Monkey Steve

exactly this. Best example from experience was a gig on old band of mine played at a music pub in Brixton, probably 25 years ago. The gig was in a large music room with a stage, it wasn't our usual catchment area, and when we started it was literally just our girlfriends, the bar staff and two random blokes at the bar. Turns out one of the blokes was a music journalist, who was very impressed and gave us a steer on suitable venues and some general tips. We also got a load of people drifting in from the main pub once we were a couple of songs in. Worst example, a singer with a great voice in a band from a couple of years ago, but who had a terrible stage presence. If the venue was half empty then he'd take it out on the crowd that had actually showed up, and put in a half arsed performance. Never did us any favours with the punters or the venues

exactly - that's the whole point of practices, to work on the songs, not to refuse to try because they haven't "had a chance to work on it". I've had a guitarist where that was code for "I don't like the song so I'm not going to learn it". For a singer, even if they've only heard the song a couple of times - the bare minimum you should expect if they've had a few days warning - then they just need the lyric sheet and they're away. For auditions I'm quite forgiving if the person trying out hasn't got the exact structure of any originals - I'd rather have them sing over the guitar solo than refuse to sing at all, because at least it shows if they've got a good voice, the rest can be fixed later

I never get this with singers - they only have to learn the words to a song that is written in the language they speak, and assuming that they don't have dyslexia, they can bring the lyrics to the practice with them! Never had an issue with this for any singers in my bands, but I've seen it a lot at auditions - send them a 3 song CD or a list of covers a couple of weeks ahead of the practice, they rock up and all they know is one song, and refuse to sing the others. never once recruited any of those...although not because of this in itself, but because I've never found once who was actually any good at singing

That was the implication of the places we played - they simply didn’t entertain the idea of putting on a covers band

Another fan of the shop here- it’s my local and I’ve never had an issue whether it’s popping in to try something, ordering on line to pick up, and last week I bought a pedal on line that was delivered the next day. Always excellent service I’d be interested to hears at the OPs issue is

I mentioned it on the How was your gig? Thread a few weeks ago, but a band supporting the lot I was depping for at Christmas did something very similar I’d been told about the singer/rhythm guitarist’s over inflated ego before but never seen it in action. He did not disappoint. four band bill, we’re headlining so we get a full soundcheck. There’s no time for anybody else to get a proper soundcheck so everybody else is getting a quick line check during the 15 minute change over and then into their first number. first two bands play, the sound is excellent - one of the best sound guys I’ve ever worked with, no fuss, just made everybody sound brilliant. the the main support get their turn. The singer wants a full soundcheck for his guitar. no mate, just do a line check, you need to start your set no, he wants a proper soundcheck for his guitar so that he can properly adjust it all to make sure that he gets “his” sound, and he’s quite happy to tell the band not to play until he gets it all of this in front of the crowd sadly the sound man was too nice to just call his bluff and tell him to leave the stage, so, already into their half hour slot, he gets his full check, then plays half a song to make sure that he’s happy with the overall sound and monitors on stage. He gives the sound man notes about which khz he should be adjusting Then they can start their set. prectictably they overrun, and start a song just as they were supposed to be leaving the stage, and knowing that there is a hard curfew at the end of our set. Our BL loudly makes it known what his opinion is of this, and at the end of that song the sound man kills the sound for everything except the he mics, leaving a very disgruntled singer on stage complaining that he’s been told that they have to stop now, like nobody told him when they had to finish complete indifference from the crowd, all of who have paid to see us and know that there’s a hard curfew and we’re going to struggle to get on stage on time (actually it wasn’t that hard so we did get our full set)

Drop Paul or Philip at Wal an e-mail - the address is on their website funnily enough the last exchange I had with them was over which tuning heads I wanted on the Mk 2 I’ve ordered...I can confirm that the standard for those is the M4 or M4 light, but that may not help for. Mk 3

I’ve played a couple of venues like that, though not for a few years. The explanation I got at the time was that they didn’t want the hassle of filling out a report for PRS, they just wanted to tick the box that said we played all our own material. They’d lay down the law before we went on stage - no covers, alright? If you’re going to play one then you definitely didn’t tell us about it! Definitely don’t play two

funny how, when something untoward happens at a gig, there's always one band member who is very keen to blame everybody else...

from what I can work out from yesterday's announcement on store closures, they will carry on as part of HMV, unless they have been put on the naughty list. There were a few on the closure list, but not the one just off Charing Cross Road, so they seem to have closed the main HMV in the West End but left the Fopp

I can't remember which film it is but I swear there's a sci fi film from the 70's where they use these straps as part of the costumes

woot!!! As an insider, any idea what's going on with the online store? Seems to have been removed from HMV's website, or rather, the links are all there, but they all bring me back to the landing page rather than taking me to the store and my account

there is only one strap* - the Stones Music GSL5 https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Stones-Music-GSL5-Leather-Guitar-Strap/1YBY?origin=product-ads&campaign=PLA+Shop+-+GENERIC&adgroup=GENERIC&medium=vertical_search&network=google&merchant_id=1279443&product_id=91150d1&product_country=GB&product_partition_id=68659056167&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrZKPlZOn4AIVR-J3Ch2XVQN_EAQYAiABEgJMZ_D_BwE always seems to be marketed as the Jimmy Page guitar strap, but I've used them on all my basses for years - wide, comfortable, and look very cool. One minor comment is that the quality of the leather seems to vary a little, and some have been softer than others, which is OK, they just need a bit of working in *fake news

Yes. There a difference between knowing the song, understanding the structure, where the gaps are that you can fill or play differently, or taking it in a different direction, and simply not bothering to learn it properly because all the audience only recognises the chorus and they won’t spot that the chords under it are different. Specifically there’s a difference between getting it wrong and choosing to make a change of artistic reasons

So you’re saying they played it wrong? I refer you to the topic heading...

