thepurpleblob

We have Bose F1s. Possibly a bit more of a spend but nothing too ridiculous. Very good sound and pretty compact. The whole band goes through the PA and you can still hear the singer.

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1500811630' post='3340294'] I'm from Biggar area. What's the band name and when are the next gigs. I might just come along to one of them jst to hear Supertramp covers. Dave [/quote] Ahh... smallish world. Biggar, good ice cream and we have friends in sunny Thankerton. It's called Midnite Hour - I know, but the band was actually formed in the 70s when that sort of name and spelling was probably cool. I'm the youngest for the first time ever in a band. Next gig is Sunday 6th August (4pm to 7pm) in the Stonehouse Bar in Hamilton. There's a few lined up but now they have a bass player again (!) they're trying to book more. [url="https://www.facebook.com/spanish.tour.1982/"]https://www.facebook...nish.tour.1982/[/url] I still don't know all the bloody arrangements but it's getting slightly less bad

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1500795132' post='3340160'] I'd love to hear your band's treatment of those. [/quote] Well, if you're ever around the West of Scotland! We have a very good keyboard player (a.k.a. Gary). I think that's makes all the difference Re. Oasis. At our last gig, we got asked four times if we played any Oasis songs (we don't). I regard a couple of Oasis songs as something to have in the bag. If you encounter a stag party or similar then playing Oasis is required by law!

I've yet to encounter a bass new to me that's set up the way I like it. I can't think why you wouldn't do your own setups. Unless you're really ham-fisted you won't break it. Fiddle around and see what happens. There's loads of "tutorials" on YouTube.

The band I just joined plays a couple of Supertramp songs, "Give a little bit" and (of course) "Breakfast in America". They're two of our most popular songs. I was quite surprised.

You're not going to sound like the record. You're going to sound like you. Don't let it get to you. This is similar to "how can I sound like player X". The answer is to *be* player X. Some styles are actually tricky to get the feel. Reggae is probably one. Just stick at it, or possibly smoke illegal substances (more)

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1500713811' post='3339706'] Bill Shankly was right when he said, "Someone said to me 'To you [i]football[/i] is a matter of [i]life[/i] or death!' and I said 'Listen, it's [i]more important than[/i] that'. Sorry to be boring, but anyone playing a musical instrument just for fun could find a dozen easier ways of amusing themselves. You can have as much fun in your life as your body and mind can take but IMO when the gig starts the focus is only on one thing. Return to your fun after the encore. [/quote] I think you might be getting a bit semantic about the word "fun". I play music because I enjoy it, it's something different to the 9-5, I get to meet lots of weird people, etc. etc. However, when we're in a venue and charging money my attitude is entirely "professional". But I look forward to and enjoy playing. I don't always look forward to going to work on a Monday morning. I don't have much choice about going to work but I'd quite like to retain that choice about playing music.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1500642705' post='3339328'] I have one of those tonight. I'll have fun and make the best of it, but I need the money for bills, every cent of it. Blue [/quote] Yeh - I get that. My day job is in IT and (whether I like it or not) I'm a much better and more productive IT geek than I am a bass player. So, it's become a matter of personal "policy" that music will never become an income stream that I need to rely on. That's not always been the case for other people in bands I have played in and then "I don't want to do that gig" or "I'd rather go to a car show that weekend" makes me the bad guy...

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1500641697' post='3339309'] The Function band i've been asked to join is in it for the money but not me. I'm just doing it to play some gigs and have a bit of fun. My fuel costs to any gigs or even rehearsals for next few mths will easily take up any gig money i earn. Maybe if we get regular gigs it will pay but if its one a month it might just cover my fuel costs Just in it for the love of the job. Who needs money. You only spend it anyways. As long as your happy. Dave [/quote] Perhaps it's just me, but I've always found being in a band with guys whose motivation is money when your's is just to enjoy yourself can be a recipe for disaster. I've found myself playing awful gigs I wouldn't have touched just because they pay. I'm probably too bitter and miserable though

My wife comes along when (a) she can (she's a train driver of all things so works shifts) and (b ) when she can find a friend to come with her and (c ) when a seat is guaranteed. She sees it as an excuse for a night out. She's a very good photographer and has taken some great photos over the years too. She even once "bounced" a guy who was giving me hassle. Well, I wouldn't mess with her

My basic view is that it's only a bass guitar. It needs to make a rumbly noise and that'll do. Having said that, I just "invested" (phrase used on the wife) in a SansAmp RBI and I'm particularly pleased with the outcome! At the end of the day your sound is mostly about your technique. When I get some technique I'll let you know

I just did 40 songs for my current band in 3 weeks and only one rehearsal before the first gig. I ended up playing off hastily scribbled chord charts. It's not my first choice having a music stand in front of me but needs must. I still got caught out once or twice with different arrangements I didn't know about and we hadn't rehearsed. It's all character building :-D

