dmccombe7

Agreed to buy a bass at sellers asking price plus courier if required from someone on BC but as they were going on holiday we agreed to wait until they return to sort out the details of courier etc. Halfway thru their holiday they withdraw the bass from the sale and send me a message to say they had decided to keep it. Has honesty, trust and word is your bond something that we don't bother with these days. If i agree to sell something to someone then that's a given for me and i can't and won't go back on that deal no matter what. Maybe i'm just old fashioned in that respect. I missed the chance of a very nice Limelight bass because i was waiting for the said bass. Obviously i am very angry and disappointed to say the least and this sounds like a rant but i always thought BC was a safe place to buy gear without issue. Seems i am wrong. Surely you don't advertise an item for sale if you aren't sure. Just me that thinks that way ??? I simply can't be bothered with people that waste my time. Maybe others have some thoughts on this kind of thing. Personally i am pretty p****d off at the moment. Dave

Result. Nice one

Interesting point about using just one courier. Have to say i've had parcels go amiss in UK so guess there's no guarantees with any courier.

Seeing quite a few very nice basses in various European countries. Just curious to know if anyone has bought from abroad in a private sale. Were there any issues worth pointing out. Obviously Brexit may change things in future but for now did everything go according to plan. Dave

its one of those venues that you can hire and take money at the door so venue generally gets a fixed fee which isn't a huge amount for centre of Glasgow. They do organise their own gigs and take door money. Dave

Look forward to hearing how it goes jacko. Dave

I'd be scared those top cabs on each PA column would fall off if a wave appeared from a passing boat.

Not the best of kit. Think the bass amp is an ashdown combo of some kind. Never seen the actual drumkit so not able to comment on that. Any band i've been in have always taken their own backline which i would advise if you want a good sound. To be fair the sound engineer is a guy called Cammy and he's excellent and always gets a pretty good sound out front and the monitoring system is pretty good too. Staff are all good guys and gals too. Usually get access at back door in the lane around 5pm so ample time to set up and sound check before anyone allowed in at 7pm Stage is a reasonable size altho keys normally set up behind pillar and PA on stage right if standing on stage laying that is. (on the stage left if in audience) The venue is a bit dark and mmmmm but it always seems to work well. I'd say its more a guy venue than one for the girls. Many women think its a bit yuchy. Pulls in a good crowd usually with quite a few just turning up on the night looking for a good band. What's the band Jacko and what's line up in the band ie bass, guitar, drums kinda thing. ? Dave

Makes me an old duffer too now as i'm jst about to buy one when guy gets back from hols end of the week. Of course i did have a fretless one when i was early 20's. That was nice. Dave

Good news that most of your gear ws found and i hope the thief gets caught too. Hanging's too good for them. string em up by the short and curlies and throw knives at them for fun. I'm not a vengeful person. Keep us posted on final outcome. I'm very curious about the phone thing to see if it was your neighbour. At least if it was he'll be finding a new home soon............sharing a small one-bedroom apartment with big hairy Bubba Dave

This just arrived in post this morning from US. Fantastic album by Lari Basilio with Nathan East on bass. Superb playing on this. Well worth a listen.

Good enough gear to gig with altho not sure the amp would be powerful enough in our band. Put it thru PA and should be fine. I tend to use my rig as a personal monitor on stage so its important i can hear it over the drums. Dave

I like it but i'm not religious. Just good musicianship. Think it may have developed into preachy stuff but the early material was technically very good IMO Dave

Damn i got that one far too quick

I'm kinda in that territory as well. I did buy quite a few Transatlantic albums tho. Dave

enjoyed that. He's quite an interesting character and a fantastic bassist. I'm not a huge fan of them but i do enjoy hearing them. Dave

Excellent. That's the kind of silly wee thing that makes you appreciate a company. Its when they sort out even the trivial queries. Some bigger companies would simply ignore that or send you a price list to purchase the screws or fuses at extortionate inflated prices too. That's made me quite happy now. Dave

That's a nice collection going on there. Quite varied too. Liking it. Dave

I'm with a 70's Glam covers band now but i love playing the music that got me into music in first place. I never seem to get bored with any of the songs. We've only just started gigging with the band but we have been rehearsing on/off for over a year due to other commitments and personnel changes too (keys players). Its been worth it for me tho. I might give it another try tho if things get a bit stale with current band. Dave

Best (or the worst for stress) i've done was 34 songs in 3 weeks, no rehearsals and after first week was told majority were in different keys and some in very different keys. That was very stressful and probably what put me off depping since. I did the 2 gigs on the Fri/Sat nights and all went very well but i was learning songs morning noon and evening. Was just a bit too much for my liking. To be fair i had never played any of the songs before and some i'd never heard of. Maybe now 5 or 6 yrs down the line i'm a bit more relaxed about it all and have more songs in my book now that i could probably get away with it now. Problem back then was i have a history of Classic rock or Prog and the band i was working for were a 70's / 80's cover band doing clubs and caravan parks kind of thing. They also thru in a medoly of more modern covers which were the ones i'd never heard before. Dave

Nope i couldn't do that kind of short notice dep gig. I like to be organised. I've done them in the past and altho i enjoyed the actual gigs i didn't enjoy the run up to them. Respect and all credit to all that can and enjoy doing it tho. Dave

I'm not that good at writing. Just copied from my FB page but def funny. Oddly enough i never get asked. Maybe i'm just scary looking.

