hiram.k.hackenbacker

Well, the inevitable happened. I managed to resist it when I first played it in April, but it came up for sale today and I am now officially out. Six months is a pretty good effort for me, so I take some comfort in that 😂.

Experience has told me that doing this can be a road to the bass ending up on the floor.

That’s pretty much my understanding of the matter. Not sure why anyone would want to leave it plugged in tbh.

Still mimed though is it not?

I love that you’ve chosen a Top of The Pops video to demonstrate how good BE was 😂

I meant the actual playing, but yes agreed, not really a song noted for its overdrive.

I can only presume this is Korg USA's idea of what Darkglass fans are after? I think the idea is as well conceived as the playing of Distant Early Warning in that demo.

Given it's nearly 4pm on the last day of June and it's highly unlikely I'm going to be buying another bass in the next few hours, I think I can safely say I've managed 6 months in this challenge 🥳. The last bass I bought was way back in November last year, so I'm doing far better than I thought I would. That said, I'm almost certainly not going to make it to the end of the year as I've put my name down for two new builds. No money has changed hands of course, or that would see me out of the door straight away, but I do have two incoming. The first will almost certainly be in the next few months. The second one will easily be well into next year, so that's the 2023 challenge stuffed as well. Good luck to anyone who is still in.

Yep and I would imagine whoever was responsible has gone to click Austria and accidentally hit the country icon above instead. Easily done and you probably wouldn't find out until it's too late.

Thunes was indeed Zappa's 'clonemeister' and the demise of the '88 tour has been attributed to a complex dynamic within the band of which Thunes' role was pivotal. I can't claim to know the truth as I wasn't there, but Thunes was given the role of 'clonemeister' by Frank and he ran with it. When issues reared their head, Frank had the choice of removing/replacing him and chose not to. As far as dealing with Frank himself, he either liked you or he didn't. If it was the latter, you went. I think Bowie became a little insecure about playing live, especially after the Serious Moonlight Tour. That definitely changed him. Much like Zappa, I don't think he suffered fools lightly, but I think he was much less dictatorial regarding how his material was played, compared to Zappa anyway.

Does it play OK in standard tuning as per @DaveFry's comment?

Having thought about it, although I'd still love to do the Thunes gig with Zappa, on a more practical level, I would have loved to have had Gail Ann Dorsey's tenure with Bowie. That would have required minimal homework on my part and would have been a lot less stressful that the Thunes gig 😎.

I can understand them wanting to reduce overheads by not lugging back line over from Ireland, but I thinks it’s a bit much to expect the bands they are asking to support them to provide it for them, presumably with no financial incentive to do so. ‘Let us use your back line or you don’t get the gig’ is like some bizarre form of musical blackmail, no matter how decent and respectful they might be.

Since @cetera has nabbed Gene Simmons, I’ll have Scott Thunes’ stint with Frank Zappa.

June has been an excellent month for me. Six gigs across four different bands with very little crossover. The next two gigs are with two different bands again, one rock covers and the other ska, so a bit of homework to do. I can’t remember the last time I was so busy. Love it 🤟

I like St.Vincent, but it just goes to show how even those performing prestigious gigs can still make basic errors.

More to the point, why do you continue to do it if you hate it that much?

I've had little time to watch any of Glastonbury live, but I'm just catching up on some now. I feel underwhelmed. Billy Eilish - I don't get her at all. Possibly one of the worst first songs ever and it didn't get any better (for me). If that's the way the world of music is heading, I'll give up now. Self Esteem - pfft. 'There is nothing that terrifies a man more than a woman that appears completely deranged'. You are and I'm not. P!$$ off. Idles - erm, no. Angry noise. I'm not sure I can bring myself to watch any more right now.

Take this one and keep him.