TimR

[quote name='4-string-thing' timestamp='1462097846' post='3040193'] ... very quick to moan about the quality of the gigs despite never actually looking for any herself. ... [/quote] This is one of my bugbears. One band I was in, I booked all the gigs and all I got was band members 'not going to play there'. I was them met with blank looks when I asked where they would play. They won in the end and don't play anywhere.

The first thing to do is ask for a list of booked gigs or a list of dates when everyone is free to gig and practice. If that list isn't forthcoming in a very short time - one week is my limit. Then it's time to go. People will string you along so that they can tell their mates that they're in a band. These are people who want to [b]be[/b] in a band but don't want to [b]play[/b] in a band.

[quote name='bassbiscuits' timestamp='1462025733' post='3039723'] Any damage to an instrument must always be referred to as 'battle scars' and an instrument is often described as a good one to have 'in your arsenal ' despite my belief that few basses ever actually take part in wars. Unless of course the damage is genuinely caused by shrapnel, in which case I apologise. [/quote] You should come to one of our rehearsals.

I wanted to gig regularly. The rest of the band only seemed to want to gig occasionally and only in front of their mates. The last two bands - exactly the same. I've finally found a band that have some drive.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1461354954' post='3034053'] A lot of great music came out the 80s & 90s. A lot of what's consider new is not new to me. It's what happens after you hit a certain age. Blue [/quote] Yes. My Grandad was saying that in the 60s "This is an old 40s number.", My Dad was saying that in the 80s. "This is an old 60s number.", I'm saying it to my kids now "This is an old 80s number". Nothing is new in pop.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1461324966' post='3033680'] Sounds like my idea of hell 80s onwards for me, although I'm really liking the musical turnout from bands in recent years to be honest so I guess I like being stuck where I am?! Though there are a few bands I wouldn't mind dropping back in time to see! [/quote] I remember when my dad stopped playing in bands. Around the 90s I suppose. We were playing a Sunday afternoon jazz set (he and I will play anything) and he said he didn't want to end up stuck playing music to people in old folks homes. The artists that have done the best have been those that have experimented and reinvented themselves. Sometimes it works, sometimes its spectacularly failed and they've had to move on swiftly. At the moment I'm happy playing classic rock to a bunch of 50 year olds. But I'm pushing to move our tune bass to something more recent. Pretty soon I'll be 50 and if I'm not careful I'll be playing Beatles and Rolling Stones tunes to people in their 80s. Although at the rate the people from the 60/70s are dying this year I may well be spared that.

You've missed my first sentence from your quote. Which effectively makes the rest of my post seem ridiculous as you've taken it completely out of context. Strange thing to do really.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1461133148' post='3031646'] Sort of, We didn't like the performance.😄😄 Blue [/quote] That's the problem with everything being available and recorded now. It was an improvised solo that didn't work quite as people who've heard the recording expected. I suspect you had to be there to appreciate it. Live music should stay live. I've got loads of recordings of awesome gigs that don't stand up to any detailed listening. Maybe Flea will watch it back and think he would have done something different. I doubt it, I don't study recordings of my gigs anymore.

[quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1461093999' post='3031469'] Oh the irony of people moaning on a forum about people moaning on a forum. You gotta love this place. If you are putting yourself out there then you have to expect judgement. In the scheme of things it matters not a jot. Its hot air and opinion which is fine. He is probably unaware of this thread and wouldn't give a stuff anyway. To my ears it was a heap of baloney. Absolute tripe. But hey ho. [/quote] I don't see any irony at all. If you're unhappy with Flea's performance then you should be addressing your criticism to him, not a bunch of English bass players. If you're unhappy with the way a bunch of English bass players are critiscising Flea then you should be addressing those bass players. Or did I miss something?

Quite.

Does anyone rehearse at someone's house? In the 80s we took it in turns to rehearse at each other's houses. We even managed to hire a school classroom as our guitarist worked for the local council. By the 90s small rehearsal studios were becoming more widespread and affordable. Up to then I think most were dedicated recording studios and too expensive to use as rehearsal rooms. Although I could be wrong and it may have been we were earning more money by then.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1461012195' post='3030702'] No being paid from a pass around. Were getting paid our fee by the owner or we don't do business with you. Blue [/quote] They weren't being paid from the pass round. The owner was using the pass round to subsidise the amount he had to find from the takings. Or looking at it another way - if the jar had more money in it than the agreed fee - what should happen to the extra money?

