peteb

Now gone - picked up by Ash this evening...

Another Xotic Jazz player - thoroughly recommend them, sounds and plays as good as any jazz I've ever played...

[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1422455876' post='2672898'] Mono Vertigo may do it, their new Sleeve may be even better. The new Gator ProGo bag is very nice too. [/quote] I've got the Sleeve bag - it is pretty light and comfortable to wear on your back but I am not keen on the pocket to hold leads, etc. It is not the easiest to access easily.

Terrible bands can get plenty of gigs - if they are good at blagging them! If they can consistently pull a crowd then they must have something going for them - even if the likes of you and I don't rate them! There are plenty of good bands who do not work as often as they should do because they are badly organised.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1422557773' post='2674132'] I think this came up earlier, any band can't get gigs. Someone in the band has to know how to sell their band, get and book gigs. I know of several really good bar bands that for whatever reason can't promote and get gigs and there are marginal bands that can promote and gig consistently. IMHO it can be said like this; [i]"being good alone does not guarantee gigs" [/i] Blue [/quote] That is certainly true both sides of the pond. One of the least impressive guitar players I have ever played with has made a pretty decent living at times as a pro musician and still makes good money from playing to this day! He may be a pretty mediocre player, but he is very good with the business side of things and would make a hell of a booking agent, etc. Certainly the band I played in with him made very decent money the time I was with them…

It's hard to say. There are established bands that will go out for decent money but might not gig every weekend. At a bar level, there are only so many times a band can play the decent local venues in any one year, so to work regularly a band has to travel greater distances (still at pub money) or people play in multiple bands! Personally I play local gigs (and the odd motorcycle rally or other bigger event) with a rock band, but also play bigger (but fewer) gigs all over the country with another band appealing to a niche market. This also leaves me free to play the occasional dep and to play with other bands when a worthwhile opportunity arises. Funnily enough I have some friends in Texas who have same approach, only much more so. All really good players and more like hired guns, they could be touring with a band or solo artist one week and when they get back, playing a couple of bars with two different bands the following weekend.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1422466535' post='2673085'] I know what you mean Pete. I'm not looking and my band is a perfect fit for me. However, I always like to know whats going on and who's looking. I'm not native to Milwaukee, my history is in New Jersey. I don't have access to the Milwaukee inner circle or the grapevine. Blue [/quote] That’s kinda the problem of playing with only one band! If you are looking for other opportunities you need to play with more people, get your name out there and build up a bit of a reputation. Then your name is already in the frame when decent gigs do come up and someone is looking for a bass player…

TBH I'm a little bit surprised that you follow these adverts so closely - I don't think that I've looked at one for 30 years! I tend to find out about bands / new gigs through the grapevine and judge them on their reputation...

More songs from Hunky Dory!

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1422272264' post='2670449'] Lennon was an outgoing people person, and I suspect Alex and Geddy are too. Neil can probably be filed alongside Kate Bush. [/quote] People person or not, Lennon had a level of fame that must have been very difficult to deal with and ultimately cost him his life. Alex & Geddy are by all accounts very pleasant affable people. I fear that young be doing Kate Bush an injustice by comparing her with Peart. There is a difference between shunning the limelight and treating people with such bad grace...

[quote name='tonybassplayer' timestamp='1422221499' post='2670096'] I believe he doubles as a friend and riding companion. In the books he tells a couple of stories of how some fans have got just that little bit close and it has spooked him a little. He quotes John Lennon who was of course shot by a "fan" [/quote] Strangely enough, Alex Lifeson doesn't feel the need to make similar arrangements! NP may 'enjoy' a certain amount of fame, but Lennon was on a different planet in that respect...

[quote name='ubit' timestamp='1422263662' post='2670329'] I watched a clip on yoo choob of Daryl hall off of " live from Daryls house" fame, ( absolutely superb series if you haven't caught it) and he was walking through an airport and folk were shouting out " hi Daryl" to him and I thought , that would annoy me, because these people don't know him on a first name basis. Maybe that's the price of fame. He was clearly in a hurry and folks kept stopping him for pictures, which he very graciously, posed for. I can see why these rock stars wear sunglasses all the time. It's to hide their dead eyes as they smile for the umpteenth time for some random photograph. Maybe we should not be so quick to judge famous folks attitudes when confronting " fans" ! [/quote] I think that literally is the price of fame. There is obviously a line where it all becomes too obtrusive but I don't think that exchanging pleasantries with well meaning fans is such an odious thing to do compared with the downsides of many jobs!

