Franticsmurf

Lots of good advice. For me there's three things: - Pre-gig nerves are about the unknown and by definition there's not a lot you can do about the unknown. So be generally prepared, know the basics (ie the set list). I make crib sheets up for the songs I'm not sure about - they're basically simplified chord charts (or detailed set lists) with only the bits I'm not sure about written in as a prompt. I don't expect to sight read from them. - On the night nerves: As has been said above, the rest of the band think you're good enough, so you must be, but it sounds like you haven't accepted it yet. Its a jam session so there will be mistakes but let them go. Most people will be concentrating on the folks getting up to jam so you won't be the focus. And most non-musicians will not spot bass mistakes. Once you've made a couple and realised its ok, your confidence will grow and you'll be able to... - ENJOY! 😃 Good luck (And don't forget to let us know how it went).

I depped for a mate's 'band' several times. The band was actually a three piece (guitar/guitar&vocals/vocals) with backing tracks and no bassist or drummer and I was asked to play bass as the guitarist couldn't make it. As the BL also played guitar and shared vocals with the female singer (who played acoustic guitar of a few songs) it all seemed under control, if not a little unusual, but he was a mate so I was happy to help out I used the gigs as a means to try out my new speakers, a new pre-amp and a couple of basses I hadn't used live before. Several songs into the second half of my third gig with them the backing tracks system (a laptop) crashed and we were left on stage with me playing bass and the female singer singing. The BL, strumming away on his Strat and looking cool was revealed to be completely muted with no sound coming from his amp or microphone. Our bass (with some improvised fills and runs) and vocal duo completed the song, the BL realised he had to step up and we finished the set with both of them playing guitar. It was my last gig with them and the trio folded shortly afterwards. The money was good, though!

You should do it - as has been said you'll regret it if you don't. And think of the thread you could start here. 😃

This is the over riding factor for me now. The band as a whole should genuinely be having a good time regardless of the performance. The audience will pick up on that whether they realise or not. I've had a few compliments over the years along the lines of 'you looked like you were enjoying that', which to me is job done. But part of the enjoyment for me comes from knowing my part well enough that I'm not working hard at playing it. So I'll put the effort in behind the scenes so I can relax during the performance.

Early in my live playing career I thought the same. I practiced endlessly and never thought I'd reached the level of skill to play live, let alone perfection. I fretted (pun intended) about every mistake I made and cringed at every botch-up of an arrangement made by the band. But the BL at the time explained that most audiences wouldn't notice and/or care if there were mistakes, missed verses, wrong words etc. Sadly, he was right and for a few years afterwards I didn't make the effort I should have, using his explanation as an excuse not to practice or learn specific parts for songs and the repeat bookings as evidence that it didn't matter. To my shame! Then I discovered the joy of 'making and effort and getting it right', which coincided with a new band. Now I don't care if the audience care or notice. If I (or my bandmates) notice, then it's an issue that needs to be addressed.

Usually it's bass of choice into the B6 along with an mp3 player loaded with the songs I'm learning into the aux in, and headphones. If I'm trying a new sound/patch I'll plug in to an amp and cab - usually the TCE BAM200 and either a TE 1x10 or my homemade 1x12. I'll wait for the neighbours to go out before turning up the volume.

All my basses have the random delete function permanently engaged. 😂

I can't help thinking that when McDonalds were planning their locations, they took into account the routes musicians would take returning home from gigs. 😂

Whatever the gig, the bass guitar(s) get put away first, then the rest of my kit. I'll help anyone else in the band (usually removing amps/ speakers etc from the stage). Once everything is packed away, it depends on the venue. A pub usually wants you out as quickly as possible so they can get on with closing, so it's a quick thank you to the boss and off. If there's another act on after us, I would normally be polite and watch a bit of their set. Often at clubs we're chatting to the punters post gig as we're loading up the van and I won't rush that as they may be the influential members that get us a repeat booking. If we're all in the van, the BL (driving) usually goes for a burger on the way home and we sometimes share the chips (just to help him out 😃). If it's me on my own, I'm home as soon as possible with the TV on, a cuppa and some chocolate biscuits to wind down.

If we can find enough people to go to Bargoed. 😂

Bargoed? Take a GPS with you. 😁

Bury it under the patio - unless that would compromise other packaging previously secreted there? 😀

As I recall, the specific incident was after a gig in one of the working men's clubs in Bedlinog. But in the duo days we regularly used to get lost trying to find these tiny venues. 😀

"On a dark, lonely mountain, With the wind in my hair I could see the street lights Several miles over there Then a voice in the distance Said 'turn left by the trees You can drive off any time you like But you can never leave' Welcome to the Rhondda Cynon Valley Such a lonely place, such a lonely place Playing a gig in the Rhondda Cynon Valley No bars on the phone, and no way home"

My mate Simon, the drummer in the first few bands I was in, was an excellent drummer. He had the technique for our music (prog/rock/heavy/indie) and in the studio he was able to focus to nail the drum tracks every time. He didn't play to a click and wasn't metronome perfect but he had the feel of the songs (maybe because he wrote or co-wrote many of them) and it was rare for him to be more than a few seconds over or under the time for each take. It was a rare day that he wouldn't get his drum parts done within two play-throughs and they never had to drop in to correct him. I would offer to play a guide guitar part with him and more often than not I'd be making mistakes while he carried on with the correct part despite my distractions. Later I started recording the band myself and I think I was spoilt with him as a drummer as I assumed that was how all drummers were. The reality was that with the few other bands I went on to record, the drummers never matched up to his standard. They were pretty loose and hard to work with, often didn't know how to tune their kit (I didn't either but I knew that they usually needed to be tuned), relied heavily on their bandmates to play along so they knew where they were in the song and inevitably they'd take the longest to get their parts right.

