ARGH

Heres the best way to find out...wrap a string round your wrist like a bangle,for a few hours,if the swelling,itching,or rash appears then thats the answer..but dont overdo it....you could react REALLY badly.

[quote name='noelk27' post='337920' date='Nov 27 2008, 12:14 AM']It's anyone who claims to be totally sane that I worry about. "It's a madhouse!"[/quote] It depends on what your GP writes down......

[quote name='jakesbass' post='337913' date='Nov 27 2008, 12:05 AM']Never struggled, never missed a bill, never missed a mortgage payment, never felt skint. All the time. Yes[/quote] You are one lucky f***er..Im going to remember you,if we ever pass by,You get a pint,no questions. But you never answered my question,....Have you always just played Bass?,ever taught? EDIT-Just read,that you have done and do.

[quote name='steve-soar' post='337903' date='Nov 26 2008, 11:54 PM']Life is a journey, and the walls are not lined with steel clad guarantees, your average adult has to make decisions that will have to provide the best solutions to their dilemas, it's called being savvy. You seem to think that there is some shame in deviating from being a total, pure musician and not making 100% of your living from it. I have had many jobs and have had some rough times but the one thing that keeps me golden is music. Life is great and we are only here for a very short time, we need to leave a lasting impression of art, love and togetherness, constant negitivity can only slow this down.[/quote] Refer to the OP. The Guy was talking about earning a crust 'Playing'..pure PLAYING! Theres no shame,and I never say that there was..thats you reading something that isnt there,nor do I say that ,I just dont think that '100% Pure player exists' anymore,at least in/where I am living right now......as Ive posted before,Noo Yawk,LA,London or cruiseship,maybe..but not in Bradford,Wrexham,Aberdeen,Swansea etc etc. But Ive expanded that now to encompass the M25...(London) There isnt anything negative about what Ive posted,its just a little raw for people to agree with.

[quote name='jakesbass' post='337863' date='Nov 26 2008, 11:12 PM']What I find interesting in your "honesty" is that you are not open minded to anothers experience. You are telling me how it has been for me and ignoring what I say to suit your argument. I have to say I don't appreciate that as I have a much better idea of my own existence than you do by dint of having lived it. I was sole bread winner for 10 years while my wife looked after the kids. I have never as you put it "done summat on the side" I had 2 years in an alternative career (and was other things before music. Cook, nightclubs, barman etc) The 'alternative career' was while I established new contacts after relocation. But I soon realised that regular income from a mindless activity was utterly without joy. I have a large equity in my property yes, I earned it playing bass as well as a help from price rises I have made over payments in my mortgage for my entire life so far, and I have had no inheritance. The 2 people working at it you refer to is only for the last 12 months and all it means is that I take less of the gigs that don't pay the money. Although there are plenty of gigs I do that don't pay well cos I love to play, and I love meeting new musicians... all of which has meant that for my whole gigging life the phone has rung. There is less work for musicians than say in the fifties but that is true of all sectors of our employment base. I think the most important thing that you miss is that I am a very happy musician. If I wasn't I would do something else. I will also reiterate that I know literally hundreds of musicians who survive and are happy some of them having earned more from one job than many would in a years work.[/quote] Point taken.... But we all know the opposite,good musicians that have not made it,WAYYY more than 100s,that really deserved too,or been crushed.....Playing paid for my downpayment on the house a couple of years back,it paid a fair wedge of my bills too.If you are totally happy,and satisfied....then brilliant. And you have got to the point of picking the best ones...a prized position. Is it all Bass playing? No teaching? Just Bass? Have you never had to struggle? Was it that easy? All the time? You admit you have had to do 'Summat else'...for at least a while. Ive not had the luck to be in a financial situ where I couldnt say no,its been hard sometimes,this weekends the 1st originals gig Ive played in aeons..Ive ditched the moneyspinners to have one more shot at the mad dream.....If it dont work,Guess the Rat & Parrot and golf gigs will come a'calling. We are very different people,in different places,from different times. Guess Im crazy

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='337777' date='Nov 26 2008, 10:11 PM']LOL! I usually have one week of serious flu & chest infection a year. That's this week, actually! I've been off work since Monday, but really need to be at school tomorrow & have a rehearsal tomorrow evening. There's no pension, nope. But then again pensions are worthless these days. I opted out of the local council one as it would've been worth less than I paid in by the time I got to it, LOL! Rich.[/quote] God you have got Balls......Lemsip Max and a chuck bucket. I hope you never stop playing.

