Bass Guitar show review 2019

[MoJoKe]

14 hours ago, FinnDave said:

Eric Gales is not just a guitarist - he is an exceptionally talented guitarist. 

Oh my god, and some!!!  AND he plays drums as well as most drummers....  I've not seen yet, but I'm pretty sure he'll play bass better than most of us too...  Check this out... Eric Gales and Joe Bonamassa

[Rumple]

I got up there about 10:45 on the Saturday, saw the huge queue to get in and decided to go for a nice quiet stroll along the canal in the sunshine instead, sounds like I made the right decision 🙂

[MoJoKe]

9 minutes ago, Rumple said:

I got up there about 10:45 on the Saturday, saw the huge queue to get in and decided to go for a nice quiet stroll along the canal in the sunshine instead, sounds like I made the right decision 🙂

There was plenty of room inside, and, as @Frank Blank said, you may well have missed something for you.  The weather was great for a walk though...

[prowla]

13 minutes ago, Rumple said:

I got up there about 10:45 on the Saturday, saw the huge queue to get in and decided to go for a nice quiet stroll along the canal in the sunshine instead, sounds like I made the right decision 🙂

Just as well it wasn't Sunday, then!

[Joel McIver]

Hi all, I've read and enjoyed every comment on this thread. Although I'm not an organiser of the UKGC/LBGS as such, obviously my magazine is associated with it and I do take part in recruiting the celeb bassists, as well as being on stage a fair bit with them over the weekend -- so I'm keen for it to do well. We have a postmortem meeting this week and I'll raise the following points:

1 Noise/no-noise periods have to be monitored firmly.

2 More exhibitors, both big and small companies, are needed.

3 Bigger names would be welcomed. I get that a lot of people haven't heard of John Patitucci (although he does have four Grammy awards :-)) so yep, a John Taylor/Paul Turner/Robert Trujiillo or two should be considered, £££ permitting.

4 The Tone Zone didn't work out there on the floor as it wasn't really audible.

5 Upstairs rooms could be used for various purposes.

6 Audio bleed from one room to the next should be controlled.

Thanks for coming along, and commenting too!

Cheers

Joel McIver

Editor, Bass Guitar/Bass Player

[cetera]

Thanks Joel. Nice to see a positive and constructive response rather than accusations of a 'whingefest'.

[Joel McIver]

1 minute ago, cetera said:

Thanks Joel. Nice to see a positive and constructive response rather than accusations of a 'whingefest'.

I've developed a whinge-proof outer layer at this point. Twenty years as an editor and author will do that to you 😝

[MoJoKe]

2 minutes ago, cetera said:

Thanks Joel. Nice to see a positive and constructive response rather than accusations of a 'whingefest'.

Totally agree.  I wouldn't use the "W" word above, but the problem is, considerable amounts of passion/energy, hard work (I was also working all the previous weekend, building our stand elements, in addition to doing 2 gigs...  and I have a day job) and vast amounts of money go into attending this show for exhibitors (logistics, travel, hotels, graphics/artwork, wages, depreciation on demo stock, the time it all takes to plan out of regular business activities, etc, etc before you even start to consider the cost of the floor space).  Exhibitors are not all massive corporates - most of them are definitely not, and it really isn't at all helpful for people to constantly post negativity without any of Joel's balance, and certainly not from people who weren't even there.

As said I don't work for, but work alongside MSL, and I'm proud of my involvement with the Markbass presence at the show (you guys don't get to see/experience what happens at 4.30pm on Sunday once the show closes.  It is bedlam and exhausting, and thats before my 3 hour drive home.  I was physically broken on Monday!).  Big respect to all the others who, I know, put in the same effort to try and make the show work for us all.

...and the show will only work if the organisers get it right, the exhibitors continue to feel it is a worthwhile sales/marketing exercise, and it is helped to grow through positive feedback.

And, for heavens sake, bass shows are noisy and some people do slap......

[J66Bass]

Personally I thought the show was terrible boring,yet the noise was perfect,but overall compare to the other years I have been to all of them,it was a real disappointment...

[BigRedX]

4 hours ago, Joel McIver said:

1 Noise/no-noise periods have to be monitored firmly.

It's all very well monitoring them. What needs to happen is that they are enforced.

Why is this brought up as a problem every year, yet nothing over than lip-service appears to be done about it?

[ezbass]

Well done for posting, @Joel McIver, it's good to see that you're taking an interest and noting our concerns and suggestions.

[prowla]

Removed, due to not being "onside".

Edited September 29, 2019 by prowla

[MoJoKe]

7 hours ago, prowla said:

I think it's important to think about why folks do/don't go to these events.

I have a number of planned outings upcoming, including a record fair at Guildford, a guitar show at Northampton, a gun show at Bisley, the Surrey Bass Bash, and a guitar show at Kempton Park (Sunbury). So I am (presumably) in one of the target demographics.

I like to go and look at stuff and chat with folks; if my ears are being assaulted and I can't do it, then I'll pass. At a previous London bass show I felt physically ill from the noise at one point and had to get out.

As for content, I like used kit and parts too, so I'm unlikely to go to an event which only has new kit. Seminars, performances, celeb guests, etc. they're all great too!

I wonder if it would be possible to have sound booths? Dawsons in Reading and Andertons in Guildford have them and people can do their thing without massacring everybody else. Of course, there would be an associated expense, but if the aural assault is really deterring people from attending, then it might be worthwhile.

In the case of this particular show, the location didn't suit me; I guess it's impossible to be local to everybody, so that's more personal to me.

