Leaderboard

CROWD We've all played to "empty rooms", but I can actually improve on that. We were playing the White Bear in Ruislip (now a very nice restaurant); there were maybe half a dozen people in the band side of the pub and a few more in the snug round the corner. They'd all been there before we set up. As soon as we started playing these people started to drift away - we weren't why they were in the pub. Our two guitarists (one being MacDaddy of this parish) were both using wireless systems. After a while they got intrigued at the complete lack of activity - literally no sign of anyone - so they walked out into the pub. They came back a minute later to report that there were no punters at all in the pub, nor any in the beer garden, and seeing as the pub was empty both the bar staff had gone out for a smoke. We were playing, quite literally, to a completely empty building.

Here's a couple of mine..... (Edit: Mods, am I alowed to post my own? If not, please delete!😁)

If I'm playing in a covers band and someone who plays originals glides by on a cloud of rarefied air I kneel down and tug my forelock.

THREATS Unbelievably, the White Bear invited us back. Huh? Well, it was £250 and we needed more gigs so we accepted the gig. Bad mistake. The only punters were a large extended family of pikeys. I'm sure there are some really nice, friendly Travellers out there. Well these were the other sort. Most of them were adult but they had a kid with them, maybe 12 or 13. They started pestering us to let the lad get up and sing. With some trepidation we turned them down, but agreed to let him sing (unaccompanied) through the PA at the break. Hearing a 13-year-old pikey kid singing Coming Down Sunday Morning is an experience. We started the second set and within a few minutes they were again demanding that we let the boy take over as our lead singer for the night. Given the volume level this was not a conversation - more a matter of mouthed words and curt headshakes. Halfway through Let's Dance the pikey leader strode up on stage, got me in a bear hug (while I continued trying to play) and bellowed in my ear: "Youse had best come round to my way of thinking or the boots will come off!" So we did. We turned into a karaoke band for the rest of the evening, and the pikeys actually seemed to appreciate our efforts. It was only later that it occurred to us all that "the boots will come off" is about as meaningless a threat as any of us had ever heard. It remains a catchphrase in the the band to this day.

Don't underestimate the importance of correct nutrition when it comes to putting in a top notch musical performance. A dozen pickled eggs washed down with three pints of guiness is my personal recipe for musical success, but don't forget the cork - unfortunately being held in the Hague on charges of illegal use of biological weapons on civilians is somewhat hampering my availability for gigs at the moment.

Please don't take this the wrong way as clearly I don't know you, but personal hygiene. As well as having all the musical side of it covered be clean, deodorised and have fresh breath. You'd be amazed at the amount of stinkers in this business.

A few of mine

I've more often than not joined bands that were of a better standard than myself. The best and quickest way to improve IMO is by playing with people that are a step above you.

Spent a bit of time double checking lengths and positions of the fretboard, and also fitted the trussrod ready for fixing the fretboard to the neck. One job needed was to cut the fretboard to length. The pickup system I am installing is the Shadow Doubleplay As well as a piezo under the saddle, it has a mini magnetic pickup that fits at the end of the fretboard. It is the same system I fitted to Chris's build in 2015 shown here: As you can see, the fretboard has to be cut to the correct length to fit the magnetic p/up at the end. That cut, it was time to glue the fretboard! And yes, @TheGreek - you can NEVER have too many clamps!

I love songs where the bass doesn't come in straight away. Partly because I'm very lazy, but also because sometimes you have to take the bass away so that people appreciate it when it's back. S.P.

Sod it! I'm applying. YOUR NAME: Zod The Destroyer (stage name obviously. My real name is just Zod) YOUR BEST PHOTO (link): https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-gurner-from-the-annual-world-gurning-festival-in-cumbria-uk-known-3936055.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=D47B0987-6837-43C9-8FA5-A823F6AACF22&p=5913&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d2%26resultview%3dsortbyPopular%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dgurning%26qt_raw%3dgurning%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3d%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d0%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0 PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: I was in a band at school and we did a gig in the gym. YOUR LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS (strictly the business part) (1-10): 42 REASON FOR FAILURE OF YOUR PREVIOUS PROJECTS: Left school FAVORITE ROCK BAND: Guns N Roses FAVORITE METAL BAND: Guns N Roses FAVORITE ELECTRONIC BAND: Guns N Roses FAVORITE BASSIST: That dog off of Banana Splits DRIVING SKILLS (1-10): 11 COMMUNICATION SKILLS (1-10): Eh? So, When do I start?

