SteveXFR

Hives are brilliant live. I've seen them a few times and from the second they step on stage to the end of the last song, they're giving it everything they've got.

In recent years a lot of bands seem to be doing album anniversary tours, playing a 25 year old classic album in full then their newer stuff. I can see why they want to play a lot of new stuff. A tour is normally to promote a new album and the band probably think its their best ever work and they want to play it for their fans. If the name of the tour is the title of the new album, you've got to expect a lot of new songs.

This afternoon I watched the BBC coverage of the Stooges at Glastonbury in 2007. They really aren't acting their age! Dirt was my favourite song. Such a sleazy bass line

You see the advantage of a mosh pit is no one can hold there phone up in a really lively pit. I've seen people try. I saw one dude try during Touch Me I'm Sick at a Mudhoney gig, he nearly lost his arm as well as his phone.

Last time I saw Doyle live he played probably around 50mins but that was most of his bands songs. They didn't have any more material to play. It was a double headliner with Life of Agony who played around an hour and a half. I thought I got my money worth for £30

I hope we can all agree that anyone who holds up their phone to video the show deserves a slow and painful death under a randy bull elephant. Who are they filming it for? Who wants to watch an hour and a half show recorded on a phone with a microphone that can't handle the volume?

You don't have to, of course not but that's what happens at metal and punk shows. It's all friendly, everyone is having a good time, if someone falls down they get helped up. It's been normal for decades and it's not going away any time soon. There are genres of metal where it doesn't happen such as black metal and doom.

That applies to anyone selling a product. If they're selling a good product, people will keep buying it. I really disagree about owing their fans.

I've seen some surprising support acts at punk gigs. Anti Nowhere League supporting NOFX. Sham 69 supporting Anti Flag and a folk band whose name I forget supporting Dead Kennedys.

I'm not young, I'm in my 40s. Metal and punk gigs have never been places for polite behaviour and if you go expecting it you're just going to be angry all night. I don't agree that any bands owe you, or anyone anything. You bought their records but you paid money in exchange for a product. Bands should always perform as well as they can but if the entire audience is just stood there looking bored, they'll soon lose motivation because they'll think their efforts aren't going down well. If they've got a crowd responding well, they'll feel good and play better.

I love going to metal, grunge and punk gigs. To be blunt, if you don't like pushing and shoving, you have no business being in the crowd. A gig where everyone stands still would be dull. I hate big venues, they lose the energy of a small venue and I hate seats. There's nothing better than the combination of a band who can put on a great live show and a lively audience. The two give each other energy. My favourite gigs are ones which are just non stop, high energy playing and very minimal talking. The best gig I've been to in recent years was High On Fire, it was an hour and a half of extremely good, extremely loud doom metal.

Summer Breeze by Type O Negative. How did I miss that one was a cover for so many years? I still think it's the best version

I saw this new bass from Ernie Ball this morning and I thought it's good to see someone offering something genuinely different in a world of Fender clones. I'm not sure this particular one is for me but I'd like to see more technology and innovation in bass guitars rather than just slightly different versions of the same product that's been on sale for 60 years for a couple grand https://mixdownmag.com.au/news/ernie-ball-music-man-unveil-darkray-4-string-bass-guitar/

That's not a bad idea. My amp weighs as much as a cow

Yes. I think it was called don't do that and was with Lemmys other band Young and Moody. I don't remember how it sounded but I remember Colleen Nolan claimed in an interview that Lemmy told her she had great tits. Doesn't seem like something Lemmy would say....

The Epiphone has a 7 piece neck instead of Gibsons 9 piece. I have no idea what difference that makes. The body is the same and the pickups and hardware are different but Epiphone use decent quality hardware.

When I hear Robert Plant had a new band and they were playing in town I got really excited. Then I listened to a couple songs and didn't bother going.

Chilli and chocolate is a pretty standard combination. I'd love to try it in ice cream

The Thunderbird is an Epiphone Vintage Pro. I really like this bass, it's got a huge tone and it's beautifully finished for a £600 far eastern bass. I actually went to PMT to buy a Gibson but they let me try the Epi and I preferred it. The other one is an Ibanez SR300 EB. I don't really play it much these days. I love the neck on it and it plays really nice but lacks punch. I did put it up for sale but couldn't even get £150 for it so it just hangs there now. I might give it to my daughter, she's getting better than me now.

Only heavy metal.

@MHMSWC#03 Maiden songs can be played with 2 fingers the best tip I was given was to barely touch the strings, pick really lightly and crank the gain. That's how Steve Harris does it. Hallowed Be Thy Name was the one I learned. Its a real endurance test but I suffered with fatigue more with the pick.

Its very popular in modern progressive metal. Some Dingwall basses come with a Darkglass preamp built in. Check out a bassist called Adam "Nolly" Getgood for a fairly typical example of the sound you'll get from that setup.

I've recently joined a metal band. I guess it's stoner metal but none of us are stoners! We've got a slightly unusual sound with baritone rhythm guitar and a 5 string bass both tuned to drop A#. I'm playing a SUB Ray 5 through a Trace Elliot GP12SMX with a 4x10 and 1x15 and usually a nice bit of overdrive from a Earthquaker Plumes or some fuzz from an Orange Fur Coat

The negatives far outweigh the positives. As well as Limp Bizkit there were other atrocities like Crazy Town and Trapt and Puddle of Mud.

I think that was the first in a trend for metal/hip hop crossovers which ultimately lead to nu metal. It may have seemed like a bit of innocent fun but ultimately, this collaboration resulted in Limp Bizkit.