uk_lefty

In a pool of his own making. I will be using that regularly. Perhaps in the next half hour if this train doesn't get a shift on.

Loving the Sire. I've been toying with getting all sorts of basses but I love the sound of a jazz bridge pickup, I also wanted to see what having a fifth string would give me. I wanted a maple board and a decent active EQ. The Sire is great for me. Arrived perfectly set up and I think that has as much influence as anything, the action is ridiculously low and I run all over it quicker than my other basses. I barely touch the EQ, it sounds so good with everything at the middle, I don't EQ my amp or engage a preamp pedal now. It doesn't suit everything but I can calm the brightness and snappiness easily with the EQ. It was excellent value at just over £520 or whatever, feels as good a build quality as my Japanese Fender. If you're curious about them you won't regret buying one.

Here's my current bass menu ... Kramer fretless 5. Mexican jazz. Sire Vintage V7 5 string. Fender Japanese PB70

I've never robbed a house before, but if I did...!!! That's pretty much my dream bass line up... Would love a Spector or Music Man. I narrowly missed one of those Washburn's on fleabay a while back. Had a B2A with EMG pickups and it sounded amazing, just couldn't get on with the string spacing. Swap the B2A for a five string jazz and that's a collection I would be very happy with indeed!

If they have a gig in St Albans I guess I could help out. But my communication skills are only a 2 so I don't think they'd get the message.

I hate my job and have been looking for a while... But I'm not tempted by this. I don't think my driving skill level 4 will work. And I think that means they want me to drive the tour bus. And I don't like the music.

Looks the business!

Agreed, but still think you need to ask just to be certain. Someone who says they want a player for seriois gigging band might have never played outside their own bedroom. And likewise, you need to be honest about what you want otherwise everyone is wasting each others time. Having said that, my band has grown to be a good earner, so things can develop.

As above, be really up front about what you're expecting from the band... One gig a month? New mates to jam with? Regular wedding and function gigs paying £3500 a week? And ask them the same... I got my slot over a lad who was hands down a better player but he wanted weekly paid gigs, the band was bringing in about one gig a month, few paid. I wanted to play good music, have fun and maybe cover my costs.

Inspired by the "worst ever gig" thread, What's the best Heckle you've ever had? Meaning funniest, weirdest, best timed, etc? Mine, in other thread, wasn't a heckle as such but while doing a solo acoustic spot in one of those cosmically aligned timings where everyone in a rowdy pub is quiet at the same time I heard "he's a good guitarist but stinky poo singer!" And the offender was.... My own Dad!

And that should really be the conclusion... What do you think suits it best the way your band wants to play it? Even if you're backing a Bryan Adams tribute act, are you a tribute bassist note for note? Go with what works best for your band in your performance.

If we aren't including bass playing then there's the acoustic gig I did on an August bank holiday aged 19.... I used to book the acts at a pub I worked in during a summer holiday from uni. The boss kept asking me to do a night because he knew me through my band. Someone dropped out so I did August bank holiday. Singing and playing acoustic for the first time live ever. I had my guitarist/ singer from the band with me for a few numbers. He packed up and left once his bit was done. We were late going on because I didn't feel nervous but my bowel did. Knowing the pub toilets I used the loo in the flats above so everyone thought I'd done a runner when actually I was doing the opposite (sitting very still). I played, got some great reaction to some originals, some so so reaction to some others... Then some drunks decided to sit right in my face, read my set list and shout "he's playing *song name* next! Bet it's this song next!" As well as "play some Elvis, kid!" And my favourite, "he's a stinky poo singer but can play guitar" which was actually my dad!!!! He didn't shout it as a heckle but said it to the landlord in one of those prime moments where you think you're being discreet but all other noises cease in a moment of planetary alignment to embarrass the offender. Also, singing an original about a girl from work who she and I were stringing each other along in front of my dad was interesting.... The chorus of "you were such a b!tch" repeated was ok, it was the closing line of "even now you're offering s3x, but I won't take cos you're my psycho ex" while making eye contact with my dad was excruciating.

