Barking Spiders

Didn't even know they were still going. Did they have a minor hit in the UK back in the 80s?

I'm not saying ageing bands SHOULDN'T be gigging but I look at multi millionaire septegenarians like the Stones still trotting out tunes they wrote in their 20s and wonder why they are. I'm only stating an opinion, not making an arbitrary rule

amen to that I'm not saying they MUST. When a musician is constantly reinventing and doing different things, great, they should go on till the end of their days. When it's a case of them becoming their own tribute acts churning out the same old stuff from eaons ago that's a bit sad

I'm pretty much with you all the way there , except for the slapping bit. Sweep picking and tapping? god forbid. Those should've been left back in the 80s when shred guitar (thankfully) died.

Exactly. As long as the output sounds good who really cares about input. I dont. James Jamerson played only with an index finger. Too many people get hung up on honing technique rather than making good music

I love playing fingerstyle acoustic guitar, especially with a slide, but cant get to grips with electric/lead style playing at all. There are no electric players that particularly inspire me unlike bassists and acoustic merchants. Heresy to say it here but most of all I like playing drums and percussion best but these are more antisocial for my neighbours

My personal opinion about this Grade A douche aside, I also 100% disagree with what he's saying. I've never seen any funk players live using a plectrum. If he said that to Larry Graham or Bootsy they'd laff in his faces (both the monster one and his stage make-up)

I like playing in bands , mainly cos of the company, but my problem is I generally don't like rock, pop , folk, soul or jazz which is what 99% of bands out there seem to be playing. I'm mostly into electronic/dance/synth stuff and so am adapting my way of playing bass to fit, using different effects. I can use Ableton and the like pretty well but I do like the actual feel of playing the bass

I often wonder when so many famous musicians hit 50-60 they don't just call it a day and do something else totally different and worthwhile. After all it's not like most of them need the money. My old folks hadn't even met when the original FM was doing their thing and I'm just 3 years off the half century. Time for FM to knock it on the head once and for all

I've been into the limes of Bass Direct and had a go playing several £1,500 plus basses. In general there's nowt there that would make me want to part with that kinda dosh when the likes of my Peavey Cirrus BXP, Cort B4FL and GB74 OPN do me just fine. I also have a Sub Ray 4 and I'm not convinced the Stingray is 7 x better as the price difference would suggest.

Shame the Props only did the one album which is blimmin fantastic throughout. Cool in extremis with other 60s movie infliuenced breakbeat tunes like Spybreak, Take California and Bang On.

and not forgetting David Arnold who did the orchestration. For my money this is the best ever version of a Bond tune though Moby's version is pretty good too

I was probably one of the annoying things in bands I'd been in. I was the drummist in most of them so there's that for starters . Sometimes I was asked to just keep an AC/DC type of steady beat, no fills etc. I just couldn't do that. I didnt want punters thinking that I was some bozo on a stool who could only hold down 4/4 rhythms. In general I cant think of many things about the others that annoyed me though a lot of the rehearsal rooms we'd practise in were utter sh1tholes and often I couldn't wait to get out and go to the pub.

Ain't that so. The number of times I hear my kids or their friends raving about songs by whoever the flavour of the moment is when I know them to be inferior covers of tunes from the 70s-90s. I've seen quotes stating GVF are the 'future of rock n roll' which is a bit odd. Even if they weren't LZ soundalikes their line-up they would still be very traditional in terms of instrumentation, verse-chorus songwriting, guitar solos etc

When Peaches by the Stranglers is played on mainstream radio they still replace 'what a bummer' with 'what a summer'.. Lawks, the very thought of that word makes me blush

It works well in French, much better than in UK English. I'm a big fan of classic 80s-90s US hip hop but IMO UK rap/Grime sucks big time

Well I guess because it is one of those genres that comes in for a lot of bashing, especially from older classic rock fans, not necessarily here but in many other music forums it does.. IMO on BC the general bias is towards classic rock while threads on funk, dance/electronica and rap are generally few and short lived.

How would you describe 'inappropriate'? I've no problem at all with profanities in lyrics like those expressing anger at The Man, as is the case with a lot of rap and metal. It's another thing when people just use them because of poor vocabulary. Albums like NWA's Straight Outta Compton or Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power would lose much of their power and ferocity without expletives

I quickly glanced at the thread title and thought it said 'pruning the beard'

this is true but Roland are generally a cut above the competition. I'm not a pro musician so a £400 job is fine for me.

I prefer electronic drum kits and have a Roland TD-1K. Only cost me around £400 and recommend any drummist getting one . Electronic kits are great if you're short on storage space. They're quick to set up, take down and transport, don't go out of tune and you can get a great range of sounds out of them.

I couldn't be doing with having to wear a Hollywood cowboy hat. I dont do hats apart from a beanie when skiiing or when it's bluddy cold in Blighty.. The fact I'd rather pierce my eardrums with rusty skewers than listen to C & W is a secondary factor .

I think there might be quite a regional variation . I'm in Gloucestershire and a quick shufty at ads placed this year in JoinMy Band shows that nearly all are placed by people under 25. And they're all vying to gig at the dwindling number of venues around the county. In London and other big cities, older chaps and chappettes are probably in a much better position.

I've also been thinking of shedding some of my collection. I've sold quite a few instruments in the past, some I regret getting shot of while viz others I feel no loss for. I'm 48 now and most band ads I see don't won't 'old' geezers while none of my friends, work colleagues or acquaintances play anything (anymore). Once the lure of competitive tulip breeding and Crown bowls take a hold my instruments will probably become redundant anyway . Mind you, as they're mid price products they'won't sell for much so I'm not sure what to do. It's a quandary.

I might watch it. If ever there was a band whose back story is more interesting than their music it's FH