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Central Bournemouth show at the Poole Hill Brewery, one of the best live venues. First of three bookings this year for the Otis Jay Blues Band. Sparsely populated to start with (playing 3-6) but fuller later. Had our original guitarist come visit - he isn’t in the best of health now - and was good to see him. Audience changed halfway with an influx of would-be dancers so had to change set 3 to suit, but few noticed the repeats! Played my Flea through an Elf and two Barefaced One10. While I’ve played the venue with one cab, the sound is so much better I’m a two-cab man now!

Our acoustic duo played last night in Beverley at The Sun Inn. We weren't sure if it would be busy with it being Easter Sunday and all, but when we arrived at 4pm the place was getting quite full. It's a lousy get-in with parking difficult, and the pub is on a blind corner which makes unloading a bit scary but we got it all in just before the heavens opened. It's an old pub dating from the 16th century - stone flagged floor, beams everywhere etc (see pic) so the sound can be a bit challenging. Due to the number of people in we didn't get a good soundcheck but just cracked on anyway. Did 3 x 40 min sets of requests, usual broad range of stuff from Ray Charles to Taylor Swift! At one point they had someone on the door having to turn people away as the room was rammed with punters. Plenty of faces we hadn't seen for a while, so great to catch up. Gave away a few business cards so hopefully will pick up some other work too. Landlord Paul is a top bloke, and we've just agreed to play a monthly gig there now for the rest of 2024. 🙂 http://suninnbeverley.co.uk

Bit of an emotional one for us last night, it was the final gig for our original lineup. 😢 We've been together 13 years, we're all old friends that go way back, and it's been all good times and zero drama! The drummer and rhythm guitarist are taking a step back now though to focus on family and other commitments. It was a fantastic gig to finish on though! The best live music venue in town, and it was packed! 😎👌

This beauty arrived from Status HQ a few days ago, ordered to my specs. I've owned quite a few Statuses (Statii?) over the years, but being the unabashed bass tart that I am, I moved them all on eventually for something or other that probably seemed more sparkly and alluring at the time. I thought I'd got the carbon graphite bug out of my system, then a couple of months ago I spotted an S2 headed 5-string bolt-on online at a very reasonable price that had been delivered to the original owner in 2021, then promptly put in storage for the next three years as the pandemic played out. It looked like it was completely factory-fresh, so I took a punt. It turned out to be absolutely pristine and lovely to play, and immediately re-kindled my love of all things Status. As many of us will be aware, Rob Green (the boss of Status Graphite) had been ill with cancer, and with Brexit, the pandemic and price hikes for raw materials on top of that, production was shut down in 2022. Thankfully, Rob recovered after major surgery. Deciding he wasn't quite finished with the business, he opted for what he referred to as 'semi-retirement', and started making basses again late last year, but decided not to produce any of the previous ranges, making only a new 'Series 23' bass with a wooden, graphite-reinforced neck and a Richlite phenolic fingerboard, as well as Chris Wolstenholme and Alex Venturella signature models, made the same way. Although in some people's estimation this might have appeared to be flying in the face of the very thing that set Status basses apart from the rest, I was intrigued at the prospect of the new model, and decided to take the plunge and order one, a 5-string headless with Paramatrix 4-band EQ and Tri-Max pickups in soapbar cases. The chameleon finishes on offer on the website weren't really my thing, but Rob said he could make one in Satin Black, and I was sold. So what's it like? As I mentioned earlier, I know my way around the various Status models pretty well, and having the S2 to hand means I have something to compare the S23 with. The build quality and finish of both, as you would expect, is flawless. The S23 neck feels very slightly chunkier than the S2, due in part to the different finishes, but the profile and dimensions are almost identical. Using a depth gauge, the S23 measures a couple of millimeters deeper than the S2 at the zero fret, presumably to support the headless string retainer. Depth measurements at the 12th and 19th frets are the same on both basses, as is the width at the zero fret on both. The S23 neck is very slightly wider at the 12th and 19th frets than the S2 by a couple of millimeters, but it isn't apparent when playing either bass. Tonally, the S23 doesn't disappoint. Acoustically it's resonant, bright and crisp, with a piano-like quality to the B string that I wasn't expecting. At my request, Rob fitted 45-130 stainless steel "Hotwire' double ball end strings, and even though I'm used to nickels, the steels play so nicely, I think I'll be ordering some more. I've played extra-long scale Laklands for years, and the B string on the S23 is just as clear and defined, completely integrated with the other strings, as opposed to an afterthought added to a 4-string, as some fivers can feel. The acoustic clarity and resonance are borne out in how the S23 sounds plugged in - clear, crisp and open, and the EQ and coil tap switches mean you can create an incredibly wide range of tones, as well as dialing in the famous Status mid poke. The S2 sounds great too, but to be honest, it seems slightly muted in tone in comparison to the S23. As you might be able to tell, I'm very impressed with my new acquisition. I can see my S2, Lakland and Dingwalls all taking a back seat to the new arrival. If you're in the market for a high quality custom bass, I would suggest you seriously consider one. The other small bonus (at the moment at least) is that as production has only restarted recently, the build time from placing the order to delivery was only 6 weeks. Get in there quick.

