flyfisher

[quote name='TheRev' timestamp='1338986555' post='1681973'] But a CD or recording session is the band's own product from which they hope to make a profit on investment, therefore it's only right that they should put their own money into that project. [/quote] I entirely agree. But isn't a live show also the band's own product from which they hope to make a profit? So why shouldn't they be asked to take on some of the financial risk? Just saying. I suspect the real problem is that 'pay to play' is a broad brush and can't make sense across the wide range of bands out there. It would clearly be ridiculous to ask, say, the Stones to pay to play a gig as there is pretty much zero risk of not selling out. But an unknown band in a small venue is another matter and there's a pretty high risk of not selling enough tickets to cover the costs, so the wish for the promoter to share the financial risk is understandable . Between those extremes will be every other shade you can think of and will make greater or lesser sense to the parties involved. But, as someone previously pointed out, hiring a small venue need not be expensive so there's nothing to stop a band doing their own event . . . . unless of course they don't like the idea of risking their own money if not enough people turn up.

[quote name='Chris Horton' timestamp='1338975562' post='1681750'] Hopefully one day they will take the hint if all bands do the same thing [/quote] Don't hold your breath. That's the same sort of reasoning that says petrol prices would come down if people refused to pay current prices. It might be true in theory but it ain't ever gonna happen in practice.

. . . . on the other hand, how many unsigned bands spend their own money on recording sessions and CD duplication? That's a form of promotion isn't it with all the attached risks. I doubt many unknown bands could persuade a studio to give them free recording and production time in return for a slice of CD sales. Again, not saying this is a good thing, but all parties want to reduce their financial risk wherever possible. After all, where's the financial risk to a band for a paid gig? If the venue and promotor are taking all the risk, I assume they see pay-to-play as a way of sharing this risk more equally.

Why waste time with nine strings? Might as well go the whole hog . . . .

Perhaps the next time anyone is offered such an opportunity, they could politely decline but tell the promoter that they are organising their own gig in the near future and are looking for a promoter to help them. If the promoter seems interested, tell them that they'll have to buy 50 tickets to sell on . . . .

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1338937936' post='1681542'] I always carry a mains tester to make 100% certain that I have an earth and that L and N haven't managed to get reversed courtesy of dubious wiring. [/quote] Coincidentally, so do I. Must be that bass player thing about carrying tools and spares for every occasion. Have only ever detected one faulty mains socket though, a missing earth connection. A good thing for the gig bag and only £7: http://www.maplin.co.uk/mains-socket-tester-9800

If bands are willing to pay-to-play then why not go the whole hog and hire the venue as well? If a band can't bring in enough punters, then why would a promoter want to risk their own money? Once, perhaps, but never a second time. I'm not arguing [u]for[/u] pay-to-play, just trying to recognise the difficulties and risks on both sides.

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1338928765' post='1681354'] Quite surprised at flyfisher and still not sure if he was joking. [/quote] Quite surprised about what? It's clearly possible to safely play a gig outside in the rain if appropriate precautions are taken. Bands do it all the time. The obvious precaution is to prevent electrical gear from getting wet, and that would include all plugs and socket strips, but that doesn't mean an electrical cable itself is dangerous when wet. As for RCDs not providing 100% safety, I know what you mean about the current/time curves and physiological variability in the reaction to an electric shock, but that's getting into fairly rarified theoretical territory. A bit like worrying about being electrocuted by testing a PP3 battery with your tongue. For the vast majority of healthy people, RCDs will provide perfectly good protection against fault conditions - unless you try really hard and insist on connecting yourself across the live and neutral conductors! After all, RCDs specifications are not approved by the IET wiring regulations for nothing. I wouldn't be too concerned about playing in a (dry) tent with power from a single-length extension cable plugged into a house socket fed from an RCD-protected circuit.

I've got two 210s and one 115, all Ashdown, all the same size cabs. I can't tell the difference between using a 115 + 210 or using 210 + 210 (stacked in 4x1 or 2x2). Must have cloth ears. But they give me flexibility and no single item is a strain to carry. I tend to use them as two separate rigs; the two 210s (as a 4x1) and the 115 as an extension cab for my Ampeg combo.

Not me, but the last gig I played, the headline band had a problem. The singer/guitarist's guitar lead went all crackly. So, making quite a big thing of it, he swiped it for another. Started another song but the same problem happened. So he decided it was his amp and made a big fuss of changing it. Started another song, but the same thing happened. Again, made a big thing of it and decided it was actually his guitar, so played the rest of their set on acoustic. Completely ruined the flow of their set.

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1338755314' post='1678971'] Extension leads go faulty really quickly when you pour water on them. [/quote] At which point the RCD will trip won't it? Don't tell me anyone plays outside without the power going through a suitable RCD?

[quote name='phil.i.stein' timestamp='1338737244' post='1678635'] is it just me. or do they all look slightly like Wallace ? [/quote] Crackin' ukes Gromit.

