Stylon Pilson

[quote name='AM1' post='670825' date='Dec 1 2009, 10:26 AM']If he again positions you to the band as turning down gigs because of you, put it to him and/or indeed, the rest of the band to advance a compelling argument why the band SHOULD accept such gigs.[/quote] The problem is that his arguments are compelling to him, but not to me. He'll say that "it's about getting our name out there" or "the guy that's booking us is friends with so-and-so who runs the bar across the road and so if we do the crap gig then he'll put in a good word for us." Bear in mind that trying to change this guy's mind is like trying to push poo back up a cat's anus. But I agree with your argument that subtlety has proven to be a failing tack, and it's time to be a bit more frank about my desires. S.P.

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='670788' date='Dec 1 2009, 09:41 AM']I've been in a vaguely similar situation. You rarely have so much to loose that you can't lay down the line. Mine was, "you have to check with me before confirming a gig. If you don't, then I'm not available". Don't be vague and don't be wishy-washy. If something is not acceptable to you, say so. You'll feel better [/quote] Yes, I did feel better for making my feelings clear on this. Though I did feel a bit bad for being the one who let the side down. The overall result was "we can't do this gig because SP doesn't want to" whereas I would have preferred it to have been "we can't do this gig because SP makes a compelling argument why we should not." Not for want of trying. S.P.

[quote name='OldGit' post='670582' date='Nov 30 2009, 11:34 PM']So, how did it go tonight?[/quote] No huge conflict, but not really satisfying either. We're not doing the February gig. He's asked me to reconsider, and I've told him that unless some new information comes to light, my decision isn't going to change. I didn't get around to raising any of the bigger issues, like the band's objectives or my lack of willingness to perform as a 3-piece. The atmosphere didn't feel right - I think it's something that would be better initiated with him as a one-on-one thing, instead of chewing into everyone's rehearsal time. S.P.

Nearly time for me to go offline. Thanks for all the responses. Fingers crossed. S.P.

[quote name='OldGit' post='670188' date='Nov 30 2009, 05:24 PM']It's interesting that there are no agreed or understood band objectives. I do something like this rather a lot with clients, usually asking the question gets a "well we've never really thought about it" reply and starts teh thinking and defining process. In you case yer man thinks that playing gigs is good for the band but hasn't communicated to you how gigs like this actually progress things for you. If you can determine the band objectives then you have a better chance of working out the best way to achieve them. Do you get any gigs in? If you don't then you may have less leverage in the types that are accepted, in my book anyway.[/quote] I acknowledge what you're saying, but the band's structure is pretty much a dictatorship. BL is always telling us that it isn't, and invites contribution, but whenever I've offered anything that contradicts what he believes, the response is always an "interesting, I'll think about it" leading to an inevitable "no" (this is reason #10 on the list). I feel like booking gigs (or asking him to formalise a band objective) would be outside of my remit. He'd hate it. I dunno, maybe he wouldn't. Maybe I'm actually just ashamed of this band and feel like if I approached a promoter, some anti-lying part of me would suddenly flare into life and admit just how bad I think we are. Whoops, did I type that out loud? S.P.

[quote name='JTUK' post='670172' date='Nov 30 2009, 05:13 PM']If there is nothing in it but a waste of time, then....?????[/quote] I don't want to give him the impression that I'm only in this for the money, because I'm not. It's never unwelcome, of course, but as a general rule, I'm willing to do a gig out-of-pocket if I'm going to have a good time. And if my instincts tell me that it's not going to be a fun gig for me, then I'll trust them. The whole debate about "bands shouldn't play for free because it devalues the art" is one that I fundamentally agree with you on, but I'd prefer not to take this thread into that particular direction, because it's already covered under reasons 2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14 and 15 on the list. S.P.

[quote name='bassbloke' post='670167' date='Nov 30 2009, 05:08 PM']But, if you do enjoy the band but don;t like being part of the trio that does every gig they're offered, then why don't you just join the drummer and guitarist in only participating in shows featuring the full line up?[/quote] I think that's the way it will pan out. As I said in my original post, I've been reluctant to make such a flat-out statement, because I'd prefer to judge each opportunity on its own merits, but I guess that the time has come to set some parameters that are easy for the band leader to comprehend. Still, there's more to it than that - even if the full band was invited to do 2 hours for an audience of 5, I wouldn't want to do it. Maybe I need to draw up a list of criteria and a scoring mechanism that I can present to him. [quote name='OldGit' post='670168' date='Nov 30 2009, 05:10 PM']Well it does sound like you and he have diverged in your paths somewhat...[/quote] Yes, and I suppose it's my own fault for not being clearer about what I am and am not willing to do. That said, I feel like if he's been paying attention, then there should have been enough clues for him to figure out my tendencies, but I guess not. S.P.

