seashell

Another vote for the diskery. If you're into vinyl you won't be able to stop yourself buying loads!

Great news. I'm really glad you found a good teacher. I'm really looking forward to my lesson tomorrow as well:-)

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1346918642' post='1794726'] Incidentally, shouldn't there be a genre/category for bands who wear hats? [/quote] I think there should be, yes! And also (thinking about your recent post in another thread), I think there should be a category for bands who use music stands at gigs.

I agree weekly would be better in an ideal world. But having gone fortnightly for the last 18 months (apart from the weekly sessions at first which I mentioned), I have to say I am really pleased and proud of the progress I have made. I'm sure I would have made even better progress if I could have gone weekly but time and money don't really allow. However I do pick up the bass literally every day, usually for about an hour. And I think I can confidently say I have never presented myself at a lesson having not made any improvement from the time before (even if only a small step in the right direction). What I am finding now though is the more you learn the more you have to practice. I just can't really get through all the stuff I'm working on in an hour's practice any more. But i don't know where I'm going to find any more time in the day! If only I didn't have to work... but then I wouldn't be able to afford the lessons!

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1346932325' post='1794932'] Covers? Original? Does it matter? I really don't care as long as I like to play them and someone else likes to hear them. (or , indeed, if someone else is playing them and I like to hear them). [/quote] That pretty well sums it up for me. On the subject of covers of covers... I have to admit there are some famous versions of songs which I didn't even know were covers. Red Balloon by the Small Faces is an example of something I recently tried to learn, and only realised it was written by Tim Hardin when I googled it. There must be dozens of others I don't even know about. But I digress, as usual..

Crikey, 35 new songs sounds a heck of a lot to me. Another illustration of how the world of music (in which I am a complete novice) differs from the world of theatre (in which I am quite experienced). To me, learning 35 songs for an audition would be like learning a whole play!! You'd never do that for a play audition (although if it's an established work you should have read it before hand). You'd ony usually need to do one or 2 speeches or scenes. The equivalent, in terms of learning, of 1 or 2 songs IMHO. If I ever had to lean 35 songs in 2 weeks I'd be completely stuffed. Although I would try to follow skank's advice!

Bugger, I felt sure you were going to get that. But onwards and upwards as everyone else has said. It's good that there are no hard feelings. You never know how things will work out with the guy they've taken on. So keep in touch with them and one day they might be knocking at your door. By which time I'm sure you'll have something better lined up anyway!

Ooh, I love a bit of Prog Rock but alas I am in the wrong area. Plus am doing a comedy gig myself that night. Let us know if you ever get down to Brum.

Nice. :-) And very cool dog! :-)

I started off at once a week just to get me out of the starting blocks so to speak. (I am somewhat older thsn you). After about 5 weeks dropped back to once a fortnight and have been doing that ever since (18 months or so). Occasionally let it slip to 3 weeks if me or tutor have other commitments. For various reasons I can only make one lesson this month (next Sat) so I am going to have 1 and a half hours to tide me over. Then another 1.5 hours when I resume next month. Then it will be back to an hour every fortnight. Hope you enjoy your lessons. I bloody love mine. :-)

Another genius thread from skank. The band I am in is called Spectrum. So never mind the various genres, we ARE the Spectrum of shame.

Not patronising twaddle at all, especially this bit, lol: [quote name='Dudgeman' timestamp='1346769514' post='1792949'] Just remember you play the bass..therefore in our eyes your already a rock god... [/quote] In my head I am a total rock god(dess?) but it's just transferring that into reality will take some doing. I seriously need to get contact lenses for a start! The gormless glasses just aren't rock n roll. Thanks for posting the soundcloud link. I'll have a listen in a bit .. but I should be doing some work at the moment!

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1346695096' post='1792045'] You think any of us big shots would sit on our high horses and point a snide finger at one of us who got off her arse and walked the walk ?? We're mates around here , 'shell , not rivals. [/quote] Aw, thanks Doc. I don't think anyone would publicly mock me, you are a great bunch. It's just I feel a bit sheepish about it really. One day though, I hope to produce something I can flaunt in public but it's early days yet! Edit @ icastle - tee hee But I'm not open to bribery

