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Our keyboard player who had joined us this year go himself a girlfriend and a new house, so found he didn't have the time to keyboard anymore, so we are back to a 4 piece. Tonights was the first night after he had gone, although in fairness, a couple of gigs back he wasn't available and we did that one too, so we had to drop some of the new songs and bring back some of the old songs. TBF, we brought back way too many, we had 42 on the set list and ran out of time in the low 30s! This was a private 50th birthday in a hall, which was for a friend of someone we did a 50th birthday for a few years back, and on the strength of that. For the sake of irony, I doubt we have had a bigger stage for years, so plenty of room for a keyboard player! Easy and quick setup, car park straight outside and noone was getting in anyones way setting up, the crowd started dancing from the first song pretty well all the way through, was a joy to play. Luckily to coincide with the keyboard player leaving, Bass direct finally after 33 weeks sent my mod dwarf back to me, which is how I do the keyboards in Brick in the wall with the footpedals, so I was a little nervous about that (and remembering the keys) and bring back the sample pad for "in the end', but it all went flawlessly I almost took my bongo, as a few months back when I went to take my bongo somewhere, the strings were all rattling and it was basically unplayable. I decided on friday to look at it and reset it up, and it was absolutely perfect. But then I remembered it doesn't really fit in my new Thomman gig bag, its too long - need a new gig bag for that! Anyway, all went down well, after half time the singer anounced we had been asked to play a local festival that I had wanted to play before, so that was good, and we had been asked about other parties, which is also nice, especially as this one paid almost double the charge of a pub and was in fairness a lot easier. Great night. Tonight we are off to play a free gig for the dad of the drummer, more of a jam thing as the singer can't be there so we will sing some and we have some guest people doing turns. The drummers parents have been to 95% of all of our gigs in the last decade, including the ones where they were a large part of the audience, so happy to do that.

We were at the soon to close York Vaults last night for a couple of hours of Nirvana anthems and deep cuts. A proper little dive bar, full house at about 130 people. It was loud, hot and sweaty. Absolute perfection 👌 Weapons of choice, ‘97 Tbird, ‘74 Ripper, Hiwatt and Barefaced 610.

LAST NIGHT! The Cantina Band at The Vaults (Real Ale Bar (dog friendly)) Knowle. AGAIN. Great load in, park up next to the door behind the stage [sic], set up all good, I got to tell a new joke to the lads (too rude to repeat on a family forum such as what this one is), dep drummer (chap from my other band), singer and guitarists WAGs were in attendance, all good. The guitarist had also brought his two young daughters (last time they came, the landlady asked him to kind of keep them out of sight as they're probably too young to be in a pub, she then proceeded to get them dancing on a table, filmed it and shared it on the pub's social media. She's bonkers, but in a good way). After the unscheduled fun of two weeks ago, I was expecting the usual ambivalent punters and dispiriting reception and sure enough there weren't many there, but for some reason we all *really* enjoyed ourselves. Possibly because we were playing to a handful of friends and family so there was lots of audience interaction (basically good-natured heckling) so we ended up having a right laugh. It was the drummers birthday (28! My StingRay is older than him!) so he was presented with a cake and a rendition of Happy Birthday which he wasn't expecting and totally blew him away. Very heartwarming. The guitarist's youngest joined us to sing the last song, which was lovely - she's a budding guitarist so I hope we haven't put her off being in a band. I joined the landlady at the bar for Sex on Fire (the song!) which went down a treat, we got three encores (I think the WAGs enjoyed watching us sweat). Used the StringRay for a change (I usually use the Sterling with this lot - I definitely noticed the 'Ray sounds a lot smoother than the Sterling, especially through the many distortions) -> small board (now with pedal toppers! (which obscure the LEDs on some of the pedals 🤨)) -> amp board (Thumpinator -> VTDI (set to ROCK)) -> MB CMD121. Still getting used to using a pleccy but it does sound good on the punk numbers, especially through the Bass Soul Food. Paid, packed up, home about 1 for a pint of Aldi vintage cider. A good night!

I played a short solo spot in a relaxed multi-act gig to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the RNLI. I've never performed on my own before and to say I was nervous would be an understatement. I was joined for one number by the guitarist from the band I'm in - fair play to him he was there just to watch and I asked him to join me on the spot. Most of the rest of the band were there, either as punters or doing short spots of their own. I find it much harder to play in front of people I know so that didn't help the nerves. My guitar performance was not as good as I would have liked but I was happy with my vocals and even happier when people joined in, laughed at my attempts at humour and gave me a rousing cheer at the end! I was told it was strictly acoustic and yet everyone else there had little amps. I managed to borrow one from one of the other acts as the on-stage microphones ("they'll pick up everything on stage so you won't need an amp") weren't working and, in any case, I wasn't on the stage as it was being prepared for the choir coming on after me. No photos, probably for the good. I was using my Crafter semi-acoustic 6 string plugged into a small Fender acoustic amp. Edit: Photos have emerged!