BLOOD The very first pub gig I ever played was at the Salmon & Ball in the East End, a corner pub with doors onto Cambridge Heath Rd and Bethnal Green Rd. Maybe the area has been gentrified since then ... it certainly wasn't bloody gentrified when I played there. We set up with our backs against the East wall of the pub, between the two doors, and started playing. Halfway through the first set a couple of black guys came in, bought their drinks, and sat peaceably at the back of the pub. Some of the white skinhead types at the bar were giving them the eye, and the atmosphere went thoroughly rank. It didn't help that our keyboard player was black. Sure enough, after a while a couple of these East End good ol' boys decided to start something and headed to the back of the pub. There were some verbals, and then one of these idiots decided to do it like they do on telly and knocked the end of his beer bottle on the edge of the table = instant lethal weapon, right? Erm ... no. I come from a family of coppers going back to Victorian times (believe it or not) and one thing I've heard plenty of is that when you smash a glass or a bottle like they do in the movies (with a prop made of sugar), the most likely outcome is that you end up with a handful of broken glass. So tough guy idiot #1 is now standing there with blood spurting out of his hand, tough guy idiot #2 looks like he's going to cry, the two black guys seem unimpressed, and the landlord takes over. This being the heart of the old East End, the guv'nor looks exactly (and I mean exactly) like Grant from Eastenders. He drags them behind the bar so that he can run the cold tap over the damaged hand, then produces a mass of that blue kitchen towel they use in pubs and gets tough guy idiot #1 to mash it up in his hands, finally escorts them to the Cambridge Heath Road exit and shows them the way to the nearest A&E. He's done this before, hasn't he? We're still playing. Next, the guv'nor starts taking tables and stools and builds a barricade (seriously, I'm not making this up) against the newly-bolted door onto Cambridge Heath Road. Then he goes to the door onto Bethnal Green Road, which is actually a pair of narrow doors. He closes and bolts one of the narrow doors and takes up position in the narrow doorway that he's left open. His white t-shirt has been liberally sprayed with the blood of tough guy idiot #1 which makes him look a lot like Bruce Willis in a Die Hard movie, and there he stays for the rest of the set. People in the pub are allowed to leave, people outside the pub are not allowed in. Unsurprisingly, by the end of our first set the pub is empty apart from us, the guv'nor, and a barmaid. He pays us off, apologises to us (!), and we very sheepishly break down and leave. The most astonishing thing about this story is that I ever played another gig.

I have a Dean Edge Eighter. Neck is dual trussrod 49 mm at the bridge 3 piece maple. I also have a Dean 4 banger. Neck IS NOT dual trussrod three piece maple or 49 mm. That said, you can build a decent eighter with a single trussrod one piece neck, but not without at least a 45mm wide nut..IMO string spacing will be too tight with anything less

Que? I have no wish to fall out with anybody here (certainly not over a cheesy but perfectly acceptable cover song), so I'll just say that one of the joyous things about being a musician is that it's such a broad church that is well able to cater for all tastes. One man's enigma is another's good night out with his mates indulging his passion.

Following Ped's suggestion to start our own thread for gear built by BC builders/luthiers, I'll start off with my two builds by Andyjr1515. The Psilos: The Silk Bass (who says you can't make a Silk Purse...)

Inspired by the "worst ever gig" thread, What's the best Heckle you've ever had? Meaning funniest, weirdest, best timed, etc? Mine, in other thread, wasn't a heckle as such but while doing a solo acoustic spot in one of those cosmically aligned timings where everyone in a rowdy pub is quiet at the same time I heard "he's a good guitarist but stinky poo singer!" And the offender was.... My own Dad!

Singist: ...and this one is Remedy. Punter: Er...by the Black Crowes? Singist: Yep. Punter: Please don't. Singist: Why not? Punter: Because I simply cannot take any more pleasure. Legend-level sarcasm or not? You decide.

It’s almost as if there had been some kind of avoidable event where a third of the population had voted for something that meant the pound dropped in value...

