Len_derby

I’ve just sold a gig bag to Tim. Everything just dandy and he even paid me before I’d parcelled it up! One of Basschat’s top guys to deal with.

Beat me to it. This is the best advice I can give. Especially as you’ve decided to learn an instrument that is mostly an accompanist. Doesn’t have to be a ‘band’ as such. Just other people playing and/or singing.

It’s lovely, thanks Pete. As you say, really well suited to that kind of gig. Nice to play, light and easily transportable. Ideally, given the option, I’d play it through my Trace Elliott Elf and BF One 10, but it’s fine straight through the PA. Since that fateful meeting in Goole my gigs have been 50% Taylor Mini Bass and 50% Mustang.

We were concerned that the buffet might be all gone before we got to it. 😂

Last night was a fun outing for my acoustic project, The Desperate Cowboys. We’ve managed to recruit a third member, Hugh The Welshman, on harmonica and it was his first live outing with us. Can you spot the clue that it was a birthday party?

Just sold a set of strings to Micheal. All good. Deal with him in confidence.

My advice, for what it’s worth, is to get out there and do some networking at open mics and jam nights. You will need to be open about what genres of music you play and will, definitely, “kiss a few frogs”. But, you will be mixing with people who actually want to play live music. One of the best bands I’ve played with came about after I saw a solo singer/guitarist at an open mic and said ‘would you like a bass player to join you?”. Good luck, and don’t give up!

When I visit somewhere and there’s a music shop I’ll usually nip in and buy something, even if I only spend a fiver.

Yes, south east Greenland. Well spotted. The boat isn’t Sally’s, she borrowed it as a feature of the expedition, lead by a Brit called Martin Rickard. That enabled her to fly over to Kulusuk in Greenland, via Iceland. She doesn’t know Nigel Dennis personally but has been involved with events he has organised, mainly in Anglesey, Wales. In terms of gear, she has two and half kayaks. The half being a fifty percent share of a two-seater. Add in all the clothing, accessories etc. and one more bass guitar is practically invisible 😆.

My wife’s main hobby makes mine look very small beer.

The covers band, Top Deck, did a 5pm-7pm slot today at The Pear Tree in Ripley Derbyshire. We picked the gig up yesterday after the pub had been let down by the band who were booked and then put a help message on Facebook. Anyone who knows Ripley won’t be surprised to hear that there was a mixed sex ward-full of lairy drunks at 5pm on a Sunday ready for dancing and singing along. Less fun was the torrential rain that started to seep into our playing area. Some quick improvisation with the log pile.

Many years ago I had a chat with Martin Ace, the long-time bass player for the Welsh band Man. He said, “if you’re bothered about being under-appreciated, overlooked or misunderstood, you’ve probably chosen the wrong instrument “.

Strategic positioning of wedge monitors on the floor in front of us seems to work.

A hollow-bodied electric bass? Several different shapes to choose from. A Danelectro? An acoustic bass guitar? Have fun in your search!

Saturday night with the covers band Top Deck. One of our regular haunts, The Holly Bush, Marehay, Derbyshire. The crowd was smaller than normal but given the thunder, lightning and torrential rain, fair dooz.

A grateful client turned me into a key ring.

Continuing our program of buying stuff from each other, Tim has just bought my U-bass. As ever, Tim is prompt in his communications and a genuinely top guy to deal with. He’s a highly recommended Basschatter.

Yes. I think it’s a photo of the rehearsal sessions for the L & L album, that were done at a rented house in Farley Chamberlayne near Winchester. The last time I saw Ashley H he was playing a Danelectro.

Great band, Sweet. On those TOTP performances they absolutely nailed the glammed-up bricklayer look. I depped for a band a couple of years ago who did Ballroom Blitz. Really a lot of fun to play and the fact they had a female singer seemed to make the intro even camper. I remember that donkey’s ears ago John Peel played a Sweet B side on his show and challenged listeners to ring in with who they thought it was. Very few got it right, most callers thinking it was one of the well-know heavy rock giants of the day.

This afternoon my recently started acoustic duo, Desperate Cowboys, played a 40 minute set at The Wirksworth Arts Festival. Me and Mick, the singer in my covers band, started the duo as a way to stretch-out and keep busy when we have no band gigs. It was actually our first proper gig, having limited ourselves to open mics for the last couple of months. It all seemed to go well, with good audience reaction but we now need to do some tweaking of our arrangements and song choices. Those things you only discover when you do it for real. Incidentally, it was the first gig for my Taylor mini-bass, recently bought from our own @casapete. Played through my Trace Elliott Elf and Barefaced one 10.

This gentleman came around last night to buy an electro-acoustic bass guitar from me. A pleasure to deal with in the normal tradition of Basschat. He bought the bass, and also gave me a guitar to donate to a local youth project. What a star. Highly recommended.

Friday night my covers band, Top Deck, hosted a charity night at The Three Horseshoes in Ripley, Derbyshire. It was for Derbyshire Autism Services a not-for-profit organisation supporting families with autistic members. It’s mostly run and staffed by volunteers who are generally parents of autistic children. We supplied all the PA, back line and lights. To provide a full evening of entertainment we got another local cover band, Paradox, to do a set at 8.15. Acoustic duo Rue Marillo did one at 9.15 and we did 10.15 onwards. We donated the band fee and with raffle and other cash given we’re touching £750 raised on the night. All good fun, even the bouncers were dancing by the end. Apparently, the landlord of another pub in the market place was heard grumbling that he could have provided a bigger playing area and crowd and why didn’t we play there? Well, if he’d responded to any of our messages when we were searching for a venue we might have done. 😂

I met @casapete in the glamorous location of a B&Q car park, Goole, East Yorkshire today and bought his Taylor Mini Bass. In the finest tradition of Basschat Pete was a pleasure to meet and do business with. Thanks Pete, and I hope we meet again before too long.