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LONG POST ALERT! Full video at bottom of post! So I had a pretty big thing last week that I thought I would share with you all, as it’s probably not something that happens every day for most of us! I always love reading these sorts of posts/gig blogs myself for the insight into other people's musical lives so hopefully it will be interesting to someone My band made it’s first live TV appearance on St Patrick’s Day on one of Ireland’s biggest shows – The Late Late Show. Not to be confused with the US equivalent – this is a talk show which has been running since 1962 and is broadcast on Friday nights on Ireland’s largest TV channel – RTE. On a usual week, the audience viewing figures would be around half a million, but this week, the host of 14 years had announced he will be leaving, and so the figures were expected to be in excess of one million. Cripes! We got the call a few months back following quite a successful few years and pretty exponential growth on the usual social media channels. The band plays Irish folk rock, and so St Patrick’s day seemed like a fitting opportunity to showcase our music, which by the way consists mostly of covers of traditional Irish songs arranged in a rockier context. I don’t usually get nervous before gigs – in fact, the last time I recall was before a show in 2003 – but from the day before the show I began to feel the anxiety. What if a string breaks mid song (as happened a few weeks ago at a live gig)? What if my pedalboard gives up the ghost at soundcheck? What if I play a bum note that gets broadcast online for time immemorial? The list of artists who have performed on the show over the years reads as a bit of a ‘who’s who’ of Irish and international artists – most notably U2, Westlife, Sinead O’Connor and The Boomtown Rats all made their debut TV performances on the show. Naturally, the great pedigree that the show has hosted over the years only served to heighten the apprehension even further! I arrived at RTE Studios in Dublin on Friday at 1pm and was taken to a largely unimpressive dressing room by the floor manager, who was lovely and really helpful. Our soundcheck was called for 2.30pm so had loads of time to take in the surroundings, learn the layout of the backstage (which was like a maze) and watch the fantastic house band soundcheck with an amazing version of ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’. These guys are all pro session heads and the discipline and chops were clearly evident, all guided by a great MD. I managed to grab a chat with a couple of the guys who were only too happy to oblige, which was nice. The bassist was using an active US Jazz into HX Stomp and GK backline with in ears – not so far from my usual setup, and his tone was HUGE! Our soundcheck happened at exactly 2.30pm which was great. What really struck me throughout the day was just how ‘on time’ everything was. The production itself was super slick, and I got the impression that a delay of even a few minutes would have majorly impacted the schedule, with the show due to go out live at 9.30pm. For someone with borderline OCD – I appreciated this immensely! Rig-wise, I brought my new (to me) Gibson SG Bass which I just took delivery of last week. It’s my first ever short scale, at 30.25”, in nitro Olympic White which was a limited edition finish for 2012. The first thing I did when I received it was put on a Hipshot Supertone bridge. I use one on my Jack Casady bass and it’s a huge improvement over the stock Gibson bridge. String wise, I went for my usual La Bella 760FS flats, medium scale. A bit of a setup later and she was singing like a bird! It is truly a lovely instrument. From there, I ran it into my flyrig board which consists of a HX Stomp and Peterson Strobostomp tuner, all powered by a Cioks DC7 power supply. On the HX Stomp I use a custom patch which consists of: - Low and High Cut (set at 50hz and 7khz respectively) - Rochester Compressor (set at 4:1 ratio) - Zeroamp (Sansamp clone) set pretty flat with a slight drive boost - Bass Octaver (for octave down doubling) - Pitch Shift (drop tunes 2 semitones for Drop D songs) - Ampeg Chorus (self explanatory) I didn’t need to use any of the effects at all and relied simply on the first three blocks for my basic tone. From the Stomp I ran straight into the house DI and had the signal sent back to me via Sennheiser wireless to my JH Audio Roxanne earphones. I have to say that I was a little worried about how the short scale/mudbucker would sound in the mix, but when I heard my monitor mix, I was simply blown away! What a tone! So round and plummy. It has such a different character to my other basses – I’m mainly a Fender guy but love the aforementioned JC bass too. I play mostly fingerstyle but the plectrum tone is simply sublime also. I was also a little worried about muscle memory on the shorter scale bass, but I had absolutely zero issues on the gig and found it super easy to get around the neck. We were aided by a great house monitor engineer for our mixes, although it did take 2 or 3 runs of a tune to get the auxes spot on. Once soundcheck was complete, we had a few hours to kill before being back on location for 8pm. There was a wonderful canteen where we ate, as well as a great green room with plenty of food and drink for all the guests. All of the above was complimentary and we were encouraged to help ourselves. Some of the other guests on the show included Liam Neeson, James Martin and Ross White (from Oscar winning short ‘An Irish Goodbye’), Patrick Duffy from Dallas, Vera Pauw (Irish Ladies Soccer Manager) and Irish Rugby Grand Slam winners Jamie Heaslip, Fiona Coghlan and Dan Leavy. It was great to meet all of the guests in the green room and what really struck me is just how nice everyone was. These guys/girls all rose to the very top of their individual professions, and yet were so warm and humble. I don’t think this is a coincidence at all and reaffirms my belief in people! It was great just to sit and chat with ‘celebrities’ to assuage the nerves a bit before our performance. The performance itself went smashingly. Before the show itself, the music supervisor had asked for a copy of our setlist so that he could decide which tune(s) we would play. This was strange as the tunes that he picked were possibly not what the band would have picked, if given the choice, however it did take the debate out of our preparation. We were expressly told at soundcheck that as soon as we were cued, we had to begin without any delay. We were ushered on set during a commercial break and introduced by the show host, then immediately started into the song – the ubiquitous ‘Whiskey In The Jar’. The show music supervisor had advised us that the track was to last no more than 3.5 minutes, and so we had to play it a bit faster than usual to fit it all in! But it worked perfectly in the end. When it was over, we were quickly ushered off again and the performance area was repurposed for the next segment by the stage hands. One of our band members in particular gets nervous before every gig, but I think we all delivered when the red light was on (see video at the bottom of the post) We also had one more tune to play to close out the show at around 11.30pm. It had been a long day at this point, but we were all keen for a taste of the live performance again after the success of the first tune. The second tune had to last no more than two minutes however! We ended up played a sharply truncated version of another one of our tunes – ‘McAlpine’s Fusiliers’, which consisted of only two verses, an instrumental and a chorus. It seemed to work well however and we got to the end without any fluffs! I was really happy with my tone on the final performance and it sounded especially good in the car when I played the Youtube video! It was an experience I will never forget. I was hugely grateful for the opportunity and humbled to be asked to be part of such an occasion. I was absolutely overwhelmed with all the messages with well wishes before the gig, and afterwards was exactly the same with everyone enjoying the show. A major tick off my bucket list and I’m excited to see if any more doors are opened for us following the appearance. It has been a busy few years and it’s really nice to get recognition for our graft. It took a few days to really appreciate the gravity of the performance, but now that I’m back down to earth I am feeling very grateful for every opportunity music has presented to me over my lifetime. It’s been great and I can’t wait to see what the future holds! Feeling inspired. I walked into my day job today to a round of applause which was embarrassing, but again everyone was so full of kind words and praise. I think in 10 to 20 years there may no longer be such a thing as 'live' TV, so it's really nice to have this as a memory and something to look back on. Sorry for the long post but I hope it gives a bit of insight into the workings of live TV performances that might some day be useful to someone else 😊 Danny

