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Hey everyone, Just wanted to share that we've had a couple of incidents recently involving 'middle man' scams. This is where someone has joined the site and registered a username that is almost identical to the name of an existing member, apart from changing characters in the name for ones that look similar but are different. For example, they might replace small L with a capital i, they might replace O with 0 or they might add a full stop at the end of the name. Changes insignificant enough to allow the scammer to take a punt on a buyer not noticing when they make contact via PM and eventually get them to send money. In our situation we believe that the scams are from one individual who has registered two accounts that emulate the names of existing members. We have already taken steps to ensure their accounts are frozen and we have accrued enough information to help us identify if that individual if they try to register more accounts in the future...they won't be able to hide behind a VPN either. We are also going to raise how to prevent spoofed usernames with our forum software provider as a future development suggestion. So...if you are PM'd separately by someone about an item they claim is for sale in the marketplace, check their user name carefully and if you have any doubts based on I or 0 or . in their username, maybe reply to them initially from their post in your thread rather than direct to their PM. That way you can check if your message adds to their message or starts a new one. Also if members spot anyone masquerading as someone else, feel free to use the report function to flag it with the mod team and we will take a closer look. It's probably also worth reminding everyone to avoid using bank transfer or Paypal F&F to a seller. These payment methods don't offer refund options in the event of there being an error. (Although if you are quick enough, sometimes your bank might be able to reverse the transaction but it depends on your bank and whether you can prove deception as opposed to a lack of vigilance.) Thanks in advance for your help in making life difficult for these scumbag parasites.

In late 2011, Prince Rogers Nelson walked into Capitol Guitars, a modest music store in St. Paul, Minnesota. Dressed in dark shades and an overcoat, he browsed quietly, barely speaking. The staff recognized him instantly but chose to respect his silence. He pointed at a few guitars, asked about the tonal difference between maple and mahogany, and then paused when the owner mentioned a recent conversation with a local teacher. The teacher had said that students at Anwatin Middle School in Minneapolis were losing access to their music program due to severe budget cuts. Prince nodded slightly and left without purchasing anything. Three days later, a delivery truck arrived at Capitol Guitars. Prince had returned but not to shop. Instead, he gave the owner a handwritten list and a simple instruction: “Everything on this list, pack it and deliver it to Anwatin.” The list included guitars, drum sets, violins, keyboards, amps, microphones, and recording equipment. When the owner asked if the instruments should be marked with a donor name or message, Prince replied, “No names. No credit. Just send love.” The delivery created confusion at the school. Teachers and administrators at Anwatin Middle School had no advance notice, and the delivery slip listed only a phone number that led to a private voicemail. Music teacher Kenneth Simms opened the shipment, stunned by the quality and quantity of the instruments. He assumed it was a mistake. It took several days of asking around and comparing handwriting on the note that came with the shipment before a staff member connected it to Prince, who had visited the store days earlier. When a friend later asked him about it, Prince said, “That’s between me and the kids. Not for headlines.” He declined to make any public statement or appear at the school. According to Minneapolis-based journalist Jon Bream from "Star Tribune", even the school district wasn’t formally notified. They only learned about the donor’s identity after teachers pieced the story together. Those close to Prince knew his silent generosity wasn’t a one-time impulse. During his early years growing up on the north side of Minneapolis, he often spoke about the importance of music education. His mother, Mattie Shaw, was a jazz singer and heavily involved in the local music scene. Prince once said in a 1999 interview with "Ebony", “If I hadn’t had access to a piano when I was seven, I don’t know who I would’ve become. Music wasn’t a hobby, it was a lifeline.” Former bandmate Sheila E. recalled in her 2014 memoir "The Beat of My Own Drum" how Prince frequently funded youth centers and music camps without telling anyone. “He believed in giving kids a chance to create,” she wrote. “He didn’t want applause. He wanted them to play.” At Anwatin, the new instruments transformed the energy of the school. Simms recalled how students began coming to class early just to practice. A hallway that once echoed with silence after the final bell now hummed with guitar riffs, drumbeats, and laughter. “We didn’t just get instruments,” Simms told "MinnPost" in 2012, “we got hope.” Store owner Alan Geller, who kept the receipt from Prince’s bulk order tucked in his office drawer, shared later that the musician didn’t even ask for a discount. “He said, ‘Charge full price. They deserve the best.’” For Prince, who had often used his wealth to quietly support causes tied to youth empowerment, the act wasn’t about visibility. His friend Van Jones later commented during an interview with "CNN", “He believed that if you help a kid find their rhythm, they might avoid chaos. He never needed a stage for that.” The donation never became a national headline. There were no photo ops or ceremonies. But in a city where music had once saved a young boy from the streets, it was returned, quietly, to the next generation. Prince gave them music when theirs had been taken away and never asked for anything in return.

