Silvia Bluejay

Looks like a Corvette to me, but I'm afraid that's all I can offer... Edit: PM Warwick_Official (Garey) on here, he might be able to help.

I think I'd go for the 5-stringer, because it would probably be more comfy to play, using the low B as a thumbrest as opposed to having to place your thumb on the body of the bass. I play a cheap HB 4-stringer and I'm all right with it, but I could probably do with a 5er. Another important thing to keep in mind is that acoustics tend to have a pretty high action and they're not easy to set up differently, so it would probably be best for you to actually try playing each instrument before committing.

[quote name='Chest Rockwell' timestamp='1350387292' post='1838046'] Maiden are without question THE Metal band, so whatever they use settles the argument right there. [/quote] Whilst I tend to agree with most of what is being said by all posters here, I would strongly disagree with the above. I love Maiden, but they're not metal - even less THE metal band - they're hard rock, with what I'd call an added, intentional pub rock vibe.

I've just published my view of the book in the thread quoted by Jack above. The book is with me at the moment - let me know if you'd like me to pass it on to you!

Apologies for taking so long to come back to this - I read the whole book while travelling to Italy and back last week, but didn't find time to sit down and comment on it here. So - here goes. Unlike Jack, I approached this book with the lowest possible expectations (as a result of his review), and as a consequence I was ready for most of the book's flaws. I completely agree with Jack's critique of the book's failings. Despite declaring that the book is going to be his [b]musical[/b] autobiography, the author - one of the biggest session bass players in the world of rock music! - only gives us occasional, brief insights into his creative process or his method for matching his ideas to the songs written by or for the stars he was backing. Throughout the book, and his life, there is more than a passing hint at drug taking, of course, but usually while performing on stage or recording already completed songs, as opposed to composing. It's as though the book had been written for an audience of non-musicians who aren't interested in such nerdy details - thus negating the author's own premise. Many on-stage or dressing-room antics and pranks are recounted with gusto and plenty of details, and we are given long descriptions of the band's lodgings or Scheff's own homes, his cars, etc. - but not a word about his basses, aside from, as Jack mentioned, telling us that two of them were Fenders and one of them a crap Japanese bass. No details at all about his double bass(es), and very few about his rig (apart from one glorious cab he got in lieu of money as payment). You'd be damned if you were wondering, for instance, what type of strings he used, or liked best, or whether he favoured P basses for their sound, or simply got hold of them because they were what was available there and then, and any similar questions. All that would make sense in the context of a non-technical - but still music-centred - autobiography, [b]if[/b] in the very same book he hadn't written so many pages - about different stages in his life - describing his tubas, trombones, bugles etc. We are told whether they are new and shiny or old and dented, we are given explanations on how to play each of them, on their size and shape, and the most comfortable way to carry them while playing and marching or walking. Yawn... I found the timeline a bit confusing at the start, but not because he begins the book with Elvis's death and then goes backwards in time - that's a common literary device and I'm fine with it. The problem, in my view, is that he (or his editor/publisher) seems to want to get the Elvis era over and done with as soon as possible, after which he can figuratively draw a sigh of relief and get down to the real business of telling us about his life, and begin from the beginning. Also, there are quite a few wives and girlfriends (and a couple of sprogs!) popping up here and there in the narrative, the ladies sometimes seemingly overlapping with each other, which may have added to my confusion. Regarding what Scheff says about the stars he worked with, my impression is that he had to consult quite a few lawyers before publication, and that much of what he thinks or knows - or even just remembers! - about Elvis, Dylan, the Doors etc. had to stay in his mind or hit the cutting room floor. He probably simply was closer to John Denver, and liked him, and so we get to know more about him than those musical giants, despite his being a minor figure compared to them. Having said all that, the book is very well written (and/or edited), and it's rather entertaining if you look at it as "the coast-to-coast adventures of Jerry Scheff with the military and some rather well known bands and rock stars". Just leave your bass player's brain at the door

As requested, I've had another look at the pics I took on the day, and found a few nice ones from the raffle:

I'd be up for that. Would it be in the same (rather awesome!) place? We should, however, make sure that having more than one bash in any one year wouldn't reduce the number of attendees.

You guys were pretty damn good too! And I had no idea how hard it is to take acceptabe photos of a dog zipping around a pub in relatively low light

I've just retweeted this as BC - because it's good Incidentally, that was possibly the quickest retweeting time in history Thank you Shep.

One more gig, more photos! And... The Junkyard Dogs without dog The Junkyard Dogs with dog!

[quote name='Hamster' timestamp='1349653223' post='1828829'] Jack fries another 1000watt Orange Terror head!! Rock 'n Roll Baby! \m/(>.<)\m/ [/quote] Then he'll need a new one for tonight's gig! \m/

Add to that able-bodied people against cats! That would be even better

I for one fully trust you, Colin, and I'm sure everybody else here does Counting down to the next bash!

I've voted. Thank you Colin and Nik for your hard work. I loved the bash and can't wait for the next one!

Congratulations to the website, and you guys working hard to keep it in tip-top condition! Us ordinary members are doing our best to keep it interesting (erm...) and inviting, so that new visitors may decide to stay. It's by far the friendliest, most welcoming and most helpful forum I've ever been a member of.

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1349903903' post='1832178'] What.............. again? [/quote] Have BC members posed for a naked calendar before?

Hey, I said we BCers would get ourselves a fake tan, not get photoshopped into resembling a plastic alien with a lick of golden paint...

I have hundreds of photos from the bash, but many of them are very similar to each other or not very interesting (mostly showing people's backs etc.). I'll take another look at the lot of them when I have a moment, to see if I've missed any good ones, and if yes, I'll publish some more.

Full lineup of Oxjam Chiswick. Kit Richardson, as per Nigel's post, are on at 5:10 at the Old Pack Horse. [url="http://www.oxjamchiswick.co.uk/index.php/line-up"]http://www.oxjamchis...dex.php/line-up[/url]. I know, or have heard the names of, a few other bands on the bill in all venues. Looks like it's going to be a good day of music

We should get a nice fake tan and pose for a calendar, with our bass guitars and uprights and very little else on.

LOL I cropped the photo so much it now looks pretty grainy. But you're still both there in all your gorgeousness

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1349853097' post='1831218'] Your wish is my suggestion ... [url="http://s1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Basses%20CURRENT/Fender%20Precision%201957%20CURRENT/"]http://s1128.photobu...1957%20CURRENT/[/url] [/quote] That bass is gorgeous but rarely leaves the house!

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1349853360' post='1831219'] Lasciate ogni speranza ... [/quote] That's probably more suitable to appearing as a notice at the entrance of Heathrow than Gatwick - though the best place would be the hall at Chiswick Park tube station

I would advise checking attendance very closely before organising something, because there are always some participants who have to cancel at the last minute. What saves the SE Bash is that there are a lot of us in London and its western suburbs, and numbers never seem to dwindle too critically.