wotnwhy

[quote]"you look like twat and every one is going to let you know so why go out there like that?"[/quote] i must admit when doing smaller, pub gigs, to a 'not yet won over' crowd i can feel like that. but i can guarentee you that nobody will be thinking about your atire anywhere near as much as you are. self confidence is a very big factor in things like this. i used to be one of those people getting butterflies before going on, then hiding as far back on the stage as possible, not moving, looking down, trying to draw as little attention to myself as possible. you just need to build up gradually, and as you do so, you'll notice a change in the reaction you get from the audience (it'll be positive ), and that will give you the confidence to go that step further each time. think of it this way. you go and see a band. they're all plainly dressed, standing still, looking down, no smiles on their faces. it doesn't exactly inspire you to get out of your seat and get down on the dancefloor does it? whereas if you see people who've made an effort with their appearence, are moving around and look like their having a lot of fun, it puts a smile on your face and gets you more into the spirit of things. at least it does for me.

[quote name='beerdragon' post='59538' date='Sep 12 2007, 09:17 PM']I suppose it could depend on the type of music you play. you're not going to go down to well in a metal band wearing those clothes [/quote] ha ha! could be interesting though eh? of course it always depends on the situation. for metal it would have to be studded jackets and torn up jeans and big a$$ boots

in my eyes i only have one. i'm sure you can guess what it it.... but i do have a crafter 5 string acoustic bass. which has a broken tuner and hasn't come out of the cupboard in a couple of years. and i still have my yamaha RBX765a but it died from neck warp and only kept it for sentimental reasons. it doesn't play. and do EUB's count? i have one of them

[quote]but how do you take it that one step further? and make it a show?[/quote] by dressing up! try approaching going up on stage more like you were about to go up and act in a play, rather than going up to perform music. So before going on stage, you get into your costume, and get into character. For me it's all about putting a distance between yourself and the person going up on stage. if [b]I[/b] went up on stage, i'd be still, nervous, worried about making mistakes and worried about making myself look like a tit in front of a crowd of strangers, or even worse, mates... and wearing something that isn't [i]you[/i] is the first step in making that difference and distinction between the two. if you look silly, and all of your band looks silly, it helps lift the tensions of playing. 'we look like twats, so what does it matter if we act like it'. or if your dressed all suave and cool, and you see your band all looking good. it helps to give you the confidence to ACT that way. of course it wont be an istant transition, like you go up on stage and suddenly your all glam rock stars, but once the ball starts rolling, you'll feel more and more confortable with what your doing and how your acting, and believe me, you'll start having a helluva lot more FUN! especially when you have people comming up to you after shows, and not only saying that you played well, but that you [i]performed[/i] well.

for me, gigging is a whole package. sound, look and presence are very important when live. if you play to a crowd like you play in rehersal they might as well buy a CD because they're not going to get much more from seeing you on stage. Performance in terms of looks and actions are as important as performance in terms of sound (for me at least. obviously not everyones views are the same). and so as you might have guessed. dressing up is a big part of playing for me. we have bin bags and boxes overflowing with dressing up clothes, and choosing what to wear before a show with the band can sometimes be almost as much of a laugh as playing! obviously, the venue being played and the crowd being played to are a big factor of whats to be worn. ranging from a bit of simple, plain style: to somthing a bit more outlandish for a bigger occasion to full on outrageous for parties and the like

weird and wonderfull, just my kind of thing! will be watching this one with much interest. Ped, any knowladge on that weird pickup arrangement on the stealth you showed??

glad to notice you've stumbled across this lovely little comunity colin! although i am a little late in noticing... but welcome anyway Tom

[quote]Just get hold of the Funk Drops records and the Eccentric Soul records. You'll never be the same.[/quote] Amen brother! seriously, he means it. and i second it a great modern one to do is Beyonce - Work it out. We do it in a 3 piece (bass, drums, guitar), and it works great!

looks lurvly. and nice to see you around again! hows things?

[quote]I bought one for £50, then realised I didn't really have a use for it so sold it for £85. I guess I should have hung on to it for a while.[/quote] i bought mine new off the bay for £75, had it for a while and loved it. then went through a phase where i didn't like effects and sold it on ebay for £75. less than a month later i realised i'd been a tw@ and went back onto the bay to find one. only to see them going for £200+... i'm still kicking myself, not only because i don't have the pedal anymore, and can't afford to get one again. but also because if i'd waited a couple of months i could have made 3 or 4 times the money!!

what the title says, playing in Callaghans on Thursday night with my funk/rock/reggea band Dirty Dog (though we're billed as my other band Renthouse Groove), obviously the Shuker will be there and you welcome to have an unplugged fettle and babble about it afterwards. i think we're one of the earlier bands on, around 8pm ish?

he he, i'm very flattered ^_^ just wait till you see my next one, if i ever get round to it...

i have no experiences with other luthiers, but my experience with Jon was one that has assured him any of my future custom (pun intended?). i went to jon with an awful lot of ideas for my custom. one of the first things i said to him was 'i have a lot of ideas and don't really know how they'll work out.' to which his reply was 'thats fine, it's great to do something different and i love a challenge' we spent around a year working through ideas and drawing up and fiddling with designs before it was finally done and i put down a deposit for the bass. very, very paitient, and no sort of pressure. but as dood said, a custom is very personal. and not every luthier will suit every player (as i'm sure you know). but i can most highly recomend Jon as an option

a couple of weeks ago we played with Unklejam, they've been in the charts with the song 'love ya' and their new single is 'stereo'. and they've just been nominated for best newcomer in the MOBO awards. great guys, great live show, and they digged our music

cheers for the offer, and i most certainly will get out to see you one day (how long have i been saying that now? 5+years?(but i do mean it)! but it's as much a service as setup, as the frets and electronics need looking at. one day, one day

[quote]He should do it for free considering the ammount of business he's gotten from your bass, it was the one that started the Shuker craze![/quote] one of the great things about Mr. Shuker is you get free setups for life. wether you put none or 1000 people onto him. it's getting up to him thats the hard part

it would indeed. but as i was saying in your OTHER thread (man this is getting confusing!) it really needs a setup. and i really wouldn't want anyone to see it in the state it's in at the moment. as soon as it's fixed up i'd be happy to make a personal visit to EACH basswor.... oops, i mean basschatter to show it off!

[quote]Hope you are well, and still enjoying the ORIGIONAL Shuker bass!![/quote] i'm doing splendid, packed in work to bum around and focus on music and loving it. funilly enough i was just talking about how much i'm enjoying the shuker on your other thread! it is however in dire need of a service, but i want it done by Jon and it's easier said than done getting it up to him. but despite the high action and dead electronics it still beats most basses out of the water! oh, and cheers for the family pic. quite a trio. when you get the better camera out you need to get a shot of them with their dad Tom

[quote]I have come to realise that these basses are really 'me' - and now I want to keep these 3 and settle down and record some more music![/quote] it's really nice when you settle on basses. i still had bouts of GAS for a while after getting my Shuker, but now when i look at other basses, no matter how much i like them, i don't find myself longing after them the way i used to (christ! i sound like i'm married!) because i know mine can do everything i want and more. it's a good feeling isn't it!

Lulu, those JP's just take my breath away! and Misrule, the colour on the lecompte is just jaw dropping!

so how about a pic of the new arrival with it's siblings eh?

FFS ped, will you ever stop!? and your gonna have to change your avater now! sorry, just being grumpy and jelous. thats a realy beaut! as will all the other (countless) basses you've owned! Tom