Cat Burrito

Of course. I've had a recent incident where a friend asked me taste a homemade soup that was supposedly vegan. Once I had tasted it I asked how to make it and she included "whole milk" in the ingredients. I subsequently found out that at my wedding a few years ago she'd allowed my veggie friend to bite into some meat product. None of it is malicious, she's just really scatty! It serves as a reminder to always check. Personally I am a little more relaxed about dairy. I'd be quite upset about eating meat. Also an accidental spoonful sits better with me than a whole meal.

I think that there is a lot of truth in that. I guess people go into things for different reasons. My wife can't stand the vegan cheese slices I like (she's also vegan) and I think the substitutes can be great for people who just want a flexi diet or perhaps are new to it. But yeah, people do like a moan. We're human after all.

I had no problem giving up cheese and always preferred the smell of bacon to the taste. Fish was the hardest one for me and I was pescatarian before veggie and then subsequently vegan. I'm not a huge fan of the substitutes but occasionally have a vegan cheese slice or a vegan burger. I was blown away by the vegan ham and cheese baguette that Greggs have just launched. I kept stopping to check it was vegan!

Some good points here. Couch are predominately recycled American automobile interiors which is cool. It's always nice to see people who aren't vegan or veggie using a product or two. I have been vegan for 3yrs (veggie longer and flexy even longer) and the one aspect of veganism I don't like is the belligerent "our way is the only way approach". Thankfully it really is just a tiny minority of people but I think it is why it provokes the reaction it sometimes gets, unfairly so.

I've managed two so far this year - upstairs in a pub in Camden (modest crowd) and a busy local outdoor festival. Enjoyed both and felt people were pretty sensible on balance. I'm at HRH festival this weekend and all being well out every weekend throughout September across the South of England. Fingers crossed.

I played an outdoor festival locally that was very well attended. The whole band are great players and we were very rehearsed - I still surprised myself with how good it sounded on the clips I have seen. Negative LF test today too, so win win!

Nice one. I've seen those Right On Straps but discovered Couch straps through here so use those. I can honestly say even if you take away the vegan aspect, they're the best straps I have ever used. They look really cool and they are as reliable as anything I used before.

I wish everyone would stop criticising Paul's voice. He's been sounding great since he started lip synching to the backing tracks!

I've predominately been a bass straight into amp kind of player but I have a post punk / 80s alternative band at the moment where I am having lots of fun with different effects on the bass (& drum machines, samples - things I haven't really used before). Never say never.

A nicely worded tribute to a fine contributor of our online community. He'll be missed.

Proper job!

I had a Verythin when they first came out and have had the long scale Verythin since 2016. It's done numerous UK tours and gone across Europe a couple of times too. I appreciate we're all different but I found it pretty well balanced and had no issue. I don't remember the short scale original being a problem but that could be that I have just conveniently forgotten. Out of interest, why do you want to move the strap button? Is it a comfort thing or are you getting neck dive?

I was conscious of this when I bought my Sterling recently. I think as woods can vary so much, the only safe option is to get the seller / shop to weigh it (interestingly at my time of buying sellers weren't putting weights on listings - & I could see why!) or to try in person. I stumbled across one ultra lightweight bass and some really heavyweights that were the same model. I emailed / rang some of the big online companies like GAK and Guitar Guitar - all of whom were happy to weigh the stock basses to confirm.

Just some random bass facts the casual listener might not know (& I am sure a few of you DO know this) - Michael Dempsey played on the first album. (Personal view) The bass playing on that album is great, much busier than Gallop's BUT Robert Smith wanted much simpler parts. That album sounds more like somewhere between Buzzcocks and Elvis Costello! Incidentally, the playing being too fussy was the same reason why they lost the keyboard player (Matthieu Hartley) on the second album, Seventeen Seconds. He was too jazzy, apparently. When Gallop first left he was replaced by Phil Thornalley. Phil was actually a producer more than a bassist. He played the upright bass on Lovecats, something he'd never done. If you look closely at the footage you can see the tape on the neck to let him know where the notes are. The Cure have had a few stand in bass players for the odd show, TV appearance and tour - these include Steve Severin (Siouxsie and The Banshees) and Gallop's own son. The song Primary is performed exclusively on basses with just the drum kit and the vocal for accompaniment. Robert Smith uses a lot of six string bass all over the albums too. And just as an aside - as mentioned, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th albums are the gloomy period. A lot of it is really quite pop (Inbetween Days, Lovecats, Just Like Heaven). I appreciate a lot of people are commenting on how they either don't like or struggle with the band (hey, no band is for everyone!). Personally I spent most of Lockdown revisiting them and really rediscovered the bass.

