Cat Burrito

I take a spare cable in case my wireless dies and a spare battery for my tuner. Anything else is too heavy when offset against the chances of using it. Some cases have spare strings too but I haven't broken a string onstage since the mid 90s.

I returned to the pub I had my wedding reception in for the first time since 2018 last night. It was a lowkey acoustic set as the main part of a newly establishing open mic night (we had the long main set). As with a lot of Wiltshire pubs, a couple of all day drinkers in there who had long gone beyond the point that they should have stopped. I replicated my bass parts on a mandocello and took some lead on the mandolin too. I sung some lead lines and did a lot of the onstage banter. It was just a fun evening. My missus came down to support us and I was amazed how many people remembered me from 5 years back. The pub has a Dr. Who theme due an old John Pertwee episode being filmed locally in 1971. Here we are just before going on. The Dalek didn't come in. There are steps! Some of the locals...

At soundchecks in recent years, I've taken to playing The Cure's Close To Me. Aside the fact that I think I play it well, it covers a lot of the lower register notes so it means I can tweak my amp to suit the room. I can play more complex stuff but I'd rather get the most out of the sound, than show them what I can do. Equally on stage, I don't feel the need to show off. I practice a lot more in recent years and get more compliments these days without having to try to impress. I wouldn't say I was brilliant but I am pretty decent these days. Testing the mic at soundchecks, the soundman tends to get a comedy skit about this being "the main mic" and "can we get spotlights on stage left?" Incredibly I've never been fired from a band in 35yrs but I've annoyed a lot of singers.

Would love to. The scene all seems north of here so we're certainly looking at options for when the album is finished.

We played our studio engineer / co-producer's birthday bash in the rock n roll capital of NE Wiltshire (drum roll.....) Mildenhall last night! What made the event extra special for me was my old drummer from two of my recent bands made the trek all the way over from Wales to surprise us. We also got to jam with Cozy Powell's old keyboard player - not particularly my bag but very talented player and a sweet guy. Should probably add that this was also an informal launch for our debut single "Missives from the Sisters" which I'll unapologetically post here despite having posted it earier in the Share Your Music forum. Partly to make up for the rubbish phone snap!

Really pleased with this one. Nick and I did our first proper band / gig together in 1989. We revived things over lockdown. Very much a partnership, writing and producing together. One to be avoided if you hate drum machines, synths and fuzz bass!

I had a Zoom multi-effects unit back around 1999/2000 and loved it. I've often thought about buying one again. As with all these things, 80% of the effects weren't for me but the sounds I did use were great. I had no idea that these things weren't rated.

My Dad was a pro Jazz drummer before I was born and I didn't like any of his music. I think he tried forcing it on me too early so I now take a dislike to jazzy stuff, even though I am sure I am missing a trick with it. The only Jazz I like, he classes as rubbish. My Mum was a different story. She was into rock n roll, country and soul. Three albums that had a massive impact were the That'll Be the Day Soundtrack, Black Magic (a Stax soul compilation) and With the Beatles. I'd add Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, Rolling Stones, The Animals and Dusty Springfield. My own tastes came through the older sons of their parents friends - punk, New Wave, alternative and rock bands of the 1980s. I still like all of that eclectic mix. You're just unlikely to get me into Art Blakey now.

Away from the bass, my duo Deadlight Dance played a low key spot at The Barge in Honeystreet, Wilts. Nick (other half of DLD) used to live next door and this was a regular haunt for us three decades ago. Very alternative-y vibe. Got told off by one member of the audience for looking far too young for my age (the photo doesn't support this view, mind!). "Do you take illegal drugs?" she enquired. "No, I'm quite healthy living" I replied to which she started pointing at me, shouting "see!" Quite surreal. Another bloke asked to sit by me "because you look really cool", only to then undermine my brief moment of being flattered by detailing a long history of mental health concerns. We did a mix of Cure and Sisters of Mercy songs (on the mandolin and mandocello) before doing our new single "Missives from the Sisters" (shameless plug alert, streaming on all good - & bad - platforms via Ray Records from Friday).

I hope this is the most recent Feedback thread for the good Doctor, but Dave bought an EHX pedal from me. Friendly no quibble comms and a smooth transaction that followed. Trade with confidence.

I gigged with him a couple of times but I obviously look less rebellious!

Snap, sort of. I have a signed Floodland ad from her on the wall. Never met her mind.

