Clarky

[i][b]Postscript:[/b] [/i] Used the Eminence last night live for the first time at Rattlin Bone's 12 Bar gig. Played it through an Acoustic Image Contra combo I recently acquired off Beedster (who else?!) Sounded very authentically DB-esque, no feedback problems, and got several complimentary comments about the sound (as well as the looks). Very pleased I chose this now. Just wish I hadn't dinged the edge when it tipped over on its stand at my home a couple of months ago Ignoring that bit of ham-fistedness by me, a lovely instrument and a really sensible easily transportable DB alternative. Here's a pic from the gig: [attachment=74676:P1040094.JPG]

The worst two offenders (IMHO) were the guy on the Rotosound stand with the Warwick Streamer, who was dong all this multiple finger tapping and slapping stuff, and the fuzzy haired guy on the Krampera stand who seemed to be in a world of his own, thwacking away and ignoring any would-be customers! Awfully clever technically, utterly awful and unmusical to listen to.

[quote name='Clarky' post='1159541' date='Mar 12 2011, 04:58 PM']Oh and they have quite classy gold silks at the ends .... which is nice[/quote] Um, opened the packet and the silks are dark navy blue. How odd that the colour is different to the ones that wre on show. Matters not a lot of course but just correcting my previous post. More importantly they are on my Tony Franklin fretless now and I like them a lot and certainly a great deal more than Tru Bass strings. So it's a thumbs up from me

The purpose of my OP was not to demonise slap bass (I like Ashes to Ashes for example) but really just to express my incredulity that so many of the bass playing community come to shows such as this and seem to think their virility is proven by super fast double thumb technique at ear splitting volume all day long. It wouldn't honestly matter if they were playing a £200 Squier or a seven grand Fodera as it would still be a godawful noise and I doubt blind tested many could tell the difference.

I tried a set on the D'Addario stand at the London bass show. They were installed on a Fender Jazz. Unlike Tru Bass, they feel quite 'normal' (rather than like big thick cables), just slightly plasticky compared with say TI Flats (hardly surprising). Quite smooth but not very slippery, so you can intonate pretty well. Suitably impressed I have bought a set and will try them on my fretless. Oh and they have quite classy gold silks at the ends .... which is nice

No specific Fender booth, although various retailers there had Fenders (Mansons, Bass Merchant etc). Some of the stands were offering show discounts. I met Mark from Bass Direct, Phi from BassGear and a bunch of BC'ers (Machines, Dood, Molan, SiBob, MythSte and maybe half a dozen more [before I end up typing up a BassChat membership list!]). I only got GAS for the new Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 amp. But sadly my abiding memory will be of a Motorhead-level assault of "thwakity wacka wacka thwak thwacka" etc

Nice one Nigel, looks in incredible nick for a ten year-old bass and really versatile. Has this cured your Fender GAS?

[quote name='hillbilly deluxe' post='1159511' date='Mar 12 2011, 04:40 PM']Wikki wakki dink dink.[/quote] I will be hearing that for the next 24 hours, including in my sleep

Just back from London bass show at Olympia. Say no more

Edited: [b]As a bassist Mark Clark is not that well known, and while he has done next to nothing in the music industry his band Rattlin Bone has a great new CD released - check out his press info:[/b] Non-legendary Nyx, Kismetik and Rattlin Bone Member Mark Clark's band To Release Debut CD of 'Voodoo zombie blues' London, UK - The voodoo zombie blues world is buzzing with the debut release of non-legendary Nyx, Kismetik and Rattlin Bone member Mark Clark called The life and death of .... record label Weburneditourselves. Encompassing all the styles of music he has worked with the past six months, Mark Clark's band's album is a must for collectors and music enthusiasts worldwide. It's a masterful collection of extremely well recorded and performed tracks that rival any from the bands he's played in. “From the opening track right through to the closer this album begs to be listened to over and over again and even memorized note for note. I've had the pleasure of hearing it more times than most people would hear almost anything in their collection and it keeps getting stronger with each listen. I'm very proud to be the partner of one of the nicest and most talented guys in the world.” Mrs Clarky/clarkyhouse.com Mark Clark was born in Tunbridge Wells in the south of England, not a well known place except for its old people and then, in the late 1970's The Anti-Nowehere League came along and put it firmly on the map, forever! After seeing the Anti-Nowhere League and many other groups as a young kid at age 12 he knew what he wanted to do... play [s]guitar but he was too sh*t so he turned to[/s] the bass guitar. Going from group to group until one day he met up with his first real band Nyx (a death metal thrash band) with whom he gigged four times and built up no reputation, as noone liked them as one Liverpool news paper said he was " London's Les Dawson" but after a year or so of unattended gigs, it was time to [s]be fired[/s] move on. Then he met up with many of them London musicians most of whom said he was too old to be in their band and was introduced to the guitarist JImmy Page, who had been a member one of the most well known groups of all time, LED ZEPPELIN. Led Zeppelin were really hitting well at that point but they had a small problem, they were no longer in existence, and after Mark's band Nyx didn't open for them at what was Mark"s biggest gig ever at [s]a skanky dive[/s] a huge hall in of all places, London he was not asked to come and do a session on their new album in a studio down in London because they weren't in existence. Mark walked in to sing background vocals on a couple of tracks and spotted his bass on a guitar stand. Jimmy Page, whose band it was asked Mark to kindly leave the premises or he would call the police. He didand Jimmy was therefore unable to ask him, "So do you want the gig.” Touring with Led Zeppelin would have been harsh, very, very harsh, but truly amazing and for the rest of his career would have been a constant part of his life… a true love. But he didn't. Whilst touring London instead with punk band Kismetik, such bands as K*nt and The Gang (with Paul Shagger, Simon Turd and Paul Kitoff) did not become friends and still are unknown to him years on. The same is true for Metallica, The Beatles, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Kelly Brook (he later formed produced a large quantity of Natural Gas with Joey 'Bowels' McKenzie) and many more. Not knowing what the hell to do Mark went to a bass forum on the interweb that was THE place to be... BassChat! You would find the who's who of the rock world in that place (and Marvin), in fact The Chat (as it was known) is unrelated to the place where Led Zeppelin were named by of all people Keith Moon of the Who. Whilst there Happy Jack not from Uriah Heep appeared and asked Mark to help out as he needed to replace his bass, so the next day they swapped gear in Kew and Mark did not join Uriah Heep. Mark recorded many things on Sky-Plus and was described as "The Wizard" by workmates on account of his long white hair, blogged mercilessly and then joined the group Rattlin Bone to work on their debut album. “In 1979 Led Zeppelin folded and within just two days I had been asked to finish my French 'O' level,” Mark recalls. “After recording and also writing his French essay 'Le Wizard' and some of the hardest revising I've ever done in just twenty two years I parted company with my hamster. Although I have worked with Ken Hom on many of his recipes throughout the years a red-caped dwarf called Peveril still follows me every place I go.” In 1972 his mate Richard and Mark formed a gang and found a conker player of some note, Alan Holdstill. After two conker competitions Mark left the gang, played with his Scalextric track and, on account of his foreshortened ileum, then produced large quantities of Natural Gas with his mates Joey (Smellyfinger) and Jerry (I ate the Pie) moved to London, (he still lives there) and went on to record the entire series of the Sopranos (although his cleaner deleted one episode accidentally). Along with Mark Clark's band's 'The life and death of...', Weburneditourselves.com has yet to remaster and reissue any other albums album on CD. Mark will shortly embark on the 20th wedding anniversary tour with Mrs C all over Siena in Italy. He then tours again with his ungrateful kids in the summer of 2011. “He's still a great nonce and also a barely adequate bass player,” says a bloke from his band.

