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Wondering what they will call themselves if they ever decide to open any shops in the USA....

Interesting. I was in Rockfield studio one for part of the time they were in there doing A farewell to Kings in the posh new studio. We commented several times that they were always out horse riding fishing et and NOT "recording all the time" like Geddy said in the interview. We had ten days to do an album. They had block booked for NINE months! Talk about how the other half records.....

I made myself a promise back in 2006 when I retired from the road that I would not travel more than an hour from home for a gig and would not play stuff I didnt really like. Then an old chum asked me to play bass in a british style 50s 60s rock and roll band. Did it for several years even though I didnt much like the material we were doing, but the other players were such fun to work with and so good at what we did it didn't seem so bad. Funnily enough, the only member of the band who was really committed to the style we were playing was the singer! who also played piano and rhythm guitar....

"Nobody sleeps when I'm onstage" My motto since I first started playing. A bass player called Sid Barrett (different one but still from Cambridge) told me to think like this - and he was an upright player doing mostly big band gigs, but he DID stand out on stage, to his credit.

Sadly I suffer from the same rigid thumb joints. I wound up giving up pedal steel because it made correct blocking impossible & it DOES hamper my bass technique, especially now my hand arthritis has gotten really bad. You have my sympathy AND my understanding.

Vic Wooten doesn't spend his whole life showing his ass, just that most of the you-tubery that you see of him is either lessons, masterclasses or aimed at wannabe bass players with more money than sense. Mark King openly admitted that his bass style evolved because playing that way was the only way he could easily keep time and sing at the same time. So maybe there are two sides to this particular coin.... I take the attitude that anyone who has kept his gig in a major act has kept it for a reason - generally that thy can play well listen well and are sensitive to what is required. If you want an example of a totally insensitive, over the top bassist, let talk Randy Coven. Or not.... (shudder)

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1508937255' post='3395482'] Just buy a copy of this: [url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Progress_%26_in_Motion:_1965%E2%80%931998"]https://en.wikipedia...65%E2%80%931998[/url] [/quote] Dayum! That is some mega album!! I have just about everything he has done on vinyl, now recorded digitally, and I am getting a strong urge to get this lot so I am still "official". My all time fave of his is that double live album with all the horns. Magic stuff.

I have to say that it saddens me to read about those of you who think you "arent good enough for a band". We all started out being crap players and struggling to learn the ropes. Start doing some auditions & sooner or later you will find a band to play in - in the meantime, practicing for auditions will also hone your chops a bit, especially if you play ALL THE WAY THROUGH the tunes you are going to play at the audition. In my experience, from teaching, that is the one thing that gives newer players the most trouble. They have spent ages "learning" tunes but never sat down and played them all the way through, which means they don't have any stamina when it comes time to do two or three tunes at an audition. Worth considering.

The owner/publisher of Sound On Sound magazine is a very long term financial supporter of Bill. I do love people who vote with their wallets when supporting music.

Speaking of bananas, my main bass has so much neck relief it looks like a banana from the side. And the answer to the action question is: A bus. But not a double decker one.. Back when I was young and strong and manly and virile I had a 12th fret action around 6-7mm. On 105-s Still on 105 but the action has dropped down to about 5mm now. Great for recording - not a scrape squeak or rattle to be heard & the tone is excellent.

Jools: Youre not old youre just back-dated. Says it all really. Old farts should not be presenting something represented by the Beeb as cutting edge - especially when it isnt. Reminds me of how clueless the presenters on things like six five special were in my teen years.

Trust me, it isn`t SEEING them that is unpleasant. You can smell a skunk out on the highway long after it has sprayed and gone. even worse if you have a Loudon Wainwright moment and the stripey little sucker is roadkill...

Depends if you are a musician or a bass player. I started out on banjo and guitar then progressed to bass & have always played both, even if the bass IS my preferred gig. As has been suggested, try doing some guitar or ulelele or whatever as well AND try playing different styles of music. Its all about getting the creative juices going again.

I used to play a bunch of these weekender type gigs ariound thge country in the 90s and up to around 2005. Always got paid and always got some food and basic accommodation. In the case of Isle of Wight gigs the cost of ferrying the van across was alaso covered, although I understand this has stopped now after huge increases in ferry tickets. I wouldnt even have bothered responding in the first place. Total chancers.

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1507583894' post='3386619'] Played Ships in the Night on my first ever public gig at the tender age of 17. Happy days [/quote] Ibiza DJ Gary Butcher (GaryB ) did an excellent Bill Nelson back in the day. Guitar and vocals were spot on. P.S. When do we get to experience the Pere Ubu Tribute band?

Hadnt really thought about it but I have pretty much always muted mostly with my left hand and sort of allowed the notes to escape as needed. But I am a lefty playing right handed, which may account for it. Works great fro me though.

My daughters ThisNarrowboatAdventure youtube channel is waaaaay better than all of them. Subscribe now!

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1506963708' post='3382367'] Reggie Young. See. . . . nobody knows his name but you've all heard his playing. [/quote] Smuggety-smug - knew him when I lived and worked in Nashville. Nice guy and a great player.

Playing with your head between a very loud bass amp and muscular drummer's cymbals makes you go very deaf sooner or later. Earplugs? EARplugs??? So glad I was able to convince my kids that looking after their hearing while young was a good idea. Beating the living daylights out of your bass to get a good sound (for years, before there were many proper bass amps available in the UK) eventually knackers the joints in your hands. That is all.

Wednesday 27th I was playing with my pickup band and at the end of the first number this chap from the audience went and spoke to our keyboard player. He then sat down at the piano and played for the rest of the set. Don Airey. Damn he can play!

I have 2 four and a Bassix Jazza electric upright. Traded my acoustic double bass in for it.

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1506863157' post='3381561'] In the UK, ‘Brent Mason’ generally slips under the radar (although there are a couple of fans here on BC). [media]http://youtu.be/oeJHnkUKg_M[/media] [/quote] But nice to hear Vince Gill laying down some white boy blues as well... another hugely underrated guitarist, singer and writer. Damn, I hate both of them!!

Nothing worse than gratuitous sax and violins....

Most of the guys I know who are still in the minors but good players are working for a lot of bands in order to make the money up. The days of lots of gigs without much travelling are long gone in the UK. If I were doing it nowadays I would be working solo, as you generally get paid as much as a duo trio or even a four or five piece band in the smaller venues round here. Sad but true. Now I am just fooling around for my own amusement, I am in the £50 a night per man bracket but at least they are all local and easy gigs. But there is still plenty of work, especially on Fridays and Sundays, for a solo which pay £100 and up provided you can put (drinking) bums on seats.

On the other hand playing HIS line is tricky even WITH a pick.