chrisba

Yeah, I'd do it if I was really keen to get the gig and it was genuinely important to look a certain way to get it ( and keep it ) . I wouldn't do anything permanent, like a tattoo or a facelift, but fllers, make-up , hair cut and dye, yes.

Don't want to open can of worms, but I assume the OP is male ? How differently would a female think ? My guess is they wouldn't think twice.

Played at a private party at a friend of our singer/guitarist, who has a house with a garden that runs down to the Thames and it's own private island. Every year, he has a mini festival over a summer weekend, inviting friends and neighbours , of which he has lots  ( inviting the neighbours gets around the noise problems, but the pub next door complains if they play after 11pm, ironically )

"Stage" is on a patio, that normally has a sail cover over it, but as it was a beautiful evening, and we were on first, it hadn't been rigged. Amp was basically in the flowerbed to give me room to stand. Played a hour plus set, split in half by some great homemade curry being served.  Lots of dancing and good feedback from the small but lively crowd. Mrs B enjoyed being pampered. I think there are about 6 more bands over 3 nights in total. Lovely, generous people.

2 hours ago, SumOne said:

I'm on the side thinking pull up banners look like you're at a corporate event (possibly fine for function bands playing at corporate events, not very rock n roll though). 

 

We've got a thick vinyl 2x2m (I think 3m long x 2m high might have been better) with metal rings and use big re-usable zip ties. It means a bit of clambering about at setup/down but we're yet to play a venue where there isn't something to tie it into behind the drummer. 

We're similar. About 2m x 1m, with metal rings in each corner. We bring a lot of bits of string ( reasonably thick and decent quality, I think it's old tent guy ropes ).  Never failed to find something to hang it from, usually try and loop the string over something and tie it lower down for a quicker removal.

I was in Corsica last week, and as we walked back from the beach, there were 2 accordianists playing typical French music in the town square, with loads of people sitting ouside the bars under the shade of the trees listening to them, some of whom were drinking pastis, and the rest of the square was taken up with people playing boules. So staggeringly French, it almost felt like a theme park. Adored the place, and sad to be home.

This looks useful, but I've yet to use it in anger...

https://www.looptube.xyz/

I used an image generator to help create our last album cover.  I asked for 4 men facing a setting sun in the style of Claude Monet. Chose this one from 16 options, some of which had 5 people. Our singer sometimes wears a hat like this. Had to remove a hat from one of the other 3, changed the colours completely by converting to b&w then recolouring the sun,  and did some other tweaks. Added the text myself ( used Gimp for all the manipulation )

That's exactly what I started with about 15 years ago. ( OK, mine was red ,and the Rumble only a 10 )

Not got far from that really. Learned enough in the first few weeks to bluff my way through a gig or two, probably done about 50 more since, sometimes where the band has outnumbered the audience and sometimes to several hundred.

Replaced the Squier with a Fender MIJ P-bass and bought an Ashdown combo for gigs. Still use the Rumble for practice ( which I don't do much now )

Good luck with everything...

....and , they've gone again...

They are back.   Very tempted...  https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_mv_4msb_seafoam_green.htm

We use BandHelper . Been using it for years , and it does everything we need. Does lyrics, set lists and autoscroll.  Available on Apple & Android.

1 hour ago, lozkerr said:

Never knew Solaris ran on PCs though - I thought it was SPARC only?

No, Solaris ran ( runs ) on x86 as well. Common code base for vast majority of it, and a pretty similar release cycle.

Still some supported versions, I believe, although it's all owned by Oracle now, who have other fish to fry.
 

( I was a Sun / Oracle for nearly 20 years. Sun was the best company I ever worked for. Oracle definitely weren't )

3 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

Ahem ahem ...

 

 

 

Happy to be corrected here. My requirement for this has gone away, so I haven't kept up to date with what's available now.

2 hours ago, Angel said:

@chrisba You are doing the Roland Bass Cube a dis-service there! It is an excellent sounding mini amp! I tried other mini bass amps back in the day and they were all poor and yes, tinny, but the cube was poles apart. I'm on my second one, used the first at home until it eventually died, just HAD to get another.