Is it high profile? Isn't this a bit like Saxon promoting their latest single at an Aston Villa match?

[quote name='luckydog' timestamp='1460829083' post='3029208'] Ah well there we differ, TimR. I think it's implicit in the word 'tip' in the mind of the tipper that tips go to those who provide the service. Well that's what's in my mind when I put my contri......and I do care, not sure what I'd think as a punter of passing a tip jar round for the landlord ! Probably fine if it is clear......... LD [/quote] As the OP explains. It wasn't and never was a 'tip' jar. It was 'for the band'.

[quote name='luckydog' timestamp='1460825191' post='3029158'] It's not good for the punters, who might reasonably expect tips to be tips, ie a bonus paid straight to the band. It's not good for the band, who might reasonably expect tips to be tips. The more popular the band is, the more in the tip jar, the cheaper it is for the landlord ........er what ???!?? Don't think I'd go back........ LD [/quote] But as I say. The punters have no idea whether the jar is tips or wherever it's the band's total pay. And I suspect they don't really care.

The punters have no idea how much we get paid or whether we get paid at all. I'm sure if they knew we only got about £50-80 a night, or even that we only got what was in the pot, then they'd not be happy. I know when I tell people how much we get for a night they're quite shocked that it's so low and assume we're getting £100 each. If the punters thought the pot was your pay, you probably got a good deal if the landlord making the money up. It's another one of those bad communications things that we're all so bad at. Really it's of no concern of yours or mine how the landlord finds the money, as long as you were paid the agreed amount. I've only ever played two gigs where the landlord's had a good night and paid us extra. .

It's a set up. Not a very good one either.

[quote name='bigd1' timestamp='1460736510' post='3028356'] Luv it and I don't normally like the bowl of noodle type of playing, very Hendrix that at the time had very similar reactions from the lovely good ol US of A. Ta very glad [/quote] Yes. Me too. Thought it was quite good. I'm kind of getting a feel for the US Anthem thing. I'm guessing it's all part of being "free". Playing it straight would be a bit too conformist for them. I guess that's what they find so "English" and dare I say stuffy, about us and our queen.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1460705874' post='3027939'] Far from iconic, but I remember the time I first heard one of my isolated bass tracks in a recording session when I was 14... clank, buzz, parp, slap, clang... and a few notes in between... During a session last year I heard some more of my isolated bass... yep still the same [/quote] It's all masked by the drummer anyway.

Low E is c40hz. Low B is c30hz. 30hz won't do anything unless you have a 5string.

Quite Interesting. My 1980s Marlin Sidwinder maker is there. Terrible bass but I learned on it and played many gigs with it. Now fretless and in a gig bag in the loft.

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1460303940' post='3024488'] I would have taken that bet - in a big crowd (even in Butlins) there would have been someone else who knew their rock music and would have thought that it wasn't quite right. If that same band had played a proper rock venue then the majority of the audience would have noticed the difference! [/quote] Maybe, but even the drummer I was playing with at the time thought they were excellent. And he only listens to rock and metal, plays too loud, fast and you are never sure whether his next fill would make the bar 4-1/2 beats long. 20years later and he's not improved, but that's another bass players problem now.

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1460294564' post='3024391'] But would he really be a good drummer or merely a Jack of all trades, equally unconvincing in all genres?? [/quote] It really depends on the audience. I saw a very good professional rock band at a Butlins night club once. Something wasn't right. They didn't have tattoos and it was just slightly missing a certain edge. It was a flawless performance though and the crowd thought it was awesome. So who am I to judge? The next night the same guys were wearing suits and backing some pop singer in the main ballroom. I would have put £1k on me being the only person to notice.

What can are you playing through. I like the cut below 120, bit extreme maybe an there's no top end at all so wonder what the definition was like. If it works, it works.

As you say Pete, and it's the key point, you check with the landlord that it will be acceptable and don't play there if it isn't. Appropriate volume. Again. There's no point in turning up to play the gig and arguing all night with the landlord that "It has to be loud." If he is going to lose his pub license due to antisocial noise, you're not going to be asked back. Do these big name, big hitter, drummers ever play in their local pubs? I know plenty of drummers who say there is no point in playing certain venues as they will just be too loud for them. I'm sure they are quite capable of playing quietly, you can't play loudly all night. Without quiet sections everything is the same volume and you miss about 99% of what music is all about.