TimR

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1417514360' post='2621076'] ... They always start, we prefer a DI, I bet you do, over done, raw sound of the bass, same sound as everyone else gets every gig, job done, shut up your just the bass player... ... [/quote] That was covered earlier. If you're that concerned about your tone you need to invest in a speaker simulator. The soundman can take that as his DI and everyone will be happy.

It's very simple. Bass is not absorbed by people. It effectively washes over them and bounces round the venue. The bigger the venue, the longer the reverberation time for bass. Soft objects like seats and people absorb higher frequencies. The louder you make the bass the more it will reverberate around the room. As posted several times, it's not the other instruments making it an inaudible mush it's the echo from the bass itself. Sit near the front you get more direct sound which has less of the reverberation and more of the high frequencies which define the note. Often the high/mid will be cut to make way for more important components of the music. Another thing to touch on is overplaying. The more notes you play live (and lots of musicians adlib and overplay in a live setting) the more cluttered the sound will be. But we all know this, so why are we always overlooking it?

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1417468853' post='2620746'] ... Just DI the bass straight in the desk, where there is no compression and very poor limited EQ. ... [/quote] I've not used a pro sound guy for about 15 years but the guy I used had an array of pre processors for each channel. I agree if you're plugging straight into a desk you'll get maybe hi-cut, lo-cut, bass, treble and some swept mid as a basic. I can't imagine a big venue relying on those limits.

Just to clarify. The aim is to find out what songs are most played by BassChat members. So the songs should be songs you are playing that you think other Basschatters are playing in their bands. If what people say is true Dakota will probably end up being number one...

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1417436408' post='2620251'] Very true. Years ago, we had a gig in a little Essex bar, known for the usual Mustang Sally / Alright now stuff. We were warned that the place would be empty when the club opposite opened at 10pm. We gave them, Room 335, Sylvia (Focus) Peg, Black Friday, You might need somebody and even Manhattan. No-one was more surprised than the owner when we still had them all there at 11.30pm at closing time. It's not just a matter of playing well, it's also a matter of not under-estimating the taste of the audience. Give them some credit for music appreciation. [/quote] There is more going on there than meets the eye. Those songs are very well known Classic Rock tunes. They're tunes if people don't completely know or can even name, they'll recognise them. Also if you're playing those tunes you are obviously good musicians. No one is going to do a half arsed 'those chords are close enough and we'll miss out that hard bit in the middle' hatchet job on Steely Dan tunes. I would have a good guess you've got the appropriate volume level as well.

[quote name='Si600' timestamp='1417439563' post='2620306'] We're only doing a few that I think others would want to do. Pretty Vacant and American Idiot are the obvious ones, Kids in America, All the Small Things and She Hates Me would be my next suggestions of popularity. Do you want the rest as well, or will those 5 suffice? [/quote] Just the ones you think other bands would do. If someone puts up a tune you do then just add a post saying you do it as well. That should create a simple shortlist.

I played a few pubs in our disco/function band. People were actually dancing in the street outside because the pub was so rammed. We didn't get paid much. We could make £650 minimum from a birthday party and weddings sky's the limit. That should tell you why Classic Rock and light Jazz are the staple of Pubs.

[quote name='bassace' timestamp='1417428274' post='2620105'] I don't often get to big gigs but I'm seeing The Who at NIA on Sunday. Hope the bass sound will be good. Don't even know who's playing: is it Pino? [/quote] I assume it's Pino. I also assume (pure conjecture) he may well not be playing John's lines. So there may be a few disappointed people on that front.

I'll start with some of ours: Brown Sugar All Right Now All Along the Watchtower Purple Haze Superstition Jumping Jack Flash I'll add more as I remember them.

Inspired by another thread and the festive season I thought we could have some fun creating a traditional End of Year Top 40. The thread will be open until New Years Day when I'll collate all the replies to our very own BassChat top 40. So: What tunes does your band play (any genre) that you are sure loads of other bands play? What standards do you play?

Ha. We've just run through Wishing Well and don't play Hard To Handle anymore. Other than thy we play NOTA.

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1417421953' post='2620065'] Would you class your band as 'Classic Rock' then? If so, I'd be genuinely interested in knowing what is in your set list [/quote] MoJo, it would be better if you posted your setlist as a base point and then we told you which tunes from your set we play. The we could compile a BassChat Classic Rock top 20.

How odd. Considering the price of tickets I'm not surprised at the demographic. Other festivals are available.

