TimR

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1425750604' post='2710379'] That's because they never bloody listen to it! [/quote] Exactly. It's always better to have the argument over why you're not playing 8th root notes under everything before you go into the studio, than to find out afterwards your entire input was rerecorded by the guitarist a few days later.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1425722194' post='2710007'] Yes, that's a good one. And if your band knows they'll be recording in say, a month's time, it's useful to do a few rehearsals and record them in their entirety so you get used to being recorded constantly. The helps reduce 'red light anxiety' when you get in the studio. [/quote] Definitely make a prerecording recording of the songs you will be doing. Then listen to them. Nothing worse than getting the rough mix back and finding that something someone has been playing for months is actually wrong or a drum fill sounds awful. Quite often we can only concrete on a couple of parts of the arrangement at a time while playing. Quite often after a recording someone will say "I never noticed that the bass played that." Make sure you have endings sorted too.

[quote name='dadofsix' timestamp='1425569307' post='2708711'] Don't know the law over there but, couldn't you incorporate the band, thereby making it a legal entity, insure the corporation, and then, simply have an insurance rider covering the employees of the corporation -- the band members? [/quote] If you make the band a legal entity you start having to appoint directors and file anual accounts to companies house and the tax man.

You don't need CRB check unless there is a liklihood you will be left alone with children.

My brother has the insurance under the band name. Any musicians are covered.

Pop is short for popular. No point in playing tunes that aren't popular. I don't agree with JTUK apart from the point he makes about poor bands going through the motions with badly played tunes. I've seen too many bands knocking out bad renditions of 'popular' tunes to a drunk audience while looking at each other as if they've been caught stealing candy from the baby. Lots of people on BassChat say they never practice as a band as they gig often enough not to have to practice 'the same old tunes over and over again'. .

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1425290622' post='2705798'] I started a bass chat top 40 in December. There were quite a few interesting tunes but didn't seem to be going anywhere interesting. I stopped collating the results after week 2. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/250536-basschat-ultimate-top-40-2014/page__st__30 [/quote] Just realised this is a resurrected thread and is the original thread that promoted me to start the poll.

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1425482753' post='2707796'] I don't know why people keep bringing up my cousin, she's not even on BassChat. [/quote] I thought it was Aunt Sally Bollocks.

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1425469928' post='2707593'] So chill out, sit down and make yourself a "T" [/quote] Now you're doing it! It's a "t". Some people

I agree, it's context sensitive. I just wouldn't use it on the first transaction with someone who had 0 post count.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1425464997' post='2707526'] I don't necessarily think that's a deal-breaker, mate. Some people think it's just being friendly. [/quote] Not if I'm the customer it's not. I don't call my customers mate and I don't expect people selling to me to call me mate. I'm just old fashioned I expect.

[quote name='artisan' timestamp='1425463732' post='2707505'] Wow thanks [/quote] It's ok. We've just done a course at work to spot whether emails and dealings with potential customers are fake. Very high up the list is spelling and grammar. If the spelling and grammar are bad then I'll walk away from any potential transaction. It's a good indication that the person won't act professionally. As for someone I don't know calling me 'mate'... .

[quote name='artisan' timestamp='1425460683' post='2707474'] so i had a newbie with 0 posts offer to but am item i have for sale along with several PM's from other people but he was the first. so i put them on hold for him & gave him payment details,3 1/2 hours after reading my reply he still hadn't replied to me or sent any payment so naturally i sold said item to the next person in the "queue" when i told the original no show newbie i received this reply "[color=#282828]Just got your messages, thanks, it is always good to be called mate by somebody, thanks mate. At least I now know what "on hold" means. I'm glad I didn't gift you 25 quid. Cheers anyway, Pete x"[/color] [color=#282828]perhaps if he'd bothered to reply he wouldn't be so upset.[/color] [color=#282828]i have dealt with many BC members over the years without issue,all deals have been pleasant & gone smoothly,however it seems some newer members have a very poor attitude,maybe its a sign of the times.[/color] [/quote] Nevermind. Here's some punctuation marks and capital letters. Free of charge. .....,,,,, IIII SSSS PP .