[quote name='jakesbass' post='337820' date='Nov 26 2008, 10:36 PM']So ok that sounds more reasonable and I wouldn't seek to denigrate your position or outlook, it's just in the first few posts you were sort of telling me that I didn't exist so I felt compelled to say "well I do.... look here I am" And I live in the South East, house prices etc[/quote] But thats 2 people working at it,support,and love,and I dont totally believe you both have not had to at least at some point do a little extra summat on the side to make ends meet..a shift of something,temp work,had sacrifice's..all that romantic sh*t that at the time utterly stink,but draw you together.... House prices,depends on where you are,but I bet you had to drop a massive deposit,being self employed. If you can do it..Then I applaud you,and you can borrow my gear anytime.

[url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=V1tXhJniSEc"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=V1tXhJniSEc[/url] You make a Judgement about me,without,meeting me,talking to me,or seeing how I play......Thanks.

[quote name='jakesbass' post='337797' date='Nov 26 2008, 10:25 PM']I've made a living from playing bass for over 20 yrs, I do teach (very few private students now though) but who wouldn't when there are no gigs on a monday morning. I have a mortgage, 3 kids, an annual holiday etc etc. I am never skint. I don't earn a fortune but both me and the misses are musicians and we do fine. I regularly get paid over £250 a gig and I do sessions and lots of functions. I usually have 150 plus gigs a year. and I've never been out of work. Aargh I know it may look like it doesn't work for you, maybe you have an attitude that makes you a less desirable proposition than musicians that do make money.. I have a diary full of colleagues just like me, ranging from skint to wealthy... It is not only how you see it mate so please don't call me a liar by proxy ok.[/quote] Nope,never said it didnt work for me,It just was a massive strain on one person to sustain over a loooong period of time (maybe if I didnt live in a posh part of the UK,or had a morgage),me and an ex both did gigs,lessons,ran open mic's...but it isnt playing alone..its multitasking,and if you both do it,then you both understand the ebb and flow,some days its quids in,I dont think you need to be told about the other days,but hey you roll with it. I was on the cusp of the £100-£200 a gig shot till the drummer blew us out and the band folded (Yes Adrenochrome thats when the bough broke),which would have been a cruise for Xmas....Im just glad Ive been offered a higher position at work,its harder work,but its compensation..Lord giveth ,lord taketh away....

[quote name='ped' post='337783' date='Nov 26 2008, 10:15 PM']..Ok then Name a time and place... Just to clarify, who is the big spoon?[/quote] Intake club Mansfield,This Friday,Im in the black Kilt onstage.....Pay the fiver and leave yer teeth If you wanna cockmeasure musical "I know who's" or "Im more pro than you" then all the 2-3k boutique basses aint gonna help you Ped. You know shitall about anything on this subject,namedropping,its labels..s'all it is....You make your meat and veg onstage,grinding it out,all else is bullshit.

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='337757' date='Nov 26 2008, 09:56 PM']Just to clarify a little... Yes, I work VERY hard. Usually 80 hours per week or more, but I am very happy We all think the grass is greener on the other side & a nice big salary and good hours would be nice, but the truth is I work as hard as I do in the so-called "music business" because I love it. Given a choice I wouldn't do anything else Rich.[/quote] I just hope to f*** you keep healthy and well Rich,given that amount of hours,you deserve the money you get and the work you put in...And I hope your pension is full salary too

[quote name='Rusty Shackleford' post='337581' date='Nov 26 2008, 07:00 PM']so i've had a really bad day at work today so i was hoping to get home crank up my bass and trash out some rocking lines, however headache and a case of the can't be ar$£ds stopped me. Anyhoo got me thinking how cool it would be if i had to stuck to my youthful ideas and become a pro player. So how many bass chatters play bass for a living? i will accept musician in band, teacher, bass tech, session player maybe even bass/amp maker etc. And i mean as there full time job, not weekend warriors or function "top up me wages' players. come on some one amaze me with your cool bass job please.[/quote] Here is the shock...The weekend warriors and Function "Top me up..." Players are making the most money out of all...Ok they aint the Rolling Stones,but those record deals just dont exist anymore,the industrys too damn smart,thats why they sh*t themselves over file shareing websites,they didnt have control..its coming round though and they will have the hold again in a few years...deals are being cut,prosecutions being filed,site being shut down. Its not a sour ARGH...Its not a Bitter 'why aint I famous' ARGH...its the horrid truth,and Ive seen both sides of it,you may think the £50 on a saturday night is a pile of sh*te and you are really fed up of hearing the same old same old,but its a plain no-frills fact,given the pubs are closing,cash is thin and people are getting ripped off left right and center (landlords,labels,venues)...Believe me its the best you are going to get right now,and if you really dont like it ,STOP DOING IT and let some other have a go.

