How was your gig last night?

[MacDaddy]

14 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

And there’s four!

 

I'll take the 5th!

[JPJ]

Strictly not last night, but Thursday night (yes, a school night). Our acoustic trio were invited back to the Speakeasy at the Harbour View in Sunderland, Tyne & Wear. This was our third appearance, and probably our best, even if I say so myself. The Speakeasy is a mixture of an open mic night and a gig. For the first hour, it’s an open mic, although due to its popularity, performers have to book their slots weeks in advance. The second half is a 45 minute set from a featured artist or band. This week, that was us. 

Bear in mind that the Harbour View pub is perhaps unsurprisingly sited overlooking Sunderland port. As a result its on an exposed hill top, and on Thursday evening a brisk south easterly was whipping the rain into a face stinging frenzy and making the 6c feel a whole lot colder, and yet the pub was still full of enthusiastic music lovers.

Gear-wise, I was using my Boosey & Hawkes Excelsior laminate double bass equipped with a Realist copperhead pickup straight into the EBS Stanley Clarke acoustic preamp. From there, straight into the desk (a Behringer X-Air 12), and out to a pair of RCF HD 10’s and a small DB monitor that was almost at my feet, which sounded great on the videos I have seen 😎

[Norris]

6 minutes ago, MacDaddy said:

 

I'll take the 5th!

Looks like there are a few of us then!

[neepheid]

33 minutes ago, Piers_Williamson said:

I really enjoyed the write-up and the gig sounded great.  Am I the only person on Basschatt who doesn't do Spotify though?

 

Yes, you weirdo

 

[dmccombe7]

1 hour ago, Piers_Williamson said:

I really enjoyed the write-up and the gig sounded great.  Am I the only person on Basschatt who doesn't do Spotify though?

Nope i'm the same. Never used it. 6 now.

Dave 

Edited 22 hours ago by dmccombe7

[Obrienp]

1 hour ago, Lozz196 said:

And there’s four!

And seven! 
 

When will this stop? 😀

Edited 22 hours ago by Obrienp

[neepheid]

Well, last night's gig with The Inevitable Teaspoons (we're on Spotify, by the way ) at Drummonds in Aberdeen was a lot of fun.

 

Gigged my Cort Curbow for the first time since I replaced its guts with USA Bartolini pup and Glockenklang preamp and it is the bass it always should have been now. Sounded terrific last night - punchy and strong.  To be honest, I didn't need to do any EQ on the bass, I just left the EQ flat and ran the pickup in series. 

 

The gig itself was a good laugh, maybe 50 folk there, hard to tell because some folk were at the end of the room up a level. Mrs. Neepheid came down to see us too, yay! She reported that she saw quite a few folk into it, not quite motivated enough to get up and actually dance but there was chair dancing going on in various pockets of the room. The crowd took a while to warm up, but we had a few folk up dancing by the end. I went walkies during "Shake a Tail Feather", that got a good laugh (and a dance with Mrs. Neepheid). I'm a happy boy. 

 

Gear was the Cort Curbow and my pedalboard - I love a "just turn up and play" gig with house PA and a sound engineer who knows what they're doing.  Although I had some Trace gear behind me, most of my monitoring was through the house wedges in front of me.

 

[StingRayBoy42]

2 minutes ago, neepheid said:

The Inevitable Teaspoons (we're on Spotify, by the way )...

And Bandcamp! They're good!

https://theinevitableteaspoons.bandcamp.com/album/money-for-old-rope

[tony_m]

38 minutes ago, Obrienp said:

And seven! 
 

When will this stop? 😀

Eight! 😁

[Angelus]

New venue with a new band last night, our first solo gig together. Enjoying playing with a keyboard player again, not done that since the 90’s. Crowd seemed to like it and venue said we’ll be invited back, so a good start to the new venture. Different stage presence, being just the bass player at the back and a frontman in front of me. Having spent two weeks in bed this year, so unfit and ribs were killing me, with the weight of the bass, so was wilting by the end of the night. Any advice on how to get fitter is appreciated. 

