GT40Graham Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 The thing that happened to me the most was finding that there wasn't any bass going through the PA despite ebing told that there was. Once I got wise to this I would just turn down my amp during soundcheck (the d.i. feed is unaffected by the volume control) so that I could hear the bass in the PA and then bring the amp up to a suitable volume. Fave though was our guitarist who would stand behind you shaking his head to show everyone that you'd made a mistake. Ironic thing was, he would sulk if you criticised him for making a mistake of which there were plenty. A true bell end of the highest order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftyhook Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 [quote name='GT40Graham' timestamp='1331146904' post='1568542'] Fave though was our guitarist who would stand behind you shaking his head to show everyone that you'd made a mistake. Ironic thing was, he would sulk if you criticised him for making a mistake of which there were plenty. A true bell end of the highest order. [/quote] Bell end of the highest order? more than that. The complete c*ck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 being a guitarist [i]is[/i] a mistake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1330683493' post='1561404'] BTW you are wearing your bass too high... ;-) [/quote] Perhaps his body is too long? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1331149146' post='1568577'] Perhaps his body is too long? [/quote] No matter how tall you are there is a strap available to allow you to play your guitar or bass at a suitable "rock n roll" height - somewhere between your crotch and your knees. I know because I recently had to find one to allow our very tall guitarist to use my Hallmark Wing-Bat guitar in our video without it looking ridiculous on her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1331149146' post='1568577'] Perhaps his body is too long? [/quote] i doubt it could be any shorter - what would stop his legs fraying at the end ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LemonCello Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 [quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1330691775' post='1561653'] The guy was really into bondage stuff, which I found out at Salzburg airport when his bags were accidentally tagged with mine I got asked to empty the contents of one of his suitcases infront of customs! Anyway, that's another story which I am not going to furnish BC with anytime soon! That's his business and I don't judge him for it, but I refused to be dragged into that world! He once asked me to wear a collar that was garnished with 10x 6" chrome spikes, asked me to wear a gimp mask one time and suggested that I would look good in a black PVC one-piece! Vans (clothing brand) saved our bacon though. They gave us a shed load clothes to wear on stage, so he backed off a little after that. [/quote] Good job you weren't wearing that up the Gurnos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Just saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gust0o Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 [quote name='LemonCello' timestamp='1331158433' post='1568803'] Good job you weren't wearing that up the Gurnos! [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mylkinut Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I once stood in for a band where the guitarist got on stage after we were announced, plugged everything in, ramped everything up to 10 and [i]then[/i] proceeded to tune up with an acoustic tuner. It took 10 minutes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 [quote name='LemonCello' timestamp='1331158433' post='1568803'] Good job you weren't wearing that up the Gurnos! [/quote] Could you imagine me playing 'Papa's Got A Brand New Bag' wearing that clobber? The angry mob carrying flaming torches would have been breaking down the doors! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHUFC BASS Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 A keyboard playing mate (who is a superb Jazz session player) really gets the hump with drummers who speed up. One time he told me that this drummer was just going ridiculously fast on some slow-mid temp song to the point where the female vocalist was starting to sound like Pink & Perky on 78rpm. He'd been warned about speeding up on previous songs and this was the straw that broke that camels back. This is how the conversation went (mid-gig). My mate (standing up with his hands on his hips): " What are you doing ? You're playing way too fast!" Drummer: No I'm not, that was played at the right speed - its how I've always played it My mate: It's terrible, the singer can't keep up and not only that, you're way too loud during the sax and piano solos too Drummer: Listen, this is what I do for a living. Are you saying I can't play the drums then or what ? My mate: Yes! You can't. In fact, give it up. Take up knitting or better still kill yourself now ! You're pissing me off, the singer and the sax player too! With that the drummer packed his gear away mumbling to himself and stormed out. They carried on without drums and even members of the audience were saying how much better it sounded without the drums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 that's kind of harsh on the drummer - you think they could have done that at rehearsal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 [quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1331200615' post='1569166'] that's kind of harsh on the drummer - you think they could have done that at rehearsal! [/quote] Aye. Can't say I'd stick around in a band with someone who did that on stage, no matter how good they are. As for the audience! I'd have cringed off soon after... probably before if the drummer was that bad. But definitely after! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 (edited) I'm usually pretty flexible with other musicians using my kit if soundcheck time is limited and they can't do one for themselves or the kit they brought is not going to cut the mustard (i.e. backline volume). I lay down a couple of ground rules and away they go, but they have to ask my permission first and not assume that the kit already on stage is communal. I did a strange gig a long time ago whereby we were headlining and the support bands were poles apart from what we did. One band was a live drum & bass act and the other was an acoustic hip-hop thing. They both showed up late...we had already sound checked and I was across the road with my drummer in a Pizza Hut having a quick munch whilst they frantically sound checked. By the time we got back the drum & bass band were already in full flow with their set. They sounded really great and I enjoyed their set. When they finished I approached one of the keys/samples guys to comment how much I enjoyed their set. This is how the conversation went... Him - "Awww...thanks man! Glad you enjoyed it! Yeah, sorry we were late for the soundcheck. Thanks for letting me use your amp" Me - "Don't worry about it...it happens