Paul S

I like the concept - band dressed as clowns doing a thrash metal cover of 'The Show Must Go On'

My blues rock trio Toredown played at the Shamrock pub in Ipswich last night. Only tiny but our favourite place to play, with slight uncertainty as it was the first time since a change of ownership. A lot of people came just to see us and a lot of new people stayed to watch us - we played very well, went down brilliantly, loads of the new faces came up at the end - has to be one of the most enjoyable gigs I've ever had. Guitarist Alan feeds on this and his playing was incandescent New owners loved us and asked if we could play there every month. We don't think we should or could but certainly we'll play there more regularly. A12 shut on the way home, diverted through country lanes, home at 2am, but it couldn't take the shine off the night really.

When I was in my teens, early-mid 70s, I used to occasionally jam with mates. Alan was on drums, Greg had a black Shaftsbury Les Paul, Dill had a MIJ Jazz bass copy, no idea of the make, and I had a guitar (a Hayman 2020 picked up in a pawn shop for £50!) We'd spend an afternoon trying to perfect Status Quo/Fleetwood Mac type RnB songs in a seemingly endless loop and often I'd swap my guitar for bass. Thinking about it, 50 years later (with a lengthy hiatus) I am still playing Fleetwood Mac type RnB tunes... I hope I'm getting better by now!

I don't know about unicorns but the mythical beast that springs to my mind is 'troll'.

Thanks. I was sort of hoping you'd say around 10lbs or similar. Interesting!

Just out of curiosity, you understand, how heavy are these Samurai basses?

My band Toredown are playing at the Shamrock pub in Ipswich tomorrow evening 23rd. Usually kick off around 9pm. If you like blues rock and guitar solos you'll like us Our favourite place to play, only small but we go down really well with a lot of people coming especially to see us. It has very recently changed hands and it was a huge relief when the new owners decided to keep it going as an irish bar and music pub.

I had one once, briefly. Lovely thing but passed on to someone who appreciated it more. Only slightly rarer than the rocking horse poo bass.

This is the most unicorn bass I can think of

Personally, I like to hear the music I grew up listening to played the same way as it was recorded. Far from 'might as well have stayed at home and put the record on' I like the fact that a bunch of musicians are on stage in front of me, live, recreating that sound. That is what I like about music, it is why I continue to see bands such as Simple Minds, as mentioned above, Go West, Level 42, Shakatak etc etc. Those songs are why I got into the bands in the first place and to hear those songs again, not a re-hash version, is why I want to see them. And, for me, as soon as they can't or don't continue to perform the original stuff in the same way, I bale out.

My set up is bass > wireless > tuner > TC Spectrodrive > desk, so very much set and forget at the back or side.

Pretty much ^^all of the above^^ is a good fit for my current situation except substitute the .73mm for 1mm

I saw Michael McDonald at Hammersmith in 2018. AFAIAC he was always one of those exceptionally gifted singers. There was something about his effortless, smoky falsetto that was almost divine in its quality. A spinkle of MM on Bvs would raise pretty much any tune. I'd never seen him live and was looking forward so much to seeing and hearing the master. In the end I wished I hadn't gone. He was straining and belting it out to reach the notes and all that quality I loved so much was lost in the effort. We left early.

The Strangers

Squeee

Dep Purple (gotta be a great name for a tribute!)

The Ho Dire Traits

Gosh. I make that 36,500 basses, not taking into account leap years. Where on earth do you keep them all?

I am married to a Precision bass. I have had a few mistresses and one night stands, look at a lot of porn. But still happily married.

Nice to see him on a list. He is Hamish Stuart's bass player of choice when he tours, seen him a few times in that context and his playing is just sublime. One incarnation of the band,called 360 Band, has Steve Ferrone on drums and I reckon that is the best rhythm section I have seen live.

Shame. I know how much you enjoyed it. Would have been hard to fill a Tony shaped hole, tbf.

No longer going, Warren?

I'll pitch a couple in there. Metallica's Black Album, I understand it was thought to be a commercial sell out by die hard fans but I'm not keen on anything before or after. Queen's first album. Had a fresh rawness the subsequent offerings lacked. Deep Purple's Fireball. Apparently DP fans were never keen, it is my favourite.

Black one with maple neck, stick a bwb scratchplate on it, that is all.