Dr.Dave

Too 'in house' to be considered funny outside of the band but I was once approached in the gents by another musician on the same bill who offered to ...erm... get to know me better (!) as his flat was just round the corner. For months afterwards the rest of my band had self made car stickers that said 'Bass Players do it in A Flat'.

A mic stand beer/drink holder is the first thing that should go in your gig bag. Without one - I guarantee that at some point in your gigging career your drink will end up standing on top of your amp. You can get them on ebay for a few quid , most are advertised as attaching to a drum/cymbal stand. Buy one - TODAY !

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1403693143' post='2485304'] I though Dr Dre made the best headphones? After all, he is a doctor. [/quote] Dr. my arse - bloody fake.

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1403656831' post='2485071'] I don't think I've heard the term before, but I'm guessing you mean that he's been paid off? [/quote]

Not me - who wants to look stupid. ( Note - this was the week after the smoking ban started , hence the 'for sale' pointer to the mic stand ashtray )

I've never read anything detailed about the theft of the funk machine but have wondered about the circumstances. Guy was on his uppers at the time of his death , long term addiction problems too. Is it possible he , or someone close to him , sold it to make a few dollars? Was it taken by someone he owed money to who knew he wouldn't be around to pay it back ? I can't find much with a 5 minute google - maybe someone here knows more about it. Whatever - damn shame that someone who contributed so much should have such an unhappy life and an early end. But - like Jaco - the difference between a tragedy , and the merely tragic , is inevitability.

If Big Stu's still about he'll probably confirm that Slade , in their early days , used this approach to create a wall of sound. They'd all have cabs either side of the stage. We've done it on occasion. Another approach I used on big stages was to put a table on it's side behind my stack to 'reflect' the rear ported ashdowns I had at the time. Worked very well.

[quote name='shippo' timestamp='1403611326' post='2484407'] We're only a three piece (He uses kick, snare, 2 toms, hihats, ride and about 4 crashes) but by the time the drummers set up myself and my guitarist can get ALL of our gear set up, and the PA, and all the lighting. Maybe I just need to understand drummers more? [/quote] You've time to go and help him then , I'm sure that would lead to you understanding the problem he faces more - and I'm certain he'd swap his set up routine for yours if he could. Our drummer , Martyn . takes 30 or 40 mins to set up after arriving , rushed , later than us as he works in a pretty heavy job till gone six. After the gig he tears down in about 5 mins flat before carrying the heaviest stuff out while we're still coiling leads - then goes home for his tea ! Horse of a man , our Martyn.

Thing is - Clapton is not god , he's just a man. Men are well capable of abusive rants when pissed and stoned and often too proud or embarrassed to retract them. Men are capable of changing artistic direction , capable of becoming more commercial , capable of appearing - or actually being - disinterested in their audience - many things. Capable of being rich and successful and continuing to entertain millions for several decades for instance. Bottom line in this case is that some men can command a £60 plus ticket price and fill an arena - while others are free to choose whether or not they want to pay that to enrich the life of someone with views or an attitude they find offensive. So far as I know Eric shot off a load of well publicised racist vitriol while out of his tree at one gig many years ago which many still demonise him for , though I don't recall his life in the public eye being noted for controversy apart from that incident. Meanwhile - how many stars with repeated extreme left wing or anarchistic views are still urging us to smash the state while living in country houses and counting the millions that very society made possible for them - not to mention the millions more stashed in the Cayman Islands.

[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1403196467' post='2480744'] no Stairway to Heaven, Paranoid and Smoke on the Water? Or is that just those over 45? [/quote] No , sadly. The sheer bone idleness of the youth of today means they can't be arsed to find their own simplistic and tired old clichés !!

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1403165661' post='2480308'] My own thoughts are, if you need to read an article on how to play bass in a band, you probably shouldn't play bass in a band. [/quote] I'd argue that if you are in a band and don't read an article you come across regarding how to be in one then your ego and sense of self importance are probably too weak to be in one ! Humble chap that I am , I didn't read it. I had some flunky do that for me.

With the ZZ trib we used to get the 'Gimmee all your Loving' drum intro going for a few bars then the guitar player et moi came on from the wings - usually to cheers !! My fave ever was when we did an acoustic duo at a big club gig as a support act. I was asked very politely not to swear - and promised faithfully and sincerely not to. So - lights down and we come on from opposite wings already playing , walk towards the mics - couldn't see mine and as I went to sing the first word I banged my nose hard on it and yelled 'f***' over the huge PA. Epic non-profanity fail !

