bassace

Definition of a gentleman: someone who owns a banjo but doesn't play it.

Good review, Jack. I had a telephone conversation with Kris about 18 months ago; he came over as a very pleasant straight ahead sort of guy (as Mr Blair would have said). I didn't proceed because I was concerned that there was just too much thump off the instrument (the salsa thing). How thumpy, Jack? Trouble with too much thump is that sometimes when stage sound gets over-powering and you turn up, you hear the initial thump but no following note.

I went to see Mark Knopfler at LG a few weeks ago. They're touring Europe at the moment with a massive crew and the band fly between gigs by private jet. So resources are not in short supply; yet there's a lot of backline on stage. Go figure. For myself, it's a rare luxury ever to have a PA feed except on a big festival stage.

When you're playing covers and relying on your ears you can easily get tripped up when songs that seem simple can have subtle differences between each of the choruses. A good example is Fever, that I used to play on upright. Listen carefully to that and hear the differences, and I don't just mean the semitone lifts.

And 2% would repeat themselves repeat themselves.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1372763764' post='2129543'] This. You could put a clockwork drumming monkey on stage at Glastonbury & 80,000 people would go crazy for it & then drone on for years about how f***ing amazing it was. [/quote] And BC would say how crap.

I am sad that I will go to my grave never having been in a band called Anal ****. I would have enjoyed sharing that with my aunties, and the vicar. I remember a sixties band called Hogsnort Rupert and his Good Good Band. And Hatfield and the North was pretty cool.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1372667729' post='2128205'] Mumford & Sons shouldn't even be mentioned in the same breath as Bellowhead. Bellowhead are a fantastic live act and are very much the "real deal" folk music wise- they are very highly regarded & well respected musicians in the folk world, and many of the members have spent years playing small folk clubs up & down the country as solo performers too. They are the polar opposite of the plastic faux folk crap peddled by Mumford & Sons. [/quote] No they're not.

I thought it was just me. I didn't get it either; rather boring after two tunes. And don't get me started on bloody Bellowhead!

Thanks for the plug, Clarky, and the photo, Keith. My photo attachment skills are zero so much appreciated. I have some available at £6.50 posted if anyone would care to PM me. (I've paid my twenty quid!)

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1371859076' post='2119010'] The college circuit was amazing back then but the government so stopped all those grants to the Students Union so it all fizzled out. I know it's hard to compare with todays prices but to see the likes of David Bowie, Yes etc for 40 pence down the local college was a bargain even then. [/quote] And Led Zep!

I've just done an amp/cab swap with Clarky. As with all Clarky transactions no problem at all and a pleasure to boot. He felt that I had underpriced my amp and upped the price to me by £50! Also good to see SiBob at the same meet - Clarky described it as BC speed dating.

Acoustic Image 5 years.

Will your audition piece be accompanied, to a backing track or just you? If just you, you could consider starting with a simple blues or rhythm changes sequence and then developing it over the following choruses. That would demonstrate not only your ability to play the instrument but also your improvisational skills.

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1371290353' post='2112144'] Have a listen to Ray Brown on Oscar Peterson's [i]We Get Requests[/i] album from 1964. Sublime! [/quote] Couldn't agree more - and then he breaks into a walk: super sublime!

Actually Clarky, it [i]is [/i]traditional because that's how they all used to play and many incl moi still do. Quite effective too,says he with modesty. What it isn't is classical and it is to the modern bass players' credit that they now adopt Rabbath/Simandl, thumb et al. But there is more than one way to play a bass well.

The sheer enthusiasm Mike shows for all things bass is heartwarming. I met him this morning and he bought my MB200 amp. An easy transaction and I discovered he lives in the next village to me.One of the good guys.

And I'm a Chartered Civil Engineer - or rather I was until I stopped paying my subs to support their palatial HQ in Westminster. The reason bass sounds better far away is the same reason as bagpipes. Simple.

Dance Your Pain Away - disco pap or quality production. Not really my stuff but I think the latter. Great bass work, produced in USA evidently.

I was looking to sell my vintage EBO and somehow found BC. Sold it to a non BCer but got a lot of support/recommendations from members and have been in ever since with hardly a browsless day going by. Not so sure about TB BG side, which doesn't seem to me universally loved here, but I find the DB side very good with some top musicians and erudite* posters. [i]*Clue: I think it's an industrial adhesive.[/i]

I've done quite a few deals with Keith over the years and finally had a chance to meet him last night when I handed a PJ Super Flightcase over to him. He's always been great to deal with, he makes a firm decision with he keeps to and the deal's done. The exact opposite of a timewaster - or which there arn't many on BC may I say. Thanks for the coffee Keith.