police squad

I'll be honest, I don't think that would be good enough, not for outdoors. Ok to practise through. Having said that, when I first started gigging properly (25 years ago) our singer had the obligatory HH 100 watt PA and a pair of speakers and it was good enough. But we all had proper amps, 100 watt valve marshalls and 150 watt Trace with 4x12 marshall cab and acoustic drums. so the PA only had to tackle vocals. We did some outdoors stuff like fetes and it was good enough to play to the small crowds that gathered. My current bands rehearse in my studio (it's a giant shed!!) with a 400 watt Peavey powered mixer , electric drums and everything goes through the PA, (guitars use line 6 Pods). It's great for rehersal but lacks all sorts of oomph. There's a lot of good gear available at reasonable money.

beg, steal, borrow, alternatively, could you hire a PA for the event.

Yep, I sold Jack a Hartke 4x10. Swift payment and all round nice guy. great comms too.

you can learn to be a frontman. You've learned to play bass and you've learned the songs, so now learn to be at the front. Personally I am a quiet and fairly shy person, (people often call me aloof because I shy away from people and don't talk to them between sets or whatever) but give me an audience and a gig, (albeit as a singer, guitarist, bassist or any combination) and I change personality. Of course it's easier if the gig is going well but when you're playing to one man and his dog at the frog and bucket and it's only the dog that's interested in you that can make it a little tougher!!

My advice if you're going to try and be the frontman, is to relax and enjoy it. If you're struggling to talk to the audience in between numbers, shorten the gaps between the songs. Make eye contact with people if something funny happens (someone trips over, spills their beer etc) when someone shouts out '[size=5]YOU'RE SH1T'[size=2] [size=3]you can tell them, 'you're ugly but we can practice'[/size][/size][/size]

I've just goggled manson explorer bass and would you believe it, my original one that came from livewire in Cardiff is on preloved!! Seller wants £800 for it!! It's still in what looks like, very good nick. I've just emailed him to see how long he's had it etc

ha ha, yes that's the one. I bought it from live wire. It was £399. Think I bought it in 1984, about july. It was a proper explorer shape, two kent armstrong pickups, active electronics. I eventually traded it against an aria SB-R150 from Peter Cooks. It was huge!!

Anyone here got a Manson. I've had 2 in my time, both explorers. One was black with white spots on the pointy bits and the other was originally black with an abelone tiger inlayed into the upper horn. When I got it it was stripped so I re-finished it in candy apple blue. Are they out there?