MiltyG565

Ok, before you all jump in with your witty replies; I messaged somebody who was looking a bassist for his band. I volunteered myself for the role. Honestly now - Am I mad?

Glad to see it out and about again It's looking groovy with all the names and stuff on it too. It sounds well too! Well done guys

Not a good day for music. Hope it all goes well for him. I would like to see Fleetwood Mac live some day. Without sounding like a prying nosey-parker, I wonder what kind of cancer he has.

Oh good, none of you noticed my public erection

[quote name='alstocko' timestamp='1381793502' post='2243977'] If it's ever near Hull, contact me! [/quote] Keep an eye on the thread. I'm sure it will be near Hull at some stage. When it is, just make as much fuss as you can

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1382390733' post='2251708'] The evidence. [attachment=146665:IMG_1402.jpg] You can't see it in the pic but the box was also soaked through having been left as Clarky says, in the rain 10 feet from a covered porch. And yes, the scumbag forged my signature. Luckily I was in a lecture in front of 250 students at the exact time the package was signed for, but as Clarky said, the bass is built like a 1950 Russian tank so, much as I would have like to, we didn't pursue it. [/quote] That is a disgrace. Regardless of whether damage was done or not, you should have chased it up. Also, the driver self-signed? What is that, fraud?

[quote name='chriswareham' timestamp='1382358969' post='2251075'] Hi folks, I've just had a claim for compensation refused by Parcelforce. They will only honour insurance claims for musical instruments up to 100GBP, even if you take out enhanced compensation, and only if the instrument is sent in what they judge to be a hard case. In my experience they will sell you enhanced compensation at the Post Office counter - Parcelforce are owned and operated by the Post Office - even if they are aware you are sending a musical instrument. The terms and conditions are not explained to you, and on checking with the branch I used the Post Office do not have them in printed format. In my case, the appeals centre responded with what I now know is their standard refusal that allegs the item was "inadequately packaged". This is despite the box I used being a double thickness corrugated cardboard one, with bracing pieces and packing to ensure the guitar could not move once inside the box. Even with this packaging, it arrived with impact and pressure damage that resulted in a smashed scratch plate and dents through the finish that exposed the wood on both neck and body. The worst part for me is that the guitar had arrived unscathed from Slovakia in a much flimsier box only a few weeks ago. The box I then used to send it from London to Manchester was one that Fender had used to send a special order to a local dealer via the US Postal Service - the box was immaculate, and that's despite the USPS having a fearsome reputation for mistreating parcels! Cheers, Chris PS - Could we make this a sticky topic on the General Discussion forum as a warning to others? [/quote] Without wishing to make it sound like you really are to blame, but - how well packaged was this guitar? I mean, if it really was well packaged, would it have really sustained that much damage? Was the guitar worth a lot? Personally, I always use Parcel Force. I wouldn't say I'm loyal to them - if there's a cheaper courier out there, I probably would use them. I know what courier companies can be like, so I really am making sure that there's not much chance of damage being made. I can spend a few hours bunching up old newspapers and throwing them into a bicycle box (ask anybody who has bought a bass off me) and putting piece of styrofoam and covering the bass in bubble wrap. Is it overkill? Definitely, but even though the instruments I'm sending aren't particularly expensive, I know that if it gets damaged in transit, I'm out of pocket.

[quote name='ubassman' timestamp='1382365111' post='2251211'] I was at the Geoff Clyne Bass festival a couple of years ago and in our group of about 6 players we each had to do a short 8 bar improvised solo. There was a very proficient classical player with outstanding technique who went ashen faced and asked but "how do you know what notes do you play?" That can be the difficulty as a Classical player you are required to play the right notes in the right order at the right time. Musically the idea of improvisation is not even on the radar on scored parts ( unless asked for by the composer!). Credit to her she 'heard' the notes and did a pretty reasonable impro ...not as polished or interesting as the regular jazzers but plausible. Later in the afternoon when the roles were reversed, she went through some intonation, sight reading and bowing exercises and nobody came remotely close to her speed , accuracy, timing and command of her instrument. Playing in an orchestra requires an entirely different set of skills to playing in say a jazz trio and I dont think one can generalise who would make the transition the easiest. [/quote] I have respect for classical musicians, because they don't do any of the things that we consider great or cool in popular music, like improv, but they have incredible ability and technique. As much as I fail to be up to a jazz player's standard, I'd fail just as hard to be a classical musician.

No, guys, you're still wrong. What I meant when I said it was musical masturbation was that it's all cool and exciting to start with, but then you lose enthusiasm half way through and you start to make mistakes. No? Just me?

Jazz musicians are the most skilled, though. Want a good drummer? Get a jazz drummer. Want a good guitarist? Get a jazz guitarist. They just have all the knowledge and ability. Any jazz player I have ever encountered has left me wishing I could play as well as them. Sometimes, I wished I liked jazz so I could be that good. (I like some jazz, but I wouldn't say I was exactly a fan. It's a vast genre).

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1382355743' post='2251000'] Yeah, it gives pleasure and gets you all excited !! [/quote] No, I was thinking more "Everyone is just pleasing themselves" [quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1382355964' post='2251007'] This thread needs Bilbo [/quote] Aye, where has he slinked off to anyway? Haven't seen him about in a long while.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1382355571' post='2250990'] Is that like musical chairs? [/quote] Em... well... It's kinda... no, no it's not

It's a great excuse though, isn't it? "Dude, you totally f***ed up the chorus" "Nah man, I was just jazzing it up a bit."