Rattlin Bone played the 12 Bar in Tin Pan Alley last night. 12 of us for a stage that struggles to hold 4! The band after us cancelled so we could do a decent length set (45 minutes). Really pleased with how it went and my Eminence EUB had its first outing - sounded very DB-like so I'm chuffed with that. Got a very good audience reaction so a good evening Big thanks to BC'ers Happy Jack, Low End Bee and Thunderbird13 for coming along - cheers gents! Pic below: [attachment=74605:P1040093.JPG]

Many thanks to (Happy) Jack, Ad (Low End Bee) and Al (Thunderbird13) plus drummer pal (got a mental block on his name, was it Paul?) for coming along tonight. I thought it went quite well [attachment=74606:P1040093.JPG]

Last round-up call. Hope to see some of you there tonight ... oh and be forewarned I am the most cr@p bass player on BassChat, whoever else lays claim to that title! That way your expectations are suitably low Onstage time: 8.30pm sharp so don't dally in the pub! Oh and bring a copy of the flyer (in first post) and save a quid

Thanks Skank. However undercover reporters from the Sunday Mirror have already disproved the Nazareth story and shown that I was in fact born in 1963 in the rock n roll heartland that is Tunbridge Wells. I did once own a Nazareth single though

You know that if I mentioned anything in this post, it would be utter tosh IF (big if) I found the player's all-original 63P I have long coveted that could be the one, but everything is else is expendable (from the BCer who started 'no such thing as a keeper' thread and possibly has the highest number of feedback posts)

[quote name='chris_b' post='1156925' date='Mar 10 2011, 05:20 PM']....and he can talk [s]R2[/s] bollox fluently.[/quote] corrected

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='1156884' date='Mar 10 2011, 04:58 PM']I commented on one [b]once[/b]...do I get a prize? [/quote] Me too, funnily enough its was one of silddx's! I was nice in that, too

[quote name='silddx' post='1156860' date='Mar 10 2011, 04:48 PM']I know, and I deeply appreciate your comments. I have been working hard at my technique and have elevated myself to mere drivel as a result. Thanks mate [/quote] You are welcome (did I do good, Beedster?)

Thing is Nige, your last clip was sh*te

A large proportion of my BC viewing is done at work where I cannot reasonably listen to sound clips and I bet that is true of many. Not a full explanation obviously but a factor nonetheless. The other issue I suspect is of differing tastes and not wanting to offend (better to say nothing than something critical).

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1156747' date='Mar 10 2011, 03:42 PM']??? Mayhem? Maven? Moorhen?[/quote] Ignoramus! Jiří Mahen (December 12, 1882 – May 22, 1939) was a Czech novelist, playwright and essayist. Thought everyone knew that

[quote name='thunderbird13' post='1156733' date='Mar 10 2011, 03:26 PM']"PRINCESS KNICKERS " [/quote] Burlesque dancer who says on her MySpace page "I like to get out of my house and out of my clothes" Maybe those 60-75 minutes won't be so long ....!!!!

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='1156705' date='Mar 10 2011, 03:02 PM']Mutes? Those trumpet type things. Damn work keyboard. It was of course minutes.[/quote] You're alright, we have trumpets in the band (2, not 60-75!)