Slight change of tack but I'm trying something new today - An experiment in extreme timber recycling.... building an electric guitar entirely from wood ash. I'd noticed that the pile of discarded ash from the fire when exposed to the rain turned into a clay like substance. I did a few experiments and discovered that the alkaline wood ash reacted with wood glue to form an incredibly hard yet light substance. I made a mold from cardboard and added the first layer of "ashcrete" , it will take at least three layers and a month to dry before it can be machined and turned into a guitar. Watch this space...... The thread title seems more relevant than ever!

I’ve been in bands with such types before and left because of them. I won’t work with people like that. There’s no point in confronting them about it or trying to get them to change as in their minds they are all that counts. As soon as “I’m not, I won’t, I don’t” starts to get banded about that’s me gone.

Finally rebuilt the board in a way I’m happy with (for now). It’s used for both bass and guitar so I had to think about pedals that sound great for either.

Me, the wife and our son Joe went out for lunch in Greenwich, London and it turned into a new bass day sort of !!, it's a short scale and will fit any gig bag 😛 £4 from a stall in Greenwich Market 😆 John 😃

This is what she wants: Daisy Rock Stardust Elite. Unfortunately, so do I, so she'll have to fight me for it.* *Spoiler - she'll win, no bother.

I like the look of this. Perfect if your band does Mull of Kintyre.

Anybody else have band mates that think they’re rock stars? I hate to break it to our band but we’re weekend warriors and not the latest mega in demand festival headlining rock stars they seem to think they are! So, the latest epic… I tried to organise a small music gathering with a local organiser, just 4 or 5 bands with some food stalls and some acoustic acts in between set changes. At the start everyone thinks it’s a good idea, now I’ve got one band saying they don’t get out of bed for less 500 bucks, the rest of my band say it’s too much effort for just a one hour set, and another band complaining I’m depping for their arch enemy so won’t play. Honestly! Excuses from my band for not doing gigs now include; the set time is too short, the set time is too long (they won’t do more than 2 hours, so a tight window between too little and too much), it’s less than 500 bucks, it’s for charity (as in I don’t get paid), it’s the wrong audience and two nights on the trot is too much effort. We’re not young, everyone is a reasonable player, we’re not paying the bills by doing gigs, I play for the fun of it but seems to be an attitude with some of the band that money or billing is a sign of respect. I get it but I don’t think we can be that fussy or to be honest primadonna as we’re basically weekend warriors and the result is just less gigs which in my book is just less fun.

At last. We now know what bass is good for metal.

the stomps on and got a few patches loaded oh and so is the octave clang

I remember reading somewhere from a band member that they only ever see the first couple of rows of an audience. I've played gigs like that where all i can see thru lights and smoke machine is the front row and had no idea how busy it was until the break and the stage lights went off. I'm now at a ppoint with the Glam band that the audience size doesn't really make a difference. Most people are there for a fun / enjoyable night out so just look at the front row and enjoy it same as any other gig. You'll be fine Daryl, you have more than enough experience in gigs that it wont even be an issue on the night. Above all have fun, enjoy and appreciate the experience for what it is ........... a great gig. Dave

Okay, here are some in the sunshine. It could definitely do with a clean and polish... and a setup but hey. The action is miles higher than I normally go for but it's fun to dig in!

