EliasMooseblaster

Speaking of the difficulty in tracking one down...any recommendations for a beginner's fretless bass? Something that's sufficiently well made that it won't sound and play atrociously, but cheap enough that my bank manager won't be tutting disapprovingly if I realise it's not for me. (I wasn't overly enamoured with the Squier VM Jazz, but I don't know if that was the rounds or the ebanol fretboard...do most of them sound better once you pop flats on?)

Welcome! And fantastic stuff - some clever solutions to some common problems, and the result looks and sounds delightful. (The Pegasus on the pickguard is a nice touch as well!)

I'm always impressed by how well your singists pull off those harmonies in a live setting - even with laryngitis, Laura sounds better than a lot of singers I've heard live!

The first photo has surfaced from last night's shindig at [b]The New Cross Inn (28th May '14). [/b]Hopefully our friend Chris won't mind that I've pinched his photo. I'm sure you'll agree that the cosmetic placement of that last pillar improves the photo a great deal.

Pretty good, thanks. A much better turn-out than our last attempt to do a mid-week at the New Cross Inn, and some really good bands on the bill. Onstage sound wasn't great - from talking to the others afterwards, I think I was the only one who could hear everybody else (well, apart from my own BVs, so I dread to think how they sounded...). But in spite of that, we played pretty well. And just like last time, I made the mistake of sticking around at the end for "just one more" pint and having a rather awkward journey home. Going to need to put some more coffee on soon, methinks.

Oh, so it is - my mistake!

Oh, they look lovely, I agree (but take a closer look at the second photo!)

What's most remarkable is how, depending on the angle it's viewed from, it can look a dead ringer for a 4-string Aria Pro bass!

At the risk of embarrassing myself in front of far more knowledgeable theorists...would the OP's chord not be either D7sus(b2) or D7b9 (without 3rd)? My understanding of suspended chords is as a way of replacing the 3rd with either the 2nd or 4th, so you often see sus2s and sus4s if, like me, you spend too long learning to play Who songs. I've never seen the suspended 2nd or 4th sharpened or flattened before, which makes me think D7b9 would be a better candidate. Edit: as for writing the intervals out in an exam, if you were to write it out as per your original suggestion, I reckon that would make a strong case for D7b9!

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1401267647' post='2461743'] I think we're amazed by mediocrity a little bit too often these days. (Yes, I'm over 40 years old) [/quote] If it makes you feel any better, I'm not quite 30 years old yet, and I fear you may be right. I've just listened to that performance, and "inoffensive" is probably the nicest thing I can say about it. (Which may be a good thing, a lot of the autotuned s**te I've heard out of other people's radios/mobile phones is infuriatingly awful.) But the song does seem to be a complete non-entity. I suspect in decades past, it would have been dismissed as "bubblegum."

