steantval

That’s probably the 80% of us I was talking about, if it was just for the money, most of us would probably not be gigging.

I assume what you mean by working bands, these are pro players and do it entirely for a living and by hobby players you mean guys/gals who play at the weekends in bands but it is not their main occupation. I would hazard a guess that this site membership is probably split to a max of 20% pro players and the rest are as you call them “hobbyists”. I come under the “hobbyist” category and I do not reside in or anywhere near London, we book gigs up to a 45 mile radius of where we are based. I have been in a total of eight bands since the 80’s and one criteria in all of them is that everyone has their own transport.

Just a quick question, I noticed a lot of the folks on here have their basses out in the pictures, are these permanently left out or were they specifically out just for the photos ? It would mean a lot of dusting if they were permanently out. My bass at home is usually stored away in its case although I do have stands. In terms of caring for the instrument, is it beneficial to leave it in or out of the case when stored indoors at home?

Sorry Pete but I don’t get your statement. Its got nothing to do with the songs, it’s the bass sound I have worked towards through purchasing high end amplification, using a different amp/cab will not be my sound. If all amps/cabs sounded the same, why do we need ( and purchase) all the different makes and configurations that are currently available? Over the years I have played many multiple band gigs and as a band we (as well as the other bands) have brought our own drum kit and back line amplification, 15 to 20 minute changeovers are no problem, the drummer has all his kit all set up backstage and just needs to carry it out plus our own individual back line gear, first song of the set is a sound check.

I cannot understand why a drummer or a bass player would want to play on equipment provided by a venue. I would assume most of it would be sub standard stuff that’s been hammered. I have my own individual sound based on the bass guitar and amplification I use and this also fits in with the overall sound of our band, using another amp that is provided just does not make sense to me. Our drummer Ray has a couple of high end kits and top of the range cymbals, I’m pretty sure he would not be happy playing another kit , it comes down to your individual set up, it’s a personal thing.

In my music room.

Mark Knopfler hit the big time when he was 30/31.

Audition for the X Factor or The Voice 😀😀😀😀

A few things to bear in mind with a new band once you are rehearsed and ready to gig - Venues are usually reluctant to book you as they have never heard of you and they generally give the bulk of their available gigs to established bands they have had before. Timing of when the band is ready to gig is very important i.e. if the band was ready now, not a good time, most venues already have their gigs fully booked for the year. The ideal time for booking gigs is October for the following year, most venues are looking to take bookings around this time. Ideally six months of rehearsing once a week should have a decent cover band ready with 2 x 45 minute sets. Start rehearsing in July and by October you should be reasonably confident the band is working, now is the time to book your gigs for the following year, this will also give you a timeline to work to your first gig.

Not recommended this time of year, too cold and may upset the neighbours. 😎😀

I don’t think you would get to see a very good tribute rock band for £6, most of the big ones are at least £15 to £20 a gig.

This proves having lots of money doesn’t guarantee lots of friends 😀😀

I’m pretty certain that none of us will be here by 2918 😀😀

A crap drummer who is also ill must be a nightmare 😀😀

Yeh, but you can just pull someone out of a hat, we can’t all do that 😀😀😀 Sh*te, Ambient beat me to that one.

How the hell does the bassist play like that while dancing around all the time, was it possibly not live?

I appreciate that your guitarist sorted out the replacement band but paying them an extra £100 was a bit silly, especially when the rest of you guys are having to stump up the money. I personally would have tried to get a dep drummer (as he did), if no joy I would have contacted the venue to explain that due to illness we would not be playing. It works both ways, if the venue say had a water leak just prior to the gig, they would drop the band without any hesitation or payment.

Thanks for the tip. Just saved saved £22 on some parts for my motorcycle with one minute to go.

He may hate it but it’s made him plenty of money. I would certainly place that song above anything he is currently putting out, loads of Zep purists must be cringing at his recent projects.

Nothing wrong with the Heart version, I consider Ann Wilson to be of the top female vocalists around, this type of stuff is effortless for her vocal range, makes it look easy, which it ain’t.

We had this happen to our only two gigs booked in November, both double booked and we lost out. It amazes me that pub landlords/owners cannot even manage a simple diary at times, very frustrating. I made it clear to both of them that we would not be playing either of their venues in 2018.

I personally struggle with open strings when they are part of a repetitive riff - Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi springs to mind.

Free - Fire and Water Mountain - Nantucket Sleighride

Have you looked at a Peugeot RCZ, my wife had the 2 litre diesel top spec one, reasonably quick and economical. It has a large boot for a 2+2 and you can also drop the "rear seats" , you would have no problem getting some bass gear in it.

Five of them in our current set.