colgraff

in fact, with this anyone would Luke good.

I like to think that I was clear that I was in no way denigrating manufactured bands. I was dragged, a few years back, to a Girls Aloud concert as moral support for a friend who was escorting his daughter and her friends. We sat there with jaundiced weariness enshrouding us as the lights went down but I have to say that it was far and away the best show I have seen. The level of professionalism was irreproachable.

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1450721510' post='2935243'] Over the years, I have known, and have worked with many songwriters. Some have 30+ years of writing experience, but have had no real commercial success. Others with little to no experience have had huge success - eg. One young lady I worked with 35 years ago went from a receptionist at a record company to writing the soundtrack for a hugely successful movie (and indeed starring in movie), she had very little musical experience, let alone writing experience! The amount of "Hard work" doesn't seem to have figured in the level of success. IME Some just seem to have a handle on it right from the off. [/quote] I was thinking of the amount of effort that goes in before going pro or turning a hand to the chosen career. Granted, there is always your outliers.

To answer your question, no. Nifty playing, though.

I don't think of it as a Christmas song (although remember it being a Xmas #1) but I've heard The Power of Love by FGTH a few times in the last few days. Lovely song.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1450701485' post='2934942'] I wouldn't object at all to the idea that some people have some inborn abilities of one kind or another - call it innate or genetic or from a previous life or whatever - but people can still practice and learn and get better. Some people may not make much progress but some will make lots of progress even if there are others more talented (and/or more practiced) than them. Conversely, some talented people may not make full use of their talents. People's abilities in songwriting, as in most things, are not rigidly fixed at birth and nor do people's latent talents always become actually realised. That some people may be 'gifted' (for want of a better word) doesn't mean that others cannot improve. Although, and of course, many others never will. [/quote] I'm with Tension, here. It takes hard work and practice as well as a willingness to learn from others. Lennon and McCartney were distinctly average before mastering their craft in Hamburg over hundreds of hours of playing. Billy Bragg spent his teenage years writing awful, awful poetry and learned from his mistakes. No one makes it without a vast amount of very hard work. Paying attention in school helps, too. You know the Beatles were literate in the correct use of the apostrophe in Hard Day's Night.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1450695785' post='2934876'] The music people like (and just as importantly the music they want others to see them liking) is a fashion / lifestyle choice and the style is definitely more important than the substance. [/quote] +1. 'twas ever thus with the caveat that substance was also important in that the substance spoke to you on an intuitive level, thus helping you identify with other fans, so mutually defining your social group.

Look Dave, I can see you're really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over.

According to the display on my radio, I'm listening to You Give Love a Bad Name but it sounds a lot like Kirsty McColl's A New England.

While I am in a band, zero. I aim to run through the full set daily (doesn't happen) because I like to be really polished and I have to work to make bass and b/vox note perfect. I have an appalling attention span so extended practising helps with that, too.

[quote name='upside downer' timestamp='1450644136' post='2934590'] You could say that about absolutely anyone. [/quote] Um, you took the noun out of my sentence. That rather kills the context. The point I was making is that they were a triumph of marketing over musicality, which still isn't an insult unless you really want it to be.

The Sex Pistols were the One Direction of their day. By which I mean that they were a manufactured (boy) band who meant everything to their target audience and very, very little to anyone else. That isn't an insult, if you think about.

You can never have too many LEDs.

Ha ha ha - now that would be cool - an Oscar Wilde Jane Austen collaboration.

Another reason to avoid it is that it is a few hundred pounds more expensive than the top price BMG model sold in the UK.

If I was rich, I'd buy it just for the pun factor.

I wish I had mine that I sold very cheaply in the early 90s. A great bass but astonishingly heavy.

It doesn't actually matter if it is out of warranty. It clearly wasn't 'of merchantable quality' or arguably 'fit for purpose' when you bought it. Without knowing the exact details I can't be precise, but the vendor still has a responsibility to make good the item if it has broken sooner than a reasonable person would expect. This is irrespective of the warranty period and is precisely what the phrase "Your statutory rights are not affected." No reasonable person would expect an amplifier that cost hundreds of pounds to fail within a few years.

It's torture porn on guitars!

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1450294277' post='2931500'] ...in a wardrobe is lot better place. [/quote] I tried this but it got stolen by some kids.

My Shure one has a super-powerful clip which I can't be bothered to fight with so I put it in my pocket. I don't fancy losing a fingertip at the start of a gig.

I went there to buy a speaker a while ago. The chap I spoke to had to check the trade-in price with Martin who was elsewhere so there was a bit of a wait and he invited to try any of the basses while I waiting. Possibly the first time I've had that offer made. Top people.

I take the point, but GAS isn't logical. I see something shiny and I want to play with it. Excuse me now, I see a shiny young lady over there....

For me Meat Loaf is summer, but that might be the California thing. Iron Maiden and New Model Army are winter, but that might be from sitting in my room listening to records over long winter nights as a youth.

[quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1450510427' post='2933405'] The rennies of Rock? [/quote] Ha ha ha!