ARGH

There’s no dust on my fretboards. My repair guy made the comment that I’m the only Bassist that requires a fret dress on the highest B on the E string. You paid for those notes, use them 👍🤣

Barry Sheene... "Problem with you Sheene is your head is full of Motorbikes, Mark my words...there's no financial future in Motorbikes..."

Yeah but do you have that on an original pressing? 🤣

I wish I was that young again.

Ok. Just been informed that being a full time musician isn’t a real job. Along with other selected classics over the years “Covers/functions gigs are not real gigs” ”Doing that means you have no integrity..” ”You must be dead inside to play that stuff” ”It’s easy…” ”But you play… (insert genre, add the disgust)” add yours at leisure… The £300+ I just chucked in my account a few hours back was not ‘REALLY earned’ 🤣🤣

F**K ME... Friday was a bad one...You ever get the feeling top to toe that THIS venue IS NOT a good one... Fights, drugs, annoying mentally deranged types, glassings, people coming on your stage area, singer getting the mic snatched, some annoying old bint wanting us to stop playing as she wanted to sing 'Lipstick on your collar'... dire... Saturday was better, but the place forgot that they had booked us... Played better and played a few unrehearsed numbers.

On Cynic's 'Focus' lp Malone played a fretted Kubicki Factor. iirc he was the house 'Lad' at Morrisound as Bassist/engineer, since Tony Choy had split for Atheist (and the Pestilence sessions) Masvidal offered him the job on the lp.

The secret is to modify, rather than need new. But this is my job, and selling stuff to buy new stuff (apart from usual breakables...strings/Cables etc) pains me

Don't you just love it when a venue tells you that the Landlady has failed to leave any money/allowance, in the safe, to pay for the band AFTER you've played, and the covering manager is refusing to pay out as it's not their problem. Owner/Landperson is (1:15AM Spanish time) pretty difficult to contact in the med coast, and after 30mins, rather sh8faced ..but somehow allows the covering management to "Just take it from the till.." sat about for 45mins/1 hour that I didn't need to be hanging about for... Probably not playing there again.

THREAD RESURRECTION Anyone going to see them on the current tour? Thesseling is BACK!!

We were the last gig in there in it's present guise, as the new managers and brewery have run that place into the ground. Thankfully the manager you...and probably I, played for some time ago is long gone....

Let me guess, The Barge....

Time machine 10 mins to younger self... You don't know it all, but you do know something, do NOT meet or work with musicians you admire, you will be disappointed, cheated, and lied too, stop drinking excessively, you do not behave in a cultured fashion and you should've probably bought the Alembic Spoiler or that Wal as they were both under a grand. That Band Muse that had a card up in Mansons, looking for a Bassist, yes the name is not catchy, but you really ought to take the number down and jam/audition for them. Fenders, are your best friends onstage. LEARN TO SIGHT READ... and LEARN other spoken languages. All the Vinyl in the world is meaningless when you could be earning from playing Bass. Put the money in a better place.. (same with the booze cash) SCHOOL...Education first, along with live playing... use the best gear you can afford. Anybody can be 'Scene' but the goalposts change.... You are going to need therapy. It's not you, It is them... SHUT UP a touch more often. SPEAK UP a touch more too.

Staircase and parking (load in/out) can be baaaaad too, not quite up there with York for stairs, nor that pub in Southampton that I cannot remember for the life of me, but its layout was topsy-turvy, and it was set into a hill, It's an agent job re:pay, which means you have to wait a few days, but its deffo one of those I'm glad to have left the place, some places make you jaded, this for me, can be one.

Ahhhh this one goes out the the sausage jockey that during a Fleetwood Mac song, faced drunk tried climbing onstage with a Gareth Gates tune primed on his Phone, that he wanted us the play (Jocks Cavern, Barnsley late April 2022). Also same venue two weeks back, the smashed lass staggering into one of our PA stacks, knocking the entire lot horizontal… glad your mates carried you out.

Anyone on here do cruise ship gigs? Where do you start and which agencies are best to contact? Gear needed, What skills are required… nightmare or dream job? i’m interested and have begun looking into it as a regular job, but it’s a minefield of info and good/bad/awful advice and counter advice… often contradictory. Please help.

6 Gigs this weekend, 1 friday, 2 saturday, 3 sunday... I earned, and learned. All bar 1 were 2hrs onstage. Only one concert was a bit Kak. Monday I did nothing out of fatigue, and now I think I'm coming down with a cold (Sneezy, Teary, Achey). 3 coming this weekend. Now back to the books, one song to learn (Miley Cyrus/Stevie Nicks Mashup) and I've been asked to get my 6 String Bass out because a few synth tunes are coming into the set. I am tired.

Bought a Hipshot Bass Xtender... fab transaction and service. Top Bloke. 10/10

Turning up with all kit and kaboodle, will raise questions, one band I know had tons of issues and now just take instrument and NOTHING else, and seem to be ok, and so do border staff... the hassle then is gear (and its quality) at the venues end... But on the lower indie, middle league bands I've heard a few paperwork/cost horror stories. But let's not ruin things with politics...

String manufacturers, not making strings long enough, for a string thru bridge, hence the chore of cutting the silk, so the metal windings pass, clear, over the nut, seems to be worst on D's in complete sets. followed by the E. I'll get over it.

A decade plus, ago I haunted here a lot, I was younger, angrier, and explosive...experimental....Opinionated. A lot of life has changed me, a bit is still the same, I still use a Tech21 Landmark 300w head and matching 1x15, sometimes (read that as rarely) a matching 4x10. I've gigged a lot, toured the UK, and bits of Europe (always carrying a battered Sansamp in the case), and now earn a living making regular gigs (Booked/played nearly 100 atm this calender year, looking for more) , I'm even thinking about teaching, giving something back, though it is early days, and I'm getting my reading down. I am deeply aware I know something, but not all. Still using Yank Fenders that I mod to Hell and Back to some degree, a 96 P, 2015 P, and a 2013 Jazz) be it Pickups. Bass Xtenders, Nut material, refrets with different fretwire height/Size, in short they are utter workhorses. I find Fenders, though not without their problems, I can make them work for me, and if anything breaks, kaks out, its fixable... in fact the biggest gear change in 20 years is going back to Rotosound Swing Stainless strings, for the first time since ...a rather long time ago. I simply didn't realise how strings affect tone because I never changed brands, but my gauge still remains the same (.110 heavy). Anyways, Hi...much love, keep safe, and enjoy the day.

Anyone available to dep for a night in Huddersfield. ? Having no luck with my regular contacts position filled. Thankyou for the interest

Email sent.

Ahhh, the old duff drummer syndrome... "But he's my mate" is the reply from the thinstringer... I've learnt, over the last few years, if it fills you with dread, and makes your 'stock' look shoddy...walk.. or kick off..or at least do something, it will only make you feel or get worse as a musician.