fretmeister

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1503319789' post='3357147'] I have absolutely no interest in American history and until I read this thread I had no idea that the flag had anything to do with white supremacists. It's just one of the old pre-independence US flags. I really can't believe anyone in the UK would believe you were white supremacists. Is there even such a thing in the UK? [/quote] National Front Combat 18 Blood and Honour All UK white supremacy groups. There are more.

[quote name='Les' timestamp='1503319107' post='3357137'] I've had my terminally offended cyber flounce brigade" chucked back at me a couple of times please don't think I'm referring to anyone on here who has an opinion, I'm not, I'm talking about the point scoring look at me I'm offended cos' I saw an opportunity type's, we all know them. I knew from the start I would get generally intelligent well thought out and knowledgeable answers on here. There has to be some context in this, we decorate ourselves and we decorate the stage, we even have hobby horses that the girls like to nick and ride about the dance floor with. We actually hang them from the speakers with nooses ( I just know I'm going to regret passing that snippet on ). People have commented when they walk in and look at the stage/windowsill/postage stamp area that it looks good and looks like something's about to happen. We don't by any stretch of the imagination look like any sort of rally/political/fascist/KKK meeting, we look like a band that's made an effort. As I stated before we have NEVER had an adverse comment or raised eyebrow about any of it. We do know what the flags about and I'm trying to gauge if our punters see it for anything other than decoration And I do thank you all for your contribution to this. [/quote] The only acceptable contexts for a symbol of racism is when it appears in history / academic books or is being condemned. I think you probably hoped the majority would support the continuing use of the flag at your shows. No offence - but that is as naive as using it. Why on earth would you want to be associated with it anymore? Why would you want to have to explain "context" every time? Or more to the point, not have the opportunity to explain context because the venue just won't book you, or a punter won't buy a ticket or T-shirt? There's at least 41 months of Trump left - it's not going to get any better. More people will see the images in the news - that flag being held aloft by guys in white hoods, or wearing stuff like this: (Seen at a rally in the US over the weekend and posted on twitter) You have a product to sell - your band. You could kill your reputation with 1 review that raises the flag a an issue. Here is an example - when for all their marketing expertise Umbro decided to name a trainer "Zyklon" http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2222783.stm People who saw that advert only had 1 or 2 reactions. Either they thought it was monumentally thick, or that Umbro were anti-semitic. Neither is an attractive quality to a customer.

[quote name='fftc' timestamp='1503318927' post='3357130'] That's the point though. The flag hasn't been 'high-jacked' by nasty people. It has always been a nasty flag, as the above link to the 'cornerstone speech' points out. I grew up when Dukes of Hazard were on the TV. I don't remember if there were racist elements in that show, and even if there had been I was too busy getting excited by the cool car jumping over bridges. Yeah, the flag had a bit of cool charm about it. I was naive. A few years later in my late teens and early 20's there were some folk in the rock and metal scene where I lived with confederate patches with slogans like 'The South will rise again' sewn on their denim jackets. If I knew then what I know now I'd have challenged them on that, but I was as naive as I expect they were at the time. [i][u][b]Now when I see that flag I think racist. I expect the only people who want to be viewed as racists are real racists. If you are not one of them then don't fly that flag and don't put a pillow case on your head with eyeholes cut out of it. Both say the same thing to me.[/b][/u][/i] [/quote] I agree totally. And your history with seeing the flag as a kid is the same as mine. And about 15 years ago or so, my next door neighbour had an orange Dodge Charger. He ran out of money before he could put the flag on it (easy to run out when it had IIRC a 6.5 litre V8 with a 3 speed auto box. Did under 10mpg even when driving carefully. As wide as a double decker bus too. Stupid bloody thing). Made a glorious noise though)

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1503317482' post='3357097'] Can you recommend a book on the subject? [/quote] "[color=#101010]In the spring of 1861, decades of simmering tensions between the northern and southern United States over issues including states’ rights versus federal authority, westward expansion and slavery exploded into the American Civil War (1861-65). The election of the anti-slavery Republican Abraham Lincoln as president in 1860 caused seven southern states to secede from the Union to form the Confederate States of America; four more joined them after the first shots of the Civil War were fired. "[/color] http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/american-civil-war-history and the US's own specialist museum on the subject (lots there) https://acwm.org/about-us/our-mission It is a compulsory subject in schools in the USA. There are plenty of books out there.

