SteveXFR

One benefit of getting old and having an unconventional taste in music is most of the bands I want to see live are playing smaller venues and a lot of them are so much better and cheaper (tickets and beer) than the bigger O2 and similar venues. I'm also really fortunate to have one of the best independent venues in the county 10 minutes walk away. I'll go and see loads of bands I wouldn't normally in there because it's close, convenient, cheap and really good sound. They also occasionally get the odd big band like Foo Fighters and McCartney.

I don't get that. You can't buy the tickets without paying it so why not just include it in the ticket price? Why does it need to be a separate fee?

It looks like a dodgy area but it's fine. Marble Factory/Motion is a great venue. I really like it there. Security are friendly, sound is great, there's always a good spot to watch even if I take the kids. Watching Idles there was one of the best gigs I've been to.

Bristol O2 is a turd of a venue in a city full of brilliant live music venues. Tickets and beer are far too expensive, the sound sucks, for the first four of five songs if you're at the barrier you can't see anything except the photographers right in front of the stage. While I appreciate good security is important, they are rather over enthusiastic at the O2. Fortunately most bands I want to see seem to be at Motion, SWX, Thekla or The Fleece which are all excellent venues. I'm off the The Fleece next week for Agnostic Front, can't wait for that one.

Dopesmoker - Sleep

Music would be very boring if everyone liked the same thing. Without having loads of different tastes it would never have evolved the way it has with hudredss of different genres.

I think the vocals are great, dome of Lemmys best singing. I guess we can't all like the same thing

Ruby Soho - Rancid

That is an absolute disgrace.

I love this cover. I think it's very nearly as good as the original.

I can't decide whether this is terrible or brilliant. It's definitely one extreme or the other

Especially Guns N Roses. Their cover was competently played but Axle's vocals are dreadful

I like Deftones but this cover of Simple Man is utter crap

Is that a touch of sarcasm I detect there?

I guess my biggest problem with having lots of power (with my amp at least) is that turning the knob one tenth of one degree can take it from not quite loud enough to making your ears bleed from 100 metres.

White Lines (Don't do it)- Melle Mel

I'm using an Orange 4x10 cab and tuning down to drop A# plus using a Cali76 compressor and a LeBass valve preamp with the gain turned up quite a bit. Could that combination be contributing to my volume situation?

If I was using an all valve amp wouldn't I want it running near max on the master volume to drive the valves and get a nice bit of dirt?

I've been using an Orange Terror 500w amp for a few years now and despite having played in two very loud doom/stoner metal bands I've not yet got past 30% volume. What situation would actually use that much volume? Orange also made a 1000w version of this amp. Is it just so you can say you've got 1000 Watts?

I've got them on my Stingray. They're quite bright but with a deep bottom end compared to my usual Slinky's. I play using a pick with loads of distortion in a stoner metal band and it cuts through nicely.

I currently have my Orange Terror 500w with a 4x10 cab and I've never turned the volume past 30% volume. I used to have a Trace Elliot GP12SMX head with a 4x10 and 1x15 cab and needed to run that at 90% on the master volume with a band that wasn't as loud as this one.

DC Comics and Chocolate Milkshake - Art Brut

Wizard Fight - Weedeater

Club foot - Kasabian

I'll be taking my new fuzz to practice tonight. I'm not convinced by this one myself so I may be told to not take it again.