blue

My band mates are a lot more generous than me when comes to letting anyone play my bass at my gig. I have a simple standard response; "No" Works like a charm every time. Blue

[quote name='Lw.' timestamp='1452263106' post='2948221'] Blue - do you actually think Hendrix is no longer relevant or are you just agreeing to get people to shut up? He died before I was born but both him as a musician and the whole band as a collective are a huge influence on me and are clearly identifiable as influences on a lot of other musicians that I listen to. I don't think I'd like going to a gig where no one was influenced him/them. [/quote] I'm maintaining my position. I have spoken to working lead guitarists in their 40s about Hendrix. They seem to think progressive rock guitar started with Eddie Van Halen. They seem very distant and ignorant when it comes to understanding Jimi's contribution and place in music history. Blue

[quote name='project_c' timestamp='1452254549' post='2948066'] And music history is there to explore for anyone who cares.[/quote] Agreed, and for those who don't care or know music history, they should reserve their comments and opinions.Talk about what they actually know. Blue

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1452102972' post='2946455'] Michael League is great! I certainly would describe Snarly Puppy as 'pop', so you might enjoy it! [/quote] Definateley a generation gap here. Wow! Have things changed. I listened to Snarky, very talented young musicians. However, I didn't enjoy it, I don't get it, and I'm thanking my lucky stars I was born in 1953. Blue

[quote name='project_c' timestamp='1452215526' post='2947805'] Also - no offence meant by this - but as a 62 year old, your musical tastes are not relevant to new people picking up the bass. Same applies to me too - I'm in my early 40s and even my music taste and references are a total mystery to 99% of people under 35. If you want young people to get into playing bass, you need to give them stuff that's accessible, which will lead onto the rest. I think part of the reason for kids losing interest in bands is because they perceive a lot of it as 'dad music'. [/quote] True, for example, I cant believe some of the nonsensical inaccurate remarks regarding Jimi Hendrix from young people. Jimi is no longer relevant, I get that. But I also say to them keep their opinions and comments to themselves,they weren't there and they don't know what they're talking about. Is that fair? It's why I will keep my mouth shut about Thundercat.I don't get him and he's not relevant to me Blue

[quote name='vbance' timestamp='1452204363' post='2947689'] i always take 2 to a gig because i'm an expert at breaking a string. [/quote] I started playing electric bass guitar in 1966. I've yet to break a single string. I thought string breaking was for guitarist. Blue

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1452109087' post='2946568'] Just sometimes, when everyone is telling you something, you should just take a moment to wonder if they might just have a point. [/quote] Pretty basic to me, Lemmy is right. Blue

[quote name='pfretrock' timestamp='1452106716' post='2946523'] I think you'll find it was a post-transition metal band. Motörhead fans are uninformed. [/quote] I they are whatever Lemmy says they are. Blue

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1452103489' post='2946465'] He may not have described them as such but Metal wasn't around when they started. Bands like Kiss, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motörhead where just Rock bands. By the 80s though, they were what we now call metal. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Wave_of_British_Heavy_Metal [/quote] Age and time definitely have an interesting impact on defining genres. When I was in high school in the late 60s/early 70s Led Zep was called metal. Blue

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1452118597' post='2946768'] It's unusual to only get 3days. Didn't Gary Moore learn the Thin Lizzy set on the plane on the way to the concert? [/quote] Maybe, for Gary it was probably easy. However I'm sure their set list was a little different than 4 hours worth of bar band material at least 60 different songs. Blue

[quote name='funkgod' timestamp='1452198649' post='2947596'] Yep.. He da man..... i love JB music, . . . aint nuthin tha sits in the pocket better. Have you seen the film Blue ? watch it, its Epic Chadwick Boseman was Awsome [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXnIz63pdlI"]https://www.youtube....h?v=vXnIz63pdlI[/url] i started to realise when i started writing songs how much JB is in my writing/playing i use to think, tell people its Maceo, as i have i think evething maceo has ever recorded. but no, its all roots JB ( with more than a peppering of T.O.Power)... ah,,,,, another Topic i think. [/quote] I saw the movie, didn't think much if it. There wasn't much JB music in the film. It's ok,I had the opportunity to see all the great funk and R&B artists live several times when they were in their prime. Probably saw James at least half dozen times. Blue

[quote name='project_c' timestamp='1452126985' post='2946882'] did you actually listen to any of his music?? hummable to the point of ridiculous. not to mention he is layin down tha funk. come on now. listen to this one, and tell me it's not cool or hummable. http://youtu.be/8qGigIMM1Vw [/quote] I think age has something to do with it. I'm 62 and a 70s guy, so for an older guy like me, I'm not hearing what I call funk. This must be the New funk. Unfortunately when it comes to funk, I'm stuck in the 70s. Blue

[quote name='CHW' timestamp='1451918788' post='2944557'] 3 x 40 mins at our favourite pub. Ticket only affair so no idiots which was great. Best payday of my gigging career, and 4 diet cokes so went home completely sober. Was new to us to do 3 sets, so I sat down with a napkin and wrote them out on the spot, and for once, no-one complained. Went for 1st set Rock, 2nd set Punk/Pop Rock, 3rd set Dancing tunes. It worked really well as had a full dance floor for most of set 2 and vast majority of set 3. Really enjoyed it actually even though it was very much in the "work" gig type. [/quote] Come to the States, all bar gigs are 4 hours with two 10 minute breaks. However the pay is a little better in most cases and more places to gig.. Blue

