EliasMooseblaster

[quote name='BruceBass3901' timestamp='1433241548' post='2789201'] Are there going to be any physical copies? Or just digital download? [/quote] I don't think we're going to do physical copies of the single, but we should be ordering the first batch of CD copies of the whole EP very soon! I might post a link to order when those arrive. [quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1433242009' post='2789206'] I like that. Nice dynamics - very Zepplinesque. Well shot video too. Great stuff [/quote] Cheers, glad you like it! (Perhaps one day, when I'm feeling brave, I might give away a few of the secrets about the shoestring budget on which we shot it...)

Ta very kindly - glad you enjoyed it! The full EP is due out next week.

"Selling as I've finally got round to buying a proper scratching post for my pet leopard."

[i]Drifter[/i] by Cherry White [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp7UAvkMf64[/media] This is the first single to be released from [i]Staring at the Sun[/i], an EP that we crowdfunded at the end of last year, with the help of a few BCers, among others. It's currently available on Bandcamp: [url="http://cherrywhite.bandcamp.com/"]http://cherrywhite.bandcamp.com/[/url] Still waiting for iTunes, [s]Amazon[/s], etc links to go live, but I'll pop those in here when I get them. Hope you enjoy it! [b]Update: Some delay with iTunes for reasons we can't quite fathom, but it's come through on Amazon![/b] [b]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drifter/dp/B00YIWJLEM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1433155665&sr=8-1&keywords=cherry+white+drifter[/b]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1432635299' post='2783358'] There is another issue at stake here, something that is hard to talk about without offending people; I am talking about respect for the music. Now I understand that I am on seriously dodgy ground here but, some years ago, a drummer friend and I decided we needed to start a Jazz venture locally so we could bring some decent quality Jazz to the area. We found a sympathetic landlord etc and set up our little thing here www.jazzeast.vpweb.co.uk The reason I am posting this in this thread was to explain [i]why[/i] we did it. There were/are a massive number of acts/bands/artists in our area who were listed as or presenting themselves as 'Jazz' at a time when 'Jazz' has little or no media presence. We were aware that. locally, there were a growing number of these 'Jazz' acts/bands/artists and venues putting on 'Jazz' acts/bands/artists that had no idea what 'Jazz' was and was not and certainly struggled to actually [i]play[/i] it. I am not splitting hairs over semantics here; the stuff that was being presented was both poorly produced, poorly presented and VERY poorly played (try a Jazz sextet that used a drum machine that just went tsss, ut tu tssssss, ut tu tsssssss, ut tu tssssssss all night? Duos that comprise a singer and guitarist wearing a suit and using a 'Jazz' guitar whilst playing pop songs - it was even bad pop, never mind bad 'Jazz' - all first position chords, no concept of solo 'Jazz' guitar playing - just painful to watch). Now, we could have lived with that as there are always s*** bands etc but the problem was that these s*** so called 'Jazz' bands were the ONLY 'Jazz' bands available for audiences to hear and the absence of any credible alternatives meant that anyone who wanted to see/hear 'Jazz' for the first time was being presented with some pretty grim stuff and would have most likley been put off it for life (one musician friend reported saw audience members actually [i]laughing[/i] at the material being presented). One of my biggest gripes is people who sing songs from the Great American Songbook and call it 'Jazz'. They may be great songs that might even be sung quite well but that doesn't make them Jazz, just songs that are/may be associated with 'Jazz' artists like Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald etc. Some even use backing tapes, FFS. How can it be 'Jazz' with backing tapes and machines? I am not just being precious about my favourite genre and being all pretentious; the stuff I am discussing is just not 'Jazz' in any way shape or form. I guess what I am saying is that, if anyone is going to put live music on, as a performer or as a venue, they should have sufficient respect for the music [i]and for the audience[/i] to ensure that what is presented has some degree of merit. Our view was that poorly presented 'Jazz', and this stuff was [i]poor[/i], was actually doling more [i]harm[/i] to the music than not having it available at all. We did something about it and are having some success but it's hard work fighting these bizarre Frankenjazzers!! I know I am coming over as a Jazz nazi/snob but this stuff was grim, really grim (and they are still out there, s***ing on the music). [/quote] I think you have a very important point, and a noble ambition. As Mykesbass's blog post suggested a few weeks ago, I often see evidence of a similar risk with Blues as a genre. The risk manifests itself differently, of course - I've also been infuriated by the number of cynical sheisters who think they can pass off anything with a slight swing to it as "Jazz" (maybe Duke's classic should be updated to "It Is A Necessary But Not Sufficient Condition For It To Have That Swing") - but I'm sure we've all seen the "blues band" who are clearly just a vehicle for a guitarist to musically masturbate over. I am somewhat relieved to say that at least in London, for every unimaginative cutout "blues" band, I've seen a couple who put some thought into their set and did more than just flog a dead horse over a 12 bars turnaround. In any case, I fully sympathise!

