WalMan

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1337894747' post='1667226'] I think you'll find it's for VAT reasons. If they're paying you cash they need to cover themselves. Don't worry about it. Just keep a copy. Unless you make £100 a week it's unlikely that you turn a profit from gigging. [/quote]No its not for VAT, it's for tax so they[list] [*]have something to show the tax man to prove they have paid out, and [*]with the chain pubs like GreeneKing (who seem to be the worst and want you to give them a receipt AS WELL AS their own paperwork) to keep the accountant happy and prove that they should not be treating you as employed staff [/list] As for your second that is quite possible but you should still keep the receipts and check for yourself in case, and to have the back up

I really should knuckle down & do that wiki but then stuff gets in the way. Somewhere back down the line there is a thread on this very subject. If all you are doing is low paid pub gigs then chances are you are not making a profit after consumabless (strings, batteries, petrol / motor expenses to gigs & r/h, etc) You should keep all relevant receipts (anything you spend re your musical business) but note that you cannot claim those three bottles o champagne, or the gram of toot. Instruments & amps are capital items and you can effectively claim the cost against tax through capital allowances and the annual investment allowance (up to £25k a year) BUT remember that when you sell the bass / amp / pedal because of GAS what you receive for it comes back in as income. For motoring expenses rather than keep receipts for every litle item you can instead claim as a mileage allowance based on 45p / mile for the first 10k business miles & 25p per mile thereafter. If you end up with a loss at the end of the year then you might look to set it off against other income, BUT HMRC will expect you to turn a profit at some point fairly soon an if you do not will say that you are not trading with a view to making a profit and cannot set the losses off only carry them forward til you mahke a profit. They could even try to go back and withdraw relief for earlier years. Fo a busy function band then all the same applies, but quite probably you will be making profits each year in which case you should be submitting returns & paying tax. Main thing is:[list] [*]Keep a note of all income you receive [*]keep all relevant receipts [*]look at it every year [/list] If it is small scale / no real profit any year and you submit a tax return for some other reason then make a note in the box for "Other Information" on page 6 that you receive some income as a musician each year, but that income is small, generally exceeded by expenses and that you basically consider it a hobby and have not included details or claimed losses but will advise HMRC if the situation changes in the future. If you are making a profit then you should be reporting it to HMRC and paying the tax.

[quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1337779437' post='1665314'] There is no hope for me is there???? [/quote] NOPE!! Welcome & enjoy the wallet emptier that is BassChat

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1337543631' post='1661764'] 3mm Big Stubby - mostly play with fingers though. [/quote]Ditto .... well the pick bit anyway

The current fave from this months eMusic downloads http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfuf7GG3YFc Loving the album & there are just bits & changes that really get me. Now then can I talk MrsW into a two day prog festival in Germany at the beginning of July

As a follow up I'm still liking them on the ClassicJ but have noticed an outbreak of "dandruff" on the body, as opposed to the usual "bearding" I see with the Elixirs I use. Presumably this is a result of my digging in with large 3mm Dunlop Stubbies and the ?coating? coming off. No obvious effect ton the tone, but it's still early days. BTW I'm not giving this as a negative (at the mpoment) merely a comment on what I have noticed with continued use.

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1337582741' post='1662147'] Is that really that unreasonable? My band has a very defined keyboard sound. The sounds are all generated on a very specific '80s keyboard, saved in a library which we can take to fly aways on a memory card specific to that make and model keyboard.[which is provided in the tech rider - if it isn't we're screwed]. It is extremely unlikely that anyone would own the keyboard we need them to use and the band has our own. [/quote]Surely yours is an unusual situation? I would say it was unreasonable, unless the ad said "Keyboard provided" My worst on the receiving end was a guy coming along as a second guitarist. All he seemed to know was the chords to the lead break on Freebird - we were an originals punky band

[quote name='Dudgeman' timestamp='1337550598' post='1661975'] Top man..let me know how you get on finding it. I have been chatting to Dood and though his pedal is great VFM I think it will be physically too big for live use with all the other pedals I have on the floor..MIdi mouse is about where I find myself so if you do find it drop me a line. [/quote](1) achieved, but at the moment no lights so (2) is in the balance. May be the battery, there probably isn't one in is as I haven't used it for ages. I'll give it a go with a power supply tonight.

