chris_b

If promoters want to book the band and audiences come then why would anyone stop gigging? You've got your records of the bands you like, but like a photo, that is only a point in time. Bands are not fixed entities, they change and evolve and even after "golden periods" they can create good music and performances. Little Feat, Genesis, Pink Floyd and many other bands evolved and made great music after the original line up and style of music changed.

If someone said they had a floppy B string I'd ask how hard they hit/plucked/pulled the strings. I've played basses were the B string didn't sound quite right, but I've not seen a floppy B string yet. Has anyone with a light right hand touch experienced the floppy B string thing?

Over here we have the Solid Silver 60s tour. Lots of guys who had hits in the 60's (Searchers, Troggs, Brian Poole etc) doing sold out big theatre tours. I know the keyboard player in the band. I keep reminding him I'm available, but the phone hasn't rung yet.

Is your long term memory broken?

You know the songs, like playing with the drummer. . . . . err, that's it. No one's going to die, so have fun. Make sure you stop and start with the others, they probably won't notice what happens in the middle.

Tainted Love Karen Souza, I liked that one, great bass sound. Didn't particularly like the rest. Nils Landgren does the Jazz cover thing very well. . . .

It took me 2 mins to find them. You guys just prove that you're not suitable material every time you moan about the ad. They are a very good band. If I was 20 + years younger I'd have been sitting in the same room and talking to them on August 18th.

I hope you've got your lawyer on the case. There's a lot of people getting very rich these days.

#3. Stretches my budget to a higher level of instrument.

My suggestion to Later would be to add a series of specials to the schedule. I seem to recall that in the early days Jools went to New Orleans for a show about the music down there. There have been, and still are, plenty of gigs that Later could cover. a few years ago Jeff Beck at Ronnies, this month Jon Cleary at Ronnies. A couple of years ago Keb Mo at the Union Chappel and Vulfpeck and Vintage Trouble. . . all missed. The Funk Brothers came to the Festival Hall in 2000. In 2005 the Muscle Shoals, Hi and Stax studio guys came over and played at the Barbican. All these gigs should have been covered, but they weren't! There must be many examples in other genres. Never mind knocking what is already on TV, what about all the missed opportunities?

What's wrong with pen and paper?

Did he play any better when he came back?

You cancelled a gig to go and look at bass gear? ??

I think you'll find the acts and the show are in the firing line. It used to be the case that the producer picked the acts and JH just presented, but for a long time now he's also been on the list of producers. Not sure if that gives him any extra powers or is just another revenue stream.

Yep. There seems to be a strange need in the UK to be rude about and rubbish people who are successful. Why would any musician criticise another who manages to work hard and smart enough to make a living out of his talents.

I'll accept and listen to suggestions. Even, "This is how I it goes", on some original songs, but specific frets? Maybe he'd like to suggest the order in which your fingers should be operated? Maybe how to cut your nails? Pushback definitely required.

The only thing I've bought this year was a cab in January. I've just sold 3 cabs. Does that even up the account?

I record it and still watch, although it's usually only 10 seconds worth then fast forward. Why do they have so many beardy American bands on?

Dave Gilmour. He did do the McCartney gigs and probably a few others, but I believe there was a 10 year gap between his tours.

Yes, it's surprising how a slightly different playing style can completely alter the feel and sound of a band. I always check the original bass player and the other deps who are in competition to me. I like to see who is strong in this song or weak in that song. It's all a learning curve to becoming a better player for each gig.

I have used 2 One10's and they sounded good, but it was in a small room and the band wasn't too loud. Usually I'll prefer to use 2 112's because the sound is just better to my ears, even on the smaller gigs. Even if there is a PA with monitors I'd use my back line as normal. With some bands it matter more than others, but I want the stage sound to be the same on every gig.

Its always difficult to play in a band for the first time. Being dropped in at the deep end can be difficult for the band as well. Be thankful you're better than him. It could get awkward if it's the other way around!

No musician should expect to be able to prevent a band from playing a gig because of his diary clashes. If anyone is in more than one band they are, by implication, signing up to the dep system, so tell him you're using a dep for the gigs he can't make. If he doesn't like that tell him to cancel the other gig and do yours. A few years ago I was in 7 bands and there were clashes between about 4 of them, which were never a problem because there was a hierarchy that everyone understood and accepted, they were managed and there were deps.

He was trying to sell G&L basses at the time, so I guess he would say that, wouldn't he.

Hold on. . . . . what am I talking about. . . . . these clips were from the Hot Pink album. That's a live album, recorded on tour over a year and to my knowledge Stan Sergeant only uses his SR 5 and a double bass on gigs with Keb Mo.