Cat Burrito

15 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

Cool pic, Tim, and even cooler looking bass!

It's just a bitsa. I bought the body on here and it's all cheap parts. Sounds great though. 

At the weekend we busted out a version of Hanoi Rocks' classic "Dead By Xmas".

We're also available for Children's Parties. 😺

Two shows over the weekend, Sheffield and Newcastle. We'd recently lost our drummer, which in a three piece is a sizeable dent. I've travelled and roomed with him but he obviously hadn't been happy for a while (more with the other guy, I assume rooming with me is an absolute charm!). The new guy seems to have injected a huge amount of enthusiam into things and it made me realise how unhappy I had been things over the last few months. Both shows were great fun and we also had a great time in the downtime, exploring a few old haunts of the North East (my Mum's family were all from around there and the guitarist / singer also has family connections). After a misfire I had been trying to ignore, we're back!

I've played on a few releases and whilst I don't get involved in the funding side, I doubt that any of them have recouped the costs. The official line is always that music is an artistic statement, which is a nice way of us accepting we're being ripped off. All my bigger releases have been "critically acclaimed" in the national press but with studio costs and pressing coupled with the fact that people stream everything these days, it's never going to pay the bills. I absolutely hate the fact that the CEOs of companies like Spotify pay artists so little and always try and buy directly from Bandcamp with the smaller acts I like. 

Two things from the last few weeks that have saddened me; 1) a news report saying that younger artists were giving up on music as it doesn't pay the bills and 2) this latest trend on social media of sharing an imaginary Spotify festival based on your listening. I think artists have always been ripped off since the dawn of rock n roll but the reality is that the rich are getting richer and the actual creative talents are not getting a fair slice of the pie. 

I have all the Beatles albums on vinyl and on CD. I have a signed print of the Revolver artwork (signed by Klaus Voorman) and have even done the Beatles tour around Liverpool. I appreciate the genius of the band but wouldn't say they are a favourite. I tend to like a lot of fairly obscure artists but would say I am a massive fan of bigger names too like The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley and David Bowie. Popularity or critical reviews pay little influence on what I like. 

I would add that I am a massive fan of Paul McCartney's bass playing and also his work around animal welfare / Meat Free Mondays etc. 

6 hours ago, floFC said:

I never saw The Ely Plains but my partner remembers the Lock Tavern gig fondly. We were good friends of Jan.

I left the band in 2009 but saw them with Jan a few times. He seemed like a nice guy. 

I like a lot of very big artists (Bowie, Elvis, The Stones) but also a lot of very obscure artists. I've never really thought of it as isolating but I accept that in most circles I move in, the mention of a band I like would be met by "who?!" I'm fine with that but I do find myself getting increasingly frustrated with Alexa when it's clearly just been played and I am getting told that "I don't know that"

I had one of the first JC basses and the original lot came with a hard case. Sadly that is seperate now. I was blown away with the bass. I sold it due to a change of circumstances and it was one of many that went in a massive cull. I now own a Gretsch longscale and a Hofner Verythin longscale, both of which are excellent. I don't think you'd go too far wrong with an Epi JC but equally don't be afraid to try some of the alternatives out there too. They're all so much better these days.

12 hours ago, BigRedX said:

@Cat Burrito That's a lovely looking Bass VI.

 

If they made that with Shergold Marathon 6-string Bass string spacing rather than that ridiculous skinny neck I would be ordering one now!

I'd love a Shegold Marathon. The neck is slim so the spacing is a bit of a challenge but it is perfectly serviceable for my needs.

I decided to upgrade my Burns SSJ and just picked up this Squier Bass VI. As you can see I have already swapped out the pickguard and I have some flats en route in the post as I can see. The Squier set up is much better and my early impression is that this bass is a killer.

My 80s Goth duo played a blinding support to a local Siouxsie & the Banshees tribute, at my local village hall. A very respectable turnout and we played well. Caught up with at least two people I haven't seen in over three decades. 

I am on bass for most of it but play some mandolin and was delighted that my student joined us in bass and totally smashed it!

Final words from our local review, which said "Eighties new wave electronica is their game, angled toward the gothic alternative, which they executed with finesse and emotion. From a few originals Nick explained they were taking into the studio, to expected covers of Bauhaus and Joy Divison, it was the sort of serious music venue appreciation society type stuff, rather than universal village hall. Though what was particularly adriot in their set was a rendition of Heartbreak Hotel in their house style."

2 hours ago, Boodang said:

 

Geddy and Alex must be gutted to know how bad their drummer was.

I said from my experience. I was never in Rush! 

Agree with a lot of the points made so far. The smaller the kit, the bigger the talent, from my experience. 

I've never had issues regularly playing London since '94. I've had issues in a couple of smaller backwater places around the UK but generally no problems. A couple of years ago we drove our tour van through one of the Royal Parks en route to the 100 Club. The officer who stopped us couldn't have been nicer. I had all my stage make up on and he was totally non-judgemental. He asked us if we knew it was an offence, we said we didn't and were a bit lost. He advised us accordingly and let us on our way, with directions. I've been on buses, tubes foot and in flusher times taxis, all without issues. 

