TimR

The point taken from the 2nd documentary is that Queen had pretty much done all their best material before the Hot Space album and then split to do solo projects. They really had no intention of playing as Queen again until Midge Ure convinced Freddie to play Live Aid. Then they reformed to tour and Freddie became ill. At this point they scrapped the idea that they should have individual credits for each song and credited all their songs as Queen. This set them off in a new direction and some amazing music followed. I'm sure there is a Bass Chatter who has studied Queen and written a book but can't remember who. John Deacon did a solo album but was a Soundtrack and not well known compared to the "Rock Stars" Roger and Brian efforts.

I thought the part about the band's 'break up' following indulging Freddie on the Hot Space album was interesting.

Never got to see them. I would have been just old enough to see them at Live aid and the Kind of Magic tour. Saw the program on Monday. There have been many documentaries on Queen but that is probably the first time I've heard John Deacon speaking.

[quote name='4000' post='1250331' date='May 30 2011, 02:35 PM']Surely it's ultimately up to the individual? I thought the point was to play music because you enjoy it (stagefright aside ). Of course if you're a pro sideman or some sort of function band then different rules apply, but otherwise who cares if you're sober or not? If you're crap the audience will likely vote with their feet. Of course at most pub gigs the audience is at least twice as drunk as the band so how will they tell? [/quote] It's more of a question of respect to your band mates. It gets tiring really quickly when the band are spending evenings practicing for the band to sound tight and one of the members chucks all that hard work away by drinking so much that his performance and that of the rest of the band suffers. There's obviously a level of drinking that is acceptable to most people and a level that isn't. The problem is that some people are unable to have "Just one". I've been in a band where they had to carry the drummer out to the van and pack down his kit for him after every gig. (I didn't stick around for many gigs )

[quote name='spike' post='1249587' date='May 29 2011, 08:12 PM']and me[/quote] I'm convinced that the bass player listens harder to the rest of the band.

[quote name='Len_derby' post='1249409' date='May 29 2011, 05:12 PM'] 'I play in band' Yeah, so why aren't you playing tonight then?[/quote] "They couldn't afford us." Walks away smugly.

[quote name='ern500evo' post='1249401' date='May 29 2011, 05:07 PM']Don't you just love playing to other musicians!! Had the same thing recently, Other bass player "Do you know you played the wrong note in the middle of that last song?" Me: "Yea but i don't the think the crowd of people dancing noticed so i think i'll sleep ok tonight"! Tosser!! [/quote] or "The bass line to xxx doesn't go like that." "It did tonight." or "It does when I play it."

Did you all get and print out the latest copy of the setlist I sent out? No. When did you send it? I emailed it out just before I left this evening. I printed out a copy for myself but didn't bring any spares.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1249352' date='May 29 2011, 04:17 PM']"Is anyone sitting there?" "No that big f***ing massive black box behind those seats that looks like a big massive f*** off speaker [i]is[/i] a big massive f*** off speaker thats why no one is sitting there" Is what your thinking, In reality "No help yourself aunt Freeda" [/quote] Is that the same Aunt Freeda who keeps complaining that it's too loud?

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1249349' date='May 29 2011, 04:15 PM']After you've played a few notes, the sound engineer says: 'OK, that'll do.'[/quote] That's the kind of sound engineer I like. It means he's comfortable that he's got a signal and will sort out what it sounds like when the rest of the band are playing. Nothing worse than playing solo for 10minutes while he works out which buttons to press and knobs to turn.

Can you play something that everyone will dance to BUT don't play any.......

[quote name='Doddy' post='1249192' date='May 29 2011, 02:15 PM']... never felt the need to have a drink when I'm at work.[/quote] That's the distinction. If you're sitting in a pit night after night reading dots, the last thing you need is a drink. If you're bashing out some three chord wonders on a Saturday night pub gig then it would be rude not to.

If I'm in the mood for drinking I'll have a max of one pint before the first set and another before the second set. Depends on the gig and level of concentration needed.

[quote name='awdl22125' post='1249109' date='May 29 2011, 01:10 PM']... I can hear the mix better, ...[/quote] One of the first senses to be dulled by alcohol is your hearing. A band I used to play in: Whenever the drummer and vocalist used to get a lift to the gigs they would complain that they couldn't hear properly. They couldn't understand why some gigs we had (according to them) a really good mix and at others it was terrible. The soundcheck would be great then they would go to the bar until we were due to play. The rest of the band (5 out of a band of 7) never had a problem with the on-stage mix.

I covered a lot of DSP 20 years ago at Uni. when it was in its infancy. All a bit hazy now and the technology is much further advanced now. Analysing waveforms with a first generation Soundblaster card with very basic Windows 3.1 software was about as advanced as it was then. Don't forget that this is a massive oversimplification of what is going on. All those waveforms (and a load of others due to resonant vibrations and damping in the wood etc.) are superimposed on top of each other and that's when the string is in the sustain phase. During the attack there are very strong transients which are shown as components at ALL frequencies. It's a mathematical model of perfect string vibration. Good on paper but get into the physics lab and try to recreate the tone of a bass by summing sinewaves of different frequencies and you'll end up with something that sounds more like synthesiser (or at best a clarinet) than a bass. When you put your finger on the "node" you're forcing the string to create a node because there isn't actually one there. This then allows the higher overtones to come through while the lower ones are effectively stopped. That's why it's called "false harmonics".