These are fantastic! Mine cannot match up, I've only ever been threatened with violence while DJ'ing! Worst gig would be with my first band. Played the cellar bar of a rock pub, nobody knew we were down there. Singer and drummer made no effort to get anyone in so we were relying on my ten or less mates to turn up.... They did about half way in to the set. I got a bit too tipsy, being eighteen and having the glory of our first proper gig as a band, not just on the bill with others, and re-enacted lots of rock-god moments from the likes of Jim Morrison and Flea while playing Hendrix and Sabbath covers. Front man, and barmaid, not impressed, I was a shirtless tool. I borrowed some lighting from the rock disco, a whirly thing that sat on the floor, had the plug propped on an extension lead to press down with my foot during the intro of the first song when the drum and bass kicks in... Whirly thing took hold of my bass lead and pulled it out! I retrieved the lead, tried to keep playing all while kicking the metal out of this borrowed lighting thing.... Rock DJ mam arrived at the end of the gig horrified that a rock band was entertaining HIS audience. Horrified more when the audience now of fifteen reduced to his usual five when my mates left with me. At least I pulled a girl from college that night. Worst gig recently was end of last month. Last year we played for a motor racing club at a famous British motor racing circuit. We went down a storm and lots of people got carried away. It was unpaid and lots of travel but we got invited to do their awards function so all good. I recently learned that we were invited back this year but had to start and finish earlier and there was a warning about behaviour. It seems some of the amateur racing drivers got too carried away after our first gig up there and one of which had pulled out of a race after puking in his helmet during the first race of the Sunday. We played in the new bar, a huge metal shed, that had terrible acoustics and a sheepish audience under orders to behave. There was also big TV screens everywhere showing some formula ford or other obscure racing nonsense. Got paid the same as we do for a local pub gig despite four hours or driving. It was so flat we didn't even bother playing our biggest and best songs. Gutting, it was my first outing with a new bass too.

Isn't the London symphony orchestra a covers band?

Always used to play it without a low D, never did any harm. Saw Bryan Adams a couple of summers ago and didn't notice the bassist drop D for it, though wasn't looking out for it, he played a p bass for the entire set. People love the song because it's an easy sing along chorus and it's iconic. I would have no problem whatsoever playing this in my band, though it is a pub cover band cliche, guess you just have to play it better than most.

I left Scarborough years back and the uni has changed hands and location at least once since then, but there was a music recording degree course which my guitarist was on. I got in to that band via the noteboard in Dean's music on At Thomas Street, no idea what that is now. Surprised you can't get anything set up though I guess a lot of the bands I've seen back there have been student bands. Leeds has a lot going on, my mate has been in a few rock typical pub covers bands and auditioned for some funk/ disco and jazzy stuff too. I bet there's allsorts going on in York. Don't know if Lemomrock is available up there but maybe have a look through that to see what type of bands are about and what type of "wanted" ads there are.

I grew up on Scarborough, there's always been a really lively live music scene there but I bet it pays naff all of you need it as an income. Shame the beached festival stopped a few years back, sadly. No experience of York myself from a music perspective but I have aguitarist mate in Leeds who is always at gigs, loads of variety there

If my amp goes I'll DI out of my Hartke bass attack pedal. I don't have the space or spare cash for another head. If my amp blows paying DI out of a pedal won't be great but it will do the job.

Still good mates with the ones I can keep in touch with. My first ever band had two great lads in it and we got back together for reunion gigs, but both are complete technophobes so can't even look them up on Facebook to get back in touch. Another band ended when I moved out of London, the singer now lives in Thailand but we all keep in touch and have attempted to get to gigs together, we may manage one day!

Probably taking the example of his country's elected President...

While I don't approve of violence in general he can't say you didn't warn him!! I'll save this one for my list of "reasons to never play with a keyboard player"

I could easily find it but if I publish it here, especially after that post, I could get locked up for cyber bullying, or one of the original offensive communication crimes.

I avoided a certain audition from hell three or four years back. My wife said it was a shame I had all this bass gear but didn't play in a band. I agreed, and we said before we had kids I should join a band, play some gigs, etc. So I set about looking, in the meantime invested in a gorgeous P bass, and had some interest. I was looking only within five miles of home initially. There was a guy who said he plays country, has recorded ten albums, most of which were recorded in Nashville and played regular gigs locally. He was dead keen, I like country but was honest in saying I'd never played it but would have a go and learn as I went along. He was trying to sort dates for rehearsal with his band mates. All sounded promising. So as this is going on I asked for the third or fourth time for weblinks to his songs. I got sent a YouTube clip to his "video". It was the most excruciatingly embarrassing thing I have ever seen in my life. The guy could barely play and obviously could not sing. Camcorder video of him strumming a guitar on his garden while wearing reactolite glasses with his "pro recording" dubbed over. It was absolutely dreadful. Don't know of it was the awful voice or studio autotune but my wife summed it up, between fits of laughter as "it's Kermit the ****ing frog!!!!" I sent a polite decline email saying my old band was getting back together (a lie) and I didn't have time for both adventures at once. I then receive an email saying "bassist has cried off, shall we meet anyway?" So I replied to him "don't think this was meant for me, and I'm doing ok holding back the tears"

A lot of years ago I had wireless headphones that worked with an infrared transmitter. As long as nothing got in the way of the signal path it worked well and I used to use it for late night bass practice. Must be over fifteen years ago now.

The only slight drawback, and I mean slight because as far as I know most amps do this, is that to get the full oomph you need two cabs connected. I've somehow got a 500w 15" Rootmaster cab which is likely to have been from the 500w combo unit or a special order, but I can't run with just that cab to get the full oomph from the amp. From time to time it would be useful to flick a switch and give the full beans in to one suitable cab rather than having to run two. Again, as far as I know most heads are set up like this and if it were as simple as flicking a switch then I'm sure that would be the norm...