bassintheface

being involved as a bass (tuba) player with a championship section brass and, depping regularly for orchestras and wind bands, they usually / typically (IME) still cover travel expenses. Regardless, good luck with finding someone.

Nothing specific...... typically I'd play all across the bass to ensure the EQ is set right for the room and correct volume - typically it'd be bits of scales / arpeggios etc, hit the 'dirty' switch to make sure the OD is set ok and EQ'd ok also etc. That's usually me done except for soundcheck - if we're doing drum / bass soundcheck then we might chuck in some of Donny Hathaway's 'The Ghetto', or maybe 'I'm a mover' by Free, or even 'Canned Heat' by Jamiroquoi - for full band s/check it would likely be something like 'The Weight' by the Band that has all vocals, plus guitars and keys also. I'll warm up backstage.

Broke my foot literally leaving the house to go to a gig….. couldn’t get a shoe on as it was so swollen so had a few socks on. didn't carry or set up any gear. took loads of painkillers (zapain and nurofen), still in agony. managed to play the 2.5hrs seated. went to hospital, got X-rays which confirmed foot was broken. Spent the next 5 weeks in plaster up to my knee.

Trusted friend - depending upon the specific circumstances of the gig - maybe. Someone I sort of know - nope..... Someone I've never met - nah.....no chance mate......

a pal of mine is the Alarm's FOH eng on this current tour - I'll ask what the score is re bass and backing tracks..........

I'm the opposite end to Cardiff and It's easier and faster for me to get a train to London (196 ish miles) than it is to the Capital city of Wales (135 miles)! Mid Wales - Newtown?

I remember getting absolutely smashed with them in around 2003/2004 at the Welsh Music awards at he Coal Exchange in Cardiff as we were on the same table - those free Jack Daniels cocktails had a lot to answer for........ woke up at 9am in my hotel room, flat out on my back with a full roast beef baguette, crisps and salad on a plate atop my chest - I'd ordered food from room service, then fallen asleep before I could eat it!!

don't take other 1/2's to the gig LOL.

I hate them as they're weighted typically for simple compressed music and at an SPL level way below that of a simple unamplifed drum for example, then any form of dynamic live 'input' to the meter mic trips them. I dislike them and try to avoid them, but have played many gigs with them and managed to keep under the ones set a realistic levels. Some are set so low that audience applause trips them - the band cannot be held liable for that! I have on a few occasions managed to strike a deal with venues where we have unwittingly taken a booking not knowing there's a meter..... I agree that we'll plug some LED lights into the meter circuit, that way, we know if we're 'too loud' by the lights switching off, but won't risk buggering valve amps etc. Then run a couple of long extension leads from circuits not connected to the meter circuit. The 'mid week daytime soundcheck' sounds like a flipping shambles and I'd rather bin the booking off than do that - that's unreasonable. Do they get outsider caterers in the week before to cook them a meal to make sure they can use an oven??!!!

cheers all...... had a good think over the weekend. I'm going to give it a month, see if anything changes, then if not you MAY see a Limelight 'Pino style' P bass and a 1973 Fender Jazz for sale.........