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1346693524' post='1792024'] Unfortunately in these days of social media there's little you can do about the proliferation of YouTube videos of your bands live performances. If they are really bad maybe a polite message to whoever posted them might work.* If you are playing songs that you wrote yourself join the PRS and get them logged. It'll only be pennies, but you can at least be compensated in some way. Don't necessarily worry about the lack of bass. Unless it was professionally shot and sound mixed, your average cam-corder, and even less, phone camera is unlikely to have captured your sound with any precision. However these videos are great for helping refine your on-stage presence and nipping any irritating mannerisms in the bud. Take full advantage of that and look forward to your next gig. * you could get heavy-handed and try complaining to YouTube to get the video taken down but IME it's simply not worth the bother and you may also alienate your fan base. [/quote] Many thanks for the above advice BRX. I think it was the drummers Mum who posted the You Tube vid. I think she and the rest of the band are actually really happy with it. So either I am being too critical or they are blind to the flaws! Probably somewhere in between TBH. I don't think it's terrible enough to need to be taken down, its just I wouldn't encourage you BCer's to watch it! I doubt anyone much will see it as our 'fanbase' probably consists just of drummer's Mum! I will mention the PRS to the other guys. We do a couple of originals. I didn't have any input to them, and the previous bass player was kind enough to show me his bass lines. So it wouldn't affect me, but it's definitely worth mentioning it to the others. Thanks again, advice much appreciated.

OMG I have just discovered that someone has put our gig of 14 Aug on to Youtube, Nothing would induce me to post the link. However I have learned two thing from this. 1) I was too quiet. My own fault for wimping out and turning the volume down because I was too scared I might be heard! and 2) I was too static. In my head I thought I was moving about a bit and looking quite interesting. But alas I was just standing there looking like a speccy twit. So at I will try to learn from this and improve for next time. Which is next week (gulp!)

[quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1346430015' post='1789191'] First pukkah gig - Hamburg, November 1962 - The guys in the band were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Saw the first two songs (can't remember what they were) before the bouncer slung us out for being way too young to be in that part of the world. [/quote] OK, end of thread, loll. :-) :-)

Yes I saw Gillan too at Essex Uni and Budgie at the Winning Post, Witton. I remember Budgie as one if the best live bands I've seen. But I've seen Burke Shelley interviewed on TV in recent years and sadly thought he came across as a bit of a....berk.

[quote name='clarkpegasus4001' timestamp='1346388433' post='1788604'] I used to play in a Wishbone Ash tribute band! My first gig was Automatic Fine Tuning at the Ritz Cinema Long Eaton, Nottingham late 1976, followed by Rush + Stray, Birmingham Odeon June 1977. AFT still my fave gig! [/quote] Respect!:-)

Wishbone Ash, Fairfield Halls Croydon. 1975 or thereabouts. With my schoolmate Barry Butler. His brother picked us up afterwards. Happy days.

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1346345250' post='1788132'] Good Times @ 1:25 White guy comment @ 2:28 [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_3Jc54k1Es&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/media] [/quote]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1346335796' post='1788001'] I've always found that my tolerance for music that I wouldn't normally listen to is much higher when I'm actually playing it. [/quote] I'm finding that too. I also used to find that when I was dancing (years ago). Did some very dreamy numbers to some Jean Michel Jarre tracks for example.

[quote name='Mr Fretbuzz' timestamp='1346325419' post='1787838'] I like a hard copy of magazines. My dad was a lithographic printer of cartons, cigarette packets etc and he used to take me around the factory when I was a kid. I just love the smell of fresh print :-) .... So if you see someone sniffing the bass magazines in WHS, it's me :-D [/quote] Me too, I love a good sniff of a new mag. Also, you can have fun defacing a hard copy. My Ex (who is still an occasioanl visitor to my flat) seeks out my old copies of BGM and looks for pictures of bass players who he deems to be pretentious looking or annoying in some other way. Such as wearing an unacceptable facial expresion or hat. Or indeed just being a bass player. Then he writes 'knob' or 'pnut' on their foreheads and does speech bubbles saying 'I am a w***er'. He derives great pleasure from this and I hate to spoil his fun. After all, he is only 46

Ooh, sounds promising charic. Fingers crossed for you - keep us posted.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1346325246' post='1787836'] It seems extremely simple when you first listen to it... but it does take a while to get the timing and the various nuances just right. Great fun song to play 'though! [/quote] Yes, I'm trying 'Good times' as well 'cos my teacher thinks it would be good for me. I'm loving it, but I'm still sounding very stiff and plonky. I'm feeling like I'm too White to get down, lol

Eliminator by ZZ Top Another second hand CD bargain, and great for driving to!