Paul S

You've been recording your intestinal rumblings again, haven't you.

Actually, you really should.

I was in a band for a few years - 2x guitar, bass, drums. The other 3 all sung. One of the guitarists was messing about with one of his pedals and he discovered he could make it do a sort of spacey drone that sounded a bit like the opening synth on Shine On You Crazy Diamond. He demonstrated it to us one rehearsal and guitarist #2 obliged with the opening notes and we kind of busked it for a while. Next rehearsal we had all learnt it and it stayed in the set for 3 years until the band folded. Sounded amazing and always went down extremely well. We usually followed it with a rockabilly version of 'Walk Like An Egyptian'. Anyhoo, it is entirely possible without keys but with some imagination.

I'd be all over that Tecamp. Fab amps.

Who is the young fella on the guitarists right? A dep?

But there is the volume on his guitar, level out on pedals - sneaky bunch, there guitarists. Always find a way to turn up.

Pfft, showoff

Fab, great find! Although I'd be inclined to match the top and jacket with some black jeans. Folks would soon tell if there was a tiger in your tank, otherwise.

My lot had our monthly residency gig at The Shamrock in Ipswich last night. We didn't play particularly well - same passion, same spark but more mistakes than usual - nevertheless we went down very well. Only a few of our regulars were there but this time a handful of folks who had seen us elsewhere came to see us again. Plus some new blow-ins who hung around, too. However, a slow blues in the middle of the second set killed the mood and a lot of people left after that. Usually the light and shade is appreciated but clearly not last night. Also before we got going the pub team confirmed 10, not 12, dates for 2024 saying they liked to have other bands. Which is a bit odd as it was their idea in the first place. No free drinks for the band, either, for the first time in the two years we've been playing there. Looks like the honeymoon period is over but I guess we'll see how it pans out next year. On the plus side traffic there and back was easy and I got parked a couple of hundred years yards away.

I am down to just 7 basses now, none of which were expensive. I have gigged with all of them and will continue to do so - but will pick and choose. The last time I played my bands regular venue some drunken tart refused to leave my spare bass alone 'playing along' while it was in the stand. The way the room is configured I have to have my stand by the door. After ignoring me telling her to leave it alone twice I stopped playing and shifted the stand in front of the drums. Not ideal. The doorman had a word with her slightly less drunk mates afterwards. So, from now on, at that venue, I will take my least expensive bass as back up and play one of the cheaper ones.

Exactly. Personally, I am now of the opinion that I won't take the risk to send anything because couriers are too unreliable - there are pages and pages of horror stories on here. If a buyer wants whatever I am selling they are welcome to organise it and then choose their level of insurance. I don't see it as a problem. I recently sold a batch of stuff, 3 items were when the buyer sorted out their own courier.

Cliff Richard and the Dadows?

There's a Cort in the classified at this very minute that I would be rushing to buy in your shoes. £200. Marc is a great guy to deal with.

Lözz?

It's a nice colour and has been installed neatly.

Back in the day - Deep Purple, early Whitesnale, Coverdale was sublime IMO. That deep, almost breathless way of singing he had was so good. Things like 'Mistreated'. Then, for some reason, in the 80s he jumped an octave and started singing in a higher register. Sounded like Mr Punch to me and was never quite the same. From time to time he'd come back down again, like the Starkers in Japan acoustic set, which for me shows the best of his voice.

Me too. Closest I had was '57 reissue JV Precision. I'd pick a Danelectro or Gibson from that line up nowdays, if pushed.

I bought an acoustic guitar when I was 14, picked up a lot of stuff by ear playing along to records. Jammed along with friends at school at lunchtimes/after school, also with another group of friends outside of school. We didn't ever become a 'band', just jammed to stuff we liked. Went to uni, jammed with another bunch of guys but, again, didn't really make it to being a band that performed. When I left uni, my interest and attention moved elsewhere and l stopped playing completely. That was late 1970s. 20-something years later the old mid-life crisis kicked in. I had no interest in sports cars or chasing women so I decided to pick up the threads of playing music again. I bought a bass, a Peavey Milestone, having started to listen to and appreciate music in a different sort of way. Played it every day for a week, every week for a month, then it stood gathering dust in the corner for a couple of years. Finally I decided to do or die, got back up to speed, started answering ads, joined a band. Then joined a better band. Had my first paying gig at 50, which was 16 years ago, and have been in a succession of bands ever since. Going back to playing music just felt so right, like a small part of me that had been missing all those years was back in place. Long may it continue.

If you click top right hand corner on your avatar you'll get a menu appear, click on 'attachments' and a page opens with all the pics you have uploaded. Delete the oldest ones, that'll free up space for new ones.

'If you read my answer properly, you would see that...'

Indeed. I always take a spare bass that is tuned up and waiting on a stand next to me 'just in case'.

Penistone. Seriously? Spares are those things you never, ever need right up until the moment you do. Having broken strings and had an amp blow before now I always take spares.

Absolutely. I've been wearing NHS hearing aids for the past 16 years. They aren't those huge pink banana-shaped objects any more! I have cutting edge digital ones. For gigs I can reduce the volume via an app. so that, effectively, I have my own IEMs. Audiology depts don't seem to suffer like many areas of the NHS. At least, not locally. I can get an appointment within a week, generally, and drop-in for free replacement batteries from any of the nearby clinics that have them available. Brilliant service.