spongebob

Our drummer bad luck certainly never helped. Our current one is a nightmare to play with....he thinks he's Roger Taylor! His drums are all tuned really low, he brings a massive kit which takes an age to construct and put away, and during every gap between songs he insists on attempting 'We Will Rock You'. Really! That mixed in with his inability to learn how to play the song, not just 4/4 over everything, regardless on nuances, never helps either. I think we've managed to add 2 new songs to the set in nearly 3 years, the writing and recording also stopped. I'm personally not happy to play a dwindling amount of gigs to less and less people, doing the same 6-year old set with a drummer who can't be bothered to learn it. The trouble is, given the majority of bands, new start and old, around here are mainly 'pub' giggers, opportunities for anything else are thin on the ground. A band that just wants to rehearse? No thanks. Another pub gig band? Been there, done that. Kind of leaves a problem, and a question for the inspiration to keep playing.

Well, that's it - I'm done! I'm staying on to honour any gigs until my replacement is found, but that'll hopefully be within a few weeks, so if I'm lucky just the one to play. It feels a bit odd, and I'm not sure where I'll go from here. Part of me never wants to play again, so it's a wait and see. The worst thing is, I ordered a new bass on pre-order back in early November, and paid the deposit. So I've definitely got to sell the current one anyway, as I don't want or need 2. Had a scan at the classified sites, not much going on at the moment....and there's no way I want to go back to playing the same old to a pub audience, so I'm not sure where I'll go from here. Playing music is what I've done, forever, and at 43, maybe it's time to step and do something else, and get away from what's defined me for most of my life. I feel as if all the effort I've put in....there's been a few good highs, but I'm essentially where I was at the beginning, often in the same spaces. And that's just not enough anymore.

This^^! Situation exactly the same. What started as a 'doing it our way' for the tracks - great mix of choice covers and originals - has become a second set cheese fest of Mustang/Summer Of '69, etc., every gig. Mix in the lack of any new material, no rehearsal, no more recording, the others focus on the Kings new clothes..... It's just the idea of being without anything that's scary....even if we've not got that much! We used to average 2-3 gigs a month, even some 3-gig weekends. It's just a shame. I think I've also tired of the pub circuit, that's not helping. I did a dep gig 18 months ago to around 3500/4000 people....really showed me something else. Going back to playing Bryan Adams to the bar staff....just lost it's appeal. Worst thing was, guy who's band I depped with had a big 2018 project he asked me to be involved in. Amazing....but it's all fallen apart. And what I'm left with has never felt so unappealing.

It's like the fun has gone. It's not the band it was, and won't be again. It kind of puts me off picking up the bass....I've probably played about an hour in the last 2 weeks. I know how it's going, it's just the thought of the jump into nothing.....and how long that can last.....

I've been in the same band for nearly 6 years now - my longest by some margin. The first few years were fun - very regular gigs, recorded 2 EPs worth of originals, it was all good. However, we then suffered a run of bad 'drummer luck' - went through a good few, our current one has been with us around 18 months. The problem has been a gradual loss of momentum - the gigs have got less every year (we've only got 13 for 2018), and whereas we'd previously rehearse during the down-time, now there's nothing happening. Our set list is big, but there's only been about 3 new additions since 2014. Groundhog day. We used to have a running order, a bit of organisation - now, it's all called out on the fly. Long gaps between songs whilst the BL decides what to do next. Add to this the others are about to engage in another project, which I declined to be a part of, it has disaster written all over it. I also couldn't stand playing with our drummer any more than I have to - he's never learned the songs properly, just 4/4's over everything, accents all wrong, it just gets me down. I know they're rehearsing the other project in our down time, that's another reason why we're not doing anything. The last gig we played, a couple of weeks back, I actually felt sick before we started. Not through nerves, just the idea of the gig with the band.....the whole concept was just weighing me down. Trouble is, new bands here are not exactly easy to come by. By leaving, I could be band-less for some time to come. It's not an easy decision to make.....

I used to run a 121 amp and New York cab, a 2x12 set-up. Had it for a good while, served me well, but moved on to the Fender Rumbles when the bought out the V3's. Due to a change in transportation, I now run the Fender Rumble head (500) with a new (a month ago) Markbass 102P Traveler cab, the 400w 4 ohm variant. To my ears, it sounds awesome. It's a great match with the Fender head, better than my outgoing cabs IMHO. They're not cheap, but they're lightweight, and I like mine more than my old MB ones. I had a problem with my Italian cab - loose wire meant a repair under a year old. I don't think the country of origin is any issue. Italy, Indonesia, wherever....they're still making a knockout product in my eyes.

....and we haven't got on to Entwistle's 'Fiddle About' on 'Tommy', as yet!

This is a hard one for me. The Fall have been a part of my musical landscape since I was about 18. I got into them around the early 90's 'Code-Selfish'/'Shift-Work' era. Moreover, the bass playing (particularly during the Steve Hanley era) was of great influence on me. I'm no the rabid fan I once was, but I still checked in with every new album. Saw them a few times - the first, in November '97, was at a very 'troubled' time for MES and the band. Dates nearly didn't happen, and within months, there was the massive New York dust up, and the band changed forever with the departure of Mr. Hanley. The stage was a mass of fractured energy - I've never seen a gig like it before or since. Caught them a couple more times since, the last in 2010....not a great one, as the band performed for little over 45 minutes, and the whole thing was a bit phoned in. But as has been said, you never knew what you were going to get, so we still came away happy! Goodbye, MES - a true individual and one off. End of an era.

