dmccombe7

I can only offer my sympathy and best wishes to you guys and hope that things improve for you.. I've had no real experience of depression. I've known some anxiety but its probably more adrenelin or worry more than anything else for me. I've just been very lucky in life i guess so it would be an insult to offer any kind of advice from me. Shame you can't get to some gigs tho as its something that i enjoy altho more so when i was younger. These days i'm very selective mainly cause i'm gettin old and its too much trouble getting to gigs unless i drive an hour each way. Dave

Have to say i'm liking the Sandberg steels. Had them on since i got the bass few months ago. The twang wore off after about a week of playing and they've kept pretty same since. After a 6 hour rehearsal on Sunday i've noted they are starting to show signs of becoming dull but only just. I don't know how old the strings were as i bought thru a shop but the bass was new and was set up by Chris at Classic and Cool Guitars. That's about the same as the Fender and Daddario nickels i've been using recently. The steels haven't been as bad as i thought they would on my fingers either My memory of using Rotosounds years ago were of blisters and at some gigs blood from my plucking fingers. I did play very hard back then to be fair. Age has mellowed my playing a bit. Dave

Great pic for your collecction tho.

4hrs ?? jings i'd struggle keeping that up for as long. Well done Blue. Shame about the accomodation. Good to see the gigs still coming in for you. All the best Dave

Damn that stage lighting

I have a thing about keys players. Arrogant, full of their own self importance. If they arent't overly loud cause they think they are the star of the show they are playing the bass part with their left hand when its not required. Personally i'd get rid of him but its a tricky one with him and the gtr'd being best buddies. Maybe he had good reason for cancelling ......did he not say why as a matter of courtesy ? At the start of a new band the set list is short so there can be a lot of spare time at a 3hr rehearsal. Once set is longer you can "gig" your set list. Play it as if at a gig with no gaps or delays between songs to get a feel for how it will all work. That won't give him time to faff around between songs. Dave

Jings i thought that was a young Lemmy there. Had to take a 2nd look. Now that's got energy. Nice one with some nice playing there too. Dave

That's one more than me. I don't count bandmates as friends mainly because we don't socialise other than as a band. I do tend to socialise with my brother more than anyone else and even go to occassional gigs. Not bad considering he was the one that got me into rock music and took me to my first ever gig back in 76. Dave

Surely you have mates that would go even band members ? Wouldn't give up on seeing bands. I used to go to the occassional gigs myself back in 80's thru choice rather than circumstances. It was ok but something good about having a few beers and chatting with a mate(s) is all part of the experience. Shame you might need to give that up Dave

Always liked Nikita by Elton John.

Used to play in a few 3 piece bands and we very rarely did a proper soundcheck. Was a case of set up on stage balance and then thru PA. Was our own PA's and channels were same so didn't need to change much other than volume for most gigs. All so simple in them days. Any tewaks were done during the gig. Dave

Normally we set up as a band and have a reasonable balance on stage. Sound Eng usually starts with drums then bass. I like when a SE asks me if i'm happy with FOH sound. The good ones will listen to my on stage tone and set up as close to it as poss. They'll ask me to play something and they go between on-stage and FOH sound to compare. That works really well for me. I tend to keep it very simple bass runs across the strings. Like the idea of MONEY as one of my fav tracks from DSOTM. Might try that next rehearsal. Once all band members have done their individual checks we will play one or two songs that cover most of what we do. I also use sound effects thru an MB200 DI'd to FOH but that is usually set up last Dave

Ultimate Bowie tribute band 15th June. Has to be the best tribute band i've ever seen. Bass player Joe Hope is a fantastic artist as well and did a Bowie portrait for me couple years ago Dave

The Lightwave always sounds good as a fretless. I've never actually heard a fretted one.

Sounds brilliant Dave. Hopefully you will post some VID clips of the gig for us jealous musicians in UK. Dave

Liked the F bass AC tone.

I generally don't play pubs as such but i did say it was rare and as i agreed later it was probably admission fee.

I do read but i more or less follow the same princible. I like to listen to the song a few times or if i know it already i then play along until i get a feel for it. Then i'll write out the bass part which helps me remember the bassline. If i can i'll also look for bass tab as a quick fix to learning. Get the basics and then fill in the gaps when more time available. Dave

I have a Dingwall NG2 with the Darkglass pre-amp and it has a lovely deep growl. That's an option i would def consider in a Sandberg bass. Dave

Think they do charge at the door but still a pub.

Agree but fans will now buy a 2nd book just to have it signed by Geddy himself. Another money making exercise from bands that already charge a fortune for concert tickets. I'll stick to having the £18 book. Don't need a signature on the book. I have it on one of his basses

£500 being quite rare for a pub gig but i know of a few bands that have been doing the rounds a while and getting up to £500 a gig but it really depends on the pub. I'm talking pubs with a seperate lounge laid out for bands with a stage. Still regarded more as a pub but i guess you could call it a venue. Not your crushed into a corner style pub tho. Dave

Small pubs £200 increasing in amount depending on size of pub or venue or how busy it gets. Some pubs paying £500 but that's rare as far as i know. Also the style of band can make a difference to what pubs will pay as some genres pul a better audience and pub makes more at the bar. If you go down the club route its anywhere between £500 and few thousand pounds. Onto wedding bands and you'll be earning up to £3-£5k for a really good wedding band. Tried the club and wedding or function band but just not for me. Found it quite boring. Dave