chris_b

Billy Cotton and Alma Cogan.

Brian Jones first asked Paul Jones (Manfred Mann) to be the singer in the band. Jones turned him down because he didn't think a band playing Blues would have "any future"!! Everyone else in the band had a tough time when the Glimmer Twins ego's (stoked by the even bigger ego of Andrew Oldham) kicked in. Bill Wyman was a reason why I picked up a musical instrument. I saw them in the 60's in a Cinema in Greenford (now a Tesco). I managed to get on to the Earl's Court security crew for several of the 1976 shows. And went with my son to see them at the O2 about 10 years ago. For me the stand out of the O2 show was Charlie Watts. He's not a technician but he never missed a beat and just pushed the band along, all night. The Stones were writing hits over a period of 20 years, from the 60's to the 80's. That's a very long time for a band to be creative. IMO the high points were scattered throughout that period. The entertainment and music business will be a poorer place when they stop touring. Edit for spilling

Who is suggesting this course of action? Is it Aguilar or one of their authorised service/repair centres?

Depends on how good you are at writing songs and where you are playing. Playing to impress yourself is a totally different thing to playing to an audience. Especially if you are expecting someone else to pay you.

Buy something that you like to listen to. That gives you the sound that makes you go, "Wow!!!" There is a myth that valve is the "best" sound. It isn't, or they wouldn't have totally disappeared from pro touring PA systems and from most recording studios. They are just another method of creating a sound that is available to us as bass players. In 25 years I've gone from a Mesa 400+, through SS and D class and none of them sounded any worse that the other. The Aguilar D class I'm using right now sounds better than most of the valve amps I heard when I was starting out. Most players can make even the best amp sound bad and make any amp sound good, if they know how to use the EQ. As has been said, don't get hung up on detail. Listen to the amp and then decide.

Ringo wasn't a technical wizard on drums, but he changed the concept of the instrument for every drummer that came after. He introduced the idea of "lead" drumming. After Ringo, drummers could play anything. Listen to Steve Gadd on 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. There is a direct line from Ringo to the drum pattern on that song.

I understand, but when we are playing in a band we have 3 things to do: play our instrument well, play in the band well and play the songs that an audience wants to hear. There is only one of those that is important for an audience. There are songs I play that I like and songs I definitely don't like, but whichever one is liked by the audience will have my vote to get into the set. If you are good enough you can make an audience like what you are playing but most semi-pro bands aren't that good or interesting enough, so covers it is. The era of self-indulgent bands has long gone. Ignore your audience and you'd be better restricting your playing to rehearsal rooms or taking up golf. If we're not putting bums on seats, or selling beer (however you want to describe it) were are failing as entertainers, because and at the semi-pro level that is what our job is. . . entertainment and sales.

But not when I'm playing it!!

This is the last song of the night for one band I play with. Bass starts and it turns into a big sing-along. A great song and sends everyone home happy.

For me it would depend on the band and the musicians. I've played with some great guys who were shambolic, disorganised and sometimes a pain, but the playing was so good I just went along and enjoyed the ride. I prefer to be more organised, but if good players just want to jam then I'm all for it. Edit for sense!

And he produced, amongst others, some Little Feat records.

Pete, your post reflects my experience. . . . . . I've also lost gigs because I don't sing. One guy told me he'd give me loads of work if I learnt to play double bass. I tried once, when I was 20. It wasn't pretty!!

I can't really say much about auditions. The last time I passed one was in 1985. Since then I've done 3 more. I turned two of them down and the one I wanted turned me down. Bugger! On the plus side, I have been gigging continuously through word of mouth, since 1985. I guess that means I'm better at gigs than auditions. I'm no expert but it seems to me that you'll stand a chance if your face fits, you can play what they asked you to learn and don't sound bad.

Yep. . . . plus Have You Ever Seen The Rain.

I wasn't going to mention it. . . sadly, this list bears a resemblance to the joint selections of a band I played with last week and one I'm with on Saturday!! They are all good pro and ex-pro players which alleviates most of the "tiredness" in the material. I never thought I'd have to be learning Creedence songs at my age!!

As I say, play them "your" way. Alright Now with a Jimmy Smith Hammond vibe and a different arrangement might just work. At least it won't sound as tired as a million bands trying to emulate the original. I used to play Stevie Wonder tunes with an acoustic guitarist (in a duo). The songs were different but a good song is a good song no matter what instruments are playing it.

Why does the guitarist leaving mean you can't play songs that were recorded with a guitarist? In my bands we play songs that had brass sections and orchestras on the original recording.! You'll always have to ditch some songs when a key member leaves, but just adapt the set with the keys taking over the heavy lifting. He will play different lines and the dynamic will change but you can chose any songs that you can play. Do them your way and make them your own.

I believe this cab had a reputation for being woolly and boomy (ref Talkbass)

I play in a number trios and the number of members of the original bands has never crossed my mind when we come to choosing songs. When we strip the song down, it just has to be a good song, the audience has to like it, it has to suite out style and we have to be able to play it well.

Don't confuse your personal preferences and prejudices with the audiences idea of a good song.

I saw GP at the Albert Hall with Dave Gilmore at the end of the last tour. Great sound through a great sound system. So, you could tell me how GP's sound is being managed here, with Nick Mason's band.

To make collecting anything make money for you you either have to be in at the start, very knowledgeable or very lucky. Casual collectors are usually none of those things and are just fans accumulating stuff they like. None of which is going to make them rich. Your initial outlay will tie up a lot of your cash and you'll have to invest a lot to get back peanuts. Modern high volume manufacturing methods will probably ensure that none of today's basses will increase in value like pre-CBS Fenders or Wal basses. I don't see any basses, even the custom builds, making any money in a collectable sense.

No. The price is none of your/my/anyone's business. The seller should not have to face trolling over his price.

OK. Then I'd suggest you raise it off the top of the amp in some way or put it on a chair at the side. I think it would be a revelation to you to actually hear the clarity of your 210. Being placed under your combo the way you have it now is probably firing most of the 210 goodness you think you are lacking straight past your ankles.

. . . . and don't forget Fats and His Cats!