TimR

Looking at these pictures, it's clearly not the shorts that are a problem. Middle aged man rarely looks good in anything, especially badly tailored ill fitting shorts. Some guys can look good in anything - some can't.

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1391381171' post='2356622'] Don't forget to breathe and relax. [/quote] Seriously. Pay attention to your breathing. As said above, there's no proven cause of cramp. I get cramp in three situations. 1. Stress - I find myself holding my breath. 2. Swimming - in my calf and foot - repetitive exercise that I'm not used to. 3. Middle of night after a long run - muscle spasm due to overuse. I think cramp is too general a term with many causes.

I think before you offer criticism you should ask yourself whether you're qualified to make that criticism. And if you're not; whether that criticism is because something is wrong or whether the critisicm is because you just don't like what they're doing and would do it differently if it were you. Then remind yourself - it isn't you doing it. .

From what I've read, he didn't like his tone either. Spent thousands of pounds and years of searching and never got it right. I think what he meant by bass guitarist was playing the bass primarily as a guitar with melodic style rather than bass or harmonies as most of us do. I've had discussions with guitarists over what part they're trying to play when we've covered who songs. At least two of them have wanted to double the bass part leaving no rhythm part.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1436195759' post='2815832'] I am one of those old fans, and I prefer Pino. [/quote] Indeed. I did say 'may'. There's an interview on YouTube with Entwistle where he describes himself as a Bass Guitarist as opposed to a Bass Player. He was a French horn player. Musically he obviously saw his role completely different to that of a traditional bass player. .

[quote name='ubit' timestamp='1436188551' post='2815704'] Completely agree mate. Who wants a complete stranger coming over condescendingly telling them they have got it wrong? Like it or not, that's the way a lot of people will take it. I totally agree that if I know the band, I would be willing to help from an audience perspective, but you don't know these people, they don't know you. You could just be some knob that has no clue but thinks he does. [/quote] 'Condescendingly' may be where the problem lies there.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1435683337' post='2811440'] As I never liked the sound of Entwistle, I prefer Palladino. To me The Who sound like a better band with Palladino. I've seen Townsend interviewed somewhere and saying he didn't like Entwistle's tone. [/quote] Townsend did an interview where he said he was surprised at how much freedom he had without John playing and that it was good to have A bass player just holding down the bottom end. Daltrey also described the Kenny Jones as a 'Four to the Floor' solid rock band player which wasn't really what the Who were about and Zack had more groove. So the 'new' Who are what Roger and Pete want. It may not be what the old fans want. That's progress.

There's a massive difference between making a suggestion to help a band who are having feedback problems and telling the guitarist that he should be using a different make of guitar. If someone told me I was using the wrong bass for a tune they'd definitely be making themselves look like an arse. Although I'd still smile and thank them for their opinion.

Trousers that stop just below the knee are called breeches. Shorts stop above the knee.

Bass chatters who only think they're funny? That narrows it down a bit...

There's millions of ways to approach it. If the band is going to get arsey over some well meaning friendly advice that's their problem. Most likely they'll lose another potential follower.

I think if someone offers you advice you should be reasonably competent to work out very quickly whether they know what they're talking about. If you can't work that out within a few seconds and people are coming up 'willy nilly' to advise you, it might be wise to listen to them!

I don't think anyone is moaning that their guitarist does do those things. I wouldn't play in a band with a guitarist or a drummer like that.

It was just something I read in another thread Dad. So although your band are young, one of them is your son? And while he's young he's experienced so technically been playing a while.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1435953356' post='2814016'] ... Why anyone chooses to be in a band these days I don't know. Apparently all guitarists are idiots and no drummers can play. [/quote] I suppose you missed the smiley. Anyway. I said the good ones were in short supply. Generally they're in high demand and already playing in bands. I'm guessing you've not had to audition anyone recently.

But how old are you and how long have you all been playing? Anyway, what about that 2nd guitarist...

I suspect there is no smoke without fire and guitarists who don't crank their amps to 11 are the exception to the norm. Rather like drummers who can control their dynamics without resorting to using hot-rods. Yes, they exist but they're in very short supply. Swimming against the steam and complaining that all guitarists aren't like that is a bit of a pointless exercise. You'll find a guitarist who cranks to 11 and a drummer who says "Drums don't have a volume knob you'll have to turn up to match me." are often found in the same band and looking for a bass player who can "Just play roots in this one." .

[quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1435926709' post='2813679'] As usual, those moaning are the one's that didn't go. A week on though and everyone is still talking about Kanye's set... [/quote] Well he did 'headline'. I suspect those who did go and didn't like it went to a different stage and listened to something else. I spoke to two friends last night who went. They listened to a couple tracks and headed off somewhere else. They did point out it's a festival with music and not a music festival.

By 'large' I mean anything bigger than a pub where you have enough room to move around a bit.

Yes, the top end is very important for the definition. The other thing I've found is that on big stages without multi-channel monitoring, you need to keep the backline tight. Having the bass amp miles away from the drums which are then miles away from the guitar amp is a recipie for incoherent sound.

If you can't hear the guitar properly mixed with the bass in a pub environment then there is a good chance the guitar amp is pointed straight out to the audience and not angled inwards. Try changing that and see what difference it makes to your perception.

Having played a 15" combo for years I've now switched to 2x 2x10" stacked vertically. The top speaker is now near my ears and my 500w amp is plenty loud enough set on 4. The combo was 300w and loud enough for most venues but difficult to hear on stage due to the speaker being level with my calves.

[quote name='randythoades' timestamp='1435679810' post='2811374'] Gig Saturday night. Needed: spare amp as powered monitor failed. Check. Needed: spare strap as guitarist strap broke. Check. Needed: extra mic cables as run back to PA longer than expected. Check. I feel vindicated. [/quote] Ok. How can a strap be ok in the morning of a gig and then snap during the gig? I admire your standpoint and I have been there but you're (possibly) playing with a guitarist who is not looking after his own gear or not checking it. Sooner or later his gear will catastrophically fail and the band will be looking at you to get them out of a hole. Trust me on that. Who looks after the PA? Why don't they have spare leads? That's a fundamental failing. Seriously, I was carrying so many extra boxes it was unreal, extra trips to the car and storage at my house. After I left the band I was still getting calls on Saturday night asking what they should do because X had broken. Madness. .

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1435836247' post='2812850'] We have a very insecure and immature drummer/person who really can't take ANY criticism AT ALL and will point blank ignore it entirely. Ideally I'd like to replace him, but he's generally very good and it's [i]so[/i] hard to find a decent drummer... come to think of it, it's not the drummer I don't like, it's the person! [/quote] I payed with a guy like that for too long. Is he quite happy to tell everyone else what they're doing wrong?

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1435827849' post='2812711'] 'So sick of all my judges, so scared of what they'll find' I think reacting badly to criticism is only human, and usually our first response. The fact that we suspect our critics are right doesn't make it easier. If a band mate is criticised the best bet is to be supportive, they won't play better second set if they've been attacked and the band doesn't rally round. The thing about criticism is to ask why it is being offered, is it constructive and intended to be helpful, or just a piece of unpleasantness. [/quote] I agree. It's not who criticises or maybe even the way they criticise, it's how you receive the criticism. Following one gig I recieved a two page A4 email from a well meaning bass player. I still have it somewhere. A third of it was rubbish and just covered what he thought the band should do. A third of it was quite complimentary. The other third was pretty accurate on where we, as a band, we're going wrong. Quite a lot of it we already knew Mainly covering aspects of individual musicianship and image. Unfortunately the individual musicians didn't like being told some home truths about themselves but agreed on the points made about the other musician. Hey ho.