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1432757852' post='2784748'] Yeah, it's gone very cliched and formula now . Individuality gone out the window . [/quote] I don't know a great deal about the subject, but I get the impression that the minute a band does something different, which deviates from the formula, they suddenly get labelled as a complete different sub-type of metal, and an entire subgenre springs up based around the one thing they've done differently...

I'm somewhere between 2 and 3 on that list. The bass has always been, and probably always will be, my main instrument, but when I was about 16/17, my younger sister took an interest in the drums. We bought a kit from one of my friends, who had long since given up to focus on his guitar playing...at which point I had to sit down at the thing and work out how to play it, in order that I could teach her what to do. So definitely more of a bedroom drummer, but I've managed to get up at a couple of jam nights and bash the kit without embarrassing myself too much. No two ways about it, once you can relax behind the kit then the drums are great fun.

Option 3 seemed like the closest description to my current state of GAS. Currently I have no desire to buy another bass...that said, if I were to come into a large amount of money, I might be tempted to, say, - Get a backup Thunderbird - Get a genuine MIA Std Precision - Upgrade to a sw***ier fretless - Upgrade my cab(s) - Try a few longer-scale 8-strings and see how they compare to my short-scale or, ultimately - commission the strange SG/T-bird hybrid that I've been mulling over for a while. But ultimately, I'm more than happy with what I already have. Honest.

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1432395091' post='2781136'] The venue we use for The Herts Bash has about 5 drum kits - people's Mum's donating them - and I thought playing Bass upset the neighbours. [/quote] I'll bring my sticks if we're allowed to use one of them!

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1432305093' post='2780264'] I'm probably in a huge minority, but visually I just can't be arsed with them. That much more than the tones (and there are plenty in there, I agree) puts me off completely. [/quote] [quote name='ras52' timestamp='1432305441' post='2780270'] I feel your pain. I think I've narrowed my annoyance down to the metal control plate. That's why I've got a G&L JB-2. [/quote] For me, it's the offset body that I find off-putting. Certainly not a deal-breaker - I mean, I certainly wouldn't say no if somebody offered me a Jazz bass - but I just prefer the traditional Precision body. I actually think the separate control plate is a very handy idea, much more convenient than having to unscrew the entire scratchplate like I have to with my P clone!

Unless it's tuned using that screw sticking out of the bridge...which presumably also doubles up as a strap pin, making me wonder whether the string is therefore tuned by how high you wear the bass.

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1432232797' post='2779565'] Always fancied being a drummer - well as a kid anyway - I could never figure out what to hit when though - dabbled with Saxophone for a few years but transposing is a real nightmare - no "just slide up the fretboard a bit" - you have to learn every scale for every key separately...in comparison playing bass is relatively easy [i](taking cover from incoming abuse..)[/i] [/quote] Plus we get to play in concert pitch - no extra level of thought when the bandleader says, "right, this one's in C," forces us to think, "ok, so that means I'm playing in A...oh no, crap, D, I'm playing tenor on this one!"

Good afternoon, BC, Cherry White's next outing will be back in my old hometown of Kingston upon Thames. As the thread title suggests, we'll be playing at [b]The Fighting Cocks [/b]on [b]Friday 29th May.[/b] Latest news is that the lineup will include (running order tbc): [b]Cherry White[/b] https://soundcloud.com/cherrywhitemusic [b]Subset[/b] [b]Rivals & Idols[/b] [b]Cute Cute Death[/b] The official FB event thing can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/1605744903005388/ (More links to follow shortly!)

