12stringbassist

Slade at Manchester Apollo in 1982 gave me a migraine. The sound guy must have been on a bet with someone. I saw them about 50 times and they never ever were that terrifyingly loud.

I once got stuck with a name nostalgia band that we were supporting using our gear at a big civic centre gig, so they could just walk on stage. We had the sound set so everything was fine. The bass player from the headliners (a former Eurythmics bassist, now with a single member of a 60's Liverpool band) walked on, cranked my bass rig up to stun level, causing the crowd to start holding their ears as it became deafening in the PA and the guy doing the sound told me to sort it out. I walked on stage while they were playing and turned them down again. I told the bass player that if he did it again, he'd end up going back to his car for his own combo. He shot me a look of pure hatred. I got applauded as I walked offstage. Another time at the same venue, we did the same favour to a 70's band. I asked politely and their bass player left my controls completely alone. They nearly blew our guitarist's Fender combo apart, though. I'd never heard it sound so good, but he moaned for weeks afterwards that they had ruined it.

Demis Roussos - Forever and Ever

I think Status Quo are irrelevant to a lot of bass players. I love them and own every note they've recorded, but don't expect anyone else to. Lancaster was a great bassist and locked in brilliantly at live shows with John Coghlan. In the studio, a few parts were apparently redone by Francis Rossi. Rhino is an excellent bass player too. He's done a lot of good things outside of Quo and he seems to be a really good all-rounder on bass. Where Quo are an example to other musicians (besides their music) is their perseverance.

I suppose the other band members are doing a bit of blue sky thinking and aiming very high with what they think is the ideal bass for the band. They're not the ones who have to pay for it, though.

I once had a brand new bass rig fail on me minutes before a gig (B*******r U***y 500 and 250w extension cab) and I had to drive 20 minutes each way to get home pick up my usual bass rig. It didn't help that they decided to close the M60 for roadworks while I was on the way back. The DJ covered and we played late but the same length in one long set. After repairs to the 500, the 250w extension cab then died on me at the end of a jam night. I began to feel paranoid. After a replacement 250w extension cab arrived, I went to a rehearsal for a reunion gig with my old band. The 500 then refused to put any sound out. I went into the PA to get thru the rehearsal. Third strike in not very long. The whole lot went back. My Hartke rig has never given me any grief.

I would never ever go out without a backup bass. Passive, I just pick two basses that I'd like to take out for the evening. A beer festival saw me show off 3 P Basses. Active, two basses, plus possibly my 12 string bass.

If I joined a theatre standard pro tribute band that was earning a decent living and I had a more than passing resemblance to whoever I was being passed off as a tribute to, I could maybe understand why they may lean towards suggesting I bought the correct instrument for that role. If I was in a common or garden pub band and someone came up to me and said I needed a red Fodera P bass because they'd heard one and it sounded nice, I'd try to politely decline the suggestion. I don't mind at all being told how to blend in with the sound of the group I am playing with, but to have bass choice requirements placed on me by other people, based on some wacky idea they have, rather than some wacky idea that I have, well.... no.

Like A Hurricane Dylan

Amazon have recalled it now, as they agreed to cancel. So I am off the hook.

And it's STILL not here... Amazon caved on the order cancellation and I got a refund for the TV, stating breach of contract over the delivery date. Ordered 10th, delivery due 13th. Ordered same TV from Argos Friday morning. Click and collect. Went out for it an hour later. Hoping Hermes do try to deliver it so I can tell them to take it away again.

And it's still not here...

I ordered a new TV from Amazon on the 10th. I was given a delivery date of 13th. The parcel was in Liverpool on the 13th, according to Hermes tracking. I may get it by the 23rd according to Amazon. No option to cancel. Rather annoyed.

I usually play along with the original on repeat to get it into my head. How exactly I follow the bass part depends how much of a feature it is. For example, we were working on Elton John's 'Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting' before the fun stopped. Dee Murray played some rather funky little runs, but seeing as I am singing the thing as well, I thought it best to keep the bass quite simplified and tight, seeing as the world will not notice anyway.

I always love to hear the deeply insightful thoughts of people who have never been on a stage in their lives and who don't understand the complexities of singing and playing bass at the same time.

Try this if you haven't watched it already... Scott Thunes on bass who really wound Zappa's band up if I remember right.

I suppose it is more honest to declare that you've split, if you don't intend to re-group. I can think of a few bands who kept their fans hanging on in vain hope for years. And some whose reunions were genuinely that.

Be Bop Deluxe Radio In Concert from January 1976 - Made In Heaven, (From the Sunburst Finish box set).

Solar Sex Panel Little Village

I would think it's partly because they have been played to death over many years. Plus the 60's bands are not getting the Radio 2 plays that they used to. They are moving more towards playing stuff from this century only. As we get a little older, it will move towards the kind of identikit crap computer music that I can't bear, which meant I stopped listening to Radio 1 about 20 years ago.

Lockdown has done nothing at all for my bass playing. I have all of the time in the world to do home recording, but no ideas. I feel like giving up, but I know that we will regroup when this is over. But I can't see us gigging until next year at the earliest.

Flash bang wollop Tommy Steele

Early in the morning Robert Palmer