T-Bay

I religiously practice every night but the combination of a later time back from work than normal and the footy starting 10 minutes later meant that last nights practice was missed. Normally I can always find at least half an hour a day without fail.

Hmmm, not even close I don’t think. Some amazing music being made and I have seen some fantastic ‘new bands’ in the last year. The stand out ones being The Marmozets (been going a few years now), sweet little machine (don’t even have a full album yet- check out we used to,own these playgrounds or monsters) and The Touts (amazing Irish Punk band), and most of my favourite albums are from the early to mid 90s. All a matter of taste I suppose but plenty of life in rock in all its wonderful forms.

In utero, Bleach blew my mind, Nevemind was very polished but a true game changer, then In Utero was meh, tried over and over again and it’s still the same. Odd bits are ok but I would never choose to listen to it whereas Bleach, bits of Nevermind and Incesticide are listened to at least once a month.

As it’s my first one I have gone down the diatonic route too, gone for a Hohner Special 20 in C, it seemed a decent bit of kit for sensible money and gets good reviews.

Just ordered one to have a play with as it’s nice and portable. Any tips from any players on here?

I think you need both, when I started (less than two years ago) the fun of learning songs was what drove me to practice more, learning the notes enabled me to interact with the rest of the band. After a while you feel a bit of a prat going ‘what string what fret?’ Rather than ‘are we finishing on the A?’ Or whatever. The fundamental relationships cross the fretboard such as the 5th fret/ string down or two down two across for the octave make playing so much easier when you know them and that tends to come from more direct practice than learning songs or did for me anyway.

Here you go, click notation on bottom left and you the options above.

On the iPad you can select whether it shows free numbers or notes in the setttings, it will then do that whether you use the lessons or justbtrawl the song archive. I will log on and see if I can get some screenshots for you.

Yousician can do this, you can set it to show notes instead of fret numbers so,it forces you to learn them. I like it overall and it’s free for the ten minute a day lessons. I used it a fair bit when I started and still go back occasionally now.

Have you tried it at different venues? I have a compact and at our gig on Friday could hardly hear a thing, but when I went out front it was full on in there. It could have been the shape of the room as it’s never happened before. I hadn’t taken the midget I pair with it as the room was fairly small and we were asked not to be ‘too loud’ but I wish I had had it to use as a monitor if nothing else.

I have a 1000w Orange terror bass, not for everyone but certainly not lacking in oomph! I have swapped the AX7s for AT7 valves to give a little more clean headroom.

No problem with the colour, just not on that. I can imagine on the right bass it would not be horrendous, but on that? Awful.

Another first for us last night, we played a high school prom. Was a little unsure how we would go down but knew the organiser so trusted her. Picked mostly our newest songs age wise but needn’t have worried as it was the classics that went down really well. Seeing kids of 16 blasting out stuff I was inging when I wa s their age 30 years ago was a real buzz if a bit weird if I think about. We wouldn’t have been singing stuff from the 50s at that age. We set up early as they had a DJ on first and after us as well. When we played our set the crowd completely changed bar a few hardcore dancers but the dance floor was full the whole time. The site staff helped us load unload as well so great night. Plus a request for a repeat next year.

I find it easier to play with them facing away from the guitarist so he can’t see when I turn up after he does.

Buying the Daily Fail.

Looks like Alan to me.

Just constantly crashes for me, not a good start.

Does it allow you to download existing TonePrint on the pedal? Really hope it’s a yes.

Perhaps Suggs response in the young ones is needed- Rik- Do you know any Cliff Richard? Suggs- You hum it, I’ll smash your face in.

It won’t have the look but it’s worth considering some of the newer cab designs. I recently swapped from an epic Trace Elliot rig to a Barefaced compact and midget. They are both one hand lifts and take up little space but boy so they pack a punch, attached to a 1000w Terror bass head it has been massive overkill for every venue since I got it. For medium sized pubs I sometimes just take the compact. Visually not as big an impact as an 8x10 but you won’t be lacking sound wise. You wouldn’t get all of of it in your budget but if you were prepared to have a slightly tatty one as you say then one of the bigger Barefaced cabs would be in budget.

We have two relatively distinct sets, the first is a punk/ grunge set the second is a more general rock/ alternative set from the 6ps to the 00s. Guess which we get asked for more? You would think a distinct genre would be an easier sell in some ways as it gets people out but around here it seems either general covers band or tribute band is the way to go.

Friend of mine is a Mason, and she is definitely a woman. From what she says there are a lot more men than women but there are quite a few women masons. What you don’t ever get is mixed lodges apparently.

Don't mate, had to play rockin all over the world last week when we helping out with the youth group doing school of rock, what a load of crap that is. Rhythm guitarist and me tried to make it fun but it is so boring

It seems to come on here quite regularly, so wondering what mad requests people have had from punters over the years. Our most surreal one was a middle age bloke asking if we did any Kylie. We are a hard rock/ alternative/ punk band. I usually just say it’s in the next set, or we will play it next time but that one left me nowhere to go. He was friendly sort so no harm but why would you ask that?

It’s in the next set mate, then at the end, oh yeah we ran out of time/ will play it next time. Life’s too short to have conversations with people like that.