peteb

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1454013115' post='2965511'] Yes, we know the history of the band but it's still not rock. Using a blues based scale does not make something rock. [/quote] You are of course quite right in everything you say, but you are kinda missing my original point. To a white teenage rock fan in a northern city in the late 70s, reggae was part of the alternative to mainstream pop and therefore was part of the wider alternative rock (of that time) culture. To this day I quite like hearing the odd reggae track but I know nothing about the genre or own any albums by any reggae artist except Bob Marley, although I did used to have a Steel Pulse album about 30 years ago (I wonder where that went).

A bit of a tribute clip / recent interviews with Jimmy and his Last In Line band members. You can see that the hard living has taken it's toll but you can see what a solid player he was (right to the end) and unsurprisingly, he appears to have been a bit of a character! I particularly like the anecdote where he was asked to retrieve a van from a police pound (as the original driver had been thrown in jail) and deliver some gear to Olympia studios where Led Zeppelin happened to be recording Kashmir. He stayed for two days... [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl8OvjtBmds"]https://www.youtube....h?v=Wl8OvjtBmds[/url]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1453938777' post='2964583'] Pete you nailed it. Look at all the money my generation Is spending on the Flower Power or Happy Together Caribbean cruises. My friend Vance Brecia,guitarist ,backing vocals and musical director for Hermans Hermits told me those 60s oldy tours are making tons of cash. Blue [/quote] So are blues cruises and some of the classic rock holiday events.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1453938354' post='2964576'] Blues and rock are so closely linked, to me those two are one in the same. When I hear blues I can hear rock, when I hear rock, I can hear blues. Blue [/quote] As someone who plays the blues circuit in the UK, try telling that to some of the blues purists...!

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1453936276' post='2964539'] I understand what you're saying there and I don't of course dispute if it was like that for you but I have to say I never when I was a teenager/twenties in the 60s and 70s did it feel like only rock mattered. Rock was one thing but I was always also into blues, country, soul, ska, reggae, folk, jazz, ... just music really. And there was always plenty of rock I really did not like and still don't. [/quote] When I was saying 'rock music' I was meaning in its most encompassing definition, including blues, soul, reggae, etc - album orientated popular music of the time really.

Mark - it might be an idea to flag up what day the latest instalment starts on when you post on BC

[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1453930380' post='2964446'] I never realised he was a regular contributor. How cool. I had always wondered why he randomly was reviewing a bass for them. Explains it! [/quote] I don't think that it was over a prolonged period[i]. [/i]I also remember him reviewing an early Musicman Stingray - I believe that he finished the column by saying he was buying the review model in preference to his old Fender ([b]if [/b]I remember correctly)...!

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1453928702' post='2964416'] Cool story, My band is a 70s style hard rock and blues band. We have been together for 10 years and play around 75 shows annually. We still attract and have a loyal following of the 60+ demographic. When the 20 somethings wonder into one of our shows they leave immediately. That's fine, we're lucky, we don't need their business. So the point is, those of us still playing Rock and roll have to work hard on marketing to that 60+ market. A lot of us are still in great shape,we look great and were not settling for that rocking chair yet. Blue [/quote] There has always been kids who are not interested in seeing live music. In my youth they would have headed for the nearest disco! You are right that there is a new 60+ market for live music. The rock and roll generation(s) have grown up but they have no intention of growing old...

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1453929266' post='2964425'] Blue, if you'd been in charge in the late 1950s and had the same attitude to 21 year olds as you do now, then Rock and Roll would never have got started. We'd still be listening to Perry Como. Lots of young people are into rock, classic and otherwise. Maybe it's different in your world but that's how it is in the UK. However, the thing is, young people are not only into rock they are into all sorts of music. They are, in my experience, very open-minded about music. [/quote] I agree. There are plenty of kids into rock music but it just doesn't have the stranglehold of popular (youth) culture that it did when I was a teenager. Many will go and see a classic rock band in a pub one weekend then go to a dance club the next! Of course, you are also right that music does move on and we can't expect the music of our youth to be preserved in aspic. The classic rock of 20 years time in the future will doubtless be different to what it is now...