Around October last year our friend Nick Smith came to see us about having another bass made but to his design of shape which he called the “Midas” We lost Nick in January in a tragic accident before we got past the design stage of his new bass. However he had selected all of the woods and we’d gone through the detail on the spec that he wanted. Following Nicks funeral at the end of February Gav and I felt it was only right that we finish Nicks bass, and after seeking approval from Nicks family we decided that it would be fitting that once complete we would hold a raffle or auction with all proceeds going to a charity close to Nick and his families hearts. Over the last few weeks we’ve been progressing through the manufacture of Midas number 1. And over the next week or so we’ll share the photos and videos of its progress so far. This video shows the design of the bass, technical specs follow “Greenie” the Kratos he had from us a few years back which had become Nicks main gigging bass for Genesis Connected. It features a one piece ribbon sapele body with a beautiful book matched flame maple top, flamed maple one piece neck with ebony fret board, Aguilar HJ pickup and 18v preamp, led fret board side dots, Grainger bridge, hipshot tuners and Evo Gold frets! Once the details of the charity raffle are tied down we’ll post on how it’ll all work, but we should have Nicks Midas done within the next 6 weeks! Stay tuned for more updates! SOLIDWORKS Premium 2023 SP1.0 - Midas Full Assembly 2025-03-29 09-46-28.mp4

A bitter / sweet gig this one (Chateauroux in France) 18 original compositions from a good friend who's now sadly very limited with regards to time left. 10 pce band and I only know one of them, two days of rehearsal, live recording third day and public concert on the last night. Quite an honour to be asked to provide the low end. Fingers crossed I don't mess up🤣

NOT LAST NIGHT! I played a gig at the O2 Ritz in Manchester (My old stomping ground) a few weeks ago with The Groove Chorus - a 40 odd piece choir playing fun/funky/cheesy/disco/pop stuff. I used to go clubbing at The Ritz when I was a kid (Monday night Alternative (Goth) night and Wednesday night student (Indie) night) and I've seen loads of big gigs here (Including Chas & Dave!) so... this was a big deal for me! It was a long day, got there about 1 for setup, tech sortouts etc then a full run through... knackering but good fun! Eight piece band including a four piece horn section - we had a monitor engineer which hasn't happened to me for a long time. The MD, guitarist and drummer were guys I've worked with before and not seen for ages, which was nice; the keyboard player was a great bloke and really good laugh - it's always nice to meet someone who hasn't heard any of my jokes. The dress code was 'Denim on Denim on Denim' (NO black clothes allowed!) so I had to buy a pair of blue denim jeans - I don't own that many clothes that aren't black... It was as camp as a row of pink tents (at christmas) - we did 'I Will Survive'... how camp do you want it?! The gig was FANTASTIC - the place was packed, the choir sounded brilliant, the crowd loved it, the band were great, I played pretty well... a great night all round. Certainly the biggest gig I've played for a while. The organisers (and the rest of the band) said some nice things about my playing, which was gratifying and I've since been asked to play the next one, so... a good nights work! (Decent payer as well) Highlight was probably 'Groove is in the heart' - who wouldn't want to play 'that' riff through an ENORMOUS PA while hundreds of people dance to it?! Played the StingRay -> Secret Weapons board (Thumpinator ->VTDI) -> MB802 -> ENORMOUS PA Shoes were peach pink sparkle Converse (not pictured) Video- https://www.facebook.com/reel/1005081587691904

Hey gang! I'm a P guy, but one of my bands needs a J really, so I've been on the lookout for something for a while. Was hoping for something LPB or Charcoal Frost, but this popped up, and I couldn't resist. It's a Custom Shop Journeyman relic, so think closet classic with slightly less shine and the occasional ding. I know relics are polarising, but I think they nailed it with this one - it glows. Medium-weight alder body (guessing 9lbs or thereabouts), quartersawn neck, slab board.. and stacked knobs which will take a little getting used to in the heat of the moment. Haven't gigged it yet, but it sounds gorgeous so far. Really rich and resonant. Roll on next weekend! ]]

As part of Record Store Day, I played a church in my hometown. Not only did it mark 12 months of me being alcohol free but it marked the first time I played a venue that my Dad had played. No, we're not religious but it amazes me that in 37yrs of playing, it hasn't happened already. I had friends come over from Wales and down from Yorkshire and we were on it throughout. The playback confirmed it. It was promoting my friend Rich Davies and his band The Dissidents. Got to use my Blackstar head and cab with my trusty Ric 4003s. It sounded immense.

