Leaderboard

Good one last night in Stockport. Very hot in there, but a great crowd, even though they were half our age, they were into it. Way too much bass in the monitors, put me off a bit, but apparently it sounded decent out front.

Not the Saturday night I anticipated. One of my regular bands has become sniffy about slumming it in low paid pub gigs so I'm rethinking my strategy. Playing is my only source of income so I can't afford to be so choosy. Last night they had pulled out because the singer was sniffy in a more literal way, another bad case of vocalists throat put her off the team sheet so I cast about for a bassless band to fill in at very short notice. The pub we ended up in could have been called the Sandpaper, The Stormy Sea, or the First Draft - in a word it was rough. All day drinkers in a forgotten backwater of a grim city, not many of them and all of them with a distinctly under evolved nature. But we played, we got paid, I earned money I wouldn't have otherwise seen, and although I couldn't actually decipher what was being said, the little knot of tokers standing around my car as I loaded up at the end of the night seemed to be very positive. It's all well and good playing once a month for 200 quid each but playing twice a week for 60 earns me a lot more. Case closed.

Opened for Queer as Punk tonight at Edinburgh's Wee Red Bar. First outing since our new guitarist joined the band. Also the first outing for our new song, which had people singing along by the second chorus in spite of said chorus being liberally peppered with f-bombs. I think we struck a chord there with the mainly female audience. The WRB's bass amp was bust - again - so I brought my Eden rig along. 118 and 210 cab underneath a WTP600 head. It sounded good but a sharper distorted sound would have been better, so I may drop out of the gear abstinence thread soon ☹️ But all in all, a great gig!

I wasn't sure where to post this - gig or rehearsal thread, but it's felt more like a gig than a rehearsal. I've spent the weekend at Stonegate Recording Studios near Bentham North Yorkshire. We set up Friday night, and have done 10-6 Saturday and Sunday. This is the new blues band, with only one 45 minute gig under our belt so far, and this was for recording a few tracks to promote the band. We have really gelled as a unit, personally and musically, and it's been a really positive experience. The band leader does his job well, directs with without being over-bearing, and is a consummate musician, playing Hammond, Rhodes and Sax, and the drummer is one of the best I've ever played with, really exceptionally good. We managed to get down 6 tracks yesterday, without vocals and solos, which we've added today. We had a guy filming too yesterday, which we're hoping to sync with the recordings at some point. I took two 70's P basses and have played everything through my rebuilt '73 Bassman 50 and a Barefaced Super Compact, it was a great sound to me. When the tracks have been mastered I'll post some links up. Knackered now though! Rob

The Rebbels gig at Oakdale Conservative Club, Poole was great AND a nightmare. I forgot the usual analogue desk for the PA and monitor amp so had to rely on my backup kit, Allen and Heath CQ20 Digital Mixer plus using my spare bass amp, Asdown Retroglide 800 to power the monitors. The first problem was that I could get no sound from the monitors even though the signal was getting through to the amp. Luckily the singer has two powered mixers. We quickly drafted one of those to run the monitors. finished just in time for the obligatory pre-set toilet break. Half way through the first set, we had no monitors. We carry on like troupers until the break. I trouble shoot while the Bingo was on.....after checking every cable knob and the computer screen, find that somehow the gain on the powered mixer channel had been set to 0. Now I do not believe in fairies, elves or leprechauns (except on St Patrick's Day). The singer swore blind he did not touch it but knobs do not turn themselves down. So the Bingo and the raffle finish and on we go. Second set, went OK although I completely forgot the key of one of our new songs. PIcked it up after about 4 bars though. Oh and I also forgot my mic stand but as I had a sore throat, it was probably a good move. There were dancers on the floor almost the whole night and we had some good comments from the crowd and the staff. All in all a good night despite the stress. The final bonus was it was only two miles from home😃.

Well, we finally got paid in the end. However, a few of the punters have refused to drink in there again. There was no agreement about payment based on bar receipts as far as I know.

Name and shame 'The Sh*thouse pub in Slough' on all the Social Media sites to let other bands/musicians know what happened.