I had to look up what "autodidact" meant.... but apart from that small glitch it's done

[quote name='pnunes76' timestamp='1499772558' post='3333465'] Unfortunately, I don't have a fellow to play along and teach me the basics. So, I have to try by myself. [/quote] You don't say where you are, but that's were these online advertising sites come in (e.g. Gumtree). Make friends and find interesting people who you will be complaining about in these forums soon enough

I was a "classically trained" (I hate that expression, but you get the idea) percussionist before learning the bass. Not a very good one by the way. I had never played anything without the dots in front of me. And that was about 30 years worth on and off. It was the hardest thing. You actually learn to think of music in terms of dots on a bit of paper more than the sound in your head. At least that's how I would explain it. It was very hard to transition. If I'm learning something tricky I still print off a bit of manuscript and scribble down the dots because it helps (me) to visualise it.

The only issue for me has been some minor health issues that have sometimes made late nights / early mornings very tiring. It just means I can't gig like crazy but I'm now in a band with some even older codgers so that's ok. I had a few abortive starts at learning to play bass. The first bit of learning any instrument requires a bit of 'getting through it'. This, again, is why I recommend a tutor or even a mate who plays. Someone to give you sensible goals. Otherwise you just have a fretboard full of notes you can't remember (and they all appear more than once... what the hell is that all about??) and daunting talk of learning scales (which?) and arpeggios (how many?) I don't think you can go wrong getting some *basic* understanding of music theory. You can (and should) go and learn to play the bass parts to songs and try to figure out what is going on.

Started at 38 here and still going at 53. I'm starting to get OK at it now too. I'm the youngest in the band I play in too. I had some random musical background but I think... once you have got the basic motor skills and learned where a few notes are on the neck... that a few lessons can set you off in the right direction because there's a lot of good stuff on the interweb but a load of rubbish too. At the very least, don't try to blindly learn of tab. Figure out what you are doing.

[quote name='DBerriff' timestamp='1493978383' post='3292275'] Why not get hold of a BF One 10 or Two 10 and use that with the GB head? If you want a bit more low end and hifi mids the new Genzler 10-2 array cabs are really good but more expensive. [/quote] I remember not being able to eat for months after buying the 2x12 I have now!! They're great but bloody expensive. I don't think I'd get it passed the management. I'd also like a complete backup (which I don't have at the moment)

I currently gig with a Barefaced/GenzBenz combo which is great. However, I have just joined a band with a proper full PA and I'll be going through that. They also like to work out songs in the guitarist's house and just use rehearsal studios to add the drums later. I'm thinking it might be an idea (excuse) to get a decent, small combo to do both. Also means I don't need to steal the wife's 4x4 for every rehearsal/gig. Thoughts / recommendations?

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1491305864' post='3271946'] i find it hugely exciting for the spontaneity. You get chatting to someone , narrow it down to a few titles that you both can live with, knock it through twice in thr corridor and do it as best you can. Its a real challenge and if people tap their, feet, dance, say they lked it then thats a huge bonus [/quote] Chatting to someone? I don't think I have the right personality for this

I don't understand open mic nights. Getting up with some random musicians playing random stuff would be my worst nightmare

This thread is interesting reading. Possibly not what I expect but never mind I don't think I want to give up music - which is were I was getting to - but I think I need to take a break, take the pressure off myself, and find out what I really want to do that I will enjoy. Not just anything that comes along. You've all helped a lot. Really!!

[quote name='pmjos' timestamp='1491154587' post='3270868'] Sorry sounds to me like you need to change your diet, get fit and get some energy. You can then get a life. Jeez man you are the same age as me. I have diverticular disease, high blood pressure, and minor heart issues. Sounds like you are ready for six bits of wood . Fight back man! [/quote] I'm fine... I'm fit and healthy but have some issues that mean I haven't to push my luck too far. I now find that late night gigs are doing just that. I'm not enjoying it any more because it's exhausting. The alternative is possibly those six bits of wood. "Live healthily" they say... trying

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1490949869' post='3269255'] judging by most of these reply the title should read 'What's left to do when you're not healthy enough' [/quote] Yep - I've never naturally been a nighttime person. Bed time is 10:30pm However, I appear to no longer have the reserves to compensate. Gigs should be from 6pm to 10pm!!!

I have to say that I didn't mean to imply I'm a miserable old fart... I do lots of stuff. Too much probably. The last thing I want to do is veg in front of the TV. However, increasingly, finishing a gig at gone midnight, packing up and driving home has been taking two days of migraines and misery to get over. It's ceasing to be sustainable. I'd quite like to keep playing and I'll miss it but I can't play the sort of gigs I used to. I've been chipping away at learning to read. Before I played bass I played percussion and could sight-read very well. I got gigs in theatres and stuff and really enjoyed that.