A non-bass gig became one of the most surreal shows I have ever done last night. It was a small village open mic night that my goth duo has previously done. We were told we could do two small sets so spent the day rehearsing up an electric and an acoustic set. If you've never seen a post of mine, my duo is with the guitarist from my Sixth Form band and although the lowest key of my bands, probably the one I have the most fun with. Just a great excuse to hang out with an old school friend and make music.

We arrive at the quiet country pub to discover it is absolutely heaving, to the point we are not going to be able to bring our gear in fully. A hasty decision is made to ditch the rehearsed up electric stuff and just go acoustic (bolstered by some under rehearsed stuff). Next thing the landlady is coming up to me and telling me that it's great to have Boy George in her pub!?! It quickly dawns on me that she must be at least 3 bottles of wine in and as the evening progresses she is dancing right down the front, coining up the phrase from Friday Night Dinner "Be spatially aware!" I make a mental note to keep her very much at arms length. We go on and go down a storm. We get a second set and at one point the young bar maid is coming up to me, mid set, to ask me to come outside and help break up a fight!?! Luckily it was all over as these things are, almost straight away. The irony was that I thought the gig would go down in my history for being my first performance in a cardigan! It's a funny old world!?!

3 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Nice one. I have noticed that you do get some great pics from your gigs.

Out of curiosity what wireless were you using ?

Dave

Just a cheap one from Amazon - Lekato. The last one lasted two years and I figure they are about as cost effective as cables now. The latency is much better than it used to be. 

I have always struggled with Jazz basses so will be watching this thread like a hawk. Mine sounds weedy and I have had non players say it didn't sound so good. It's fine in a 4 piece but there's zero bottom end. I got rid of a Jazz bass in the 90s because of the pickups and this one looks great, sounds good on it's own and is rubbish in a 3 piece. I see and hear loads of other bassists using Jazzes to great effect so so wonder if I have just had a couple of duds. All my other basses sound amazing so I don't think it's me. I've tried flatwound / roundwound and picks / fingers. Good point with the EQ but I can plug into any rig and sound good - my money is on the pickups. 

13 hours ago, gjones said:

By the way, I saw that picture of you on my Facebook newsfeed at the weekend. I'm a Facebook friend of the Photographer. I said 'I know that guy........' 😃

Bannermans have some insanely talented photographers. The last guy was good and I said that to this guy, joking that he better be as good and I think he was actually better!

I've just got back from the second leg of a UK tour. This time we took in Manchester, Blackpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh. I massively preferred this run, perhaps because it was shorter.

I took my Hofner with my small Orange Terror rig (knowing that Edinburgh would have the 8x10 Orange). No issues with the bass throughout. All four shows had exceptional sound. I did laugh at Edinburgh; the Orange rig has a bit of tape over the traditional Orange symbols explaining "Highs - Mids - Lows". Surely us Bass players are cleverer than that, right?

My new wireless was great and no major issues throughout. Respectful sized audience in Manchester, busy in Blackpool and the two dates in Scotland were small but very enthusiastic crowds. 

I have a set on my Hofner Verythin bass and it's coming away on tour with me tomorrow. I love DR strings - they sound nice and bright with plenty of bottom end and don't dull quickly. I have the neons on other basses and whilst I worried about not being able to see them on stage, turns out I don't look at my fretboard as much as I thought (plus the dot markers along the side of the neck stand out all the more when the strings are black). A very different animal to the Rotosound ones, going from memory. I play rock in the band I use them in with a very heavy pick attack and the marks on the strings are actually very minimal. 

School careers officer advice to me was to be a Lighthouse Keeper. Growing up in landlocked Wiltshire!

I fared slightly better at college. I had to do work experience and Bill Wyman had just left the Stones. I asked her to get me that gig. Obviously she didn't but she did get me a week on Carnaby Street working at EMAP Metro who had just taken over Kerrang, RAW and Mojo magazines. 

Over the years I have usually opted for a personalised band pic & my collection dates back over 30 years now. *sample pic here (usually 1mm thick)

More recently I have opted for what I (semi) jokingly refer to as my plastic pieces of narcissism. Good for throwing out into crowds at bigger gigs (but I am not such a narcist that I don't worry that a keen audience member won't return it to me mid performance!)

Adam and the Pants

1 hour ago, Ricky 4000 said:

Is there any guarantee that you and your bass would be seated next to each other?

Good question! You need to pay to reserve seating or your pride and joy could be sitting amongst the lads holiday. We had that on one flight and my bass didn't speak to me for weeks afterwards!

I'm a fairly recent convert to the world of Bass VI. I bought mine originally to lay down some Glen Campbell type lines on a recording session, only for that song to be shelved. I went for the Burns baby blue and it does need a better setup but is generally a fun instrument. It sat in storage for a few months until I dug it out for a post-punk / goth duo that I do with the guitarist from my first band back in Sixth Form. We cut this short video recently for a bit of fun. The film maker was great but just to show my humble attempts at playing one. 

100% agree, definitely easier with a pick. It's funny for me that the intention behind the purchase is a world away from the regular usage it is now getting.