Franticsmurf

I've just started 'proper' depping (as opposed to helping out with bands I used to be in). I've done several gigs for one band and I have a gig next Saturday with a new lot. Both bands supplied setlists via Spotify. I had three questions - Are they all in the original keys, are there any surprises with arrangements and what's the dress code? For both bands the answers were yes, no and we don't have one. The reality for the first band was: Original keys? Yes, apart from the two that weren't which I found about about on the night - one of which I had to transpose on the fly, the other I had a few minutes to work on. Any surprises? No. Apart from the the one where our regular bass player signals the rest of the band to come in and the one where the singer always gets lost in the middle and may come in early or late... or on time (again, only made clear on the night). Dress code? No. But they all decided to wear shorts and Hawaiian shirts on the night. To be fair, they were a great bunch and we had a laugh and none of the issues mentioned actually caused real problems. The band I'm playing with next Saturday have a reputation of being more 'professional' but in the last week I've had an avalanche of WhatsApp messages discussing the final set list (which has changed several times), keys and rehearsal dates. And 75% of the set for this gig are songs I've never played before, with perhaps 50% that I don't really know at all so I've put a lot of effort into getting familiar. Out of necessity I will be playing this gig with a cheat sheet. My approach is as a dep I am doing them a favour and enabling a gig that otherwise would not go ahead, so I have earned a bit of leeway (particularly if its at short notice). But I am also part of the band for the night so I will do my very best to fit in with the band ethic (look/feel etc) as it's their reputation on the line. To a certain extent that would include deciding what bass to use from a visual point of view. My go to clothing if there is no guidance would be black trousers, (usually decent looking jeans), a lightly patterned shirt and maybe a waistcoat, with black shoes. Although I do BVs and a few lead vocals, for a depping gig I would not usually offer to sing as that's an extra thing that could go wrong. I expect an equal share of the fee and I would not expect to have to pay any deductions for PA etc that other band members have agreed to. I would always want to see the setlist before giving a definite yes or no and I would be totally honest about my ability to nail the songs. It's in no one's interest to say yes to something you know you can't do, so the set would dictate the notice I need, as I'm not the quickest learner. Good habits? Mainly I try to remember that I am the hired hand and I'll aim to stand at the back and not try to stand out.

That's my preferred style. 😀 To the OP - good luck and enjoy.

I would not want to be in a band that was associated directly (or indirectly through the views of one or more of its members) with extreme views such as the ones mentioned in the OP. Anyone who knows me knows that I avoid talking about even the less radical, everyday politics because I don't believe it is relevant to the bands I'm in and it's an easy way to begin an argument. I have severed ties with one 'friend' who turned out to (or perhaps developed over time) fairly racist views. It was a very easy decision to make and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

I had my first rehearsal with the Hulla band for two months last night, and it was the first time I'd played 'live' for about 6 weeks. We were down four members of the band (we're usually 13 so there was more than enough for a coherent sound). Everyone was fresh after the break and keen to play and I think that is what made the session a really great couple of hours. We just played through a number of the more up tempo songs on the provisional set list for a 40th birthday gig on 20 Sept. There was quite a bit of improvising (which is rare in this band) and we finished early (which is also rare). Highlights: We played a nice version of 'Take Me To The River', a bit more laid back than normal and which spontaneously became quite slow and funky in the middle, with some great and appropriate guitar noodling from the BL (who doesn't normally noodle). We went into that section and came out of it with no real cues and at the end we all agreed we should that kind of improvisation more often. We did a version of 'House of the Rising Sun' and instead of our trombonist taking the lead breaks as she wasn't, there yours truly took over and played some improvised bass riffs and - whisper it so they won't hear on BC - an actual bass solo for which I got several compliments when we finished. Lowlights: It was the first time I'd used the radio transmitter for the bass for 2 months and something had gone wrong with them as the sound I was getting for the soundcheck was more akin to an old ring modulator being played through a tinny transistor radio speaker. Not sure what happened there but I swapped to analogue technology, in the form of the spare lead I always take with me, and the problem was solved. I decided to take my Hohner 'The Jack', purchased from these hallowed halls, as it hadn't had an airing for a while and it sounded and played really well.