[b]We had such a good night at the New Cross Inn last time, we thought we'd go back.[/b] Even though they've managed a picture with our old singer on the posters (D'oh!) This time, we're in the middle of a classic-rock-and-blues lineup that features [b]Daxx & Roxane[/b] - 10.30pm Screeching guitars and soaring vocals, Daxx & Roxane is outright raw Heavy Metal. Hailing from Montreux, Switzerland, the band roots itself in the old school rock and metal of the likes of Iron Maiden and Deep Purple. Their strength resides in the passion and energy they deliver onstage, and in the sheer power of their sound, mixing the Hard Rock attitude to the savageness of Heavy Metal. [url="https://www.facebook.com/DaxxAndRoxane"]https://www.facebook.com/DaxxAndRoxane[/url] [url="https://soundcloud.com/daxxandroxane"]https://soundcloud.com/daxxandroxane[/url] [url="http://daxxandroxane.ch/"]http://daxxandroxane.ch/[/url] [b]The Dust Coda[/b] - 9.45pm The Dust Coda mix the classic rock n roll bloodlines of LA, Seattle and London, bleeding into the future with punk energy and hard rock precision. [url="https://www.facebook.com/TheDustCoda"]https://www.facebook.com/TheDustCoda[/url] [url="https://soundcloud.com/the-dust-coda"]https://soundcloud.com/the-dust-coda[/url] [url="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedustcoda.com%2F&h=mAQH06Yyn&enc=AZMz6z3cKJx30kuKHocKjoxGoc99_2sgTg8s07tX0q6h0tyQI3i6krP-C_tVlOESz7M&s=1"]http://www.thedustcoda.com/[/url] [b]Cherry White[/b] - 9.00pm My lot. Contemporary classic rock steeped in blues and attitude. [url="https://www.facebook.com/cherrywhitemusic"]https://www.facebook.com/cherrywhitemusic[/url] [url="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cherrywhitemusic.com%2F&h=fAQHOvwoI&enc=AZP1xXpuhEIap6zWb_WWsxTAyjLGIhWP-a_q7RSYyD6O8Oq0vpVIBvRrQzqGYzjM3Cg&s=1"]http://www.cherrywhitemusic.com/[/url] [b]The Paul Hegley Band [/b]8.15pm The Paul Hegley Band are an exciting new blues band from Bedfordshire. Notable for their edgey blues rock style and gritty sound. They pack a huge punch with an electric live show and haunting tone. [url="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paul-Hegley-Band/246646405350273"]https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paul-Hegley-Band/246646405350273[/url] [url="https://soundcloud.com/paulhegleyband"]https://soundcloud.com/paulhegleyband[/url] [url="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.paulhegley.com%2F&h=kAQErb4jp&enc=AZOC5TQ8M2JLcgSnFq4v4Mn0ULg8iJiEkWc5lPl0F_y_0Z0FiIo-dnY4_BlUtOOARdA&s=1"]www.paulhegley.com[/url] [b]Lace & Whiskey[/b] - 7.30pm Lace & Whiskey is a classic rock originals band based in London that combines Melissa Collett’s melodic guitar licks with Andy Hodgson (aka Rock & Roll Andy)'s growly rock balladeering. Nick and Aaron on bass and drums complete the line up. [url="https://www.facebook.com/laceandwhiskeymusic/"]https://www.facebook.com/laceandwhiskeymusic/[/url] [url="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.laceandwhiskey.co.uk%2F&h=vAQFeYYM4&enc=AZOJggt4iQSxyHasBWg4JTiBlUU4IF_x77JoYZwV7Qlr9TVuGFFTF9qXR4KvEEQCycQ&s=1"]http://www.laceandwhiskey.co.uk/[/url]

We actually have a song in the set (a cover of "Why Don't You Do Right," that Peggy Lee/Benny Goodman used to do, and later Jessica Rabbit), which is always included such that it can be bought forward in case of technical emergency. E.g., if our guitarist breaks a string, or if our drummer accidentally blows up his kit, it starts with a couple of minutes of just bass and voice, giving the band time to rectify the problem while the music continues. Hell, even if our singer needs a couple of minutes to chain some Strepsils, I can keep that bassline going all night. It's not often necessary, but it's a handy fall-back. There is no such backup if something goes wrong with my bass. Granted, I've not broken a string in something like seven years, certainly not since I adjusted my playing style, but I realise I'm walking a bit of a tightrope in that respect...

True, we do have Mumford & Sons for that purpose these days...

[quote name='bobbass4k' timestamp='1400629606' post='2455707'] Ahh, Mr. Agreeable is back. All of his "reviews" are basically form letters full of unnecessarily self0censored swear words into which he "find and replaces" the pertinent band and album name that are today's targets of his somnolent trickle of watery, mendacious bile. There is no genuine resonance of sentiment here, just the death throes of a cynic clinging desperately to his last shred of relevance. [/quote] I used to quite enjoy his columns in Melody Maker, so I was quite excited to stumble across this review and see that the Quietus had given him a semi-regular spot. Unfortunately it seems like he's writing them to more of a formula these days - if memory serves, they used to be a bit sharper, and the self-censored "f**ks" came at about half the current frequency. Still enjoyed the odd turn of phrase, including but not limited to "I don't have to knit my breakfast no more."