I would suggest that the criticism of the local girls isn't that they are poor musicians, but that the band is playing music that the girls don't enjoy. Perhaps if they played a virtuoso version of Brown Eyed Girl everybody would appreciate that they're better than the usual bands who do it

Ex display is a bit trickier for music shops than other businesses, especially for instruments (less so for effects and arguably amps) If you'd gone in to try the instrument then you'd expect to be sold that one, not to be given one from the stock room. Easier to spot the buckle rash when trying it in the shop and asking for a nicer, shinier one to try (if they had one), so if I'm being generous it might be as simple as the listing having been put up when it was in good condition. If it had turned up without any shop soiling then you'd never have known if it had been on display for a few years. At least they did 'fess up when you asked whether it was in stock - perhaps they might have done the same when they came to dispatch it if you hadn't asked. Without knowing which shop it was, some do advertise that they will do a full set up before they send anything out

exactly - not having to argue with customer services, getting stuff delivered the next day, or even the same day so you don't actually have to go out, and working from low margins so they're usually well priced, it's a brilliant business model. Whether or not any of that might change if we do manage to close a few loopholes to prevent off-shoring the profits remains to be seen

Have to say, I've never had an issue with Amazon's customer services. Two items last week: One didn't arrive on the day that delivery was promised, I send a slightly grumpy e-mail about having waited in (I hadn't, or rather I was going to be in anyway) and immediately get an apology and a £10 credit (as well as sorting out the delivery). Second, they picked the wrong item so instead of some cork sheets I get a Pinocchio DVD (!). I didn't even have to send an e-mail, just clicked on "I got the wrong item" and they immediately re-ordered the correct item and told me to keep the wrong one (so, if anybody wants a Pinocchio DVD, let me know). I assume it's a cost thing (that for something that's worth less than a fiver there's no point paying to get it returned...I doubt they've had said the same about a new TV) I know others have had different issues, particularly through MarketPlace, but in both my cases there seemed to be a policy of not arguing with the customer where they are clearly not trying it on, knowing the consumer's rights and just sorting it out as quickly and easily as possible. A vast difference from, say, Zavvi, who's Customer Service policy seems to be to say no at least once and see if you go away, and then to actually deal with the problem if you stick to your guns

bit difficult to know either way - they might not be interested, or like mcnach says, they might just be really bad at this sort of thing. I've almost always been on the other side of this, placing ads and responding to the replies, and I'm very much of the opinion that for politeness if nothing else you should at least acknowledge receipt. As to whether it's a No already, was there enough n there to let them make a judgement, like sound clips or a link to YouTube? If not then I'd be surprised if they'd ruled you out because of a lack of detail in your e-mail...but obviously i can't say for certain. But it hasn't been a week and if they aren't great at this sort of thing then that's not a lot of time. I have been in a similar position once - a mate told me that he had a friend who's band were really good and in need of a bass player. The only way to contact them was to sign up to Messenger and send something to them through that, so I did so. Then heard nothing back, which I thought was a bit rude given that our mutual friend had recommended me, so I decided not to lose any sleep over it and moved on to other things. Then six months later i was at a festival and my mate introduced me to someone who turned out to be the guitarist/BL of this band. he was very apologetic, and it turns out was in the "really bad at this sort of thing" camp. They had found somebody who wanted to join before I contacted them, and hadn't responded when my message subsequently arrived because they wanted to see if the new bloke worked out before they said no...then forgot to tell me that he had worked out. Three months later i get a message back asking if I'd still be interested as the new bloke hadn't worked out after all...sooo tempted to not respond. Never worked out, but stay open minded and see what happens. If it was me, I don't see any harm in a low key chase up (did you get my message, haven't heard anything so I'm just checking to see whether you're interested), but I'd maybe give it until the end of the week

looks like there may be some movement on rosewood used for musical instruments: https://www.musicradar.com/news/rosewood-could-return-to-low-cost-guitars-this-year

Thanks Si - nice to know the level I’m failing at technically it could be used for bass, in the sense that any pedal can be, but it’s a pretty niche treble boost to use as an extra distortion stage going into a Tubescreamer. Unlikely to find it’s way on to my bass pedalboard... I’m ok if I don’t try it until 2020, right?

no, but it's a good idea. I tend to refer back to old insurance documents whenever I need to find a serial number (let is all lapse, but took it out over Christmas for the basses i was using to play a couple of gigs)

I didn't sign up, but out of interest would i have just been thrown out of the pack? I just bought a guitar pedal - specifically for guitar, not for bass (sorry if this has already been covered)

mine tend to go the same way over time - f'rinstance, the lot I depped with at Christmas started off at: 5:2:2:0 (depping as a favour to a couple of mates who are in the band) and ended up at 5:4:0:0 (all mates I'd go drinking with), and the band I was in before that was very similar But the one prior to that went from 5:3:1:0 to 5:3:0:1 (and the last 1 moved from the friends column at the start) and ended up with a sacking. So colleagues tend to move into the friends column, but once somebody ends up in the people i hate total that signals a sacking, a resignation or the end of the band