Frank Blank

It was listening to my older brothers Roxy Music albums as he played them in another room (Roxy by proxy?) that got me into them initially. When punk came along and I 'found my tribe' so to speak, I stupidly stopped listening to a lot of the prog music I listened to previously, punk was, in that sense, quite dictatorial about music of the past, but I continued listening to Roxy Music, they just seemed really wild to me and they fit in perfectly with punk in my book. My Dad used to turn off any music he hated, Bowie, Roxy, any punk, if my Dad hated it then great. Hmmmm, I know what you mean but you never know. I kind of think the same thing when I listen to Kimono My House by Sparks, that their like, particularly that album, won't ever happen again but I wonder if it's really just a personal thing along with an age thing? There will never be another Siren for me, nor another Kimono My House but there are bands making albums now that'll mean that much and be perceived as mature technical, skilled and sound superb to someone who is at exactly the right age to have formative musical experiences.

Very much so. I think the giveaway is in the OP's opening comment about listening to his Dad's albums and it's great to hear about someone discovering Roxy Music and digging them. They were hugely influential on our generation but I'm not so sure that many young people today have heard Roxy Music let alone contemplate their importance in that mid-late seventies musical evolution.

👆 this. As the main lyric writer in my band, that title is hugely influential, in the sense of there's a whole story in those six words, an entire scene set before you've heard a note. It's an excellent inspiration to try and write lyrics as good as that title! And then, the song itself, an absolute monster.

I was going to say this, they were huge at the time and a kind of bridge out of the prog of the time (like Yes, Genesis etc.) into punk. They were hugely influential to Punk. So many proto-musicians were inspired to form bands by seeing the Sex Pistols and other early punk bands but a lot of those early punk bands were heavily influenced by Roxy Music. In this influential sense they were very important too, I'm not sure the New Romantic nor the (I'm going to stretch my neck out here) very early Goth scene would have been quite the same. Without Roxy I doubt Adam and the Ants nor Siouxsie and the Banshees would exist for starters.

Actually that's the last track of Roxy's output I enjoyed, I'm in complete agreement there. They were (imho) great up until their pinnacle (Siren 1975) but I did like Trash from Manifesto but I think Angel Eyes and Dance Away from the same album give away his musical direction from that album on. I really, really like Bête Noire (1987), a Bryan Ferry solo album, not least because it has some great bass lines and I became briefly obsessed with You Can Dance, the opening track of Olympia (2010), but, yes, Trash really marked the end of their great creative period. 👆this.

Well, that's my image demolished, cheers 🥂 😉

The bass playing on most of their albums is great but on Bête Noire (actually a Bryan Ferry solo album) it's sublime. I was a huge fan up until Siren (1975), their absolute peak imho.

Incredible band. Unique, brilliant.

Remember the wise words of Atom Man... DON'T FORGET YOUR EXTENSION LEADS/REELS BECAUSE IF YOU ASK TO BORROW MINE YOU'LL GET A BIG FAT 🖕* * I'd actuality I'd be delighted to share.** ** Or would I..?

Let's see if I can stay longer than fifteen minutes this time. I'll be driving down the evening before from Essex, staying in a hotel and driving back after. Should have room for one passenger. The food. Oh god, the food. @scrumpymike - @Jabba_the_gut - an array of stunning builds, probably @Rich - Spector Q4, Shuker 5-string, G-B Shuttle 9.2, Barefaced Super 12T @Kateplaysbass - custom build short scale @Woodinblack - Ibanez AGB205, possibly NS WAV5 bass, various amps for mooted amp shootout (tbc) @basstone – @Phil Starr - the usual collection of home built speaker projects @BreadBin – @MichaelDean – @TRBboy – @Chienmortbb - loads of stuff @Thor- a few bits @Frank Blank - Jabba short scale fretted and fretless, Ibanez SRC6, Grace Design Alix, QSC K12.2

I have received a parcel full of goodies from our glorious and generous leader @ped... ...I really must scrub that table!

Excellen. I use the QSC K12.2 and my duo partner uses the K10.2, best choices we ever made!

I've had a bit of a runny nose and been sneezing for a few days so thought I best do a test, very faint positive line but it's there, so I have, at last, joined the Branch Covidians for the first time. Very, very mild cold symptoms, I'm assuming it's the Omicron sub variant Arcturus. Anyway, hopefully I'll be clear by next week 🤞

I did exactly the same, that's a wallet drainer that one!

FTFY

Orange Smarties update... @Richard R: Brawley 4 and 5 string, EBS session 60 amp, cheap Aeon sustainer, scales to weigh basses with, cake, orange smarties, Westfield "Small Body" bass *FOR SALE* @petecarlton: Shuker Nuclear Device Jean-Jacques Burnel Signature Lite P-bass, Mayones Cali 4 Triskelion travel bass, Bugera Veryron BV 1001M Mosfet head, Ashdown Studio 210 combo, bits and pieces - and cake @Machines: Dingwall D-Roc 5, Dingwall NG-3, Warwick Gnome 280w + Ashdown RM210 (probably) @Andyjr1515: SWAAPATWTBWADS Bubinga Fretless, probably Pete's Swift lightweight piccolo build and maybe also his (not lightweight) EB-3 tribute @Frank Blank: Jabba short scale fretted and fretless, Ibanez SRC6, Grace Design Alix, QSC K12.2, kebabs and pork pies for @Raymondo @NickA: couple of Wals and a Dolphin. You've all seen and played the mk1 fretless, and the dolphin, but I got a mk2 5er just before the prices went silly. Some PJB stuff too. Might bring the double bass .. how big is the room? @PTB: MTD 535, Limelight Pino replica, possibly a MusicMan, MarkBass combo, HX XL & extension leads 😎 Darren: Nice Ibanez and the Aria Sinsonido silent bass. Ashdown amp if there's space in the car. @floFC: curiosity, Kramer Aluminium Neck @Oldman: contemplating bringing my custom Fretless 5! I’ll bring my GR CAB and EVO 1 Head. @SimBass: Sandberg California II TM 5, Eminence Small bodied double bass, EBS Stanley Clarke Preamp pedal, GRBass One 800, Barefaced Super Compact, Barefaced One10 @Owen: 6 string 36" scale Overwater poss for sale. Shuker Uberhorn 5, Shuker/Firecreek hybrid 5, USA J 5 reliced and MTD Kingston 5. QSC 10", Warwick Hellborg pre, Fender TRB 1 pre and Sadowsky pre. Future Impact. @GremlinAndy: Something interesting, 39.5" Shuker, Zon Hyperbass. @Jabba_the_gut: 27” scale 5 string, a Status S3000 and a whatever else fits in the car…

Welcome @TwoRs

We can discuss and eat anything you want, pork pies, kebabs... I mean, seriously, bass guitars or kebabs..? No contest, bring me my chilli sauce.

The Alix has tone and functionality completely covered for our style of music so I've little to do other than tweak aesthetics.

Last iteration, honest. The board looked a bit unbalanced so I added a Boss TU-3W, essentially because, like the other two pedals, it's black and I like the blue lights. I know, I know, so I'm a goth...

Understandable. We can discuss anything you want, pork pies, kebabs...

I've just noticed there are now thirteen possible attendees, obviously that would be very bad luck so can I have a volunteer to not attend thus ensuring the harmony of the proceedings. A form of bass seppuku if you like.

Pay on the door, £10.