peteb

But people want to go and see a band playing cover tunes in a pub and to drink beer. No one is forcing them (at least not for my bands)!

I'm sorry mate, but you have no idea of what a market is. There can be a market for anything where there is a demand and a supplier can meet that demand, i.e. in this case a pub with a demand for bands to play and therefore encourage punters to go to that pub and drink beer. It doesn't matter if it is a necessity or if the musicians playing those gigs have other jobs - it is still an economic activity and there is a market for it. No one needs a luxury car and of course, people doing DIY their own properties has an effect on the market for tradesmen to carry out work on people's homes.

Why don't you believe that the live music is a free market?? It is a very good example of how a market operates and how it can be distorted. Very true. I wouldn't play a covers band gig without getting paid, unless there was a very good reason. However, I also play in an originals band where it is unlikely that we would get paid for gigs. That is because any gigs that we would do are likely to be supports for better known bands in a similar genre (who would be getting paid). We would be getting in front of their audience to hopefully sell a few albums, as well as increasing the recognition of the band.

I don't know where some people go to see bands. There are plenty of decent cover bands around here (regardless of if you like the material or not). There are also some awful ones, but if you take an interest and follow what is happening in the local music scene, there is no reason why you shouldn't have some decent musical entertainment whenever you go out for a few beers.

Donating the money you make from playing is very admirable. However, in many parts of the UK there is an established market for live bands playing in pubs and around here, all the good bands (and there are several) get paid. This sets a value for live music and creates a market that works reasonably well. Decent bands get paid, punters get to have a good night out listening to a good band and pubs sell more in beer than they pay the bands. The out and out hobbyists who are prepared to play for nothing just distort that market.

Exactly. Look at it another way, just how bad must a covers band be to be prepared to play a standard pub gig for no money?

Deep Purple & Van Halen are always fun to cover

Especially encouragement

At which everyone would have been too drunk to care if a song was being played on an accordion, a guitar or a stylophone...!

I think I know his northern cousin! A nice guy (rather than pleasant - a biker with a bipolar issues & a chip on his shoulder) and what he plays is fine, just that he will never take the damn thing out of his mouth and plays over everything!

To be honest, I know plenty of people who can be that guy at times and my missus sometimes complains that I (along with most of my mates) will critique a band to the nth degree, while she just wants to sing along and enjoy the band! That's just one of the issues of being married to a muso! Beyond that, I just like being in a crowd watching live music. I'm not too keen on stadium gigs, but concert halls, decent clubs or even pubs are fine for me.

That was my practice rig until I got the Double Four.

Yep, that's the one. Good version, but the original perhaps had a bit more fire about it - then again it did feature Sklar, Jan Hammer and the great Tommy Bolin! Some mates of mine used to chuck it in occasionally (when they had a crowd where it wouldn't go straight over their heads). The rhythm section (both good players) used to dread it - playing that same repetitive figure over and over again is just RSI inducing...

Wasn't the Massive Attack track a version of the Red Baron (same album)?? I could be wrong...

I have an Elf that I carry round in my gigbag as a back-up. It sounds pretty good, but doesn't really compete with my Handbox or Mesa amps. A higher powered Elf would certainly be interesting.

PJB Double Four that sits on my desk next to a metronome and a computer screen.

Has anyone ever played Stratus by Billy Cobham? My hand cramps up just thinking about it!

Even though it has a big iron power section, it's not that heavy at all and is in a nice compact casing.

My advice would be to give the Handbox a try.

Just give it a go and persevere. It won't happen straight away (unless you are naturally good at it) but most people can sing once if they give themselves a chance and find their voice. You have to learn to listen to yourself properly. Wearing a moulded ear protector in one ear definitely helps.

That's a nice sentiment, but I'm afraid that for me it is way too late! The secret is confidence and not trying too hard. Just give it a go and don't be too hard on yourself when you miss notes. The turning point for me was a guy from a well known band (renowned for their harmonies) said that he thought that I had a good voice (or at least, 'one that he could work with'). In fact, he seemed to prefer my voice to my bass playing, which was a first!

That was always my problem and was the reason that I missed out on a few gigs. Ironically, my BVs seem to be have improved considerably these days - just 35 years too late...!

If you can run to it, the Handbox is a superb amp and great value for the price of the one in the For Sale section. I haven't tried one myself but how about a Hartke LX8500. Hartke amps are usually very powerful, decent workhorses and good value (https://www.thomann.de/gb/hartke_lx8500.htm)

That was the album that really lit the spark and made me want to pick up a bass and be in a band!

I don't believe that there is anything unintentional about the lyrics to Brown Sugar, Jagger was trying to push people's buttons. It's ironic that he was trying to trigger repressed, uptight, racist right wing Americans and ended up triggering repressed, uptight liberals...!