A little while ago I bought a Hagstrom HB-8. It was the first time I'd ever seen an 8-string bass in the flesh, so I had to go into the shop and try it. And of course, I liked it so much I took it home with me. I'd only gone out to buy a pair of jeans... Unfortunately, I'm getting a little anxious about the complete absence of replacement string sets - not least because I'd like to take her in for a set-up at some point. The Hagstrom website states that they make suitable strings, but gives me no means to order them. I can find other 8-string sets online, but they're all for long-scale basses, and the Hag is short-scale! So: can you either recommend me a place that stocks them - ideally somewhere in or near London - or, suggest an alternative? The HB-8 is a 30.75" scale, but strung through the body. I gather from a TB thread that this might make medium-scale strings suitable (or possibly better). (The string gauges are .095 .070 .055 .040 and .055 .040 .025 0.15)

Bit of a mixed bag at the Corner House last night - unfortunately I think we lost a lot of our audience to the aftermath of the cup final. A few locals stuck around after the match, but it made for a bit of an empty room. On the other hand, we played a really good set, and what crowd there was seemed to really enjoy it! Proof, I guess, that you can have a good atmosphere even if the venue isn't packed to the rafters. The other two bands were excellent as well - I heartily recommend checking out Bouquet of Dead Crows (http://bouquetofdeadcrows.bandcamp.com/) and Radar (http://amazingtunes.com/radar1/)

A couple of shots from our gig at [b]The Corner House, Cambridge (17th May '14)[/b], courtesy of the folks in the audience: [attachment=162946:CWonstage1.jpg] [attachment=162947:CWonstage2.jpg]

Just two days away now... [url="http://youtu.be/1n4I0qYrdXo"]http://youtu.be/1n4I0qYrdXo[/url]

Cherry White return to the Corner House, in Cambridge, with support from some great local bands. £5 entry. We thought we'd try selling advance tickets through our bandcamp page...and of course, you wouldn't want to miss out on this one: https://cherrywhite.bandcamp.com/merch/gig-tickets-for-the-corner-house-cambridge-may-17th [url="https://www.facebook.com/deadcrows"]Bouquet Of Dead Crows - https://www.facebook.com/deadcrows[/url] (8.00) "A female fronted Rock band that likes big riffs, but also likes acoustic finger picking!" [url="https://www.facebook.com/cherrywhitemusic?ref=hl"]Cherry White - https://www.facebook.com/cherrywhitemusic[/url] (9.00) "The ever-so-elegant sound of contemporary classic rock, steeped in a barrel of blues." [url="https://www.facebook.com/radarpage"]Radar - https://www.facebook.com/radarpage[/url] (10.15) "Original rock - reminiscent of Gilmour on bass, Clapton on Drums and Paul Weller with a nasty cold on vocals!" Doors at 7.30pm...stage timings possibly a little on the approximate side!

Consider this a placeholder for last night's gig at Surya (London). I suspect there may not be any photos from this one, but just in case...

"...meat with shoes who takes up space" is likely to become my new favourite insult. Excellent stuff!

Cherry White's next London date is at Surya, on Pentonville Road: https://www.facebook.com/events/772367609447856/ Doors open 7.30pm. The lineup is: Cherry White [url="http://www.facebook.com/cherrywhitemusic"]www.facebook.com/cherrywhitemusic[/url] Broken Chords [url="http://www.facebook.com/brokenchordsofficial"]www.facebook.com/brokenchordsofficial[/url] The Tax [url="http://www.facebook.com/thetaxband"]www.facebook.com/thetaxband[/url] Thulium [url="http://www.facebook.com/Thulium69"]www.facebook.com/Thulium69[/url] We should be on around 10pm...yep, somehow they've invited us to headline! Still, this one's a trifling £5 if you buy in advance, which you can do from http://www.seetickets.com/Event/broken-chords/surya/786261 Any London BCers interested?

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1399369028' post='2443417'] has everyone gone off bandcamp? I always thought bandcamp looked pretty good [/quote] Bandcamp's fantastic for many reasons, but it's geared more towards selling your music than general promotion - e.g., I don't think there's an easy way to list your upcoming gigs on there.

For the first time in my life, I've appeared in a music video. I feel this should rank as some sort of achievement: [media]http://youtu.be/1n4I0qYrdXo[/media]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1398850510' post='2438148'] Only without getting a cheap silver star to pin on your chest ... [/quote] This might actually be a great idea in this instance - would the offending band member be placated if you forced the dep to wear a cheap silver star embossed with the word "Deputy," to ensure the crowd knew they weren't a regular member?