to all of us once in a...wait, hang on. What do you mean amp?" Him - "Thanks for letting me use your amp...it's a monster! Sounds great with the drums going through it. I have to get one of those for myself. Sounds much better than PA monitors" Me - "Whoa whoa...hold on. Are you telling me you were sending all your samples to my bass amp behind you?" Him - "Yeah...sounds great!" Me - "Who told you to do that?" Him - "That tall guy over there" (points to my singer) Me - "Why didn't you go through the stage monitors to hear yourself?" Him - "We didn't have enough time to soundcheck the stage levels, so he said I could plug into the amp behind me" Me - "Oh, did he now?" Him "Oh...have I dropped him in it? Shouldn't have I done that?" I asked the next band to give me a few moments so that I could review what kind of state my rig was in. Two speakers were split and one of the horns was distorting, which a couple of weeks later I had to replace. So, I was incandescent with rage. I marched up to the singer immediately whilst he was chatting up a couple of women to pull him into the hallway backstage. After giving him the lecture on how instrument amplification works and that he will be paying for the damage I told him that under no circumstance is anyone other myself is allowed to touch my kit unless they have my permission. He refused to pay for it and pinned the blame on the guy from the D&B band. His excuse was "You weren't around to ask. He should have known better anyway…wind your neck in!". Totally void of any ownership or responsibility over the incident and very lucky not to get a colossal slap. We played our set, he retired to the bar happy as Larry acting like nothing had happened. Over a course of a few weeks his attitude towards me stank. No matter what kind of conversation we all had during rehearsals he always managed to drop in a sarcastic sentence relating to that incident. One night whilst only 20mins in I had enough…without a murmur from me I packed my kit, left the room and I haven’t seen him ever since. Edited March 8, 2012 by shizznit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHUFC BASS Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 [quote name='bigjohn' timestamp='1331203312' post='1569227'] Aye. Can't say I'd stick around in a band with someone who did that on stage, no matter how good they are. As for the audience! I'd have cringed off soon after... probably before if the drummer was that bad. But definitely after! [/quote] Well this was a session that they were just thrown together on. He'd worked with this drummer in the past on a number of occasions and on each occasion he'd be warned by all band members about his speeding up. He'd be drinking too which didn't help either. I reckon that on that night, my mate just wasn't taking any prisoners. He's usually a reasonably mild mannered bloke too. I'd be pissed off too if a repeatedly warned band member who liked a sherbert was taking absolutely no notice of the mistakes he was making despite repeatedly being told he was doing so. Apart from making himself look like a dickhead, he was making everyone else look stupid too, which, when you think about the time and effort they have all spent to practice on their instruments is just not on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 [quote name='WHUFC BASS' timestamp='1331211038' post='1569431'] ... on a number of occasions and on each occasion he'd be warned by all band members about his speeding up. He'd be drinking too ... [/quote] Is it acceptable for a pro musician to drink? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skej21 Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1331223334' post='1569785'] Is it acceptable for a pro musician to drink? [/quote] Can of worms officially opened! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1331223334' post='1569785'] Is it acceptable for a pro musician to drink? [/quote] [quote name='skej21' timestamp='1331223871' post='1569795'] Can of worms officially opened! [/quote] Agreed. Start a new thread Tim and we can all pitch in to keep the OP of this thread in context. There will be plenty of replies on that topic, I am sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1331223334' post='1569785'] Is it acceptable for a pro musician to drink? [/quote] Can I assume from that sentence that you never had the pleasure of seeing John Martyn live? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 [quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1331224254' post='1569814'] ... Start a new thread Tim ... [/quote] Think it's been done before, but ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle psychosis Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 [quote name='WHUFC BASS' timestamp='1331211038' post='1569431'] Well this was a session that they were just thrown together on. He'd worked with this drummer in the past on a number of occasions and on each occasion he'd be warned by all band members about his speeding up. He'd be drinking too which didn't help either. I reckon that on that night, my mate just wasn't taking any prisoners. He's usually a reasonably mild mannered bloke too. I'd be pissed off too if a repeatedly warned band member who liked a sherbert was taking absolutely no notice of the mistakes he was making despite repeatedly being told he was doing so. Apart from making himself look like a dickhead, he was making everyone else look stupid too, which, when you think about the time and effort they have all spent to practice on their instruments is just not on. [/quote] I have to be honest---the drummer might have been out of line but your mate also behaved like a grade A bell end too. Having a barney on-stage in front of a crowd is just a big no-no. Finish the set/gig and have words afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 [quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1331230441' post='1569991'] I have to be honest---the drummer might have been out of line but your mate also behaved like a grade A bell end too. Having a barney on-stage in front of a crowd is just a big no-no. Finish the set/gig and have words afterwards. [/quote] Yep, although I've changed my mind about leaving... I'd have stuck around just in case it got worse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHUFC BASS Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 [quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1331230441' post='1569991']I have to be honest---the drummer might have been out of line but your mate also behaved like a grade A bell end too. Having a barney on-stage in front of a crowd is just a big no-no. Finish the set/gig and have words afterwards.[/quote] A fair point but if he's been repeatedly warned then there's little chance he'd take any notice. I suppose the sensible thing would be to just not hire him ever again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Some of these are making me laugh but I'm almost sure some of the people being talked about on here are on another forum writing on a thread called Bell end bassists :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.