Don't knock it on the head because of one bad stage sound experience. From my own experience, the worst time to contemplate your future with a band is 'the morning after'. 🙂

A 'BC Absence Thread', if you will? 🙂

If I don't know the venue, if I'm playing outside or if anything looks dodgy I use an RCD circuit breaker on my main power block. I went wireless years ago to give me some isolation from my backline. In my current band we have two working electricians, so they are always on the case regarding venue electrics.

The main thing that makes a gig ideal for me is a good response from the crowd. I find that I, and bands I've been in, respond well to an enthusiastic crowd. Usually the performance benefits and in turn my level of enjoyment increases knowing that we're on top form. Icing on the cake is genuine compliments from the punters. Pre-gig, I like to know that there's somewhere convenient to park, that there's a proper stage separated from the audience, that the landlord/venue owner understands live bands. There should be fair recompense and ideally soft drinks on the house. A changing room and back stage toilet is good from a convenience point of view. Post-gig, I like that buzz from knowing we've played well, a swift breakdown of kit and an easy load out.

I was at their Hammersmith Odeon date, with Michael Moorcock reading from his books between songs and, if I remember correctly (it was a Hawkwind gig so the memory may well be ...er... tainted) Robert Calvert in his flying helmet. Great gig, great album. I haven't seen the DVD.

I used mine to record all our early originals and it had a great sound on the recordings. I wasn't experienced enough to realise how good it actually was. And when those first two photos were taken, I was till a guitarist who played a bit of bass.

This is the earliest photo I have of me with a bass guitar - a Colombus Jazz with matt black strings. Bedroom Arena, 1986: The first time I played bass live. I'm hding on the left with the same Colombus bass as above. The band was 'Mr McHenry', 1992: 2024 Hullabaloo Festival playing with '50% Dave', the support act to my main band: Depping with 'The Gowertones' in July 2025:

As a nipper I'd been to my mates with a bunch of friends - my mate played bass and guitar in the school orchestra and the rest of those present, bar me, played instruments and or sang. I was handed the bass guitar when we started to jam. I liked being part of 'a band' and shortly after saw a bass guitar in a second hand shop. It was £17 - I have no idea what it was. By the time I'd saved up it had gone. Then, for my 16th birthday my dad bought me an electric guitar. I taught myself to play it and by the time I went to college I was writing songs with my best mate from school, who was a drummer (and had been with me on that jam session several years before). I played guitar in the first three bands I was in (playing predominately originals) but they got nowhere and I began to realise that everyone played guitar better than I did. And also that we always had problems with the bass guitarists. I was offered a chance to play in a covers duo with another mate - he wanted a bass guitar player and by this time I'd picked up the 'bassics' while recording originals. I enjoyed the bass and when he suggested getting a drummer in I was suddenly in a band. Since then (that would have been about 1993/4) I have mostly played bass in the bands I've worked with. Occasionally I'd take on rhythm guitar duties and during a 3 year period in a 5 piece I'd swap bass and rhythm guitar roles with another member of the band. But I always came back to bass an always described myself as a bassist who plays a bit of guitar. I still have some of the fire - it depend on the music I'm playing and the people I'm with as I tend to feed of other people's enthusiasm. I'm currently learning a set of covers for a one-off dep for a mate and I'm struggling to get any 'fire' as I don't know most of the songs and none of them really inspire me to play. I changed in terms of attitude from 'whatever' (when I first started in a cover band - it was the attitude of the guitarist/singer to playing songs properly and it rubbed off on me as we were very busy) to 'I want to play my best on this' which is my approach to everything now. In terms of basses all that really changed was my self confidence in playing a big bass as I'm only 5'7" and in the early days I thought the 4-in-line headstock basses looked silly around my neck. Now I don't care. First bass was a Colombus Jazz which I used for recording and the occasional gig. Mine was a great bass - I loved the sound on tape and it played well enough that I learnt all the basic stuff on it. My latest bass is an Ibanez GR300EM, light weight for longer gigs and as a partner to my GSR205 5 string.

