TimR

The venue insurance covers the venue owner from damage that the venue owner does and hopefully any of the venues employees. As you are not technically directly employed by the venue owner you will not be included on his insurance. I suppose they could but that would make their insurance pretty expensive and difficult to manage. Hence the post I made earlier about making sure that THE WHOLE BAND is covered, not just the person taking out the insurance. The punter will sue the venue who will be protected by their insurance who will then come after you. What happens if someone climbs onto the stage and throws your mike into the audience and hurts someone? Do you want to be arguing over whose fault it is or just pass the problem to your insurance company's lawyer? If your van breaks down on the way to a £20,000 wedding do you want to be arguing with the Bride and Grooms insurer? For the sake of £100 you save yourself a lot of hassle and money.

[quote name='TimR' post='916778' date='Aug 6 2010, 10:25 AM']I was insured with music guard. BUT again the insurance is only for the person with the cover NOT the band so each member needs their own insurance. If you just want liability insurance they do "liabilityguard" only £19 a year. [url="https://www.jltonline.co.uk/secure/faq.asp?product=LiabilityMusic&promCode=&question=3"]https://www.jltonline.co.uk/secure/faq.asp?...&question=3[/url][/quote] Did some more digging as I need to renew and ideally insure my band as well. I would speak to them as they will extend the insurance to "Associates" ie other members of the band, roadies etc. Obviously at cost

I was insured with music guard. BUT again the insurance is only for the person with the cover NOT the band so each member needs their own insurance. If you just want liabilty insurance they do "liabilityguard" only £19 a year. [url="https://www.jltonline.co.uk/secure/faq.asp?product=LiabilityMusic&promCode=&question=3"]https://www.jltonline.co.uk/secure/faq.asp?...&question=3[/url]

Watch that the insurance covers all of the band and not just the person named in the insurance.

[quote name='flyfisher' post='915962' date='Aug 5 2010, 01:50 PM']Yep, you've got it - we're a band of mates playing for fun and managing about one gig per month, mainly at private parties and other events rather than the regular 'pub circuit' (although we have played pubs). Plus, I'm the 'outsider' really in terms of how long we've all known each other, so it's not really my place to sack anyone. I know of farmfactory but we usually use rehearsal facilities in Hertford.[/quote] Is that Chris Foster's place Graphic Nature? He's usually pretty open and relaxed have a word with him.

[quote name='bigjohn' post='915828' date='Aug 5 2010, 12:25 PM']... Have you thought of asking him to come and jam, just you and him? That would provide a decent time and place to work on him without making him feel bad.[/quote] As I suggested earlier and I've just realised flyfisher is in Hertfordshire. A big county I know but are you anywhere near Welwyn? Here's the rehearsal studio I mentioned earlier that does a 'single' musician rate. [url="http://www.farmfactorystudios.com/"]http://www.farmfactorystudios.com/[/url]

[quote name='Lord Sausage' post='915153' date='Aug 4 2010, 05:07 PM']This is quite a sweeping statement! Do you have foreign evidence to back up and compare this with (perhaps its all the world). How do you know this is a problem with all genres all over the country. In the majority of bands i've been in we've always pushed to improve each other or just sack bad uns.[/quote] That depends on if you are in a pro-band or a band of mates doing it for fun. Sacking a mate is a difficult thing to do. There have been several threads here asking how to do it. Do we - Disband and form again - sent a text - etc... This sort of thead doesn't seem to come up in the more 'american' Bassplayer forum. It's definitely an English thing. In general we're more reserved and afraid of upsetting people's feelings. (Unless you're from Yorkshire that is )

Good skills!

[quote name='silddx' post='913825' date='Aug 3 2010, 01:21 PM']I think I now know where Alex Claber got his inspiration from for his column in the latest BGM [/quote] Cant you paraphrase it for those who haven't seen it?