Two gigs for me last weekend. First was with the blues band at a rather remote pub on the coast. Not as busy as last time we did it but still a small appreciative crowd. I made a classic schoolboy error of leaving home a bit late and grabbing a gig bag on the way out, only to discover I’d brought along the ‘wrong’ bass. Fortunately I also brought along my Dano Longhorn to show the guys, so ended up using that into the Rumble 500 and it sounded pretty damned good. Haven’t used it for a while, so a nice reminder of how it will always be a keeper. (see pic). Then Sunday I was with the duo at our regular venue in Scarborough, ‘The Lookout on the Pier’. A full house as per usual and some interesting requests, including ‘A certain smile’ ( for the owner Jill ), ‘Africa’ and ‘An Englishman in New York’ with the crazy walking bit in the middle which is OLF. Encore of ‘Eight days a week’ which is a cracking tune as well. We’re there again in May and it’s always a pleasure.

Pictures say all that needs to be said, it's taken me a while to get here, but I suspect that of all the fretless Precisions I've owned (P, PJ, PP, PM) and all of the board materials I've used with them - rosewood, ebony, maple, graphite - this is by a long way the sweetest. Classic Vibe body, PUP, and circuit (the PUP as I'd been told would be the case, is very very good indeed), paired with a stunning Warmoth neck. First rehearsal tonight

Hello! I've been an on-and-off TB'r for a few years, but the mods have finally left a bad enough taste in my mouth for me to give up on it. On a thread about "Best Pedals for Ultimate Clean Tone," I posted a picture of an empty pedal board as a joke. That was deemed offensive enough to warrant deleting my post on the grounds that I was insinuating bassists shouldn't use effects. The ironic part is that I myself have a large pedal board full of effects. Anyway, rant over. Here I am. Also, the challenge question on sign up felt like a trick question. Mr. Fender's first name was Clarence, not Leo.

Another Eagles tribute show in Hexham, Northumberland. Nice to have a monitor after persevering with IEMs at the last gig. Old school, but.. I prefer it. Also used my new Jazz for a bit. It's lovely, but I’m not sure stacked knobs - or white - is for me. We'll see. Next stop... Rotherham!

Two gigs for me this weekend, both on the East Yorkshire coast. Saturday saw me playing with The Alligators blues band at The Black Lion in Bridlington’s historic old town. Quite a large pub at the front, with an amazing room at the rear that is concealed from the pub by large velvet curtains. There are raked pews that lead down to a dance floor area, and the stage is like a small theatre, with a a large dB PA that unfortunately we didn’t get to use. Easy get in from a side alleyway so it looked like being a great gig. Unfortunately there was a distinct lack of punters, but we still gave it our best to the small groups of folk who ventured in. A great sounding room, and I used my usual passive Precison Lyte / Rumble 500 combo which I’m really enjoying. Finished at 11.15pm, quick pack down and home by 12.30. Sunday early evening I was at our regular haunt in Scarborough, ‘The Lookout on the Pier’ with the acoustic duo. A beautiful day meant the town was busy, but we got parked ok and set to go by 6pm. The venue was rammed with diners plus a few guests seated at the back. We played our usual request format, and tunes included ‘Samba pa ti’, a couple of Simon and Garfunkel things and ‘Copacabana’ which I’d forgotten how much of a workout the bassline was! We both were given a nice tip from a visiting celebrity couple who remembered us from a gig there a couple of years ago, and also received an enquiry to play at the local yacht club from a couple who’d arrived at the gig by yacht - who’d have thought that in Scarbados! It was one of those gigs where it all gelled - great venue, audience and our playing, so much so that I genuinely could have played for another hour or more. Still, home by 10pm to pizza and wine.

Hi folks Just wanted to share the joy of this exceptional ACG bass handmade by Alan Cringean. I picked this up from Alan yesterday and it’s absolutely stunning. This particular model is a prototype and I’m sure Alan would be more than happy to build another if this is ur thing. From top to bottom the quality of the build is fantastic. The way Alan shapes his necks are always super comfortable to play and this is no exception. It balances perfectly either seated or on a strap. I’m really into filter preamps now and this one is fitted with the ACG EQ 01 by John East. Fine tuning your tone is excellent with the EQ01. Like every ACG I have played ( I have nine!) the quality, the workmanship and the versatility is in abundance. If you’re looking for a custom build at the highest level then speak to Alan. He’s an amazing luthier as well as a thoroughly nice chap. Specs down below. Cheers Stuart Body Olive Top Wood Purpleheart Accent Veneer Alder Body Neck Acrylic Impregnated Birdseye Maple Fingerboard 5 Piece Ash/Purpleheart Neck Luminlay Side Dots Details Set-neck Construction 33″ Scale Length 24 Frets 5 String 45mm Nut Width Satin Lacquer Finish Electronics ACG RFB bridge pickup and ACG FB neck pickup East Uni-Pre 4K Preamp Hardware Hipshot B Type Bridge Gotoh GB350 Resolite Tuners Black Hardware Dunlop Dual Design Straplocks ACG/Newtone Custom Strings

Great gig. Packed it out, crowd loved it. First time I've played with a real Hammond master AND horns. Loved it. All originals, mixture of Blues, jazz, funk and a little rocky/pop.