[quote name='GrammeFriday' timestamp='1453930703' post='2964452'] Yes, I did. Saying "I'm not trolling" is no guarantee that you are not trolling. And this is still looking like a troll thread to me. [/quote] To be frank, it seems more like that you are trolling someone by repeatedly accusing them of trolling! I don't think that Blue is right on this subject but it is a legitimate topic for discussion...

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1453931062' post='2964462'] A decent rock and roll band? Blue [/quote] Yes, definitely...

[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1453926456' post='2964379'] Hope you don't mind me posting here. A sort of Wal-based tribute to the late Jimmy Bain over on the Wal Bass History Blog... [url="http://walbasshistory.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/wal-pro-ii-bass-review-by-jimmy-bain-of.html"]http://walbasshistor...my-bain-of.html[/url] [/quote] I remember Jimmy's reviews in Beats International. I recall him writing a column explaining how to EQ a bass amp properly for relative beginners, including four examples of different types of bass tones. This was invaluable to me and was the start for me learning how to get a decent bass sound.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1453927415' post='2964396'] I'll have to disagree. And remember I'm talking about local level bar bands playing rock. Sure lots of young people are going out to see Passion Pit and Interpole. But that's not local level and it's not bar rock as a matter it's not even rock. Maybe I should have said, younger people as a rule have little interest in rock and roll at the local bar/pub level. Blue [/quote] That is not necessarily true in the UK. Sure, they do not have the same attachment to rock music that kids did when I was young, but there are still 20 somethings regularly turning up to pub (rock) gigs!

Just bought an [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Aguilar TLC compressor from Lozz - very smooth transaction and Lozz was very helpful and easy to deal with...! [/font][/color]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1453855113' post='2963579'] Agreed, but I sense over all the enthusiasm for gigging musicians once had is also down. Blue [/quote] Don't fall into the trap that Basschat is representative of most gigging musicians in the UK. There are still plenty of opportunities for playing live, just not as many as there were a few years ago. The main factor for this is the number of venues / pubs that are struggling to keep going for a number of reasons. But there is still an audience out there for a decent band!

All of my heroes who are too old to die young are leaving us! Hearing Rainbow Rising as a kid was the lightbulb moment when I decided that I wanted to be in a band and when I saw Jimmy Bain on the cover I thought that there is no reason why I couldn't do that. Jimmy Bain was basically the reason that I picked up a bass guitar...!

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1453475511' post='2959832'] There's no denying all of that, but there are so many doing it at a much less intense way (whilst still being very good at it...). Those playing as amateurs are not taking anything from anybody, and not pretending to be any more than 'week-end warriors' (well, only a little..!). There's a place for all, and mutual tolerance and respect would be useful, I'd say. [/quote] I can see your point but I think that the issue is that in a very competitive live music scene, some very amateurish bands play for free or next to nothing and undercut much better bands that expect to be paid the going rate. All of this is against a background of pubs struggling to keep afloat and fewer opportunities for new bands. As a result, punters get a poor experience and don't come again, possibly being put off the idea of watching live music and landlords stop putting bands on and go around telling other landlords that live music is a waste of time. However, pubs that do their homework and book the right bands for the going rate still seem to be reasonable busy. But the market is being undermined by rubbish bands and naive landlords...!

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1453418011' post='2959459'] It's nice to be nice. [/quote] Very true - it's nice to get paid occasionally as well...

[quote name='vmaxblues' timestamp='1453361592' post='2958679'] Some great responses guys. It isn't about the cash per se, rather it is about someone taking the pee, this guy is notoriously tight and I suspect we will do this for £200 and find the disco on £350. Charity gigs I have always done, no problem, and I did a mates party recently with my other band and me and the drummer who were mates with him took no fee but the others had their full rate. I will do it if the others want to, is the bottom line, I just don't like punters undervaluing the band, and as you say, everyone at that gig will end up knowing we charged £200, so the problem compounds. anyway, great comments guys! [/quote] That's something completely different. Where I have done gigs for free it has been for a genuine charity or where I'm doing a favour for a friend who I know would do the same for me if the boot was on the other foot.