I'm fortunate enough to have a man-cave/studio/office daaaaaaaaaan the bottom of the garden, so naturally have rammed it fully of crap. Does mean that I can blast through the Marshall VBA at full volume or smash the drums to pieces without anyone hearing/caring! Usually though, it'll be an ACG 6 of some sort through a Helix and into an Epifini UL901 and Bergantino 410. 👍

Like @skidder652003 last night it was the huge pub, big audience but felt half empty. Bar manager (a drummer) apologised for it being quiet due to the weather but it was still more people than most places we play. Despite being a 'rock' demographic not much atmosphere to feed off although some folks danced or filmed us. But odd night all round. Drummer forgot his cymbals and had 80 minute round trip to fetch them. But 7:30 start(!) We made 7:40, and were done two hours later! Even with our long pack up and long drive I got back to the local for 11:20 and somehow ended up mixing Jack Daniels and baby Guinness until 2am... We all felt we weren't at our best, but t afterwards and half time got people saying it was good. And we got a booking at the break from the landlady of another pub and another landlord took a card. So we were probably ok but really didn't feel it! That said, we had a couple of off piste improvisations that were fun, and I doubled a bit of Alex's solo on sharp dressed man - he started laughing and then I got cocky and fumbled... I did do some bvs, hopefully enough that people weren't wondering why on earth I had a microphone.

Played a pub in Exeter, best not not name it. Bit of a spoons look to it and its big Lovely lovely landlord. So maybe 70 or 80 people in there but felt half empty. We played pretty well but just no atmosphere. Couple of punters came up and aked for biz cards and I had run out, typical! Been playing there for years but Im beginning to wonder if its worth it. Good money too...

This is the over riding factor for me now. The band as a whole should genuinely be having a good time regardless of the performance. The audience will pick up on that whether they realise or not. I've had a few compliments over the years along the lines of 'you looked like you were enjoying that', which to me is job done. But part of the enjoyment for me comes from knowing my part well enough that I'm not working hard at playing it. So I'll put the effort in behind the scenes so I can relax during the performance.

Striving for perfection is admirable, but don't let it drag you down. Did the audience have a good night? Then you did a good job, case closed.

Just back from the second gig with a band I joined. Audience loved it, pub paid us an extra few quid, other band members had a great night as all they hear and see is the audience reaction and then believe their own publicity. I thought it was terrible and it seems that I'm the only one who can hear it apart from two others in the audience. My wife, a singer and bodrahn player and my brother, a guitarist and sax player. I need to knock them into shape before the next gig.

Back in the Sandberg fold after picking up this nice soft core aged Lionel from a fellow basschatter yesterday. Just fitted my strap locks of choice and I’ll pick up some appropriate string’s tomorrow (it’s currently wearing some longscale flats…) and then it’ll be good for next weekends gigs. Didnt know what to expect on the relicing, it’s very different to my JMJ, doesn’t look artificial at all, similar to how my old 1990 Stingray looked after 15 years of heavy use.

I think my overly glib reply needs expanding upon. I prefer to get it right. Every time. I do not have a phone it in, "that'll do" approach and never had. Serious bloops need addressed as a band. I think my mistake management has improved. When I started out, I would be very uptight and small mistakes would put me off a lot - my drummer is still mentally scarred by the "death stare of '09" when he had the audacity to miss a snare I was expecting! Nowadays, I am a lot better at recovery when I make a mistake, and see other people's mistakes as an opportunity for humour - a knowing look with a smile tends to get a better performance out of others than a death stare. Looks better from an audience point of view - whether they notice the mistake or not, they see a band having a good time, so they feel predisposed to having a good time. Good vibes transmit way better than a scowl or grimace of "F F F BolloX I made a mistake!" followed by several bars of self flagellation. Forget about it for now, pick up the song ASAP. The time for discussion/review is after the gig, not during.

Bugs me too, quite a lot, but we don't aim for perfection because frankly, we would never get there.

