Anything with a horn section loud gets right into the centre of your brain too doesn't it, the sound crew were probably deaf from years of doing the sound for rock and roll bands with dinosaur amps
The loudest band I've seen (after metallica in '93) was velvet revolver, jeez my internal organs haven't been right since, they were all wearing in ears.
And there's the reality, three nice mics would improve our band but as the only member of a four piece band that doesn't sing I've drawn the line at that!
Do you think Flea needs 7 large bass cabs when he wears in ears? They are there to create a wall to hide stuff where the dj guy stands and to sell GK cabs to dinosaurs
Carole King for me, her writing credits are ridiculous, great grasp of writing a pop hit but with an under pinning of technical knowledge, great pianist and lesser known guitarist too.
You lost me at "the drummer doesn't drive and lives 90 miles away", if it's going to be a £250 per person function band then maybe, £40 a piece down the tickled trout then it's never gonna happen imo.
Onwards and upwards
If you look at the Fender stuff it's not really a big deal anyway is it? Neck and body with a lick of paint, relicing done with a stencil.
Plenty of people paid nearly USA money for a Mex Jazz because it was painted pink and had $12 worth of stacked pots on it, the mind boggles.
Even as a bass player I haven't heard of most of the bass players with a signature bass available.
Try asking Joe public if they know who Gene Simmons is then try Victor Wootton or Duck Dunn, I know who'd be most 'famous'.