WalMan

[quote name='paul_5' post='1159975' date='Mar 12 2011, 10:44 PM']I also know of someone who imported a Gretch White Falcon from the USA and didn't pay ant import duty on it as he'd got the seller to ship it as a gift, and declare the value of the item as significantly less than its actual worth (roughly £2,500). Not completely honest though... [/quote] ...and as ever I should add, with the potential for a nasty hit if it is picked up and confiscated. Could also give a problem if there is damage and the insurance will not pay out. [url="http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/post/buying.htm#4"]Gifts sent from outside the EU[/url] Sometimes things get picked up (they should do if properly declared) sometimes they don't. Best to work out actual cost +20% VAT + £15 for the courier to deal with HMRC for you and if it is still worth it the go for it, and if it's missed well hurrah. Getting something misdeclared for value, EVEN IF the seller did it off their own back and you knew nothing about it could still end up with it confiscated and you being out of pocket if it is picked up...I seem to recall in one of these threads a while back I posted extracts from just such a duty case

Few fluffs in but last night was fun as I felt I was there or thereabouts most of the time A couple from the second set [url="http://www.the-alibi.org.uk/sounds/Epsilon/Roundabout-11Mar11.mp3"]Roundabout[/url] - fretted G&L L2500 into EBS Microbass II & on to the Markbass CMD121H & Epifani 1x12 [url="http://www.the-alibi.org.uk/sounds/Epsilon/I_Know_What_I_Like-11Mar11.mp3"]I Know What I Like[/url] - fretless G&L L2500 into the same Again recorded on the Roland R-05 then dropped into Tracktion to cut out tracks and pass it through the mastering bits mainly to bring the levels up as I set the record level low to try to avoid digital overload (nasty) rather than leave it to the automatic levelling

Car park ticket for the station acquired. Pre bought train tickets picked up. I'll be on the platform at 8 tomorrow morning ready to head up. BC badge made Must remember to get the plugs out of my gig bag. See some of you tomorrow perhaps.

With Epsilon on a Prog night. Good fun and not the utter nightmare that the last one was. For me anyway it went pretty well. Good crowd who were there for some prog. And even the bass player got some comps at the end of the night - which was nice! Just been going through the recordings on the digital recorder. Sounds not too bad, Fluffs, but hey IT'S LIVE!! [b][font="Impact"][color="#FF0000"]Warning Prog content follows!![/color][/font][/b] [url="http://www.the-alibi.org.uk/sounds/Epsilon/I_Know_What_I_Like-11Mar11.mp3"]I Know What I Like[/url] [url="http://www.the-alibi.org.uk/sounds/Epsilon/Roundabout-11Mar11.mp3"]Roundabout[/url] - fretted G&L sounding yummy - IMBO

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1157628' date='Mar 11 2011, 08:27 AM']Excellent - I like the feel, and you hardly notice the absence of keyboards. This just makes me more determined to get my band to do this one.[/quote] Cheers. It is a bit outside our usual crash, bang, wallop and I wasn't too sure but it just happened and feels good so with a bit of tidying up and a proper end it should add a bit of light & shade to the set

[quote name='jonthebass' post='1157597' date='Mar 11 2011, 07:39 AM']I thought to do this properly you need one of these? - [url="http://www.radialeng.com/re-prormp.htm"]http://www.radialeng.com/re-prormp.htm[/url][/quote] You would if you were actually going to send the basic signal back out to a real amp and record that to another track. I think ofen nowadays with digital amp modelling software on the computer it means what Paul said it means what

[quote name='Bassman Sam' post='1157484' date='Mar 10 2011, 11:56 PM']That is a really nice tone on the bass, was that the WAL?[/quote] Cheers. No that is the L2500 fretted straight into the Markbass which is set pretty much flat. The Wal is in semi retirement, though it is coming out to play at tonights gig Rather anwers my other thread abot.ut the vocalist saying to me he doesn't know why I bother with all the other guff in front of the amp (Microbass, compressor etc) as it ounds good as it is

[quote name='WalMan' post='1156625' date='Mar 10 2011, 02:02 PM']I'd put up an early clip from last night, but....well we'll see. Got to say I wasn't sure when it was suggested, having never actually heard the song before, but it seemed interesting, and like I say even on the first run through if felt really good.[/quote] Ah hell who cares.. here you go then [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=126620"]Burlesque[/url]

Recorded on a Roland digital recorder stuck in the middle of the roomand everyone spread out around it. Recorder set to automatic and then a bit of normalisation to bring up the level a bit. This version of the song is a bit rough, but it is a new one for the set worked up last night and this is the second or third attempt so there's time [attachment=74502:Burlesque___3.mp3]

[quote name='Count Bassy' post='1156537' date='Mar 10 2011, 01:00 PM']Brilliant stuff. About the only tribute band I'd be interested in playing in would be a Family/Streetwalkers/Shortlist one, though I might have to choose between bass and vocals rather than attempt both.[/quote] I'd put up an early clip from last night, but....well we'll see. Got to say I wasn't sure when it was suggested, having never actually heard the song before, but it seemed interesting, and like I say even on the first run through if felt really good.