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1422239055' post='2670253'] What are the LLs like in the UK. If the place is packed and they have an extraordinary night for alcohol sales. Will The LL let it "trickle down" and slip the band an extra $100.00? Rarely happens over here. However, on those nights we usually do very well with tips. Interesting because over hear tip jars are common for bar bands. We packed a place this past Friday night and there was over $200.00 in the jar. When it's that much we divide it up and pay it out at the end of the night along with our standard fee. I understand you guys frown on tip jars in the UK. Cultural difference I guess. You guys aren't as money hungry as us Yanks? Blue [/quote] Occasionally landlords will give the band a bit of a bonus if they get a better night saleswise than expected. Happened with us on Saturday night. The issue with tip jars, which tends to be a bucket being taken round the room depends on the venue. Some do but most don't. You can get quite a big boost to your money from the bucket, but pubs that tend to have a lower base fee if they know that they can rely on a decent tip collection. It's not so much that Brits are not so bothered about the money, more that there is a recognition that you're not going to make much from playing pubs! You will find that we're a lot hotter on how much we get paid when you start getting into function bands, eg where there is potentially money to be made...

Back in the 80s I played a Guild Pilot 4 string thru a Hartley Thompson bass preamp, powered by a HH V500 PA power amp. One channel of the power amp went into a Marshall Silver Jubilee 4x10 and the other channel powered a huge Yamaha 2x15 cab with JBL speakers. Sounded absolutely immense, but totally unpractical once I found myself in a band without any roadcrew! I couldn’t even lift the Yamaha cab on my own. In recent years I have been using a Mesa Boogie mpulse amp thru a variety of cabs. Originally I had a couple of SWR Goliath 2 4x10s, which sounded great but the cabs were getting a little tired and were not too efficient; then a SWR Goliath 6x10 (brilliant but I got a new car and couldn’t fit it in the back; and now a Bergantino 4x10 (Jigster’s old cab), which is a great piece of kit. I’m generally been using either a Warwick Streamer Stage 1 or an active Jazz (currently an Xotic)…

[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1422132667' post='2669155'] I've played that Huddersfield pub near the station as well. [/quote] 😄😄

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1421894816' post='2666395'] Ok, looks like number 5 is the way it's used on this forum. Blue [/quote] Good to see an American (or Septic) getting to grips with the vernacular of the Mother Tongue. You will be reinstating the letter 'u' in written language next! You are, of course, quite correct that we are using definition number 5 of the word 'punter' - a shockingly high proportion of the audience are clients of prostitutes... 😄😀

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1421883007' post='2666328'] Just picked up sticks and left, eh..? He must be on a roll. [size=4] [/size] [/quote] 😄😄 Boom tish...

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1421880195' post='2666278'] You've got to hammer the marquee pegs in with something. [/quote] 😄😄 It certainly looks like it's been well 'played in'!

The drummer for one of my bands has taken being friendly with fans to another level – he has just left his missus to shack up with one…!

Cool looking bass - and just over the hill from me...! Pity that I can't afford to put an offer in!

I thought that you were taking a break from Nearly Dan?? Glad to see you back in the fold! You will like the Picturedrome – great little venue…

[quote name='ashsagar' timestamp='1421755632' post='2664537'] Hello. Bingley you say? I could use this. I'm over in Leeds [/quote] Cool - I will PM you my mobile number if you want to arrange to call round and pick it up...

Update on this thread - the problem was a sheared wire to the battery clip, now fixed by my friendly local repair guy...!

Following on from the many threads on compression I thought that I would start one on the MXR - M87, which I know loads of players are adding to their live rigs due to its transparency, monitoring and flexibility. However, I am sure that there are plenty like me who are struggling to set the f**kin thing up and getting completely lost on how the various knobs work together (to the extent that I have put my old EBS multi-comp back on my board ahead of the next round of gigs I’m doing starting next weekend). I have always used a small amount of compression (without really understanding the nuts and bolts of how it works) left on all the time so that you hardly know it’s there. The idea is that it helps the bass sit in the mix and evens out the differences in volume between different techniques i.e. playing chords, pumping out straight eights on an open E and then playing faster higher runs, etc. Personally I find compression helps to ensure that none of these parts get lost in the mix and have happily used an onboard compressor on an amp and then an EBS multi-comp for many years with no problems. However, I am struggling with how to set the Attack and Release controls on the M87. Also, I have tried to set the Input so that my signal tends to light up all the green lights, occasionally going into the yellow on the Gain Reduction monitor. I read somewhere that this was the thing to do but am I compressing the life out of my signal by having way too much Gain Reduction? Would I be better to try and keep it generally around -3dB?? I know that perhaps I might have to go back to a simpler compressor, but is there anybody here who understands these things who can help me to make the most out of what is what is supposed to be a great piece of kit? I am playing hard rock or blues rock fingerstyle and using active basses (either a Xotic Jazz or a Warwick Streamer Stage 1). Any advice / help please??

I’m having a bit of a clear-out and have a Korg Pandora headphone amp free to a good home. Quite a useful little unit – great for practicing thru headphones and can be hooked up to a PC or iPod easily enough. I’m not looking for any money for it, just buy a big issue next time you’re out and about and tip the vendor a couple of quid. I don’t want to post this out so pickup only from Bingley in West Yorkshire and I’ll get the kettle on… Cheers - Pete