bluesparky

Thank you for the nice words everyone, i either need to add 3 hours to the day or do some 1am practicing...

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1471174688' post='3110967'] Why did you take your grade 8, and then not play again ? [/quote] It was actually my third grade 8 (different exam boards). Very shortly after I took it I started work on a world tour which took me up until the end of last year, we pretty much had no time off for the whole thing. This year I've been studying something else in every spare minute I have in the evenings and I've either been working or looking after my children during the day. Then you suddenly realise 18 months has gone past and I've not done the thing I love doing the most - playing. Time soon goes..

Rather sadly, an old friend who was the music teacher at the school I went to (twenty years ago) passed away a couple of weeks ago and the funeral and memorial was a couple of days ago. He was an incredibly talented and gifted musician and one of the most wonderful men you could ever meet. I was in a couple of extra curricular jazz bands he ran whilst I was there and after I left and went to uni he left an open invite for years after for me to come along and play when I wanted / could, and the same invite extended to a couple of my closest friends too (guitarist & drummer). As a result we all became good friends and had many a good time both playing and drinking on various trips, concerts and gigs etc. When he passed it was clear that after the service there would be a a band playing and then an open jam to all, and in particular his friends and also ex members of the jazz bands that he ran. I've been pretty busy with life, work and studying over the last 18 months or so and I knew that the last time I played (as in, actually picked up a bass!) was when I did my last grade 8 exam at the start of last year. As a result I was reluctant to play in front of my (very talented and experienced) peers, some of which I'd not seen in a couple of decades . I didn't take my bass and I was happy to have a few / lot of drinks and say hello to some faces I'd not seen in a long while It turns out his daughter (also very musical) had other ideas basically said "dad knew you'd be here and he'd want you to play, so get your arse up there". I ended up playing for an hour or so, with my close friends and also a few others who I'd not seen in such a long time. We all ended up having a great time and it was a fitting send off to such a great man. It's really got me back on my game and reignited my passion for music and playing, I almost feel that I've let myself down by not making time to play for so long, but the amount of fun and joy everyone had that evening both in memory of him and also just by playing too had such an impact on me it made me realise just how much I missed playing and how much I love it. Therefore, I feel I owe it to myself and also to my old friend to get back on the horse and get out and enjoy myself again, it's been too long!

Hobbyist for me. I did have huge aspirations for our teenage band to make it, then for me to be a session musician, and then a music teacher, but eventually life got in the way of that so I can only now find the time to play for my own enjoyment or to entertain my kids, which is fine by me for the moment. Once I stop touring the world with work and settle into a more regularly scheduled job then I'll have the opportunity to form / join a band and then see what happens. But for now, it's just me, practicing on my own, and doing whatever exam / grade / diploma I can get my hands on.

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1470809257' post='3108541'] Will check it out. I really enjoy Danny Baker as a presenter, more so on the radio but still thoroughly entertaining on the box. [/quote] Me too, I was working on TFI whe it came back on the air last year and I was actually a bit star struck when I saw him in the corner of the room working on the 99th re-write of the script (only a couple of hours before going live), after 20 years of working in the business! He always manages to make me laugh on a saturday morning on Radio 5.

For me it's: Flea - since day one, 25 years ago, he was my main influence, my reason for playing, the reason I practiced for hours EVERY day, why I bought my stingray, why i wanted to get good, just WHY full stop. However I must admit that I have shied away from the chilis in the past couple of albums, but he'll always be the reason that I worked so bloody hard to get to the standard I'm at now. John Paul Jones - I spent ages nailing the Lemon Song.. the guy is a melodic master, yet so laid back. Him & Bonzo, tight but loose. Robert Trujillo - I just like him, have done since being a teenager at a club, hearing "violent and funky" by Infectious Grooves for the first time and doing that thing where you stare at the speaker being blown away by it. Matt Bisonette - see my other topic on him (man crush). Mark King - Incredible player and the ability to sing over the top too blows me away, top bloke and having worked for him for ten years now, his contribution to my mortgage via my invoices means he makes my top 5. Also, a special mentinon in despatches for John Deacon. Not only for being a solid bass player and prolific song writer, but also for performing at one of the biggest shows of his career, Wembley '86, in the shortest pair of denim cut-offs known to man.

I sold Warren a collection of Led Zep books and he paid straight away, no problem. A pleasure to do business with. Cheers,

I sold Steve a couple of books and he paid straight away, no fuss. Nice 'n easy. No problem. Cheers.

I have a pair in a pouch on my belt at all times at work in case someone with a rattle gun comes along, or a PA / backline / a drumkit gets tested right where I'm working at the time, perfect! I've lost a couple of pairs over the years and I've gone out and replaced them instantly without any hesitation, in fact I'm pretty convinced that someone stole one pair. I assume they would only want the filters and not the moulds... I've got -25s for work and -15s for quieter gigs and when i'm playing myself! I can't recommend them enough.

Yup, I had a Peavey Combo too! I had no idea that they were the "thing" back in the day, they were just the amp in my price range that the local shop sold! My first one was a Microbass then I bought the TKO115, being young I was paranoid that it was so heavy it was going to fall through my bedroom floor and into the living room below.

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1466595387' post='3077052'] Were you touring with Elton when Dave Paton was playing bass? [/quote] No, sadly not. I've only really been touring with Elton on and off since 2008.

I've spent the last few weeks working on the latest Elton John tour, which is something that I've done on and off over the last who-knows how many years or so. Rather sadly Elton's previous bass player Bob Birch left us in 2012 and Matt Bissonette joined Elton's band to fill the vacancy. I did do an Elton tour in 2013, but as I wasn't involved with the actual show I never saw Matt play, but this time around I do have things to do so I'm paying attention to the music and I'm so glad I am. On the first show day a collegue of mine re-introduced us and he came across as a fantastically nice and funny chap and I duely gave him the respect he deserved - he clearly must be a player of some talent to have been asked to fill the vacancy. One of the other chaps I was with also let it slip I had my travel bass in my tool box (along with my keyboard) so he was mega keen for me to get it out, have a look and talk bass for ages. I quickly googled his name and noticed his brother was Greg Bissonette, whose name I recognised from a Victor Wooton / Steve Bailey instruction book / CD I had Next I saw Mat had also toured with Dave Lee Roth, Ringo Starr, Joe Satriani etc.. Played with Steve Vai etc.. and also recorded the scene interlude music for friends (which was the fact that impressed the wife..). Enough of the waffle, essentially, watching Matt play each night has been exactly the kick up the derriere that I needed, It's been a long while since I've seen a player who really has been outstanding in so many ways: holding back when he needs to, tasteful fills and runs, stepping up and really grooving when needing to, he really is an outstanding player of an incredibly high standard. Highlights of the set for me that highligh his playing are "Burning Down The Mission", "Levon" and "Saturday Night" (when it breaks down and there's loads of freedom as it builds up again, live obviously). I find it hard to sing and play at the same time, he's got an uncanny knack of being able to have a conversation and play at the same time, it's not unusual for him to wander over to the side of stage mid-gig and to chat to us lampies and say e.g. "so, what did you chaps get up to on your day off yesterday?"... Anyway, that's enough of my gushing. I'm in awe, I'd never heard of him before this tour, but watching him play has made me want to pick up my bass whenever I can now, even more than normal. Which can only be a good thing..