Many years ago, I played in a band with the very talented worldwide talent that is Andy James, with Matt Goom on drums (ex-Quireboys, ex-Glenn Hughes). We had just slammed our way through a covers set and being as our singer and guitarist both loved a bit of Bon Jovi, we finished with "It's My Life". Last note punched out when out dashed behind us (via the toilet next to the stage) Papa Lazarou shouting, "It's MAaaaaaaa Wiiiiife, now!" The funniest thing ever and also the most profound upstaging I've ever experienced!

To a particularly bad originals band: "Play a song we know!" Followed by: "Try playing a song you know!"

XTC - Making Plans For Nigel

If its an 80's metal band you'll already have these in your trousers.

Shed's alright but the trainers clash with the bass. 😜

I built an entire bass from a thumb rest and two screws before now. It's all about being creative...

From the perspective of somebody who has auditioned loads of people, and what I was looking for/what massively annoyed me (repeats a lot of what has already been said above): Turn up on time. If you're unavoidable delayed then ring one of the band or ring the studio to let them know. So get some contact numbers and work out exactly how to get to the studio, how long it's likely to take, and add on at least ten or fifteen minutes to allow for unforeseen problems on the day Make sure that all your gear works properly, and isn't likely to break or need replacing on the day. Also, no new pedals that you haven't used before or new techniques that you want to try but haven't yet mastered completely - remember, it's not your rehearsal Learn the actual notes to the actual song that they have sent to you! You'd be amazed at how many people arrive saying "I didn't have time to learn what you sent me three weeks ago so do you know any of these songs..." and all I hear is that they are too arrogant and lazy to bother with the one thing they were expected to do, and probably not a good enough musician. If you think you can make improvements, do that but still learn their arrangement, play it their way first and then suggest that you try it again your way. Ask them ahead of time if they have any notes (no pun intended) for you - are they looking for a note for note recreation of the recorded version, are they looking for inspired changes? And regardless of what they say, still learn the original arrangement. And on the day, listen to their comments and adjust for them, particularly if any of your changes affect the feel of the song If you haven't already done it, have a chat ahead of times so that you're clear on any issues that might affect your ability to be in the band - how often do they rehearse, are they planning to gig, what level of commitment do they expect from you? They might be happy to make minor tweaks to what they already do, but if, say, they want to rehearse every Saturday afternoon and you only have spare time every third Tuesday in the month, then it's better to find out in advance. Also, don't be a Richard on the day. Unless you generally are a Richard, in which case let them know what they're getting if they do hire you.

I'm trying to find a reason not to buy another one. I quite fancy a black one... maybe with flats and pickup/bridge covers...

This one has also been told before. First a bit of background... Thos of you who know Nottingham will know that Nottingham University campus and its halls of residence are located a fair distance out of the city centre, and back in the early 80s getting back to the campus after a night in town was neither cheap or easy. Consequently both the Student Union and the individual halls had some form of entertainment on every weekend - often there would be 2 or 3 gigs going on in various locations across the campus. There were also plenty of opportunities for decent local bands to get supports to often to some fairly well known acts. My friend's band had managed to tap into this circuit and could be found performing about once a month to enthusiastic audiences and getting paid £100 as well. Not bad for a band playing post-punk electronica originals. I decided that I would like a bit of this for my band, and we lined up our "audition" gig in the Student Union bar. That went very well no doubt helped by the presence of a video crew who had come specifically to film us which in those days was a very big deal indeed. In due course we were offered a gig at one of the hall parties. The band had taken a couple of months off to work on some new songs and sort out a cohesive band image, and this university gig would be our first in the new and improved format. The first sign that things were not going to go smoothly was discovering that due to the number of gigs being held on campus that weekend the technical committee wouldn't be able to provide us with a university PA system, we would have to use our own (and because like all originals band we didn't own one would have to be hired in out of our gig payment). Secondly we discovered that rather than opening for someone the audience was likely to have heard of, we were going to be the only live music on at this particular hall party. We were also required to set up and soundcheck in the middle of the afternoon, so that everything would be ready by the time the event started. Soundcheck went OK although the hired PA wasn't as big as we had hoped for, as a miscommunication between the band and hire company meant they hadn't realised that we were an electronic band with no backline and relied completely on the PA for our amplification. Having completed the soundcheck we the plan was to go back to one of the band member's houses to chill out for an hour or two and then go and play. However as we were about to leave, two friends of one of the band turned up and dragged their mate off to the bar for a drink or two. By the time the rest of us returned, all three of them were compressively p!ssed on cheap student beer. In hindsight what we should have done is bought them all another couple of drinks and let them pass out safely in the bar while we played the gig one member down. What actually happened was that our inebriated member, played random notes on his synth and then spend the next few bars celebrating this technical prowess by leaping about and shouting. Half way through the gig, he had to go and have a p!ss which he announced loudly before departing from the stage. He was most put out on his return to discover we had started the next song without him. There exists a single photograph from that gig, of the rest of us hunched over our instruments hoping that the ground will open up to swallow us all, while he is leaping in the air arms and legs akimbo. Meanwhile his two equally drunk friends spent the entire gig shouting for us to play our cover of Nancy Sinatra's "Summer Wine" which we had intended to do as an encore (should we get one) and being generally intimidating and obnoxious, gradually driving what little audience had come to see us away to the other room where there was a disco. One of them ended the evening by poking his finger through one of the speaker cones in the PA (which we were subsequently billed for). Needless to say the University never asked us back to do any more gigs there.

