RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE

Not sting then ..

I've used eBay for selling loads of vinyl,over the last couple of years . Also buying the odd bit here and there. This keeps on building my 100% feedback . It seems that some musical items are cheaper than reverb ,if you are the lucky bidder. I pay by PayPal ( at the moment ), but funds seem to be paid into my bank account pretty sharpish when my items are sold . I've only had one dodgy seller on eBay , and had to get them involved . ( A kaossilator which wasn't working when turned on) Dealt with swiftly . Item returned ,and me refunded. when I received the notification mentioned , it seems to me that accessing your funds after a sale will be not straightforward as before. Maybe in the future, a charge will be made to transfer it to your bank account ? 🤔 On a tangent I do have a small list on eBay search , for things I may want to bid for times aren't too hard . What I keep getting from eBay is sellers offers just because I looked at something . I could do without that. I even get messages about things I haven't looked at .at all . Probably AI 🤔 Ebay keep changing terms and conditions too requently these days , and it is slowlly putting me off .

Brings me back to me being positioned outside the toilet door in certain venues . Thankfully no bum notes were mentioned . Then we often had punters putting their drinks on my amp despite being politely asked not to . All part and and parcel etc . back in the day .. chicken wire perhaps ? 🤔

My very first gig 30th birthday . A band made up of best mates / work colleagues . It was a gig that took most of the year to plan . Weekly rehearsals at Alaska studios/ guitarists flat etc and lots more. I used to drink regularly in the Albany piub back in Great Portland Street lunchtimes and evenings with work friends and colleagues .Got on really well with the manager . He did smallish gigs for around 80 or so people now and then . We managed to book the venue for the birthday gig . Then , less than 2 weeks to the gig I receive a handwritten letter full,of apologies advising me the gig will have to be cancelled due to flooding ! So myself and the guitarist were looking frantically for somewhere at short notice . We had to be in centrall London due to where we all lived and worked etc . We tried quite a few places without a Hope in hell . However somewhat out of the blue , I found the sols arms which was in Euston road near where capital radio used to be . Success ! The manager asked me how much do I want to pay, and I said £80 . I was paying as it was my gig etc. We were apprehensive as to,how many would make it , but fee accepted and all stops were pulled . Being naive and desperate , I could have ended up not paying as we played in front of 200 people ! No regrets as gig went ahead after all . Plus we played there a few more times , and got paid .

I was in a covers band , and we replaced the vocalist at the time . He was a good fit for us , no problem . We noticed in rehearsals that he had his lever arch file which we thought it was just for rehearsals . That was not the case .. He used it at gigs leaving it on the floor , turning over the pages in a break from vocal duties between songs . He had a cheeky chappy persona so to speak , and kept the crowd entertained . He was in another covers band at the time as well . To me if we are all rehearsing our stuff and doing the homework as well in preparation for next rehearsals and gigs , there is no excuse for him to have his lyrics on stage at the dog'n'duck etc , The last singer saw him with us a couple of times, and was baffled / appalled at what he saw . On the plus side , me and mr. Drums seemed to get the best feedback and compliments from the punters . I checked out the vocalists band a couple of years ago , and yes they're still going. One or 2 different band members .He still uses the lever arch file 🤦‍♂️So yes, you've gotta make a stand ..

I stumbled across the Shepherd's Bush gig on you tube , and he did a great job from what I could see . ( only saw a few seperate tracks initially , and haven't got round to seeing the full performance yet ) .

First thing to do imho, is to name and shame them on Trustpilot, Facebook/ twitter ( if you use them) . when I was on Facebook for a short time , I went to pages of M&S/ oak furniture land, Lloyds pharmacy ( I think that’s all) when I received appalling service. It worked. I then gave positive feedback on their Facebook pages when issues were quickly resolved. ( Fair’s fair etc)

Preferred the chuckle brothers tbh ..

