mrtcat

Bugger. We just chose a new name. After endless debating I'm not gonna mention this though cos I don't think I can go through it all again.

This is actually quite a hard question. Many of the places I've been to are seasonal and I don't really ever want to live in a big city which is where the best music scenes usually run yr round. I was living in a town called Breckenridge in Colorado for a while (2004-2007) as a snowboard instructor and formed a local band for the winters of 2005-2006 and 2006-2007. We did funk / rock covers and would play in any of the 5-6 towns within a 25mile radius. The music scene was so good we could have played 4-5 nights a week but had to be careful as we had visa limitations (two of us were on H2B visas) but still managed at least 2 gigs a week in very lively places. There were some brilliant bands out there too. So I guess if it weren't for the fact I could never get a visa to live there then that would be my choice as it was also an amazing place to live and snowboard.

Active monitors are pretty convenient Imo. We picked up some used Mackie SRM450s used off Gumtree and they are perfect and serve as a usable backup for foh tops should we ever have a problem.

[quote name='The Admiral' timestamp='1437895037' post='2829731'] I used to like the big orange ones. You could suck on those for hours if you were feeling a bit hot. [/quote] Haha 😂 small ones definitely aren't more juicy.

Plymouth

Genz streamliner 900 into BFM simplex 1x12. I built my own rehearsal / recording studio this spring in an outbuilding at the end of the garden. I also practice drums in there and we have weekly band rehearsal there too. Volume isn't really an issue.

My wife has terrible music taste but amazing jubblies and her dad owns a brewery.

Edwin Starr's "Contact" is a lot of fun to do rocked up. Goes down well too.

I think maybe it's that ability to change what you play that makes playing an instrument interesting. For me playing covers is fun and at this moment in my life I enjoy playing well known stuff. A bit like members such as crez I do more disco stuff than rock and that definitely is more fulfilling to me. If however I thought for one minute that i would spend the rest of my playing career doing only that I would probably be pretty depressed but we all have the option to change what we do at any time we like. mr zed's post shows that when (or if) the day comes when you get bored of of the same old same old then there is a plethora of other options out there.

Something tells me you'd need two drummers just so drums could be heard over a Barefaced behemoth.

Great article and some lovely gear. Gonna show my wife this later - single sounds like fun!

Just wait for the Tech 21 VT500 to be released and then pick up a used GK/MarkBass/TC head from the for sale section on here. Something tells me there might be a flood of used compact heads on the horizon lol.

[quote name='pjb13.bass' timestamp='1437736051' post='2828603'] So in fact you are addressing me. Make your mind up mate! [/quote] Yawn

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1437464221' post='2826106'] Bloody hell, I thought some of MY bands contained weird people. [/quote] They're just a bit negative at times. I'm the only non full time muso in the band and it feels on occasion like I'm dragging a bunch of disinterested teens on a day trip. Until they get paid of course lol.

Tell us more...

You Can Leave Your Hat On - goes down a storm but can lead to mass nudity in the wrong venue tho.

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1437482289' post='2826348'] With the risk of getting a bit esoteric here, they're going on the list! [/quote] We do a bunch of theme tunes. My favourite is the Grange hill theme. Get to use an envelope filter. The Bill is also fun.

I think the thread is possibly showing us that there's standards in every type of band. Pub rock covers bands do songs like Sex On Fire, Dakota etc etc. Disco bands do tunes like Disco Inferno, Superstition etc etc. Wedding bands do many of the genres and then stuff like Mustang Sally and Signed Sealed Delivered etc. Maybe the question should be "Why do pub bands generally tend to be rock covers?" and that I guess is because that's what a lot of bands, pub customers are comfortable with. I don't doubt disco bands would go down brilliantly every time but if you're good enough to pull off disco tunes well then you can get more rewarding work than the local pub on a saturday. The bottom line is tho that these songs when played well go down really well with a wide spectrum of people and that's what it's all about surely?

[quote name='pjb13.bass' timestamp='1437458902' post='2826074'] They may well know f*ck all about music but generally they know a great deal about making money. [i]Most[/i] of them don't care what kind of music you play or even the level of ability of the band collectively or individually. All they are interested in is your potential to draw a crowd. Not getting your head around this concept is likely to be a big disadvantage. [/quote] +1 You also can't generally compare pub rock bands with the bands doing soul, funk tribute etc. These bands are usually a higher standard of players commanding higher fees and are playing in venues with a reputation for great music. Bands playing in the local pub have to be cheap and cheerful because for a landlord to justify a spend of £250 he / she needs to shift probably 250 pints more than they would if the band weren't there. On that basis they'd never be able to afford a tribute act or specialist soul band. Places like the jam factory can pull more unique / high standard bands as they have built a reputation as a music venue so will have a good crowd meaning they can pay OK and attract bands wanting the exposure. Any landlord that gets a band like Crez's will have totally lucked out because it's their good fortune that the band choose their venue as a place to bring potential customers down for a look.

[quote name='crez5150' timestamp='1437415828' post='2825829'] I find it highly amusing...... Not that I play many pubs but we do try and play around ten pubs per year so that we can invite potential (mostly wedding) clients too. I always go in with the same blurb that we are not your average pub band (we play predominantly Disco covers) and that always gets raised eyes from the landlords/ladys. That'll never go down well here mate, they love the rock'..... I always make a bet with them there and then. If we don't entertain your punters as well as the best bands you have in here then we'll play for free. So far (7 years) we've not had to go down that route. It does amaze me when you see 90% of the bands playing the local circuit that have a similar set.... why is it that bands think they have to do this.... Are they worried to go outside of their comfort zone? Any way here's our set list - [b]Carwash[/b] [b]Play That Funky Music[/b] [b]Ladies Night[/b] [b]Last Night A DJ Saved My Life[/b] [b]Groove Is In The Heart[/b] [b]Turn On Tune In Cop Out[/b] [b]We Are Family[/b] [b]Jive Talking[/b] [b]Get Down On It[/b] [b]Kiss[/b] [b]Kung Fu Fighting[/b] [b]That's The Way I Like It[/b] [b]Get Down Tonight[/b] [b]Night Fever[/b] [b]More Than A Woman[/b] [b]Signed Sealed Delivered[/b] [b]Pick Up The Pieces[/b] [b]Treasure[/b] [b]1999[/b] [b]Good Times[/b] [b]I Want Your Love[/b] [b]Le Freak[/b] [b]Move On Up[/b] [b]Superstition[/b] [b]Disco Inferno[/b] [b]Funky Town[/b] [b]Mighty Real[/b] [b]Long Train/Jagger[/b] [b]Uptown Funk[/b] [b]Staying Alive[/b] [b]You Should Be Dancing[/b] [b]I Wish[/b] [/quote]We are a wedding band and we do 26 of those. Great as they are I'd call them pretty standard covers. But it's standard covers that get you booked again and again.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1437426826' post='2825970'] Maybe look into getting that fixed - probably chealer than a whole new cone. Think it`s Wembley Loudspeakers that do re-coning and fixing speakers. [/quote] Your best bet as it's probably cheaper and there's a chance it was chosen for that cab for a reason. If you buy a new one you need to make sure you buy one that suits the dimensions / design of the cab. I'd worry less about power and more about compatibility with the box you just bought.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1437384936' post='2825408'] For a little more outlay you may want to consider the Behringer X32 Producer. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_x_32_producer.htm"]http://www.thomann.d...32_producer.htm[/url] I have heard good things, but bear in mind I have no direct experience of it. [/quote] All the X32 desks are great. Really usable and packed with features. We have a standard X32 which I also use to do live sound for local beer festivals etc and it's just brilliant.