Len_derby

[quote name='KiOgon' post='1267877' date='Jun 13 2011, 08:54 PM']Roland Bass Cube - easily in budget & very well spoken of [url="http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=roland+bass+cube&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-Address&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GB&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=15105962479043582183&sa=X&ei=p2r2TZexL5OLhQeKjpXtBg&ved=0CDoQ8wIwAQ#"]Plenty of choice[/url][/quote] Another +1 I've got a Cube 100. Can be carried in one hand and loud enough for small to medium gigs. One of the best bits of kit I've ever bought.

Last night was a reunion gig. A band I was in, the A52s, folded 4 years ago. However Peter, one of the guitarists, had a 'special' birthday party last night and at his request we did a reunion set. We'd done no playing together for 4 years until we had a run through in the afternoon. In the circumstances we did alright and Peter had a great time, which was the whole point of the event. It was in a local village hall with a proper stage and lots of room for dancing. I was able to crank up the volume through my fairly recently acquired BareFaced BigOne and feel my jean legs flapping. The audience didn't know how lucky they were. An old git band who didn't play 'Mustang Sally'. For the record, it was mostly Beatles, Small Faces, Humble Pie, Neil Young and Chuck Berry stuff. Had a bit of a hangover this morning.

Welcome to Basschat John. Enjoy your time here. I like the idea of playing a doomsday device.

Churches, most of which have adjacent community/meeting rooms. However, they will almost certainly try to recruit you into their music group. Even before they've heard you play

+1 for Roqsolid. I've bought covers for both my Roland Cube and my Barefaced BigOne. I wouldn't go anywhere else. I decided to go for the optional internal speaker protection 'pocket' for my BigOne cover. I've slipped in some good strong cardboard (from one of those tray/boxes that greengrocers have), and it's given lots of extra protection without adding much at all to the weight. Buy with confidence.

Yep Pete, been there. Not an easy one at all. It makes me think of something I say to people (often youngsters) when they express an interest in becoming a performing musician - 'bear in mind that your work-time is other people's play-time'. My best girlfriends & wives have been other musicians/performers or in the hospitality industry. Slight aside. A friend of mine ran a conference centre in Glasgow. She was interviewing for a new head chef. One chap seemed to fit the bill perfectly, but he didn't get the job. He said he didn't like working evenings.

Midus Guerreiro. Bass player for the Aynsley Lister band.

Welcome Steve. What kind of stuff will your band be playing? Is it the same set list from 1995?

Good luck my friend. Let us know how it goes. I always think that if we wait until we feel totally ready and prepared for things - they often never happen. I know too many people, some half my age, who bemoan being stuck in a rut but never seem to do anything about it. Go for it! Have fun!

[quote name='JoshL' post='1260518' date='Jun 7 2011, 11:28 PM']and look forward to spendin some time here. Josh[/quote] And probably some money too Welcome Josh.

[quote name='jonblake' post='1260129' date='Jun 7 2011, 07:28 PM']That's great, Len, although I was hoping it would inspire people to dig out my book![/quote] I will, I will! It's just that the CD was already in the house! WaterofTyne - thanks for the picture of you and your mate Garth. He doesn't look a day older - still looks 97. Yes, it's a shame he doesn't do much with Levon anymore. That man drums like no one else I've ever heard, but it always sounds so right.

Played one of these garden gigs last Saturday. In spite of the canvas covering there was an unpredictable breeze wafting about. My setlist and cribsheets blew away the second song in. They were picked up and brought back to me by a rather nice lady, so it wasn't all bad. You've had plenty of good advice already, the only other one I can add is car/van parking. If you're playing a party in a residential street it's worth trying to negotiate a parking space or drop-off in advance.

Thanks for this Jon. The influence of The Band was massive, and continues to be so. Danko, like most of The Band, was a talented multi-instrumentalist who just happened to be playing the bass on most of their songs. I've kept up with Levon Helm's career, still great. Robbie Robertson less so. Don't really know what happened to Garth Hudson. I've always thought that one of the many interesting things about them was their backgrounds. Although they sounded and looked like a southern USA outfit, they were all, bar Helm, Canadians. Well Jon, your book extract has made me dig out 'The Big Pink' again for a listen. Thanks!

Bought Mel's bongo drums off her. Perfect business transaction. You can deal with Mel in confidence

Welcome Martin. A few of us East Midlanders here on Basschat me duck. Do you ever come over Derby way? I'm at The Flowerpot more often than is good for my health. A great venue for blues if that's what you're into.

[quote name='davey_one_visits' post='1255173' date='Jun 3 2011, 10:51 AM']I wish I was a Christian so I could play in church. I bet it's like that scene from blues brothers with James brown.[/quote] Sometimes! But other times, in the immortal words of Ronnie Scott on a quiet night at his jazz club, 'Shall we all join hands and try to contact the living?'

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1254797' date='Jun 2 2011, 11:18 PM']Because they are fugly beyond all imagining.[/quote] Yep, looks like the kind of bass William Shatner would play.

Welcome Jamie, enjoy yourself.

I must say I've noticed this 'feature' with mine too, which although bought pre-owned, has all standard bits on as far as I can tell. Perhaps some clever bar-stewards can enlighten us. I quite like the sound of the stock pickups, the 'Duncan designed' jobbies. All very subjective, of course. A heck of a lot of bass for the £'s. Love mine as a leaving out around the house & dodgy venue instrument. Very pretty too.

Shouldn't we be talking Dracula, not just Frankenstein, with a name like Stoker? I'll get me coat. Welcome aboard mate. Have fun.

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='1251829' date='May 31 2011, 06:04 PM']stood at the back in my originals band you part of the 'performance' of course is engaging with the crowd of faces infront of you, I used to quite enjoy catching the pretty girls who came to see us play's eyes. Needless to say going from that to church it was strange to work out where to look sometimes! [/quote] For me, the key thing to remember is that we're there most of the time to lead worship and not put a 'show' on in the normal sense. Generally in a church I much prefer to be out of the eyeline of the congregation, if the acoustics and building shape allows it. More like a theatre pit band I suppose.

Stevie Wonder with a machine gun

Welcome Rolo! I have to agree that if you're not in a band picking up a bass gets harder. Personally I'd rather play music I thought was total pants (and have done!) than not be in a band at all. Maybe I'm just a bass tart. Anyway, welcome aboard.