casapete

Don’t know if it’s my physique, but bowl back style basses ( and guitars come to think of it ) always seem uncomfortable to play. They seem to want to face upwards too much, even when seated. Always put me off Ovations, along with the plastic (sorry, ‘Lyrachord’) construction of the backs.

No, I'm in East Yorkshire so no connection there. Have you got sorted with a bass rig yet?

I did the same this week, and apart from my throat giving me some gyp for my backing vocals, the gig went well. It’s amazing what you remember that you assume might have disappeared from your memory, you’ll be fine. Good luck!

Yup, I knew one like that too. His count was always faster than the tempo he came in with, even when I started counting them in after a period of frustration / annoyance. I'm sure he thought I rushed everything too! Whilst I'm not the greatest bass player by any means, one of my strengths is being able to hold a tempo whatever everyone else is trying to do with it. With a dragging drummer, by the end of the night my right hand was often swollen and sore from trying to drive the song and make the drummer keep the tempo where it should be. I got to the point where in most songs I could anticipate the same places he slowed down every time. When we occasionally had a dep it was such a relief.

Did my first gig this year last night. Just my acoustic duo at a local pub, but nevertheless a landmark event for me - I was actually beginning to wonder if I would ever get out there again. The gig went well, good well behaved crowd and brilliantly organised staff sorting out table service - a buzzer to the bar on each table was available to order drinks. I was initially worried about the drunks left over from the England match, but fortunately they drifted off once we started , funny that! Worries about my hands still being able to do 3 x 40 min sets were unfounded, although my voice only just survived. You forget about rehearsing vocals, well I did anyway. Got home at round 12.30am, absolutely knackered today though.

I’ve been fortunate to play at a number of upmarket functions north of the border where they’ve had brilliant people playing bagpipes. Changed my mind about them completely - very moving when played well in the right setting. Same with Ceilidh bands with absolutely amazing players, and great to see all the audience involved in the dancing.

Yup, Marshall did ( as mentioned above somewhere). Don't think they lasted long in production though, seem to remember Lemmy using them.

Fender did do some pretty large ‘unusual’ cabs, like a 3x12 so maybe something like that? The width of the cab in the picture though seems pretty odd. Maybe could just be a home made / custom built job that someone used Fender grille cloth on?

Absolutely - worst one I've encountered recently was at a Clapton gig at Leeds Arena. Although I rarely do big venues we managed to get seats fairly near the front so a great view etc. Young chap next to me got his phone out just before the band came on and then spent the entire gig filming the video screen situated next to the stage, unbelievable! Think the younger generation now just take pics and videos of everything instead of living and enjoying the moment as it happens.

I can't be doing with pushing and shoving either. Couldn't do with it even when I was in my late teens at punk gigs, so certainly not putting up with it now! Most of the bands I enjoy seem to attract a similar audience reaction to me and my friend's. Mainly there to watch and listen as well as showing support for the band. Can't be doing with people talking ( especially in the quieter songs) or obliterating my view with phones at all. Also those gits who constantly bump into you / spill beer all over the place and think that because I'm not off my face I can't be enjoying the band as much as them. A few years ago me and a couple of mates were at a gig at The Duchess in Leeds watching ex-Stones guitarist Mick Taylor. A random bloke kept on banging around and spilling drinks on us, and one of my friends warned him not to do it again which of course he did. My mate grabbed the fella and then frogmarched him outside in an instant, job done. Rest of the gig very enjoyable! I don't go to gigs to start fights, but likewise don't pay good money to put up with being shoved around either.

Great smell but wicked stuff though - remember doing the fence with it at my first house and getting horrible blotches on my arms where it had splashed.

Exactly this. My duo play a couple of times a year at the home my dad spent his last years in, and the requests are nearly always from the 50’s and 60’s. They like an old time singalong as well, but rock and pop wins the day.

I have transport, some PA, and sing backing vocals! This seems to be a rarity with bass players around here, and I think sometimes gets me dep gigs over better players than myself. Always hard to find a dep good enough to do the job but just not too well isn’t it?!! We had some unbelievably good deps over the years, and the band always seemed to raise their collective game accordingly.

The band never let me forget it of course so just made it worse. Got my own back when the trumpet player was on holiday though. He used a dep who was really good, so I told him a lot of his parts had sounded so much better when played an octave higher. 😅

‘You can call me Al’ by Paul Simon. Played this for years and never did it justice, especially the bass break. Worst bit was, I had to play guitar with the band on one gig when our usual guitarist was ill, and the (superb) bass dep absolutely nailed it. ( I had him try and show me how afterwards, but never got it down properly). 🥴

Agreed - Los Lobos were featured in the 1987 film 'La Bamba' which was a biopic based on Ritchie Valence.

Love this version of La Bamba. Los Lobos are a great band from east LA, and they apparently got a bit fed up of everyone thinking this song defined them. Formed in 1973 and still with the same 4 original members, they've made some great albums in both Spanish and English. I've seen them twice, and they did a great acoustic section of traditional Mexican material ( like La Bamba is of course).

I always like the drum break on this classic - just as it fades around 4m16s the drums bring it back in with a vengeance!

Cliff Burton, apparently with some band called Metallica ? Also Roberta Flack.

Don't know how I forgot Trevor Bolder, a local lad who everyone round here was so proud of (along with Mick Ronson too of course).

Pretty much the same here really. Add Willie Dixon, McCartney, Andy Fraser and that's probably it for me.

They could really socket to them too....

Nothing against The Kemps, but that recent 'swing' album was pretty grim. Their version of 'The way you look tonight' was one of the low points, with both singers choosing to completely ignore the melody (am guessing they couldn't manage it with their range?) and make up their own. They're not alone in doing this, but I honestly don't see why - just do something you CAN do justice too. Here's Frank doing it properly -

Sending positive thoughts Blue, and hope you return stronger than ever. All the very best mate, Pete.

I feel your pain. When I had mine I only had to wheel it from my van across a gravelled area which was nigh on impossible, but it’s amazing what you can manage when you need to. I haven’t sadly used one for a while now. We did a gig at Butlins in Bognor Regis a couple of years ago, and only after we’d done a lengthy soundcheck ( using my regular GK rig) did one of the crew tell me that I could have used the SVT rig lurking behind a curtain at the back of the large stage. To say I was gutted was an understatement, but no doubt using it would have started me wanting one yet again, which at 63 ain’t gonna happen!