BetaFunk

[quote name='Spike Vincent' timestamp='1370945778' post='2107699'] 8 Pages in, and no one's mentioned Crass yet? Hmmm..... [/quote] I suppose that's because most of this thread has been about punk as a culture rather than an in depth discussion about the music. Just goes to show what a wide range of music came under the 'punk' umbrella though when both The Stranglers and Crass are mentioned in this thread.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1370905122' post='2107402'] The action on mine is pretty high too. The neck although re-enforced is not adjustable so the only way I'm going to get the action lower is to have the fingerboard re-shot to contract the neck bow, which of course will mean a refret. When you come to sort yours out can you let me know how the pickups are wired up. On mine, when I got it, the pickups were connected using a 3-way centre off switch as the selector, so the only way you can have both pickups on together is for them to be wired in series. It's a fantastic sound so I kept the wiring system the same when I replaced the components with less crackly ones, but I would be interested to know if that's how it was originally or if it was done by a previous owner because that was the only switch he could get. [/quote] I'm taking the Sonic to my local luthier tomorrow about the action/neck so i'll let you know how i got on with it. I'll get back to you re the pickups.

[quote name='Bloodaxe' timestamp='1370058712' post='2096127'] Bit of 70s kitsch with no reserve: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aria-Diamond-Semi-Acoustic-Bass-Guitar-Short-Scale-Japan-70s-Hollowbody-Vintage-/230990665233?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item35c81dd611"]Aria Diamond Semi-Acoustic[/url] [/quote] I went for £135 so yet another 'collection only' bargain. Would have gone for a lot more if they had offered sending it by courier.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1370874893' post='2106687'] I did go and watch the Stranglers a couple of months back down the road (dunno if that counts) thoroughly enjoyed them but the shouty 'Property ownership is evil' support band frankly sounded ridiculous in this day and age. [/quote] I never thought of The Stranglers as a punk band if only for the reason that they weren't one but do understand what you mean. I find it hard not to giggle when Townshend and Daltrey perform My Generation.

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1370873872' post='2106661'] Blah blah blah, Malcolm McLaren Blah blah blah Vivian Westwood Blah blah blah couldn't play Blah blah blah cynical marketing exercise Blah blah blah The Stranglers were old along with the 101'ers and jumped on the bandwagon Blah blah blah I saw the pistols and there were only 3 people and a dog in the audience. [/quote] That should be a song. Punk or otherwise i'd buy it.

[quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1370866738' post='2106501'] If you don't like it for ruining the career of ELP or Plantagenet Escapade [/quote] That's exactly why i liked it.

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1370864031' post='2106418'] My thought too. [/quote] That got me thinking that of all the bands i saw in the 70s that came under the 'punk' umbrella there were only a few punks at these gigs. I don't mean real hardcore punk groups but even at some The Clash gigs the punks were well outnumbered.

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1370862348' post='2106367'] Punk was a long long time ago, just like the Beatles and Rock and Roll. [/quote] It seems like only yesterday to me.

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1370863703' post='2106408'] Is punk only about music? [/quote] No.

[quote name='iconic' timestamp='1370848501' post='2106143'] This maybe an urban myth...on radio 2 last week I heard that the first Pistols gig sold something like 43 tickets...but the amount of people whom now claim to have been there would fill a Wembly Stadium [/quote] That was the Lesser Free Trade Hall, Manchester gig that has become legendary. This is not unusual though and another example is when the Jimi Hendrix Experience played the Ricky Tic club in Hounslow, West London in 1967. You'd probably have difficulty finding anyone over 60 around there that wasn't there that evening although it was a small club above some shops.

