PaulWarning

[quote name='obbm' timestamp='1491390190' post='3272607'] That's interesting because it's totally not what happens in my area. Open Mics, are for individuals and groups of performers. They usually book a time slot with the organiser and perform two or three numbers. It's an opportunity for the budding solo singer songwriter to air their works to an audience. PA is provided by the organiser. These have only taken off in the last few years. Jam Sessions are run by an Organiser and his House Band. This could be an established band or a group of musician friends. They provide the PA, drums and back-line and in most cases get paid by the pub. Musicians turn up with their instruments, make themselves known to the Organiser who puts them into bands for 3 or 4 numbers. Usually the designated singer will suggest the numbers and a short discussion ensues. Who knows it, what are the chords, etc. it's all very light-hearted and off we go. If you are a regular then you get to know the other musicians and their favourite numbers. Often you get to play something that you might have heard but have never actually played. It makes you think on your feet, watch the others and most importantly listen. If you get hit with a number that you'd like to play better next time then go home and learn it. There are musicians of all levels and one must be tolerant of the novices. We all had to start somewhere but it does get a bit frustrating if they don't know what a 12-bar is, or they try to slap a Blues. There are also those magic moments when the grouping clicks and it all comes together to the great appreciation of the audience. [/quote]yep, that's my understanding of open mics and jams as well

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1491369480' post='3272394'] Your definition of jam session is not mine. In the early 70s in my circle jam sessions were for the local top teir musicians with fantastic improvising skills. Someone would come up with a progression or chord arrangement and they would " kill it ". Classic rock had nothing to do with the jam sessions I'm familiar with. As a matter of fact, at the time there was no classic rock. The term didn't exist. BTW, these jam sessions were in musicians homes and not open to the public. Blue [/quote]there is a difference between private Jam session and public ones, private ones you know the people there and you're not boring the arse off the crowd (if there is one) by doing a 15 minute turnaround, public ones are usually where the musicians don't really know each other and agree to try and do a song they all know or some know and tell the others the chord progression, I agree they can be satisfying for the musicians involved but very rarely provide any sort of entertainment for anybody watching, IMO

there are no rules for open mics, some are run by the pub or whoever turns up first, most are run by somebody with a PA who gets paid (usually about £50 is my experience) and very rarely the performers will get paid, anything from a free pint to £10 fora 30 minute slot.

I know I shouldn't have, but just pulled the trigger, it's those maple necks and at this price I can't lose money, can I? edjt, so thanks for putting temptation my way

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1491298985' post='3271872'] Yes if you really wanted a lighter Trace it might be better to mount the Trace Drivers in a lighter cab. MDF has great sonic properties (mass, youngs modulus, uniformity and self damping) but isn't great for a portable cab. It's heavy, goes soft and distorts if it gets wet, and isn't as tough as ply. With the same drivers in the same shaped cab it'd pretty much keep the original sound give or take a panel resonance. [/quote]not entirely sure about this, Trace drivers are bloody heavy, as I said earlier I shaved 5Kg off a 1 x 15 T E cab by installing a non neo eminance driver I had around, reduced the weight from 25Kg to 20, did alter the sound though

[quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1491295918' post='3271821'] I don't understand open mic nights. Getting up with some random musicians playing random stuff would be my worst nightmare [/quote]I think that Jam sessions, open mics are usually where you get up on your own or with people you know and perform a few songs, but I know what you mean Jam sessions have never appealed to me either, I don't know (or want to know) the classic rock songs that most of them seem to play or be the foundation while some guitarist does a 15 minute solo

[quote name='dudewheresmybass' timestamp='1491229515' post='3271369'] Apologies for the hijack, but is there such a thing as a bb pre amp clone ? [/quote]how accurate it is I wouldn't know https://www.zoom-na.com/sites/default/files/products/downloads/pdfs/E_B1on_B1Xon_FX-list_100.pdf

one of the laws of the universe, anybody sounds better than you do and the more of your gear they're using the better they sound

this thread might help http://basschat.co.uk/topic/303341-that-warm-valve-amp-sound/page__pid__3270348#entry3270348

had it twice in the last 24 hours Grrrrrrrrrr

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1491051336' post='3270172'] Care homes are always looking for people to play Vera Lynn songs & that sort of stuff for the inmates, that's always an option. You can check out the accommodation for future reference while you are there, maybe put your name on the waiting list... [/quote]another 15 years all the care homes will be stuffed full of old Punks, I'll have a whole new career

