mike257

I once played a 45 minute set of [i]completely improvised[/i] metal, with a guitarist, 2 singers and 2 drummers, none of whom I had ever heard play a note. I didn't even get to soundcheck with them. Knowing how bad it was for me, I can only begin to imagine what the audience were suffering. I think my old drummer put a clip of it on YouTube for the comedy value, if I find it I'll share it for a giggle!

+1 to everything BigRedX just said.... and good luck for tonight!!

From playing originals in a plethora of noisy toilet circuit rock bands, I'd say that the performance is as much about the energy you create on stage as anything else. They may be tired old rock poses, but in the context of a balls-out rock band, it's much more appropriate than standing still. Most people who go to gigs aren't musicians, and they won't define their memory of it on you missing a few bass notes, or leaving the hard bit out and playing root notes so you can machine gun the audience with your headstock. They'll remember a band that not only play great songs, but perform with energy and engage the audience. What this means for you depends on the band you're in, I guess. You'd be a bit out of place playing behind your head whilst doing the splits in a trad jazz band, but sitting on a stool looking at the fretboard won't do much for a room full of rock fans. So long as you enjoy it, that's the important bit!! EDIT: Wotnwhy just said the same thing as me, but far more coherently, whilst I was typing this nonsense. Well played sir!

We do a 4 hour sesh twice a week, although it's more like 3 once we've dragged the gear in and out of the locker! My last band had our own room at the studio, used to do 3 nights, usually shorter ones, but if we were writing, o just particularly enjoying ourselves, we'd be there til the last bus home!

Cheers for all the opinions guys, there's obviously a lot of love for hiscox here! I'm down to these two then: The [url="http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/shop/flypage/product_id/15119"]Hiscox[/url] for £67 with the postage OR The [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_flight_case_wood_bass.htm"]Thomann[/url] option, which winds up at £54 including the shipping. Skintness sways me towards whatever's cheapest, but I'm open to being convinced Anybody tried the Thomann ones?

I used to have the 1x15 version!! First bass amp I ever owned, bought it off a keyboard player when I was at college. It was pretty mega as I remember it. Only problems I ever had with it were the speaker connection going a bit iffy, but other than that it worked a treat. Don't know about the age of them, never managed to find much info on it. Good luck with it though, I bet it sounds a right treat

Done this with a couple of bands now. We've used various devices for playback, ranging from the onboard sequencer of a keyboard, to a multitracker, to a portable DVD player loaded up with an audio CD. We premix the tracks so one side of the stereo has a click for the drummer, and the other side has the samples on. We just connect one side to a headphone amp for the tubthumper, and the other side to a DI box that goes off to FOH. If you've got a drummer who's au fait with playing to a click track then this works a treat! Mike EDIT: If there's gaps in your song where the drummer doesn't play, he will of course have to still keep a pedal hat/stick click going to keep you lot in time with the click!! Took a few reminders before ours got his head round that bit

Alright gents (and ladies), I'm doing some shopping, and thought I'd canvas your expert opinions!! I've recently acquired Mr Cougar's gorgeous Sandberg JM4, and can't bring myself to cart around something so tasty in a gig bag. Anyone got a favourite choice of hardcase? It's just occured to me that I've never gone shopping for one, as I've always just used the ones that came with my 'rays!! Nosing around on Thomann, their Harley Benton flightcases look to be [i]exactly[/i] the same as the Warwick Rockcases, just a tenner or so cheaper! Anyone had any experience with these? Cheers folks, Mike

I won't go anywhere without an extra bass, I've had strings go on stage a couple of times (waits for 'bad technique' comments ), and since we're always in the van when we're gigging, it's no big deal to carry one about. It did used to be a pair of Stingrays, but I can pretend it's for different tones and versatility now I've got my Sandberg. Nobody will ever suspect that it's just for showing off

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='253968' date='Aug 3 2008, 10:18 PM']That site you pointed Drew to has some lovely looking Peavey T40's! Quite fancy one of those [/quote] I'm thinking of selling mine, throw me a PM if you want a looky

As of yesterday, I'm the proud owner of Mr C's absolutely lovely Sandberg Cali JM4. A top bloke to deal with, and a fantastic bass in factory-fresh condition. I couldn't be more pleased with it. Cheers Jim!!