[quote name='Leonard Smalls' timestamp='1417351937' post='2619385'] I saw them at least twice in the early 90s - once at the Electric Ballroom which was most excellent. However, my tastes now run more to Reid's free Form Funky Freqs improv band with Jamaaladeen Tacuma on bass and Calvin Weston as drummist... ... [/quote] There's some good ideas in there. I quite like it but it does sound like a bag of spanners falling down a lift shaft. Could do with the old Booker T and the MGs treatment. They would jam for hours then come back the next day and pull out the riffs tang work and strip it down to the essentials. Only my opinion of course.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1417355157' post='2619438'] The last two bands I've joined have set out to do something different, you get two songs in and "do you do any kings of leon, sweet home alabama, sweet child?" etc , I suppose you have to give them what they want? [/quote] Quite. You're being paid for providing a service. If you don't provide that service what happens? Surely it's about a balance. You play a few obscure songs that a few of the audience like and you play a few of the big numbers. Someone said 3:1 was the ideal ratio of well known to obscure. We've been stripping out a lot of the obscure numbers from our set because we can see the audience losing interest. Reading your audience is a very important skill. I've always been against writing a setlist, turning up and playing it. Unless you have played the pub lots of times and already know the audience you will get. I'm much more of the turn up, look at your audience and then tailor your setlist to suit. Doesn't need a full rewrite just a tinker. Might even just be shuffling some songs from first set to second or vice versa.

Oh no. That can only mean one thing... Guitarists switching to bass. God help us.

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1417346299' post='2619289'] ... My friend said, "I bet there's some songs that we all play and they're sick of hearing". ... [/quote] I would argue he is wrong. People go to interact with a live band. They like to hear songs they know and if they can sing along or play air guitar to the solo all the better. Your setlist will never exactly match the band the week before or the week after. There's bound to be some crossover but I'd bet that if we all put our setlists up there wouldn't be that same one song that we all play. It's just the musicians who get fed up with playing the same setlist because we're playing it week in week out. It's the same argument I have with our band when choosing new tunes. "Every band plays that one..."

Depends on so many things. The further away from the source the mic is, the less bass it will pick up. Also the more spill it will pick up. If the bass drum isn't tuned and damped properly you'll pick up loads of resonance by sticking the mic into the drum. Ideally the kick drum needs to be properly tuned first. Doesn't matter where you put the mic if the drum sounds rubbish the amplified sound will be rubbish. Quite often once the kick drum is tuned properly it won't actually need micing up.

At NAMM this year. http://youtu.be/4OfXCN_qBFU

What's your favourite colour baby? That's a blast from the past.

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1417246322' post='2618479'] Maybe that's what they like to do? [/quote] I think the point is if you want to be out earning money from gigging you can't be too choosy about the songs you play. .

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1417127726' post='2617433'] I think where the majority of us are coming from is that the bass didn`t use to suffer in the live mix, it seems a recent thing. Given the progress in technology and equipment, shouldn`t it be getting better, irrespective of awkward rooms and stages? [/quote] It may be a fashion thing and it also may be that the systems we use at home are getting better. In the 80s CDs were only just emerging and HiFi was a big thing. It might also be a power thing in that we just didn't have the power and technology available for that bottom end. Listen to a 70s record and then listen to a remastered version. There is so much more bass added. Add huge average volume available due to digital sound compression techniques. Not always good. It's a live version of the loudness wars.

Learning the placement and right EQ to use as well as drum tuning are essential. Especially as you're abound to pick up huge amounts of spill from the bass guitar if you're not careful. I used a super cheapo mic from Studiospares. It's a sure D112 copy. Only £30 and good enough to learn with and experiment before splashing out hundreds and deciding it's not worth the effort. https://www.studiospares.com/Microphones/Mics-Instrument/Studiospares-SD101-Drum-Percussion-Mic_448660.htm

I think you're trying to create an impression of some kind.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1417120642' post='2617319'] The promoter in Europe will provide an evening meal, accomodation and breakfast so it is basically eating during the day on the way to the next gig. So depending what you must eat, $20/15eu seems ok on that basis. As for verty little else to spend your money on..??? ,there are always ...er hookers as every European town will have a red light district and if you don't know the town and you want to go where there are always people, then you gravitate towards the red light district. It would help if you left your money back at the hotel.... but strangely this 'rule' goes out the window pretty quickly, for some people. [/quote] We stuck to beer and strippers. But even strippers get boring after a while. 😳