Last year i've been working on a Wal copy bass. As Wal basses are my absolute favorite and i am the happy owner of 3 Wals (two MK1 basses and a ProIIe) i was wandering if i was able to build one myself. Since 2018 i'm following a luhiers education (6 hours a week) at the CMB in Puurs (Belgium). I allready build an acoustic steelstring guitar (Martin#1 copy) for my wfie so now it was time to treat myself. This Wal copy ofcouse needed to be an extra addition to my collection. Since i have a fretted Mk1, a fretless MK1 and a fretted Pro (which has a more vintage sound compaired to the MK's ) my weapons are quite complete. But they are all 4 strings ands sometimes i miss a low B. Since i prefer 4 strings i've decided to build another 4 string but tuned BEAD. To make a plan i disassembled my MK1 and measured everyting. Last week i've completed it and it feels and sounds damn close to my other Wals! Here are the specs: Mahogany body with ebony facings (maple veneer) Matching headstock Maple/mahogany neck Ebony fretboard Danish oil finish Lusithand Double NFP special MKII preamp Turner Multicoil Pickups ABM bridge Shaller tuners Handmade potmeter knobs and output.

Well I really didn't need another bass, I think having 7 after only playing for 12 months is probably a sign that I have fallen victim to GAS, but as a huge Guy Pratt fan I couldn't resist any longer and I have no regrets. There are lots of reviews saying how good, and what great value these basses are and I cant argue with any of them. Even with my limited experience, and even more limited ability I can say it is an absolute joy to play and the finish and the overall quality far exceed what I expected at this price.

This has been on the cards pretty much since I first discovered ACG 11 odd years ago. It was @eude’s Finn 4 which first drew me to @skelf’s basses and very soon after that I saw a Holly-topped Finn. I’ve been hooked since the first bass I bought, and for a long time had a Holly-topped Finn in my wishlist. It almost became a reality about 5 years ago but I never got beyond the “annoying Alan” phase. Fast forward to last year, an ebony Finn which Alan shared on socials made me hatch a cunning plan for a yin/yang pair of basses - one holly, one ebony. Specs were developed, plans were hatched, then I had to be sensible and drop one of the two. Naturally I kept the holly plan as it has been on the list since day one, and the shape changed from Finn to RetroB. Thus this spec was born and a deposit was paid last July. Today the 5 string bass of my dreams was delivered. She sounds as good as she looks, and I’m over the moon 😎 So, the specs: Limba body, bloodwood accent, holly top 3pc Ash neck with ultra slim profile, ebony fingerboard with bloodwood blocks, 30” radius 3+2 headstock with holly facing and limba rear veneer 50mm RFB in bridge, 50mm OPB in neck Passive vol/tone/blend with coil select switch for RFB Black hardware 17mm bridge spacing (Hipshot A) Gotoh resolute tuners Honestly couldn’t be happier at this point, I am looking forward to getting her out in the wild with Katy Hurt next month 🤠 First 3 pics are from my “unboxing”, the rest are Alan’s:

Played 2nd on the bill in a 4 band/artists gig in Alderbury (village close to Salisbury). It was a fundraiser for a Salisbury Live event in June called Picnic in the Park. It was a social club and a good mix of locals, band members, friends and family in there, pretty busy and a good atmosphere. Our drummer did his solo act before we went on, he sings and plays guitar in his own band. Our set went well, some of those that have seen us before said we get better every time they see us... I guess the songs are becoming more familiar 😂 I enjoyed the night, the last band played covers but threw in a few curve balls that I enjoyed (I am the resurrection, who covers that?! Brilliant!). For the shoe fetish crew - a pair of scruffy Lee Copper Converse fakes. Normally I wear my Airwalks but wanted a change. As an aside, my 87 yr old dad watched me lace up a shoe today and told me off. Apparently they taught him how to lace up his boots during National Service so that you could cut the laces with a knife easily and get your boots off quickly if you needed to...every day is a school day 😁