So with my back continuing to be an issue a certain amount of common sense has had to be applied. With guitar I was using my Tele Deluxe at 8.5lbs, have made the switch to Epiphone SGs at 7lbs. And yesterday I had a practice and my back was sore after playing my Precision (my lightest one at 8.2lbs) so I`ve ordered a Fender JMJ Mustang Bass (will of course do a NBD topic when it arrives). Having read up on them it seems they average around 7-ish lbs, but even due to the size it will be easier to play and easier to cart about in a guitar gig-bag (research done there too). In some ways I`m sad as it means I`m not using the instruments I prefer to play (aside from at home of course), but on the other hand I`m pleased that I`ve come to this acceptance. Onwards & upwards, and at least there are lighter options available nowadays. And this of course means I now have an absolute shed-load of gear to move on.

My simple pedalboard but it does what I need very well

You can't always be the world's conscience. Where do you stand on Bob Marley? Serial drug abuser. Gregory Isaacs - another serial drug abuser who openly funded the Gun Trade. Bill Wyman - his involvement with an under age Mandy Smith was shocking in the 80s - nobody mentions it today. George Michael's high profile gay encounter in the toilets? The allegations about Michael Jackson are still contested - not proved. The great painters were mostly drug using, alcohol abusing dysfunctionals - Van Gogh is a classic case. James Dean was a well known "outsider" - his circle of friends included "circus freaks". Time judges people in different ways. You can not be held accountable for the actions of those whose material you reproduce.

Looking forward to being able to put these side by side.

