KevB

Back on the horse slightly. First gig in nearly a year and first ever with new band. It's looking more like a vanity project/mates thing than a serious gigging band but part of the reason I left last one was they played more often than I really wanted, tough to find the right medium. Still, see how it goes. I've been offered possible other work in a duo with backing tracks so I could end up doing both as neither project will be out every weekend. Also first time for the McMillan 12 step at a paying gig and went reasonably OK, a few fluffs here and there but not bad. Other band members seemed to think it was OK (we'd only rehearsed once in 2 months prior to gig so was always going to be a bit rough) and by start of set 2 we were pulling a decent crowd in considering other music events were going on elsewhere within walking distance of the pub. I knew I was short of match fitness when my left hand cramped up halfway through War Pigs and I had to improvise for a while without using my index finger which had locked up solid. Its a bit of a restart for the band as they haven't gigged since the original bassist left last November so we've had flyers printed and will start hitting the road soon to try to drum up a few gigs though most places will probably only be taking bookings for 2019 by now. Might pick up a few cancellations perhaps. VG newark by

It still appears in his set list and he's 70 now so...

Never realised that was released, in that case I'm on it too.

I'd forgotten I was also at the Deep Purple gig that eventually became 'Come Hell or High Water'. It became notorious, mainly down to Blackmore's p-ss poor professionalism on the night.

Where does the time go? Spoke to him at one of the early national gatherings in Northampton years back and he later gave useful advice on web site design when I was knocking one up for a band i was in at the time. Missed.

I'm sure it's been mentioned already but the Stones still seem to be 'getting by'. I don't think I've ever been the athletic type onstage anyway so it hasn't really affected me too much. I could probably do with an endorsement deal from Just For Men though, save me a few quid😃

Like one or two others I was at the Rush NEC gig (Show of Hands) and Black Sabbath 'reunion' gig. I'm not sure but I might have been at one of the gigs that ended up on It Bites live album with Dunnery still in the band. I was definitely at the Europe gig at the Roundhouse a couple of years back, not checked yet but I might even be on the DVD front cover. I was probably at gigs from Rock City that have ended up as bootlegs or tracks on official live compilation albums as a lot of pro recording was done at RC in the 80's particularly for local radio broadcasts.

I've only just seen this, gutted. I met Pete once after a Nearly Dan gig when he was playing like a dream. I was concerned about his health from some of the posts in recent years but still shocked to see this. Condolences to his family and friends.

That's partly what is worrying me, when we eventually get round to my first gig with them in a few weeks I might not be able to play the basslines properly if it gets any faster, especially those I'm also providing some backing on with midi pedals.

Yeah, drummer in the latest band (not sure how long I'll last, they don't seem very professional) is not too bad at putting a fill in or changeing the rhythm to point out a change or end of a solo. What is doing my head in is his apparent inability to play anything less than about 20% quicker than the version we are working from, making some songs sound horribly rushed. I finally had enough half way through one song a couple of rehearsals back and just stopped and got them all starting at sensible tempo.

It does indeed.

Have Bravado packed it in? I thought they were still gigging occasionally https://www.ents24.com/uk/tour-dates/bravado-2 Saw them a few times at The Diamond, always a good show.

Even the term Trojan Horse is misleading. It was given to the Trojans by the Greeks so it's really a Greek Horse.

I was referring to you Spondon but now I've realised you were there too, so there was opportunity to have had a go - I'd have happily let you try mine. It was the jetglo one. Yes Norris's is a genuine but someone else brought a faker.

Shame he wasn't at the last one, must have been 3 or 4 real ones and a faker.

See, I knew you'd be intrigued.

That second video, I'd just like to say I've got one of those stand up rectangular lamps with the paper shade. I knew you'd all want to know.

Caught a Doors trib at the weekend. I'd seen them years ago but since it looks like virtually everyone except the guitarist has been replaced in the intervening years it's pretty much a new act I guess. Did a very good job and included a few songs that you don't hear too often whilst dropping some expected ones so a brownie point for bravery.

Maybe pick up a secondhand sound module with a good selection of pianos/synths on it and just run those patches from any MIDI controller keyboard? Some of the Roland sound modules are pretty cheap secondhand and if you can find ones with expansion cards for 60s/70's keyboards and classic synths you will have a ton of decent patches to play with and can mix different patches together in 'performance' mode (16 voice polyphonic) to get just the type of sound you want then store that 'performance' patch in an easily accessed stored area.

Think I read somewhere that the 'Small Fakers' tribute are doing the whole of the album on tour as its an anniversary year and got Stanley Unwin's son to record the narrative parts for them which is a nice touch.

Is he actually a bass player? his body language looks like someone who's been given a bass at short notice and asked to fill in as its all mimed. Guitarist doing the 'how hard can it be' thing maybe ?

I expect most of my past bands have improved after I've left them...

I guess really I was probably a bit too young for OGWT demographic but I loved it (that plasticine animation of Zappa's City of tiny lights was mesmerising at the time) and just assumed other music programmes in the future would be as good so it's been a fairly sad return on my watching investment in the subsequent years. Oh well.

Too right mate. Seriously anyone who went last night would be on a bit of a high and Im sure Stones songs will get them on their feet no problem.

Saw The Stones in Cardiff last night. Good solid show but even after all these years its nice to see they are still human - made a complete cockup of the start of Jumpin Jack Flash and Mick had to stop them and start again. However since this is a bass forum we'd better see Darryl doing his thing (this isnt my video, I was in the 'cheap' seats in the gods)😉