ambient

[quote name='Jecklin' timestamp='1415365985' post='2599633'] Very interesting thread. I have a skewed perspective on it though as I've stopped buying downloads if I can get the music in a physical format. Often I'd use bandcamp (or other) to listen to the tracks and then buy the CD or record or tape etc etc. When the music is only avaiIable as a download I actually prefer it to have a stated price. I don't see a problem with offering tracks on bandcamp for a fee and then having a few of the same tracks as a free download from your website or soundcloud or whatever. When uploading tracks as an Ep or Album to Bandcamp can you designate that one track is a free download, but the rest have to be purchased? [/quote] Yes, you can set it so that there's a fee for the album, some tracks can be free others need to be paid for.

[quote name='Spoombung' timestamp='1415359503' post='2599550'] Okay, here you go. Several people have asked me about this. There are several venues that feature free improv/experimental music. I would recommend [u]you go and see a gig first [/u]rather than send links to the promoters concerned. Talk to whoever runs them in person. In addition to Cafe Oto and the Vortex.... [b][size=4]The Dog House in Kennington - Vimeo have several vids from this venue - so maybe start there. Very Free-improv (two venues)[/size][/b] [b]Club Integral - several venues, so look them up - avant bands mostly and small ensembles[/b] [b]Lewisham Arthouse - Charles Hayward, the drummer, runs this. Invite only - so go to a gig first[/b] [b]The Hundred Years Gallery - Kingsland rd, a small basement space - small ensembles[/b] [b]Ryans Bar in Stoke Newington - I've seen small avant bands play there in the basement[/b] [b]The birds Nest in Deptford - loud, rough venue suitable for small bands[/b] [b]The Montague Arms, New Cross - run by a collective - stage/PA/ bands[/b] [b]Servant Jazz Quarters - Dalston - cosy basement venue often used by Club integral[/b] [b]The Mopomoso club - free improv - two different venues[/b] [b]Boat-Ting - a nice venue on a boat moored on the north bank. Monthly improv gigs[/b] [/quote] That's a great list 😊 I was gonna maybe suggest contacting steve lawson or something, it's the kind of thing he's been doing for years.

I guess I also maybe naively thought that people would pay for it, if they liked it, as I would myself. The thing with Bandcamp is that you can just listen to an artists music, as many times as you want. It's not like Amazon or iTunes where you can preview a track, and you maybe get 30 or 40 seconds. You can be pretty sure that you like it, before you buy it. There are albums that I've downloaded where I've had to listen via Bandcamp, simply because I didn't have the £5 spare to be able to download them, even though they were available for free if I'd chosen. Maybe I have too much respect for people and their music ?

[quote name='heminder' timestamp='1415321619' post='2599302'] I personally view recorded music as a portfolio. The more people that have a copy of it the better it is for us as artists since it will be more likely that more will come and see us live. Painters and photographers go to great lengths to make sure as many people see and save their portfolios as possible, which they spent a lot of effort and expense in creating. Because bytes are essentially free to replicate the cost of distributing our work diminishes but the money is still in the actual performance of our craft, just like other types of artists. [/quote] I kind of agree with you, that's why I originally decided it to be 'pay what you want'. I thought it'd be good for it to be heard. What really decided me to change the pricing, was something I heard at uni, a discussion about why do people think they should get the creative output from someone for nothing. It is after all something that can be enjoyed over and over again. People think nothing of spending £2 on a cup of coffee from costa, £2.50 on a sandwich or £3 on a pint of beer, all things that have a finite life and enjoyment period. The music that you own is there indefinitely, you may tire of it after a bit, then go onto something else, but unless you delete it, its still there and available for that moment that you feel you want to delve into it again.

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1415317513' post='2599270'] Oh, and my thoughts are along the lines of being very happy that 5 out of 6 people considered the music worth paying for. I'd be focussing on the on the 100 that paid and figuring out what the 21 might be happy to spring for. Any opportunities to get the email addresses on bandcamp? [/quote] I can see where they are, but I think you have to subscribe to get the emails.

