Leonard Smalls

Human Fly - The Cramps

Skid-Dat-De-Dat - Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five

Guff Guys - Jerry Garcia

Bang Bang - B.A. Robertson

I have got a wireless doofer, but never use it as it's another thing to worry about! May try again in the future... The actual problem was that I had the amp on the floor in order to lift the cab, and I'd moved my pedalboard so far back so guitarman had room that I literally had only a foots-length to stand in. Which meant hte slightest wrong move or attempted jig would cause me to kick the cable out. Next time I shall carve out my space a bit more!

We were in Worcester last night supporting Old Skool Punx The Samples at The Marrs Bar. We were somewhat under rehearsed - drummer played the 2 songs he started at far too low a tempo. The fastfunkypunky one still worked mostly OK, but the straightahead 3 chord punk thing became something completely different - like a stoner-doomfest where we all had to improvise to make it work and surprisingly, it did! Might play it that way again - left loads of room for me to do ringing arpeggios'n'stuff. And at one point I completely lost sound - rather than stop I reasoned that it was just my onstage monitoring and all was fine out front. Turned out that because I was cramped in front of my amp which was on the floor I'd stepped on the lead., FOH was all there and no-one had noticed apart from me and guitarman next to me! We had a reasonable crowd - maybe 60-70 which wasn't bad considering it was a late replacement for GBH who were meant to be playing... And rather than the pitchforks and flaming firebrands the crowd normally chase us out with we even gathered some more followers and a bloke said I played like Phil Lynott (??last time someone said I played like that geezer from Mudvayne so who knows??) Gear was Sandberg Basic-Helix-BBEpre-Crown Power-2x10 Markbass with lovely new Pinegrove strap who I've just discovered are only a few hundred metres from my work! Shoes were TUK creepers, trews were snakeskin jeans.

Disco Inferno - The Trammps

Year started playing: 1983 Number of basses: 5 Music theory: Did grade V theory 40+ years ago... Technique: 1. Or 10, depending on the criteria! Not many folks seem to play in the same way as me, though that may be with good reason! Groove: Yes. Mostly.

Smash It Up! - The Damned

Cocaine In My Brain - Dillinger

Sorted for E's & Wizz - Pulp

had a rehearsal with the Church Band last night (we're not really a church band, it's just that the vicar lets us rehearse in our local church - who knows why as none of us are at all religious!)... Drums sound great in there though, wot with it being large and Norman! Annoyingly, singer couldn't make it as she currently has no car and being rural, public transport is non-existent (we'd go and pick her up, except she's 1/2 and hour away!). It's slightly alarming as I may have got us a charity gig (our first gig!)organised by a local Actual Rock Star next month and she's only done two rehearsals with us. However, we seem to have got over guitar-man's inability to be funky and his constant pentatonic noodling - now there's far more rhythm and solos actual stand out. I've also settled on a slightly overdriven envelope follower sound on the Helix which makes things even funkier. Not only that, but we've done a blues GoGo song in the style of Trouble Funk, and a Sly Stone style blues.

Some buskers in Philly... Though the drummer is ex-Ornette Coleman, Jamaaladeen Tacuma and James Blood Ulmer sideman, Grant Calvin Weston!

What's a Telephone Bill (when you're in love?) - Bootsy's Rubber Band

Whatever will be, trilby - Doris Day

Talking of wibbling randomly, here's mine... I thought a breakdancing Gandalf deserved something with bass chords and an Ian Dury-style random vocal. Oi oi! Bass and rhythm guitar = Sandberg basic through Helix. Wah guitar = Squier Strat through Helix. End guitar solo by my m8 K, Strat thru Helix. Drums EZ and AG Techno kit. Mixed in Doblies with Ozone 9, mixroom and bassroom.

Deep south style rockin'

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Some Swiss (i think!) funkers:

Albumen? we are Devo! - Devo

Egg Man - Beastie Boys

Three of us! But then I'm a bit of a Laswell fanboi...

Still, sounds like they'll only make a paltry £50m+ each, how could they survive? And meanwhile, punters are paying £stupidmoney to go and see 'em rather than supporting the grassroots venues that nurture the upcoming bands. Still, when the small venues all close due to lack of interest folks will have two choices - go to the EnormoDome to see someone 100m away on a stage and pay £hundreds for the privilege, or stay home bemoaning the death of intimate live music...

Guff on me, Guff on you - Lonnie Mack

Aye... My heart bleeds for the fella!