Hurtsfall were upstairs at The Corporation in Sheffield on Saturday supporting Deviant, Zeitgeist Zero and Iamimperfect. Really well run venue and evening with a proper stage manager making sure that everything ran smoothly. Also massive "backstage" area for the bands and gear plus refreshments. Only blip in the proceedings was that our backing was completely muted when we came to play and for some reason it took 3 goes for the sound engineer to find the right channel(s) and unmute them, which was a bit embarrassing and shouldn't be happening with digital programmable desks. Despite the fact that we went on 10 minutes after the doors opened, there was a decent turn out to see us, and it didn't look as though that many additional people came in after we had finished. All the bands were great. I particularly liked Iamimperfect and will make an effort to see them again. We obviously went down well as we sold a load of merch afterwards, and with the gig ending at 10.30 was back home just after 12.00. I believe some people like to see the empty stage set up, so here it is: Amp and cabs and all the stuff in the middle of the stage at the back was for the other bands. And here's a photo of us actually playing: Next gig is the 25th April at The Crafty Cove in Whitby with Westenra and Social Youth Cult as part of the Whitby Goth Weekend. I believe that this is almost sold out already.

Just got home from my Spacewasters gig at The Hope & Anchor, Islington. 4 band bill, in an 80 capacity venue, luckily a dedicated storage area for gear. We headlined and played well, though it was soooooo hot down there, even setting up had us all sweating out half a stone. Didn’t bother with a soundcheck but the sound man was very good and kept the volume to reasonable levels. I played my black Fender JMJ Mustang into my Behringer BDI21, DI taken from that to FOH, and then into a small 100 watt Ashdown combo of some sorts for stage volume which was plenty. Due to my plantar fasciitis rather than DMs I wore my Skechers trainers. Edit - Review now online, in punktuationmag: The Spacewasters are approaching their 25th anniversary, and over the years, they’ve become really damn good musicians. Maybe that’s not a very punk thing to say, but as their guitarists sprinkle frenzied solo magic on the likes of ‘Leave Me Alone’ and ‘Devil’s Bones’, we have to be thankful that they’ve chosen to channel their talents not into tedious 20 minute jazz-prog suites, but into shit-kickin’ street-level punk rock n’ roll. Add the larger than life presence (and sense of humour) of frontman Mick, and you have a recipe for one hell of a good time. Check out their new album ‘The 7-Legged Groove Machine’, it does exactly what it says on the tin, and it does it very well.

Really pleased with this new (to me) family member. I swapped my Jet P locally for it. I installed Gotoh Resolite GB528 tuners to get rid of the nasty neck dive, and a set of Labella MUS flats. The laurel fingerboard came up nice with some boiled linseed oil and I've set it up to my preferences (after sorting one high fret). It looks small but sounds big! Such a breeze to play too. Every note rings true. I expected the pickup to be the letdown from what I've read but it sounds great as is. Also, it works better with my pedals than the Jet (not that the Jet was bad or anything). I'm a happy Chatter.

A good turnout last night for our first 'public' gig of the year. Easy load in and set-up, PA was hired in and already there waiting. Forgot to take pics of my rig, but had my two LP DC custom basses and orange rig (Terror 500 and twin isobaric cabs), untethered thanks to my Boss wireless. Two sets of British '76-'82 punk covers with the crowd joining in from the word go, singing and dancing as though they were 16 again! As it was our 10th anniversary, I caught the night on my Zoom H4n, so will be going through the results next week, once my hearing has settled down again (no IEMs unfortunately).

Contact has been re-established with the school (staff turnover/changes in all the relevant booking contacts). Hopefully some positive news soon.

Local Social Club in Sunderland called Steels on Saturday night, a bass playing mate sent me this pic. Big club but had a full house with a great crowd in 👍🏼

The Salty Dog in Northwich on Friday night. It's a small place so we easily filled it. I love this place 'cos they always have great beer. For the first time since I started playing there, they had a great sound engineer! Every other time we've played there the sound has been plagued by low end rumbling and constant feedback, however, it's always been a barman or the like just doing their best. This guy clearly not only knew what he was doing, but was also concerned with doing a good job, and he did! A very sweaty 1.5hr set and all the free beer I could drink made for a very entertaining evening

Just back from gig #2 of the weekend. Quite sleepy. Gig #1 was Wednesday’s Child - pub rock covers - in Dorking last night. We were under-rehearsed and the guitarist was far too loud onstage, so I came away feeling quite underwhelmed with it. I think I played ok, was fun switching between a standard tuned bass, a C-tuned bass and a fretless 5 - kept me on my toes! Need to go through all my patches and sort them out though as I noticed some hideous volume differences between some of them 😳 Gig #2 was Youths - original pop/punk - in Canterbury this evening. We opened the proceedings and played a blinder I think. Bass sounded ace - my first ever bass came out (a Vester Jazz with replacement Schaller pickups), through an HX Effects using the SansAmp clone, into my Elf and the headliner’s Markbass 6x10. First time I’ve played a long scale bass in anger in public since about 2015, was fun but I remember why I made the switch to shorter scales 😄 We were celebrating the release of our first single from our debut album - feel free to go check it out 😎 https://music.apple.com/gb/album/bumpy-single/1807891026 https://music.amazon.co.uk/artists/B002H5YZCU/the-youths

Just took delivery yesterday. A new, 2024, MTD 534-17. New strings and a setup. It's F'n amazing!!

