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New job and OMFG moment.


NancyJohnson

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15 hours ago, bassfan said:

Corrine Bailey Rae stood on my foot/ankle as I was laying in Hyde park waiting for Stevie Wonder to come on. She was very apologetic and her security guy was massive! 

I found myself in a queue of vehicles in front of her's a long time ago. No security. Her first album had been on heavy rotation in our car as one of the few albums my whole family could happily listen to at the same time. I wanted to say something but decided that "we really like your album" was lame in the extreme so opted to say nothing. 

I used to play in anothet band and the pianist kept saying he had found a percussionist at a party in the mountains and wanted to bring him along to sit in. We just said no. That inveriably meant a bloke with one bongo and a dog on a piece of string. He eventually ground us down and bloke rolled into the gig with a full van of proper perc and make us sound like a million dollars. We cornered the pianist during the break and demanded "Who IS this guy?!?" "Oh, he's Peter Gabriel's drummer, did I not mention that?"

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So, the couple of minor OMFGs for me were... I'm at a gig in a club in Manchester to watch Pete Shelley (then solo following Buzzcocks going on hiatus) and I'm standing close to the sound engineer at the mixing desk. A little while later two sharply dressed guys come and stand next to me for the whole gig and they have two big heavies keeping everybody else at a distance. It was Paul Weller and Bruce Foxton from The Jam. 

Back when I lived in Highgate whilst studying at University College London, I'd go drinking with fellow students in the local pubs and one night was in The Angel Inn with a few mates. We spotted Graham Chapman (of Monty Python) who was a regular and was with a small crowd of young men (yes, well...). We try our best not to start talking in loud Pythonesque comedy voices when in walks this chap in a very smart suit indeed, walks over to join Chapman's group and I'm thinking he looks really familiar... then I twigged that it's only Keith Moon! 

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Another BassCamp story, sorry. 

So here I am, on stage in the bar, playing/trying some basses. To avoid playing a riff composed by one of the bassists around, I chose to play some Obscure, french tune called "Soul Music Airlines" by Michel Jonasz. (look it up, it's a cool song). 

I get out of stage, and then Etienne M'Bappé (you know Etienne ? ) approaches me and says :

That's a nice riff ! 

I said thanks, it's a song from Michel Jonasz

he says : I know, I composed it. That's why I think it's a cool riff. 

badum tsss. 

 

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On 26/07/2019 at 14:05, EliasMooseblaster said:

Bear with me, as I explain in convoluted fashion the small group of people who occupy the overlap in the Venn diagram connecting the Lithuanian version of The Voice to up-and-coming UK hard-rock band Inglorious.

Early in 2015, I had arranged a gig for Cherry White in the Victoria Inn, Derby. It was to be our first outing with our new singer, Donata. I very much doubt any of this parish will be familiar with her work prior to joining CW, but before coming to London, she had enjoyed a few years of pop chart success in her native Lithuania, after winning their version of The Voice. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this fame had not travelled as far as the UK, but it did mean that we had an unknown but very impressive lead singer in the fold. (And if nothing else, it impressed the two Lithuanian colleagues in an office where I briefly worked around that time.)

Also on the bill were a young band called Parasight. And I do mean young: I think the eldest was barely 18, and they all looked quite a big younger than that! But they were good. Full of energy, as many of us doubtless were at that age, but also tight and well-rehearsed. Notably, the two guitarists were playing off each other really well, and they had some nice Wishbone/Maiden-esque harmoised lines. And really friendly and unpretentious when we met them; nice guys to a man.

I heard via the band's Facetube page that they'd folded, which I thought was a shame, but they mentioned that one of their guitarists, Danny, had landed himself a couple of really promising opportunities, of which I forget the details now. But following the ins and outs of his own Facetagram page, I gather that he has not only replaced the original lead guitarist in Inglorious, but has also played Slash in a biopic about Guns'n'Roses.

So there you have it: that night in Derby is is, to my knowledge, the point of smallest separation between Inglorious and Lithuanian TV talent shows.

Wow, Got Danny, on Facebook, forgot he played with Parasight, played with them a few times years ago when we were starting out, I recall they beat us in a battle of the bands once as we were too "professional" and they're fresh and young, ahh well, how the times change aye.

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I was teaching one of my A level music students a couple of years ago, talking specifically about his composition and where he could go with the bass line,.  I recommended he listen to Danny Thompson, to which he replied that his mum , who was in a band, had worked with Danny Thompson.

