Leonard Smalls

I see all your puny 2 or 3 bass bands... And raise you 11!

Parliament, and Booty's Rubber Band... Here's the PFunkers with Billy Bass Nelson and Cordell Boogie Mosson:

Spose you'd call it PunkFunk with a psychedelic edge! We've got shouty (and occasionally melodic) vox, slightly crazed guitar that's a bit Hawkwindy, funkyish drums, bass that plays simple root type punky lines and me going widdleywee - sometimes with full Royal Blood split tone and sometimes with my newly programmed Bootsy tone. Here's a hint of mobile phone footage from the excellent Percy's in Whitchurch: (edit, we're Choked) https://fb.watch/gPhGKLXt0l/

One of my bands! Here's me on my ACG (with broken leg)and Raph on his Cort at Morecambe nice'n'sleazy fest:

Bit like this!

Big New Year's Eve for us at the Star and Garter, Manchester...

I remember when I was a kid being taught the French song "Sur le pont d'Avignon". Not being able to speak French, and also being about 6 years old, we all quite happily belted out "Horny dosser, horny dosser"...

Here's a bit of me, in dub 😁😎

A couple of rainy afternoons have caused this to happen... An evocation of short-lived 60s US sci-fi tv show, in dub! Bass is the trusty Wal through 2 lots of Helix deep bass patches. Guitar (all 3 chords!) is a strat. Keys are Iris and Ableton's own grand piano. Plus loads of fun making noises with Raum, Phasis, Objeq Delay, Dubstation 2 and more Iris. Voices are me, drums put together in EZ Drummer and Loopcloud Dums using Ableton pack sounds and some Loopcloud snare/cymbal sounds. All mixed in Ableton, with a smear of Neutron and Ozone 9.

I play a couple of our easier songs as a warm up, then might try a few keys or modes and then try noodling with them... Often I'll want to try a promising noodle on some other fx patch so I may then edit edit patches, which takes me off elsewhere or even gives me a new song. All this is mainly using Wal, ACG or Lightwave fretless (all of which lead to different places) playing through a Line 6 HelixLT bi-amped into Crown stereo power amp into Markbass 4x10 (left, bass) and Markbass 2x10 (right, trebley sounds) - i.e. same as gigging but quieter!

Perhaps all displays of skill should be outlawed? So if we're talking footy, if a player should be so show-offy as to score with a bicycle kick he/she should be instantly sent off and flogged on the by-line? Or if an artist has the temerity to produce a picture that rivals the Mona Lisa, they should be tarred and feathered, then forced to do the pic again in a way that in no way exceeds the abilities of yer average geezer dahn the boozer? Or if a guitar player manages to wring a solo out of their instrument that's so achingly beautiful that even the tour manager bursts into tears, then they should be made to wear boxing gloves for any future gigs? Or is it only bass players who should be neither seen nor heard, apart from eighth notes on the root and the occasional flourish of a third or (eek!) a fifth?

There were bands on when I was a young punkist there as well; I remember blagging into the Albion to see the WSS and the Jiving Daleks ("yeah, I'm 18 mister!"), then there was a memorable punk and mod gig at the Gateway with The Modernaires (big punch up, IIRC), and a certain Action Transfers at Angels Nite Club. There was also Echo and the Bunnymen at the arts centre, and the Sex Pistols played Quaintways! Shame the Live Rooms weren't there then as well.

Indeed! It's gone downhill; I used to book bands for the Greenman Fest in Clun - we had all sorts of stuff, from Wilko Johnson to the Oysterband. But there was always trouble with the Memorial Hall committee; they insisted we used the 86dB limiter (we attached a single 60w lightbulb to it, which flashed repeatedly, but we'd used a spare way in the consumer unit to run a 12mm feed to power the 20kW PA and lights), and when Wilko played, we went to make them some food in the Hall's kitchen - the committee had chained shut the cupboards so we couldn't use their plates! In The Castle, there's only really The Vaults, but the landlord will only allow straight ahead pub blues; 3 Tuns always had great reggae, but that's gone - food more profitable I spose! Knighton used to have a great scene - back in the 60s/70s there was a festival with seriously big names, but barring Chas and Dave and 15 years ago (sold out), Ade Edmondson's Bad Shepherds (put on by me, 3/4 full), and 2 attempts by me and our drummer at a 3 band rock night in the Comm (some quality bands, including Troy Redfern, 50 people came resulting in £200 loss). It seems that folks round here aren't interested in going to gigs unless they already know the songs but won't pay any money to see 'em. This attitude was illustrated about 5 years ago, when the Horse and Jockey in Knighton put on a Dutch prog band (Sky Architect) in the bar (no idea why!). They were completely awesome; tight as, incredible musicians etc but despite not being very loud, the local drink crew just stayed outside blatherin' to the same folks they blathered to day in, day out. One bloke actually asked me what they were like - I said they're great but he wasn't willing to stand and watch for a moment to see. As a result they had an audience of 8 - our band, 2 bar staff and one other bloke. Not only that, but there's a young farmer-type contingent who like to drink as much as poss then punch anyone nearby in the face. So we don't even bother to try and gig locally...

The whole of South Shropshire/North Herefordshire is absolutely dire in terms of thriving musical scenes... Ludlow has a sports bar filled with 15 year olds ignoring the occasional very standard covers band playing. Plus there's the Brewery, which has about 2 gigs a year, exclusively blues. There's Bishop's Castle, where there's music in 1 pub - exclusively blues again. And that's about it until you get to Hereford, or Shrewsbury - (which has Alberts Shed, though that's not exactly filled with live music lovers - mainly big drinkers). You have to go as far as Whitchurch to get to a really decent venue (Percy's) which is about 1.5 hours fast driving from me! Mid Wales isn't much better - Llandrindod has a couple of pubs that do music, but there's always the same 3 bands playing there - not sure why everyone goes to see them as some variety would be good, plus there's the Pavilion, which is mainly tribute acts. Otherwise, it's a bit of a musical wasteland!

I take great delight in making a great show of putting on a record for guests, saying this is some kickin' jazz. Their faces usually fall a bit as they're expecting something smooth'n'after-dinnery, but at least they'll be able to ignore it and have a chat. Then Brotzmann's "Machine Gun starts up and they're usually shrieking and running for the door in seconds, unless they've had many hours hardening themselves with some Gateway Jazz, like Ornette or Steve Lacy.

This was my first proper introduction to jazz...

Bootsy!

Formerly Girlband. But a right angry noisy racket!

Here's Bob's latest:

Currently residing in the "Where Are They Now?" file! 😁

Lots of bass players...

Never! 😁 But 90s "punk" was most certainly not. Though there was a thriving hardcore scene, and bands like the Subs were still playing then... In fact, I remember seeing a Jello-less DKs, and The Damned!

Punk goes 90s vol. 2? I think it should be renamed "90s band completely misunderstands punk"!