Had a brilliant gig last Friday with my ABBA tribute. Brought my Belgrado bass (buy one of those, they're terrific), the backstage area and organisation where absolutely brilliant, the audience was great... Loved that gig.

Two gigs for me this weekend, first was with Siren at The Boathouse, Bradford-on-Avon on Friday night - turned out to be a busy night with lots of faces recognised from our previous visits. We played pretty much all of our setlist but were cut short when the new manager turned on all the house lights and stage lights at the end of a medley that we do, we took that as a sign that he'd had enough, and so the crowd that had been up for a party all night, were calling for more to no avail!? A bit of a strange end to what had been a great evening really. Sadly no photos to share, as I was heading there straight from work I used my 'easy' rig, TT800, Big Twin II, Geddy Jazz with 70's P Bass as back up. Saturday night saw Sarum's Lot play at The Devizes Inn in Salisbury. We were asked to setup in the darts room. This was the exact opposite of the previous night where space was somewhat limited, so was a rather intimate set up for the drummer and me, leaving the guitarist to enjoy loads of room on his side of the room - in fairness to him he does tend to boogie and is much more animated than me! The crowd were up for a good time from the off, loads of singing & dancing, even some air guitar! This band plays classic rock covers and we were asked by a young lad whether we could do 'I believe in a thing called love' - we don't do it but duly had a go, and smashed it right out the park (even if I do say myself!). A thoroughly enjoyable gig with a great crowd - we all left buzzing 🙂 Same gear as previous night. Hopefully the links work😊 https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16anAdo3PW/?mibextid=wwXIfr https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1F9bZbTbBw/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Well, a new venue has opened up recently in our town, it is under a resteraunt, quite low ceilings, low lighting, little groups of chairs, very tastefully decorated, the sort of place you would go to meet someone for having an affair or something - looks like a little jazz club, very cute. I can imagine a sultry singer in the corner, with a guy on a double bass and a drummer, with a bass, snare and tom playing with brushes some gentle music. Only they didn't get that, they got us! I was a bit worried about this one as it really didn't seem like a good fit, but a gig is a gig and they booked us. Turned up earlier than others, started loading in, at least there is room out the front to go straight in (can't park there, but there is a car park round the corner, but loading is fine). We had the whole of the window area, so had to wait for the drummer to set up to see how much room we had, had a couple of feet between a monstera and the cymbals, enough for me. The only hard part of the setup was getting in each others way and the fact there were already people there who wanted to chat. But the place filled up with quite a few people we knew, and some people who came specifically to hear us, including one woman who plays bowling in the room below where we practiced on thursday night so though we sounded good! Started off quite quiet and went down well. The drummer got louder and faster through the gig but not much you can do about that. After much discussion we didn't really change the set list that much, brought back some older ones, couldn't do the newer ones as a lack of practice over the last few months. But all in all, a good gig, people seemed to enjoy it, the staff liked it, and after years of declining venues in town, its nice to see one come back.

The Jam Night I usually go to has moved back to its original venue (McCafferty’s in Epsom). We weren’t really able to attract a following at what was the new venue - various reasons I guess. Certainly there was never much of an atmosphere there. I think the original venue probably saw their takings drop by more than they were paying the band and certainly by more than the £50 pay cut they were trying to get the band to take. I’m pleased we’ve moved back as McCafferty’s is a much better music venue (and it’s walking distance from my house 😀). It’s a while since we’ve had anyone take any video of us. My daughter who was the main videographer has moved to Derby. My wife didn’t attend the new venue as often. Anyway back to the old venue so my wife came, and a mate and his wife came for the 1st time. They both took some video. We played ok, without nailing any of the songs. As it’s the 1st one back at McCafferty’s I decided on a compilation video.

Apparently, Pete told Zak he was only researching alternative drummers for a book.

Another wedding close to home and miraculously another broken limiter 🙏 Overall a good night, the highlight being a pissed up woman hovering over our equipment with a large full glass of wine. When I asked her to keep drinks away from the stage she proceeded to straight up down the glass 😂 fair enough... Used my rocky bass after my wife complained I don't use it enough after she took the time to paint it!