Found this from Saturday night. For you classic blues fans, " Crossroads" https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0jzH6sJTkssHXSZz1XhpXeA2C1tzofSktfJ6DgTkFDvotrfBaQ9caZ3my5vpWbwEAl&id=100008861322447&sfnsn=mo&mibextid=RUbZ1f Blue

Picked this up yesterday for £80, I'm a big ibanez guitar fan but I didn't have an ibanez bass, needed a damn good clean but has come up lovely

Heads up all: I was doing some research on current prices with a view to putting my Vox Starstream 1 H up for sale (don’t want to but got to shift a bass or two); Guitar Guitar are doing an offer on both the 1 H and 2 S models today: £199!! Note this is the passive model but still a nice little bass. At that money you can mod it to the Artist spec and still save cash. Hell I was thinking of putting mine up for £350!

New quartet this afternoon working on having fun with some jazz tunes. We have played together in other bands but this is a new group with piano, vibes, drums and me on EUB. After a few rehearsals things are starting to come together and we might even play a few gigs at some point. Tonight was the seven piece swing band, we're getting ready for a gig at the end of April and adding some interesting arrangements to out folders, a good workout and some good music.

Earl Haig on Sunday. One of those odd 6pm gigs... a few faces I'd hoped for cried off, but I reckon we had about 80-90 people in, which isn't bad. A guy bought two of our live CDs. I lent him my pen and he got the guitarist to sign them 🤣 Photo by Tim James.

There would be no point in paying Parcelforce for extra insurance. They'll take your money, but musical instruments are explicitly excluded in their Ts & Cs.

Oooof !!

Here we are playing Valerie at Jam night on Thursday. It was the opening gig for McAfferty’s St. Patrick’s weekend in Epsom. They do a good job of putting live music on. I don’t think it’s my best work but we enjoyed the night.

Currently having a very interesting discussion with members of an orchestra I play in. We're lucky enough to have a very talented MD/arranger, who comes up with all manner of fantastic pieces. We were discussing Quincy Jones yesterday, and today he asked whether it is appropriate to perform arrangements of songs by Michael Jackson that QJ produced and arranged. There's been lots of discussion via Whatsapp since; the crux of it is can you and/or should you, separate the art from the artist? For example, I think MJ's solo music is amazing; the fact we're even discussing it shows the material itself is far more worthy of consideration than something by, for example, Gary Glitter. One view is that the art stands alone from its creator - by listening to, and performing, the art itself, you are not condoning or supporting the acts of its creator. Conversely, the other is that the art is irrevocably linked with the acts of its creator and their legacy, and to perform (for example) MJ's songs, it is either ignoring, or giving tacit approval to, the problematic behaviour of the artist. But once you start disappearing down the rabbit hole of dubious acts by prominent musicians there's all manner of things - Jimmy Page, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton being some examples -that might undermine their artistry. So where do you draw the line? Is there a line? Is there a difference between listening to the music and performing it? Is there a difference between covering it and doing a complete new arrangement? There's also the particular issue for us on to what extent should we take the views of the performers about the repertoire into account? For example, should one person be able to veto a tune because (for example) its lyrical content raises issues in their own life? One illustration is that we had an arrangement of 'Two Tribes' we were going to perform, but then the Ukraine conflict broke out, so we decided to shelve it for a while, but recently performed it with no objection from audience or performers (TBH it hadn't even occurred to me until someone raised it that there might be an issue!) So I'm interested in views people might have on these issues. I don't think there's a "right" or "wrong" answer (other than knee-jerk accusations of 'wokery') - what do you think?

New rig wired and ready to go.

I find it very easy to separate art from artist, but if that artist is still alive I will make sure they do not benefit from my enjoyment of the art. There are things that were legal at the time even though we now find them disgusting - like Rembrandt earning a lot of money from slavery. Then there are modern offences - Gary Glitter wrote some great tunes but he was convicted of multiple offences. There are no end of celebs who have domestic violence convictions too. Michael Jackson was never convicted AFAIK. Is beautiful art still beautiful if the artist is scum? I think it is. We usually discover the art before the detail of the artist's life so that first impression of beauty is very difficult to shake. It's not just art though - I have no doubt at all that if someone properly researched and came up with a "Vile Humans who invented indispensable items" list it would contain all manner of stuff we just cannot do without created by people who probably should be buried under the prison. How far back do we want to go? Stop using roads because the Romans murdered Jesus?

It seems to depend partly on how good the music is. Chris Rock's latest standup: "The thing I have a problem with is selective outrage. That’s right, selective outrage. Everybody, you know what I’m talking about? One person does something, they get cancelled. Somebody else does the exact same thing… No. You know what I’m talking about. You know, like the kind of people that play Michael Jackson songs, but won’t play R. Kelly."