I have both HB and Sonic basses. From a purely practical point of view they are both very similar in terms of quality, playability etc and I couldn't recommend one over the other. My HB is heavier, both were a similar new price (within £20-£30 as I recall). But when it comes to resale or part exchange, I think the one with the Fender logo will retain a bit more value. I used to have an Ibanez GSR200 and that was better (IMO) than either the Sonic or the HB. It was lighter than both and I preferred the neck but I sold it during an enforced break in gigging. I have recently ordered a new SR300EB (and while looking I saw a second hand older SR300 for £180 and a new GSR200 for £220 and aused GSR200 for £100). Personally I would go for one of these over the two mentioned by the OP. I've owned a Sire and the quality on that was superb, but the asking price was slightly higher than the Sonic/HB range.

Many years ago at the start f my bass career we were playing a biggish gig at a local holiday park. Big stage, big PA, fairly large FOH engineer. He plugged the DI from my Laney amp into the desk and left us to set up and start the on stage sound check. Once I'd plugged in I realised there was no sound coming from my amp. As one inexperienced with DI at the time, I assumed it was something to do with the FOH guy DI-ing me, cutting the amp volume, so I went to find him. He pretty much dismissed out of hand my suggestion that it was his fault (fortunately, I don't have a temper and I was quite calm when asking him what he'd done to my amp). A few minutes of staring at the amp later, I realised that I'd turned the master volume down. I apologised to the FOH guy (his dismissive acknowledgement was enough to ensure I never made that mistake again) and the gig went ahead to moderate success.

I'm starting to see the light, too... 😂

During my formative bass playing years I had a dislike of big bodied basses with a 4 in line headstock. Being relatively short (5'7") most bass' look too big on me. I remember seeing a band where the bassist was shorter than me and he was playing a Jazz. To my eyes it didn't look good on him, and I went down the route of headless and short scale basses for a few years. I still don't like that slightly large jazz bass body and have a preference for 3+1 or 2+2 headstocks but I think it's more aesthetic than irrational prejudice these days.

A P Bass. I had basses that I was happy with but I felt (through the BC collective and others) that I 'needed' a P bass. I managed to secure a deal on a 'B' stock American Fender P and after a few days of dialing it in, I fell in love. My go to is still my Sterling HH but the P works in situations where I'm not 100% sure what's needed - I've been fortunate enough to pick up some depping work recently and it's handy to have for the initial rehearsal and/or until I know what the sound is. Plus my main band often does some laid back gigs where the HH is a bit too forward in the mix and the P sits nicely. I also record, and it's great for that too.

A bit of paper or beer mat will do at a pinch but I'd rather have the matchsticks.

Saw them in a pub in Swansea late 80s, I think. 😀

I always take a couple of slivers of wood (matchsticks without the heads are perfect). If the strap buttons work loose or tear out (I've seen both happen) you can slot the matchstick into the hole to help tighten the screw.

All of the above, with the emphasis on having fun. Keep everything simple. I've been gigging for 35+years and I still colour code jack/speakon sockets for all but the most basic of connections. Look and act professional from the moment you turn up to the moment you leave as this might end up being a repeat booking and/or there may be people present who are looking to book a band. Have spare leads/batteries/strings and any easily breakable things, some mains fuses and a basic toolkit. The checklist mentioned above is a good idea - at my gig last night the experienced guitarist forgot his strap - it happens! Collect video and photos to use in future publicity. If you run short of songs, you can always claim that you've had a request to play one of your main set songs again although don't milk it too much and ideally arrange for a mate in the audience to call it out. We always aim to have more songs than necessary to fill the agreed set times. I've fallen foul of the 'adrenaline rush' mentioned by @Maude above and we ended up having to do three of our songs again. Not an ideal situation to be in. It's a performance and no one is looking for perfection. Mistakes happen - move on without making a big deal of them. Particularly don't point out bandmates mistakes. The time to sort problems out is the next practice session, not the gig. The audience will pick up on the onstage mood - if you're having fun they will enjoy the performance more. Make eye contact with them. If you can, have a dress rehearsal with non-musician mates and video it - you can check out your stage presence and get some feedback before you step on stage. Enjoy the experience and make sure you post your update on the 'How was your gig...' thread here. 😀

