Happy Jack Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 Didn't you get a postcard? I thought we'd all had one ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 Yup! Got my postcard this morning! He's earning a lot of money and wants to share with me, asking for my bank details 'n' stuff. I'm looking forward to writing in the boys toys thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted June 6, 2015 Author Share Posted June 6, 2015 Lol I've not been kidnapped yet, just been incredibly busy with my own band haha. My spiritual advisor asks if anyone has even checked out the band's music? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 [quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1433590758' post='2792339'] ...just been incredibly busy with my own band... [/quote] Have you told your current band you might be leaving to join another band in the States..? [quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1433590758' post='2792339'] My spiritual advisor asks if anyone has even checked out the band's music? [/quote] No, but [i]my [/i]spiritual advisor said not to, as it would probably give me a headache. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradwell Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 [quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1433590758' post='2792339'] My spiritual advisor asks if anyone has even checked out the band's music? [/quote] I had a quick skim through some of it, if you're aiming for commercial hard rock / metal and don't mind being a corporate whipping boy for the big labels, I'm sure all the joke that have been made will come true and leave you with a gnawing sense of "I told you so" irony. Musically it's ok, although nothing interesting. Just, for the love of god, don't try playing any of it backwards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike257 Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 I reckon they're going to harvest your organs and flog them on the black market, tidy profit to be had. On a serious note, I know of at least one band whose current line up consists of two of the original members from their 1980s heyday and a handful of session guys. Despite the fact that the hired hands have been 'with' the band for a number of years and done tons of UK and international touring and festivals, our friends in American immigration refused visas for everyone except the two founder members on the grounds that there were plenty of American session guys who could do the same job. Said band had to go to the states a week early to rehearse with their new Yankee band mates! So yeah, don't pin your hopes on it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 [quote name='mike257' timestamp='1433617443' post='2792588'] ...I know of at least one band whose current line up consists of two of the original members from their 1980s heyday and a handful of session guys. Despite the fact that the hired hands have been 'with' the band for a number of years and done tons of UK and international touring and festivals, our friends in American immigration refused visas for everyone except the two founder members on the grounds that there were plenty of American session guys who could do the same job. Said band had to go to the states a week early to rehearse with their new Yankee band mates!... [/quote] This attitude would make sense if you're talking about office staff or caterers or cleaners... but musicians? Presumably the band chose these particular guys for their specific skill sets. Typical of the American authorities that they consider music to be entirely quantifiable and standardised. Which of course it is not. And when will this forum use a UK spellchecker? I DON'T WANT TO SPELL 'STANDARDISED' WITH A 'Z', FFS!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassy Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1433618251' post='2792597'] I DON'T WANT TO SPELL 'STANDARDISED' WITH A 'Z', FFS!! [/quote] + 100s! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 +100z. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 100Hz. Boom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Admiral Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 [quote name='mike257' timestamp='1433617443' post='2792588'] I reckon they're going to harvest your organs and flog them on the black market, tidy profit to be had. On a serious note, I know of at least one band whose current line up consists of two of the original members from their 1980s heyday and a handful of session guys. Despite the fact that the hired hands have been 'with' the band for a number of years and done tons of UK and international touring and festivals, our friends in American immigration refused visas for everyone except the two founder members on the grounds that there were plenty of American session guys who could do the same job. Said band had to go to the states a week early to rehearse with their new Yankee band mates! So yeah, don't pin your hopes on it.... [/quote] I know someone who works in a very specialised area of engineering which deals with healthcare uses, and he was travelling to the USA to consult with a number of US clients regarding the equipment they had bought from the UK. At the time, the yanks had no idea how to build the kit, and had to buy in the world leading British capability. He got stopped at US Immigration in New York, despite having all the right papers - lovingly prepared by his very experienced PA, and got a hard time, along the lines of 'why do we need you to come here - an American could do what you do'. He very much enjoyed telling them that the sole reason he was there was because there wasn't an American who could do the job, which was why he had to come over : they didn't know how the science worked. They should also feel free to call the companies and hospitals he was going to see, if they had any concerns about that. They kept him waiting for a good few hours just to make a point, and then told him he could leave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 [quote name='The Admiral' timestamp='1433628125' post='2792678']...and then told him he could leave. [/quote] ...but in which direction..