There does seem to be a tendency for more glamourous, successful, talented or edgy stars to be seen as less troublesome and get away with more - I guess that's human nature. John Lennon was by some accounts serially emotionally and physically abusive to family members, Jimi Hendrix and Syd Barrett were reported to have beaten up/imprisoned girlfriends. Sid Vicious (ok, I know he barely played anything but he was integral to the group) almost certainly murdered his girlfriend. Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, Rick James also have fairly sordid episodes in their past, but no one seems to find covering their music troublesome. On the other hand, Gary Glitter seems sad and pathetic, and MJ a weirdo, which probably makes them more objectionable to the public than the likes of Pete Townsend and Jerry Lee Lewis, although I acknowledge that the formers' misdeeds would seem to be worse than the latters'. Another example would be covering Charles Manson songs, which Guns and Roses, the Lemonheads, GG Allin and Marilyn Manson have all done, without suffering much detriment to their careers.

You can't select a song based on how angelic it's writer was. If you are looking for a moral compass, don't buy anything made in China, Indian sweat shops or vegetables flown in from Africa and don't vote Tory. That's stuff that really matters. I don't believe Clapton is a racist. Sober he has some stupid views, but he was a chronic alcoholic who would do and say anything depending on how drunk he was. He's played with Nathan East for 30 years. If he was racist I'm sure Dave Bronze would have been on stage instead.

Thanks to @cetera... I think we can agree that this looks rather better?

The Mighty Fly

The rumours are true.... this quirky little bass is now in my hands! Had great fun playing it all evening, it definitely has a place in the collection.

I wonder if Gibson/Epi would be upset by this Rivertone?

Wet Sheets ～ Nobodys

Wheez me pleez me. Slade

All just opinions, of course. To me, QJ's arranging work on 'Sinatra At The Sands' is anything but that...It's terrific, skilful arranging of the highest order.

Clean break , easy glue job , but have a pro do it.

That is repairable... Any good luthier will be able to put that right for less than the price of a new decent quality neck. I've got to agree with @hiram.k.hackenbacker ASSUME THE WORST. I always work from the premise that couriers are idiots, assume the worst and try to compensate for that with lots of bubble wrap, a case if possible and lots of packing. Sorry it took this to learn. Understand you being angry.

BASS SOLO! SLAPPA DA BASS! How about I slap you with it, pal?

That's great once you've acquired the physique for the job. As a beginner, such punishment is counter-productive, as the sore fingers then stop one's playing. Building up to your level is a matter of time, patience and working on solving the problem before it becomes a problem. You did that (as did I, drumming...); a beginner cannot expect to have the same results as an experienced player. Slow but sure, that's the answer; the rest will come, easily, over time.

Back in the early 70's I spent 7 months or so playing the US airbases in Germany. That was 5 45min sets from Monday to Thursday and 6 sets on Friday and Saturday. I don't dig in, and didn't get blisters or callouses. I did get very bored, but that's another story.

This one...MPC Outlaw from the late 70's...strange but really nice bass with effects modules in the back that you could swap out easily. It was always my spare bass through the 80's. I can't even remember moving it on, but I did. Also, my '63 Jazz (sunburst/rosewood), my '68 fretless P bass (sunburst, maple) and, on the guitar side, a really nice blond Guild G37. Back when I sold all these, they were not considered that valuable...if only I had known...

I've changed pickups and electronics on a few basses. With experience, I've found that it's only really worth it if you like the sound of the bass already but just want to tweak it to your taste/needs. If you're not happy with the sound and think changing pickups/electronics will fix things, then you're headed for disappointment.

I know everyone has their own playing style and that, but I think what you’re describing sounds more like an injury than any kind of “building stamina” thing. If twere me I’d be listening to my body and working on a less abrasive technique. “Burning” doesn’t sound normal to me.

Shampoo Supernova - Oasis

You shouldn't expect to get callouses when playing bass guitar unless you are hitting the strings too hard.

Many, too many. But this always haunts me: Classy bass, indestructible, shed load of tone on tap, best fret board I’ve played, blah blah. Sold it to buy something shiny that got moved on quicker than a Tory prime minister’s term in office.

I'm in the cool as heck camp. Not everyone agrees though. 😄 I don't notice it being a short scale as much as other SS's probably due to the strap button position shifting the neck over to the left. I picked up a 56 for peanuts earlier in the year, I couldn't help myself. It needs some love but it'll great once sorted.