la bam

They genuinely might like the practice more than the gig and look forward to an informal no pressure meet up once a week, a chat, drink and a good blast out playing wise. More of a social night out than a project to drive for gigs.

Haha! Yep! Without knowing it ive probably evolved into a grumpy old sod! Next gig i go to im going to tell them its too loud, stick my fingers in my ears and tell everyone to stop pushing when theyre enjoying themselves!

Divide the venue: Left hand side phones, text, facebook, whatsapp, ipads, videoing allowed. Right hand side no phones allowed. See who has the better time. And watch the left hand side want to come over and join the fun......and then film it to show their mates!

Maybe But when youre really really looking forward to a gig and youre surrounded by some bloke shouting down the phone looking for his mates to wave at across the venue, another twiddling away on facebook, someone talking to a baby sitter for 10 minutes, plenty others holding a phone up as high as they can to film meaning you cant see past them, with no consideration for others and the constant barage of clowns making everyone stand so they can squeeze past everyone and go and get a pint, then again when they come back, and again when they then need the toilet, and youve paid £100+ for the privilege to sit/stand amongst a crowd for who the band comes 3rd or 4th in their priorities for the next hour after phone, facebook and beer, i think its fair to whinge a bit! All the above stopped me going to concerts years ago. Feom what i hear from friends or family who do still go, they get just as annoyed.

I cant stand how mobile phones are almost completely attached to people now. People have a genuine problem / addiction with them. How did we ever survive before them? As much as i can understand the emergency call issue (and i can) by the same worry how do people gig? Go swimming? Go to the cinema? Go for a job interview? Get married? All those things take approx the same amount of time as a concert. Its just a sad fact of life now. The people arent doing anything wrong, and younger concert go ers wont know any different. But i remember when you went to a gig to encapsulate all what was good about it - the atmosphere, the music, the performance, the dancing. Everyone had the same intention. Go online and look at Queen at wembley 86. 100,000 all getting involved together and truly loving it. Then look at a modern day concert. Lifeless, cameras everywhere, half the crowd not interested in living in the moment because theyre too busy standing still to get a good video..... Such a shame.

Basses: X2 yamaha bb424s. Heads: X1 markbass evo i. X1 ashdown little giant 1000 (backup). Cab: Barefaced super compact. Pedals/fx: Markbass evo has built in fx and tuner. Also have a zoom b3 if required. Snark clip on tuner. Also just ordered a behringer bbdi21 to try out for walk in gigs. Stands: Markbass keeper.

I think firstly youd really benefit from eq twiddling to get those sounds. Get those high mids right up and open up the tone on the basses to see if that gets you closer first.

I think its a fantastic album! I can still remeber when i first heard 'changes'. Absolutely phenomenal feeling. Wheels of confusion, tomorrows dream, snowblind and laguna sunrise also fantastic tracks.

I have the exact same sacroiliac problem (my 2 joints meshed together). I also a few months later then prolapsed ine of my discs. The pain was/is really bad. Driving hurts. Walking hurts, standing still hurts and lying down hurts. Lifting with those injuries was very odd - i can move heavy objects, but then randomly lifting a light object would send my back into spasm and a world of pain. Its at times like these you find out what your band mates are made of. Some will muck in and some will leave you to sort yourself. Good luck with the injury - it took me a full year of not being able to move properly before it finally started to release the pressure and gain strength. Ive had 3 good weeks now (a good wèek is probably the equivalent to a bad back) but i can tell something has happened and its on the mend finally (hopefully). Until it happens to you you dont release how restricting back issues can be. To me, if your band mucks in and helps you through it, youve got a good bunch. If they dont, then forget them.

Ok, thanks.

All i remember is some bloke getting cheered trying to climb upto the top of the big tent on the outside. And the fact that for some (un health and safety 90s era) it was ok to make a fire wherever you were in the middle of the park and sit round it eith your mates keeping watm and getting bladdered on your own beer from the off licence!! Imagine trying to do that now!

I was at that Preston gig at Avenham park - my mate got us to go as he really wanted to see this up and coming indie band called Oasis. I took no notice of them and who did i watch??? Sister Sledge!! Doh! I thought the documentary was outstanding. I really like the band so that helped. Really interesting ending too mentioning that the Knebworth gigs etc and demise of the working class bands makingbit big coincided with the emergence of the internet and the hunger for fame rather than talent and experience.

thats what im thinking. ie if its another amp head and cab supplied by the venue / stage.

I was tempted by these. I know pmt are now doing its older sibling the ehx metaphors at £39.99 on special offer - just wondering if thats any good, it seems to have a few similar things on it.

The zoom b3 is much much easier to use using the software. I had an issue not being able to save a patch to existing patch ie A4 to A4 when using just the box. On the pc it works very very easily and the rename function is much easier to use.

Just reading my markbass evo manual (re 1 sheet of a4) there are 2 xlr outs, both which can be configured for the output from both channels. Would i be able to send one output from the amp to the di / desk (xlr) and the other to any stage amp? With it being xlr out would i need to run an xlr to jack cable or is this not recommended? Any help appreciated. I would ask markbass but they never reply.

Ive racked my amp and back up amp in an abs 4u rack. Contains everything i need, tuner, modeller, fx, di out etc. All i need to do is plug in the pre wired 4 way and speakon and its good to go. Considering looking at swapping my b3 for a ms60b so i can put that in there too as a handy tool. On the side i have a mark bass keeper so no need for a separate stand. My guitar clip on tuner (snark) and cables live in a compartment in the bass case.

Ive found that a lot of the time if youre not lucky to find 4 driven musicians, you need one person leading or bossing the direction in order for things not to just fizzle out.

Exactly right. With the tree gone the first 2 strings just fall out of the slots. Ive tried it without the spacer/spigot and its holding, so all i can guess is that the original screw wasnt long enough? Do i need the spacer to be there? (which raises up the clasp) If so i'll go and buy a longer screw. If not, i'll see how it goes. Thanks for the help so far.

Evening all, Cant believe this has happened now! Ive a full on practice with a new band tomorrow where ive got 3 weeks to get 2 sets done, and ive just changed the strings on my yamaha bb424 and firstly i noticed the little clasp on the headstock that holds the lightest 2 strings in place was crooked. I tried to straighten and tighten but had no luck. Ive changed the strings and on tightening up to pitch..BANG! the clasp, spigot and screw went flying out. Tried to re screw in but theres no grip for the screw now. Ive tried to fit just under the original hole and BANG! that did exactly the same. So now i cant play it at all. Has anyone got any info on why this happened, or any quick fixes? I do have a spare for practice, but im going to look a bit stupid. We are a tribute band and the black bass helped me get the gig.....and my spare is bright metallic red! Any help appreciated!!

Yes, i think im going to try and dial in a close copy of my sound on the b3 just in case this crops up again. I dont use my b3 for this band, but its a eeally useful tool to have. Ironically im now looking at taking more gear to a walk in gig than i would for a proper gig!

Probably the best move i think. Im just a bit paranoid for 2 reasons... 1. If i share an onstage amp and cab, then ive no compressor and im at the mercy of that cab and amp sound. 2. I may be wrong, but im sure the last one i did, the sound guy told me to plug my bass straight into a di box which went to the desk, then one of the outs from the di went to my amp and cab (for monitoring). So i wasnt sure what bass sound i had.