[quote name='et1058' post='242004' date='Jul 17 2008, 06:26 PM']I came on with the simple question of recommendations for the right studio, without mentioning any band. When somebody asks to hear us, i posted the links? I can't explain to you how many sh*t studio's there are out there. I thought to myself, I will ask ppl on the trusty basschat website for help? I don't need or want to promote my band. I just f*cken play mate, and Im happy with that. Im sorry for tryin to get some advice So NOBODY PLEASE, CLICK ON THE LINKS....OK?!?[/quote] I don't think any offence was meant mate.... I think he was pointing out that what you're doing isn't a big budget record label project, it's more to promote your band to a label - which might be wrong, but it's how he's perceived it. He doen't mean you're just coming on here to promote your band!! Did you get the chance to check out the studio I reccommended? John's a cracking engineer, and a good guy with it, he knows his shizzle!

And a Lakland?? When did this happen? I wish he'd just make his mind up, shamelessy aping him is getting really expensive

[quote name='OldGit' post='241332' date='Jul 16 2008, 10:44 PM']You know the Commitments were not a real band? They were a bunch of actors in a film.. That's not real life. It wasn't a documentary about a real band, like, say Spinal Tap for instance.[/quote] Most of the line-up from the film still tour as a band, a sessioneering mate of mine plays hammond for them!! EDIT: For the fact that I've just looked at their website, and it's only the drummer and the bassist left now. At least they've got the important ones then

If you want some decent recording doing in Liverpool, my good friend and ex-band mate John works out of Crash Studios in town, he's doing some very good sounding stuff these days. I've recorded with him on probably half a dozen occasions, with 3 different (and different sounding) bands, and always been more than pleased with the results. If you fancy a listen: [url="http://www.myspace.com/theidiotrate"]myspace.com/theidiotrate[/url] - My old band, i think the first three tracks are his work. [url="http://www.myspace.com/connectingflight"]myspace.com/connectingflight[/url] - John's band, also featuring my shoddy bass work If you want to get in touch with him, you can book in through Crash's main phonenumber on 0151 2360989!

used to run synth/sample parts with my old band, we started out with me triggering the sequencer on the keyboard, with L/R split to a headphone amp for the drummer and a DI box for the FOH. We eventually changed to burning the same L/R split to CD, and the drummer triggered it from a portable DVD player. That way, he's got a big bright visual readout of what he's triggering, and there's virtually no load time for track changes. Depends on your drummer being confident keeping the rest of you in with the click!

Loads of really interesting opinions here, I won't bother with the samaratins next time something's bugging me From my experience of originals bands, the most important factor that holds them together is the relationship between the band members, the mix of personalities. I'm currently guitarist hunting for my new band, but the singer and drummer I'm working with are two of my closest friends. We knew each other from other bands, and as we all became available, making music together seemed the natural thing to do, as we enjoy each others company so much. Our drummer has only ever played metal, and nothing but metal, our singer has only sang his own songs and never someone elses, and I've never been the one doing the writing before, so we've all had to step outside of our comfort zones, and do something new and challenging, but it's been easy and natural because of our relationship. My worry now is finding a guitarist who will complement both the music and the balance of people in the group, and the deciding factor for all of us, far above technical ability, will be how they gel with us as people. So I guess the thing I'd do is find some musicians you connect with, who share your sense of humour, whatever, and make that the focus, and let the music sort itself out. I know our auditions will start off over a pint or two, not with guitars in hand!!

[quote name='Galilee' post='222276' date='Jun 19 2008, 04:23 PM']I would play drums for a rubbish hair-metal band.[/quote] Haha, I saw this thread title and was about to drop a Def Leppard joke, you're just too quick for me!!

I haven't got personal experience with them, but our rehearsal studio recently bought a couple of the 500w Warwick heads and they both gave up the ghost within a couple of months. That might be more to do with the ineptitude and ignorance of the bands that frequent the studio though, than the reliability of the heads. I suppose it's worth a quick web search to see if reliability is a big concern with them.