mikel

Its music, expect nutters. I suppose it would be odd for a none band member to have admin rights over a band page they are no longer part of.

Last night, Kokomo and AWB at Colston Hall, Bristol. Great night, the mix was as good as it gets, no over loud electronic sounding BD and the bass guitars were just right in the mix. Ideal for Funky bands. The drummer with AWB, an american guy, was sublime, up there with the best I have seen. A gig to take in if the tour is coming near to you. One moan though. The ticketing at Colston Hall is not seat numbered. We decided to get there early and have a drink in the bar, just as well. When we enquired about the lack of seat numbers on the tickets we were informed there is a standing area in front of the stage, If you want a seat its first come first served basis, unless you want to stand for three hours. As the missus has a dodgy back that is a none starter so like most of the other punters we were forced to queue for 40 minutes at the hall entrance doors to be sure of a seat. Not the relaxing way to start a night out. Why not sell the numbered seats and also the 200 standing places for those who prefer to remain upright? Nice venue otherwise.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1510339608' post='3405822'] Surely they are the original Pop band? Pop acts still do a mixture of rocky stuff,dance music,rap and ballads etc to this day. [/quote] Well, they started out as a pop band but then continued to morph into anything and everything. Many people consider "Helter Skelter to be the original Punk song, almost 10 years before Punk cane into being. But was it Punk, or Metal? I cant find a way to make the Beatles gender specific.

Did that say "Rock" bands? Then why pray are T.Rex in there? nothing wrong with them but they are plainly not a Rock band. On sales longevity and live performances alone to exclude Dire Straits, Status Quo, Deep Purple and Jethro Tull is plain stupid. I think the author needs to look up the term Rock.

I like the music we play, because I love playing the songs. They have grooves and rhythms I would never have got into If I had stuck to only playing the music I like listening to. A lot of the stuff we play I would not listen to at home, but playing is different to listening. I chose to listen to songs that suit the mood I am in at the time. I am not genre biased, I simply like songs, and they can be from almost any style of music. Listening and playing are two different things for me, and as mentioned above, I like to listen to a whole album and enjoy the experience, I have no time for background music.

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1510230337' post='3404777'] when you think how many bands there are and how many make it it's not surprising most of them are never heard of again [/quote] It has always been so. Probably more so in the 60s and 70s when every one I knew was in a band with there mates. The chances of "Making it"? Almost zero.

A "Specialist" shop, in a niche market, will by necessity be slightly elitist. If you cater for a small market, and mostly the high end of that market, a level of expertese is assumed by both trader and punter. If they try and compete with the usual high street and on line giants they have little chance, so they do what they do best, deal with bassists who have experience and have an idea of what they are looking for. High end instruments and amplification. I use the on line giants for things like strings, stands, leads etc, but I would never buy an instrument or an amp without seeing and trying it out, having a chat with the sales people and getting advice. I like to enjoy the whole buying experience and feel I am getting more than just a product for my money.

[quote name='The59Sound' timestamp='1510169362' post='3404478'] Rose tinted glasses at work - Jools has plenty of golden moments. At The Drive In - 2000? Alice In Chains - 1991/2? Bloc Party in 2005 were great when they made their debut. [/quote] Quite. Add to that Seasick Steve, Christine and The Queens, Pokie Lafarge and KT Tunstall. All acts he brought to my personal attention.

[quote name='spike' timestamp='1510132985' post='3404124'] My band's setup time is nearly always five minutes longer than needed for a 9pm start. So if we arrive at 7.30 pm we'll be ready at 9.05, if we arrive at 8pm we'll be ready at 9.05, some band members just use whatever time we have to faff around instead of getting the job done. [/quote] Yep, work expands etc etc.

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1510054961' post='3403542'] I'm sure some do, but I haven't played with any drummers who don't take at least 30 minutes to set up, and the current one takes about 45 minutes. Me? about 5 minutes. [/quote] I drum in a band and I use a marked rug, memory locks on the convenient stuff and tape on the tricky stuff. Takes 10 mins start to finish. Thats for a 5 drum kit, hi-hat 4 cymbals and a couple of cow bells.

If you have a routine, as a band, for setup, it can be very quick. We take about 15 mins from load in to full setup. If we do it on a first come first served basis it can take for ever.

[quote name='Bolo' timestamp='1510051827' post='3403479'] Not by a long shot, and I do not think much of him. It could always be worse bieberboybandbullpoo. [/quote] Well possibly, but I doubt Bieber and the boy bands consider themselves anything more than they are, money making popsters. The Galagher's think they are "Serious" musicians. Ha.

[quote name='kendall' timestamp='1510052163' post='3403485'] My 1980s Aria SB 700. Never found a bass that had the mojo this bad boy had. Many gigs worth of sweat, beer and fag smoke ingrained in it. It also had a Powell & Peralta Rat Bones (skateboard company) sticker on it. I [b]Sold it when I decided my shot at rock stardom was over in 1989, and I used the money to buy a suit and get my hair cut short.[/b] Pains me to this day. [/quote] So in effect, you moved your hair on.