Private party at a local rugby club with the Andy Wales Band last night. We swapped out some of our “deeper cuts” for some more dancefloor-friendly stuff to keep up the party spirit. We’re reaching that level of being comfortable enough with our material to relax into it now, leaving a bit more space and letting it groove a bit more, which feels great. Back home by midnight. The usual Markbass rig, Yamaha bass and this time also my Mackie PA and modest selection of stage lights from Cash Converters. Sadly no pics of us actually playing - just the stage before proceedings began.

Hercules with the neck grab.

Why does the drummer have more gear than us???????

Sorry to hear! Yep! As a full time lead singer/bass player. I can’t tell you how much of my energy is used/wasted worrying about getting ill/trying to stay healthy. Inevitably though, when the lurge strikes hard, there’s not much that can be done. Having a decent dep network/ backup network is about as much as we can do and then making sure the couple (as we primarily perform at weddings) aren’t let down. Funnily enough, yesterday’s gig was one that I crawled through with the beginnings of a cold. All day package so 5 sets in total throughout the day. Fortunately, we’ve now got 3 weeks off so I can be suitably ill for a change which makes a change from the busy summer weeks… There’s actually a really good chapter in Geddy Lee’s newest book which talks about the pressure/worries of being the one relying on a larynx, which I found relatable.. Anyway, my gig went well and I got through it fairly unscathed thanks to a side of stage portable steamer 😂

Hey Yahs back up and running after a month. Retirement do at a working man’s club type affair, no horns so tracks used. We fire up the desk and the intermittent fault we’ve been having rears its ugly head at a gig- 7 channels have this weird distorted clock running through them. No clue from the X32 community why it happens. There is a plan be in we could repatch the routing and use spare DIs etc but it’s hassle we don’t need. Fortunately the usual turn it off, unplug, leave it off and hope the best play works. 😅 After that, nice crowd, all into it and our favourite dep keys player is getting more and more comfortable, really good player and locking in nicely.

Hi Folks, Just a quick update to say the the ticket was bought by a certain @Beedster of this parish and the relevant donation was made on the Just Giving page. Thanks, as ever, for your generosity Chris! 🙏😊

I'm just home from a weekend of recording at Stonegate Recording Studios in Bentham. We set up on Friday evening ready for a 10am start on Saturday. We've managed to complete 4 original tracks bar the vocals on 2 of them. I'll have to go back in to do those sometime soon. I'm absolutely knackered now! We had a great time though, and this is the best recorded bass sound I've achieved so far. I did take the Bassman, and did try it, but I ended up running the GK 400RB-I for everything. Rob

I've never been much of a Cure fan, always enjoyed the odd song but not really a fan. I was talked in to listening to their new record and it's blown my tiny mind that a band can come back after a 32 year break from recording with such a great record. It doesn't feel at all like a record to refill bank accounts. The bass is absolutely killer. Great playing and some amazing tones.

It’s great to see a group of friends still enjoying playing music together after four decades (edit Gallop and Smith really), refusing to move with fashion whims, kowtow to big labels or rip off their fans. This album has really grown on me. The best thing they have done since Disintegration and really heartening to have a band in the twilight of their career produce something so relevant and memorable.

Although a lot of us take singers for granted sometimes, it is a lousy thing to be when you’re ill. I’ve never had to cancel a gig through illness ( apart from when I broke my arm!) but as a backing vocalist I know how difficult it can be when there are colds / flu and other stuff kicking around. My last band had to cancel gigs in theatres on a few occasions when our lead singer lost his voice, and it’s such a hard decision to make. Deps are so difficult to find too - usually if they are any good then they’ll be out working with their own band or even doing solo gigs. Unless your band are playing generic well known covers then it’s a big call to find someone available and suitable.

Do it, once you get the sensible use case of being able to walk out front to check the live mix, you can go have fun. A heap of folk being sticks in the mud and staying through in the lounge bar? Go and annoy them! I once went on a walkabout round the entire bar for a laugh. People listen with their eyes...

Shameless plug for two excellent 32” 5ers for sale in case you’ve missed them:

I helped my dad’s friend out and he gave me his old amp as a thank you! It’s a beaut! Unfortunately I don’t have room at my place but my folks have it at theirs for when I come over. Very happy chappy!

Tiny pub lounge with the Blues band. Not that one. Busiest it got was 13 punters. At the interval that had reduced to one old guy at the bar. Two bar staff and one of them put his coat on and left. At the end of the night the remaining lonely bar maid (can I still say that?) said it's the same scenario most weeks. Ever the professionals we played our full set, got paid and went home.

All ( I think) of the new album played live November 1st + most of their best songs in a 3 hour long concert. They certainly give their fans the money's worth, and posting the concert on YouTube is ace too. (edit: posted it in the "what are you listening to now" thread but thought it belonged here too.)

I had this 4 String version with a Kahler Tremolo.

Yes, same here. Even better when you can get round behind a group of people and take them by surprise. I also don't like having a lead decide to wrap itself around my feet, or treading on leads, so I went wireless for everything - rehearsals, gigs, open mics. Most of the time I use a Lekato WS-50 or WS-90 - 5.8GHz, dongles each end, good battery life, cheap.