“No problem, we’ll tell everyone on social media what a sh**house operation you are, and use our contacts to make sure that all the bands in the area know it as well. By the way, you still owe us the agreed amount”

Back at the Cow & Telescope in Southend-on-Sea on Friday. Our third time at this venue and by far my favourite place on the pub circuit. Always an appreciated crowd who turn up for the music. A decent night with a good turnout of our friends, family and followers. Unfortunately for us, we were told by the landlady that about 15 of the regulars (who wanted to see us) were up in London to see Slash and Myles Kennedy - I don’t blame them TBH, I’d rather watch Slash and Myles than us, lol. We’re gradually getting used to the Allen & Heath desk, and it’s getting easier to dial in and tweak for every venue,. I had a slight issue with my IEMs - the cable came out of the right one halfway through the second set. It was so hot and sweaty in there I could grip the plug firm enough to push it back in, so I played the remainder of the set with one IEM and a glorified earplug. Oh well. Our super sub Sophie did and fantastic job yet again and received lots of compliments. She blew our socks off on Proud Mary, she really went for it. I had an interesting chat with one chap. One of my wife’s younger workmates introduced me to her new boyfriend before we started who is a drummer. Nice chap, and got a chance to chat with him after our first set. He was very impressed with our drummer, asking me who he is. I replied he’s a grade 8 qualified drummer who’s a full time drum teacher, played in a number of bands, including originals and previously a busy, touring a punk band. The chap said, I’m a session drummer and he’s better than me. He then asked who our bassist is as he’s pretty good as well I don’t think he could see me where he was sitting and didn’t realise it was actually me. I said, “that’s me, and thank you. He told me one of his regular session gigs is playing with Samantha Fox, and what am I doing in a couple of months time as there’s a gig their regular bassist can’t do. I told me I’m not a session guy and I have a full-time day job so I’m not sure about that thing. He said, “Oh the songs are easy, and it'll be a case of fly into Lithuania on the Friday, gig Saturday and home again Sunday"! I'm extremely flattered and we shared details, but I don't think I'll go for it if he does end up asking. Not only do I need to renew my passport, but I don't own any flight cases for my gear not to mention a massive dose of imposter syndrome and I don't think I'd be able to dedicate time to learning a batch of songs I've never heard of at very short notice - it's just not a skill I'm used to doing. Still, it's nice to be asked. Obligatory venue pics, including the tools for the night - the very unidentical twins.

I think mine is earlier than that. When I was a kid i had a very strict, and not entirely mentally stable piano teacher. Well, actually I had 2, complete contrasts. The first one i went to and loved, but my mum took me away from there, as whenever we went or she picked me up there would be other kids there too, and the lessons merged from one to the other (ie, you got there 5 minutes early you would listen to the previous kid, then at the end of yours the next kid would be listening). She was great, but my mum though it wasn't the right personal attention as others were there, so we went to another one. None of that there. But she was strict, very strict and almost took all the joy out of playing sometimes (but not quite!). I still have manuscripts with very large drawn angry pencil marks around a sharp I got wrong (F# - always hated it since). so when I got something wrong we would stop and do it again until it was right. Which means I really hear every mistake reverberate around my head, and every note that is wrong overides the 100 that were right. I have learned recently that just laughing at the mistakes with the drummer when something sounds bad is a more enjoyable way of doing it, but it takes work!

Early in my live playing career I thought the same. I practiced endlessly and never thought I'd reached the level of skill to play live, let alone perfection. I fretted (pun intended) about every mistake I made and cringed at every botch-up of an arrangement made by the band. But the BL at the time explained that most audiences wouldn't notice and/or care if there were mistakes, missed verses, wrong words etc. Sadly, he was right and for a few years afterwards I didn't make the effort I should have, using his explanation as an excuse not to practice or learn specific parts for songs and the repeat bookings as evidence that it didn't matter. To my shame! Then I discovered the joy of 'making and effort and getting it right', which coincided with a new band. Now I don't care if the audience care or notice. If I (or my bandmates) notice, then it's an issue that needs to be addressed.

Beligerence. You are the best bass player in the building at that time playing a bass. Oi, smartarse heckler, come up here and have a go if you think you're good enough - thought not - back in your box then. They could have asked anyone to take the gig on, but they asked you. Don't dwell on mistakes. Accept that they happen - pick the song up again ASAP and forget about it - the time for analysis is after the gig.

