=^..^= Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 Hi Guys. I don't know why I've never found this place before. Ok - where do we start?? I've been playing about 30 years, Mainly bass guitar (BG) but for the last ten years I've done more double bass (DB) than BG. I've got a regular three piece blues/rock gig on the BG - loads of unusual tracks, some originals, two other great guys in the band who are up for some 'freedom' in what we play so it can get kind unusual some nights I add to those with a Johnny Cash tribute band on the DB - loads of fun, great nights, great band. Good times I add to those with pit gigs (theatre not "down the") - typically 3 shows a year, Normally just a week run but still ace. Next year is looking busy with 3 confirmed runs and panto already in the book (oh yes it is) And I add onto those random other gigs every now and again. Got a bit of a gear habit.... I've got 2 King double basses (slap king and a tiger king) as I did 6 years in a rockabllly band. Got a range of pit basses for what ever sound the MD wants. My normal pit bass is a warmoth gecko 5 but this year my Stingray and my Jazz have ventured in with me to get the exact tone they wanted. The blues band used to get the Jazz bass but these days the stingray is coming along more often. No reason other than it has an incredible tone ! Amps? Mainly Ashdown. I've got an ABM Evo II 500 head or a small block valve amp or a biamped power amp fed by an RPM. Which one I take depends on how little PA we have, Cabs are ashdown minis. If you are hauling an upright around the last thing you need is more hassle with heavy cabs...Also got a GK microbass for the pit where space is normally at a premium. If I could only play one style of music for the rest of my life it would be rockabilly - it might limit my theatre work but who cares - if I'm slappin the doghouse then everything is good. Just recovering from an injury at the mo - I managed to dislocate every finger on my right hand at the end of may. When I did it I thought I'd never be able to play again (and most people that saw my hand agreed) - but thanks to Shrewsbury General I was playing BG just three days later. Still not 100% on the DB as one of the finger joints is frozen but after nearly 7 months I'm starting to get that working again And if you are wondering - my user name is a cat in ASCII characters Cheers Johnny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 Hey Johnny, welcome to the forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madshadows Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 Welcome aboard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 Hello! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myke Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 Hello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oopsdabassist Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 ello Cat! Nice intro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 (edited) [size=5][b] =^..^=[/b][/size] [size=4]who do you find are the best peeps to approach locally for theatre/musicals etc? [/size]did do this very long time ago but out of the loop for a long time now Edited December 28, 2013 by steve-bbb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
=^..^= Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 (edited) Hi Steve - it's difficult - I'm in quite a small market where most pit musos know each other so the contacts are easier for me. I've done maybe ten years pit playing and a few years after starting I did nearly every show in the theatre as I got to know the MDs and the societys and I have a good work ethic which got me lots of repeat work. Then the societies started changing MD's and they'd bring a different group of players with them. I ended up finding out what show was on, finding out what company was doing it, finding out who the MD was, walking straight up to them and asking! My pit work took a back seat for a couple of years but I've got back 'in' with one of the societies and I've got the bass chair back - until my face no longer fits and I'll have to start again. I love it though. It's nice just to be this small cog in a big production machine and it';s a nice way to step to step my game up. I try to acheive a "one note a night" error rate which is what I work towards (that can be missing a flat, a miss timing etc) and I love it. One of the best moments was in my first panto where we were doing a ghost scene - I'm doubling the keyboard player and all of a sudden I realise that I can't hear myself as 600 kids are screaming "he's behind you" so loud... awesome fun. This is from the musical "Our House" this year - dressed up in the pit - no one saw me like this except the cast but it went down really well with them - and got me a gig in a Madness tribute band Edited December 28, 2013 by =^..^= Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 thanks for that - ive asked around these parts in the usual places but it really does seem like quite a niche little closed shop tbh nice hat btw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gust0o Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 Welcome in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
=^..^= Posted December 30, 2013 Author Share Posted December 30, 2013 [quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1388399227' post='2321453'] thanks for that - ive asked around these parts in the usual places but it really does seem like quite a niche little closed shop tbh nice hat btw [/quote] Are you taking the pith ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Welcome! Bert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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