Woodinblack

Constant fiddling with the end of tunes, intros, random middle bits. Basically every practice the tunes had changed for some reason. Constant micro management. Had a feeling when joining that this band was never going to gig. Didn't take the fact that the previous bass player had left. after a couple of practices, the singer left, then the drummer left. Thought that was odd. Got another drummer, he left after one practice (pre existing injury). Then finally had a (free - test out the band) gig, it was ok. Then the other singer left. Got a replacement (my wife) but by now was pretty obvious what the problem was (but hanging on because enjoying being in a group with my wife). We had another free gig for a charity that was important to the guitar guy (who wasn't the issue), turns out after 8 months, we couldn't get a whole set ready, so half a set with another band (wtf?). That gig went actually not bad, maybe there is hope. Then more micromanaging emails telling us what we needed to do - drummer just lost it and quit, singer quit, I quit, my wife quit, then got another message saying we were being to hasty and he (problem) was not happy with our progress so he is quitting). So now we have a group, just looking for another couple of guys so we can actually get something together and actually gig for money.

Actually thinking about it now, I have a Gretsch Junior Jet, which weighs about nothing, short scale, really big sound, very cheap. Same as the bloke from Royal Blood played before fender threw lots of free basses at him (actually still uses in one song). I take it along to every gig as a backup, that or the hofner B2V, because it is easy enough to take in case.

I have to do more videos, currently I am using it as backing on a few and notably for fills in Brick in the wall. Obviously with guitar and bass, it thins out on a long solo (and the guitarist is not one for filling back in), so the keys add quite a bit too it. True, those chords would work, its a question of switching sounds and presets to put it back in. I need to get more keys in but sometimes it proves trickier than you think. I did the keys in p!nk, who knew, it added a lot but I almost fell over twice! - not joking on that, the risk of falling over when standing on one leg, playing the bass and pressing keys really is an issue

The ibanezes go from ridiculously cheap to pretty expensive, so if you found them comfortable to play, might be worth going for something like that. Note they also do go from light to very heavy. Quite a few of the squiers / fenders have quite light bodies. Other than that there are chambered basses but they start getting quite expensive.

The time when we first went to a venue with one, we triggered it with the opening chord, so we stopped and the bar staff told us to plug into the extension that was there. Fair enough - well, I saw your video, you are probably capable of a lot quieter than us, its just not an option for our group. We would turn down a place that didn't have a defeatable volume limiter, it wouldn't be in our or the venues interest.

Is there some reason you didn't connect to the same socket as him?

Yep, I have the advantage of never having played at a place where you can't plug in somewhere else to defeat the limiter. The 2 places I have played with volume limiters had they been active we wouldn't have been able to play. One of the places was a pub and saw a girl with an acoustic guitar and a tiny amplifier and that set it off (but the amp was battery powered and the guitar wasn't plugged in).

Not universal though. I always played originals, and now I am really enjoying doing covers, I like making money and people knowing the songs. And frankly, unless you have exceptional songwriting which most people don't, most people came out with a couple of good songs and many dull ones, so you don't have to play your own dull ones! All things make up a world.

I have a 12 step as well and use it at every gig, but it isn't the same at all. Funny I do that song and don't use the 12 step on it. Probably a bit too much dancing.

I have been using those silent plugs for a few years, never had any problem with them, although as I am wireless when gigging they are just there for backup.

I think honestly if I was doing 115 gigs a year I would hate it too. On those months where we do 5-8 gigs I start disliking it, and the annoyances of the band build up. But I haven't got a gig for 3 weeks now so I am going to be really crawling the walls by then. Just cut down, or even stop. I stopped for a while. Or try a different style. If you are doing a 50s rnr thing, learn a double bass. Or something else.

Two types of schools of thought for guitarists and volume controls. One, if you are playing just into a valve amp, it effectively controls the overdrive of the amp, and can be used subtly and tastefully. Two, more commonly, it means that once you have set up and got all the levels just right for the band, the guitarist can then turn up so they are louder than everyone else!

Rethinking my topics, I would probably swap any song (apart from oasis) if I could get rid of any tune which is a cover of another known song played slowly with some whispy woman singing the words in a sad way (and taking all the emotions out of it). And yes, I am being gender specific here, as both 'running up that hill' by placebo and 'hurt' by johnny cash would fall into the same group but actually work.

For all my irritations with the band, compared to some of you I do have it easy, we gig 2-4 times a month, normally get £75 a night, don't practice much at the moment and virtually never travel more than 15 minutes from home. but sometimes when we do a lot of gigs I wish it was less and when like now, we don't have gigs for 4 weeks I will probably be going mad!

Sad thing is that many of these songs are on our set list. Including chumbawumba and sex on fire. Well, actually moondance too, but I don't mind that.

I hate that. but not for the song specifically, when I was a kid, I fitted my dads first car cassette player in the cortina. That was the only tape in the car. It has stayed with me. So then anything by oasis. Can't bear them (and have a ban on playing them in my group), but I guess if I had to pick one (which is hard), it would have to be wonderwall. Which actually sounds like it was supposed to be sung by drunk people in pubs. For playing I would say dakota, there has never been such a dirge, but as this is about listening and it is the time of year and I have already had arguments on this one, I would say top of all the list has to be the Slade Christmas song. If I never heard that again in my life it would be wonderful.

Not at the moment, lack of space, but it does seem like it would be a cool idea.

I am sure it would be - if that is what is in the name. Bet it would sell. It is a business rather than a show to Mr Simmons, he is all about the franchising. No? They performed quite a lot of Phil Lynotts death. Thats sad to hear. ie, Slade continuing!

Note for blue - this is an exaggeration to prove a point of course, there is no way you would get the full 5 minutes for that!

Money. More people are going to see a tribute band called Kiss and pay more money to do so, than going to see a kiss tribute band with a different name. Same sort of thing with Yes, they are fundamentally a Yes tribute band but they probably get more money because of the name. As I noted in an earlier point somewhere, i have seen tribute bands (at the time it was pink floyd, but it goes for others) who are easily better than the group themselves, but they don't have the name. In fact this was always my problem with tributes bands, and why I wouldn't really be interested in being in one. Really, to be a decent tribute band you have to be at least a bit better than the original group, but you are still not that original group. And its why you end up with 3 version of popular old bands but with the name of the backing singer or triangle player in front of the name.

I got that this morning. I think someone must have pressed the wrong button!

Problem I have is I still have the 12 step which had to take the front of the board, and the back is the helix HX and the voice live. I could use something smaller than the voice live and the b3n instead of the helix, I would have more room, and I could use an actual sample player instead of my looper for effects. The only other option would be to use a different wireless that didn't have a bass, like those boss plug thingys