The fasting showman

It's great isn't it? He's clearly a clued up discerning player that's held down gigs (that a nobody like me would have felt obliged to hit Denmark St and pay through the nose for an overpriced 70s Fender because it looked more appropriate for the artist) for many decades and been on some landmark recordings. I think BC'er Nick may know him? I've always kept an eye on the gear he uses, we use similar amps, as he ploughs his own furrow. It's a bass that I would definitely have been sniffy about but it just goes to show doesn't it?

A slight derail but hopefully relevant. A couple of years ago I did a wedding gig in Derbyshire with a pop / soul band that are OK ( they're somewhat stuck in 2nd gear for my taste) who have got a great female singer. Midway through set 2 we got asked, " can you do Valerie again, my friend does a great version of it "....we obliged, our singer shuffled to the side of the 'stage' and we launched into it for the 2nd time that gig. The friend, who wasn't unattractive at all and must have towered nearly a foot over me ( I'm 5 ft 7) in heels really belted it out. Very strange experience: I remember glancing over in a bit of fellow artist bonhomie / esprit de corps but we band underlings were as invisible as glass collectors I suppose. She left the stage to polite applause, I think the experience was deflating to her somehow. Her voice was loud, in tune and she was confident but completely lacked all the things that make a singer a singer. She must have been half as loud again as the usual singer but there was nothing appealing at all about her admittedly ad hoc performance. I suppose that is the karaoke tradition for you. It made me realise that I have been fortunate enough to play with decent singers that hold an audience for quite a while. She continued to completely blank us as we set the gear down. Fair enough, we weren't exactly the Brothers Johnson.

The main bass ( albeit modded) of James Eller of The The and many other bands. I wouldn't mind one at £50

Luis Jardim RIP on bass, such an important record to me that blew me away as a kid back in late '85.

You beat me to it! Great minds think alike and all that.

Hi, now donated elsewhere, sorry should have said.

It seems that Guy Pratt owned the Rock n Roll circus Gibson SG for a while.

Reading this again made me listen to the long version of My Generation off Live at Leeds...always gets me every time, as does Marquee Moon for example. The tone colours and tone production and character from the musicians themselves is/are incredible, the dynamic range and stereo image also.

A huge influence on so many great bands. I've always thought to myself that 'She sells' off Siren could just as easily been a song by either Japan or Madness. There's not many other ways that those 2 great bands could cross-over!