Stray have bee asked to go on tour with British Lion this December. We'll be doing all 15 dates in December but not the November ones. Apparently the five London nights have sold out already. We supported them in Nottingham and Manchester last year and had a blast. To say we're excited is an understatement!

Another nice local gig at a WMC on Saturday. It was a little quiet in the first spot despite it being pretty full but it rowdied up nicely in the second spot with a filled dance floor all the way through. We had our own ‘70s Bez’ turn up who danced to just about every song and brought a load of glam wigs for the punters to wear. First proper outing for the shorty Stingray which performed nicely, deffo need to go up a gauge on the strings though…. Next week we’re back to pub work at a lively little venue called the Service Station in Hull…..we had em dancing on the bar as I recall last year.

Midi Vanilli?

Reasonable night that ended up as a pretty good one by the end of the night. Sound was good for the soundcheck but for some reason went off as the first set progressed. Second set felt much better and the punters were up for a good time and in good voice by the end of the night. Sets mixed up and vocalist spent the night linking songs with a fictional tale of progress of a relationship 😁 Haven’t managed to get my IEM’s fixed yet but went with one in and the failed one out rather than the KZ10’s as I didn’t really get on with them last week, and that worked fine. Stood at the urinals in the break waiting for my prostate to wake up and and a chap walked in and started enthusing on the set and memories of driving round in his youth playing songs from the set LOUD 🙂 Don’t think he recognised I was in the band as I was tucked round a corner not visible from the bar, so nice when he piped up with “this lot are a cut above your normal pub band…” “We try” says I 🤣

Great gig at a local WMC this last Saturday for the Glam Lads. It's one of those old school clubs that saw the likes of Bob Monkhouse et al in its heyday but fortunately is still doing well...a pretty packed house as it seems the locals were up for some 70s Glam. A prospective agent showed up to view the first spot (looking to fill a few little gaps in the gig calendar left by the previous 'booker') so we were on our game and thankful for the large and enthusiastic crowd. The agent, also a bassist, was complimentary on my sound...he said his expectations weren't high when I said I was using just a couple of MarkBass 12" but he was surprised with the clarity and punch. So all in all a cracking night and our next visit there will be NYE which should be a stormer.

My first gig this year with my main squeeze, Felis Leo. We played at the Angel Inn, Andover...my first time there. Back in my youth I would drink mainly at the Lamb, the Lardie and the Station. The gig was part of a multi band, multi venue festival under the banner 'Andover Rocks Reignited' and I think we were the only originals band playing at our venue. One of our guitarists moonlights in a covers band and they were further up the bill, we were on at 3pm and they were on at 8. There were 2 stages, one for bands and at the other end of the pub, one for acoustic solo or duo acts. It was amazingly well organised, to the second as well! There were screens onstage for the bands counting down to the start of their sets and subsequently to the end of their sets. This was incredibly helpful 😁 My set up was an Ibanez sr1205 which I haven't played in anger for a long time, a TC Electronic BH550 and my two Barefaced one10s. Had a couple of complimentary comments about the one10s and my sound so chuffed with that (compliments are rare so I'll grab em when I get em). The whole day was actually great with not even a minor gripe about anything, got our photo taken by the local rag, everyone was in a great mood, spoke to people in the flesh who I've only conversed with on our socials and people genuinely enjoyed our set! I still have the same warm afterglow now that I had yesterday 👍🏻 I've not received many video clips yet but here's a bit of Timezone taken by the singer in our guitarist's other band VID-20250330-WA0000.mp4

Another Eagles tribute show, this time at a theatre in Stockton. An enjoyable night. We're a few shows in now, so everything is less of a conscious effort. The vocal harmonies parts - of which there are a shedload, all of which are very high / falsetto - are coming more naturally, so I can kick back and enjoy the occasion. It's such a strong, varied set - every song is a classic (assuming you don't hate The Eagles, of course). Anyway, I had to use IEMs last night as we were using the house PA and there weren't any monitors. I doubt I'll ever love using them, but I hate them less than I used to.

Last night was the first public gig with the new start-up band, In Like Flynn. We played the Globe in Somerton as a freebie for the FOC rehearsal time they've given us to get our show on the road. So pleased to see the pub full to bursting with the crowd having a ball and the real and virtual tills kerr-chinking behind the bar - a rare sight and sound anywhere these days! And what a relief to be a proper gigging musician again 😊