I have the 5.1 but I run it with one 211Pro which is a louder cabinet than the 410! I suspect it is either a gain structure, EQ, or Speaker issue. I've cut and pasted this from the warwick forum: [quote]I've giged a room of 300+ people with no PA support with my Pro FET 3.2 and 2 x 211 Pro cabs no problem The gain and master volume structure "problem" is well documented here. They aren't an underpowered head - but the way the gain structure and the master volume curve works leads many people to believe that they are. This is why they redesigned the gain and volume curves on the new Pro FET 3.3 and 5.2 heads. They seem much louder, but they're not really - just that the volume comes in earlier. So - there are two things with your 3.2 that can help you get the most out of it: Firstly - the gain. Don't worry too much about the clip LED. It does come on prematurely. What you need to do is play with it a bit, and find where you actually can hear some audible clipping rather than relying on the clip light. It's normal with these heads to see the clip light quite active when the gain is set properly. That is - adjust the gain past the point where the light comes on, but if you hear some audible clipping (very easy to hear when it does happen) pull it back a little. You can go quite a long way past the clip LED before actual clipping occurs. Secondly - the master volume dial uses a linear taper pot, rather than the new reverse logarithmic pot used in the 3.3 and 5.2 heads (and also what most other manufacturers do). What this means is that at halfway on the dial with your Pro FET 3.2, you are actually seeing half of the amp's power. With the new 3.3 and 5.2 heads, at halfway on the master volume dial, you are seeing more like 85% of the amps power. What this all means is that you can safely push the master volume dial on your Pro FET 3.2 further to get the full usage out of your head, and you'll notice a volume increase much further around the dial than the newer 3.3 head. So - don't be afraid to push the gain (listen for clipping rather than relying on the clip LED), and remember that you can use a much wider sweep on the master volume dial to get the equivalent of "halfway" (which really means 85-90%) on the 3.3, 5.2 and most other manufacturers amps. Play with these settings and I'm sure that you will find that the 3.2 isn't underpowered, and actually can be a very loud head.[/quote]

[quote name='gicut58' post='912699' date='Aug 2 2010, 12:42 PM'][quote name='TimR' post='911117' date='Jul 31 2010, 12:06 PM'] Jim Rodford of the Kinks stood in and played a couple of numbers with my band once. I think I will be sharing the stage with him at the end of August. He's in the headline band, we're third from top.[/quote] - John Verity's band? He and Jeff Dakin helped me out with two or thre songs a couple of weeks ago at my local, the Anchor - and incredibly nice chaps they are too. Other than that I was in the crowd when Shakin' Stevens and The Sunsets played the Heavy Steam Machine in Hanley, Stoke, so many moons ago..... Fantastic gig [/quote] It might help if I got the right one - John Dalton. Its a standing joke that everyone around here has played Bass with the Kinks. John Dalton has retired now so I've no idea who "The Bass Player" for the kinks will be. I'll find out at practice tomorrow. I can't wait the excitement is killing me. If that's not tenuous I don't know what is.

A quick google unearthed this. Quite Interesting. [url="http://home.provide.net/~cfh/pickups.html"]http://home.provide.net/~cfh/pickups.html[/url]

[quote name='Doddy' post='912225' date='Aug 1 2010, 08:28 PM']... I don't think that stamina should be an issue. I know lots of drummers who have been playing for 30-40 years and can still play for hours with no problems. If they've got their act together they'll be fine. ...[/quote] I'm playing with a 60 year old drummer at the moment no problems. What I meant by the stamina is that he's not played for 20 years.

[quote name='Marvin' post='911838' date='Aug 1 2010, 01:00 PM'](There's also the fact that too much symbol bashing f@cks about with my ear 'oles).[/quote] The cymbals are quite bad for that too.

If he hasn't played for 20 years has he still got the legs to play the bass drum? If he's not practicing at home it will take a long time to get them back. Even a straight 1 and 3 should be good enough for rock though. I played with a drummer for years who only listened to rock and could only play rock. Its very hard work when you are having to play extra to cover when trying to get music to funk and groove and the drummer doesn't get it. In the end I burned out and lost my temper with the whole situation. Let myself and others down. I should have quit a long time before it got to that. He needs a practice kit or to spend time on his own in a studio. Our local rehearsal rooms will do evenings for £5 for solo players if you ring that night. Maybe check you local rehearsal rooms and suggest you both go down and jam 1 night a week?

I have personally met Mark on a number of occasions in an unrelated field. I didn't know he was a member of this forum. Next time I see him I'll talk to him about it. If anyone wants to PM me I can probably answer a few questions.