 

I bought a powered speaker for home use, a secondhand Headrush FRFR 108. Not cheap but I'm loving it.

 

 

Well, I tried one ( the old, 4 speaker one ) and didn't like it at all. Didn't suit my p-bass, not enough low end. Not tried the newer 2 speaker version.

I'd be very surprised if the Zoom could drive a speaker loud enough to be usable in anything other than a very quiet room. So, you'd need some kind of active ( powered ) speaker, which is basically what an amplifier is. Battery power is definitely possible, but I've not heard anything battery powered that would make a bass sound like a bass. Even the specifically designed battery bass amps like the Roland Bass Cube are really tinny ( as well as tiny )

Just came across this on YouTube. Filmed in 2019.

World Tour cyclist Daniel Oss is a bass player. This is part of a series where former UK road race champion Matt Stephens goes for a ride and to a cafe with leading pro and ex-pro cyclists. Includes a trip to Wunjos and Macaris on Denmark Street. The whole series is very entertaining but I don't think there's any music content in any of the others.
 

I too have bought nothing.  Although I rehease most weeks and have done half a dozen gigs, and we made a new album this year, I have not spent a penny on gear ? Not even a string, cable or pick.

In fact I sold an unused set of strings for £20 on eBay, so I'm in profit.

Rechargable batteries, and especially Lithium ion ones, have a slightly different voltage, which may cause problems. Probably why they're deemed unsuitable. I also find they don't hold charge as well when not being used.

I loved Breakfast in America when it first came out and it's one of the very few albums from that era that I have never stopped listening too.  As is often ( no, nearly always ) the case, the first album you buy from any band is your favourite. I like the earlier ones too, but nothing like as much.

Miss You - Rolling Stones. The only cover we do, it's not normally in our set.

Also, whatever it is, not something that's in that days set list. Myself and others have trouble playing songs a second time, 'cos we think "have we played the middle 8 already, shouldn't there be a chorus now ? " or similar.

Just watched the Lightning Seeds set on the recommendation of my twenty-something year old daughter who was there and saw them live. What a great set, super slick and tight. Better live than in the studio IMHO.

Much, much nicer. I didn't like the blue at all, but was too polite to say anything.

On 13/03/2023 at 16:59, chrisba said:

I had 100 copies made of our last album, on CD-R's, about 6 years ago, and I can assure you they are still playable, I've just checked one.

I really wish I could remember the name of the duplication company  I used ( it was something obvious like CD Duplication Ltd, and they were UK based ), as they were super efficient, helpful and cheap. Not a music-oriented company, probably more into software distribution, so probably no longer in business 😞 . However, they understood how to make playable, music CD's

With cardboard sleeve, printed back and front, and the CD printed on too, it came to about  £150.

 

I'm sure the market's changed a lot since then though.

I'm pretty sure it was these people...  https://www.duplicationcentre.co.uk/

I had 100 copies made of our last album, on CD-R's, about 6 years ago, and I can assure you they are still playable, I've just checked one.

I really wish I could remember the name of the duplication company  I used ( it was something obvious like CD Duplication Ltd, and they were UK based ), as they were super efficient, helpful and cheap. Not a music-oriented company, probably more into software distribution, so probably no longer in business 😞 . However, they understood how to make playable, music CD's

With cardboard sleeve, printed back and front, and the CD printed on too, it came to about  £150.

I'm sure the market's changed a lot since then though.

3 hours ago, cetera said:

Also, if you go the roof box route PLEASE ensure you lock it! I had a VERY scary experience once while driving our band van when the roof box of a car in front exploded open at 70+mph littering the motorway with detritus including, but not limited to, a duvet and some sleeping bags which went under our van wheels at said high speed and very nearly killed us....

On my Thule roofbox, you can't take they key out unless it's properly locked. The key won't turn unless the latch is engaged at each end.