Boodang

Any bass with a bolt on neck… what a cack handed way to join two pieces of wood.

Would an EUB be an answer? I’ve always had one on stage and used to play in a Hendrix tribute with one exclusively (it was an interesting fit!). An NS Design on a tripod means I play standing up or on a bar stool with a back rest. There’s no genre I can’t play with it and as it’s vaguely upright-ish no one bats an eyelid in terms of you sitting down, and it doesn’t have to sound like an upright so good for pop/funk. Also it’s the instrument I’ve had the most people come up to me after a gig to ask what the hell it is!

There are some tri band toneprints for the spectracomp.

A bit random…. but if you want to sort out your compression properly get a tri band compressor. You can get some fancy rack units but also the tc electronic spectracomp does some toneprints that’ll probably cover your needs for less $.

Graphtech variable ratio tuners.

We do a whole set of Boston punk numbers and this would be perfect!!

Spaghetti monster on a pizza?!

Ppps if you do a gig sitting down and someone notices you then you’ve done more than playing standing up where no one blinks twice. Good or bad at least someone has paid attention to the bass player!

PPS to put it in perspective, we have a backing vocalist who does one number as main vocals. I bumped into someone who said ‘are you in the BVs band’. I said yes, he’s in my band and I play bass. They couldn’t recognise anyone behind the mics! Let alone how you’re standing or sitting. I seriously wouldn’t worry about and get on with the real job of playing and not what your posterior is doing.

PS if you want to make it interesting I have a great idea with which I’ve never had the balls to implement… get a motorised wheelchair, play the gig from it but give the remote control for it to the audience and see where you end up!

I remember seeing Sky play a gig, Herbie Flowers played the whole thing from a bar stool. So inspired I’ve done the same ever since. Only exception is when I play EUB because I just have to stand there. Firmly of the opinion the audience can lump it but equally when you talk to the punters they don’t see beyond the vocalists mic and don’t even realise you’re there!!

I’ve always hated country music with an absolute vengeance. Then I was in America and went into a bar playing live country music and my jaw was on the floor… what musicianship! Not that this helps you but total respect.

Doubles as a rehearsal space for our blues band as well as my practice space for bass and drums. Also got a sofa against the back wall for chilling out on. I run everything thru an XR18 and LD Systems speaker plus it’s all connected to the laptop so we can record rehearsals.

Anyone in a band here is at some stage an agent/promoter, otherwise no gigs would happen. I will be one of the people setting up/promoting the event and for that I won’t earn a penny. I have a main covers band I play in but it’s a small community here, so I’m depping on drums for another band until they find a replacement. I don’t charge for that either. We’ll hire a company to do FoH but the bass and drum gear on stage will be mine for bands to use. I’m not charging for that either. The bands will definitely get paid regardless, about £200 each, but if we make enough to pay more we’ll up it accordingly. As you can imagine there’s a fair amount to put up front to make this happen and it’s the first time we’ve done something like this, so who knows how it’ll turn out. I don’t think it’ll be a flop but equally I don’t know how successful it’ll be. As has been said, there’s no established scene here. I think my disappointment with certain band members attitude is that they’re quick to moan about the lack of a scene but won’t go out of their way to help establish one.

Exactly this! I couldn’t put it better. I definitely need to work out T&Cs that work for everyone.