[quote name='farmer61' post='670161' date='Nov 30 2009, 04:59 PM']If you're spending time drawing up lists with 16??? reasons for leaving, you should have left a while ago![/quote] I know. But Moos3h sums up my sentiments pretty well: [quote name='Moos3h' post='670100' date='Nov 30 2009, 03:58 PM']I think I'd stick with it, invest only the bare minimum and actively look for something else. Be up front about it, too, citing the reasons it's not working for you.[/quote] So I'm just trying to find a way of keeping it bearable in the meantime. S.P.

[quote name='OldGit' post='670157' date='Nov 30 2009, 04:54 PM']If half your band aready only play some of the gigs, why not play in both bands? If you current band can get a dep player in then they will be Ok when you can't make a gig they all want to do.[/quote] Sorry, I think I've failed to avoid confusion. The band in question has a 3-piece core (me, violin, BL) and a 5-piece full lineup (+guitarist+drummer). I enjoy playing with the full lineup, but not with the core. There was also another band that I mentioned in the penultimate paragraph of my original post, but that's moot, for the purposes of this discussion, because they aren't gigging yet, and possibly never will be. S.P.

[quote name='JTUK' post='670152' date='Nov 30 2009, 04:48 PM']The one thing you need to do is make your feelings known. The singer might be taking the pee, oblivious, doing it for another reason..all of which is up to him, but he needs to know, or be told, what the rest of you think. If these things aren't addressed, underlying resentment will finish you off anyway..[/quote] The band leader has more emotionally invested in this band than I do. He's also slightly naive - as I said before, he'll accept any gig that's offered. To him, any exposure is better than no exposure, even if that means playing for 2 hours to 5 people who aren't even listening to us. To him, it's a viable prospect. To me, it's a potential nightmare. What happens if those 5 people get bored after the first hour and a half and leave? I've already expressed to him my concerns that we haven't got the repertoire as a 3-piece to fill 2 hours. His response was basically to bury his head in the sand. Incidentally, reason #10 on the list, for those who are keeping track at home, is that he doesn't listen when I try to steer him away from really bad ideas. But as you say, I've got to come clean or quit. Building up all this resentment is not good for my soul. S.P.

It's a slightly different story, in that for your band, the norm is to get paid. For "my" band, paid gigs are the exception rather than the rule. A problem I have is that I sense I'm being seen as the troublemaker in the band. Everyone else goes along with whatever the band leader says (obviously it's easy for the guitarist and drummer, as he only ever offers them the premium stuff, but the violinist is strangely complicit) and I'm the high-maintenance one who says [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=34131"]No[/url] and [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=61823"]No[/url]. S.P.

[quote name='OldGit' post='670112' date='Nov 30 2009, 04:13 PM']How does that help you achieve you band objectives?[/quote] Heh, I've just come up with a 16th reason - band objectives are ill-defined or non-existent. But yes, you're right. I should just tell him "I don't want to play for free to 5 people." And if that's a deal-breaker for him, then he can find a bass player who will. S.P.

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='670103' date='Nov 30 2009, 04:01 PM']He then turned to the barman and asked 'have you got a straw, mate'? [/quote] Heh, I wonder if he did that every time that he went to the bar (as long as someone was watching). S.P.

[quote name='Moos3h' post='670100' date='Nov 30 2009, 03:58 PM']I think I'd stick with it, invest only the bare minimum and actively look for something else. Be up front about it, too, citing the reasons it's not working for you.[/quote] I suppose a bit more honesty on my part could be beneficial. If I let him know that I'm interested in the full band, but not in the stripped-down 3-piece, then he might take that on board. I could probably live with that. But still, looking at my list of 15 reasons to go, it would only address 3 of them, at most. S.P.