[Mikey D]

7 hours ago, Piers_Williamson said:

I really enjoyed the write-up and the gig sounded great.  Am I the only person on Basschatt who doesn't do Spotify though?

Thanks. And appreciate that not everyone does. I still prefer my CD collection and talked at length with Chris on the night about having something physical Vs the convenience of streaming. 

 

YouTube so you can enjoy them?

 

[paul_5]

6 hours ago, tony_m said:

Eight! 😁

Nine! 

[dmccombe7]

3 hours ago, Angelus said:

New venue with a new band last night, our first solo gig together. Enjoying playing with a keyboard player again, not done that since the 90’s. Crowd seemed to like it and venue said we’ll be invited back, so a good start to the new venture. Different stage presence, being just the bass player at the back and a frontman in front of me. Having spent two weeks in bed this year, so unfit and ribs were killing me, with the weight of the bass, so was wilting by the end of the night. Any advice on how to get fitter is appreciated. 

Get yourself up to the Curtis Brothers Gym in Lanark. Couple of sessions a week and within 3-6mths you'll feel and see a huge difference. You can really go for it and take on a Personal Trainer for 10 sessions if you feel you need to be pushed a bit.

Been going almost 5yrs now Lee and i feel great. The 2 brothers Barry & Craig Curtis are ex-military but they are really nice guys. Very friendly gym with most people saying Hi when you walk in.

Did you injure yourself or just completely unfit ?

Dave

 

 

[Stub Mandrel]

10 hours ago, StingRayBoy42 said:

 

There's at least two of us!

And me!

 

<TEN!>

Edited 13 hours ago by Stub Mandrel

[dmccombe7]

I can see a growing revolution against Spotify 😂

Dave

 

[Kev]

Opened and closed the main stage with a couple of tributes at Rock The Gardens at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.  First run out with a Japanese Faker I picked up recently, great gig to kick off 2026!

 

 

Edited 12 hours ago by Kev

[peteb]

2 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

Get yourself up to the Curtis Brothers Gym in Lanark. Couple of sessions a week and within 3-6mths you'll feel and see a huge difference. You can really go for it and take on a Personal Trainer for 10 sessions if you feel you need to be pushed a bit.

Been going almost 5yrs now Lee and i feel great. The 2 brothers Barry & Craig Curtis are ex-military but they are really nice guys. Very friendly gym with most people saying Hi when you walk in.

Did you injure yourself or just completely unfit ?

Dave

 

 

 

That is a very good point. There are a lot of people on here who are struggling with basic fitness that impacts on them gigging and being able to lift amps / cabs or wear a 9lb bass on a strap, etc. This as well as, I'm sure, many other things in their life. As you get a bit older, it is a very good idea to have some sort of programme of weightlifting to minimise muscle decay and maintain bone density. 

 

I say this as someone isn't the most enthusiastic gym goer. I haven't been for nearly three months for a variety of issues (all good reasons, but still) and I really need to get back to it. However, once you start doing even modest lifting, you will find that it makes a big difference after just a couple of months or so. It will also make a massive improvement to what your life will be like when you get a bit older.

 

You do have do be sensible about it and not go for the weights you could have done when you were a bit younger (I speak from experience) and it is certainly a good idea to speak to someone who can give you sensible advice. But hitting the gym in middle age will have a very beneficial impact on your life and allow you to do things like carry on gigging for significantly longer. 