Please take this as constructive feedback

So, were you there or not? If yes, then we should accept you have a valid opinion. If not, you cannot be qualified to comment on the noise levels at THIS show, which seems to be your only point, so your opinion is invalid. Noise levels were not excessive, maybe loud, maybe even uncomfortable at times...  (I bloody love The Cat Empire, but I found the last gig of theirs I went to was too loud... It happens) but, I was there all weekend, measured it, and it was not excessive.

Apologies, you did have another point... There WERE people selling used gear, but it was a guitar show, not a table sale, so, as you say, maybe not a show for you.

What we're you saying about constructive?

Edited September 26, 2019 by MoJoKe

[MoJoKe]

7 hours ago, prowla said:

I wonder if it would be possible to have sound booths? Dawsons in Reading and Andertons in Guildford have them and people can do their thing without massacring everybody else.

Have you the first idea how much it cost for them (and many other music shops) to do this in their own retail premises?

I do, and there's no practical or cost effective way it could be done for every "loud" stand at a temporary guitar show, even assuming "loud" equals "too loud"...

[MoJoKe]

13 hours ago, J66Bass said:

Personally I thought the show was terrible boring,yet the noise was perfect,but overall compare to the other years I have been to all of them,it was a real disappointment...

You were there. It wasn't too noisy, but the show was a disappointment... 

Valid, and good to hear balanced opinion.

[wateroftyne]

7 hours ago, MoJoKe said:

So, were you there or not? If yes, then we should accept you have a valid opinion.

I think anyone involved with the show would be foolish to discount the opinions (perceptions?) of those who chose not to go.

[MoJoKe]

19 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

I think anyone involved with the show would be foolish to discount the opinions (perceptions?) of those who chose not to go.

I don't actually disagree with this, but the main and consistent premise continues to be "too noisy", so

1. OK if you don't like noise don't go to a show which is probably GOING to be noisy.  If you don't like loud bangs you probably won't enjoy a firework display... It doesn't then follow that the display was rubbish and all other firework displays are rubbish except the ones with no bangs. 

2. People who went have already said noise wasn't as bad as in the past... 

3. This thread is titled "review", which implies an opinion based on first hand experience, not a potentially non-reason for not going in the first place! 

So, I would think this thread might be more useful for the organisers and everyone else who paid good money to visit or exhibit to hear the views of those who actually went.

I'm just tired of negativity and moaning. rather than constructive and helpful. 

[prowla]

8 hours ago, MoJoKe said:

So, were you there or not? If yes, then we should accept you have a valid opinion. If not, you cannot be qualified to comment on the noise levels at THIS show, which seems to be your only point, so your opinion is invalid. Noise levels were not excessive, maybe loud, maybe even uncomfortable at times...  (I bloody love The Cat Empire, but I found the last gig of theirs I went to was too loud... It happens) but, I was there all weekend, measured it, and it was not excessive.

Apologies, you did have another point... There WERE people selling used gear, but it was a guitar show, not a table sale, so, as you say, maybe not a show for you.

What we're you saying about constructive?

Sorry for having an opinion.

Since you seem to be getting aggressive in your replies, I'm out...

[Silvia Bluejay]

Come on guys, we're not being aggressive, we're reminding you that this is a review thread and that, strictly speaking, those who haven't been belong to the other LBGS show, not giving us their opinions here. The organisers want to hear from those who were there. They already know the main reasons why people decide not to attend. What they need now is constructive criticism by those who DID attend.

[MoJoKe]

That's a little harsh! Frustrated yes aggressive definitely not! 

 

[BigRedX]

I think the problem is due to the fact that there are supposed to be quite periods during the show, but from what I have read very little is being done to enforce them. Every year the organisers say they are going to do something about it for the next show, and so far every following year at the next show we get the same reports that the quiet periods are being completely ignored. Add to that the fact that it looks as though this year the noise was significantly impinging upon the seminar areas, and you can see why people are getting frustrated and complaining.

The exhibitors might say that they need to be able to make a noise in order to properly demonstrate their products, but when any sound you make just becomes part of the overall cacophony how can anyone make any meaningful opinions about the equipment they are trying?

[wateroftyne]

The LBGS isn't a charity. It's a commercial venture, and like any other people are free to venture an opinion on it.

[Silvia Bluejay]

2 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

I think the problem is due to the fact that there are supposed to be quite periods during the show, but from what I have read very little is being done to enforce them. Every year the organisers say they are going to do something about it for the next show, and so far every following year at the next show we get the same reports that the quiet periods are being completely ignored. Add to that the fact that it looks as though this year the noise was significantly impinging upon the seminar areas, and you can see why people are getting frustrated and complaining.

The exhibitors might say that they need to be able to make a noise in order to properly demonstrate their products, but when any sound you make just becomes part of the overall cacophony how can anyone make any meaningful opinions about the equipment they are trying?

Very true. I'll be banging on about it at every opportunity I have to talk with BGM and the organisers about that.

3 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

The LBGS isn't a charity. It's a commercial venture, and like any other people are free to venture an opinion on it.

This is a review thread, not a general chat; it is here for talking about how the show actually unfolded and what problems it had. That has nothing to do with whether the show makes money or not.

[wateroftyne]

Just now, Silvia Bluejay said:

This is a review thread, not a general chat; it is here for talking about how the show actually unfolded and what problems it had. That has nothing to do with whether the show makes money or not.

Until it violates any rules, it's whatever the populace of BC want it to be.

[Silvia Bluejay]

Which is not helpful at all, but there you go. I guess Joel has got what he needed out of it and may or may not check back to see if there's any more bickering going on.

Edited September 26, 2019 by Silvia Bluejay