I sense that there might be a conflict this evening. I'll try to condense the story down as much as possible. The first thing that you should know about my band leader is that he likes to take any gig that is offered. The second thing you should know about my band, in general, is that the drummer and guitarist are both guys with a lot of other commitments, so often the band leader likes to book low-key acoustic gigs for the rest of the band (me, a violinist, and him on mandolin and guitar (though not simultaneously)). As a general rule, I don't get very enthusiastic about these, but I am reluctant to tell him to stop considering me for them, just in case one day there is a diamond in the rough. So last Tuesday he sent an email to me and the violinist proposing one of these low-key things in February (unpaid). I said that I could make the date, but I was concerned about whether we've got the repertoire to fill a 2 hour slot. His reply used the words "relaxed" and "informal" repeatedly and the line "There might only be five people there!" My reply was "Is this a good thing? Seriously, what sized audience are you anticipating? Or, if you don't know what sized audience to anticipate, what sized audience would you like to get, in an ideal world?" I haven't had a reply to this, but this afternoon he sent an email out listing gigs that he has in mind for 2010, and the February date is there as having been confirmed with the venue. I've emailed him saying that my previous email on the subject was not rhetorical, and I was hoping we'd discuss it before confirming the date. It's one thing when you do a gig and only 5 people turn up, but if we're actually [i]hoping[/i] for just 5, then that's... just wrong. The matter will be discussed at this evening's rehearsal. The problem is that ever since I joined this band, I've been umming and ahhing over whether to stay or not. In recent months it's been getting worse, and I'm worried that I've got a lot of pent-up aggression over this. I've been rehearsing with another band for the last few months, but no gigs are booked yet, and my gut instinct is that it will fizzle out before it gets to that stage. My list of reasons to leave is frankly quite huge. My list of reasons to stay is that I like being in a gigging band. The obvious solution is "leave, and find another band" I guess, but I was really hoping to have something lined up before cutting the cord. S.P.

[quote name='NickH' post='669558' date='Nov 29 2009, 10:19 PM']Something to bear in mind is that a single 15" speaker only has very slightly more surface area than 2 10's, but a 1x15" cab generally tends to be the same size (albeit lighter and cheaper) than a 4x10 with almost twice the air-moving surface.[/quote] True. [quote]Plus 10's respond faster so give more clarity.[/quote] Myth. The 15s you tried probably had underpowered motors, or the cabinets weren't big enough. S.P.

[quote name='Commando Jack' post='669830' date='Nov 30 2009, 10:40 AM']Specifically I'm thinking that while the impedence changes, the extra energy will just go to the (very hot) resistor, rather than going into sound energy.[/quote] Exactly. S.P.

[quote name='geoffbyrne' post='666370' date='Nov 26 2009, 03:49 PM']I have the opportunity to pick up an OLP 5 string MM type for £130. Is that good, bad or indifferent?[/quote] That's a lot of money just to pick one up. If you go into a shop, they'll probably let you hold it for free. S.P.

It would be even better if the 1-minute thingy only applied to new members (post count less than 50 or something). S.P.

[quote name='mikek' post='663830' date='Nov 24 2009, 03:03 PM']Perhaps I'm odd. I prefer the inside surfaces of the port to be untextured. I can't explain why. There again, I'm not really bothered either way.[/quote] Oh yes, I should add that I'm really not fussed about having texturing inside the ports. But for those who do, perhaps it could be a chargeable extra? S.P.

Plug the holes with 15mm dowel. Sand it flush. Re-drill. S.P.

[quote name='alexclaber' post='663559' date='Nov 24 2009, 11:02 AM']The same as on the outside would be ideal.[/quote] Would it be possible to apply the texturing to some suitably-sized veneers, which could then be glued into place at the end of construction? Or would this look sh*te? S.P.

[quote name='BassBen' post='663530' date='Nov 24 2009, 10:33 AM']I am still thinking about this hartke peavey swap. On the Peavey amp I use the contour all the time. Is there a pedel out there that does the same thing?[/quote] As far as I'm aware, the contour control is basically a mid-scoop. So you'll be able to achieve the same thing on the LH500 by simply cutting the mids a little, and increasing the volume to compensate. S.P.

From what I've heard, the Ashdown lightweight heads don't produce as much racket as their wattage rating would suggest. [url="http://wiki.basschat.co.uk/info:amps:lightweight_amps"]This page[/url] might be useful for you, though it is probably in need of updating. S.P.

[quote name='Shambo' post='660859' date='Nov 21 2009, 11:03 AM']I've just recieved a confusing group text from him, telling me that todays rehersal is cancelled because of illness in the family. I wasn't aware of any rehersal today having told him 2 days ago, politely but firmly, that I wasn't going to work with him any more. [/quote] I'd advise taking another look at this. Either he's trying to save face, or he's not actually got the right end of the stick, and isn't aware that you have fully resigned, without reservations. If it's the latter, then you need to set him straight on it right now. S.P.