[quote name='thestick' timestamp='1337531498' post='1661483'] Go for it.... who cares what anybody else thinks , as long as it sounds good to you! Im sure it will sound good to most. [/quote]Indeed ... but then how long 'til the GAS starts again I've been loving my L2500's with the GB STM 6 & BF S12T, and then I picked up the Tanglewater ClassicJ and I presently have a hankering for a P (possibly 5 built from Warmoth parts). FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!! I was happy & didn't need more gear, and then that sheaks up on me

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1337531548' post='1661485'] Same here, I thought I played terribly last night but no-one else in the band noticed and got the usual generic platitudes from the punters. I dunno, maybe I just wasnt feeling the vibe last night? Been a busy week I suppose, looking back. Anyway, played at The Rose on King's Road in Maidenhead. Lovely pub and lovely Landlady/Landlord, but I never want to play there again. The band area is a corridor down the side of the bar and away from the open area of the pub. So, being a corridor (I exaggerate only slightly) we were literally playing in a line facing the opposite wall. Right next to the toilets and the door to the smoking area so constantly having to twist and turn to let these people past. Uncomfortable, badly paid but sounded great. Truckstop [/quote]I hate gigs like that. Last one we did where the exit to the bogs and smokers hell was through the middle of the band was a particular 'mare when the fight tumbled through like something from an Andy Capp cartoon somehow managing to miss all of us in it's progress .......... and the band played on

I played like a complete **** ... even more so than usual & not helped by my co conspirator in the rythmn section having an average night. We normally share a brain, but on Friday it appeared to have taken an early holiday. Still the punters came up after with talk of "a great night" and "really tight" ....ah well

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1337469729' post='1660648'] Oh, another option if you have funds. Moog Little Phatty or MiniMoog. [/quote]...or indeed a Slim Phatty + a master keyboard. That was on my list of possible before I picked up the Mopho on eBay. All in one is probably easier in many ways, but I was looking for a slightly better master to use at home for recording with the computer.

[quote name='KiOgon' timestamp='1337456047' post='1660456'] I sent the seller a text t'other day - not heard back from him Did you get it then? [/quote]Nope it's gone apparently. Shame fairly near and it would probably have suited

We shall see...could suit me for the smaller gig

I have a MIDI Mouse, but I'm not sure that it still works. You're welcome to give that a go if you like ... I'll have to see if I can (1) find it, and (2) it works.

I swap my basses around as required into the MONO twin case and that is really good so I suspect that the single would be the same

I use a [url="http://www.roland.co.uk/products/productdetails.aspx?p=1094#.T7fvPsWi18E"]Roland A300[/url] & a [url="http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/products/mopho/"]DSI Mopho[/url] Looking at the DSI site they doe a [url="http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/products/mophokey/"]keyboard version[/url] but I got the A300 to use as a controller on the PC at home

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' timestamp='1337375010' post='1659150'] Meaning I wouldn't do any additional routing only to devalue a priced instrument, and I always think of resale price of instruments which once they have been butchered they loose their originality and that fancy bridge might not be everyone's cup of tea hence halving my chances of reselling the instrument. [/quote]I still have cold sweats at the thought that when these came out in the 90's I at one point considered butchering my Wal to add one . THANKFULLY lack of funds put a stop to that

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1337337882' post='1658335'] Ordered the Mono, having berated myself for being a stingy old bugger. I'll post a review when it arrives. It does look a superb product. Went for the M80 in Black. [/quote]I have a twin Mono bag - thoat sounds stupid but you know what I mean. Got it a while back to make transporting the L2500's easier (than the two hard cases). Got to say I'm really pleased with it, and I now tend to mix & match which two basses I want at the gig.

Plus the one. Even if they haven't got it their turnaround for a special order is really good - had an adjusted bag for my bass pedals withing a week after a swift exchange of emails.

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1337202078' post='1657185'] Really? My set looked like crap a few weeks in, beardy and scabby, and I don't use the heaviest of picks - .88 Dunlops. Blimey. [/quote]They beard. It's not a problem as I don't care what they look like as long as they sound good, which they do, and it's barely noticeable - and I use 3mm Dunlop Stubbies

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1337194360' post='1657041'] Elixirs aren't much use if you play with a pick, tho - well, not unless you like your strings to have a 'beard' pretty quickly [/quote]I do. Not a problem IME

You might try saving for something like Elixirs. They are more expensive, but last a looooooooooooooooooooong time so probably end up working out mush the same as a cheap set you have to change constantly.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1337160217' post='1656285'] There's a big civil liberties issue here - a black box in every car (ostensibly for pay-by-mile monitoring) would provide an excellent opportunity for the government to keep tabs on the whereabouts and activities of every car user in the country, thus further eroding any existing shred of personal privacy we still have left. And before anyone says 'if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear,' don't bother - that's lazy thinking. [/quote]All our company cars have a black box in, but all they record is mileage covered so that those who think "it's a company car I don't need to worry about servicing" get a reminder when mileage is close to recommended. As I understand how it works the system briefly switches on & off to record current mileage every so often but no positioning is stored unless we pay for it to be switched on as a tracker if the car has been stolen - which we have had to do a few times sadly. So AFAIK it is possible to just store mileage & nowt else. Mind you that's what they tell us, wht do I know. The boxes do have [i]issues[/i] with some, particularly German, hi powered vehicles computers.

[quote name='silverfoxnik' timestamp='1336983202' post='1653384'] I've been in touch with Hamster and he's looking to find a date at the school where we hold the SE Bash... Ideally, it will be on Saturday 29 or Sunday 30 September, but if it moves forwards or backwards a week or two, it wouldn't be a problem. [/quote]Phew, that works for my holiday dates....assuming we ever decide where to go!!