peteb

[quote name='djc63' timestamp='1510092559' post='3404005'] I remember once reading a review of the Glockenklang Blue Sky in which the reviewer claimed to be able to hear a noticeable difference in quality between the supplied power cable and a 'regular' one! [/quote] I believe that Alan Holdsworth could famously tell the tonal difference between an angled 4x12 cab and a straight one! I know that OBBM posts on this forum and makes excellent leads (I got all my speaker cables and the lead for my wireless pack from Dave).However, there are other perfectly good cable makers out there as well. I’ve got a couple of Monster Cables and yes, you can tell a small but noticeable difference. You might not even like that difference (apparently Paul Turner doesn’t) but there does seem be a bit more bottom end compared to the (perfectly decent) cables I was using before. They were a bit expensive but they are really well put together and just top quality all round. I’ve had them for more than ten years and they have seen me through hundreds of gigs, so they have been great for me…

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1509983203' post='3403017'] Ha - the Lion , Castleford !! Had a few weird nights in there over the years. We stopped doing it - and the Lionfest - several years ago because if they weren't pinned to the back wall with volume they weren't happy plus - weirdly - they didn't get the humour of playing such things as tainted love and Abba in a hard rock style. They just thought we 'got them wrong' !! We do the Junction up the road from time to time but ....well , Cas is Cas. Were I asked to prove to any extent that it's not grim up North then I wouldn't use it as a defence exhibit. Just looked on FB - sure I know your new singer - didn't he used to be in Phoenix Rising and other PurpleRainDio type bands? [/quote] I really like playing the Lion - one of the best audiences on the circuit. Let's face it, if you want to be [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]pinned to the back wall with volume, then the Balls are probably the sort of band for you...! [/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Dunno about [/font][/color][font="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"][color="#282828"]Phoenix Rising, but Pete seems to have been been in a number of Rainbow / Dio / Sabbath type bands. I'm sure that you will have crossed paths at some point - he is from your neck of the woods and been pretty busy on the circuit... [/color][/font]

Saturday night gig at the Lion, a biker's bar on the Cas Vegas strip (locals will know where I mean). The sixth gig with the new singer and it is starting to gel now. He has had a lot of new material to learn with very little rehearsal, but you can see he is starting to feel more comfortable now and it is starting to come together. Great crowd helped make it a great gig,the best so far with the new lineup.

Dave's branching out into giving cooking advice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbZLXMGRy1M

[quote name='Skybone' timestamp='1509805406' post='3401774'] To me, there seems to be something inherently wrong about a band who are in their 40's and older, knocking out a version of "Teenage Kicks". [/quote] Dunno, it takes on a certain ironic quality...!

I'm glad that you posted this. The softcase for my Pedaltrain Junior is on its last legs after many years and a lot of gigs. I wonder if anyone knows where I can get a replacement, preferably something that is pretty robust and doesn't cost a fortune??

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1509575678' post='3400092'] I'd buy a used Rick, just for it's killer looks alone. Blue [/quote] A mate of mine has a Rick (a 4004 i think - I've just googled it and it would cost nearly £3k new). It is his pride and joy. Unfortunately it is without doubt the worst 'expensive' bass I have ever played...!

[quote name='markdavid' timestamp='1508513227' post='3392718'] I googled this bass after reading your comment, Wow, just wow!! [/quote] Dude, we all looked like that back in the 80s...!

My go-to is an active jazz, but I like my P bass and take out which ever one I fancy. Some band leaders seem to prefer the Precision, but I think both sounds will work in just about any type of music. I’ve just got a Stingray as well, which is obviously a different sound again but still something I think would work for any gig.

This is a bit of a moot point at the moment as my band have just had to replace singers recently and have just had to change singers recently. This means that we have desperately re-jigging the set to get songs in to suit the new singer whose range does not go quite as high as the departing one. I would say that first of all the proposed song has to suit the singer’s voice and range (I think that the band can manage most guitar based rock songs – we’re not talking Mahavishnu Orchestra covers here). Also, it has to be something that the audience want to hear us play but not the more obvious choices that they can hear any other band do every week. Unfortunately, we have had to delve into the standard rock cover songbook to put a set together with the new singer but we are trying to rectify that as soon as possible.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1508185518' post='3390397'] If the pubs are in residentially zoned areas, is that why you don't have 4 hour gigs? Blue [/quote] Yes, but this is because of a number of reasons: partly because of a curfew when the live music has to finish (usually at midnight round here); also because most people do not tend to go out until 9 o'clock or later to these type of 'music pub' venues; and once they get there the audience tends to stay and watch the entire performance rather than the band just being part of a night's entertainment when they are on a crawl round a number of bars, which people are more likely to do on a night out in a town centre.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1507810255' post='3388097'] When I played covers the drunken idiots were also few and far between, but then we mostly played charity events with audiences that appeared to consist almost entirely of friends and family of the other band members. However since then I've been to see several covers bands play what I would assume are more "normal" pub gigs because I know people in the bands. Most of the audience ignored them and those that didn't used the presence of a live band as a excuse to act like dicks. And these weren't what I would consider to be "rough" pubs. [/quote] Currently I play pretty much exclusively what would be considered to be 'music pubs', where punters come to see the band. I can't think of a recent gig where the band was ignored by any significant section of the audience and there is never any trouble, even (especially) in the biker bars where there could be potential for violence if anyone was foolhardy enough to cause any problems.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1507749124' post='3387762'] Over time I'm getting the feeling that my local bar scene and cover band culture is different than in the UK. First of all our patrons are music and people lovers. I never see anything remotely like this "drunken idiots" crowd you speak of. [/quote] In my experience the gigs full of drunken idiots are few and far between. Most 'music pubs' are not like that at all. You would feel completely at home at all the gigs I do these days.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1507752351' post='3387799'] Good point. I'm not sure what my selling point would be for an agent. A 64 year old rock bar band bass player. Doesn't sound promising does it. Lol �� Blue [/quote] A good, reliable bass player with plenty of gigging experience may well be of interest to an agent who has a working band on his books in need of bass player...

