Rich

It's quite fun isn't it, this imaginary setlist stuff? I've started compiling one for that 80s indieguitarrocktypestuff band I never formed. There's some bloody good stuff out there!

Funny you should say that... at one time, I did toy with the idea of putting together an 80s band covering the more alt/indie/rock-oriented stuff of the time, e.g. early Simple Minds, Black Sea-era XTC (would love to do Generals and Majors), Cult, etc. I didn't go through with it in the end, but I bloody wish I had now.

My usual answer to the oft-heard accusation that '80s music was all skill-less manufactured crap' is to tell the accuser to listen to Duran's 'Rio', Level 42's 'World Machine', Go West's 'Bangs & Crashes' (and any one of a million others), and then try telling me it was all skill-less manufactured crap.

Break out the white jacket and the Wayfarers.

Strings -- for me, Elixir nickels all day every day and twice on Sundays. Case/stand -- most of my basses live on a stand, in an old wardrobe. Best of both worlds... easily accessible, and free of dust. My Wal lives in its case primarily to keep it safe.

If you ignore the repeated title and the acapella intro... and it's a proper chart hit too.

I feel a Basschat competition coming on -- record The Birdie Song in as many different time signatures and genres as possible. Please can someone do a prog metal version?

I imagine that if permitted, they would be possible at very well isolated pubs out in the sticks, well away from any dwellings likely to be annoyed by noise. There's probably about a dozen of them in the country.

I only have 1 gig left surviving on either of my bands' diaries for this year, and that's my son's wedding evening in October. Neither band will be actively looking to make any new bookings this year even if the pubs do open up again... I think we're all just writing 2020 off as a mad dystopian nightmare and starting afresh next year. When you next speak to him, tell him I think he's a git too.

This has already been mentioned, but this is too good not to share

Yes there was a lot of dross during the 80s, but 1) there was also an awful lot of absolutely fantastic music too and 2) every decade has its good and bad, and I think the 80s gets an undeserved bad ride. Oh, and 3) the 80s was the decade when I started playing bass, left school, got a job, bought a car, bought my Wal , joined an amazing band, played a whole load of gigs in London, nearly landed a record contract , fell in love, left home, bought a house, etc etc. IT WAS A FABULOUS DECADE and I would go back in a heartbeat if I could. *wistful sigh*

Whoops.

It is indeed 😎 delish

Had a lovely socially-distanced picnic with my two... they presented me with a crate of Thatcher's oh yes, they know me well.

Especially for you wot a soulless dreary monstrosity eh?

Bit of a zombie discussion alert... We definitely have a Stag and a Lloyd in the lab at work, not that that's much help however... I think I might have an old Dataman programmer lurking in my drawer in the office. If I can think up an excuse to go in one day this week, I'll check. If it's there and it fires up, you can have it, if it'll be of any use..?

Yes, I definitely agree. My Shuker is a thing of beauty, but sonically at least it would be completely wrong for my ska band. My Sire V7 is ideal, as it's a far more 'traditional' look and tone. When I joined the band, they gave me some live recordings to learn along with... one of the bassists they'd worked with had been a superb player, very competent indeed, but her bass (never found out what it was) sounded totally wrong for the job -- a nice tone, but far too modern and hi-fi and smiley-face-EQd for the music. When I heard that, I just knew my Shuke would never see a ska gig

*glances over at Shuker active tobacco sunburst bass* *decides not to say anything* 🤐

I'm still ok with playing bars and having late nights, but I just can't do 'school nights' any more. Getting up early for my commute next morning is murder; I'm too old and knackered to be able to get by on 4 hours' sleep any more. So I think for me, it's going to be strictly Fridays and Saturdays only unless I can arrange to work from home the following day.

I think Lee Pom and Dave Swift probably have two of the best bass careers on the planet at the moment. I'm highly jealous of them both, Lee especially.

I am itching to get out and get gigging again. It's driving me nuts not being able to. It's almost as bad as when I bugggered my wrist up a couple of years back. As an aside... @Machines, what's that bass you're holding in your avatar? I've been trying to remember what they were called. I remember being very taken with them when they first appeared.

I dare you to say that to Mrs Ped

Choosing between my Shuker and Wal is like choosing between my kids. So I'm out.

If every week was everyone's cup of tea, life would be extraordinarily dull.

I know