Paul S

So would we, had there been the option nothing quite as safe as bypassing everything that could go wrong!

Mrs S and I have been using ENTS24 for a while - useful to flag up forthcoming tours etc. Bought tickets a few times, never been a problem,. Back in August via ENTS 24 we bought tickets for Go West/Nik Kershaw/Cutting Crew event at Spotlight in Hoddesdon, gig was 25th January. Not too far to travel, approx 1hr , not been before but we like to see Go West and Nik Kershaw whenever they are in striking distance. Nice Turkish restaurant nearby, as it happened. As the night approached we kept emailing, asking when the tickets would arrive (no phone number given) - kept being told they weren't issued yet. Emailed on the Monday before and were told they had been posted. They didn't arrive. Emailed on the morning of the gig and were they would be at the box office when it opened at 7:30. Mrs S had the foresight to print off the entire paper trail to show we had, in fact, bought some tickets for the gig and what a good job as they weren't there. Luckily for us the manager was there, read through everything we had printed off and let us in. I am sure he didn't have to. Next day email to ENTS 24 to say we were a bit miffed not to have got the tickets we paid for. That we were even more miffed at being lied to about them being posted, and felt that they might like to say something. Not a word back. Now it could be argued that we got in, so no harm done. The way I saw it was that we paid for tickets that we didn't get, had been told lies, only got in due to the goodwill of the manager at Spotlight and that ENTS 24 didn't give a toss. We paid by PayPal so I started a dispute to say we didn't get what we paid for. They completely ignored it but after a few days, I suspect nudged by being contacted by Paypal, sent an email in answer to the one sent a couple of weeks back saying something to the effect that 'stinky poo happens, never mind'. I upgraded it to a claim and they paid a couple of days later. So - we got a full refund, also got to see the gig, had a nice dinner and a new venue to add to our list if anything new pops up there. A happy ending. But I don't think they did a very good job to the point of wanting to share this with you lot - if you buy tickets via ENTS 24 (or maybe even anyone if you haven't got them on the day) there is no guarantee they will arrive so, if they don't, be prepared at the venue box office and cross your fingers.

Mate of mine has a good Rod Stewart story. A couple of years ago he went to West End show, booked at table at The Ivy, for his wife's 70th birthday, went to their seat and did the usual 'star gazing' that takes place there. Rod Stewart walked in a while later and sat at a table the other side of the place. Context at this point is that my mate and, particularly, his wife are mahoosive RS fans - they had seen him many times, the last of which was in Sydney Opera House a couple of months before. My mate went into the gents, RS came in a short while later. He risked getting chucked out (against house policy to approach celebs) and very politely thanked him for all the great concerts they'd seen, mentioned going to Sydney Opera House. Then mentioned it was his wife's birthday, where they were sitting, and what it would mean to her if he could possibly manage to make eye contact or even say something to her. My mate left the gents, RS came out shortly afterward, walked up to my mates wife, took her hand, kissed it, wished her a happy birthday. Don't think she has washed it since. A very small act of kindness on his part but it was literally one of the highlights of her life.

I was going to say 'Vanish' but then read your post.

This is exactly the case for me. It was only when I moved to playing 5ers that I realised it was string spacing, not neck width, that was critical for me.

I have a couple of TGI Extreme gig bags @£38 they are excellent value. https://www.normans.co.uk/product/tgi-extreme-series-electric-bass-guitar-gigbag Not as good as a Mono, which I had for a while, but not £150 'less good'.

Speaking of value for money short scale, I had a Squier VM Mustang that was fantastic. Played and sounded better than a '79 Musicmaster I had at the time. Cost me £180 iirc.

I saw them at Wembley in '78. Kind of set the bar - enjoyed many gigs as much but not sure I have enjoyed any more. Be nice to go back and see if it was as good as the rose tinted specs recall

Or transport it in a case without racking it?

