hiram.k.hackenbacker

Managed to pick these two up recently for a really good price along with some other Bowie goodness. As familiar as I am with ‘Stage’, it’s a different listening experience!

....and don't even start me on the Status/Warwick Buzzard feud 🙄

I can't take credit for this idea as it has been floated here before at some point, but I thought it might help someone out. My gig diary seems to be filling up for next year and barring a resurgence of COVID, it looks like I'll be doing some mileage again. I generally share the driving with our guitarist and we always have room for another bass or amp in the vehicle. Speaker cabs, combos and larger items might be tricky. I shipped one of my own basses to @Nibody fairly recently whilst at a gig in Derbyshire. He met me at the venue and I handed the bass over, so there's no reason it can't succeed if the buyers and sellers do their bit.@walshy has also done the same for me when he played a gig in Dagenham. For this to work, either the buyer or seller would have to meet me at the venue where I'm playing to collect or deliver the item from me. When at I'm home (and this is where it is a bit limiting) the buyer or seller would have to collect or deliver to my home address. I live in South Essex between Basildon and Rayleigh. London is a short train ride. What I can't do is make pit stops either on the way to or returning from a venue. So this is what my 2022 diary looks like at the moment. There will be more dates added. If I can help I will, plus it's totally free, no need for that pesky boxing up business and you can be assured that I will treat your gear as I would my own. 18/3/22 - Cromer Pier & Pavilion Theatre, Promenade, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 9HE. 25/3/22 - Cornerstone Arts Centre, 25 Station Rd, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 7NE. 22/4/22 - Foreham Theatre, Queensway, Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, TS23 2LJ. 30/4/22 - Castle Theatre, 10 Castle Way, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN8 1XA. 14/5/22 - Oop North somewhere (venue TBC) 10/6/22 - Southmill Arts Center, 1-3 South Rd, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 3JG. 11/6/22 - The Exchange, Old Market Hill, Sturminster Newton, Dorset, DT10 1FH. 17/6/22 - Mill Arts Centre, Spiceball Park Rd, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16 5QE. 18/6/22 - Conkers, Rawdon Rd, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE12 6GA. 23/9/22 - Penistone Paramount, 23 Shrewsbury Rd, Penistone, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S36 6DY. 1/10/22 - Hazlitt Theatre, Earl St, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1PL. 28/10/22 - Westcliff Theatre, Tower Rd, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, CO15 1LE. 20/11/22 - The Deco, Abington Square, Northampton, NN1 4AE. Just something to bear in mind should you find yourself moving a bass or amp next year.

Neil Giraldo (then of the Rick Derringer band) turned up at an audition for Pat Benatar without a guitar. She heard him come in saying ‘man can I borrow your axe?’ to a guitarist that was there and she thought ‘what kind of idiot turns up to an audition without a guitar?’. The kind of idiot you end up marrying apparently 🤷‍♂️😂

I’d take one of these over anything PCsGC has to offer any day of the week 😂

I think you've misunderstood me Steve. probably my fault. I always go the spare bass route, but to not even bother taking spare strings = inexcusable in my book.

I would imagine there may be imperfections in the saddles on this guys bass that has caused two strings to go.

I don't understand why anyone wouldn't carry spare strings. A spare bass is understandable (still a bit weird in my book, but understandable), but if I broke a string in any of the bands I play in, I would look a complete idiot if I said I didn't have any spares.

I'll throw this particularly fine version of Boys Keep Swinging into the mix. A smattering of guitar weirdness from Gabrels alongside a splendid Alomar. I've always liked Zach's take on the drum parts, although if push comes to shove, I'll take Sterling Campbell over Alford. Dorsey on bass for this one. Love it. The whole gig is available as audio only on You Tube. Search for "Bowie White Room '95".

The soon to be released Brilliant Adventure boxed set has an expanded version of the standard BBC disc from this gig.

In much the same way as Zappa changed his band many times, so did Bowie. I totally get it. A different set of musicians gives a completely different sound. I also think that at the time of recording, getting the big names in for blocks of studios time (Visconti being the exception) wasn’t what was working for DB given his deteriorating health.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Let's Dance. It's just not top of my list. If it works for you then it's all good 👍 I'm reminded of the first time I heard Bowie's cover of Springsteens 'It's Hard To Be a Saint In The City'. Being a huge Springsteen and Bowie fan, it's almost jarring hearing Bowie sing this whilst the song retains the DNA of Sprinsteen throughout. Absolutely love it. George Murray again on bass by the way @Jonesy.

Crikey. I'm not sure I've met anyone who shares that view. I'll say that there are few examples of Modern Love being played live sounding anywhere near as good as it does on Let's Dance. Live Aid is probably an exception and that wasn't Rojas anyway. I know we always had a tough time with it and a lot of videos of Bowie playing it just don't sound right, even with Gail dare I say. Let us not forget Mark King's contribution to the Bowie cannon....

The 'Low' album is also great with George Murray on bass. I really love his playing as it goes in some unusual directions. Alway love playing 'Breaking Glass', in fact the whole of Side A is just fabulous.

This is one of my favourite Gail moments. Beautiful song with a lush arrangement with a few Gail-ism's thrown into the mix for good measure. When we learnt this song, it was this version we used a template.

Ha ha. Yeah, I saw that too. I guess that is PJ approved behaviour 😂

Ha ha. I thought it was the backing vocals that sounded like a different song 🤷‍♂️

Funny enough, that was exactly what I looked at last night. I think there were four on their Ric page or something and none of them were currently in stock. I had a look on some other manufacturer pages and it seemed slightly less listed and a lot not currently available, hence my comment.

Ha ha. I bet that conversation didn't end well for him 😂 I must have either been lucky or completely oblivious to any gear snobbery that may (or may not) have occurred in my vicinity then. Probably a good job really. I don't know why people have to be like that. I'd love to try one of those JAX-T4's, but I fear it would be too large an instrument for my frame/hands. They look fab though.

I may have read the wrong thing into this. I'm aware that people used to take full advantage of Thomann's return policy in a kind of 'try before you keep' scenario and that's how your post reads (to me at least). If that's what you're doing, are you really surprised that the 'B' word has complicated that process? I've not used them since as I've yet to find anything I've wanted significantly cheaper than I could here. I also don't think their stock is anywhere near as comprehensive as it was.

As others have said, I kind of get what you're saying mate, but the 'smug flaunting' comment rubs me up the wrong way a bit as that is far from the truth in my case, as I'm sure it is for others. These comments also sound a bit odd from someone who owns a JAX-T4.

Very sorry to hear that. Condolences to all.

This might be worth a look…. https://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Fender_Jazz_4_Classic_Custom_shop_Honeyburst.html

Mmm. I’m not sure I necessarily agree with that. There’s a fair chance you’ll get something decent, but not guaranteed, especially if you’re talking Fender.