Another thing worth considering.... Remember that you are auditioning them as much as they are auditioning you. That doesn't mean be egotistical.... rather, do they sound good to you, do they gel well and are you feeling that 'link' that makes you want to be part of their band? I've lost count of the number of bands I've auditioned for but ended up not wanting to part of.... either due to musical, social or practical reasons.... They have to be worth YOUR time as much as you are (hopefully) worth THEIRS.

Yes. Lovely bass. Serial number starts IM04 = Indonesia 2004? Beautiful slim neck, lovely finish in gunmetal metallic and still in excellent condition. I dropped a set of quarter pounders in and have fitted a drop tuner. The tone pot packed up so I got a @KiOgon loom and now have series/parallel switch. That caused a little headscratching to shoehorn it in, as it's fitted with mini pots and the routing is tight, with the scratch plate barely covering it It's been my main gigging bass for a few years now despite several much more expensive basses in my collection Edit: As for cost, the bass was £150 second hand from BC classifieds. SD QP set was £100. It's paid for itself many times over. I originally bought it as a project donor, but it was too nice to mess with. Even the original cheapo pups sounded pretty good

I've done plenty of sanding today and put the first coat of oil on. This first coat of oil is quite light and will show up any little flaws - there are a few that need sanding but generally I'm quite pleased so far. The top has got dome depth to in in quite a few places. I've assembled it again just to see how it looks together, took a few pictures and then dismantled it again to carry on working on the finish.

If they plan to try you on more than one of their originals, don't be shy about asking them for charts. If they haven't even bothered to write out the chords ("oh, this one is really simple, you'll pick it up in no time"), then invite the guitarist(s) to play through the song while you quickly chart it for yourself on the pad you remembered to take with you to the audition. You'll probably need to borrow a pencil, mind.

Make sure all your gear is working, no iffy leads/flat batteries etc. Pack your gear so that when you unpack it to set up it`s in the order of setting it all up - this conveys an image of being focused and reliable. Be early, if the journey should take 30mins allow for 45. Lastly make sure you`re well hydrated.

I used to be such a snob when writing and performing my own songs, such a sense of ludicrous superiority over musicians and their audience for daring to enjoy what they enjoy. I'm so glad I grew out of it

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My builds.

A quick update on the neck. The blocks are in, glued and the neck radiused. It's.....ok. Not great, but for a first effort it's acceptable (the fill around the blocks is a bit too obvious for my liking), but I learned loads and next time it will be one hell of a lot better. A quick shot hiding the imperfections... Next time I will do the gluing a little bit better, because I think the way I did it this time contributed to a slightly sloppy job. This time I used epoxy and sanding dust to glue the blocks in, and in my head I had imagined the epoxy oozing up around the block, filling the gaps around it at the same time as gluing. And that is what happened, at least to begin with. What happened next though, was that the expoxy then sank down again, I think as the blocks rose up a little bit. So next time I will divide the gluing and the filling into two completely seperate stages. First I will glue the blocks in with a small amount of medium CA glue, using only enough to cover the bottom of the channel but no more. Then, once dry I'll use either epoxy or medium CA glue with sanding dust to do the gap fill. Oh, and the other thing I need to work on is my chisel technique, both use and sharpening☹️ But all in all, ok for a first effort.

the suspense is killing me!!! this is WAY better than Emerdale!

