TimR

[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1339508563' post='1689501'] Neither, should a been A flat. [/quote] A flat? No. I'm a bassplayer not a bloody saxophonist.

I usually say "Thanks, glad you liked it. Thanks for coming. Are you a bass player?" Then get into a massive argument over why I don't play a fender and whether the second note of the fourth bar in the third song should have been an E or a G#.

I've joined bands on one premise then the band leader has changed goal posts. This results in all sorts of changes in line up. The classic is where you join a band who only want to gig once a month. You say fine, I want to gig a few times a month so join another band. The first band then suddenly take off and the band leader sees money to be made. Two or three of the others say that they don't want to gig that much and disappear while your commitment is questioned because you are not able to commit to more than the one gig promised. Ideally your comeback is if the band can guarantee additional gigs on a regular basis then they become first priority and you'll get a dep for the other band if gigs clash.

Festivals have changed. In '88 80,000 people went to Donnington, in '89 107,000. It was a one day event. It took us 2 hours then to get out of the car park. There were hundreds of coaches though they came from all over the UK. I don't remember many kids, I don't remember many people over 30 either. Mainly people between 18 and 30. The mud both years was bad and most of us will remember the tragedy in '89. Too big, too expensive, too wide a demographic and too long.

What did the singer say when you rang her to clarify what she meant in the email?

[quote name='mrdirtyrob' timestamp='1339170670' post='1684868'] I have to say I don't agree with you. I agree that getting to know existing tunes and developing your theory knowledge etc. can be helpful but it can also be a limiting factor. I once had a fascinating conversation with a guitarist friend of mine who said he sometimes wished he could write with as much freedom as one of his bandmates (who was totally self-taught), but he couldn't [i]not[/i] think in terms of theory. As with everything, each to their own. There's rarely a 'best' way to do anything, just a way that works best for you. [/quote] I think you missed what I was saying. I'm saying that making up lines is one thing, but making up lines that don't fit with what others are playing because you don't understand how the bass fits with everything else is another. It's not just bass players that do this. Keys play over bass lines, drums fill over vocal lines, guitars add root bass notes etc. There are lots of fundamental bass line approaches. Root. Root with passing notes to next root. Third or Fifth note of chord depending on Inversion. Stay on Bass note while chords ascend or descend and change quality. Double melody. Counterpoint. Play main riff. +others... Once you understand the various roles of the bass then you become more free to mix and match and usually you get more understanding for gaining more experience of playing other types of music (ie don't stick to one genre or only play originals)

[quote name='jaydentaku' timestamp='1338848362' post='1680112'] Once, I had total arse failure, 20 mins before the gig. The toilets where sub ground level (no phone signal). Band thought I had done a runner. I appeared about 3 minutes before we went on. Then one of my cables died, but I had a spare. It was our first gig. [/quote] I always take a couple of spare arses to every gig. I keep one behind the drum kit and one in front of the guitar amp.

IMO It's where a lot of young originals bands go very wrong when they say they're an originals band and "We don't do covers." Music is a language like any other and you need to learn the basic words (musical phrases), study the language and know whole sentences and how to use them before you try to make up your own new words. If everybody is speaking at the same time in different languages you get chaos. When you know someone well and understand what they are saying then you can get to a point where you are finishing their sentences. Sorry. All a bit esoteric for a Friday afternoon.

I've got bass fretboard addict.

I don't come here to be liked. What about a rating scale from 1-5 then I can ignore everyone with low rating as obviously their opinion won't really count. Anyone who doesn't get rated high enough can't sell anything.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1338934988' post='1681497'] Quite surprised about what? It's clearly possible to safely play a gig outside in the rain if appropriate precautions are taken. Bands do it all the time. The obvious precaution is to prevent electrical gear from getting wet, and that would include all plugs and socket strips, but that doesn't mean an electrical cable itself is dangerous when wet. As for RCDs not providing 100% safety, I know what you mean about the current/time curves and physiological variability in the reaction to an electric shock, but that's getting into fairly rarified theoretical territory. A bit like worrying about being electrocuted by testing a PP3 battery with your tongue. For the vast majority of healthy people, RCDs will provide perfectly good protection against fault conditions - unless you try really hard and insist on connecting yourself across the live and neutral conductors! After all, RCDs specifications are not approved by the IET wiring regulations for nothing. I wouldn't be too concerned about playing in a (dry) tent with power from a single-length extension cable plugged into a house socket fed from an RCD-protected circuit. [/quote] Which is ideal world conditions so I think you've missed my point entirely. In the real world you turn up having been told you're playing in a marquee only to find a small gazeebo with water running underneath the sides and forming puddles in the grass. The drummer plugs his fan into an extension lead that he has mended with insulation tape after the rabbit has chewed through all the insulation. The keyboard player is having to play with his foot on the mains lead of his keyboard to keep the flex from pulling out of the plug. The singer is complaininig of getting shocks from the PA because someone extended the mains lead using a 2 pin lawn mower plug and socket that they had lying around. But no-one has to worry becuause you're using an RCD. Granted if you play in a regular band with the same guys using the same kit week in week out you can be pretty sure your kit is good but quite a few of us don't. Those were only a few of the situations I've been in. Not including the two extension leads mentioned earlier. None of it IP68 rated and not even a plastic bag wrapped around where they're joined. Add the red mist that descends on someone who has spent a lot of time and money organising the gig and insists you set up a quickly as possible and people will do the most stupid things.