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 Just to illustrate that the US Immigration Authorities are not the only ones who seem intransigent , I was talking to Lee Sklar earlier this year (as you do) after the Judith Owen Concert and asked him where the other member of "The Section" Waddy Wachtel was? He replied that despite having all the same paperwork as the other visiting US musicians to play on tour with Judith , he was stopped at Heathrow and turned back to the US. Not sure if he ever made it back to the UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 [quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1433634551' post='2792720']...he was stopped at Heathrow and turned back to the US... [/quote] Quite right too. There's [i]plenty [/i]of true-blue British guitarists that can do what [i]he [/i]does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 [quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1433634551' post='2792720'] Just to illustrate that the US Immigration Authorities are not the only ones who seem intransigent , I was talking to Lee Sklar earlier this year (as you do) after the Judith Owen Concert and asked him where the other member of "The Section" Waddy Wachtel was? He replied that despite having all the same paperwork as the other visiting US musicians to play on tour with Judith , he was stopped at Heathrow and turned back to the US. Not sure if he ever made it back to the UK [/quote] Someone told me that Michael Manring isn't able to play over here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Admiral Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1433634308' post='2792715'] ...but in which direction..? [/quote] Much to their chagrin - into the USA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 [quote name='The Admiral' timestamp='1433637085' post='2792739'] Much to their chagrin - into the USA. [/quote] [sharedmedia=core:attachments:167485] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 [quote name='ambient' timestamp='1433634939' post='2792722'] Someone told me that Michael Manring isn't able to play over here. [/quote] He was at Manson's in Exeter about 4 years ago, so if that's true it must be a recent development. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 IME the U.S. and Canadian immigration officials are ok if you play along with them. However, they are trained to wind you up as much as possible so that you give them any excuse not to let you in. I managed to get into Canada with a letter from General Motors stating that I was being paid by an English company. However, the guys who had entered 3months earlier had spent 5 hours being asked the same questions over and over again, often by the same official. The worst I ever had was one guy asking me five times in slightly different ways what I was going to be doing. I gave exactly the same answer every time. I wasn't sure at what point he was going to get bored. We also ran into trouble crossing the border when we had an old cut-off section of plastic pipe left in the boot of our car. "I thought you say you had no trade materials in the car." - 2 hours to explain that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Admiral Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1433686630' post='2793083'] IME the U.S. and Canadian immigration officials are ok if you play along with them. However, they are trained to wind you up as much as possible so that you give them any excuse not to let you in. I managed to get into Canada with a letter from General Motors stating that I was being paid by an English company. However, the guys who had entered 3months earlier had spent 5 hours being asked the same questions over and over again, often by the same official. The worst I ever had was one guy asking me five times in slightly different ways what I was going to be doing. I gave exactly the same answer every time. I wasn't sure at what point he was going to get bored. We also ran into trouble crossing the border when we had an old cut-off section of plastic pipe left in the boot of our car. "I thought you say you had no trade materials in the car." - 2 hours to explain that one. [/quote] We crossed into the U.S. from Canada at an obscure ferry point across a small lake about 4 years ago, and the border control point was one bloke in a phone box sized hut. He was amazed to see British passports, and kept us talking for about ten minutes, not to question us, but just chatting about the UK. Turns out he's a bit of an Anglophile and wants to come to the UK one day. He let slip that his normal punters are the people who commute daily to jobs across the border : some Canada to the USA, and others vice versa. I was a bit worried as I had guitar in the boot which I had brought over as a gift for a friends birthday, and it might have got hard to explain, despite it being totally legit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1433686630' post='2793083'] IME the U.S. and Canadian immigration officials are ok if you play along with them. [/quote] Do they give you the chords or have you just got to do it by ear? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ras52 Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 [quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1433759490' post='2793619'] Do they give you the chords or have you just got to do it by ear? [/quote] They thorough test your character by putting [b]tab [/b]on a [b]music stand[/b] and gauging your reaction... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzneck Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 First trip to the US, the immigration officer opened up my passport, looked at it, looked at me and then told me it's wrong. What? He said that it couldn't be me coz the mayor of his city has the same name as me and he's black and I'm white! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 [quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1433764046' post='2793682'] First trip to the US, the immigration officer opened up my passport, looked at it, looked at me and then told me it's wrong. What? He said that it couldn't be me coz the mayor of his city has the same name as me and he's black and I'm white! [/quote] You mean the mayor of his City was called "Jazzneck"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzneck Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 (edited) [quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1433764930' post='2793694'] You mean the mayor of his City was called "Jazzneck"? [/quote] No, you stoopid pirrock, it's Pee Body. Edited June 8, 2015 by Jazzneck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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