Well, the PMT video is back up, though in a different cut. Kind of like Blade Runner, except without being any good. In case anyone is wondering, the demo still sounds absolutely crap. I think this is quite astounding that Ashdown have in effect ruined probably the best pedal they've ever made. Don't expect any more demos as since they won't get favourable reviews, there won't be any. The only reason this is out is because LoMenzo is interviewed for most of the video. I think had it not been the case, it would have stayed taken down.

I hate Russian Dolls - so full of themselves.

It feels great to me. First go on a Bass and I'm enjoying it.

What a fantastic idea. Have you ever ended up standing behind someone taller than yourself at a gig? Well, it looks like they're starting to do something about it.

Could only see the first row until the stage lights went off and that was all that was there Dave

Over a month ago now, with a little trepidation, I left my 74 Jazz with Jon Shuker for a refret and new nut. Also had a little of the slickness taken off the back of the neck. Had it back a couple of weeks and could not be happier. Plays like a dream. If you’re considering doing this I’d say get it done, you’ll wish, just like I have, that you’d have done it sooner.

I don't usually drink Daryl and because of where i live in countryside i need to drive to go anywhere but i've found thru experience that i don't need to drink to enjoy myself these days. Yes i appreciate a few beers does loosen you up a bit and can relax you more so that you get more involved but its not a requirement for enjoyment. My wife and i are both relatively shy people and prefer our own company to that of others but we still go out and meet up with others on occasion but generally not the band members and that's probably because we all stay far apart and meet up for gigs. Guitarist is 1.5hrs drive from my house. Drummer 30mins drive Singer Mikey is 1hr drive Singer Lynn is 45mins drive Public transport for myself and drummer is a bit of a laugh. One bus an hr for me to get to the nearest town 8 miles away. Drummer's bus service is one bus every few hrs to my nearest town. Public transport just isn't practical in that respect so we end up driving. The band used to meet up at service stations on motorways for a chat and a coffee but when they prohibited parking to 2hrs at service stations and i got a ticket for being 10mins over we stopped doing it. I was there first by about 10mins and the others didn't get a ticket at all. Life on the road I wouldn't make too much out of socialising with other band members. Its not a deal breaker and i appreciate you might feel left out a bit but as long as the band is working then no sweat. If all else fails and next time you are out for a coffee with the guitarists parents tell them about her outrageous behaviour for a laugh With regards your girlfriend flashing .......... if she's got it, flaunt it. Be proud of her. Its no worse than going topless on the beach. (I'm assuming it was a top half flash ) Dave

Here you go... Arthur bought it new and took the chrome off the same day. Put it back on for the first time in 53 years!

Too late, he's joined 'The Legion Of The Fretless'...