But lozz, are you playing covers or are you getting paid to play originals. There's a fine line when you're playing originals with pay to play. When I played originals in the late 80s we hired a few halls and sold tickets to our friends. We just about covered hall hire and PA hire. We managed to get friends to man the door. The first time we learned a few lessons. 1. The band that was supporting us ran off with their ticket money leaving us to pay everything from the share that was left. 2. When we started to play, the guys manning the door came in to watch, leaving the door unattended and loads of people just walked in. After that we had a few other problems with drug pushers and gatecrashers which in the end made pay-to-play a less expensive option. So long as you're not getting ripped off, it can work well.

As I say, it's not new. We were doing it in the 80s. The biggest problem we found was that, even if you bring loads of people and 'sell' loads of tickets, the promoters were unable to count accurately. The link to the MU shows you what to look out for. Advertising costs. Take your CDs and T-shirts and sell them at the gig make more money.

Definitely, but I think there is enough going on in those tracks without having to add 'tasteful licks'. Thinking more about the jubilee concert, it would gave been a sound engineer and monitoring engineer's worst nightmare. Artist after artist doing one tune, just get the mix right halfway through the song then it's on to the next.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1338936023' post='1681521'] If bands are willing to pay-to-play then why not go the whole hog and hire the venue as well? If a band can't bring in enough punters, then why would a promoter want to risk their own money? Once, perhaps, but never a second time. I'm not arguing [u]for[/u] pay-to-play, just trying to recognise the difficulties and risks on both sides. [/quote] I totally agree. Putting on your own show is the way to go if you have a good following. Otherwise the venue owner needs to ensure that he puts on good quality acts and he will get a reputation and more people will come. He also has the ability to have a good local advertising campaign that visiting bands just can't do. Ripping off bands isn't the way to do this though.

I can't believe this sort of thing is still going on. We did it in the 80s. I think back then it was £35 to play at the venue, probably close to £100 in today's money AND you had to get a certain number of people through the door. After that you made £x per person who said they had come to see your band. Strangely it didn't matter how many people came to see you, you never saw any money because either "No one said they'd come to see your band" or there was some other excuse.

Yes. Original bass player and co-writer of a whole host of tunes. I've never seen them live just thought the backing vocals wern't very backing. But, hey, everyone's a critic....

What surprised me (although I don't know why) is that there is an It Bites forum. My friend is on it and knew a lot if people at the gig from their forum names (shakes head) and they argue about Francis Dunnery vs The New Guy. Laughable, you'd never get bassplayers doing that sort of thing. Oh wait.....

[quote name='lurksalot' timestamp='1338882530' post='1680327'] If you are only lending kit , I don't think you have the same risk as if you were hiring it out. It might still be reasonable to suss the competency of the peeps using it though, both for their own safety and the wellbeing of your kit [/quote] Well, it's still raining. I'm not so worried about what would happen to me. It's more how blasé people are about their safety. The above comments ae just two examples of normally sensible people not thinking straight. Quite surprised at flyfisher and still not sure if he was joking.

[quote name='jonsmith' timestamp='1338916606' post='1681075'] Drifting OT, but I'd say it's a bit different to the last one, although not exactly a massive departure. No confusion or disappointment where I was standing at Bush Hall, but I think everyone around me - mostly die hard fans I'll admit - knew what was going to happen and already knew all the songs! [/quote] I moved about a bit. The sound in Bush Hall varies tremendously depending on where you stand. There were comments made. People seemed to like Nathan's bass playing though. Hey ho. Funny that Lee was on The Tall Ships tour but not on the album but is on the latest album but not on the tour. What was that extra guy doing singing in Madness - terrible. Maybe Suggs does not sing with them usually and the regular guy thought he should be included? I didn't like it.

[quote name='jonsmith' timestamp='1338907737' post='1680878'] Guitarist or not, I actually like Nathan King's playing with It Bites...but yes, Lee Pomeroy's a fine bass player and seemed like a very nice chap when I spoke to him briefly. He's recently been playing with Steve Hackett too - SH has had a few great bass players of late. Thought Lee Pomeroy would make an appearance yesterday when I saw that Gary Barlow had a big hand in proceedings. Oh & I can recommend the new It Bites album for those that are interested. [/quote] The last one was closer to the old 80s stuff and seemed to be aimed at pleasing the fans. Haven't heard the latest one other than they played it in it's entirety at the gig and there were a few confused faces and disappointed fans. I should really give it a proper listen as I thought it sounded quite good.

Wasn't watching for a lot of it. Saw Lee play a few times with It Bites in the last couple of years and noticed the same things. He's a very good tasteful bass player. Last month they were using Nathan King who I'm not very impressed with. Another mult-instrumentalist who doesn't have bass as his first instrument. Too much going on for me. The concert was great if you like that sort of thing. But that's what you get when you try to cover 6 decades in one concert, a bit of something for everyone, which leaves great periods of nothingness in between the bits you like. Mcartny's jacket and bass and great masterpiece Live and Let Die complete with fireworks were superb and I can't stand the guy usually. For Elton John I had to leave the room. What Stevie Wonder and Will-I-Am were doing sing the Martin Luther King inspired Happy Birthday, I have no idea. I thought everything else was pretty good though.

You only need a master keyboard and laptop now though don't you? Keep some basic bass gear. Depending on what amp/cab you're using you could play keys through that.

Sorry. Just had another discussion with someone who borrowed my PA and complained it wasn't working properly. Turns out they were running everything, lights, PA, backline, bar, from a two 50m extension leads joined together and run down the garden from a socket inside the house. This scares me. Lots. I didn't even ask it was on an RCD! Am I going to get done when someone blames my 'faulty' equipment because their band is going to play in the rain 'at all costs'?

E string machine head sheared off while fine tuning waiting to start. Played first tune, decided that I wasn't going to play the whole night with no E string and spent the first verse of the second tune re stringing EAD with the E in the A slot etc. Had to think about a few tunes. Lesson? Always have a spare bass with you.