We are definitely more disciplined since Mike started coming down from London. Sort of focuses the mind and you don't want to waste his time and incredible effort! Charts, well yes in an ideal world & if my reading were a great deal better Last time I had that was a dep many years ago with a three piece, so there was nowhere to hide. Asked what they used beforehand and understood it was chord charts that I should be able to busk through. Turned up & it was flysh1t. What a nightmare that night was! For us it can be as much a social occasion as work. Now if we were making our living from this I'm sure it would be different, but as I say its a not very expensive village hall we use and while I have in the past occasionally wondered why we had not just sat in a pub with the chat that went on we are all mates and sometimes that was just the way it went. Last night we discussed investing in a band biscuit barrel - mind they never normally last that long

My main lot have got back into rehearsing more regularly. It used to be that we rehearsed every Monday without failbut there were nights when we ran through old stuff to fix mistakes from the last gig and spent a long time drinking coffe, eating biscuits and jawing about TV. Not exactly productive always, but it was villge hall rates, so not an expensive r/h studio time being frittered away and it was a night out with a load of mates that included a bit of playing. Then wegot out of the habit, cos the hall was unavailable and the front room we used for quietly working up new stuff before going to the hall became awkward. Recently we have found another hall - one that the others used to use probably 25 years ago. Cheap rates again, though a bit more of a drive for me as not so central to everyone, but we have got back into it, and the guitarist from London gets a train down to the coast and back again so we get a full band rehearsal - he must be mad but it's good! So we have a band Dropbox, emails are exchanged re potential new songs which are put in the box for everyone to learn so we are ready to work at the hall. It also has to be said that we are all old enough to know better and pick stuff up quickly, bouncing off each other. So anyway, just got back from tonights session. There were three on the table to start on, [list] [*]Whitesnake - Ready & Willing [*]Family - Burlesque; and [*]Street Legal - Unconditional Love - WHO!? they all cry.They are, or were, a Norwegian band in the style of Lizzy & Blue Murder [/list] So then nothing too difficult, well perhaps. Got there. Set up. Listened to the tracks as a quick refresher. Worked out suitable key shifts for the vocalist and went for it...with the Roland R-05 running - and I forgot/failed to hit pause so there is a fair bit of blackmail material in there as well The original/local guitarist hadn't got round to learning the last two completely, but we still managed to get through them all, with chords being shouted across and keys tweaked as we went. We went through Burlesque pretty solid on the very first go despite all that. Lots of nice space and though it is a little out of style I think it could be a nice twist to the set. Just dropped a load of versions into the Dropbox for everyone and I really should get to my pit, but from feeling a tad jaded with things recently, tonight - and recent sessions - have really perked me up again. It is sooooo nice to be playing with a bunch of guys who can just do it. No having to run off and find the tab and spend forever working stuff out. Work it roughly beforehand, or even just listen to a track and be experienced enough to have a feel for what is required/how it was played (if you know what I mean, you can just feel the A G D/F# shape) Admitted we have been playing together for years so also have an inkling where each is going - the drummer and I have been sharing a brain for over thirty years now Sorry if this all sounds like blowing our trumpet / we're so good / etc. It's not meant to be. We're only a pub rock covers band after all, but like I say the recent flow of new material and general feel of things has really perked me up.

For over 20 years I would have agreed. Then I got my G&L L2500's and the Wal (my baby) has gone into semi retirement. The newer version fretless in particular I love playing as it is so easy

[quote name='Platypus' post='1155322' date='Mar 9 2011, 01:52 PM']<<A heads up for weekend Tube travel>> Don't know if anyone has mentioned it already.. As with most weekends they will be dicking about with the Tube service - with replacement bus services in many cases. Worth checking route on tlf.gov.uk[/quote] Yup. That seems to explain the bizarre results I got from National Rail. Looks like the line from Clapham Junction - Olympia is out all w/e. Managed to find an old BC card, so I think the laminator may get used tonight to try to create something that'll hang reasonably securely on a lanyard for BC ID

Just sorted a ticket for Sunday. Now all I have to do is get around the rail works apparent when I booked the train ticket. National Rail gives me a train getting in @23:00 on Saturday, and a first train on Sunday @ 13:00. Something very odd there

