How was your gig last night?

[12stringbassist]

On Saturday we rocked up bright and early and set up at one of our favourite venues in Bolton. Our dep drummer walked in just after 8 with his phone to his ear and a stunned expression. He said his elderly mum had had a fall and was on the flooring her kitchen and he had to go sort her out with an ambulance. He said he'd be back asap. 

 

A bit of a shock, but we decided that our only way forward was to play the two sets acoustically, instead of the 4-5 we were going to start with.

 

Our dep drummer didn't reappear as he was in A&E at Wythenshawe hospital and his mum was only seen at 2am. I felt so sorry for the dreadful situation with his mum. He sent us an awful photo of her bruised face. He did exactly the right thing.

 

Fortunately it went down very well and we even threw in some songs we'd never played together before.

 

It's such a pleasure to have my new guitarist in the band. There's enthusiasm now, as opposed to the 'getting through it' that we had before.

 

Edited Tuesday at 00:20 by 12stringbassist

[dmccombe7]

1 hour ago, 12stringbassist said:

On Saturday we rocked up bright and early and set up at one of our favourite venues in Bolton. Our dep drummer walked in just after 8 with his phone to his ear and a stunned expression. He said his elderly mum had had a fall and was on the flooring her kitchen and he had to go sort her out with an ambulance. He said he'd be back asap. 

 

A bit of a shock, but we decided that our only way forward was to play the two sets acoustically, instead of the 4-5 we were going to start with.

 

Our dep drummer didn't reappear as he was in A&E at Wythenshawe hospital and his mum was only seen at 2am. I felt so sorry for the dreadful situation with his mum. He sent us an awful photo of her bruised face. He did exactly the right thing.

 

Fortunately it went down very well and we even threw in some songs we'd never played together before.

 

It's such a pleasure to have my new guitarist in the band. There's enthusiasm now, as opposed to the 'getting through it' that we had before.

 

Superb.

Obviously hope the guys Mum is ok which is the main thing here but well done for carrying on as an acoustic duo.

Dave

[12stringbassist]

 

[MacDaddy]

Royal Blues at The Troubadour, Earls Court, that London.

4 bands, though not remotely similar. Pretty much a capacity crowd, not bad for a Thursday night. We were up for it, lots of friends and family in the (paying) audience. Played two new songs, which went down well.

The house bass rig was an Orange 4 stroke bass head and Orange cab. I set everything flat with the compressor half way. It sounded glorious. 

Ibanez UB804 -> Airbridge wireless -> Orange 4 stroke bass amp -> Orange cab.

Footwear -> Maroon brothel creepers.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Friday at 00:58 by MacDaddy
Corrected the wireless brand.

[basexperience]

Last night was the Victoria pub jam in Wokingham, which I think has been running on Thursdays for more than a decade. An enthusiastic group of core musicians - which is expanding - maintains house band duties and rotates, which means it feels fresh, and it's starting to attract - gasp - Gen Z (!!) - I know, I can't believe it either, until fairly recently all the jam nights I went to were pretty much my age (I can still pogo at 55!), but there's teens and twenty somethings taking the stage, and I'll tell you - some of them are excellent. Reading has a pretty active prog rock thing going on, and they're all young as anything!

 

Anyway - I got pulled into 3 bands for the night, which is damn good, some great tracks. Highlight as ever was Let's Dance by Bowie - I LOVE the bass on that track.

 

Bass was the Maruszczyk 5-string, and it absolutely nailed it, sounding amazing after the truss rod replacement earlier this year - this thing is now perfect!

Effects was a cheap little AnnBlackBox from M-VAVE with the chocolate 4-button wireless controller - and you know what? It worked pretty well, especially as a quick setup system. Total cost of that system? A stripped down version of the Stomp HX for £75 all in including the 4-button switch, all running on batteries so no need to hunt for a PSU or use a full sized board. I'm warming to it for jam nights!