Does anybody else enjoy picking up gear that was flavour of the month but is now no longer as popular? I’ll start. I picked up a TC RS210 yesterday for £225. That’s on the cheaper end of the scale these days, especially considering they were around £600+ 10 or so years ago. And d’you know what? It’s fantastic. I bought it to add to my ‘small’ rig. It started off with a singular RS112 that Thomann was selling off cheap around 10 years ago. This led to me acquiring a second RS112 a few months later to make a small stack as my old Trace rig wasn’t best equipped to deal with the 4 flights of stairs to get to the main room in Clwb Ifor Bach (big up, Cardiff bassists). After a raft of heads including a Markbass LM3, a GK 700rb and a TecAmp Puma 900, I eventually picked up a tatty RH450 from Marketplace for peanuts. They sounded fantastic together - you could really tell that the RH and RS series were designed to work hand in hand. During the RH450’s tenure with me, I replaced a pot, superglued the buttons back together, changed the knobs to less broken ones and I had a rig that I was very, very pleased with; moreso than the other, more expensive heads. A good deal on NOS RH750 from PMT a few years ago led me to picking up a brand spanking new one for £350. I sold the RH450 to a mate of mine, which paid for itself and then some. I ran that rig for a few years but always fancied adding an RS210. Lo and behold, one came up yesterday about 20 minutes from my house. Done deal. I still remember the marketing videos coming out on YouTube when they were launched 13 or so years ago. I remember TC pushing this series quite hard, and the fallout on TalkBass about the 236 watt power section not being very honest about its output (it is, in fact, plenty loud enough for any situation). The design is coming up 15 years old now, and TC stopped making them long ago. In fact, TC has undergone a bit of a personality transplant and isn’t really a contender in the bass amp market any more. These were certainly flavour of the month 10+ years ago, with Mark King and Nathan East appearing all over the marketing material. Fundamentally, these were and still are fantastic amplifiers and cabinets. They’re not perfect (the coating gets a bit flaky, the knobs are made of pastry, and they’re no longer contenders in the ‘lightweight’ category) but for several hundred pounds less than a mid-tier, 500 watt head today, you can get a fantastic sounding and extremely practical stack that will happily see you through many, many gigs. You just have to wait 10 years or so… 😂 Anyone else buying up not-so-cutting edge equipment?

After three way joint win in March and a further tie break question, here we are with the photo for April from @upside downer Took this last year when we went to Frameless, an immersive art experience, where paintings by the old masters gradually come together, enveloping you before falling away, only for another to take its place. Simple rules ✔️ Entries must be <5 minutes and recorded between now and the deadline. ✖️ No illegal samples, copyright infringements or other snide goings-on ✖️ No Bagpipes/panpipes, everyone had the chance last month's last month, so there! ✖️ No voting for your own entry. We'll know. And we'll shame you.. Deadline-wise, we will go for Midnight on the 24th (but probably until tea time 25th) A line or two of blurb as usual for the vote thread will be lovely. Good luck, Have fun

Hanging Around - The Stranglers

There are many songs that I can live without but Come On Eileen has to be one of the worst records ever made.

Hmmmmm, what is the date today? 😊

I have always played to the first couple of rows, if you can keep that moving, the rest of the room will (usually) follow ........... 😎

They are the same as you'd use on a four-string bass. A five string maintains the 4ths - ascending - tuning of a four string bass. So, a major scale starting on the 3rd fret of the B string - D - is the same shape as the major scale starting on the 5th fret of the A string - also a D.

Jon’s work is excellent 👌 and a top guy too

You are realistic and very wise. I would drop bands without a second thought when I was younger. Now I hang on to as many as I can

We have to create a music scene here as it doesn’t just happen. The bands aren’t being asked to play for free they’re just not getting top dollar and if there’s excess it will get shared out. The main complaint seems to be a lot of effort for a one hour set and a defeatist attitude of ‘it won’t be successful’. But it won’t be successful if we don’t try and to a certain extent we’re trying to create something for everyone not just the bands, so it feels more normal here and everyone can have a good time. Sometimes you just have to put yourself out. You have to bear in mind we’re living somewhere where there’s no music venues…. Like literally none. It only happens if we put ourselves out. So yes it’s a bit of a rant but also an invitation for others to share their experiences…. a chat amongst bass players. One might almost call it a ‘basschat’. And for discussing it with the band mates, well that’s been done to death and almost split up the band. As was mentioned earlier, when someone has a certain attitude and can’t be shifted, you soon learn to live with it and the way we operate revolves around it. And as was also mentioned, there’s a limited pool of musicians here so to a certain extent you have to make it work with what you’ve got. In terms of western style music in the whole of Islamabad there’s 6 bands. That’s it.