Hi, I bought this amplifier second hand. The ground had a hissing noise, taking a look when I opened the lid I saw that it had paint on the inside sheet and it didn't completely close the ground. I removed the paint that was inside, now it has continuity with the ground with the covers and the ground noise dissapears.

P bass with T’Bird pickups?

It is a really good CAR on the Revelation. Here's a closeup of mine. PJ probably means it doesn't do the Duck Dunn tribute very well though.

Is it, dare one ask, any good for metal ?

The bouncy groove and rich tone on 'Everything You Want' (01:46:47) is great!

A couple of months ago, I was in Promenade Music, buying a nylon string guitar and spotted a rather lovely, short scale Sandberg bass. It's matt redburst finish, ebony fingerboard and black hardware, really impressed me. So, after 2 months of trying not to think about it, I went over to Morecambe, to check it out. I have owned a number of Sandbergs over the years, including a Lionel Short Scale, and they have never disappointed. It's a simple P-style bass but oozes quality. The split-coil pickup is clear, punchy and full of character, with a lovely harmonic range. The neck, like every Sandberg I have owned plays just right, with a solidity and high quality that matches or surpasses anything else in this style. Yes, this is a serious bass, that looks very cool, to my eyes and really performs through my bass set-up (Galien-Kruger/Mark Bass).

Back to bass this week!

Well... Soon. This week. Order placed. Brand Frigin New. USA G&L L2500. And I even like the color. Good deal too. 25% off.

AFAIK, we're now at £7,200 in total. Rather well done, eh? @Clarky will close this in 10 days or so. Better get yer monnies in, peeps!

The Rickenbacker way is to press the neck to position and use the truss-rod to hold it in place. This is someone who knows using that approach on a vintage Fender bass. NB. don't push/pull on the headstock to do it - press down on the 1st fret.

I'm really enjoying the new album. I listened to the live BBC radio recording and the bass sound was crazy. I was in the car by myself but still looked round to try and find some to ask how the hell has he got away with that bass distortion. Like a chain saw having a fight with an army of wasps... brilliant and bonkers at the same time.

What will a Jaguar Bass do for me.........? Being shorter scale, it will have a slightly smaller turning circle than a standard jazz bass, enabling you to turn around in the road using forward and reverse gears in fewer manoeuvres.

Mate, come and have a go on THE Jag if you like? It sounds amazing. Not really a typical jazz sound, much more versatile. The electronics are not noisy. I just took it along to a recording session with a few other basses for variety and ended up playing it on every track. Jags are awesome.

Oh no, this is so sad, I used to chat with Dave quite a bit by PM and we would send each other strings and all kinds of various stuff , truly a generous and thoughtful guy, I’m gutted 😞 , condolences to the family

They’ve been “going bust” for years - I worked for a chain until 2014, we nearly went bust a few times while I worked there. We had a a turnover of about £4m in my shop for 7/8 years which started to drop off rapidly. They took on some managing director to turn around the fortunes of the company - an “expert in retailing” not a musician who knew business…that was a HUGE error. Things proceeded downward. They set up a side company to combat the online scalpers, the punters knew what the craic was and would (rightfully) get us to match our own prices off the discount site…absolutely mental. They invested heavily in own brand budget stuff, some was excellent for the money, some was absolute garbage - the failure rate on the digital pianos for example was 40% - meaning after all the effort, they would’ve been better off investing that cash in bulk kawai/Casio/Yamaha deals where we would’ve had recourse with warranty support…instead, it all went to the skip. After I left, the company went into the hands of an asset management company who sold the headquarters building and a warehouse they owned. Big accounts were left unpaid, Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, Roland… they then closed 4 out of 12 shops, bit by bit each shop closed, think they had 4 by 2019. Then at the last bell, a local musician/shop owner bought what was left - the “Iceberg” had already hit and there was no way to turn it around. Online orders unfulfilled, stock was old, arriving damaged with no way to replace as accounts with companies were locked/closed/on hold. The profit margins were shocking, Fender/Roland was 10-15% Gibson was 35% if sold at “street price” but you had to spend/order £50k a month to get that mark up - they would take that £50k a month from the company even if we didn’t order - they would send whatever they had if we didn’t specify. And if we didn’t sell, we had a massive back stock of stuff we had to put in “sale” at 10-15% margin thus rendering the big spend pointless…the 120th anniversary models did not sell well at all (they put a banner at the 12th fret on all models which nobody seemed to want) we sold every piece at a loss…eventually. I’m not surprised music retailers (big ones) are dying off. I went to look at a job in PMT and I think the starting wage was £14.5k plus commission, so you’re never going to retain good staff. I’d been on £15k plus commission ten years previously at the other shop, I’d finished on considerably more. i think specialised retail will survive in pockets, but it’s a risk I’d not be willing to take - I think the target audience is dwindling as guitar-based music is not at the forefront. A good while ago, I was offered the GBBL business - I’m in no position to become a business of any sort (big mortgage, young family)…the romance was definitely there, but realistically the prospect instantly scared me half to death. “How do you make a small fortune in the MI retail industry?” ”start with a huge fortune” Apologies for the essay…