 

Weirdest track I played was "the stealer" by free - check this bassline out, it's bonkers:

 

The landlord has invested properly in live music - the pub's had a new PA this year, new bigger desk and speakers mounted on the walls which saves a lot of space. The venue also owns good kit for bass, guitar and drums. I think that makes a huge difference to the musicians running the event.

Edited Friday at 09:26 by basexperience

[Stub Mandrel]

55 minutes ago, basexperience said:

Highlight as ever was Let's Dance by Bowie - I LOVE the bass on that track.

 

👍

[Bluewine]

We doing our three peice acoustic offering back at the Ziegler Winery tomorrow.  Always a pleasure to play there. 

 

They have a large "built in" engaged high-end clientle, I don't have to worry about the crowd. We're playing from 3:00-6:00.

 

Our role is to provide background music however a lot of the folks are paying more attention to us than their wine.

 

Daryl

[dmccombe7]

15 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

We doing our three peice acoustic offering back at the Ziegler Winery tomorrow.  Always a pleasure to play there. 

 

They have a large "built in" engaged high-end clientle, I don't have to worry about the crowd. We're playing from 3:00-6:00.

 

Our role is to provide background music however a lot of the folks are paying more attention to us than their wine.

 

Daryl

Is that not a bit strange having no drums behind you ?

Dave

[Bluewine]

10 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

Is that not a bit strange having no drums behind you ?

Dave

 

When I first started doing the 3 piece acoustic it was. I've been doing the acoustic gigs for atleast 5 years now. I'm use to it Dave. Overall the acoustic gigs are a blessing. Easy hours, fast set and tear down. I'll be home by 8:30.

 

I'll get the full Maple Road band experience next weekend.

 

Daryl

 

Daryl

Edited yesterday at 06:06 by Bluewine

[WalMan]

It was ok, but a quiet night 🙁 Those that were there seemed to be enjoying themselves but mostly superglued to their seats other than a few dancing girls.

 

One guitarist down but we’ve done it before so no problem, just tailor the set to songs that didn’t need the second guitar.

 

Sound was ok, and fine in my IEM’s. Towards the end on the second set I had a couple of really bad attack of cramp in my fretting hand. Possibly dehydration, and maybe the fact that I have missed a load of my immune suppressant drugs because of Covid a month or so back & two courses of antibiotics so my arthritis is starting to flare up.

 

Picked up a Darkglass Anagram during the week and set up a quick stomp box preserve with Compressor always on and then Octaver, Chorus and Flanger controlled by the buttons. Went well but will need some experimenting.

 

Apparently it was the pubs Halloween party so face paint and dress up 

 

Gear: FrankenJazz, Anagram, Microtubes 500 and Barefaced BB2.Status S2 in reserve

Shoes: Barefoot (red and silver)

Edited 16 hours ago by WalMan

[Bluewine]

On 31/10/2025 at 14:13, Bluewine said:

We doing our three peice acoustic offering back at the Ziegler Winery tomorrow.  Always a pleasure to play there. 

 

They have a large "built in" engaged high-end clientle, I don't have to worry about the crowd. We're playing from 3:00-6:00.

 

Our role is to provide background music however a lot of the folks are paying more attention to us than their wine.

 

Daryl

 

 

Good gig. Second set wasn't so great. BL called songs we haven't played in years.No complaints and I was home by 7:30.

 

Daryl

 

 

[police squad]

Played Duff's bar in leicester last night with The Jam tribute

What a great gig. Used the HW4003 thru the V4B.

Mega

[Merton]

Katy Hurt was booked to play a private event last night, run by the same people who run the Buck and Bull pop up saloon club nights we’ve played before.

Big marquee at Tweseldown Racecourse near Fleet, 200 guests, line dancing, DJ, bucking bronco… standard UK “country” themed night.

 

Since this was essentially a private version of the Buck and Bull event, no expense was spared. Pro PA and lighting rigs and engineers made for a wonderful experience, plenty of soundcheck time so the onstage sound was crystal clear and devoid of all the issues from the previous week. The only real downer was the marquee had no heating so it needed the bodies in there to make it warm, it was very chilly in the run up to there being a party in full swing.

