4stringslow

Depends on the gig. I've driven from Norfolk to Wales before now for a gig, but it was a private 'mini-festival' on a farm, 150-200 people, so we made a weekend of it. Great fun as it turned out and we were invited back to play the following year, which we did. We could play it again if we wanted but having done it twice now the trek seems less appealing. We don't really have any 'rules' and just go with how we feel at the time. No big deal when money is not a concern..

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1473342339' post='3129322'] - yet his charge was slightly less than mine! Another mistake? [/quote] Perhaps it depends on the nature of the goods? Import duties are not just a single band for everything are they?

Never mind the lights, I waiting to hear what Blue thinks about The Rutles

Yes, it's justified as being the cost of collecting the import charges, documenting it and passing on the import duty to HMRC. Obviously the admin involved is pretty much constant regardless of the actual package value and duty payable, but of course can be significant with low value items. I wonder if this sort of thing will be extended to European countries when we leave the EU? The guy at the collection desk probably deals with this sort of customer frustration every day Having said all that, there's no excuse to be so surly when a simple explanation and, perhaps, a brief explanatory leaflet could be given instead.

Like Lozz, I can't immediately think why the cab should be causing the problem, but with all these sorts of issues reproducing the fault is the first priority and the amp doctor is not going to get very far without this. Is it possible to take the amp [u]and[/u] cab in for a checkup? Preferably with your bass and all cables as well so that you can demonstrate the problem to them. I know it's a pain, but I'm sure there's frustration on both sides - there's nothing more frustrating than a described fault that can't be reproduced on the test bench.

I've got a Korg GA40, which I usually connect to an output on my amp just in case I need it when gigging (I don't use any pedals). But I fancied trying a clip on tuner and bought a TC Polytune-Clip about 6 months ago. It works really well on my P and J basses and the large LED display is really easy to see and I use it all the time for rehearsals. However I've not yet plucked up courage to actually gig with it. I've no doubt about it working but I don't think it's a great image, especially being pure white and looking a bit like an Apple gadget (although that might appeal to some ).

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1473241382' post='3128202'] But you could also repurpose that old golfing cliche about practice and luck to say that for bands the higher your profile the luckier you get. The more you do the more people you get to know and it's much easier to find yourself in the right place at the right time if you are out there gigging and promoting your band as often as possible. Unfortunately, from my experience what has happened over the last 10 years or so is that the industry has reverted to something similar to it's pre-punk attitude where it was almost impossible to get noticed if your band doesn't have someone with a proven track record in it, combined with the fact that there seems to be a lot less right places and right times these days. And to go back to your point about the record labels looking at music colleges for new talent; I imagine these days that music college teaches far more than just how to play your instrument and that the importance of image etc. is also on the curriculum. It makes sense for record labels to target artists who already know how to present themselves, rather than to have to go to the expense of hiring stylists and people to teach them how to get the best out of an interview when this has already been covered in the course. [/quote] Yes, I'm a great believer in making your own luck, and also being able to recognise a bit of good luck when it comes along and being willing to take the jump. Interesting point about music colleges teaching more than music. Would make sense for those aiming for record contracts.

Well it won't be hard to find the full length film on youtube so we can but wait for his reaction (assuming he finds these posts buried I a lighting topic). Meanwhile, I've got tix to see them live in October

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1473166225' post='3127562'] And you are perfectly right about my musical endeavours. None of them were the right thing at the right time to warrant record label investment. However what I was trying to say was that in the past it was fairly easy to get record labels sniffing about at the bands I was involved with even if none of them were ultimately going to do anything more than sniff. In comparison The Terrortones, a band with a far bigger following than anything I've been involved with in the past (and lets fact it popular bands is what the labels want) can't even attract a fraction of the interest I've had previously. [/quote] I'd class myself as very much an outsider compared to that sort of experience so I may be talking tosh, but I've always thought that 'making it' in the music business is more about luck than talent, which makes it the tough nut to crack that it clearly is. The old thing about "it's not what you know, it's who you know" and variations on that theme.

No love for 'Rhythm Stick' then? ( no, I can't play it either!)

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1473157297' post='3127411'] Well strictly from personal experience... [/quote] But did the record industry ever take chances? It would be interesting to know their failure rates today vs yesterday. I don't want to be mean, but perhaps your difficulty in getting a record deal was because the big companies felt you were not the right material? Given that you couldn't make it as a full time job, it could be argued that they were right. Meanwhile, record companies are sniffing around music colleges and signing up the likes of George Ezra and others, then promoting them like crazy for a while. I'm not saying it's necessarily a good thing and, personally, I'm not a fan of one-man-and-a-guitar acts trying to become the next Bob Dylan, but I guess that's the current fashion and the record companies job is to make money not act as some sort of paternalistic guardian of the nation's musical preferences (as if anyone really knows what they may be).

[quote name='Barking Spiders' timestamp='1473156296' post='3127393'] I like informal get-togethers but can't be doing with organised functions. Just the way I roll. [/quote] +1 I much prefer unbirthdays - more opportunities to treat oneself and loved ones.

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1473152862' post='3127339'] not on anywhere near the scale it used to be, Record Companies are very reluctant to take a chance on an artist these days, and the rewards are nowhere near what they used to be with CD sales falling off a cliff, trouble with self promotion in the digital age is anyone can do it with not much effort which means it's very difficult to stand out from the huge amount of bands doing it [/quote] I'd be interested to see some figures on this. Are all the artists queuing up for things like the 'BBC Introducing' and on the myriad similar stages at Glastonbury and other festivals just self-promoting? I've always assumed they were being pushed by the record companies. I know for a fact that they 'sniff around' the various music colleges looking for artists to sign up so have assumed it, a more or less business as usual for the record companies, albeit managing a lower [u]proportion[/u] of artists because of the boom of self-promotion enabled by the digital age etc. I agree that record sales are down compared to the good old days, but doesn't that make it even more important for record companies to sign up new artists and push them out on the road where higher than ever ticket prices can help fill their coffers?

Blue, a good place to start with ex-Bonzo's would be Neil Innes' work helping to create The Rutles. Also, as you've said you love British humour, then The Rutles film is a must see!! http://www.rutles.org http://youtu.be/fJqp_KvOHts

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1473148849' post='3127281'] Which in the old days was the record companies job, you got signed, got an advance, got put on tours with established acts and got the record companies publicity machine, oh, for the days of the big nasty record companies, we all thought it was a hoot when the got a bloody nose with the coming of the digital age, the law of unforeseen consequences eh? [/quote] Surely all that still happens today? There are plenty of artists being signed up and subsequently promoted and toured by record companies. Obviously they won't or can't sign up [u]every[/u] wannabe artist but to suggest that whole model is nowadays broken is simply not true. I suspect what has changed in our 'digital age' is that those wannabe artists who don't get record deals now have more scope for self-promotion, something almost impossible in the 'good old days', so there are now more wannabes out there trying to make it and everyone more aware about how the music scene is actually a pretty difficult way to earn a living.