First off- practise. It will make it easier. It's not a case of ' I can't' it's a case of ' I don't'. Why on earth when we know how many man hours of sheer hard work it took to be able to play bass at a decent level - yet then expect to be able to sing in 10 minutes - I can't understand. Secondly - and this helped me no end - write out the lyrics. Highlight on the words where the playing accents are then practise getting that word or syllable bang on the money with the played note. Example for me was ZZ Top's 'cheap sunglasses' on which I sang lead vocal - my lyric sheet read 'When you WAKE up in the morning and the LIGHT hurts your head - the FIRST thing you do when you GET up out of bed ' etc etc. YouTube it and you'll see what I mean. Thirdly - again it helped me - put on the actors hat and BE a confident singing player. Pretend. Confidence will automatically follow , you'll improve and won't have to pretend anymore. Before you know it you'll be fighting to get to the mic rather than being scared of it. It's great singing - gives you control of the band. Stops the guitarist extending his w***athon solos in their tracks when you approach the mic and fire in with the next verse. More importantly you become a better bass player - supporting the sung melody rather than clashing with it by shoving in a killer bass run where it's not needed. Oh- and don't listen if anyone here that says 'Oh it's just DocD gobbing off like some big shot just because he can do it. There was nobody less confident or competent than me I assure you. I was utter sh*te at singing. I just practised and followed the steps above and now I can offer my thoughts to others with a reasonable degree of certainty that they will help you.

I can't imagine gigging without pint ( or bottle of Brown if we're anywhere south of Barnsley) in my drinks holder. Only a couple though. I agree with the 'nervous energy ' thing but it's easy to underestimate how much physical work a gig involves for most of us. Loading cars and vans , humping stuff up and down fire escapes.Of course we get jacobsed. It's like moving to a new bedsit after a days work. Never the best thing to start working when your body clock says it's time to start chilling which is exactly what gigging represents.. Esp. true for those of us who's day jobs aren't physically demanding. I expect those who have a day job that's mentally taxing and stressful find gigging a good release - but mine isn't so I wouldn't know. Why do we think Mick Jagger's still doing it ?? Because the last time he carted a 4x12 up stairs in the pissing rain at 1 in the morning was 1963 !!!

We use a Db Sub-15. 800w job. Mostly because I didn't have to pay for it and some other luckless sod gets to carry it ! It is very good , none of this flappy kick sound I've heard from some.

[quote name='jazzyvee' timestamp='1401706261' post='2465949'] There are some companies like Alembic that have a policy of not paying endorsees so whilst Stanley Clarke, Mark King, Jimmy Johnson, John Paul Jones etc have alembic signature models they don't get any cash for it. That said, Stanley Clarke was presented with a superb bass for his long standing connection with the company and Mark King was given a couple of their basses some time back I think when Level 42 were taking off in the states. if they offered to create a signature model that would be great even if I wasn't getting paid as I only use their basses. If another company offered me a signature model and expected me to change to their brand then I'd want paying as compensation hahaha Jazzyvee [/quote] I suppose if a company is giving product to a sig model endorsee it's not a thousand miles away from actually paying cash. I suppose too that anyone being in a position to have companies wanting to make a sig model named after them might get their ego stroked somewhat. I would. I think , though , that having your name on a mass market bass represents a business deal - and therefore I'd want to be paid for it , s my name would be being used to sell the bloody thing and make money. I read that there are some footballers from lesser known footballing nations who are signed to big clubs less on merit and more because there's money to be made in flogging club shirts with their names on in their home countries. Seems reasonable ( if that can ever be a word associated with footballers wages) to me that the player concerned should have a slice of the pie. ........................ talking of pies ......... Hungry ? Why not eat at Abdul's Express Fried Chicken and Pizza Universe , 1 , Scratchcard Lane , Wakefield (just behind the needle exchange) - I never go anywhere else for superb service and value - Yes , folks , eat at Abdul's - it's great !

[quote name='SS73' timestamp='1254860098' post='619030'] I think that some, me for sure would take offence at being told to just back up and provide steady with no frills [/quote] Agreed - but there's a world of difference between being told how to play and having the freedom and skills to play the right thing however technically simple it may be.