 

Our normal drumming options were all unavailable so I pinched the drummer (and my brother in law) from my pub rock band, and he stepped in brilliantly.

 

Being a private party, the crowd weren’t quite the same as the Buck and Bull clientele, and never really fully got going (vs them being totally up for it from the second we walk onstage at a real club night), but we had moments of fun watching some of the better line dancers try not to trip over the less good as we ripped through our two sets of covers and originals.
 

So yes, in some respects a mixed bag but I was home and in bed by 00.30 and throughly enjoyed the playing bit.

 

Basses were my trust ACG RetroBs, via Laney Digbeth pre, Trace TE1200 and Barefaced Two10.

Shoes were DC hi tops

Hat was Cavender’s of Texas 🤠

 

 

[JapanAxe]

Stood in with a blues band for a 45-minute support slot at a blues club. I don’t normally get nervous about performing but I was conscious this would be a more discerning audience than the usual gaggle of pub punters, plus the headlining band would probably be listening from the wings. As it was, I felt I acquitted myself pretty well, and we got good feedback from the audience.

 

It was quite amusing when one of the sound techs offered me a hand onto the stage with my Barefaced cab, and I lifted it with one finger!

 

I was surprised how many women there were in the audience. I expected a blues club audience to consist of 98% gentlemen of a certain age, but most of them seemed to have brought along their significant others.

[neepheid]

Friday night (Halloween), played Grays Inn in Mastrick, Aberdeen with Nine Lives.  Wasn't the best of gigs, file it under "alright".  Oddly, the pub didn't seem to be doing anything for Halloween, but that didn't stop a bunch of people being in fancy dress anyway.  Including me - who you gonna call?  Neepbusters!

 

 

Anyhoo, we were late starting because one table of folk who had finished their dinner wouldn't vacate the area for ages, leaving us a lot less time to set up than we usually have.  Grr!  Put me in a bad mood, ngl.  But we got going about 10 mins late, and managed to get an OK sound from the get-go.  It was busy enough at the start, but I suspect a lot of folk had kids and once they left, the place cleared out pretty bad.  There were a few stragglers, but it was mostly dead, leading to a fairly meh gig.  Oh well, still get paid, I suppose.

 

Gear was the Sire Z7 followed by the Yamaha BB1200, into the ISO Standard modular bass rig.

 

[Stub Mandrel]

No gigs all month after a busy period

 

At least I get to see plenty of gigs, Cardinal Black last night.

 

 

[dmccombe7]

3 hours ago, neepheid said:

Friday night (Halloween), played Grays Inn in Mastrick, Aberdeen with Nine Lives.  Wasn't the best of gigs, file it under "alright".  Oddly, the pub didn't seem to be doing anything for Halloween, but that didn't stop a bunch of people being in fancy dress anyway.  Including me - who you gonna call?  Neepbusters!

 

 

Anyhoo, we were late starting because one table of folk who had finished their dinner wouldn't vacate the area for ages, leaving us a lot less time to set up than we usually have.  Grr!  Put me in a bad mood, ngl.  But we got going about 10 mins late, and managed to get an OK sound from the get-go.  It was busy enough at the start, but I suspect a lot of folk had kids and once they left, the place cleared out pretty bad.  There were a few stragglers, but it was mostly dead, leading to a fairly meh gig.  Oh well, still get paid, I suppose.

 

Gear was the Sire Z7 followed by the Yamaha BB1200, into the ISO Standard modular bass rig.

 

Liking that Yamaha. 

Dave

[MacDaddy]

On 31/10/2025 at 00:36, MacDaddy said:

Royal Blues at The Troubadour, Earls Court, that London.

4 bands, though not remotely similar. Pretty much a capacity crowd, not bad for a Thursday night. We were up for it, lots of friends and family in the (paying) audience. Played two new songs, which went down well.

The house bass rig was an Orange 4 stroke bass head and Orange cab. I set everything flat with the compressor half way. It sounded glorious. 