In thirty five years of playing I have been fortunate enough to gig with a few people I grew up listening to. I've also gotten to meet a fair few away from my own playing. Just a cool story for you all; growing up in the 80s we all got into the bands of the time. The Cure were massive for our group of friends. Over lockdown I started listening to all that Goth / 80s alternative stuff again and reminding myself why we all thought bass was the coolest instrument originally. I've spent the last couple of years playing in a little Goth duo. At a recent open mic I discovered one of my fellow musician friends was friends with Simon Gallup. I felt a bit cheeky but asked him if he'd get me Simon's autograph. He was happy to do so and equally Simon also said he was happy to sign it. I had a framed picture as I have a lot of music pictures in my house so I popped it over to my mate Phil. I then waited for them to catch up. Fast forward to today and I picked it up. I was pleased he personalised it as it isn't one to sell. I went into my mate's music room and was admiring his kit. Funnily enough when I picked up his acoustic bass it turns out it is the one used one The Cure's acoustic hits album. I bust out a few of my Cure bass lines on it which was pretty cool, and manged to upstage playing my friend's Ric 4001, which happened to be my YOB bass. Any cool stories from you?

I misfired with my first Ric, back in 2009. I felt I couldn't justify the purchase and sold it on. Kinda missed it so bought my Ruby Red one in 2016 and it's my main bass. There is a fair bit of Ric bashing (not helped by some of the comments on the Ric FB pages and the previous owner, Mr. Hall) but they are great basses.

Forgot I posted this thread! It's the 2x10 and I am looking at extension cabs too, once I sell a few things.

I turn 50 in March and my friend from my musical duo is also 50 this year. Around Xmas he mentioned the idea of a 50th birthday present to himself - an amp - and it doesn't take much for the average Basschat member to justify new gear. I have the big Orange rig that weighs a tonne but 35yrs in the Paul Simonon / Peter Hook school of low slung bass means my shoulder and neck are feeling their age. So I decided to return to the oxymoron that is "lightweight bass amps" Currently I am doing a lot of 80s alternative stuff and liking a bit of distortion and chorus in my sound. I've mostly played Orange or Ampeg over the years but during my poor days I had an old Peavey combo that I was delighted to see the back of. I like the look / sound of the Darkglass stuff but I like my kidneys too much to sell one to fund it. I then stumbled across Blackstar. Built in effects that sound alright (goodbye pedal board) and as silly as it sounds, I like the fact it looks like the last David Bowie album. I won't publicly name the shop with the (normally) excellent reputation that I bought it from but this is where my two week delay in posting begins. I could save a few quid on an ex-demo version so I did. It arrived the next day, immaculate with all the card and stickers in place still. However, no foot pedal and incredibly, no mains cable. I have a few cables but the pedal wasn't cool because it is a main part of the bass. I phoned them up and they were fairly disinterested but emailed back to say they'd found the mains cable and would mail it out. They tried to quibble the pedal stating it wasn't listed. 20 years ago I would have been fobbed off but I wasn't having it. All the blurb that came with it stated there was a pedal. The brand new ones also didn't mention a pedal on their site but I can'yt imagine they would have lost it as the thing was immaculate. I pushed back and the next day they emailed to say the pedal was located and would be sent out. I had to chase it a week later when they still hadn't sent it but it did finally come. I would have sent it back to be petty as they were being so silly about it but I really liked the amp. It sounds great, does a lot of tones, is much lighter and is very aesthetically pleasing. In the meantime I wanted the longer pedal that gives you tuning options. It was listed at £100 but I found one for £69 from a different shop. Great saving. Stupidly I kept googling and found one secondhand for £35 - too late, I'd bought it. The £69 arrived the next day, I plugged it in and NOTHING! Did all the idiot checks but I had a dud. Phoned the shop up, I had to wait in for a collection and they did a refund. Went back to the secondhand listing at £35 and it was still available. It arrived today, it is immaculate and more importantly, it works! My setup is here! I'd like to say it was easy. I can't wait to use it in anger.

First live appearance of 2023 was an acoustic night at a local pub. My 80s goth duo have been focusing on synths & drum machines, only to have to suddenly use the other side of our brains last night. Woefully under-rehearsed, we lurked outside the ladies loos, armed with a mandocello and a mandolin! Very high standard last night and we had a couple of old school friends come down (the origins of Deadlight Dance are a bad 6th form Goth band) and against all odds, we nailed it. We did our forthcoming synth heavy single stripped down, along with songs by The Cure, Sisters of Mercy and wildcard versions of OMD and (our nod to the modern) The Weeknd. My favourite compliment, we were "intense!" Meanwhile if you see this chap hanging around outside the loos, he's harmless, just a little under-rehearsed!

In my old band where we stayed together for ten years, our drummer had a difficult year early on where we supported him. It was work commitments rather than personal issues but we used deps and I think he managed about 30% of our shows. It got much, much better and he wasn't a problem after that. I don't think there is a number that can be put on a percentage. If someone making 90% of gigs is a problem, it is a problem for that band. Equally if someone is only making 20% of shows but you can manage it, no dramas.

Martin bought my Tech 21 Sansamp VT bass pedal. Decent and friendly comms so I absolutely echo the sentiment already left on this thread. Trade with confidence.