There's a whole lot of musicians that have been implicated with underage, and other 'issues', loads over the net. There is definite revisionism - most of the 'cooler' names seem to escape unscathed. Does it affect the music? I can still enjoy The Who, for example....and people still pay to see old Bill Wyman......!

I know someone that once had Jimi Hendrix in their front room - true! May put it to them that it could be worth demolishing their house.....?

The Mustang P/J is at E239! If that was real, I'd be all over it! Impressive site, but......

The last new Ricky I bought, a few years back, had the same problem. I'd actually bought a regular set of D'addario nickels (45-105), and it was my E string that was the issue! I filed the nut, and that solved the problem for me. Sold the bass soon after....I had a good run with Rickys (good few 4001/3/4) but sold my last early 2017. Forgot to add, there was a strong rumour that the Rickenbacker branded strings are simply D'addario Nickels .....so maybe go for those?

I just carry all my leads and stuff in a Stanley tool bag. £10 from B&Q - it's sturdy and plenty of space for me. I believe they come in 3 sizes at the time I bought mine last year. It's black and yellow, so if you're a Markbass user - like I have again become - it matches nicely!

All of them! I never skip tracks - guess I come from the tail-end of the vinyl era. Even with CD's, and now my streaming, I always listen to all albums from start to finish. I tend to still see albums as a body of work - yes, there may be tracks that hit you less at times, but sometimes they can be the slow-growers. When I sit down and put an album on, I want to hear the whole piece, even if it occasionally includes the (sometimes) bad!

Good article....from all the reading I've done, I also believe that this is more likely than the official line. Very shady. Re the Woodstock release - its a great gig (Gypsy Sons And Rainbows) but in their continual revisionism of the JH history, it isn't complete. They have removed covers of The Impressions 'Gypsy Woman' and 'Aware Of Love' and an original sung by guitarist in that line up, Larry Lee ('Masterplan').

I'm a big NR and JH fan, so I'm a little biased. IMHO NR did a fantastic job with Jimi. There's a lot of stuff written wrongly over the years over he played/didn't play that. I've read a good number of books on the subject(s), and it's pretty safe that NR played on the first 2 albums, and parts of the 3rd (JH played a bit on EL, plus Jack Casady's on there too....the entire sessions are a bit of a haze to all involved! JH could have replaced Noel if he'd have wanted to, I'm sure - but he didn't. There's been loads of stuff also written over the years about he was also planning to dump Mitch, Billy Cox was going to quit....to do this, do that.....all we're left with are the actual events. Noel did leave in '69, management wanted them to reform early '70 (did a Rolling Stone interview), but it never happened. The management side of JH is worth reading in to - it is very, very sinister indeed. Noel and Mitch sold their rights long before the reissue era, and before dead rock stars became such big currency. Not surprised there was bitterness - the whole Experience Hendrix corporation....JH's half-sister (I believe they only met a handful, if that, of times) running the whole show, whilst even JH's real brother is shut out. Very nasty wranglings, whilst the pointless re-issues and digging keep on going, and the branding gets more and more ridiculous. Still, the original records are out there, together with some great live and session stuff. I for one love Noel's tone, his style, equally as much as I enjoy Billy Cox's more traditional approach. Two different players for two different eras.

I've loved Motorhead since I was 13, grabbing the 'No Remorse' compo back in '87. Sadly, I never saw the Fast Eddie era live, as my first time was the Hammersmith Odeon, December' 88, with Lem, Phil, Wurzel, and Philthy. I love all the line-ups and eras. Last of their kind...they really lived it. Sad day for us Motorheadbangers. RIP Eddie.

I had a Hipshot fitted on a Ricky 4003 about 5 years back. Massive improvement, except for during one gig, when the dreaded 'wobbly saddles' (it was a common fault on these bridges) occurred. They kept bottoming out, and I had to crank them up ad-hoc after every song! Anyway, I complained to Hipshot, and they were fab. Sent me a complete new set of saddles FOC. Excellent service. Bought a Supertone bridge a few months back, equally excellent piece of equipment. Their fantastic products and service means I didn't hesitate using them again. Other companies take note!

Great minds think alike! 💩

Or this?!

They're a no-show for NAMM this year. Memphis plant is closing...not good! I've got a bass on order - 6 weeks waiting time (originally), we're over that an still no news.

Just sold Phil a Fender cab. Really nice guy, super easy to deal with. Instant payment, great comms throughout. Even met up in the luxurious surroundings of a Sainsbury's car park to seal the deal! Thanks again Phil, hope to catch your band sometime!

I wonder how many of these items will still turn up on the end of 2018 thread, 'stuff I shouldn't have bought, but still did'!

Funny thing is, in a rural area, some of (quite a few) the pubs planned to lock their doors early to avoid any New Year shenanigans. I think the city centres/big towns do it differently, different vibe. Most of our gigs are pretty low on idiots....but they are there sometimes.....and they're a massive PITA!

There's certain faces you only ever see once a year, on the Hootenanny. Must be good work. A bit like being Father Christmas!