[quote name='mentalextra' timestamp='1451900424' post='2944316'] I'm guessing the definition of calling yourself 'pro' is the ability to earn your living from playing. But that depends on what your living costs are? What confuses me is that there are guys on this site who work in full time jobs while gigging a few times a week. Whereas there are also guys who describe themselves as 'pro' but sit home waiting for the phone to ring? [/quote] I think other people determine or decide if we're a pro or not. I play for a living, however, personally I would not call myself a pro solely because I do it for a living. Hell, there are some famous bass players I wouldn't call a pro. Blue

[quote name='mingsta' timestamp='1452119478' post='2946789'] Funnily enough, we were looking for a drummer about 3 years ago and I found a guy who lived local to us. I was a bit concerned when he said that he didn't have a drum kit but we weren't exactly spoilt for choice and decided to give him a go. He turned out to be the best and most reliable drummer that I've ever played with and we're still going strong, so to speak.[/quote] Interesting story, had he told my band he didn't have a kit he would have never gotten an audition. Did you guys buy him a kit. Blue

[quote name='rushbo' timestamp='1452123227' post='2946859'] Another vote for the Zoom B1on. I've had one pretty much since they were released in the UK and it's never let me down. It's done about 45 gigs and regular weekly rehearsals and still looks new... I don't find mine fiddly to use and I do a fair bit of patch switching...a bit of forward planning helps. The casing is deceptively robust. I transport mine in one of those Maplins silver camera cases on a board with my Line 6 wireless receiver. I've also added an adaptor so all I have to do is plug in a kettle lead and I'm off. I've had four different Zoom fx boxes and loved them all. [/quote] I'm a live player, I barely have time for one stomp to engage a pedal in between songs. No time for futzing around. Blue

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1452117892' post='2946759'] Short of asking him to sign up to basschat just to settle some sort of schoolyard argument you wish to start, it's impossible to prove and this will no doubt allow you to 'validate' your 'point'. Respectfully, you're entitled to an opinion and believe what you like but that doesn't make you right. His back catalogue was 40 tracks, which I learnt by transcribing charts with a few bits of notation for characteristic rhythmic phrases etc from his CDs before memorising them. We then ironed out the details of the set in the 7 hour rehearsal session and went to play the gig. Granted, it was an intense 3 days to get all the charts written and memorised (I got very little sleep/rest), followed by the pressure of the rehearsal and gig (which was at a blues club with a fair few people attending) but word of mouth spread and as a result of being professional and turning up prepared and nailing the gig, I got a call from the drummer asking to dep for his functions band as they'd lost their bass player. I got two weeks to learn their 50 song set which was a fair bit easier but transcribing, playing from memory and having the ability to play at a decent standard are elements of my playing that I've been crafting for years and they just happened to culminate to help me compete those specific tasks. Additionally, im under no illusion that other guys might not want to put as much time into crafting those skills and that's cool too but I think it's a tad ironic for you to be so dismissive of hard work in respect of my situation saying 'it's not possible', 'I challenge you to prove it' etc when you are so defensive when people claim you don't put just as much dedication and time into crafting your covers band... [/quote] No, I'm not a complete hole. After reading the above with the extenuating circumstances I believe you did it. I asked you to prove it, and you did. Blue

[quote name='ryan0583' timestamp='1452112717' post='2946655'] This guy: http://youtu.be/ZhNq-tNIQWM [/quote] Your point? The guy is playing to a recorded track that's leading him through the song. Blue

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1452116341' post='2946727'] But you've missed the point. You don't go to a rehearsal to learn the songs. You agree the set, learn the songs (structures, keys, important features) and then you have a rehearsal to polish the performance. [/quote] No, I get that. Trying to learn material at the rehearsal is usually very unproductive. Blue

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1452116341' post='2946727'] I've done this before and I imagine I'm not alone. Had to learn an artist's entire back catalogue in 3 days.[/quote] Ok, here's my challenge, prove it. See what I mean. Unless you were reading charts or his back catalog was 12 songs,I say no way. With all due respect. Blue

Interesting stuff. We've had guys audition in the past where after they were offered the job, then decline. They realize their life circumstance would be a big problem. At the top of the list would be the unsupoortive wife or the young active family. Never a good natch for a busy working band, Blue

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1452114448' post='2946697'] I'm good at putting people together in terms of sound and style. This is where the chemistry can come from.. Random selections based on who applies/turns up seems such a long shot..and a waste of time, tbh. So I don't do that. [/quote] Agreed. but then there's the issue of availability. You know, stuff like I can only rehearse an hour a week, I play in 3 other bands, I can only gig once a month. Its not easy. Blue

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1452112595' post='2946650'] I'm talking about all pro musicians. How much rehearsal would you want to do for a start up band before the first gig? I think anymore than 8 hours and I'd be climbing the walls. . [/quote] That's a tough one. First of all, I contend that most "start ups" in The States never see their first gig. Another point, there are really talented musicians even pros that are not real quick with learning new material. I can't learn 60 songs I don't know in 8 hours and be gig ready, And I'll challenge those that say they can. Blue

[quote name='colgraff' timestamp='1452025974' post='2945715'] I heard part of a documentary about Led Zeppelin last week and, in a discussion of the early days were talking about how John Bonham played the drums really loudly and made out that this was a good thing. Hmmm. [/quote] It was a good thing, for John and the band. Perfect fit for what they do. Blue

[quote name='AndyTravis' timestamp='1452113383' post='2946677'] Cody Wright. Will dig something out...he's colossal https://youtu.be/rEmc3icj-vA It's a trade show video, but he's like Jaco and Vega in one sitting, with a bit of victor Wooten added in...all with a pick. Heathen 😆 [/quote] Guess I'm too old school. I hear and see a lot of technique, scale knowledge and speed and no soul at all. Generation gap on this guy. However, I'm sure he's cool and inspirational to the next generation. I'm staying back in the 70s. Blue