[quote name='ped' post='337733' date='Nov 26 2008, 09:30 PM']They certainly are not 'Name' players but people who make a living from playing. Nobody you will recognise. Why, don't you believe me? I am not saying you are wrong - maybe all the ones you have met WERE lying. Hence my remark. Don't tarnish everyone with the same brush though eh? ped[/quote] Bullshit,you cant substantiate your point so you call me a liar..f*** you... You ever had to scrape coins to pay the electric? Feed your family on gigcash?,perhaps you are the epitome of professionalism,and technical creativity,AND YOU STILL CANT GET A GIG for toffee,Ive a mate on Facebook thats in that situ right now,and hes been through a world of sh*t,constantly worrying if the roof over his head is gone next week,is the car going to start etc etc,..Being pro dosent mean you are all smiles and joy..like a NAMM presentation or clinic meeting or a solo gig...they fart f*** and grump like you and I,and no-one is golden,from Manring to Pratt,its a job,and they do a world of other stuff,thay aint players alone....Believe me the guys you snigger at at golf do's or weddings are on the top whack. Its literally as good as it gets,unless you get the slamdunk HIT band deal...then its X period of time till the flavour of the month wears off,and its back to the job queue,or teaching,or build a studio or or or.... The OP ,I Think is wondering that is it possible to just play for cash,you can ,but its not going to be great money,and its the latter fantasy that alot of colleges peddle their courses upon..learn this ..make wedge...bollocks. Pretty much everyone in the Bass mags or Bands has a job...a real 9-5 or otherwise tax and NI paying job,or a spouse that covers bills until the royalities check drops in through the letterbox every 6 months,and then theres the taxman's chunk. The freaks are the ones with a style that it dosent matter what they dont know or know,they are just that special thang...Karn,Chambers..theres a few Folkies that have the same thing,but they are the real exception than the rule.

[quote name='ped' post='337728' date='Nov 26 2008, 09:24 PM']'In 17 years of playing Ive never met one happy pro EVER' ..That struck me as rather odd, that's all. I have met several! ped[/quote] Names. Was it on a classroom gig? NME's latest flavour?

[quote name='ped' date='Nov 26 2008, 09:12 PM' post='337712'] WELL! Personally I do what I enjoy and if people want to buy the music I make for use on TV/DVDs then I certainly won't stop them. By no means enough to make a living, but I think there are lots of HAPPY players out there - perhaps you are hanging with the wrong people ARGH??? What the f***s that supposed to mean?

[quote name='Josh' post='337693' date='Nov 26 2008, 08:47 PM']Great...so theres no hope Argh?[/quote] f***all,if anyone says they are they are f***ing lying.... Save your uni cash,get wheels,and a decent Rig,and Bass (Make it a 5 coz Low B's are de-riguer) learn how to look after your gear,buy strings in bulk,learn how to use an iron and buy suit and tie,polish your shoes,read a chord chart,and dont write ANYTHING in red pen. You will soon learn that if its made of plastic,it breaks. There Ive saved you 2-3 years of widdley,lessons in versitility and TV performance...WHAT THE f***..WHO THE COCK ACTUALLY DREMPT THAT ONE UP AS A USEFUL TOOL OF MUSICALITY.....and talking to this years corporate Label/media darhling bozo's.

Here the rub..... Dont bother,keep dreaming,its sh*tty having no cash,and you have to really really slum it to get anywhere....and leaning on your other half really sucks In 17 years of playing Ive never met one happy pro EVER,without having a BIG chip upon their shoulder....and when I mean pro I mean real pro,the bod does not teach,hold a class,do seminars,does youtube bullshit,or works in a music shop or as a Luthier/builder..or studio worker...an out and out player..they dont exist. Sessions come/go,it depends on who/what you know,and regular work is as rare as pixiedust.....Might happen in London or New York or LA.......but not in the provinces. You really wanna do it,be prepared to do anything,and be anyman to any situation. The best in reality IS the weekend warrior,coz thats when the moneys available,you can give your all,and the moneys good.......I dont know many high payers on a tuesday night in Leeds gigwise...get into corporate work with agents and thats different,but thinking your gonna make a stash of cash playing Greenday riffs to a room of suits and you are in la la land,its slick soul,Motown,Funk,Disco,Rock,and Roll,and ol Mustang Sally...OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN! Going to a music school,wont give you the keys either,I dont care what anyone says,some pipefed asspiece thats now in Guildford fresh out,isnt gonna get the gig,its the guy thats 'Done it' for 3 years with the car and the ratty P Bass that going to get the gig rather than all the flash riffola. All schools gonna give you is maybe reading and a bit of time time find out that the music industry is full of hard nosed drugged up sh*t and corrupt label slime...and the guy at the pub getting xxx cash in hand is a ton of Hell happier than the average touring bandmember. It ISNT cool playing Bass,Its a job same as a window cleaner or a Barman,except you work in sh*tty hours and in all weathers like both former and latter. Singing helps.

Oh do it,you'll dig them,just dont take them to seriously,or ignore them...the polar of them is Laibach,how far can fun go?