[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1491022196' post='3269888'] Looks like your body wants your circadian rhythm back.Nothing wrong with wanting to go to bed at 10;30 pm [/quote]going to bed early is for whimps, I have an afternoon nap instead

judging by most of these reply the title should read 'What's left to do when you're not healthy enough'

lets just say I'm well into my sixties but no ailments and I don't like doing more than 1 a week, we usually do 2 hours of high energy punk but it's not just that, loading the car, setting up, taking down, hanging around, it's gets to be more like a job and less like fun doing anymore than that, an originals band will certainly play less and play for a shorter time, usually 30 - 45 minutes, but there's usually more travelling involved so it's a double edge sword in some respects

guitarists seem to be my problem, we've just finished recording and album with a full dairy of gigs, the guitarist went into the studio on his own did about 40 overdubs and because I took one of them off one of my songs he's threatening to quit the band because I'm a control freak with an ego problem

seems risky to me, 4 neo speaker ain't cheap and you don't really know what it's going sound like.

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1490727814' post='3267482'] It's popped up a few times for me too, not for about ten days though. [/quote]it'll be back, I've gone weeks without it, but it's happened twice in the last two days, weird or what?

the only exception I can think off is J J Burnel, he couldn't get the same sound on any other P bass when he broke his Green P in half, he had it repaired and still has it and, presumably it doesn't sound the same as it used too because he never uses it as far as I know anyway, but I'm only guessing and am happy to be corrected

I replaced a Trace 1 x 15" speaker with an Eminance one (not a neo) to shave 5Kg off the weight, and it did sound a lot different, not as bassy which I didn't mind fortunately

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1490437591' post='3265115'] It's a skill that you learn, just like the way you learnt to play the bass. [/quote]and just like playing the bass, some people are a lot better than others, everybody thinks their own songs are good because you get to close to them, everybody needs a Lennon saying, that's a load of crap Paul, trouble is they tend to fall out

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1490342416' post='3264364'] Despite what I am constantly being told, I feel that I can get a very Precision-like tone from a Jazz bass. OK, maybe not in a solo situation in in a studio when DI'd... but certainly withing a band rehearsal or gig scenario. Others tell me I'm wrong, but that doesn't change my opinion! I've also played (and owned) P basses that lack that warm, woody "thump" that others refer to. I'm not sure any of this helps or adds to the discussion though [/quote]being a lefty my choices of bass are restricted so I have a VM Jazz as back up and with a push pull pick up series switch engaged it's not that far from a P, doesn't cut though quite as well in parallel

well they all sounded like precisions, the only one where there was a bigger difference was the 70's one. more trebly I'd describe it, would anybody know it a band situation? not very likely

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1490263175' post='3263662'] Just what I was going to say.... [/quote]and me, our drummer (and the previous one) loves doing the Clash's White Man at Hammersmith Palais

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1490175940' post='3262786'] Sounds like we play in the same band(s) mate! I started in covers bands by playing songs that we, the band, actually wanted to play. A fair number were crowd-pleasers but an equally large number were obscure songs that no one was going to recognise. After a year or two of struggling, we had a big internal debate about whether or not to play more crowd-pleasers, and would this somehow 'go against' our policy of playing stuff we liked. The solution was dead simple. Play crowd-pleasers that we all liked. Job done. If you have SIXTY YEARS of popular music to select from, how difficult can it be to identify three hours' worth of music that is (a) crowd-pleasing, and ( band-pleasing? We've all dealt with tougher problems than this. [/quote]this^ if you like the song you'll enjoy playing it, if the crowd like the song you'll enjoy it even more, in our band if someone doesn't want to play it we don't, there are borderline songs we play every now and again because some people really like it and some aren't keen (the Stranglers, Walk on By, I love it but I would I'm the bass player), but you know what? the songs we all love playing are the ones that go down well, there must be a lesson there somewhere

I wonder where comedy ends and crass (not the anarchic punk band) starts, how about Long Haired Lover From Liverpool?