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1382294700' post='2250297'] Mention 'jazz' to people and, aside from a few who like it, the reactions seem to be very negative, some even hostile. People don't react like this to 'classical' music do they? So why is jazz the recipient of so much unfair stereotyping and derision? Or is it? Mention 'metal' or 'hip hop' to a lot of people and they might react similarly. [/quote] People can't dig it man. They are so in their little boxes, they want their music to be like "TAP tap tap tap TAP tap tap tap" and then jazz is like "TAP tap TAP TAP a-ra-ta-TAP tap TAP", and their head just totally explodes with how anti-conformist it is to accepted musical "rules". It's still musical masturbation though

[quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1382286280' post='2250102'] "Don't do A level music as you need to get a proper job and universities won't like A level music" My Mum, in 1990, which led to me making a huge mistake and giving up music altogether for many years!! [/quote] That's sad. My parents are pretty much the only people who would support me in making that choice, although I think that's mostly because they know they can't steer me.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1382191200' post='2249095'] 'Don't try to be a pro musician - you'll fail. If you must make the attempt be sure you have a trade to fall back on'. Bwa-ha-ha! [/quote] I think everyone hears this. I got the whole "It's really hard to 'make it', and if you don't 'make it' then you'll never make any money" from my friends. I never have made it, or made any money from my music, but that's beside the fact that they clearly knew f*** all about how the music industry works.

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1381580933' post='2240901'] And win the composition challenge with it too [/quote] It's a vicious cycle...

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1381538542' post='2240572'] Haha, cheers Milty! I have my Irish ancestry to thank for any luck I may have It's definitely taking shape, as you say. Paul has done a cracking job of the build and I really love the design even more now that it's put together. Not long to go... exciting stuff! I'll keep you updated mate. [/quote] Ha! We aren't as lucky as some would make out. I mean, just look at this weather! It is looking well. It looks far better in the flesh than on paper. You'll record a demo of it, won't you?

Wow! It's really taking shape now! Looks a beauty! It's probably not something I would ever decide to buy, but it looks well, I think. You lucky, talented sod!

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1380704110' post='2229079'] My thoughts exactly. I knew as soon as he was arrested, they were over. Mind you, it would have obviously been a lot better to not have this outcome, but they have had a long run at it. I was roughly 17 when they first came out, (I think!). I'm now 32. [/quote] They said on Facebook "Thanks for all the support over the last 15 years!", so yeah, 17! I was 5... [quote name='DorsetBlue' timestamp='1380704392' post='2229085'] If he is cleared, they can always do a comeback at a later stage. If he isn't, well best to make a clean break and hopefully comeback as another entity. [/quote] I don't think that's likely to happen. Whether he's guilty or innocent, his name has been dragged through the mud now. I would hope he's innocent, and that they can come back, but even then, they'll have that stigma attached to them. There will always be people who call him a kiddy-fiddler, regardless of the outcome of the trial. The damage is done, whether rightly or wrongly, and it's not something that's easy to recover from. Just look at the catholic church - It's got a reputation now for child abuse and molestation, however, I grew up as a catholic, and none of the priests I knew (as far as I know) ever committed a sexual offence, but that doesn't matter, because the entire church has that reputation now. (Sorry for bringing religion into this, but I was just using it as an example, and I don't wish to debate the ins and outs of their situation, that's for another thread, if the mods allow.)

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1380703016' post='2229041'] Absolutely not my sort of music and way after my time, but strangely I am sorry to hear this too. When my daughter hit 13 and discovered loud, offend-your-parents music, the song she played loudest was [i][b]Last Train[/b][/i] ... and I ended up loving it. [/quote] That's a great song off a great album! [quote name='Grassie' timestamp='1380702479' post='2229024'] Never been a fan (Last Summer was good though), but IMO the remaining guys should rise up, change their name and carry on. Show the world (and their former singer) that they will not be tainted by association. [/quote] Absolutely! But it might be easier said than done. They'd have to do a lot of press work to show that they aren't associated with Watkins anymore, and that they never knew or endorsed what he was doing.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1380649094' post='2228483'] Why couldn't they carry on and just replace the guy. Is he really indispensable? I can understand that they might not want to, but that's not the same as it being inevitable. [/quote] That would be another option, but I think he was pretty integral to the band. I don't think they would have had much luck anyway, their reputation has been tainted now. [quote name='phil.i.stein' timestamp='1380646133' post='2228412'] it's not the end of the world. [/quote] I know, but this is a music forum, and they are a pretty popular band, so it's worth a mention at least.

LostProphets announced on their Facebook page that after a long time mulling over their options, they've decided to call it a day. I'm not exactly shocked, given that their lead man is being investigated for child abuse and sexual allegations. It's a shame though that they had to end this way, I think. I used to like them (back when they released Start Something), and I believe they basically brought an entire genre into the mainstream, which most of us would call something like deathcore, metalcore, whateverfloatsyourboatcore. Views? Insights? Discussion is encouraged!

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1380558207' post='2227061'] Nah, forget all that sh*t, what you need is one of my patented JAH-TONE control knob sets. Stick em on, tighten em up, and you will find the Rastaman Vibrations in your wedding vegetables. Satisfaction guaranteed. Jah be praised. Bless up. [/quote] That is cool! They look like Ashdown control knobs!

Mellow strings, mutes and use the low gain input. That's as far as my knowledge on dub goes. I've never really given it much time. Maybe if you have a compressor with a fast attack, it would make the note a lot rounder and dubbier, I suppose.