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1503317403' post='3357096'] I'm not saying that war was not about the above, just that (I should imagine) there is more than meets the eye. [/quote] The same way that there is more to any other oppressive regime flag - of course. IIRC Opera was far better funded under Mussolini. But that doesn't reduce the impact of the vile stuff in the slightest.

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1503317247' post='3357092'] Most were actually erected in the early 20 century, the 20s and 30s. The days of the Jim Crow laws and terrible oppression, they are a sign of that. [/quote] So about a hundred years then! (I still can't cope with people born in the 1990s being allowed to drive!)

Just a thought though.. I don't know where you are, but if you are in a strong UKIP area you might get more punters by keeping the flags. You could then take advantage and really rip them off on the ticket prices. Would serve them right.

It's not a modern purpose - it's the original purpose, after it has been sanitised by recent pop culture. Put it another way - if there was a modern band playing traditional Cambodian music, would I attend if they flew the Khmer Rouge flag? Nope.

And as for any comments about destroying history.. You don't keep statues of dictators. You don't keep flying flags of their regimes. That would be celebrating them. But of course you keep the knowledge of what they did, and they take their place in history records - destroying history would only occur if their existence was removed from non-celebratory texts.

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1503314783' post='3357056'] This is an interesting one, as there are all sorts of Confederate flags. For me they represent the Rock n' Roll Rebel type thing and Lynyrd Skynyrd. I'm not to up on the American Civil war, but[i][u][b] I bet it's not as clear cut as slavery/white supremacy/North good, South bad type thing[/b][/u][/i]. You could either learn your history and use that to justify its use, or just replace it with Old Glory. Still Americana innit? Shame tho, it's such a cool flag and I'm uneasy about destroying elements of history to suit our agenda now. Isn't that what the Nazi's did? [/quote] I think it is - the Americans are currently debating tearing down confederate leader statues - and some states have removed them already. They've been there for a hundred years and now a lot of people are unhappy about the actions of those leaders. Funnily enough - it's probably caused more Americans to be educated about the civil war, which pretty much did start over the issue of slavery. Still - no one needs to be associated with this sort of thing:

I loved them on the General Lee in Dukes of Hazard (not the crap remake) I'd never use them now. The world has changed and that flag is now being used not in a celebration of general redneck-ness, but back to it's original unpleasant use. It's far too easy to lose your fanbase. It just needs 1 person to spam facebook with "so and so is racist" and you are knackered. You'd probably get more fans by dumping the flag and publicly explaining why.

How are you using it? As a preamp into the FX return, or as a pedal in the front of your amp? I'm tempted to try one. I had a B3K which I loved, then a B7K which I didn't like as much - the drive didn't seem to be as saturated as on the 3, so I'm wondering if the AO would do the trick

[quote name='bigjimmyc' timestamp='1503311806' post='3357030'] My bf four10 is a one-hand lift..... but a six10 would "look" cooler. [/quote] It might be for you - but I've had 4 hernia repairs!

Thank you. a 6x10 is really too much for me, but the tilt back would make it easier to move than a 4x10

Does the Barefaced Retro Six10 have tilt back casters? Asking for a friend...

Is the new one basically a drive pedal version rather than a preamp? How are you AO people using the AO? Into the front of the amp or into the fx return?

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1503150261' post='3356072'] Scrap what I said, I'm keeping it. [/quote] Were the patches a success?

I've got a Premium Jem (guitar) and the build quality is awesome. These days it's the same model CNC machines in different countries. Hard to get wrong.

I used tab for 20 years and then started on notation. I'm not a strong reader by any means, but I'm getting there - and I'd recommend it to everyone. I wish I had swapped earlier. Even books with tab and notation require the reader to look at both for rhythm information. It's more efficient to only need to look at one. And just like every other type of reading it really does only need 5 mins per day practice. That is far better than 1 hour at the weekend. I bought the ABRSM Double bass books - sight reading and the scale book. They are for DB, but I just ignore the bow information. they start dead easy, and slowly build. Worth every penny. Now when I get given a piano part to try and work out a bass part to accompany my far more talented kids, I don't just sh*t myself!