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1507679405' post='3387257'] Support local live music when you can. I'm well into my 60s and I don't get out to see much as I use to. On weekends when I'm not gigging I really don't want to be in a bar or pub. However, that's not really cool because bands that play the same circuit that we play have come out to see us on their off night. Blue [/quote] Perhaps you should make the effort to get out and see more bands and get your face known. If other local musos see you at gigs when they know you're not working, especially if you get to know them socially a bit, then they are more likely to think of you when they need a new bass player. These days connecting with players (and fans) on social media is essential and may well be where your next gig comes from!

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1507618330' post='3386734'] I don't think it's the lack of interest it's the lack of need if they've got a decent job. [/quote] The thing is that there are plenty of good players out there who want to play but are just to busy to commit to a full time band at the moment but want to keep their hand in and maybe play the occasional gig.

Me and a few friends are putting together a band with the intention of gigging once a month, playing quite indulgent blues stuff not much money. Three of us are gigging regularly with other bands and the singer wants to back into it after recovering from nodes on his vocal chords. We are just doing it for a bit of fun, playing stuff we all like and getting the singer back on stage. It doesn't matter that we won't be working constantly or earning as much as we could doing something else.

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1507580514' post='3386567'] A WMC in Bradford , think it was called the Thornhill or Thornton Labour club. 1979 and I was 17. 1973 Fender Precision that I'd bought late in 78 for £150 - took me months to save for it on my trainee wages. Still gigging with it. Marshall 50w valve head - think it was a JTM 45. 1x15 and 1x12 cabs my Dad made for me. Thin Lizzy , UFO , AC DC stuff plus some originals. There was a stripper on before us. Well dirty. Coke bottles , the works. I went in the dressing room after her spot and she was stark naked , she grabbed a towel and covered up ( I could never figure out why after what she'd just been doing ). Anyway I was so gobsmacked all I could think to say was 'We've got a towel like that at home' ! [/quote] Thornton Labour Club - remember it well...!

[quote name='Japhet' timestamp='1507461681' post='3385551'] More recently, I'm not sure if people have heard Lance Lopez who is an incredible player if you like your blues fast and raw. [/quote] I was lucky enough to play with Lance for half an hour or so at a jam session a few years ago. Not only can he shred with the best of them,but he is a fantastic funk rhythm guitar player as well. Great player...

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1507244045' post='3384276'] Cool story, I've always wanted to play Jail Break. Such a cool authentic rock song. Blue [/quote] Be careful what you wish for! My rock covers band has just got a new singer, so we have desperately being trying to rearrange the set to honour all the gigs we in the next month or so. This has meant chucking in a few easy songs that the singer already knows to get a set together, including Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy - 40 years since I last played it...!

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Location/Venue: A youth club summer disco in Bingley[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Age: 16[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Bass: Fender Musicmaster[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Amp: Marshall Supa lead / bass 100w[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Set list: S[/font][/color]uffragette City / Jailbreak / Wishing Well / Smoke On The Water / Let There Be Rock All in all the gig went pretty well but it was obvious that the lead player wasn't cutting it,so we decided to get another one. The guy we got in was a lot better player and wanted to join us as we had actually played a gig! Unfortunately he was also a bit of a d*ck, so the band broke up after one solitary gig...!

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1506676029' post='3380296'] A band I dep with has just driven up from Surrey to play in the Orkney Blues Festival. If they'd asked me I'd have done it. Never turn down a good gig. [/quote] I've played the Orkney Blues Festival. If you ever get the chance, do it - great fun...!

Oh, saw the black one last night and thought that it was unusual. Had to remind myself that I would never use it and have already arranged to pick up a Stingray in a couple of weeks time (swapping for a jazz bass I'm not using so much these days)