Similar vocal range . Throws the odd tantrum here and there ,and not as precious 🤔

Thanks for that Paul 😬👍 It's true what you say about some on here . I can't be bothered tbh. It's bland to me anyway 🙂

Back in '85 I was on holiday in Portugal . However 1985..live aid . Plus one of the most played videos ever " money for nothing " Dire straits . Along with live aid vids being played everywhere and Madonna who I've always detested. Forward onto later years, I don't hate Money for nothing , but cannot stand walk on by , by dire straits . That to me is tedious . probably because of the keyboard sound

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Welll...everything you say is true . However, it is more cheerful and upbeat than white rabbit . Having said that , I only listened to a minute of this before stopping 😬

Yeah, I know Billy is a Scientologist . Met him years ago in Wapping bass centre . Top man ! Nearly forgot to mention while I'm here ; back in the '90s a friend of mine was shall we say ' disillusioned '. He was unsure what to way to progress in terms of work etc . He took up acting and appeared as an extra in crocodile shoes, the bill etc . It made him a bit judgemental and annoying . Anyway , we lost touch and I found out from anothrr friend that he was in a Scientology ' place' ( don't know where/ how) for approx 15 years . He got out .so I heard . Now with 2 kids and a single dad apparently . I remember back in the '80s when I used to walk past their offices in Goodge Street . Always accosting me, and trying to give me a book . Not for me as a then 18 year old ...

Confession time from me : years ago in a blues band I was playing in , I had the misfortune of finishing my job early . ( 2pm) Instead of going home to south London from soho and then back in the evening to a Great Portland Street , I had a few jars with a friend until the evening . This was a mistake . I was my usual lively self on stage . Unfortunately , I stood on one of the guitarists foot pedals causing unnecessary distortion at the wrong moment . Talking to a few of the crowd ( well about 40 or so, mainly friends ) while playing was frowned upon. If Di Enid from girlschool and Steve Harris can do it then why not me I thought . It was our 2nd gig . At our next rehearsal , my behaviour was discussed . 😬 They basically wanted me to be a stiff cardboard cutout , which I couldn't be . Then a few new songs were suggested : Down man blues/ Blues in my head/ lightning blues. I asked about some red , and realised I'd better quit . No hard feelings though , although the frontman we had ( who I knew ) looked like Rolf Harris and was just las arrogant . Plus he became a thieving alkie . So, lesson learnt ..

The one Beatles track I cannot stand ...Eleanor Rigby ! I had the misfortune of seeing Jack Bruce play that as the last track of his set . Traumatising ! Time to pick on Metallica I think ...Nothing Else Matters and that awful track with Marianne unfaithful! La la la my ar£e ! ( the memory remains )

I had to give myself a massive palm slap or 2 years ago, as I too never gave Bruce a chance ..🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️😀 I saw quite a few gigs with dianno back in the day , but over the years lost a lot of respect for him . I missed the powerslave tour, but redeemed myself by purchasing somewhere in time and going on the various tours over the years . FWIW , I think that Piece of mind is their best album . I can't listen to the dianno stuff now , which may seem odd . As for linlkin park, not my bag .

Fair play for having a go . Good on you . Oh well, never mind the Botox. Onwards and upwards .

Regarding trying to get tkts for bands in this day and age of internet purchasing , I have a great memory of purchasing tkts at the Royal Albert Hall . It was in 2007 . I queued up on a Monday morning for tkts to hopefully see Jean michel jarre l I say queue, it was only about a small gathering of about 20 . Anyway, got into the box office , and the nice lady there was showing me all the seats being booked in real time on her screen . They were selling speedily ,and I did the right thing the old fashioned way by going to the venue . I managed to get tkts 3 rows from the front , I do like the alber hall . As for stadium gigs and outdoor gigs in general forget it ! Been there done that . Lucky to see Rammstein a few times indoors , I was thinking that if they did Twickenham I'd go when they announced a stadium world tour . Thankfully that never happened , and I saw a few of the gigs on that tour on you tube . I am thankful I'm happy with my lot , an not obsessive about bands as I used to be . Plus of course a lot of bands I liked are dying out or dead 💀