StingRayBoy42

It wouldn't surprise me. Shame, they're always really good gigs.

There's a rock band that have to have all their gear set up *exactly* the same way at every gig, they're called OC/DC.

You're far too kind... not sure my cider-addled strem of nonsense could be described as prose, but thank you!

TONIGHT! The Dysfunctionals 3 piece at O'Neill's Solihull. You know it's going to be a good one when you arrive at 7 and the place is packed (many of them drunk and pissed up on booze) and the dancefloor's full. At 7 o'clock! Arse of a load in through the full dancefloor, setup all pretty normal... speedier than usual if anything. The DJ was a bit weird - he kept doing Tony Blackburn style talking along to the tunes which was hilarious. Went on to an excited/feral crowd, dancefloor was packed from the first song, IEM mix was absolutely perfect, Bass sounded great, drummer was smashing it... pretty much a dream set. The 80s numbers (Tainted Love (Yes, I know it's technically a 60s song, but you know what I mean), Don't you want me baby? and another one that I can't remember) seemed to go down the best for some reason - no-one in there looked old enough to remember the 90s, let alone the 80s. Quick vape and Shandy break, got accosted (not physically) in the gents by a bloke telling me how much he loved punk and Nirvana and that we should do Teen Spirit or some X-Ray Spex (?!)... I politely demurred but he really wasn't having it, bless him. Second set was even better than the first, Nirvana man came up midway through (mid song!) waving his phone at me, with Teen Spirit on Youtube... I told him (again) that we don't do that one I'm afraid, he got rather cross and started telling me how easy it is and what a good song it is. 🤪 Two terrifyingly huge, tattoo'd bouncers appeared halfway through the set and stationed themselves on stage, which was worrying and reassuring in equal measure. I think they were just keeping an eye out for any ne'er-do-wells, rapscallions and/or miscreants as there was no trouble. The drummer got propositioned twice (mid set (he is gorgeous TBF)), my wireless dancefloor visit had me surrounded by a gaggle of absolute honeys, the holy trinity of Saturday night pub covers (Dakota, Sex on fire, Brightside) went down an absolute storm (knock 'em all you want, drunk people love them) Nirvana man shouted for Teen Spirit (AGAIN) as an encore (We didn't play it), the singers voice held out (just), the encore (The Oasis one about Sally being able to wait) had the whole place up... an absolutely belting time was had by all. Same setup as last night (Sterling -> Newly expanded small pedalboard -> Amp board (VTDI set to 'Warm compression' or 'Fat Tube'... something like that) -> Mark CMD 121 -> PA) with Leopard print Converse, foot fans! Nirvana man came up AFTER WE'D FINISHED and asked for Teen Spirit again. He really likes that song apparently. Load out was a ton of fun (through a packed dancefloor (many of them drunk and pissed up on booze)), fifteen minutes back to my Dad's place to three cats who swore blind they'd not been fed in weeks (I'd fed them about six hours previously), a pint of Old Pa StingRayBoy's homebrew Whiskey cider (ABV unknown) and a fish finger, smokey bacon and St Agur blue creme sandwich. With chips. Best night I've had in ages.

Bit of a "Meh" gig last night - Cantina band at The Lounge in Boldemere, Sutton Coldfield. Usual story - not that many people there, a few enjoyed it enough to dance, dep drummer (mate of mine, top bloke), we played really well and sounded good, I got paid to hang around with some mates and do what I enjoy, so I can't complain. Played some songs with a pleccy again, which was gratifying... sounds great with the EHX Bass Soul Food on Blitzkrieg Bop and Anarchy in the UK. Punktastic! First outing for the new expanded mini pedalboard - upgraded from a Nano to a Nano+, replaced the Harley Benton ISO 5 with a Cioks DC7 (lovely bit of kit) and added an EBS multidrive and a TCE Sub 'n' up to the Soul Food, Hookers Green Bass Machine and MXR chorus deluxe. The Multidrive sounds great (Tubesim setting for me) and absolutely roars with the Soul Food in front of it. Also used the Sansamp VTDI in Rock mode for the first time - Wow! Played the Sterling -> mini board -> amp board (Thumpinator -> VTDI) -> Markbass 121. O'Neills Solihull tonight with the Saturday night covers band, usually a really good gig... fingers crossed!

I use Mono Betty straps and thoroughly reccomend them.

I've done a few gigs like that.

Mr Harder sold me a Boss ODB-3 with Wampler mods and he was a pleasure to deal with - good item, good price and top comms.

I bought a Pedaltrain tuner from Mr Creeper, he was great to deal with.

I bought a TCE Sub 'n' Up from Mike - good comms, great pedal at a good price, nice bloke and his doggo is definitely NOT an idiot, he's a good boy.

She also has some signature Bass strings - LaDellas. Deep talkin' Fladkins.

She does have a signature laptop...

My apologies - he deps with The Edwin Starr band featuring Angelo Starr

That pink instrument is gorgeous, and your Sire is really nice too.

LAST NIGHT! The Cantina band at the Cameo Suite in Coleshill (Brum) for a 60th birthday party. I've played here before with the big band, tonight was a very different vibe. We'd invested in (and were all wearing) some 'Mos Eisley Cantina' T-shirts ('No droids! Live music!'), which made us look like we'd put some thought into a cohesive onstage appearance and would project an air of professionalism. (We hadn't. It didn't.) Load in during a biblical rainstorm was fun, setup fairly standard, (I got to tell my 'Ernie Ball gave me this Bass for nothing' story), the audience didn't look like your typical heavy rock fans, we thought we'd be about as popular as a double-sided sandpaper condom but to be fair a few of them got up and had a boogie, so that was nice. The second set was tons better, loads of people up and dancing (apart from Helter Skelter, which absolutely cleared the dancefloor), the 80s section of the set went down a storm, my hiphop joke got a laugh (just the one) and they were loving it by the end - even the too-cool-for-school youngsters were up dancing. I spent the last three songs on the dancefloor (apart from going to the bar to order a round of drinks mid-song as it was last orders) which was ace and got a lot of bemused looks. Sterling -> small board -> MB CMD121P. I played a couple of songs with a pleccy for the first time in about twenty years, which was very gratifying, the drummer played a blinder (he's an absolute machine, he deps with Edwin Starr (!), no idea why he's playing with a bunch of half-arsed charlatans like us), we even got the riff in the Sweet child of mine solo right, birthday boy loved it, Mrs birthday boy (who'd booked us) loved it and it was a pretty decent payer. Pack up, load out (rain had stopped, thankfully), Marvin Gaye on the way home, back about 1 for a Henry Westons vintage (8.2% ABV - the Hereford Heroin) and leftover Jambalaya.

Oh thank heavens... I thought this was going to be another "Bah! Modern music is rubbish!" thread. 😀 She's got a hell of a voice and can certainly write a song.... anyone who can listen to "Someone like you" and not feel a flicker of emotion* should hand themselves in to their local police station immediately. Some bloke called 'Pinot Palladin' (?) on Bass for '21' - he sounds half decent and I'm sure he'll go a long way. * Anyone who replies 'hatred' or 'disgust' - straight to prison.

Graham bought my Pick Punch - he was a pleasure to deal with all the way.

Sad News. RIP Herbie Flowers.