It could be legit, but given the amount of scammers and general ne'er do wells out there, I think you're right to feel twitchy, especially given the amount involved. If I wanted the bass, I think I'd organise a couple of days away and pick it up in person for cash.

Last year we offered to take a much-reduced fee at a pub we play regularly because really bad weather meant there was hardly anyone there - but I've not experienced the venue telling you the fee has been reduced. Also, there have been times when a pub has paid us extra if they've had a bumper take. I guess it's about partnerships, we each need the other.

Tell them they can pay in money or teeth. Let them decide.

My 1991 MK2

The HX One has been on my board for a few days now and so far pretty impressed, does exactly what I need in a much smaller package than the Boss GT1000core I had on there previously. I’m currently using it to apply some noise reduction, light EQ and the occasional fx other than dirt (which I’m already kitted out for) when needed. So far gotta hand it to them the Noble and Retro Reel sound excellent for a little depth. There are some really great modulation and delays in there I need to dig in to.

Zoom B6 recently arrived. So far so very good, already looking at moving on some individual pedals. It's slightly overwhelming just playing with it on its own, but with a band practice coming up on Tuesday I'm expecting that using it in context will help me focus on what I actually need it to do. Top marks not just for how it sounds so far, but also for xlr out, double input (I want to dust off my Korg Monologue) and the fact it seems to double as an audio interface so we can use clips from Ableton out to the PA. Should massively cut down the load and setup overhead. And the tuner is ace.

PS if you want to make it interesting I have a great idea with which I’ve never had the balls to implement… get a motorised wheelchair, play the gig from it but give the remote control for it to the audience and see where you end up!

I had this strap made for my Lego bass. Annoyingly the maker isn't on Amazon anymore, otherwise there's another couple of designs I'd have them make up 😡

Whenever i make a mistake i just turn round and look at the drummer. Takes the pressure off me. Is that not why we have drummers.........to take the blame for all mistooks. Dave

If that happened to a band I was in I would, for every gig the venue had booked, in the week the gigs were due to take place, contact the bands that were scheduled to play and advise them of what had happened.

I still get songs thrown at me that weren't on the list, but most bands I dep with are pretty good at sticking to the set lists and arrangements. . . . . . . . but there's one bandleader who seems to make up the songs as he goes along! That was a problem on the first couple of gigs. I was unfamiliar with the set, the stage volume was unbalanced (guitarist too loud!!) so I had trouble following. I got an email telling me to learn the songs! If I didn't put in the hours they wouldn't be able to use me in future!! What an a-hole. I know the songs better than he does. No toys out of the pram, I asked the BL to get the guitarist to turn down (he only did it!!) and that fixed everything. I can hear when he's gone off piste and now I'm their favourite bassist. I'm in 3 bands, but regularly dep for about a dozen more. I like playing most of the songs, they are all great players and I like the variety. If there's a good drummer (and there usually is) then I can deal with anything that crops up. I'm usually digging them out of a hole so I'm already in their good books and if I get the gig right I get called back. I also get a fast track into any side projects. Every gig is an audition. Depping is all about keeping the phone ringing, expanding your list of contacts and having fun.

I’ve done rather a lot of dep gigs, so here are just a few examples of what might happen :- “No problems mate, everything’s played in the original keys” – Err - no, I discover this lie immediately the song starts. Drummer’s count in for a song may have no relevance to the actual tempo that follows. Guitarist thinking that the first chord of a song is therefore the ‘key’ of the song. “We play it just like the record” – apart from the fact you completely missed out the Middle 8. Guitarist and kbds player are clearly playing different chords at the same time. Whole band staring at you as if you are some genius because you played the actual main hook bass line from the song, rather than what their regular bass player Billy plays. Band appear to have taken a vow of silence and all clearly hate each other both on and off stage. And the reason you’re depping is that their regular bass player has already abandoned the sinking ship. “Can you arrive 7pm, we start playing at 8pm” – so, you’re set up on an empty stage by 7.15, but the rest of the band start arriving half an hour later with no apologies or explanations. Actual fact, I love doing deps, they can be great fun, but equally can be very annoying and frustrating. You have to be prepared for anything and everything 🙂

Give the seller a call and have a chat, or do a Zoom. Then pay with Paypal (not Friends and Family) if you're still unsure.