[quote name='bonzodog' timestamp='1453320874' post='2958482'] I will probably be in a minority of one here but I, and I'm sure my two band mates are the same think about the gig before the money. If it's a party it will probably be a good night so we would be happy with £50 each. We've done loads of party's for friends of friends on the cheap. I've spent 15 years playing in boring clubs where I only did it for the money. Nowadays I'd happily play for a low fee as long as I enjoy it and I see people enjoying themselves to our music. Life is short so I want to play as many good gigs as possible. [/quote] I agree as well. Much as I think a band should [b]generally[/b] insist on being paid the going rate, there is absolutely nothing with doing a favour for a friend of one of the band. A few months ago a friend asked if we could play at her wedding. I knew she was on a budget (the wedding reception was in a pub to save costs, etc) so I said I would see what we could do on price. The band had a chat and agreed to do it for half our normal pub fee. I offered to forego my share, but being decent guys the rest of the band wouldn’t hear of it. I did about 40 gigs last year – a shortfall of £30 from one gig to help out a friend is neither here nor there to be honest. I remember similar occasion several years ago with another band, when a good friend of all of ours was in a similar position. He asked how much it would cost for us to play his wedding, there were a few looks and shrugs between the band and the guitarist just said ‘well nothing is a round figure’! it ended up being a great night and we helped out a mate. What goes around comes around and when I got married four years ago I had five well-known local bands play half hour sets at the wedding party. The only ones who got paid were the nominal headlining (3 piece) band and I had to literally force them to take £20 each at the end of the night to pay for their taxis home. The guitar player said that he already had a lift home and wasn’t getting a taxi and insisted that I took the £20 back. I suppose it depends on your outlook on life…

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1453124413' post='2956536'] no, Sam's in four fighters but started as a dep, I thought he'd got the main gig now but could be wrong [/quote] I think that Ric is still the main guy but I haven't seen him for a while. Ric actually has a regular 9 to 5 (unlike the others) and I know that he does use a dep on a regular basis. I will ask Geoff the next time I see him...

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1453112020' post='2956343'] Sam? He's an old mate of mine, easily one of the best drummers I've ever seen, let alone played with [/quote] Nah, the guy I'm taking about is Ric White (out of Wakefield). I'm afraid that you must be the thinking of some other Foo Fighters tribute - gawd knows there are plenty around...!

[quote name='gapiro' timestamp='1452854902' post='2954064'] @oops - Fake festival is usually tribute bands eg "Four Fighters" [/quote] I know the Four Fighters – played with the (excellent) drummer in the past and am good mates with the bass player (Geofftheleaf on here). They’re nice guys and a very good band. They play for decent money all over Europe, so there is obviously a demand there. A couple of the guys are ‘pro’ musicians by any reasonable definition and the Four Fighters makes up a significant part of their income, along with teaching and various other gigs. The singer promoted the first fake festivals around here; risking his own money and fortunately they have been very successful. Apparently they are great fun thru I’ve never managed to get to one. People here often seem to ask what it takes to be a ‘pro’ musician? Well, playing gigs that pay enough to pay the mortgage is high up on that score and personally I would prefer to play in a decent tribute rather than a corporate function or wedding band…!

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1452787691' post='2953532'] You almost always get a sensitivity gain. That's why so many users of mixed cabs rave about the combination. But the reality is that virtually [i]any [/i]two cabs together will sound better than either on its own, partly due to the sensitivity gain, partly by the upper cab making it possible to hear your mids, rather than have them all pass you by south of your equator. [/quote] I should mention that I was using two cabs with different sized speakers before and then changed to two identical cabs (two 410s), so it isn't just because of moving from one cab to two.. As I understand it (and I'm not particularly technical by nature) the efficiency gain is because all of the speakers are moving together, [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]doing the same thing at the same time and are therefore all the speakers are perfectly in phase with each other. [/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]For example, this may not happen if you were to mix 10s with say 15s, you might expect the 10s to move faster than the 15s and with a shorter excursion. I would imagine that if cabs with different speakers are made to be used together they are engineered for the different speakers to have a similar [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]excursion (assuming that [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]excursion [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]is the right word). [/font][/color]

I read something on here once about the advantages of using similar cabs with the same speaker size was that all the speakers would be doing the same thing at the same time and therefore you would get an efficiency gain. This seemed to make sense, even to a non-technical person like me so I tried it and, yes, two identical cabs did sound better. Since then I have not mixed speaker sizes. However, I think this is a general rather than a ‘blanket’ rule and I am sure that there are certain cabs with different speaker sizes have been designed to work well together…