[quote name='gary mac' post='910931' date='Jul 31 2010, 08:12 AM']1973 or 74 at Waltham Abbey town hall, a sort of battle of the bands thing. Sporting a Roger Glover stylee hat and crushed velvet loon pants. First number was Deep Purples Space Truckin'. Epiphone semi acoustic bass. Selmer Goliath 4 x 10" cab. 50 Top amp[/quote] [quote name='essexbasscat' post='910982' date='Jul 31 2010, 10:01 AM']My first gig was at Loughton, about 5-8 miles from Waltham Abbey and that Selmer stuff was all over the place at the time Relise - enjoy that first gig !! hope it goes well T[/quote] Enfield Town a mates 17th birthday party in his house. Dire Strates - Money for nothing. It was in the charts at the time. A 3/4 scale bass through a borrowed home made amp and cab. I've never played that tune since - until my cousins 40th last year when I jammed it with a couple of guitarists and a drummer. Strange times.

[quote name='Spike Vincent' post='910587' date='Jul 30 2010, 07:48 PM']Kim Wilde nearly ran me over once.[/quote] She lives close to me. Both my Dad and the guitarist in his band used to often play with her dad Marti Wilde. Jim Rodford of the Kinks stood in and played a couple of numbers with my band once. I think I will be sharing the stage with him at the end of August. He's in the headline band, we're third from top. Elvis Costello's keyboard player Steve Nieve bought a Elka keyboard from my dad. He sent someone to our house who paid in used £5 notes. They had suffered catastrophic organ failure at the gig the night before. The brother of a guy who I work with is married to Shena Easton's sister. I have been on Blue Peter. That's not tenuous I'm afraid. It actually means I am famous so don't know if this counts.

[quote name='silddx' post='910252' date='Jul 30 2010, 01:39 PM'].... But I was interested in whether people see themselves as lathe operators or product designers.[/quote] I'm a skilled lathe operator who comes up with designs that work but won't win any iPod like awards.

[quote name='silddx' post='910216' date='Jul 30 2010, 01:07 PM']I meant this thread to be about how you consider [b]yourself[/b]. I should have said something like "are you a mechanic or a composer?" but folks would take that ill [/quote] You muddied it a bit by throwing in the Guitarist v Guitar player quote. By then I had forgotten the original question. So I am a musician. Would I still be a musician if I only played bass? That's a difficult one to answer. I think learning all the instruments I have and playing in the different types of orchestras/bands that I have has shaped me somewhat from just a player of instruments into what some high brow musicians would call a musician. My non musician friends would say anyone who plays an instrument is a musician. Once you start to play an instrument you find that there a many different levels of competency. From the bassist who knocks out the roots that he has been told to play by the band leader - through the bassist who plays the notes on a score- through to a musician who fully understands why he is playing the notes he is and would be able to make his own choices on which notes to play in any given context - through to the accomplished musician who can do this in any genre. Did you see what I did there? Musician for me every time with the caveat that everyone has something to learn (some of us lots!) The day you stop learning is the day you die.

I play other instruments so I'm a musician. When I pick up the bass I don't mind either is acceptable. Interestingly you can be a Pianist, Bassist, Flautist, Violinist but you can't be a Drummist. If you play a drum kit and want to be an ist you have to play other instruments and become a Percussionist. Only kidding - there are loads of other instruments ie Trumpet where you don't get an ist. Where does the ist come from anyway? I'm off to do a google.

[quote name='teen t-shirt' post='900581' date='Jul 20 2010, 10:49 PM']well i've gotten in contact with the other one and am in the process of arranging to meet them late next week and they do more of the type of stuff i want to do stuff that will actually challenge me! anyway i'll keep you all irritatingly updated through out the process [/quote] Where are the irritating posts?

[quote name='redstriper' post='906280' date='Jul 26 2010, 08:09 PM']Don't deny your ego: I got my first bass when my girlfriend dumped me, thinking "I'll be a pop star and that'll show her". That was 35 years ago and I still demand groupies, drugs, money, fame, adoration and free food - why else would I do this ?[/quote] Money AND free food - you're a hard man to please!

I think the real test of whether it is a guitar is to give a guitar to a bass player. If he can play it as well as he can play the bass then obviously it is indeed a guitar. After all give a sax player a Soprano, Alto, tenor or Baritone they can play each with no problems and probably a bunch of clarinets too.

[quote name='deathpanda' post='906119' date='Jul 26 2010, 05:49 PM']ah yeah, I see what you're saying, I wasn't trying to imply you were cynical or anything. I was just adding something that resonated with me.[/quote] LOL. I am cynical, just not THAT cynical. I have a thick skin as well so you don't need to worry about implying anything either.