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1370814099' post='2105985'] Now that this thread is on its last legs and unlikely to get many more views, I feel I can now make this confession... call it an [i]unloading[/i]. In 1975 a band I was in played a gig at Westfield college, London - We were actually [b]booked[/b] to play. After we'd set up and done our sound check, these four scruffy scalliwags came up and told us that they were going to play and they were going to use our PA. We agreed to their... er, request? How we mused at their rather quaint moniker. I have, since that day, suffered many sleepless nights and bouts of depression - what if we'd said 'No, f^^* off, you can't use our PA'?... Things may have been so different Trust me, on that night in 1975, by any reasonable definition of the phrase, they 'couldn't play'... Never seen a hall empty so quickly. [/quote] I also have a small confession although the way this thread is going i may receive praise from some quarters. Along with the Hope and Anchor, The Clarendon, Golden Lion & Greyhound the Nashville Rooms was a regular place for live bands at that time. The usual groups would be Dr Feelgood, The Stranglers, Kilburn and the High Roads, Kursall Flyers, Roogalator, Eddie and the Hotrods, Average White Band etc. Anyway i turned up at the Nashville only to find out by the bloke who took the money on the door that it was £1 that night. Now i'd happily pay a quid to see The Stranglers, Sean Tyla, Ducks Deluxe or The 101ers but a quid to see a group that i'd heard of vaguely in the NME but weren't up there with the Feelgoods etc and also as AC/DC had also played there for a quid it seemed a bit steep so i politely declined and went on to spend an evening listening to an acoustic duo in a pub in Hammersmith. P.S. Forgot to say that group i didn't think were worth a quid to see were the Sex Pistols. In fact i still don't think it was worth a quid.

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1370812682' post='2105966'] I was 20 in 1975. By then I had spent 2 years travelling the length of the UK and Europe playing music. Didn't need no punks to tell me it was 'all right to have a go'... Had a mind of my own donchaknow. 'sfunny, when I think of punk I am reminded of this scene from Life of Brian... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQqq3e03EBQ[/media] [/quote] It's funny but i think of prog rock when i see it.

I can't work out what the car has got to do with the story.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1370809655' post='2105914'] Too much integrity perhaps? [/quote] Yes, and let's hope that advertisers keep that integrity.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1370785811' post='2105470'] You have to have reached a certain level of ability to make any bass sound good . [/quote] You've just saved me 1K. No Stingray for me then.

[quote name='ironside1966' timestamp='1370786123' post='2105475'] To understand punk you have to understand what it was like to live in the 70s. [/quote] Couldn't agree more and something i tried to explain in the infamous Beatles thread that you have to liven through the time to understand the impact etc but that often doesn't often go down too well with those who weren't around at the time.

I'm fed up with all these contrived TV programmes. Why can't we have some more good old honest stuff like Made In Chelsea?

I wonder if they used real eggs during the rehearsal?

I settled down just before this programme was about to start with my half of shandy and packet of cheese and onion crisps eagerly awaiting to see one of my favourite UK groups only to find that it was about some lot from America that i've never heard of. They even had vocals, something that the 1960s The Eagles, one of the UK's finest exponents of guitar instrumental music would never have stooped to. Alas, the only thing i could do was to watch this and remind me of those wonderful twanging guitars. http://youtu.be/Kjf7CIBqLGU

[quote name='ubassman' timestamp='1370759402' post='2105122'] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p25SdQEnhHI[/media] [/quote] I watched that live and still can't believe that such an experienced presenter like Bill Grundy played into their hands. I realise what he was trying to do but it backfired completely and his career never recovered. Nowadays it would have MADE his career and a TV company would have given him his own talk show so not only the music was different back then.

[quote name='stinson' timestamp='1370729795' post='2105027'] Its just immense and I hate Stingrays! [/quote] Be prepared to face the wrath of the resident BC 'experts'. They always know what's best. NB. This post should have a caution that the words 'hate' and 'stingray' in the same sentence could cause fainting to some forum members.

I'm sure that the Tokai and Uncle Mat (cringe) experts will be along very shortly.

[quote name='iconic' timestamp='1370454730' post='2101248'] flipside is I saw a Sterling Ray 4 Sub (the cheapest one) make £236 plus postage of £20....so £256 all in.....new ones can be bought for £270 delivered [/quote] Who was selling them for that price? I've had a good search on the net but can't find any under £289 plus postage.

I've just been sorting through my collection of Garage (the 60s type) band and Surf Group 45s and have found that some are not note perfect. Can you believe that? What a disgrace. I have decide to burn these 45 as some of these guys obviously can't play their instruments. (adopts 1950s BBC announcers accent) Let's rid the world of this type of thing.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1370714145' post='2104806'] Although there the analogy ends because prog rockers were musically talented and could actually play their instruments. [/quote] That's exactly what i tell me friends when i put them in a locked room and play them my Richard Clayderman cd collection non-stop for 24 hours.