Nicko

Two points here: Firstly if you want to minimise the noise transfer you need to plan the room properly. Although drapes would be good, 3" of rockwool set behind a hardboard facing would be better, but its not easy to do and makes the room smaller. What you need is something that absorbs the soundwaves on the party wall - a bookcase full of books would be a good. Don't forget about the ceiling either if its an upstairs room sound will transmit through the loft space. Bare floorboards are a complete no no. Unfortunately the things you should do to minimise the impact on your neighbour are exactly the things you don't want to do for it to sound good. Secondly, I had noise issues with a neighbour previously. I knew he was a professional musician, and we'd played together a few times but his idea of socially acceptable times and mine were vastly different, and when we did have an issue with the volume it was so loud in his house he couldn't hear the front door/phone. Given that he was mostly playing an electronic keyboard there actually wasn't any need for that volume in the first place. If you come from the school of thought that your bass is only loud enough if you can feel the vibration through your feet maybe a semi isn't the right choice.

Does Dire Straits count - it's just a description of their music rather than a genre?

The Bluetones De La Soul The Psychedelic Furs Soundgarden Radiohead Collective Soul

Keane at the O2 Brixton. Although I quite like some of their songs I hadn't realised just how dull a band they were when you try to listen to them for more than 5 minutes. Pigbag at the Jazz Cafe. Went with a mate who know one of the band. The fact it was at the Jazz Cafe should have indicated to me that it was likely to be jazz, but it was just freeform jazz by which I mean everyone playing different stuff at the same time. I sat in the bar and waited for my lift home. The BBC Radio 6 prom at the Albert Hall. We got tickets in the private box from the company Mrs Nicko was working for, and took some friends. It was supposed to be a classical/rock crossover to get people who listen to rock to be more interested in classical. An epic fail if ever I saw one. They stayed but I couldn't stand it and waited outside. Joan Jett's set supporting Green Day at Wembley on the 21st Century Breakdown tour was terrible and I only lasted 5 minutes, but had to hang around to see the main event obviously. Didn't learn my lesson either and had to endure the Kaiser Chiefs when I saw GD at the Emirates. I very nearly left RHCPs at the 02 Arena. I was one row from the back at the furthest part of the seating. The band wasn't bad, but I could hardly see them and it was so quiet all I could hear was other people shouting the words. I refuse to go there to see anyone now.

Here is my entry. I struggled a bit with this and this is the fourth song I started so in the end it was a bit rushed. It's about my dad who died last year. He had a hard life early on and the picture just made me think of overcoming seemingly impossible challenges. I hope it's not too sentimental. Recorded in Cubase, mostly using Xpand with a bit of MT Power Drums and some very, very dodgy vocals.

I picked two as I've gigged on bass and I'm a competent rhythm guitarist, but I agree it depends what you mean play. I played trumpet at school and could probably still produce a scale on one so could probably play a few lines of a song if I tried. More importantly, I've been writing my own material and recording stuff at home, and with virtual instruments I'm able to create music with drums, piano, synth, strings. brass and pretty much anything I choose. Is it playing? Oh, and I can play the triangle and the tambourine.

The whole of Jesus of Suburbia by Green Day. It's about 8 different songs - all of which are pretty good. Fantastic song to play along to, but the full version is a bit of a workout. The beginning of Bang Bang You're Dead by Dirty Pretty Things just doesn't make any sense. Here Comes your Man by Pixies seems to me to have a verse that is completely unrelated musically to the chorus.

But Anderton's is a proper shop that's been there for years and decided that they had to go online to compete - and they've done it at a massive scale. They don't show any signs of going online only.

I wasn't meaning to be rude, just saying that we have a choice of where we shop and our choices don't really support local businesses. No one seems to be pining the loss, but "I bought my XXXX there" is a bit nostalgic - no? Would anyone be nostalgic if Thomann closed? I do regret the loss of local music stores and when they were here I used them as often as I could. Denmark Street was a great day out, but I only used to go there when I couldn't get what I wanted locally. Bricks and mortar retail is only dead if we let it die.

This. No point in nostalgic threads about where you bought stuff in the past unless you actively support the businesses now. Personally I never liked Macaris - I always found the staff a little standoffish. I have bought guitars from three or four other places in Demark Street. I've been to Denmark Street a lot over the last 10 years because all the local shops are gone. A few years ago I could go to six or seven music shops withing three or four miles of home (West London outskirts) but now there's only one small shop nearby.

Funnily enough I worked on one job that was run like that. I was sat in a room with a local network, no phones allowed and only allowed to talk about the project in the room. Nothing I was doing was particularly cutting edge either. When I finished my 8 week contract they were surprised that I didn't want to carry on and do more.

My question on the critique was really because as contributors I guess we only put up stuff we think is good. When you've spent so much time working on it we're so often blinkered as to whether it really is pants. In terms of voting my criteria is similar to yours and I often fail to get the connection that the contributor has made. Again. that might be that I'm so wrapped up in my own contribution that its all I can see.

Get well soon. Congratulations to both you and @upside downer

That is no great advertisement for writing with a bass.

I traded in a bass there which I'd actually bought there years before and was pleasantly surprised by the valuation they gave. I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of selling privately.

I think you can tell that some songs are written by starting with a bassline and others aren't. I can't imagine Love Cats by the Cure, Another One Bites the Dust by Queen, When I come Around by Green Day or Down in a Tubestation by the Jam could have started as a guitar line because the guitar/keys part is really too weak to be a starting point. Equally there's some great bass lines that don't suggest they were the starting point - Under the Bridge by RHCP, My Generation by the Who sound to me like they were following the theme. The only band I'm fairly sure started most songs with a bass line are Joy Division, but the lyrics were written independently.

It's been interesting to see a few comments recently on what constitutes an entry, and particularly those by @lurksalot on the way he assesses entries. I was wondering what the BC collective uses to assess the entries, specifically: - Lyrical content - Production - General composition - Demonstration of sound musical theory - A clear link between the photo and the composition - Musical style Personally I'd quite like to see more critique of compositions I've entered. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

I had a similar problem. There was one which I thought was my absolute favourite so I only voted for one rather than make the decision on the others.

Judging from previous extended absence I would remember pretty much all of the notes to all of the sections of all the songs. I would forget when the sections change and sometimes which sections went with any particular song.

Me too. But I like it. It reminds me of pre 80s Bowie.

Here it is. I don't quite know how to describe it - Neo Classical rock I suppose. I started this off slow and lumbering, but in hindsight I'd have made it a bit quicker. Although its all about fakeness, everything is real instruments apart from the drums. Drums are MT Power. Guitar is a MIM Telecaster 'cos its what was near, and I don't have anything with 7 strings and a pointy headstock. Bass is a Squire CV Precision. Guitars and bass are through Amplitube. All recorded in Cubase LE, erm, Elephants.

@Dad3353 the guitar sounds are very convincing. What are you using there?

Oh, the irony😀

For some reason this month's project is veering toward some kind of prog metal. I might delete the bit with the two handed tapping. Gulp.

FWIW it doesn't have to have bass in it at all. Having said that I've never come close to winning so don't take my advice.