Private 60th birthday party last night for us with BLOCKBUSTARZ Glam. Also our drummers birthday same day. Organiser saw us 2 yrs ago and thought it would be great for his dads 60th. He had shown him vids from the gig 2 yrs ago and his Dad loved them. Was in a church hall with its own bar which was kinda strange but a well organised event. Approx 40-50 guests. We were paid while loading in so that was a 1st. Not a big fan of private parties tho as not every guest will be into Glam so it can be a bit MEH !!!. Birthday Boy had no idea what was happening and we were asked not to give it away. Covered the logo on bass drum and no band t-shirts worn also no backdrop. 1st set was a bit slow to get moving. We had some feedback "drone" issue coming and going with singers mic that we just couldn't nail it. It wasn't fine at soundcheck. Turned out it was pick up from snare drum so we managed to resolve it for 2nd set. We had a few dancers 1st set and it was turning out like many private parties ("dead") but we were getting well paid so thoughts of paid rehearsal were going thru my head. We were all invited to partake which was really nice to be asked and we didn't want to disappoint our host and be rude so we partook of a few bits and bobs and were even delivered a tray of food in our changing room which was a large room just off the main corridor. 2nd set it just all seemed to clicked, sound was perfect, dancers filled the floor and party was officially started. Decided to use my Handbox WB-100 last night for a wee change and boy was that a treat. I forgot how much i liked an all valve amp. Warm depth of tone with the mids boosted as advised by our very own WoT and the clarity was just so good. Using the Sandberg VM4 into Keeley comp, WB-100, Mesa SW210/115 cabs and the sound was amazing. I need to use that amp more often. Feedback was excellent with several folks looking to book us with one guy that manages a few other clubs being very impressed. They want us back as a proper function rather than a private event and bar manager reckoned it would sell out. She even wanted a list of where we play so she can come along. All very promising. The number of people coming up at the end complimenting us was quite touching at times but obviously a few beers had been partook by the end of the evening. Something i don't usually mention but here goes :- Arrived at venue 5pm Set up and S/C 6:30pm Doors open 7pm 1st set 8-9pm 2nd set 10-11:15pm Loaded by 12:15am Home and unloaded 1:30am Bed 2am Dave

Very first gig for my new band last night at the Shed & Garden in Chorley. Great little place with a postage stamp of a stage, if you look carefully in the clips, you might just spot the keys player sat off the stage on the right behind the speaker. As first gigs go, it was absolutely excellent. Three setter 9-midnight. It's always nerve racking taking the car out of the garage for the first time. Will everything work? Will I remember the songs with all the extra distractions of a live show? Will they like the song choice (I was worried about this as the set isn't your usual weekend evening stuff, and very different from anything I've done before)? Where do I park? How many sockets are there? Will any of the others have a complete personality change when they get onstage? It was as good as first gigs get IME. Everything nice and pretty tight, no tech gremlins. We played well and the crowd got into it . Some quality dancing and an increasingly enthusiastic response. The keys player ended up with someone almost in his lap a couple of times, and the door staff went and stood in front of the singer for the last set to prevent deliberate or accidental crowd encroachment. We came off stage absolutely buzzing with lots of ideas about how to take things forward. My setup was my new Fender Japanese 5 string into a GR 350 class D head and then FOH. Wired IEMs through a Behringer P2. No cab, which was lucky as there wouldn't have been room for it anyway. The drummer took up almost all the stage, but his sparkly red kit did look lovely under the lights. If you're eagle eyed, you might spot that I've got a glove on my left hand. No, it's not an SBL tribute. This is down to pretty severe eczema which means that the skin on my fingers is paper thin and rips wide open very easily. To prevent bleeding all over my lovely new bass I took a chance on a glove from Amazon and it works pretty well. Excellent feedback from the owners, they've just taken on a new bar in South Manchester and we're looking at dates to play there. the singer is delighted, as it's walking distance form her house Right, a couple of rough phone clips: WhatsApp Video 2025-03-29 at 12.20.27.mp4 WhatsApp Video 2025-03-29 at 11.52.18.mp4

I just took delivery of a Harley benton PB50. I'm doing a 50s Rock'n'Roll show and have used my HB Beatbass up till now. It's fine soundwise, but the 14mm string spacing, while doable is overall a bit meh. Also, while looking at the media stuff running on the screens behind us, I noticed that, when not playing upright, they were all playing (surpise, surprise) 50s p-basses. The clue is in the name, right? Also, I wanted more of the brash 50s youth look (cars with fins n'all that) than vintage p-bass. The irony of the fact that I am in my late 50s and no longer a youth is of no relevance here 🤨 Soooooo, that's how I justified this purchase to myself. I swapped out the delivered roundwounds for HB Flats, did a bit of work on the action and Bob's your aunty's live in lover. It's loads of fun. Can't wait to do the show on Friday

Great gig with Jagged Little Alanis, at the Essex Arms in Brentwood - nice venue, a real stage! Used the Rikkers and the current mega-pedalboard, which I'm going to cannibalise a little for a more targeted one for this band 😄