[quote name='Barking Spiders' timestamp='1510050843' post='3403460'] I was once pleasantly surprised to see Mastodon and Underworld some time within the last few years though not on the same show. These aren't the usual sort of band Later shows however [/quote] What is "The usual sort of stuff"? I think they have covered a pretty diverse range of music. It's a music show, its bound to be subjective.

My 1972 Gibson SG with P90 pups. I could never get the intonation right so I got a pro setup so I could sell it. It was perfect then. Doh.

[quote name='Leonard Smalls' timestamp='1509871772' post='3402150'] This is my problem with the Beatles, or at least with those who say this sort of thing... It's never "among the most influential", or "they were very influential", it's always "they were the most influential musicians ever". And there's no argument allowed. The answer to any dissent from that position is "you don't appreciate history", or "you weren't there, how could you understand?" I personally feel that having such an intractable position is an insult to all the other great innovators in music, some of whom made very little money and got none of the adulation and worship (and huge piles of cash) that the Beatles got. [/quote] But I didnt say they were the ONLY influential act, because they were not, I said most influential. I am also only talking about the short time they were recording material. I also did not say ever, I am talking Pop/Rock as a genre. I could argue that people who deny there massive influence on music and popular culture are simply trying to be different because they don't like there music. I am not a fan of Elvis, but I would never deny his influence on what has followed. I have followed and been involved in music for 55 years and I cant think of an act that has influenced as many musicians before or since the Beatles. Elvis was a catalyst but his musical scope and breadth of influence was not as wide ranging, or Michael Jackson. I dont think its such a big claim to think the Beatles are the most influential pop act, so far. You can correct me and I will have no problem accepting if it is patently not so. I have no axe to grind by the way, I dont have shares in them or anything, its not that important to me I was merely answering the OP.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1509823621' post='3401930'] And rightly so. Interesting, because I see more of the " I don't get what the big deal was' sentiment than your rightous and astute position. Agreed Blue [/quote] I think that is more from younger people who fail to put them in context. If they looked back at what pop music was like before the Beatles came along, and where it was at just 7 years later, they would be amazed. They also fail to note that before the Beatles most pop acts did not compose there own material, let alone write stuff for many other performers. Even the Stones tried to follow the Beatles with "There Satanic Majesties", then decided it was easier to stick to R n B.

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1509812179' post='3401830'] Having been in a few bands 40s and older knocking out versions of Teenage kicks, it seemed wrong too, but only because I would rather have not done! At least it is not as stupid as a group of 40+ people doing My Generation [/quote] Oh, I dont know. Both songs are relevant to me. I know exactly what teenage kicks are, and what the song is about. My Generation was written for my generation, so I can sing it with conviction. This generation? all they want to do is go to college and get a good job, how lacking in any sort of rebellion is that?

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1509752755' post='3401487'] No argument from me on that point. However I would say John Lennon represents the past, today and the future. I can't intelligently comment on Sheeran because I'm not familiar with his work. Such an interesting topic.[b] Probably one of the most interesting things I've learned from Basschat is how much bigger and popular The Beatles were and are in The States than in The UK.[/b] It baffles me because you guys always seemed to have a much deeper and intelectual appreciation for rock & roll and rhythm and blues based music than we do. Blue [/quote] I don't think that is true at all. Every musician I have had contact with over the last 50 years has agreed that the Beatles were, and to a certain extent still are, the most influential musicians and songwriters in the history of Pop/Rock music. Every release of re packaged Beatles output has charted in Britain. Unlike the Yanks we have never burned there records.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1509717024' post='3401149'] Every "song" is an instrumental until it has some lyrics written for it. [/quote] If thats the way you write. I often come up with a lyric or a melody first, on an acoustic guitar, then its a song that needs instrumentation.

If the singer is keen to do it then he must remember it well. Get him to hum it to you and see if it brings anything back.

If the whole band practices and gigs at lower volume the drummer will have to keep in line, or they wont hear the rest of the band.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1509642332' post='3400560'] Well over here from the mid 60's on, we had Marshall, Sound City, Hiwatt and Orange amps and cabs. I'd say the sound of those amps and the bands that used them created and defined the sound of Rock. [/quote] They did indeed. I had an Orange graphic 100 watt guitar amp and never got it above 5 on the master. That was one loud amp, pity it weighed the same as our transit van at the time but we had roadies so I didnt mind.

A kilt, multi coloured braces and flip flops. Works for me.

Simple. If something looks too good (or cheap) to be true (or any good) it probably is. Vintage guitars are a snip at the prices they retail at. Not very, very cheap but superb value. I started with a guitar, from Bell Musical Instruments, that had an action so high you could have played it as a harp. Nurse.