Anyway, a couple of weeks later he says “my mum asked me to ask you if you could give her guitar lessons”, this student knowing that I am a bit of a fan of alternate tunings.  I asked him more about his mum, and which band she played in.  “Oh you won’t have heard of them” he said.  “She is the lead singer in Lamb”.  Talk about OMFG!  “But Lamb are my absolute favourite band, they are what inspired me to get into music technology”.,  fast forward a couple of months later, after she got back from a tour, and I’m talking to her about how she recorded the orchestra parts on Gorecski, and working out a Dadgad acoustic part with her for an unplugged version of her most famous song, Gabriel!!

Robbie

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Drop my bass at home after playing two small festivals in one day, then head off for the pub my missus is working in for what feels like a well-earned pint.  There’s a lady sat at the bar and she starts talking to me about what a hard day I must have had, playing two gigs in one afternoon.  I tell her it was a bit hectic, but worth it.

She tells me her brother plays in a band and works really hard at it, but it’s worth the effort.  I ask her what band he plays in, just in case I’ve heard of them or even shared a bill with them.

“Oh” she says, “they’re called Iron Maiden”.

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39 minutes ago, jonsmith said:

Drop my bass at home after playing two small festivals in one day, then head off for the pub my missus is working in for what feels like a well-earned pint.  There’s a lady sat at the bar and she starts talking to me about what a hard day I must have had, playing two gigs in one afternoon.  I tell her it was a bit hectic, but worth it.

She tells me her brother plays in a band and works really hard at it, but it’s worth the effort.  I ask her what band he plays in, just in case I’ve heard of them or even shared a bill with them.

“Oh” she says, “they’re called Iron Maiden”.

I remember years ago when I first left school (back in 1986) and I got a job as a van boy with Currys the electrical firm. Started working there and within the first week or so got chatting to a bloke working in the warehouse about music. He was a West Indian fella, bit older than me. I happened to mention that I played bass to which he said, “oh I used to play bass in a band, still play a bit now too”. Fascinated I asked him which band and he said, “Well you probably haven’t heard of them but you’ll have heard of the singer”

"Who’s the singer?" I asked

“Eddie Grant. I used to play bass for The Equals”. 

Me being a complete prat thought “This bloke is talking shit3 - Eddie Grant never sang for The Eagles”. 

It was only afterwards that someone told it was “The Equals” and that they’d had a few hits back in the 60s. He was a top bloke, proper gentleman. 

Also, out on a delivery one day in Woodford Green, East London and we stop at a house. I knock on the door and an old-ish lady answers. “Washing machine delivery luv” and we proceed to wheel this washing machine into the ladies house. On the way in I notice some gold discs on the wall and Iron Maiden posters, specifically a lot with Dave Murray on them. 

“Bit of an Iron Maiden fan are you?”

To which she replied

“Oh yes, my son plays guitar for them”. 

I look down at the delivery note and sure enough, her name is Mrs Murray. Turns out he was born in the same hospital as me too.

She actually complained to our bosses that we didn’t take the scrap washing machine away, even though she never even asked us to. I’ve hated Iron Maiden ever since! (That might have a lot to do with that utter helmet, D1ck Dickenson). 

Edited by WHUFC BASS
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On 30/07/2019 at 08:15, Brook_fan said:

I was teaching one of my A level music students a couple of years ago, talking specifically about his composition and where he could go with the bass line,.  I recommended he listen to Danny Thompson, to which he replied that his mum , who was in a band, had worked with Danny Thompson.

Anyway, a couple of weeks later he says “my mum asked me to ask you if you could give her guitar lessons”, this student knowing that I am a bit of a fan of alternate tunings.  I asked him more about his mum, and which band she played in.  “Oh you won’t have heard of them” he said.  “She is the lead singer in Lamb”.  Talk about OMFG!  “But Lamb are my absolute favourite band, they are what inspired me to get into music technology”.,  fast forward a couple of months later, after she got back from a tour, and I’m talking to her about how she recorded the orchestra parts on Gorecski, and working out a Dadgad acoustic part with her for an unplugged version of her most famous song, Gabriel!!

Robbie

Frickin love Lamb! I saw them at Glasto one time, they were playing the Jazz Stage. For me they were the band of the weekend that year. Amazing set and fabulous interaction with the crowd. So positive and down to earth - Massive smiles all round. One of my favourite Glasto memories ever and I must have been a dozen times at least.

Great story Robbie! 

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