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1415317266' post='2599267'] Out of curiosity, what was the average price paid by those who purchased? [/quote] It varied a bit, 50p or £1 per track (some tracks are over 7 minutes long, one over 10 minutes, only one is less than 4 minutes), for the album the lowest was £3, the highest £10, most paid £5.

When you come across music that you like, maybe on Bandcamp for instance, if it's 'pay what you want', do you always pay for it ? I do, even if it's only £5 for an album, or a £1 or so for a track (bear in mind I'm a student). I've had an album and separate tracks on Bandcamp for a couple of months now. They were priced at 'pay what you want'. I thought it was better for people (and nice) if people downloaded it, and maybe let friends/family hear it. The first time someone just downloaded it, and didn't pay, I felt actually felt quite a bit aggrieved and cheated, quite odd really . I was looking at the stats on Bandcamp a couple of days ago, and out of the 120 odd downloads, 21 were free. So now I've changed the pricing so it's £1 per track and £5 for the album. Keep in mind that it's all totally original music, I composed, played, recorded, arranged and mixed it. Some came straight away, others didn't. It's 'work' that I've done, is it wrong to expect to be paid ? If it was a 'physical' something that I'd made, then people would naturally expect to pay for it, so why should music be different ? Just wondered what everyone else thought ?

The idea is to baffle you with science.

It's probably a load of nonsense.

I know there's one in Glasgow. I can't find the other one in London, I wrote it down somewhere - they were advertising in Gumtree of all places.

Let me know when you're playing, I'd love to come along.

There are a few venues - [url="http://www.forgevenue.org"]http://www.forgevenue.org[/url] [url="http://www.cafeoto.co.uk"]http://www.cafeoto.co.uk[/url] There's also the Union chapel, they have nights for the more unusual types of music I'm maybe playing there with another bass player. There was another that I found, the name's in my diary though that I don't have with me at the moment. Hope this helps.

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1415010022' post='2595489'] I have nothing useful to add, but when I read the subject of the post I thought to myself "depends on how desperate you need to go" Sorry. [/quote] It's 30 pence at railway stations now !

I've been told by people - one being a lady at my local post office - that it's pointless paying extra for Saturday/Sunday delivery, because 9 times out of 10, they don't deliver. Saying that though, Amazon prime's next day delivery is excellent, and they do deliver Sundays. Shame I won't be renewing my prime membership since they almost doubled the price.

Just use chord tones and play variations of them, e.g. 1, 3 , 5 , 7 or 3, 5, 7, 1, or 7, 5, 3, 1 etc put in chromatic passing notes where you feel they're needed.

I'm probably gonna be the odd one out, but definitely no. I only play 6 string basses, and what I listen to now bears absolutely no relation to what I listen to when I was a child, or even 10 years ago.

I think there are very few professional bassists making their living from just playing bass, so questions 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 probably don't apply to a great many people. Filled in most, but the date of birth and post code etc are a bit too personal

I love Steve Lawson's fretless sound. You get a lot of ambient soundscaping, then all of a sudden a beautiful legato fretless melody line.

They even have an annoying advert on TV now. People rule.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1414765100' post='2593095'] Sorry to hear this Ash. I've had similar crap from them to the point where I'll have nothing to do with them (except for very small transactions). Problem is that PayPal is not a proper bank and don't have to abide by the usual banking regulations - so they are a law unto themselves. They (and eBay) are tantamount to criminal organisations in my book and should be investigated by the proper authorities. No help to you though, sorry for the rant! [/quote] I totally agree. I'm on the verge of having my Paypal account limited, whatever that means. Just because I've received over a certain amount in the last year. They want me to send them a copy of my passport, as if that's going to happen I've only phoned them once about something a couple of years ago, I'm sure it was a cleaner who answered my call.

If you pay via a credit or debit card then it goes straight back to the source of the payment, it may not show as credit in your Paypal account. At least that's how it's shown in mine the couple of times I've had refunds from them.

What are you having done to it ? Do they have bolt on necks ? Maybe ship in 2 pieces ?

Thanks, to be honest I haven't listened to any other version at all besides our cover, I didn't want to get influenced in any way how to make it sound.

Anything you want really I like reverb, chorus and delay/echo personally. Checkout some of Steve Lawson's playing for inspiration.