Laplace and Fourier. Not good bedfellows on a Saturday night. Love the negligible elasticity and horizontal displacement. They've not seen my playing then. I'm going for Dusk 'til Dawn myself.

[quote name='skej21' post='1247625' date='May 27 2011, 09:44 PM']... Back to the topic. I like slap done well, but the stereotypical 'RHCP - Higher Ground' root-octave stuff bores me senseless. Flea is a fantastic bass player when he plays fingerstyle![/quote] Have a listen to the original by Stevie Wonder.

[quote name='oksocialbass' post='1245197' date='May 26 2011, 08:53 AM'].. But wait.... Is he wearing two bowler hats at the same time ...[/quote] Don't know what drugs you're on but they look like Pork Pies to me.

I'm with Bilbo for Sibelius for transcription software. Goldwave for editing wave and MP3 files. I also bought something called Acoustica MP3 mixer. Which allows you to speed up and slow down and fade bits of tracks to mix them. I use it to make a seamless "mix tape" to play at gigs during breaks instead of a DJ. An early version of Cubase came bundled with my soundblaster soundcard and Cubase Lite came bundled with my Zoom recorder. I used it to record my band a few times but found it's quicker, easier and more professional to go to a studio and get someone to concentrate on twiddling the knobs while I twiddle my bass.

[quote name='Stag' post='1235856' date='May 18 2011, 03:35 PM']Make of that what you will...[/quote] Did he wear a black t-shirt, high waisted trousers and have the initials SC?

[quote name='Doddy' post='1235645' date='May 18 2011, 01:18 PM']There is a lot of talk about playing to people who wouldn't normally see you. On the few of these competitions that I've done (as a hired sideman-there's no way I'm paying),I've noticed that often the fans of the first band leave straight after,and the fans of the last band turn up late in the night. It's been rare that people have watched all the bands-they only go to see their friends and family.[/quote] That's where your networking comes in and the importance of approaching people you don't recognise (or everyone who comes through te door). [b]YOU[/b] have to make them interested enough to stay. Stay and talk to people who arrive later to see their band and doorstep them too with your CD. They may not see you live but hopefully they'll listen to your CD and come to your next gig.

[quote name='JellyKnees' post='1235200' date='May 18 2011, 08:34 AM']As a concept, they fundamentally suck. Music is not a competition.[/quote] When it comes to making money it is. Whether you are in a covers band competing for wedding gigs or pub gigs or in an original band competing for a record deal. How friendly you want to make that competition is up to you. There are plenty of gigs where you can play for fun for charity, for a mates birthday, whatever. It's battle of the bands, its a competition, there are prizes. Recording studio, cash or an audience made of people who wouldn't have come to see your band but are there becuase their mate is in another band that is on. If your music is good, these are the people who will listen to your CD (that you just gave them for free) and will come to your next (that you already have lined up and is on all your marketing material) To blatently dismiss them as a rip off is not understanding what you can get from them. How many people have organised their own gigs? Printed tickets, Hired a venue with bar, Security on door, Hired a soundman and PA system, Sold tickets (had band members run off with money or mates ask to pay on the door, girlfriends who want to come in free). Then pay venue, security, PA man, and go home having done a great gig and with a tenner left between the band. Venue still makes on the Bar and you pay them extra for the room.

Surely BOTBs is an audition in front of a crowd and an opportunity to get your music out to new people. The world doesn't owe musicians a living. The whole music industry is a scam. Imagine. Getting to number 1 in the charts is nothing to do with how good your music is or even how good a musician you are, it's all to do with how popular your music is and how pretty you are. Sorry folks it's the real world. BOTBs does what it says on the tin. If you don't need it then don't do it. If you do need it then do your own promotion, meet and greet at the door, give out free CDs, tell everyone when your next gig is at every opportunity and SMILE LOTS. oh... and listen to criticism. You are not the best band to ever walk the earth.

Check the [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=533"]Ear Plugs - sticky thread[/url] I have the er20s. Superb.

[quote name='JayPH' post='1232967' date='May 16 2011, 12:55 PM']Thanks for the input chaps. The Vox amps were loud enough really but very distorted. They have lots of presets and I think there's too many variables on them and I also think you are all right about the levels being too high. Not sure what the PA is Tim. I'll get more involved next week and see exactly what we're working with. Having a separate bass amp can only help. The best way I can describe it was disorienting. I was finding it very difficult to keep the rhythm and it just sounded very muddy, distorted and confused. Hopefully once the drummer gets on board we can iron out these problems. Cheers[/quote] Missed the bit that you had no drummer. You're probably hearing the sound of the bass reflecting off the walls rather than direct which will disorientate you and sound muddy. The guitars will be trying to keep in time with (the delayed) sound that they are hearing and you will try to pull back to stay in time with the guitars. Result timing all over the place. If you have to play like this again you need to be close to the PA speaker as possible. Drummer will sort. Assuming he is solid