Faheyhee! I will be very interested in seeing your bezel! But I just want to be friends.

It's one of my major bugbears (and this isn't the first time I've moaned about it here) that people all say they are "really committed" to being in a band but everybody has a different definition of what that actually means, from "I'll rehearse every night of the week and jack in my job if a tour comes up", through "You can have all my free time apart from when I'm playing in my other band and they will always come first", to "As long as I haven't got the kids, Arsenal aren't at home, Eastenders isn't on that night and the wife doesn't want to do the weekly shop, I'm definitely there...apart from Tuesdays because i always play squash on Tuesdays, and definitely not at the weekend, which includes Fridays, because the weekend is for family stuff..." Doesn't mean that any one is wrong in isolation, but the closer everybody is to the same definition the better.

Actually it was about 15 minutes ...

Magic mushrooms. Long gig.

That's what we like. Basses built around a spare pick guard that was lying around.

Jazz, like all genres, is a broad church. I like what I like and don't like what I don't like. Sometimes I listen to things that I might like but then don't. Other times, I listen to stuff I have never heard of and love it. Sometimes, I listen to stuff I used to like and find that I don't like it anymore. I even listen to stuff I didn't used to like and find that I now do. It's complicated being me. What I don't like is non-Jazz being called Jazz e.g. Moondance. I personally don't like the 'Jazz as nostalgia' movements e.g. Buble et al or 'X plays the music of long dead Y'. Trad Jazz can be OK but can also be a bit icky. The most important thing is that none of this matters because I am not the King of Jazz or Emperor of The Universe. So carry on liking whatever you want to like without fear of censure from the arbiters of taste. Even if it is not Jazz at all but cabaret with a saxophonist involved.

Think its all been said before on the thread. I've done so many auditions and only failed one in 40yrs playing. The one i failed was because i wasn't 100% into the style of music and from the word go just didn't feel right with the band members. Other than that i always learn the requested songs inside out. If its a covers band i'll learn the song exactly as the original. If i start playing and they are not playing exact to original i'll relax a bit and ease off to adapt to their style of playing. Some bands prefer bass to be exact and allows the guitarist to drift a little. That usually makes you the more competent player and gets a little respect for it. With originals material where the song they've presented for the audition has no bass then i would stick to holding the rhythm with the drums. If basic root notes is what it takes then do that but in some prog bands they are looking for a bit more and want to see how you can add to the song. If you have time before the audition learn different parts for the song and ask their opinion what fits best. I normally ask for their set list and learn a few more of their songs (time permitting) Shows you are keen to join. Take a bottle of water for the audition if its a ful rehearsal slot with the band and a snack bar of some kind. Make sure your gear is in good workng order and that strings are relatively new. If you have more than one bass take the one that you feel most comfortable with. (I usually take my Jazz as its my goto bass) Don't forget your tuner. Don't be late. Be friendly but never pushy at an audition. Listen to what they are saying and get a feel for their personalities. Who is the dominant leader type and make sure you connect with the drummer as he wil be paying attention to what you do. Don't ad-lib too much. I'd rather play root notes than attempt to show off how many different styles i can play. Never play between songs when people are talking either. That's one of my pet hates at rehearsals. Hope this helps and let us know how you get on. All the very best Dave

Loving this new idea of sending Private Messages by treating them as Status Updates. If only there was someone I wanted to ask a question of ...

Christ, tell me about it. I ended up in Narnia and was late for work the next day. To the OP... do you have access to any more of their songs? I'd learn more than one song. Last two bands I auditioned for, I found gigs/songs on YouTube and learnt as much of their sets as I could. This is more effort of course, but how badly do you want the gig? It certainly makes you stand out...

Been doing some sanding on the body - there's some really nice grain and flame appearing. Still hoping to get this in a playable state for the SE Bass Bash but it's going to be tight! Just need to sand the body, finish the body, shape the neck, do the inlay, fit the frets, fit the electronics etc etc...….!!! And I'm ignoring the kitchen that has been wrecked by a leak, has the flooring up, drier and dehumidifier installed, will need all the units to be removed, new floor fitted, kitchen re-installed, new flooring across the whole downstairs. That can wait - must get the build finished first for the bash!!!!

bass chat logo at end of video

I am underwhelmed playing this in any tuning. Yet it goes down a storm. Why?!