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1432067657' post='2777907'] And when does he expect this bid? [/quote] After a sudden wave of localised hyperinflation reduces the Pound Stirling to about the same value as the late Italian Lire.

[quote name='mazdah' timestamp='1431683078' post='2773883'] I would say: all valve! Ashdown LB30 or CTM30 with VS212 or 112 cab. This bass needs valves! [/quote] +1 I have a long-scale Epi SG - so a bit of a different beast, but it drives both my LB30 and my CTM100 rather nicely (going into a Laney 1x15). This assumes you're happy with a certain amount of thick valve grit, of course!

...and one from last Friday (15th May), taken at The Spice of Life (Soho) by somebody in the crowd [attachment=192204:SpiceOfLife.jpg]

A couple of gigs to catch up on...firstly a shot from The Royal Park in Leeds (8th May): [attachment=192200:liveRoyalPark.jpg] This one was taken by Jessie Leong ([url="http://www.jessieleong.com/"]http://www.jessieleong.com/[/url]) a professional photographer who's started working with bands more recently, and was absolutely excellent to work with!

Has nobody taken them to one side and quietly told them that VE Day was last week?

Just a quick bump as this one's tomorrow night - I'll probably be loitering around the Spice from around 6.30 in case anyone fancies a pint before the gig starts!

[quote name='Heket' timestamp='1431509620' post='2771973'] No one else use volume control to control the level of distortion? I only play at home but that's what I use the volume on my SUB for, it being super hot and keen to distort. Or is that just a left over relic from my heady metal guitar days? [/quote] Me too! [quote name='EliasMooseblaster' timestamp='1431358011' post='2770422'] Onboard volume generally on full - the only exception, normally, is when I'm using the Tube Screamer, as it does respond very nicely to changes in input level. The Screamer generally only gets used when I'm soloing, however, so I'll be on '10' for the majority of a set. [/quote] As I say, it's generally just for when I'm soloing, but the TS-9B does respond really nicely to changes in input volume, especially if it's run out into a tube amp.

[quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1431522183' post='2772176'] I really liked the Grey Horse pub, was one of the few 'pubs' left in Kingston. The main 'support' for the bands as far as I know was that they could play for free and keep all the takings if they decided to charge. Anyway, thanks to this thread I have Sophie Alloway coming to give my daughter a lesson tomorrow eve. I have lots of other contacts too, female and male, who I may still contact so a massive THANK YOU to everyone who has been in touch. [/quote] I did a dep gig with her once, years ago. Doubt she'd remember me, but I can assure you she's a superb drummer!

It would be nice if it were to carry on as a venue - though most of the rumours I hear contain the horrifying word "gastropub." Seems all the refugees from the Horse are drifting over to the Cavern in Raynes Park - went there myself last Sunday for the first time, not a bad little place!

I've found out that I can actually get to this relatively easily, so put me down as a tentative "yes" for the time being! I can bring a Hagstrom 8-string if anybody's interested in trying one...?

[quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1431382694' post='2770817'] Ditto- a friend of mine and world class drummer is in Kingston, just a bloke.... (Throughly top bloke too) [/quote] [quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1431367860' post='2770597'] I know a great drum tutor in New Malden. Do they really have to be a she? [/quote] If you chaps wouldn't mind sharing these gentlemen's details with me as well, my other half could be in the market for a new drum teacher fairly soon!

Any basschatters twiddling their thumbs this Friday could do a lot worse than this night of music at the Spice of Life, just off Charing Cross Road: http://substancegigs.com/showdetails.php?sid=487&vid=&pa=1 Featuring [b]Dr Lockhart's Midnight Soul Train (http://www.midnightsoultrain.com/)[/b] [b]Various Guises (https://www.facebook.com/variousguises)[/b] [b]Cherry White (https://soundcloud.com/cherrywhitemusic)[/b] [b]Dancehall Days (https://www.facebook.com/dancehalldayspdx)[/b] All for the eminently reasonable sum of just £6 - the Spice is on Moor Street, just behind the Cambridge Theatre, and proceedings kick off around 7.