seashell

Happy memories, Mr Skank. I used to rouge my knees and cut a rug to the gramophone. If only one could still get the needles!

Never heard of the banana idea before. Interesting -I might try that! Like a few others here, I wear towelling wristbands when it's hot and humid. I think they look quite cool too (black, obvs). But the thing that happens to me when I get nervous is that my little finger goes all stiff and starts pointing up in the air. Sometimes it's all I can do to get it to bend back down to the fretboard. This didn't happen on my last couple of gigs though, so maybe I'm getting a bit more confident! :-)

Led Zep have been my favourite band since the age of 12.

Very cool. 'Pilgrimage' was the first album I ever bought, and WA the first band I saw live. So I am dead impressed by this. :-)

I think this would make me chortle. I will be ordering a copy soon. :-)

Never in 5 years. Which is just as well really as it takes me about half an hour to change one string! No point in carrying spares - by the time I'd changed the string the audience would have gone home.

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1471379092' post='3112712'] Ruth? Surely that's a typo? Rupert maybe, but not Ruth! [/quote] Intrigued, I googled it. Turns out he's a bloke called Ruth. Belgian.

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1471129860' post='3110771'] Ah! It's all beginning to make sense now. The term 'Bar Band' might describe a band playing in a bar but - unlike 'pub band' - also extends to a specific genre. Would I be right in thinking that 'Bar Band' material would be a sort of mix of blues and rock, some covers, some originals? May the Lord have mercy on your soul! Inti was a complete hoot; I laughed till I cried at his posts. In fact, we should have kept him around for another week or two, just for the fun of it. Never known a chap sound so much as if his head were about to explode. [/quote] Poor chap, I miss him in a,weird sort of way. I hope he is happy on Planet Inti.

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1471179838' post='3111044'] Show off and tell your mates that you are in a band. Always good reasons. [/quote] Haha, how true! :-)

[quote name='timhiggins' timestamp='1471112348' post='3110651'] Whats all that about then [/quote] Don't even go there. Let's just get back to dubious opinions of Adam Clayton.

Right, I am definitely going to be able to travel down to this, having arranged to combine with a visit to an old friend in Lightwater on the Friday. I'll put my name on the list later, as I am just posting from my phone atm. Won't be bringing any gear, just the ol' Fender P in case there's a bit of a jam going on. Looking forward to catching up with some of you that I haven't seen for a couple of years! :-)

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1471100340' post='3110546'] Well, that's no good - you don't look anything like Bill Wyman. [/quote] Yeh, but I was trying to get my bass up at the correct angle in the second picture. Haven't perfected the laconic stare into the distance yet though!

Thanks for the kind words and pics, Kev! :-)

Since I'm over 50 and have only been playing for 5 years, I'm a hobbyist and always will be. I've never yet done a paid gig. The band I'm in at the moment only gigs about every six weeks. We pass the hat round, and we are now starting to get enough money to pay for rehearsals up to the next gig. I count this as good progress for a hobbyist such as I! It's nice not to have to pay to rehearse :-)

Despite several misgivings during all the rehearsals leading up to it, last night's gig turned out to be a corker. I think I felt like a proper bass player for the first time in the five years since I first started out. We're a Stones covers band, playing anything from 'Satisfaction' to 'Doom and Gloom'. Very small venue, packed out with friends, family and regular supporters, so the atmosphere was great. I felt relaxed enough to rock out a bit so it was all really enjoyable To add interest to the evening, the audience included my Ex, my Boss and the estimable Kev B from BC who has threatened to post a pic or two, so watch this space! :-)

[quote name='Telebass' timestamp='1470428698' post='3106001'] I play Precisions because they ARE the good looking ones! [/quote] Exactly. And mine's white.

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1470039028' post='3102773'] If you're not moving around while you're playing then the bassline is probably wrong [/quote] Or you're on such a miniscule stage that if you took one step forward you'd fall off!

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1469701710' post='3100401'] My latest stage shirt came from here: [url="https://www.voidclothing.net/"]https://www.voidclothing.net/[/url] Also had some shocking jeans from the likes of Run & Fly brand via Amazon. Shocking as in really shouldnt be worn by someone my build & age [/quote] I've seen the black and white striped ones, and I'm still recovering! :-)

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1469796205' post='3101103'] Not Reddingtons Rare Records? [/quote] Don't think so...I'm sure the word 'plastic' was in there somewhere.

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1469732428' post='3100763'] I'll admit to buying canary yellow loon pants with 19 in flares (that's about 485 mm in modern money) back in the 70s from there ........ one of my mates bought an afghan coat also - is it really still there! [/quote] Only 19 inches? Lightweight! Gotta have at least 23. :-) :-)

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1469724162' post='3100684'] Is that still there ? [/quote] Yes. Not the actual outdoor market anymore, but Oasis with all the little outlets inside is still there for all your goth/punk/hippie needs. :-)

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1469703180' post='3100419'] I loved that place when it was red, yellow and black. Back in the late 80s/early 90s, each month, I used to pop over to Brum (from Cov) and spend a small fortune in Oasis, Swordfish, Tempest, the record shop that was in a subway near the city hall and the one towards Aston Uni... [/quote] Ah yes, that record shop was brilliant. Was it called Plastic Fantastic? Something like that anyway. It was there when I first started working at Aston Uni (2003), but alas closed shortly thereafter. :-(

Oasis market, Birmingham.

What is it that a man does standing up, a lady does sitting down and a dog does on three legs? Shake hands! :-)

Learn it sitting down. Then it practice standing up a few times. If I'm feeling really conscientious I will also try to practice with my contact lenses in, as I can't see the fretboard so well with them in as I can with specs on. And also try to practice a few phrases without looking at said fretboard. Then go to gig and it all seems to fly out of my head and I end up playing bum notes anyway. Although I hope not as many as if I hadn't practiced.