TimR

It's viral. One person falls victim and then the hackers send the link to everyone in their contacts. I suspect the link takes you to a fake fb login, you try and login with password and it 'fails'. The hackers then have your password. The link then tells you to wait for a code that will be texted. The hackers change your password and Facebook texts you a code that you enter into their link. They now have the code. You don't have to 'give' or 'send' anything to an actual person. My friend was alerted to the problem when he received multiple texts that he'd not requested after clicking on a game link. He went to his actual Facebook and changed his password several times but something else was going on. You don't have to be 'stupid' to fall for the scam. Just if you enter your password and it 'fails' - stop. Then go to your actaul account and change it quickly before the text message comes. Or more likely don't ever enter your password except via the app or your PC on the real FB address.

Cheap reading glasses are useful in those circumstances.

Similarly. Stayed in a band for 13 years, trying to make it work when it was pretty much dead after 9. Then joined another one that worked for a year and the next two years were a waste of time. At least rehearsals were free if you disregard fuel costs. Latest 3 bands are going reasonably well at the moment. One regularly gigging, one learning originals, the other working on new drummer. Should have allowed myself to play in several bands years ago, but thought they'd clash, they very rarely do.

Verifocal contact lenses. They're the way forward. I tend to wear disposabale contact lenses for gigs and for sport. The rest of the time I wear verifocal glasses. I don't need glasses to read so by the time you get to the bottom of the glasses they have no prescription.

I assume everyone has two factor authentication set up. Anyone wanting to add or remove admins from a page will need your current Facebook password. I don't know how they're hacking into accounts that have 2FA and then setting up another password.

Practice.

This happened to a friend of mine. Account hacked. Used for fraud or to write antisocial posts. FB took it down, gave him 30 days to appeal. But FB so understaffed the 30 days went by with no reply. Luckily he had been doing so sales to the UK facebook team and emailled a real person in another department. Who raised an internal ticket and got it back. If you run a page, have multiple admins! If one admin gets hacked or blocked you won't lose your page.

Don't think it was. 😆

I came to the realisation many years ago that the room provides so much of the sound that as long as the rig isn't a bag of bolts and is big enough, then it'll do the job. I used to spend ages fiddling with EQ trying to get it to sound "how I want", and never really getting there. Now I turn up, plug in, and play. Hardly ever make any adjustments. Even to a house provided rig. Or maybe it is all in the fingers after all...

Yes. The chorus pedal is great once it's dialled in with the rest of the band and played on the right section of a tune. Problem is FXs can become 'the sound' and I find the nuances of the notes being played get lost. And then it stops being a bass guitar and is something else. Which is great if that's what's needed. But that's a thread derail. I think the point is £300 can get you some quick cheap get out of a hole. But wouldn't stretch to 3 high quality new pedals.

I can, and usually do gig without FX. Recently I've added a Boss CE-B3 Chorus and a Boss BD-2 Blues Driver, but they're nice to have and wouldn't stop the gig. I also have an always on Keeley Bassist compressor and a Korg Tuner. If the pedals were left at home - I'd carry on and save the money. If they were actually lost or stolen then I would at least replace the compressor and the Korg tuner. I have a £10 tuner in my gig bag.

Told you so...

What about the poor bass player who fell on hard times and had to pawn his bass? And now finds out it's worth $80k.

List price for a new Fender in 1970 was $295. Not sure many would have paid $70 for a 10 year old bass.

The sign of a good bass player is being able to play those fills - but knowing not to play them.

Yes. Everytime I think I should give it up, I see someone older, more decrepit, and talentless performing in front of some tiny audience. And I think, actually, I'm not doing too badly, maybe one more gig...

So increased competition then?

I didn't enjoy it. Not sure what else I can say. I didn't enjoy Metallica either. Saw them in 1987 and they were great, 2009, OK for an hour but just too loud, even with the earplugs. Maiden were loud at Hammersmith Odeon in the 80s but Metallica stupidly loud to a point where it wasn't enjoyable. Another band I'll continue to listen to but don't want to see live again.

The Band of Theseus.

Group electronics has fallen in price. You can now get a digital mixer and good powered speakers for well under £1000. Our PA cost nearly £2k in the late 90s. A set of very good LED lights, stupidly cheap. And you can get a very good gigable bass for under £400. Some things have really gone down in price or stayed the same. FX pedals are under £100. Learning tunes is easy so much online resources. And when I was at school rock guitar and drum lessons didn't happen. My old school is now having an annual battle of the bands competition with several bands playing. When I was there we had one drummer, two bass players and three guitarists. Enough for 2 bands with a drummer drafted in from another school. This means a young band of very good musicians can be up and running with minimal outlay. Increased competition means fees for bands haven't kept up.

Yes. But it's not like being and actor or a regular musician. Where usually you'd be doing a different play or playing a different set every few weeks. Playing pretty much the same set for 40 years? I can't believe that's their only work. Although I know some actors and musicians have been in the same West End shows or Pit for decades. I think an 80s weekend is something people would go to especially. Same when going to see a band, that's what that particular audience want to hear. There are hundreds of bands playing the same standards. I can't listen to them anymore and certainly don't want to be playing them. Even tracks from the 90s that are 25 years old haven't really become standards yet, so most of them are fresh or unusual. (Sex on Fire, and Dakota excepted 😆)

They are at least not stuck playing songs from the 70s. I wonder if their latest tracks would be well known enough for a cover band yet.

I guess at £300 you just have to increase their footfall. 20 extra people buying 3 drinks each would cover that.

It's a bit of a risk. I saw Rush in 1986 and 2013. I only got tickets in 2013 by chance but Geddy's voice wasn't up to the pre 2000 material. I decided then I wasn't going to see them again. I think if I was touring Holiday Camps and local theatres with a band with hardly any original members playing material I had written in the 70s and 80s, then I'd be wondering what I was doing. I've had enough of playing sets full of covers of music from the 60s and 70s (especially Beatles and Stones!) regardless of how well it goes down. We are playing material from 90s and later now. I think keeping it fresh is key for both performers and audiences. I get the nostalgia thing, but it's not for me. If you don't evolve you become extinct.

I'm still gigging and in 3 bands. 2 originals and a covers band.