Cat Burrito

In thirty five years of playing I have been fortunate enough to gig with a few people I grew up listening to. I've also gotten to meet a fair few away from my own playing. Just a cool story for you all; growing up in the 80s we all got into the bands of the time. The Cure were massive for our group of friends. Over lockdown I started listening to all that Goth / 80s alternative stuff again and reminding myself why we all thought bass was the coolest instrument originally. I've spent the last couple of years playing in a little Goth duo. At a recent open mic I discovered one of my fellow musician friends was friends with Simon Gallup. I felt a bit cheeky but asked him if he'd get me Simon's autograph. He was happy to do so and equally Simon also said he was happy to sign it. I had a framed picture as I have a lot of music pictures in my house so I popped it over to my mate Phil. I then waited for them to catch up. Fast forward to today and I picked it up. I was pleased he personalised it as it isn't one to sell. I went into my mate's music room and was admiring his kit. Funnily enough when I picked up his acoustic bass it turns out it is the one used one The Cure's acoustic hits album. I bust out a few of my Cure bass lines on it which was pretty cool, and manged to upstage playing my friend's Ric 4001, which happened to be my YOB bass. Any cool stories from you?

I misfired with my first Ric, back in 2009. I felt I couldn't justify the purchase and sold it on. Kinda missed it so bought my Ruby Red one in 2016 and it's my main bass. There is a fair bit of Ric bashing (not helped by some of the comments on the Ric FB pages and the previous owner, Mr. Hall) but they are great basses.

Forgot I posted this thread! It's the 2x10 and I am looking at extension cabs too, once I sell a few things.

I turn 50 in March and my friend from my musical duo is also 50 this year. Around Xmas he mentioned the idea of a 50th birthday present to himself - an amp - and it doesn't take much for the average Basschat member to justify new gear. I have the big Orange rig that weighs a tonne but 35yrs in the Paul Simonon / Peter Hook school of low slung bass means my shoulder and neck are feeling their age. So I decided to return to the oxymoron that is "lightweight bass amps" Currently I am doing a lot of 80s alternative stuff and liking a bit of distortion and chorus in my sound. I've mostly played Orange or Ampeg over the years but during my poor days I had an old Peavey combo that I was delighted to see the back of. I like the look / sound of the Darkglass stuff but I like my kidneys too much to sell one to fund it. I then stumbled across Blackstar. Built in effects that sound alright (goodbye pedal board) and as silly as it sounds, I like the fact it looks like the last David Bowie album. I won't publicly name the shop with the (normally) excellent reputation that I bought it from but this is where my two week delay in posting begins. I could save a few quid on an ex-demo version so I did. It arrived the next day, immaculate with all the card and stickers in place still. However, no foot pedal and incredibly, no mains cable. I have a few cables but the pedal wasn't cool because it is a main part of the bass. I phoned them up and they were fairly disinterested but emailed back to say they'd found the mains cable and would mail it out. They tried to quibble the pedal stating it wasn't listed. 20 years ago I would have been fobbed off but I wasn't having it. All the blurb that came with it stated there was a pedal. The brand new ones also didn't mention a pedal on their site but I can'yt imagine they would have lost it as the thing was immaculate. I pushed back and the next day they emailed to say the pedal was located and would be sent out. I had to chase it a week later when they still hadn't sent it but it did finally come. I would have sent it back to be petty as they were being so silly about it but I really liked the amp. It sounds great, does a lot of tones, is much lighter and is very aesthetically pleasing. In the meantime I wanted the longer pedal that gives you tuning options. It was listed at £100 but I found one for £69 from a different shop. Great saving. Stupidly I kept googling and found one secondhand for £35 - too late, I'd bought it. The £69 arrived the next day, I plugged it in and NOTHING! Did all the idiot checks but I had a dud. Phoned the shop up, I had to wait in for a collection and they did a refund. Went back to the secondhand listing at £35 and it was still available. It arrived today, it is immaculate and more importantly, it works! My setup is here! I'd like to say it was easy. I can't wait to use it in anger.

First live appearance of 2023 was an acoustic night at a local pub. My 80s goth duo have been focusing on synths & drum machines, only to have to suddenly use the other side of our brains last night. Woefully under-rehearsed, we lurked outside the ladies loos, armed with a mandocello and a mandolin! Very high standard last night and we had a couple of old school friends come down (the origins of Deadlight Dance are a bad 6th form Goth band) and against all odds, we nailed it. We did our forthcoming synth heavy single stripped down, along with songs by The Cure, Sisters of Mercy and wildcard versions of OMD and (our nod to the modern) The Weeknd. My favourite compliment, we were "intense!" Meanwhile if you see this chap hanging around outside the loos, he's harmless, just a little under-rehearsed!

In my old band where we stayed together for ten years, our drummer had a difficult year early on where we supported him. It was work commitments rather than personal issues but we used deps and I think he managed about 30% of our shows. It got much, much better and he wasn't a problem after that. I don't think there is a number that can be put on a percentage. If someone making 90% of gigs is a problem, it is a problem for that band. Equally if someone is only making 20% of shows but you can manage it, no dramas.

Martin bought my Tech 21 Sansamp VT bass pedal. Decent and friendly comms so I absolutely echo the sentiment already left on this thread. Trade with confidence.

Pete bought an EHX pedal from me. Polite, quick and responsive friendly comms. No hesitancy in recommending him as one of Basschat's good guys.

It happens quite a lot on tour around the merch tables. Posing for selfies too. I don't think it happened until my mid 30s but i would say I get asked dozens of times every year for the last 12yrs or so. I'm realistic in that it doesn't mean anything. I have no delusions. The funniest thing I remember was a few years ago at a festival gig, I was with my old singer and a girl came up and asked him to sign one of our LPs. He did and without thinking he then handed it to me. I'd played on it too and was one of the main band members. I signed it and handed it back to her. She looked at it and said, "Oh, you've signed it too!" She was okay about it (I think she just came across badly) but it was pretty funny and teaches you to stay humble. Thankfully everyone else who's asked for an autograph has always chased me around venues and festivals with sharpies. People are funny about musicians. We're just people with the same boring lives as everybody else.

I've flown mainland Europe gig with basses and the cheapest way to do it is to buy a seat for your bass. This is what Ryan Air encourage. I did it for a show in Ibiza last year and I have done it for Norway and a wider / longer European tour. I'd worry that with a bass in bits, you might get issues in customs. Refer to Ryan Air's website for advice if that is who you are flying with. I am back out in Ibiza in May and will no doubt do the same again.

Everyone knocks Swindon but Old Town is great. Best avoid the bottom of town though, that's proper banjo country!

Dave bought my Ampeg PF-50t. Trouble free transaction and a jolly nice chap too. Trade with confidence.