[quote name='Weststarx' timestamp='1425304557' post='2705982'] I've often debated being that myself because of my previous post but I cant be bothered for a band that I dont really enjoy the type music we play, and because the others decided to find the gigs. [/quote] Sounds to me that you are the default unelected leader Good luck, sounds like you are in the same place a lot of us have been. Time for a new band.

Do you have a band leader? Bands work best as a democracy. You have a leader that everyone trusts who delegates tasks and makes sure they get done.

The quickest way to find out who wants to gig is ask for a list of free dates from them. If someone takes ages to provide their list or the list is very short then it's a good indication they're not that bothered. Alternatively, ask them outright how often they want to gig.

As KevB says; You are in a practice band. One of those bands where most of the members just want to hang out and play together on a weekly basis and are not fussed about gigging. However, it's quite common for the members to pretend to want to gig in order to keep the hopes up of other members who would otherwise leave and join a gigging band. Say nothing at the meeting, play the gigs, then leave once you have found a gigging band. That's what I always do. .

[quote name='dadofsix' timestamp='1425243838' post='2705554'] Some brave soul should start a poll with about a hundred "classics" on it. Each person who participates in the poll would then get twenty votes. Over time, and it could takes months, it might become clear what the most covered "classics" are. The results might be a surprise. lol And, no, I'm not volunteering!!! Over and out! lol [/quote] I started a bass chat top 40 in December. There were quite a few interesting tunes but didn't seem to be going anywhere interesting. I stopped collating the results after week 2. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/250536-basschat-ultimate-top-40-2014/page__st__30

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1425119260' post='2704094'] But at the start of it all, these set the parameters that you work to. ... I think this unit will work 6 dates a year... so I'll get my jollies elsewhere as well. [/quote] Yes. But what I'm really saying is I want a strong leader with a vision that everyone else has bought into. Even if that's just to practice weekly and only play at relatives' birthday parties. I don't want endless meetings and discussions about 'the way forward'. Tell me where we're going, how we're getting there and what tunes we're playing along the way. If I don't agree or you don't actually start the journey, then I'll want to move on.

Definitely. I was in a band that spent ages having endless meetings and great long rambling emails that never got anything done. Never again.

30mins worth of emails? From them or you writing them? Either way, something has to give there. Someone needs a break and to come back fresh with new ideas and a less 'intense' view. Bands should be fun. If the band aren't having fun the audience will sense it. The music won't flow. Audition wisely with a firm understanding of what you want from each musician.

[quote name='Huge Hands' timestamp='1425049974' post='2703431'] Hi Steve, I wasn't trying to be humorous, I was being straight. ... [/quote] I think you might be jumping to conclusions. The singers left and the first two bands folded. We've all been in similar situations. Sometimes band dynamics just don't work. Putting the blame on one person is a bit of a red herring. Anyway the last singer left for personal reasons. Allegedly.

My 2p regards singers. Over the years I have learned that the singer has to chose the songs the band plays and the band are there to back the singer. And massage his/her ego. Like it or not, that's the way it always is. Once you accept that, things become a lot easier. The only thing you need to do then is select a singer who likes similar material to you and be strong when they select songs that won't fit with the direction the band want to go in. Pushing singers to sing songs they don't want to do is a recipe for disater (not that you are doing this) but singers will only stay if they're getting their buttons pushed. My advise for Band 5? Band 3/4 but with properly vetoed singer. Then record a demo as quickly as possible and aggressively target gigs.

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1424871519' post='2701383'] And I'm guessing you can tune a bass from a single reference tone without using an electronic tuner... (bringing this back to OP's observation about a musical ear rather than hi-fi) [/quote] Yes. I used to tune my violin using a tuning fork. I've also been known to accidentally knock a machine head on a cymbal stand and have to retune mid song without stopping. Although I don't think that is something you practice, you just learn it from necessity.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1424862897' post='2701220'] ... and look where it's got you..! [/quote] Yes. I know all the words to a bunch of ELO, ABBA and Baron Knights songs.