paul torch

Sorry for my early morning rant, but this is something that has bugged me for years. Is anyone here familiar with the appalling sound at the Kentish Town Forum? Every band that I have seen there for at least the past 10 years has suffered from a terrible sound. Last night I went to see White Denim. Four incredibly tight and competent musicians who I first saw sometime last year (or early this year) at the Electric Ballroom in Camden. The sound at the Camden gig was fantastic, crystal clear allowing me to listen to each individual instrument and then the band as a whole enabling me to then come to the conclusion that they were god-like geniuses and start purchasing their back catalogue to study them further. Had last night been my first introduction to them I would have come away thinking - yeah, ok I suppose. This has been the case at the Forum for years now, with bands sounding like they are playing through several sweaty socks placed inside a biscuit tin. Surely it is the primary function of a venue to achieve the best possible sound. I don't care about the decor and I can live with the fact that they sell overpriced crap alcohol. What are they spending they're profits on? Surely they are doing the bands and punters a disservice. The bands must want to show their material in the best possible light, so why do they keep playing there. Ok, you could suggest that with a relatively newish overseas band like White Denim they are not familiar with the sound limitations but there are plenty of establish bands that I have seen there (Gong, Killing Joke, Sparks, etc) which have suffered the same fate. Why do these bands keep playing there? It particularly winds me up as we have in recent years lost one of the best venues in London (IMO) that being the Astoria on Charing Cross Road and I find myself having to go to Forum more and more to catch bands that I want to see. I know I am my own worst enemy and complain after every gig there, but I still keep going. Serves me right for being a sucker I suppose. I don't think it has always been this way at the Forum. I remember in the late 80's when I first moved to London going to see bands like Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets and the La's at the then named Town and Country and the sound was great. Have they just become lazy and complacent over the years? I keep saying that I should vote with my feet, but I guess I am week. Maybe I should drop a line to the band's fan site or something to let them know how badly the venue has let them down. As you can tell I have not had my Ready Brek, normal service will be resumed shortly.

[quote name='rushbo' timestamp='1337620411' post='1662938'] I made one of these for a Chinese Les Paul I was restoring, I had a spare one, so I stuck it on a defretted Squier Jazz. It confuses the hell out of people. I like that. [/quote] another alternative I was thinking of with a similar anagram was Gobins

[quote name='Raggy' timestamp='1337608648' post='1662658'] [attachment=108412:224759_2065411038721_1348133944_2446839_4067109_n.jpg]Here's mine I did for my Bitsa. It was a bit of a fokker to put together, so i felt the name was apt. [/quote] nice work

[quote name='simwells' timestamp='1337608103' post='1662650'] I've always prefered F***inbetter [/quote] or cod-in-batter

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1337599037' post='1662432'] I'm still trying to find someone who can make me one of these.... [/quote] Lemmy style.

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1337547498' post='1661885'] I'd love to have the headstock one of my basses read "Pervy" [/quote] like this?

Ha, thanks for the feedback. I've stuck it on in an obvious way with a bit of spray mount. Not trying to fool anyone.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1337543283' post='1661748'] We don't start with this ... but we should. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=4D21mxgGRhY"]http://www.youtube.c...e&v=4D21mxgGRhY[/url] [/quote] good choice.

We've arrived (and to prove it we're here) - The Rutles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlgLE--QvTw

Quiet sunday, thought I'd have a go at producing a joke headstock logo for my blag EB0. [attachment=108374:Gobsh*te_logo.jpg]

[quote name='lettsguitars' timestamp='1337330172' post='1658087'] Hmm, so it was her fault was it? [/quote] BOO!

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1337329939' post='1658078'] RIP Donna. Very sad. 'I Feel Love' was a seminal and very influential track which defined Electronic Dance Music. [/quote] Her and Mr Moroder. Spent last night working on the bass line to this ready for a tribute during rehearsals tonight. RIP Donna, without you I would have been able to remember most of the 80s and 90s. You left us a great legacy.

What a legacy, can't believe she's gone, and so young too.

I read something recently on the BBC news site where they were discussing some kind of new treatment for it. Luckily I don't suffer (yet) but my Nan had a tough time of it after working in a factory for decades with no ear protection.

because it has balls when played on bass?

Thanks so much for posting, awesome. Brian is a god.

Once, a year or so back, I was wandering around Denmark Street in my lunch hour. I went into the Bass Cellar for a shufty and spotted an interesting bass, it was labelled as a second hand Status and priced at around £700. There was something odd about it, on closer inspection I noticed it was exactly the same as a bass that I own, a Washburn Status with a re-spray valued at approximately £300. I mentioned it to the guy who reckoned he was the manager who knodded as if what I had told him had sunk in. I returned about 3 weeks later and the bass was still there, still advertised as a Status and still priced at around £700. I have never returned as I now have the measure of the type of people they are.

Don't know if it would be classed as a really "nice bass" but I have a Washburn Status though I actually prefer to play my modded Epiphone EB0. The neck is so nice and now that I've replaced the neck pickup and added one at the bridge to tone is sweet.

RIP

Depends on the sound you expect. mr Entwhistle apparently would put a new set on for soundcheck and then a new set for the gig, then he was always an extravagant bugger. I use flats so I never change mine, even when I used round wounds I would like the sound to settle down first (usually a few weeks) then never change them. I wouldn't boil them but soaking in meths for 24hrs is supposed to bring the life back.

WTF????

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1335813246' post='1636504'] I [i]don't[/i] want to listen to an Average Radio, in an Average Factory. [/quote]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1335778686' post='1635715'] Difficult to imagine how [i]loud [/i]it must have been. Townshend suffered severe hearing loss as a result of gigging, and at one point the Who were listed in the Guinness Book of Records for 'the loudest concert ever' at Charlton Athletic Football Club in 1976 where the volume level was measured at 126db - 32 metres from the stage... [/quote] I really want to go to an elevated train discotheque

[quote name='andyonbass' timestamp='1335603631' post='1633560'] [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Frank-Zappa-Humor-Belong-Music/dp/B0000CAPTX"]http://www.amazon.co...c/dp/B0000CAPTX[/url] [/quote] nice one, cheers pal