Tonight to get to r/h first run/will it work/what key have been through Street Legal - Unconditional Love - a nice Lizzy type dual guitar with some mild doubled bass widdles Whitesnake - Ready & Willing - not much there Family - Burlesque - this'll be down to feel and brushed up on Led Zep - Good Times Bad Times - must remember the first bass bit that I had remembered every time at r/h amd promptly forgot at the gig. DOH! and Porcupine Tree - Blackest Eyes double checked before Friday as well

[quote name='BassBunny' post='1144714' date='Feb 28 2011, 05:55 PM']If you are bringing it back yourself, take a cheap-sh*t Bass out with you and then the one you bring back is "the one I took out" As you will no doubt have to make special arrangement for it to go in hold/on board, being able to prove you went out with a bass could help the cause.[/quote] A potentially dangerous suggestion to get around the tax/duty bringing it back in. They are not fools and do have people who know about these things giving you the potential risk of the bass being confiscated. EDIT: Already beaten to the "BE VERY CAREFUL AND DON@T TRY TO GET TO CLEVER FOR YOUR OWN GOOD" reply. It's just not worth it

Uitopia - The Garden Came upon it last week when media player was on random and then actually got into listening to the album - one of my many eMusic downloads in the past that I had not got around to listening to properly. Really good & some nice bass going on in there.

PA feed broke part way through the first set. I felt like I played like an @rse most of the time. Bass was sounding nice though. Ah well there's always next time

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='1143139' date='Feb 27 2011, 11:14 AM']was in the Bass Cellar on Friday. There semed to be a lot more space and the staff appeared to all be friendly and helpful. Maybe things are changing at last.[/quote] Have to admit when I was in about a month ago it was much the same. Who knows!?

You think you've got problems. One of the bands I'm in does Wayward Son in a shortened & heavy version in E, whilst the proggy band does the full version in A. Added to which another band I dep for occassionally does a few songs my main band does in a variety of different keys. It's a frickin' nightmare remembering what to do with which and where on the neck

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='1136333' date='Feb 21 2011, 09:32 PM']I think I'd been playing a fair few years before I actually got paid! Now I think it's important that musicians are paid for their service. Doorstaff & barstaff get paid. As a minimum venues should at least feed & water the band.[/quote] Rick Wakeman had a classic rant on this subject in his Classic Rock / Prog magazine column recently. Something along the lines of being contacted and asked to do a charity do. Quoting a price, getting a slightly shocked query re this assuming he would be doing it for nothing and then a sheepish response when he asked if the venue, staff, etc would also be providing their services for nowt. Slightly different for him to my circs. Have done a few over the years and tend to look on them as a "calling card" possible "in" to new gigs in different areas.

Caught most of it by chance, channel hopping. [quote name='Beedster' post='1136549' date='Feb 21 2011, 11:40 PM']Uh oh, the truth about Alive and Dangerous.......[/quote][quote name='Beedster' post='1136551' date='Feb 21 2011, 11:41 PM']As far as I remember, it's all live.........[/quote] Well there were at least three versions last night but no mention of the Bowie audience being added to bolster response (which I seem to recall as another "myth" about that album) [quote name='Beedster' post='1136896' date='Feb 22 2011, 11:30 AM']He wouldn't be the first 'out of it' muso to either not remember recording a part, or to have his parts re-recorded by someone else without his knowledge [/quote] May have mentioned this on the Gary Moore thread, but a guitarist acquaintance of mine tells the tale of going back to a local studio that Lizzy had been recording at and hearing a blistering GM solo, to then be told that he was so out of it when he recorded it that he was being propped up by a roadie. Whatever, a great band I was many times in Brighton & Portsmouth

[quote name='Marvin' post='1127375' date='Feb 14 2011, 06:04 PM']I finished with that habit a couple of weeks ago at a practice night. I was 'moving' the pick around my mouth and nearly choked on it I've now stopped. [/quote] Beat me to it. I was going to refer you to [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=121463"]THIS[/url] sorry tale. I've not heard if he's given birth yet (and would have thought I'd have heard the screams if he had ) If you're a bit of a sweaty betty most picks will stick to a damp forehead...and it gets a laff when people notice

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1126739' date='Feb 14 2011, 09:57 AM']Whenever we do a wedding that has a meter we try and trip it at that point (assuming its the last song of the night, with no DJ ect after us). It helps clear the dance floor and gives us an excuse not to play any encores. Ive only had two gigs this year, im really missing them. Sat night are bloody boring. Still, we now have a run of 7 gigs in a row so thats something to look forward to.[/quote] Wasn't a level meter, all the mains in the pub went out and had to be reset Obviously didn't have a big enough nail in replacing the fuse. Power came back, but not to the "stage", and as it's a strict 11 finish by the time it did come back it was too late. Cue our vocalist apologising for the fact that 50p could not be found for the meter, so I'm afraid that's it from us. Went back Saturday to pick up a bag I had left and they were still talking about how spooky it was that it went when it did