 

Edited 12 hours ago by peteb

[MacDaddy]

2 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

I can see a growing revolution against Spotify 😂

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

[tubbybloke68]

Just back from a great night at The Brook, Southampton with the Phil Collins tribute, used my newly acquired yammy TRB5P.we got about 400 in tonight which was pretty respectable i think. Always go down well there and last night was no exception. 😊

[dmccombe7]

10 hours ago, peteb said:

 

That is a very good point. There are a lot of people on here who are struggling with basic fitness that impacts on them gigging and being able to lift amps / cabs or wear a 9lb bass on a strap, etc. This as well as, I'm sure, many other things in their life. As you get a bit older, it is a very good idea to have some sort of programme of weightlifting to minimise muscle decay and maintain bone density. 

 

I say this as someone isn't the most enthusiastic gym goer. I haven't been for nearly three months for a variety of issues (all good reasons, but still) and I really need to get back to it. However, once you start doing even modest lifting, you will find that it makes a big difference after just a couple of months or so. It will also make a massive improvement to what your life will be like when you get a bit older.

 

You do have do be sensible about it and not go for the weights you could have done when you were a bit younger (I speak from experience) and it is certainly a good idea to speak to someone who can give you sensible advice. But hitting the gym in middle age will have a very beneficial impact on your life and allow you to do things like carry on gigging for significantly longer. 

 

100% Pete. I started going just after covid altho i've been an on/off gym goer over the years but this is the first gym i've stuck at 3 times a week.

I started light with the weights and would start at 8 reps and work up to 12 reps. Once at 12 reps i upped the weight and back to 8.

Its not always about how much you can lift either. The technique is more important with slow negatives offering more benefit than simply rapid up/down movements. I went for 2 yrs just doing my own thing in the gym but needed to move it forward and took on a PT for 10 sessions (2 1hr sessions per wk). Did that every 6mths - year just to push us and learn correct techniques. Then started taking classes in ABS training then HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) currently doing proper weight training class and body sculpt class. Two different styles of training in the gym. I don't struggle so much lifting PA cabs or kit these days and not out of breath when walking up stairs or even just lifting heavy objects. Went from just under 15st after Covid to 12st at the moment. Dropped from 36" waist to 32", from a Large T-shirt back to a Med. I'm now wearing same size clothes as i di in my 30's. Not bad for an old guy at 65.   

Dave

[dmccombe7]

8 hours ago, MacDaddy said:

 

 

 

 

Brilliant and made my day so far.

Dave

[dmccombe7]

6 hours ago, tubbybloke68 said:

Just back from a great night at The Brook, Southampton with the Phil Collins tribute, used my newly acquired yammy TRB5P.we got about 400 in tonight which was pretty respectable i think. Always go down well there and last night was no exception. 😊

My OCD is working overtime looking at that spaghetti junction next to and around your amp. 😂

That's my sore point when gigging. I hate when band members just through in cables any old way. I've been trying to teach our band that positioning cables carefully when setting up means quicker take down at the end and less chance of cable damage as people start tugging to free them.

Can't say i'm having a lot of success tho because they know i repair them for free anyways. 😂

But i'll keep at it. 

Dave

 

[BigRedX]

12 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

I can see a growing revolution against Spotify 😂

Dave

 

Spotify will carry on until one of its rivals decides to offer a free service with all the features of a free Spotify account.

 

The problem with the other Streaming services is that you can't easily share a link or a playlist because unless the person also has an account with the relevant service they can't easily access it.

 

As an artist I make far more money out of Spotify, through being on several popular playlists, than all the other streaming services with higher per-play rates put together.

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, dmccombe7 said:

My OCD is working overtime looking at that spaghetti junction next to and around your amp. 😂

That's my sore point when gigging. I hate when band members just through in cables any old way. I've been trying to teach our band that positioning cables carefully when setting up means quicker take down at the end and less chance of cable damage as people start tugging to free them.

Can't say i'm having a lot of success tho because they know i repair them for free anyways. 😂

But i'll keep at it. 

Dave

 

 

It's not just me then!

[StingRayBoy42]

1 hour ago, dmccombe7 said:

My OCD is working overtime...

There's a heavy metal band that insists on having everything on stage set up in *exactly* the same way at every gig... they're called OCDC.