Second dep gig with 'The Gowertones' last night - a birthday bash for the pub landlord at the Plough and Harrow in Murton, Swansea. The weather made the potential for sweaty, melting horror a distinct possibility and when I turned up, I saw we were outside which added the risk of sunburn. But on closer inspection, we were under a pair of gazebos and sheltered by a wall. By some miracle, the only breeze in the area was funneled through a gap between wall and gazebos down onto the drummer and me. I had a small USB powered fan which directed some of that breeze onto my back overall it was a very pleasant environment. We were due to play 2hrs between 5pm and 8pm and the crowd, a respectable 50-60 or so, stayed all evening. Inevitably, we played on and the second hour slot lasted well over 90 minutes, fueled by chips and coke (from a bottle, not a mirror) gratis. A great set which included 'Paranoid' (I've never played it before but what a great 'live' song) and 'YMCA' (please don't judge). My second outing for the Sterling 34HH/Ampeg SCRDI/Peavey Minimax/twin TE1x10" line up and it's really giving me a sound that I'm pleased with. For years I've heard that sound in my head but never really managed to get it and while going DI into the sound desk with my main band is good (for that line up, it makes sense), having the bass banging out behind me is great. As mentioned, the kit list was my Sterling 34HH (mainly the bridge pick-up but for a couple of numbers both pick-ups selected) through an MS60B (for tuner/mute, noise gate and compressor) and the Ampeg SCRDI (with a shallow mix of distortion for the punk/rock numbers) and both bass and treble boosts selected. This went into the FX loop return of the Minimax and through two TE 1x10" speakers. The Minimax retains volume control when using the FX return so I used this to control the volume rather than the control on the SCRDI. There was plenty of volume without pushing either stage. Footwear was the now inevitable Skechers which proved both comfortable and cool (in the temperature sense) for the night. Although they only have one setting, I find that Skechers have nailed that setting and they work for me for all styles of music. Photos and video are slow to appear this morning but I will edit to add any that appear. This is one I took of the ground level kit. Edit: One came through this morning: Some images from video I shot on a GoPro.

First Bass: Colombus jazz copy. Go to: Sterling Stingray 34HH My bass: Sterling Stingray 34HH

I have a BAM200, bought as a lightweight amp to see me through a couple of hernias and thence to be a back-up for gigs. I have gigged it (through a pair of TE 1X10" also part of the lightweight strategy) with a trio at cabaret/club gigs and regularly rehearse it through a 1X15" with drums, guitars and vocals at fairly high volumes. I'm not sure I'd use it for a loud pub gig, and most of the gigs I play these days have dedicated FOH which I DI into. I have also used it as a guitar amp (with the tone controls set to 10/2/10 o'clock for a neutral sound as suggested on a different thread) with a guitar pre-amp. I've not used the BQ250 but it seems to offer a couple of extras ('Thrust' and the low and hi mids) and a Speakon connector at the back (the BAM200 has a jack).

My main band is 'The Hulla' which was formed pre-lockdown as a result of a few people in the village getting together to learn to play ukelele and guitar as a social thing. It quickly expanded, mainly as a result of the band leader (guitarist and front man) organising a gig at the village fete. By the time I joined in 2021, the band had become a 13 piece with guitars, drums, bass, keys, a small brass section and a couple of ukes. They had turned the annual fete into a fairly large multi-band festival (for the last couple of years we've sold around 800 tickets - it benefits from the caravan holiday parks situated around the area). I'm not from the village but have been vetted and found acceptable by the locals 😀 We play covers and the most accurate description of the style of music would be a wide range of rock given a fairly unique spin by the line-up. The gigs we play are booked through word of mouth for weddings, birthdays, Xmas parties and the like. All the gigs we play are for charity so individual band members are not paid but band expenses (e.g. the PA and a new marquee for this year's festival, which will also be used by other events in the village) are covered. We usually average 8-10 gigs a year. Playing in The Hulla band is probably the most fun I've had in any bands in a 35 year gigging 'career'. There are no unnecessary egos, the singer/front man has a remarkable ability to interact with any audience and we have a laugh on and off stage. This is a link to a video from a wedding reception we played last year in a tepee. And this photo has appeared elsewhere in BC - our front man crowd surfing at this year's festival. He kept singing, too!