Pickups wound and potted

As long as the amps are well-built, reliable and come from a reputable company the country isn't a main concern for me. Mesa's quality control is one of the best, they use top grade components and for me that should mean reliability and less chance of something going wrong. I saw it in my first Mesa gear an Mpulse 600 that was approx 20 yrs old when i bought it 2nd hand and it has never let me down other than a crackling pot that was a simple skoosh of cleaner to fix. Everything about it just said quality. The new SW cabs i bought 3 yrs ago are the same. Solid well built cabs with speakers that can take anything i can hit them with. That is what Mesa means to me. Reliability, quality and one of the best tones i've ever had. Expensive ? YES but you get what you pay for in life. The TT800 i originally ordered 3 yrs ago was £1150 and now £1550. The WD800 from £1150 to £1299 which i don't quite understand but the TT800 is the amp i've been trying to buy for some considerable time and if that means paying more then i'm ok with it. I have to admit i'm a Mesa fan and love their gear. I associate quality with Mesa. Dave

Trust me you could smell it here while I was loading the washing machine this morning. Actually that’s a lie…. Mrs Rayman loaded the washing machine.

Its odd but i've experienced this too where audience seem to love every song, the band are enjoying and yet i hear things that aren't quite right and when i mention it i'm told "ach the audience will never notice that" but some do and historically we always aimed for perfection every rehearsal and gig. Luckily the same things don't happen every time but it does annoy me more than the rest of the band. Dave

Take them to court. A small claim will cost you about £35 and is worth doing. It shows you’re serious and also that you won’t settle for less. When they settle (which they will) they’ll pay your costs back. I run a small business and have done this several times.

First gig with a new singer last night for Nine Lives, at the Balaclava in Fraserburgh. It was a good gig! Our new singer has put a lot of work in to get the songs together and she did great, if she was nervous she didn't show it. I'm really chuffed with how it all went - change is always difficult for all concerned but we all handled it like champs. Pub was lively, maybe 40-50 folk in there at the peak with plenty dancing and 1 face plant that someone is definitely going to feel today! Kit used - the Soloking's first live outing (which also did me proud) and the Yamaha BB1200, all into a Markbass Mini CMD 121P IV plus New York 121 cab.

I’ve been waiting for the release of the second batch of Doc Lloyd DLA-2As to use as the cornerstone of a pedalboard build and received mine earlier last week. It’s a recreation of the LA-2A compressor and it sounds sublime. It’s in the same territory cost-wise as a Noble but it’s an incredible bit of kit: https://www.doclloyd.com/products/leveling-amplifier-model-dla-2a It runs on 12v centre positive power at 1.5A so I’ve been running it off a Cioks Crux. Another batch is due in Autumn.

I was asked to do a wedding and the BL sent me a list of 96 songs! I asked if we really were going to play all those songs, and could he list the songs he was likely to play. A new list came back of 80 songs!! There were a lot of classic 60's hits and Elvis and other 12 bars, so I only had to chart about a dozen songs. Not that bad, but when we got to the gig I discovered the guitarist sang half the set and I hadn't been told about him or his songs!!

GREAT photos - I can smell the sweat from here!

At the end of the day, manufacturers of kit are commercial enterprises who need to turn a profit or they go bust. Pricing strategy has to be carefully thought through and got right, and all companies' management will regularly look at the impact of pricing on their sales and margins. If they have built up a brand which allows them to premium price, well good for them! As consumers we pay our money and make our choices: no one is forcing anyone to buy particular kit - there is so much choice around at all price points from budget to boutique. And nothing to stop us buying used either.

The Berganitno Forte D is £1200 at Bass Direct and the Aguilar AH700 is £1169 at PMT UK and the Darkglass Microtubes 900 is £1169 at Andertons. These are actually more similar to the D-800 than the D-800+, but in the ballpark based on feature set. The D-800 is £1149 at Andertons, also well within the ballpark. My point is that there are other brands that are priced in the same range as Mesa (I'm talking about Bass gear, I don't know anything about the Guitar side).