Education of quality is never wasted,bad tutors f*** you up,and can send you down dead ends...sounds as if you need a creative injection. A simple idea is just stop playing for 2 weeks...it helps,and drives you nuts,your mind gets all itchy,and you go riffola after a break,I stopped for a month,and it was brilliant.

The circuit diagram comes as a Xerox when its supplied,as I was not the original owner,and the....well I think...electronics were ripped and sold in a retrofit (the P/U's came from an Empathy) this diagram was not passed on.....I did eventually get a copy (Hand drawn) from the guy I bought the Bass from...He made the Bass,the electronics came from Status in one form or another....I remember now it was the 'Mark King' mid-boost circuit,with a 3 way switch (settings were as follows...off....on...and f*** me thats a ton of mid) To put it mildly,I didnt want the earth,and Im pretty sure that I was offering to cover the cost of postage,Im no luthier or techy wiz,I was not gonna copy anything,I just wanted to fix my system,and enjoy my instrument....If Marshall can offer ubercomplex wiring diagrams with no issue through the post...I know they are a massive company,and Peavey are willing to send me an eq knob free of charge..and heres small nobody me,just asking for a few lines on a piece of paper....and willing to pay for it. I believe Wal would do the same,as would Alembic,Sadowsky...etc etc... It was purely for the input section,I went to a qualified repairman (a guy that did New Order's gear,stuff for the Roses,and the Mondays...basically Manc bands) fixed the beef and I was ready to roll,but it would have been quicker for me and him to have this small piece of paper,less fannying about taking stuff apart,finding out what does what and where......Lets put it this way,My company sell Zippo's,Zippo's come with a LTG and its just a small piece of paper that people often lose,I dont buy any means have to give them a new one,hell they probably didnt even buy the Lighter in my or any branches of the companys shops,but its just a small thing,and you tell them what it does,and how to go about it (as only Zippo fix Zippo's) and you pass it to them,I keep a load spare for occasions,it take less than 3 mins,maybe hand writing the address out for them and a webby addy too...5 mins tops..I often like to ask them where/why they bought it,all customers have a storey to tell,one guy had his from his recently passed Dad,given to him by a Yank from the Korean war and the Hinge had bust. Basically Im saying,I was not,or it was not,going to be any hassle,it would have been a 2 mins job,and a 19p 2nd class stamp (price at the time).And he may have gained a customer,I really wanted a headless 6..but no,this guy walked by.I like the sound,I like the look.But not for me..and as I say,Ive not been the first I know of. The whole thing does not matter anymore,the Bass is now in Poland playing melodic Deathmetal,it weighed nice,but I didnt need it any more and Mikhail is really happy with it.

Battleship grey,Mud Brown,Fluro Pink,Elvis shape,seethru with pictures of naked ladies underneath,take the plate off rip the frets out and w*** on about Jaco....Light Beige,sell the thing and buy a P-Bass,Mirror,cardboard,leather,Acid,live Hedgehogs,the moon on a stick...The corpse of Rod Hull,videotape,the fuel tank off a Morris Oxford,Cheese,Carpet,Wallpaper,stained Glass,Lead,concrete,The Queen mums false teeth,Heather Mill's gammy leg,Duncan Goodhew,a side of Beef. Im tired I should be in bed.... Dude,if its that hard a thing to do,go to an artists studio,and ask their advice on colour combo's. Seriously.If you wanna stand from the crowd,and whites dull for you,they would point you in a brilliant direction.

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='335610' date='Nov 24 2008, 04:20 PM']And what did Status-Graphite ever do to you, Mr.ARGH??[/quote] Wouldnt supply me with a circuit diagram......when I had one of their 3 bnd circuits and P/U's installed on a bass I'd just bought,and the input was playing up,and wanted a diagram saying what pot did what,the settings/ratings for the midboost thingy were..basically I wanted to know what was going on under the hood,so I or someone trained with a soldering iron could fix the ruddy thing. I'd never owned an 18v Active before. I tried asking nicely.....twice.... Im not the only one thats had a 'problem' when asking questions...unless you are a customer with cash.You get a cold shoulder,or even blanked. Ask a retailer,most gave up after 2001.

Geddy Lee...GEDDY LEE...(cough) Geddy LEE!!!!!!

Spoom..that track is wonderful!!! You ever listen to the Residents?

[quote name='Jase' post='335953' date='Nov 25 2008, 12:00 AM']Glad to hear something come up Ross. Good luck![/quote] Yeah kept it quiet so the smarmy ass that poisons me off to potential bands,on here,didnt get a sniff.....haha you lose QUNT! Shitting bricks,its dead weird playing for 30 mins....what am I going to do for the rest of the night?? Pack up and f*** off I suppose!