Worth mentioning that It and are only doing this finish on the 50s Crush, at present.

Ah! The subtlety was lost on me in the typing! Pretty much my view too, as it happens.

Rock n Roll Hall of Fame inductees 2019 (check the interview footage on YouTube for the coolest ever interview), still filling stadiums around the world and 2 new albums (admittedly one Robert Smith solo) recorded for release. In my mind they should be heralded as a national treasure and spoken about in the same tones as David Bowie. Guess they just must be operating under your radar.

I think we have a winner! @JapanAxe has kindly agreed to have a look. I am the least amp savvy person (beyond knowing about my tone preferences) so it's a nice little reminder of what a great community we have here on Basschat!

Love mine! I had the original, sold it, regretted it and rebought one for a few UK tours in 2019. Welcome to the club.

I have a 6yr old fairly immaculate looking Ampeg BA108 and it was used fairly extensively for the first 4yrs. I bought a similar Orange one to replace it and it was upstairs in storage (in a padded cover) for 18 months. A few months ago I started rehearsing in a summerhouse with a guitarist friend (no other musicians so not pushed past 3 on the volume). I came to rehearse yesterday and it was completely dead. We swapped out the kettle lead and changed plug sockets and it appears to have just died. It was fine last time and hadn't been moved. I appreciate it's difficult to analysis kit you haven't seen or heard but is this worth investigating in terms of repair? Or should I cut my losses. I have other practice amps and actually the bass sounded fine through our small PA (for practice purposes). I am just fearful that this could be an expensive repair of an inexpensive piece of kit. My experience of Ampeg's lower range is that it tends not to last. Just wondered if anyone else had any views.

I did wonder if he was just drunkenly posting on Facebook - that's where it came from, his personal page - The Cure haven't made an announcement (yet). The alternative view is that they are all older, things change and perhaps it's time to move on. Bill Wyman seemed happier once he left The Stones. I am a massive fan of Simon and he was a major early influence. Whether he stays or goes, I hope they work it out.

I bought Appetite the week it came out and watched as G 'n' R shaped my generation. Since then I have marvelled at how they have gotten worse with every release. I guess when you start on such a high, where do you go? (where do you go now?) I clicked the link, played the song. It's okay. To damn it with faint praise, it's alright but I wouldn't buy it. I enjoyed the autobiographies and usually click any news stories about the original band members but I think my fan club membership metaphorically expired in the late 80s.

1) I know all my bandmates well enough to know they are vaccinated but we weren't specifically asking each other. It's more for general ribbing / banter "you got jabbed early Grandad", "Moderna? You posho!" "Flying economy class with the AZ jab" etc 2) No, but asking people to be sensible. A lot of us are regularly tested through work so regular testing is going on, usually within 48hrs of a rehearsal / studio time, if not on the actual evening itself. 3) Own mics, avoiding kit shares and just trying to be respectful of everyone's level of Covid compliance.

The whole point of punk was that it supposedly ripped up the rules. It's surprising how many rules there are about who is punk, how you have to look, how you have to sound, how you have to dress etc! In the 90s I was in a punky band and the producer suggested I do some slap bass in the chorus of a song. I tried it and it worked a treat. Coming from a punk rock background, I went on to play 15yrs on the Americana / Country circuit. I think this is far more punk than spending 35yrs trying to sound like GBH.

In 31yrs of playing original band stuff, I'm yet to fail an audition. Certainly get in the right area with the part, as a minimum capture the essence of what was originally played. But often overlooked is showing up on time, being amenable, seeming keen and just generally coming across like someone they'd want to be in a band with - it all really goes a long way. Good luck with the audition.