Ibanez UB804 -> Airbridge wireless -> Orange 4 stroke bass amp -> Orange cab.

Footwear -> Maroon brothel creepers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of pics by the audience from Thursday...

 

 

[Greg Edwards69]

Just a short one as I have 'things' going on.*

 

A halloween party gig at The Cricketers in Westcliff on Friday. Decent turnout with a lot of people making the effort to dress up. We were a guitarist down and used yet another female dep singer who we didn'tt have much to to prep with. She did a decent job, but a couple of songs clearly weren't in her comfort zone, so we should have addressed that sooner.  I felt quite liberated being able to fill some of the physical and musical space left by the absent guitarist, throwing in extra licks and fills here and there, juicing up my usual tone with a little more overdrive, and I had prepared a couple of special presets on my Anagram to simulate powerchords blended with my bass tone for several songs. The crowd seemed to enjoy it, dancing for most of the evening, and gained some new followers.  So a decent result.

 

*lets just say I had a colonoscopy the day before and the results are not what I had hoped for. Still yet to have more scans before knowing conclusively and what impact it will have.

[Rayman]

A couple of decent gigs….. loving the P bass and favouring the TC BQ500 & 4x10 at the moment. One night in Leeds…. 

 

and one in Stoke….

 

Both fun ones, and the new songs seemed to go down well.

 

[neepheid]

3 minutes ago, Greg Edwards69 said:

Just a short one as I have 'things' going on.*

 

A halloween party gig at The Cricketers in Westcliff on Friday. Decent turnout with a lot of people making the effort to dress up. We were a guitarist down and used yet another female dep singer who we didn'tt have much to to prep with. She did a decent job, but a couple of songs clearly weren't in her comfort zone, so we should have addressed that sooner.  I felt quite liberated being able to fill some of the physical and musical space left by the absent guitarist, throwing in extra licks and fills here and there, juicing up my usual tone with a little more overdrive, and I had prepared a couple of special presets on my Anagram to simulate powerchords blended with my bass tone for several songs. The crowd seemed to enjoy it, dancing for most of the evening, and gained some new followers.  So a decent result.

 

*lets just say I had a colonoscopy the day before and the results are not what I had hoped for. Still yet to have more scans before knowing conclusively and what impact it will have.

 

Felt like I needed to follow up my post like with a "yay for decent gig, but boo to unfavourable test results".  Hope it's not too bad, all the best.

[Jackroadkill]

33 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

Felt like I needed to follow up my post like with a "yay for decent gig, but boo to unfavourable test results".  Hope it's not too bad, all the best.

 

@Greg Edwards69, same here.  Hope you get sorted swiftly.

[Mudpup]

On 31/10/2025 at 00:36, MacDaddy said:

 

.

 

Edited 2 hours ago by Mudpup

[Bluewine]

8 hours ago, Merton said:

 

 

Since this was essentially a private version of the Buck and Bull event, no expense was spared. 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks fantastic!

 

Daryl

[dmccombe7]

2 hours ago, Greg Edwards69 said:

Just a short one as I have 'things' going on.*

 

A halloween party gig at The Cricketers in Westcliff on Friday. Decent turnout with a lot of people making the effort to dress up. We were a guitarist down and used yet another female dep singer who we didn'tt have much to to prep with. She did a decent job, but a couple of songs clearly weren't in her comfort zone, so we should have addressed that sooner.  I felt quite liberated being able to fill some of the physical and musical space left by the absent guitarist, throwing in extra licks and fills here and there, juicing up my usual tone with a little more overdrive, and I had prepared a couple of special presets on my Anagram to simulate powerchords blended with my bass tone for several songs. The crowd seemed to enjoy it, dancing for most of the evening, and gained some new followers.  So a decent result.

 

*lets just say I had a colonoscopy the day before and the results are not what I had hoped for. Still yet to have more scans before knowing conclusively and what impact it will have.

Thoughts are with you at a worrying time Greg. Take care and hope you get the results we all want to hear.

Dave