A Plea, a Rant, a Call to Arms, whatever ..

[xilddx]

Dear Basschatters,

Dick Venom and the Terrortones, Linear Sphere, Our Helical Mind, inFictions, The Jetsonics, Owen Lloyd-Evans, Fear of Bicycles, All the Queen's Ravens, Tacsi, Ujahm, Hour of the Dog, Nearly Dan, Godsticks, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, A Little Bit Outlaw, runleiarun ..

These are all bands with Basschat members in who I've either really loved, seen live, or bought the album. These are by no means all, there are more, but I've been at the Jura Superstition I'll add to them

There is often a number of threads running on here containing a good old bark and squeak about the state of the music industry, how most new music is garbage, how it's so hard to get gigs, how so many originals bands are arrogant shits who can't write or play, how we are all doomed, and covers bands and Simon Cowell are taking over and ruining our popular music. Well, you know what? It's not f***ing true.

There are so many Basschat members who contradict that view with ACTUAL musical output of great quality. They are among you, waiting for you to hear them, to support them, to help them gain confidence with your feedback, your encouragement, your money. But it seems we would rather yap about how PCs are sh*t and Apples are good for your complexion, how Flea is crap and star anise has no place in a bolognese, watch a video of a bassist f***ing it up instead of getting it right. Or bloody football You can still do all this, but for f***'s sake, LISTEN to your fellow bassists' music!!

Go to the BC Recording section and vote in the Composition Competition, the mixing competition, go to the BC Gigs section and see your fellow bassists' bands when they play in your area, watch the videos they put up for your feedback ... the response to these areas of Basschat is damn pitiful. If we won't even spend a bit of our energy doing this, how the f*** can we expect anyone else to?

Basschat is a wonderfully supportive community, a LOT of members who have had personal troubles have had so much help and support, including me, hugely. This is FABULOUS!! But can we extend this wondrous love to the music we make?

</rant or whatever>

Yes yes, I can't complain because I have been the recipient of really wonderful feedback on one of my bands, and quite a number of sales, but this is because I'm a bit of c**t and I chuck it in your faces with a massive signature, and announcements and stuff. But this is not about me, this is about all of us. And some of you buggers at the start of this post could do a lot more to promote your bands and music as well

LISTEN!

One Love.

Edited February 28, 2013 by xilddx

[Truckstop]

Hear Hear!

You forgot Castrovalva though! They're right good them lads.

Truckstop

[Kiwi]

Lovely post and some great points.

[Dood]

Yup, I do need to spend more time in that forum browsing, not just modding. +1 to that Kiwi.

[alyctes]

FWIW I approve of this thread.
(It's not worth much, because I am a completely crap player. But it's worth something.)

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1362012687' post='1994626']
Yup, I do need to spend more time in that forum browsing, not just modding. +1 to that Kiwi.
[/quote]don't do that - you'll realise what crap we all talk!

[Skol303]

Amen to that, Nige!

[discreet]

Who am I to argue?

CHECK OUT MY SIG FOR MY NEW BAND'S MUSIC AND VIDEO!!

Great post btw, Nige - it's all true. Though I did enjoy the recent thread about nipples.

Edited February 28, 2013 by discreet

[cheddatom]

I only come on BC at work, never have the time at home, and I can't listen to music at work...

... but yeh I do feel very guilty, considering some BCers have been very nice about my bands' music

[bartelby]

You've forgotten ANTA (joegarcia) and Alpha Male Tea Party ([url="http://basschat.co.uk/user/2848-d-l-b/"][color="#282828"]D-L-B[/color][/url]) who are 2 of my favourite bands in the last couple of years.


There's also Caricatures (Mr Foxen) and Rattlin' Bones (Clarky's old band),

Edited February 28, 2013 by bartelby

[bremen]

Soon as Dick Venom's in my area I'm there

[lettsguitars]

I think you'll find that 90% of members are in some kinda band. Most of em rubbish

[xgsjx]

Load of codswallop!

I've listened to most of the bands on here & they're all dire.


Sorry I couldn't resist that. I was gonna put more, but thought against it.
There's a lot of good music on here.

[Lozz196]

So far my faves are The Jetsonics (Low End Bee) and Hour of The Dog (Discreet), though only from what I`ve seen on here/youtube etc. Got to get round to seeing them live as both bands are right up my street.