As the Westone Thunders have already been mentioned my vote would be the Washburn Scavenger. I love double cutaway basses and I felt the proportions of this were just right. Weighed far too much, approaching 11lbs, otherwise I would still have mine. Close second would be the made in USA Peavey Fury - an aggressive P bass with one of the nicest, slim Jazz width necks I have played. Yamaha BB425 must be worth a mention - the low B feels like an instrument costing 3 times as much. All £200+/- secondhand.

Indeed! And much less of a wait than some boutique custom builds.

No sofa pic yet but apparently mine is finished and on the next pallet in 2 weeks time. Its been a punishing 16 weeks!

Should have gone to Specsavers! I had everything immediately to hand - Supercompact, tape measure... but not my glasses. That'll teach me

660mm

Yes. There isn't quite the headroom but, frankly, it isn't needed. I did actually buy a second Supercompact but it stays at home unless I am feeling particularly decadent. Might even be moving it on, in fact.

Yup. I had a Compact and a Midget. Compact was deep but lacked a tightness at the top end. Midget was tight at the top but lacked bottom. Together they sound brilliant. I replaced these two with a Supercompact, which sounds like the two together in one cab.

... and designed by JK Rowling?...

Seems most people's attitude is supportive and flexible, which is nice to hear. My two bands are the same, which is gratifying. I remember in previous band I lived just 3 miles from one of the guitar players so we decided to lift share for most of the gigs. However, the first time we used his car it became clear he was such an appalling driver that I made sure I always managed to drive afterwards!

My basses and home practice rig live in the spare room that I euphemistically call my 'office' where I also have all the office-a-bilia, pc, A0 drawing table, reference books etc. Everything else lives in a cupboard we had built under the stairs with spare cabs and head sitting on a wheeled dolly thing that slides into the depths easily. This is all going to change soon, though. We are thinking of having the closed stairs replaced with an open stair case which will look cool as flip (testing the profanity filter out) in our mid C20th styled home but leave all this clobber homeless.

The 'gigging without a car' thread made me think about the way bands share the tasks that make them bands. Specifically with reference to physical health and mobility - and mine has taken a downward turn in the past few weeks. How much should we rely on our band mates to help? Or, perhaps, how much should we expect our band mates to tolerate a lack of help? My own situation - I have had a weak sacro-iliac joint for years - now own lightweight gear which I can move around with no problem. But, unless my back was specifically playing up I would also help with the load in/out, set up/breakdown of pa, drums because I think it is the right thing to do. However, in recent weeks I have managed to get myself an inguinal hernia and, more recently still, now have an L4-5 slipped disc and a L3-4 bulge. It is all new to me so at the moment I am very wary of shifting anything much at all - my own kit for sure but the lightest stuff I have. I certainly won't be helping anyone else with any lifting and will be relying on my band mates' goodwill in this respect. At least, until I have had an opportunity to discuss the ramifications of it all and get in some physio/exercises. Hopefully this is only a short term issue and I will be back to helping out in a few months. But it makes me wonder - how do the fitter people out there regard this situation - having a band member who can't pull his own weight when it comes to shifting the shared stuff? Tolerated happily/begrudgingly? Would it fester and become a problem, does anyone think?

This gives me food for thought - II will start a new thread 'Gigging without full mobility'

The settee is looking a bit worn. Or am I thinking of something else? That looks amazing. I've never picked up a Wal (not sure I could - aren't they a bit heavy?) but love everything about the look of them!

Doing this in the correctly spelled feedback thread... Tim answered my plea for a Barefaced One10, selling me his minty one for a good price. Immediate dispatch - he actually paid a premium for next day am delivery, which was much appreciated. Well packaged, too. Nice friendly fella - great comms - perfect transaction - deal with confidence!

Tim answered my plea for a Barefaced One10, selling me his minty one for a good price. Immediate dispatch - he actually paid a premium for next day am delivery, which was much appreciated. Well packaged, too. Nice friendly fella - great comms - perfect transaction - deal with confidence!

I wonder if he'll bring my new bass along - should be ready any time now!