BrunoBass

[quote name='pfretrock' timestamp='1461581880' post='3035778'] May 11th http://theironroad.sqwiz.co.uk/en-GB/40238/news [/quote] Thank you.

Thanks everyone - plenty to go at here!

Evesham isn't far from me - where's he playing?

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1461342247' post='3033889'] I have seen them second hand for £250-280. [/quote] Thanks you, I will investigate further.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1461332733' post='3033795'] I have a Crafter SA which combines characteristics of an electro-acoustic with a neck more like an electric ... http://youtu.be/nvLyQFvbKu0 [/quote] Thanks, looks great - slightly out of my budget though unfortunately ☺

Morning all. I haven't touched acoustic guitar for ages, but with a bunch of song ideas bubbling away and an invitation to collaborate with a singer for some open mic assaults I'm in the market for something to strum. I've got around £250 to spend, acoustic tone isn't a massive consideration as most of the time it'll be plugged in to a PA, but most important is feel. I want something with an electric type neck, easy to play! Can anyone recommend anything? I hear good things about Tanglewood guitars, the Epiphone EJ200 and Yamaha's APX range. Any advice gratefully received - thanks!

My first bass was a Silver Series Squier Precision that I bought new from a long gone music shop in Bicester in the autumn of 1991. It was black, white scratch plate and rosewood neck. I think I paid £180 for it including hard case. It was a great bass and a lovely instrument to learn on. I was spoilt really, seeing some of the other basses people started with! I kept it until 1995 when I won a Patrick Eggle NY in a Melody Maker competition. I wish I'd kept it. As an aside, the father of my girlfriend at the time was a bass player and had several P basses. He thought my Squier was better than the 80s US P bass he was playing at the time, I didn't know any better!

Chunky Stingray / Precision type neck for me. I can't get on with a Jazz neck (or at least every Jazz I've played).

Orbital used to wear them on stage too. They looked very cool.

We were back at The Bell in Bicester on Friday night - we played last November and it went well enough for us to be asked back. Much bigger crowd this time, Friday night drinkers up for a good night. We went down really well again and barring a couple of 'free jazz' moments we played really well too. From comments we received and from video we've seen the sound out front was good, although for us on stage the sound wasn't great, the stage area is on a wooden platform with a low bulkhead opening out into the main area of the pub. I'll still not happy with the sound I'm getting on stage (EBMM Stingray into TC Electronic BG250/15) - an amp upgrade is imminent I think... On a personal note I saw a couple of friends I hadn't seen for a few years, in particular one lad I used to drink with I hadn't seen since 1991 when I was 22 and he was 20. Suffice to say we're both slightly wider, more grey and more divorced than the last time we met up! Our next one is in a couple of weeks at The Punch Bowl in Warwick, a venue I've never been to and know nothing about - anyone familiar?

[quote name='kevin_lindsay' timestamp='1460574357' post='3027000'] I've got three basses I switch between: My Shell Pink P-Bass [URL=http://s7.photobucket.com/user/kevin_lindsay/media/Shell%20Pink%2056%20P-Bass/20130817_193800.jpg.html][IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/Shell%20Pink%2056%20P-Bass/20130817_193800.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [/quote] That is possibly one of the coolest basses I've ever seen.

No slouch as a bass player too; he played on Boys Keep Swinging when he and George Murray swapped instruments.

I've got major GAS for a Hagstrom Viking in black...

As meaningless as these lists are, I do quite enjoy them. One notable absence in my opinion is Reni, probably not very well known in the States though.

Back at The Swan in Banbury last night with Til Dawn - two hour set with a short break. We had to wait till the football was over before we could set up which meant a bit of standing round but once we were in we were up and running pretty fast. Good crowd, especially for the second half. For the some reason the pub across the road decided to put on another rock covers band at the same time. Always amazes me when venues do that - our gig has been booked and promoted since December, so why they decide to compete and dilute the audience for both of us is beyond me, but what do I know... Couple of new additions to set last night which worked well. I struggled to get a tone I was happy with (Stingray into TC BG250/15), same as last time we played there. Low ceilings and cramped playing space means the amp is up against the back wall which isn't ideal. We all played well and the crowd reaction was really good, with the second half shifting up a gear and the crowd all up and dancing and singing by the end. A really good night all in all - next gig for us is The Bell in Bicester in a fortnight, happy times! [attachment=216089:GetAttachment.aspx.jpeg]

We (Til Dawn) are doing a few small festivals in Banburyshire this summer. Winter Gardens Revival in May, Deerjam in June and Bodfest in July, the latter two are well established local festivals that always draw an enthusiastic crowd come rain or shine. Can't wait - playing these are definitely highlights of our summer diary.

[quote name='silverfoxnik' timestamp='1459114228' post='3013684'] Fabulous gig last night at the St Paul's Art Centre in Worthing, West Sussex. It was a David Bowie Tribute event held to celebrate the musical genius of the late, great Starman himself, and to help raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer research... Lots of different artists played various Bowie songs from the 60s right through to the present day and my band, Replay, did 'Fame', 'Fashion' and 'Rebel, Rebel'. The crowd loved it and it was an absolute honour for me to take part, being a life-long Bowie fan! Also, it gave me a chance to do a 2nd gig with my recently acquired Hayman 40 40, which is such a great bass it's managing to usurp my BC Rich Eagle at the moment, which has been my 'go to' bass for a long time now.. Anyway, here's a few of pictures.. One of the band, one with me and my usual 'bass-face' and one of the venue from the balcony. As I hope you can see, it's a beautiful venue! And a very cool looking bass... [attachment=215582:FB_Y7U4239.jpg] [attachment=215583:FB_Y7U4223.jpg] [attachment=215584:FB_Y7U4251.jpg] Cheers, Nik [/quote] What a lovely venue.

Not exclusively '90s, but that era does provide a large part of the source material for the repertoire of my rock covers band (with a little bit of '80s and '00s too). We have a diary full of pub gigs both local (Banbury) and further afield plus some local festivals from now until the end of the summer, so I'd say demand is pretty good. We do the more indie/rock stuff for the family friendly events like the festivals and keep the heavier stuff for our pub gigs. There's another band in town called JEEP who do all the 90s Britpop and Indie favourites. They're more of a functions band but seem to have a full diary. Definitely worth giving it a go, good luck!

The suspense is killing me!

Billie Holiday for me, especially 'Lady In Satin' era. Every note she sings drips with sadness, pain and regret. I'll take that over technique any time.

I read that she's claiming to have played some of the Motown baselines that everyone previously assumed were, or were credited to, Jameson.

Ooh where to start? Disco Inferno by The Trammps I Shoulda Loved Ya by Narada Michael Walden (TM Stevens on bass) Stomp by Brothers Johnson and Get On The Floor by Michael Jackson (both Louis Johnson) Shack Up by Banbarra All wonderful basslines...

A former girlfriend got tickets for us to see Bjorn Again years and years ago (she was a big ABBA fan). I groaned inwardly all the there and for the whole time waiting til they came on. When they did I loved every minute...

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1458394609' post='3007230'] Wires by Althlete Came out a few years after my son spent a month in ICU, 7 days of those ventilated and sedated [/quote] Great song, one of my favourite bands.

I find Baz Lurhmann's 'Everybody's Free (to wear sunscreen)' especially poignant. It always makes me think of my two older children who are now all grown up and making their own way in the world. They were both little when it came out and I could imagine me passing on similar advice to them, not to make the same mistakes I made. Now they're old enough to not need me and I always get this strange tightening in my throat when I hear it.