It does come in purple though, which might be passable (note that this is for some reason an old picture, the Mikros now come with proper metal dome knobs):

We won't gig for ridiculously low money (we think we're worth £75 apiece minimum) but we'll do the odd charity gig (where we know the charity) and very occasional lowball. We're by no means precious about anything, and we are genuinely surprised when audience members tell us after a gig that we're the best band that's played there ever/for ages/since last week.

yea i agree, i also had to get my priorities right, so.... there use to be a thing called a cooker where my cds now are 🤪

An older, used Squier Vista Musicmaster would be a perfect match. They don't come up often though, and they're going up in price. They were made in China, whereas the rest of the Vista Series were made in Japan, but they're great.

Here's the story of the last week: We are blessed with a large church which is lively and growing, worship bands who care, and a tech team who know their stuff, test and prepare thoroughly. You know where this is going... 😄 Up on Tuesday to run some tests on livestream & sound, and prep for Maunday Thursday - all good. Maunday Thursday- no sound from the desk main outputs at all, just crackles. 🤔 Fortunately it was a Taize-style service, mainly a capella. 👍 Testing after the service confirmed the final DACs on the desk are dead. (A&H Qu32). ☹️ Up on Good Friday to figure out the work-round. Eveything works! Which means we have an intermittent fault, which is worse.😠 Test everything else in the meantime and thankfully the main DACs fail again! We have a digital stage-box, so we decide to route the LR over the digital link to two outputs there, use the DACs there to covert to analogue then run back to the amps over the old analogue lines. Happy days! 😀 This morning the VDP computer which handles Easy Worship, playing videos and also the baptim- only camera, decides that it will crash as soon as we try to play a video through EW. 🙄 Phone call to another of the team who has EW on his laptop so he brings that over. A few minutes configuring that as a backup, finish just in time for the service and off we go! 20 mins in, first video plays, main PC crashes as expected but flipping to the backup works. Reboot the main PC while that video is on, and we're back in time for the baptisms. 🥳 Today was one of The Best Services Ever! Almost 2 hours, with four baptisms, great testimonies, fantastic singing and superb playing (not me). And no amount of glitches, technical problems, random stuff or gremlins was going to stop it.

It's Easter - resurrection time!

No, and my band suggestions never go anywhere. Here's another thing with age. Take a look at the attached pic. That's Bastille Days in Milwaukee. We have a headliner spot this year at 8:30. Even 10 years ago I would be excited about this gig. Now I'm a little frightened by it. Look at the size of the crowd, you know they'll be a bunch of screwballs in that lot. I'm afraid of being in the city that late at night. Comments Daryl

Gig in a new venue for us, The Black Horse in Whitwick and it went pretty well with the punters enjoying our set. Admonished by the landlady for not playing til 11.30 and a bit diss-chuffed that she came up to the stage pointing at her watch. Still, there was a stage of sorts and in-house lights. Second time out for two original songs penned by the band which were well received. I used my go-to bass & rig of Mike Lull P4 and Handbox R400 + Handbox cab with my now regular pedals consisting of a cheap n cheerful graphic EQ to dial out those booming notes + the good old Thumpinator. I might add a compressor in the future. Next up for us is supporting The Phil Ashmore band at The Soundhouse, Leicester on April 14th

Yesterday we played the "All that is Devine IV" goth festival at The Fiddler's Elbow in Camden. A rare(r) electric gig for my band, Deadlight Dance. Knowing what a nightmare it is for parking, we blagged a 17yr old roadie and drove to Hounslow. The plan was to travel light (for us) and get the tube in to Chalk Farm. Arriving at the venue, everyone was super friendly - absolutely no egos or divas across a five band bill. We opened and had a really good crowd. I was using the house Fender Rumble which is always a fairly tidy bit of kit. Adding Boss Bass overdrive and Super Chorus to my tone, my Rickenbacker sounded pretty amazing. We sold a few CDs and got paid due to healthy ticket sales. Nick (my professional other half & friend of nearly 35yrs) and I nipped over the road for a cheeky Katsu curry. One of the bands was all the way from Mexico and they wanted to share their culture with us - this meant doing shots of Tequila backstage later into the night. I don't think our 17yr old roadie had quite the stamina of the 50 / 51yr old band! I got to bed around 4am due to the clocks changing. I'd do it all again... so long as I can have a day or two to recover!