I change strings every time celebrity juice is actually funny - ie not very often. When I do I give them a real good stretch , I'm talking bass on my lap being bounced up and down by the strings one at a time. After that I have very few problems other than the E string key often gets turned in the gig bag. Of my 3 gigging bases the old Fender (with replacement Schaller M3s) stays in tune forever. The newer Jap Fender ( with replacement keys because I don't like the original reverse tuners) sometimes needs the tiniest of tweaks but the Stingray seems far more sensitive to temperature and is often uniformly sharp or flat right across the 4 strings. The strings are Rotosound 45s and 50s on the Ray. My shell likes are so buggered I can't rely on them so I depend on my tuner which usually tells me I'm bang on even though my ears say different. I used to like playing fretless but these last couple of years... no chance.

Funnily enough I really am on both sides of this coin - the most ironic of which was when I was the ...what was it .... over zealous council jobsworth that had to deal with a swathe of complaints from fed up residents who had put up with disturbed Saturday nights for years and , as it was put so quaintly to me at a tenants meeting , 'them noisy c***s last Sat'dy is the last f****g straw'. Thankfully they didn't know that the noisy c**t in question on the previous Saturday night was me !

There's a joint called Fanny and Bacardi's here in Wakey that has worse drag acts than that !

Yes , I did read that wording , possibly more carefully than you read my opinions. I should think anyone's thoughts on the second para would have to include whether the traditions of a particular environment are more important than the urgent need for new housing , and the rights of those occupying that housing. That urgent need , of course , stems from differing reasons , the cold facts of which - were I to air them here - would doubtless result in my being chucked out of this forum too.

I have my own sig. model in effect. I added a second string tree , better ( opinion ) bridge , after market pups , dice knobs and home made beer bottle label pickguard to my blueflower 54P re-ish. Easy with Fender style basses as there's so many after market parts. But if some wise guy marketing type with sh*t in his handshake came to me with some pile of toss expecting me to compromise my equipment choices in exchange for something as unworthy as a load of cash ............. I'd do it in a heart beat !

Odd , isn't it. We seem to live in a world where folk want to pay 80 quid for a T shirt , manufactured by poor Chinese kids who should be at school , because it's an official product of some fancy Euro fashion house. They want to do that BECAUSE it's 80 quid !! It's the pose. The exact same t shirt costing a tenner isn't good enough for them and they wouldn't be seen dead in it. Then those self same people go home , rip off musicians with a few illegal downloads and watch a 2 quid copy of Iron Man they got down the boot sale !! Hardly surprising in a 'label buying ' atmosphere like that that rip off items pop up.

Sorry but I can't sign that. For many years folk who live in built up areas have had to put up with noise pollution from music venues til god know what time. Why should they ? Any recent legislation is designed to finally give folk some respite. If anyone thinks that's all a bit 'spoilsport' then tough. There are many things venues can do to stop the problem but from what I experience , a sign in a pub that says 'keep the door shut when the band's on' and a 'no noise after midnight' policy is just not cutting the mustard and is all too often 'relaxed'. I'm always hearing how it's just one single grumpy old geezer etc etc. but I reckon it's many , many more. There are enough pub and other venues big and small well away from concentrations of domestic dwellings for us to blast the walls down in without causing other peace loving folk a problem and enough acoustic bands - and many other quieter forms of music - to play in places that 'want to promote music' ( ie. make a buck on musos backs) that are in places likely to disturb the Englishman in his castle. Of course there will be borderline cases - maybe genuine , long established venues recently affected would be a good example of that - but they are the victims of other venues who don't give jack sh*t about communities or music who have long taken the piss in the name of profit. When legislation has to be put in place there will always be losers , sadly.

[quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1401630982' post='2465325'] last night I was playing with my band in a holiday camp for aliens?!) [/quote] Yes - I've played in Sheffield as well. I get knee ache from the humping and dumping , my throat gets sore from trying to be Noddy Holder and my ears - which are jacobsed anyway - often ring a bit but that's all because I'm too old to behave like I'm a teenager on stage , don't look after myself and should probably pack it in. What I do do to avoid the sort of next day lethargy I think you mean is have a decent wind down when I get home. Bit of proper music like Beethoven or Mahler low in the background , proper cup of non-poncy coffee out of jar and I sit in my socks and undercrackers for an hour or so thinking about bugger all and dipping cheese thins into humous and Heinz salad cream*. Works for me - I wake up at 7am ( no alarm clocks ever - I refuse to own one) in boat/wargame/fell walking/ mode as required , regardless of what stupid time I got in. * other pseudo French egg and oil based rubbish should not be available