849' post='2812711'] 'So sick of all my judges, so scared of what they'll find' I think reacting badly to criticism is only human, and usually our first response. The fact that we suspect our critics are right doesn't make it easier. If a band mate is criticised the best bet is to be supportive, they won't play better second set if they've been attacked and the band doesn't rally round. The thing about criticism is to ask why it is being offered, is it constructive and intended to be helpful, or just a piece of unpleasantness. [/quote] I agree. It's not who criticises or maybe even the way they criticise, it's how you receive the criticism. Following one gig I recieved a two page A4 email from a well meaning bass player. I still have it somewhere. A third of it was rubbish and just covered what he thought the band should do. A third of it was quite complimentary. The other third was pretty accurate on where we, as a band, we're going wrong. Quite a lot of it we already knew Mainly covering aspects of individual musicianship and image. Unfortunately the individual musicians didn't like being told some home truths about themselves but agreed on the points made about the other musician. Hey ho.

[quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1435779099' post='2812419'] wouldn't surprise me if Lee Pomeroy jumped on the wagon, he's been Wakemans touring bassist for years. [/quote] Plus the It Bites connection. Although he was playing parts already written.

Welcome to the curse of the musician. Bass players however, tend to make better producers because we/they are often better at understanding what is going on in the overall picture, even if we don't hear it as a single sound.

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1435745072' post='2811968'] The inference is there, a frequent inference on many threads in Off Topic and General Discussion. And I don't need you telling me I'm too sensitive, keep it to your self. [/quote]

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1435744686' post='2811958'] I know you are a legendary bassist, but yet another one with the demeaning patronising comments. WHY IS MY OPINION RIDICULOUS AND SHORT SIGHTED, yet yours is so blindingly right? Don't bother to answer, it's rhetorical, I won't be back up here. Too many "I'm right, you are an idiot for having a different opinion" now frequent this forum. [/quote] You're too sensitive. Don't think he's calling you an idiot.

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1435743349' post='2811937'] It's an attitude that seems, to me, to be uniquely British. Thankfully, in most other countries, if a band has a good live reputation, or releases a great album, then yer foreign punter, regardless of lineup or age, will be interested. Not so here! We prefer our bands in their "heyday", after that, they should go away and retire gracefully! Most bands of a certain age and a developing lineup, while aware of their "heyday", will still think they have something to say and hope that enough people will want to hear it. To say that bands like Yes, The Who, Deep Purple etc should knock it on the head is, frankly, ridiculous and short sighted. [/quote] The stereotypical Brit doesn't like change. Go to Spain for your holiday, even emigrate. So long as you can get fish and chips and The Sun.

Dear Dr Fatuous, Having read the above post and quoted below for completeness, I am now concerned I may may owe some royalties to Rich and also some kind of intermediary fee. So. Sue me. Yours, Norbert Panhandle. [quote name='Rich' timestamp='1435739943' post='2811892'] Dear Mr Mrs Ms or Miss Fatuous Delete Where Appropriate, I was thinking of ordering the 'Thinking [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]about drinking flat champagne out of a plastic glass in a special VIP area while thinking about Kanye West' package[/font][/color]. Is there a 'Thinking about ordering the Thinking [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]about drinking flat champagne out of a plastic glass in a special VIP area while thinking about Kanye West package' package, and does this mean that I have effectively bought it? Please forward an invoice.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] Also, having thought about ordering the 'Thinking [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]about drinking flat champagne out of a plastic glass in a special VIP area while thinking about Kanye West' package, I then had second thoughts. Is there a 'Rethinking the thinking about ordering the Thinking [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]about drinking flat champagne out of a plastic glass in a special VIP area while thinking about Kanye West package package' package, and does this mean that I have effectively bought it? Please forward an invoice.[/font][/color][/font][/color][/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] My head hurts.[/font][/color][/font][/color][/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Yours[/font][/color][/font][/color][/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Mrs Ivy Trellis[/font][/color][/font][/color][/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]North Wales[/font][/color][/font][/color][/font][/color] [/quote]

[quote name='SubsonicSimpleton' timestamp='1435713973' post='2811797'] Isn't the whole point of prog to progress (even if some of the fans want you to remain in a timewarp and stick to what they feel was the bands best lineup & stylistic output)? [/quote] Good point. Seemed to work for Genesis. Ah. No wait...

[quote name='timmo' timestamp='1435675195' post='2811298'] The Who are different as in Pete Townshend is the creative person in the band. That is probably why they survived. The bands that you were in that imploded are probably totally different from these professional bands, as they could probably employ people to write for them. There would be loads of bass players wanting to fill Geddy Lee`s shoes if they decide to carry on. Whether it would work, i am not sure. [/quote] I think you're agreeing with me there while appearing to disagree. Remove the major creative element of the band and you don't have a band.

The big question you have to ask is: Is Yes Chris Squire's backing band? Was Queen Freddie Mercury's backing band? Is Rush Geddy Lee's backing band? If not, how much creative input do the other members bring to the table. The recent Prog series on Radio 2 shed some light on the creative processes behind King Crimson and Yes. I don't think Yes can continue in a similar way that Rush and Queen cannot continue as they are/were without those key elements. I'm sure many of us have been in band writing partnerships where one member has left and shortly after the band implodes due to a lack of cohesion in the writing process. The Who seem to have managed fairly well. It's just different.