[quote name='Ian Savage' timestamp='1338549366' post='1676115'] The venerable Alesis SR16 can be had for very little money these days, still pretty good-sounding and versatile; downside would be that as it's only got 1/4 jack outputs you'd need a mixer or some means of connecting a line out to your amp. Personally I reckon it's well worth practising with a drum machine rather than a click, helps with groove etc... [/quote] I agree with both points, especially the last one. I have an old Yamaha metronome that I used to practice with but the 'ping pong pong pong' sound got on my nerves and drove me to stop playing quite quickly. I bought an SR-16 and it was so much better to practice with, leading to me playing for longer.

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1338549822' post='1676126'] I was talking to a Photographer at our gig last night and happened to mention that there was a website for bass players called BassChat, and he thought it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard! [/quote] What was funny? The name or the fact that there's a website for bass players? Can't be that the website exists, surely, otherswise he'd presumably also think it funny thqat there are loads of photography forums on the web. As for the name, well let's see now, it's for chatting about bass matters so what would he suggest as an alternative? Though I suppose it could be a disappointment for any bass fishermen out there.

[quote name='BRANCINI' timestamp='1338024506' post='1668719'] i have two acoustics and a strat that just sit gathering dust. Every now and then I pick one up, tune it, then it takes about 3 minutes for me to remember how crap I am. So I put it down again. Been going on like that for years. Dunno why I keep em really. [/quote] I could have written that - word for word! You must be a mind reader.

This has been an interesting thread and just proves how much this music lark is a 'people thing' as much as a music thing, probably more so in fact. But, after all the discussion, I reckon silddx boiled it all down to the best statement: [quote name='silddx' timestamp='1338505663' post='1675732'] Glad it's all worked out. Remember to leave your ego and sh*t in the bedroom, serve the song, support your bandleader, [size=5][b]be nice to be around[/b][/size], keep that new bag clean and hygienic, you'll be ok. [/quote] Add that to my other favourite mantra of 'do no harm' and I'd say it's a pretty good principle for life in general.

Your band isn't called "Disaster Area" is it?

Fair enough. I was aware that gas is generally regarded as 'greener' than oil or coal, which seems to be the 'spin' being used to promote things like fracking. The US seems particularly keen on this source of energy as it could give them a high level of energy security, which is seen as increasingly important these days.

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1338499424' post='1675621'] ...and due to a very successful lobbying by the gas industry the EU has classified natural gas as a renewable energy source so now that industry can get it's hands on R&D monies that was meant for 'legitimate' renewables. [/quote] Really? On what basis?

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1338497856' post='1675578'] I'm surprised that they haven't managed to implement an e-mail tax (other than VAT on your ISP bill). [/quote] I suspect they would if they could - like the old joke about taxing the air we breathe if they could find a way. After all, isn't the so-called pasty-tax only being dropped because it's basically unworkable in practice?

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1338492843' post='1675466'] I'm wondering if the charity tax and pastie tax climb downs are just to soften us up for a nastier tax... [/quote] The very fact that government has teams of people working on these sort of pie-in-the-sky schemes (pasty-in-the-sky?) tells it's own story. They'll recover the money from somewhere, somehow.

[quote name='BOD2' timestamp='1338475196' post='1675141'] Running 5.3 ohms and 8 ohms in parallel will create a load of around 3.2 ohms [/quote] Yep. 3.188 of them to be precise (which really doesn't matter in this application!). Useful calculator here: http://www.1728.org/resistrs.htm

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1338474369' post='1675127'] Watch out it appears that the treasury is reading our thread and pinching our easy fix ideas. [url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18277311"]http://www.bbc.co.uk...litics-18277311[/url] [/quote] T'was bound to happen. More details here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/green-motoring/9301269/Drivers-punished-for-going-green.html The fact is that UK plc is an expensive place to run these days and income tax alone just isn't enough. I've banged on enough in the past about how much tax we all pay and, frankly, a penny or two on income tax is neither here nor there. Add up all the tax you pay (income tax, NI, VAT, car tax, fuel tax, insurance tax, flying taxes, alcohol tax, tobacco tax, gas/electricity energy tax and it'll get close to 70%, more for higher rate taxpayers. The rules may change but the outcome is always the same - the government always wins.

As above. Worst case is a pot replacement, a pretty simple job if you can solder, but a squirt or two of contact cleaner would definitely be the first thing to try. This is the stuff I keep on the shelf: http://www.maplin.co.uk/contact-cleaner-4153 In either case the amp will have to be opened up to access the pot - again, a simple job if you're sensible and take care. I'm not sure about professional repair costs but even a pot replacement shouldn't take more than one hour, so maybe £25?

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1338457823' post='1674761'] But, hey, it's music, it's an art-form, there's no wrong and right. [/quote] Seems as good a summary as any other I can think of. Whoever has creative control calls the shots and, inevitably, not everyone will always lke them. Just the way it is. If you don't like it, take the lead on your own project and do your own thing. You'll probably upset someone though.