12stringbassist

Kiss could license the name Kiss to a band to perform using the name, but it wouldn't be Kiss. Not by a long way. They'd probably have to call it THE KISS SHOW. I could never see the show being staged like an actual Kiss show. I haven't read mention of Thin Lizzy without Phil Lynott. Scott Gorham said it felt wrong for it to continue with the Lizzy name after a while. Slade have been continuing without Noddy Holder and Jim Lea since 1992. In the world of Slade fans, this causes either much controversy or delight. Some guys I used to be in a band with joined up with some other guys who had bought the name of a 60's chart band, (who were long defunct) for a couple of grand. The funniest thing I have ever heard is them announcing "This was our big hit in 1965" or whatever, then doing a hatchet job on it. It's a way to make living, I suppose - playing to people who have no clue about the original bands in social clubs and on holiday camp weekend bashes.

Cheap Trick, by the way, parted with their original drummer Bun E Carlos amidst some shouting and bitter acrimony and legal battles. He remains a business partner and still gets a fee from every show the band do, despite not having lifted a stick with them for some years. For me personally, I think it has improved the band. Out with the shorter greatest hits type sets and in with deep cuts and much longer shows. Tom Petersson (optional number of S's) also had a long break from the band (band with controlling ex-wife), to be replaced by Pete Comita then John Brant - both excellent players, but Tom was THE ONE and his return was overdue.

Some of the costume errors irritated the bejasus out of me. The sudden excited announcement of a US tour, without mentioning that they were supporting (or that it was Mott The Hoople) frankly was criminal. Making it look like they leapt to instant stardom. Rami Malek peformed superbly. As did the other band members. But the mistakes like those were unforgiveable. With a few simple tweaks and a little care it could have been 10/10. I have absolutely no desire at all to see RocketMan, as it appears to be Elton The Musical On Ice. Knickers to that.

Nothing at all wrong with those vocals. They are from 2006, by the way...

Joe Jackson - Blaze of glory album.

I get your point, but Quo without Francis Rossi couldn't fill a phone box. Doctor Feelgood are trooping round with no original members - they have carried on and have evolved to the current line-up with the surviving former members blessing.

Rossi has been there all the way through Quo and others have come and gone. Andy Bown has been there since 1983 (36 years), and Rhino since 1986 (33 years). Not inconsiderable service. There is currently no reason for Rossi to put himself out of work because he is the last one of them involved. When Rossi retires, though, there is no earthly way at all that a band can call itself Status Quo.

I'm not small, the bass case is HUGE. The tallest case I've got (for an acoustic bass)

Do it yourself album by Ian Dury.

I was talking about going to watch my (un-named) old band while on sick leave from them after cancer surgery. They had a dep who was fumbling his way through the set and at that point, I realised how lacking my band mates were and made up my mind to wait a while, then give in my notice and leave them. The mention of the drummer's personality disorder about various things (I've never seen anybody cry at a soundcheck before and never want to again) and their sloppiness was a continuation and justification of why I decided I was leaving them at that point.

The band's general sloppiness and lack of musicality was the main reason I wanted to leave them (they played a lot of howlers themselves) as well as an OCD drummer who offered me outside for a fight once, when I asked for a turn on the mp3 player thru the PA.

I'm happy with either term.

To a large extent, I try to avoid going watching people I've played with in the past, unless they are great mates of mine. I expect what they are doing to sound at least something like it used to, if they are doing the same stuff we did. My problem not theirs. I got dragged (a while ago) to watch a guy who used to sing with a band I was in years ago, when I was first in bands. His new band are doing quite well, but I don't think, from what I have seen on video and from my brief viewing of them in person, that they are actually that good. They have a brilliant set list, but they are carried by goodwill, rather than a great sound. People have said it to me, which made me look at their videos after seeing a few songs played by them in person. Another guy I used to play with has lazily surrounded himself with his mates, rather than players at his brilliant level of ability, and it really irks me that he isn't playing to his potential and has a rather scrappy band around him. I've seen him wince onstage a few times at mistakes. I did once travel to see a band in Horwich, (only a short distance from me, that I was actually on sick leave from following a serious life-saving operation). I only stayed for the first half, as I really didn't like the venue at all and was glad to get out. I also listened to what the dep bass player was doing to the songs and naturally it set off some sort of an OCD that I didn't know that I had. It sounded WRONG because he was a very different bass player. He made some utter howlers that the band either didn't notice or care about and I was so put off by this mess that I made concrete plans to give my notice in to leave in a few months. Best thing I did in the last ten years.

Following on from the bit of a meltdown I had the other week when I was particularly unwell and my band-mates decided to give me a stern and tediously long lecture on my bass volume, causing me to get all worried about the fact that I was struggling to hear my bass, while they weren't.... I have demonstrably rolled the bottom end off and haven't touched it. I think my sound has lost an amount of balls, but tbh, I'd rather have a thinner sound than put up with those two continually getting annoyed. My drummer would like my bass to have a distinct click to it, to go with his bass drum. He's not going to get that. It's not my style. Anyway, the gigs since then have gone back to us playing properly as a team, with no complaints about my sound. This last weekend, we played in Todmorden at an amusingly named pub, which is the best live venue in the area. We went down really well, as usual. On Saturday, we had taken a gig on at short notice in a brilliant biker's pub in Southport, as the band who had previously been booked by old management wouldn't confirm their gig. So we were rescued from losing out in a double booking situation. We went down really well and are waiting to hear about next year from them. Sunday was our regular jam night. we are working up a set with a guy who's been on Stars in their eyes on TV as a well known rock star, doing a set of his songs. It's hard work as the songs are usually played by a fair old pack of musicians and there are three of us to replicate those arrangements the best we can. If it comes together, great, but it feels like we are rushing it to get songs together. We only really try things out when we do our opening spot at the jam night, so we'll have to see how it goes...

Next up - first album by Cheap Trick

You boyz make big noize album by Slade.

The truth of the matter is that once people start doing other things, it dilutes the original band. Diaries clash and disappointment and dep players get involved. Can't be doing with it.

A weekend off at the end of the month... YESSSSS!!!! Going to watch The Bootleg Beatles on the Sunday.

I voted 1. However, if I was in an originals band, I would be far more prepared to take a punt on gigs that involved more effort at good venues.

Your way forward is maybe to contact your friend and tell him that unless the other people are going to show enough interest and commitment in a stated period, then you are going to depart. That gives him a chance to replace you if he acknowledges that they aren't going to join in - or even possibly replace them.

I'm the bass player...

Being in a band realistically has to fit in with a day job, relationships, families, holidays, other hobbies and a whole lot of other things. All that anyone who runs a band (and there's very often one main person who runs the diary) needs from his / her band-mates is a fair degree of honesty about when they are available and when they are not. If someone doesn't block a date off as not available and a gig comes in, then they should do it, unless it is some sort of really pressing reason preventing them from doing so. You have to all be on the same page or there's no point in doing it.

At least you know where you are up to with him now. People who thinking blowing gigs out are a waste of time. I don't think much of people who are in more than one band either.

They are saying "You and the band are less important than going off for a weekend of drinking and bunking up with the Mrs". They may even have a point. Using the babel fish to translate that though, I get the wording "PLEASE SACK ME BEFORE I F*** THIS BAND ENTIRELY". The babel fish is very reliable. It knows, you know...

What people are saying is that other people are A PROBLEM. The easiest way to solve a problem is to REMOVE THE PROBLEM. Removing a problem may indeed cause a bit of stress, but replacing the faulty part with a new one generally makes the machine work. No pain, no gain.