I'm days away from turning 60. 1. Done that. In darkest South Wales, where many of the valley villages have yet to experience electricity* 2. Similar, relying on directions from locals and ending up on top of a lonely mountain looking down on the lights of the road I'm meant to be on, several miles away and with no clue of how to reach it. 3. Introducing the wife of the guitarist I'd been playing with for more than 10 years to a friend, and at the crucial naming moment, finding out that I'd forgotten her name. 4. For variety, I also use 'pardon', 'what' and occasionally just nod and smile in the hope it will satisfy the individual. 5. Done this, with the added horror of having asked the FOH sound guy what he'd done to my amp when plugging in the DI cable to make it die on me before checking the volume controls. I did apologise. It was awful. I deny flashing anyone, but see #3 for a possible explanation. (*may not be true)

Tier 2 yes - it's kit but not bass specific kit.

One of the bands I'm in does this, although I am friendly with the BL as we've gigged for years in duos (and he runs a music shop and does mates rates). The other band (The Hulla) started as a social event rather than a band so it's the polar opposite. The drummer and I are outsiders in that we live 30 minutes away from the village in which the rest reside. Last year we had a pre-festival gig set up/soudcheck breakfast at a local eatery (we set up the stage, went for a late brekkie, then did the soundcheck), a Pie 'n' Mash night, several wine and cake events (some coinciding with rehearsals) and there's usually a carol concert on the beach (its a seaside village). Several members are also RNLI volunteers so there's often fundraisers for them which involve cake and wine. The rehearsals are very much social events at which we play music. And occasionally we do play a gig. 😀

My question would be who are these xxxx more people? If they're local to the venue, interested in the genre of live music and there is a realistic chance they could attend the gig, then perhaps the £xx is worth investing. But if they're a bunch of randoms across the country then it seems to me to be pointless. As a general rule I would not pay for FB advertising.

After my tier 2 fail earlier, I have managed to resist anything bass related. In fact, although I regularly visit the gear orientated threads on here, there is nothing remotely tickling my GAS fancy at the moment, which is unusual. It either means I'm cured of GAS (I know - "My name is Dave and I am a GASaholic - Its been 158 days since my last bass related purchase.") or a long dormant sensibility gene has been activated. 😃 Edit: I have another 28 days to go to beat last year's record.

I used to think I hated Mustang Sally, mainly through endlessly playing it in bands/duos and the inevitable 'mom dancing' (is that a thing?) that would accompany it. We ended up vetoing it in the band. Then after about 5 years of not playing it. It was requested at a function and we had to do it. And I enjoyed playing it! What I actually hated was the baggage surrounding it. I feel the same dislike of Wonderwall and I haven't played that one for a few years either. It's not one I would ever suggest but I am open to that possibility that coming back to it with fresh fingers might change that opinion. So I guess my answer to the OP is no, nothing I hate with a passion.

And the other 43.2% are based on inaccurate or false data. 😃 I have a 5 string Sterling. I keep thinking I should sell as I rarely play it - and then a song comes up that 'needs' it. That said, it's currently resting, as are my small (for a 5 string bassist) hands. 😃

I've been using a cheap picnic table from Go Outdoors for the last year or so. I like having the speakers raised and for gigs where I use backline, the picnic table raises them about 18"/50cm of the ground. It folds up flat and if necessary I can drape a black cloth over it to make it more inconspicuous.

Yes, definitely. When I'm learning a new song I start by getting the basic structure right so that I can play through the song at a rehearsal, and then go back to pick up the fills and twiddles. More often than not I will make up my own fills that suit my ability and style and the arrangement we settle on. I'm not a purist and I'm more interested in adding something different than slavishly following the original. But it's quite educational to go back to a song that I know and have played for years to find out what was originally being played and I've learnt some new techniques by doing that. Every day is, indeed, a school day. 😃 I recently had an offer of an audition and one of the pieces they asked me to learn was 'Fool For Your Lovin'. I'd played that many times so no problem, but the band asked me to learn it note for note as this was the way they did all their covers. I decided (for the reasons above) that the band wasn't for me and they appreciated that. But as an exercise I decided to learn the original bass part myself. What a revelation! The song I thought I knew had far more happening on bass that I had ever realised.

I rehearse with the Hulla band most Sundays. For most of them, it's the only time they play and the night is as much a social gathering as a practice. Beer flows (they're all within walking distance of the hall we use) and for me and the drummer (30 minutes drive away) there's tea! If a birthday has been celebrated that week, there's always cake and we've had 'Pie 'n' Mash' nights, wine tasting etc as well. Last night was a regular rehearsal (our next gig is at the end of April so we're working on new stuff rather than working up a set) but for some reason it clicked and it was one of the best sessions playing as a band I've had with them. The sound was good (it usually is but last night was better), the song mix was all up tempo and mostly the rockier stuff we do and we sailed through the new songs with little or no pauses for clarification. Edit: We played Whole of the Moon and Come Up and See Me as a little tribute to Karl Wallinger and Steve Harley. Both songs are regulars in the set anyway but it seemed a nice thing to do. I used my Sire Marcus Miller V5, which has been resting for a few months, through the Zoom B6 directly into the desk with a mix out to my in-ears. I tend to use two main patches on the B6 at the moment, both tweaked to my liking. One is based on a clean SVT4 andf I have the option to bring in chorus, flange and overdrive. The other is based on a clean Trace Elliot and that has the option to add chorus, flange and echo. Last night I tried out a fretless patch (nice but didn't add to the song) and an untouched patch ('Progressive') which gave me a nice clanky Ricky sound that will be staying on the board.