Had to share this guidance to ensure we are all singing from same sheet. HOW TO REQUEST A SONG FROM THE BAND When requesting a song from the band, just say “Play my song.” We have chips implanted in our heads with an unlimited database of the favorite tunes of every patron who ever walked into a bar and all songs ever recorded so feel free to be vague, we love the challenge. If we say we really don’t remember that tune you want, we’re only kidding. Bands do know every song ever recorded, so keep humming. Hum harder if need be… it helps jog the memory, or just repeat your request over and over again. If a band tells you they do not know a song you want to hear, they either forgot they know the tune or they are just putting you on. Try singing a few words for the band, any words will do. It also helps to scream your request from across the room several times per set followed by the phrases, “AW, COME ON!” and “YOU SUCK!” Exaggerated hand gestures expressing disapproval from the dance floor are a big help as well, such as the thumbs down or your middle finger up. Put-downs are the best way to jog a band’s memory. This instantly promotes you to the status of “Personal Friend of the Band.” You can bet your request will be the next song we play. Entertainers are notorious fakers and jokesters and never really prepared for their shows. We simply walk on stage with no prior thought to what we will do once we arrive. We don’t actually make set lists or rehearse songs, we mostly just wait for you to yell something out, then fake it. An entertainer’s job is easy, even a monkey could do it, so don’t let them off the hook easily. Your request is all that matters. Once you’ve figured out what genre of music the band plays, please make your requests from a totally different genre, the more exaggerated the better. If it’s a blues band playing, yell for some Metallica, Black Sabbath or Motley Crue. If it’s a death-speed metal band be sure to request Brown Eyed Girl or some Grateful Dead. We musicians constantly need to broaden our horizons and it’s your job to see that it happens… immediately. TALKING WITH THE BAND The best time to discuss anything with the band in any meaningful way is at the middle of a song when all band members are singing at the same time. Our hearing is so advanced that we can pick out your tiny voice from the megawatt wall of sound blasting all around us. And we can converse with you in sign language while singing the song, so don’t worry that we’re in the middle of the chorus. Musicians are expert lip-readers too. If a musician does not reply to your question or comment during a tune, it’s because they didn’t get a good look at your mouth in order to read your lips. Simply continue to scream out your request and be sure to over emphasize the words with your lips. This helps immensely. Don’t be fooled. Singers have the innate ability to answer questions and sing at the same time. If the singer doesn’t answer your questions immediately, regardless of how stupid the question may seem, it’s because they are purposely ignoring you. If this happens, immediately cop an attitude. We love this. IMPORTANT TIP When an entertainer leans over to hear you better, grab his or her head in both hands and yell directly into their ear, while holding their head securely so they can’t pull away. This will be taken as an invitation to a friendly game of tug of war between their head and your hands. Don’t give up, hang on until the singer or guitar player submits. Drummers are often unavailable for this fun game since they usually sit at the back, protected by their drum kits. Keyboard players are protected by their instrument and only play the game when tricked into coming out from behind their instruments. Though difficult to get them to play, it’s not impossible, so keep trying. They’re especially vulnerable during the break between songs. HELPING THE BAND If you inform the band that you are a singer, the band will appreciate your help with the next few tunes, or however long you can remain standing on stage. If you’re too drunk to stand unassisted, simply lean on one of the band members or the most expensive piece of equipment you see. Just pretend you’re in a karaoke bar. Simply feel free to walk up on stage and join in the fun. By the way, the drunker you are, the better you sound, and the louder you should sing. If by chance you fall off the stage, be sure to crawl back up and attempt to sing harmony. Keep in mind that nothing assists the band more than outrageous dancing, fifth and sixth part harmonies or a tambourine played on one and three and out of tempo. Try the cowbell, they love the challenge. The band always needs the help and will take this as a compliment. Finally, the microphone and PA system are merely props, they don’t really amplify your voice, so when you grab the mic out of the singer’s hand, be sure to scream into it at the top of your lungs, otherwise nobody will hear what a great singer you are. Hearing is over-rated anyhow. The crowd and the sound tech will love you for it. BONUS TIP As a last resort, wait until the band takes a break and then get on stage and start playing their instruments. They love this. Even if you are ejected from the club, you can rest assured in the knowledge you have successfully completed your audition. The band will call you the following day to offer you a position.

Awe don't be hard on yourself, we all need to start somewhere.