But I agree with Nige`s post - we should support our fellow Basschatters. Maybe those who like another bands music, and find it comparable with their own could organise gigs together, so that bands can widen their field without the inevitable playing to no-one syndrome. Doing a gig in your home town, in a venue you get a good audience and need support, give it to a Basschatter.

[gary mac]

Good post Nige and I thoroughly agree, even though I've been guiltly of not checking out enough of the stuff on here, other than your stuff and Clarky's.
Oh and yesterday I did visit the rather excellent vid put up by our Mr. Discreet.

[paul_5]

Skank's posts are better than this one (but they don't display proper on a PC, so buy a Mac) etc...


Nah, good point well made!

[Happy Jack]

I've seen several of the bands mentioned, and I've yet to regret going along to any Basschatter's gig.

In fact, I really should start looking a bit harder for other BC-related gigs to go to ...

[Silvia Bluejay]

Right.

Go to as many BCers' gigs as possible - check.
Take photos and share them on as many platforms as possible - check
Take videos and let the bands have them for their own publicity uses - check
Listen to the tracks on BC's competitions - only manage that occasionally, unfortunately. I have been very busy in the last few months. But I do tweet to our currently 438 followers about all of BC's non-Off Topic comps...

[wriggers]

Hit it on the head, Nige. Timely post.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='wriggers' timestamp='1362049164' post='1994897']
Hit it on the head, Nige.
[/quote]

I think you'll find that the preferred useage in Estuary English (a.k.a. Mockney) is actually [i]"[b]knock [/b]it on the 'ead"[/i] rather than "[i]hit[/i]", as in: "[i]Do what? Leave it out! Knock it on the 'ead![/i]"

[bremen]

That Charic came to one of my gigs and said hi at the soundcheck...didn't see him after we'd finished making our filthy racket though, so I'm guessing he was being diplomatic

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1362049443' post='1994903']
I think you'll find that the preferred useage in Estuary English (a.k.a. Mockney) is actually [i]"[b]knock [/b]it on the 'ead"[/i] rather than "[i]hit[/i]", as in: "[i]Do what? Leave it out! Knock it on the 'ead![/i]"


[/quote]

Yore 'avin' a laarf aintcha?

[BigRedX]

[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1362043395' post='1994782']
Soon as Dick Venom's in my area I'm there
[/quote]

So where is your area? Which venue(s) should we get in contact with? Have you got a link for your band?

[Dad3353]

OK, the next time any of your beggars are playing in or around the Lower Normandy region (La Luciole, Alençon..? 6 x 4 à Laval..?), I'll be there. Be warned, however, that I'm old and grumpy (but you knew that, anyway, didn't you..?), I don't drink (well, orange juice or lait fraise...), and my tastes in music were generally set in stone by Grateful Dead and their ilk (although MeiTeiCho were/are excellent, and a few more...).
I posted a reply a few years back to a bloke on a jazz guitar forum, who was asking for opinions on his video. Having watched and listened (it happened to be a version of one of my favourites: Misty...), I indicated that my education included the notion such that, if one has nothing good to say, one should say nothing. This displeased the fellow enormously; in the end, after protracted PM's and stuff, I withdrew the post. I have learned that often, although not always, abstention is diplomatically preferrable, and even desired by many claiming to want critique of their work. This could explain why, in many cases, there appears to be little inter-activity. Perhaps, for some, it's a way of keeping the peace, and not wishing to offend, despite honest intentions..?
It doesn't help, of course, when one knows that one's taste in music is lousy (or, at least, very different to that being exposed currently...).
Good post, of course; entirely relevant to a great deal of folks signed up here, but there are other reasons for not participating than apathy (well, sometimes..!).
No malice intended...

Edited February 28, 2013 by Dad3353

[bremen]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1362052089' post='1994957']
So where is your area? Which venue(s) should we get in contact with? Have you got a link for your band?
[/quote]

I'm in Cambridge. There are a couple of venues for touring bands that you might get a support at - the Junction and the Corn Exchange. The pubs that put on free gigs tend to be rather small but if you're interested I could get you the contacts.

PM me if you think we could do a gig swap, though I'm not sure we'd appeal to the same audience. Pretty sure the guys in my band would like you, for what it's worth.

We haven't played outside Cambridge yet.

www.tigerblue-uk.bandcamp.com (apparently we're playing in Mineapolis tonight )