Billy Apple Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 I recently came across a couple of photos of yours truly taking his first steps on the bass. I was 16 years old, bursting with punk-rock and opportunity. The snaps were taken by a school friend who developed and printed them himself. As you can see we were young and the situation was more important than photographic skill. The year was 1983, the location a market town called Hexham in Northumberland. I look at these snaps and it all seems like yesterday. They were taken in the guitarists bedroom, we played into the same amp via the high and low inputs (guitar amp, that is) and did not have a clue about watts/resistance/short circuiting/etc/etc/etc. It was enough for us that we were making a noise, and most importantly making our own noise. At this stage I think we had three songs, one was called 'Take' and I can still hear it in my head now... GGGGGFFEEEGGGGGFFEEE.. My bass is a Westone Thunder IA that I'd blagged from the guitarists brother. The eagled eyed might spot that the active switch is off, because I never put a battery in, and it sounded just fine to me. My mate traded his Washburn soon after for a brand spanker blonde Squier Telecaster that he still plays to this day. I had the Westone until '87 when I sold it to Barney McKays on the Westgate Hill in Newcastle (Crack Converters of the day) to fund my Glastonbury ticket that year. After that I played an Ibanez Roadster that another (wealthy) mate had lost interest in (for quite a while with no A string.. expensive in those days). The Ibanez was vastly superior to the Westone, but it did not last due to the fact that his Mum turned up at my house demanding the bass back that I'd stolen from her Son! I'd had the bloody thing for 8 months! Anyway, when I look at these pictures I get all misty eyed. It all seems like yesterday, and life was all in-front of us. We honestly did not have a care in the world. The biggest problem we had was scrounging money for tabs and beer, trying to pull and sorting transport for the gear to gigs. From these small beginnings my 'Basslife' has taken me to many places and many people. And in many ways I've come back full circle to the joy of simple pleasure of playing bass. It's nice now because I've got some pennies in my pocket so can enjoy the things I could only wish for when I was 16. But the truth is, is what makes tone is a desire and love to do something for yourself, and to hang all others opinion. From this, all tone will flow. Anyway, 30 years later.. The author with his Westone Thunder IA. Acquired off the Forum and finally complete with a battery! Please post up your 'then and now' snaps, and please give a little story so we can carry the torch for those to come. Best wishes to everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurksalot Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 great story , all the better for the pics , but I doubt very much if there ar any pics of me playing when I was a lad , I cant even recall seeing any of my younger brother who played in a proper band for a while, those pictures are to cherish . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acebassmusic Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Ah nostalgia......its not what it used to be...... Great story which I'm sure many on here relate to. I do remember not having a clue how my bass and equipment really worked but just enjoyed the thrill of making music. I need to delve into the archives to see if there are any photos of my formative years....could be scary.....lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 I stumbled across some old recordings on my old computer a couple of months ago of the thrash / groove metal bandband I was in at uni, these were before we got out gigging as they were still labelled the original band name (Mutiny) before we realised it wasn't a very original one. We had gone out to a rehearsal hall somewhere in the Camridgeshire countryside that was attached to a pub and set up our amps and played to a 4-track with two mics and just recorded it as if it was a live set. It sounds surprisingly good 9 years later in a lo-fi kind of way - you can hear everything and I'm playing much better than I thought I used to (though not flawlessly) I've put the tracks on my phone and listen to them at work sometimes and they do make me somewhat nostalgic for playing in a metal band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essexbasscat Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Thank you for sharing your fledgeling moments BA. Sitting here, looking at your pictures and hearing your, I can't help but reflect on how different things often are for the young budding musician. Like you, I made music as a yoof with whatever I could get my hands on, as I had no money of my own to speak of. How different to the situation for many of us today, as we spend time sifting the forum buying this and that. Just wonder, do many of us try a lot harder with our music when we only have the bare minimum to do it with ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 A great thread Billy Apple. I like reading this sort of stuff Will have a look and see if I can find any ole pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyquipment Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Billy apple= Shaun Ryder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman Steve Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 [attachment=134618:Steve - curly in 1978.jpg][attachment=134619:29-07-12-015.jpg] 1978 vs 2012 - ouch!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted May 12, 2013 Author Share Posted May 12, 2013 [quote name='Graham' timestamp='1368342008' post='2075777'] I stumbled across some old recordings on my old computer a couple of months ago... [/quote] Don't be shy.. Stick them up! [quote name='essexbasscat' timestamp='1368344001' post='2075797'] [size=4]Just wonder, do many of us try a lot harder with our music when we only have the bare minimum to do it with ?[/size] [/quote] I do think keeping things to the minimum stuff helps creativity. The songs and playing have to stand on their own without hiding behind stuff. [quote name='tonyquipment' timestamp='1368345189' post='2075807'] Billy apple= Shaun Ryder? [/quote] Well, err.. I was thinking more along the lines of Brad Pitt. [size=1]This has been said before.[/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted May 12, 2013 Author Share Posted May 12, 2013 [quote name='Bassman Steve' timestamp='1368345760' post='2075818'] [attachment=134618:Steve - curly in 1978.jpg][attachment=134619:29-07-12-015.jpg] 1978 vs 2012 - ouch!! [/quote] Both of them are cool as.. Please give us the '78 story Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 [quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1368346576' post='2075823'] Don't be shy.. Stick them up! [/quote] If I can work out how I will, here's some old pics from said band that were in my photobucket account - none of us had a digital camera back then, so these were taken on 35mm film and then scanned in Christ, I was skinny back then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman Steve Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 [quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1368346788' post='2075826'] Both of them are cool as.. Please give us the '78 story [/quote] That was taken at the Cumberland Tavern in Portsmouth (no longer there) when I used to play bass for a sunday lunchtime jazz session. Actually, that particular day is memorable because I only just made it after playing at Lampeter University the night before, grabbing about 2 hours sleep and then setting off to get there. The hair was chemically produced (I can't bring myself to say perm out loud) and my lovely friends immediately started calling me Phyllis. The bass was my first Precision (S749320 - I still recall the serial number) that cost £209 in Andertons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 [URL=http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Just%20Stuff/Music%20and%20Musicians/File0401_zpse724801e.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Just%20Stuff/Music%20and%20Musicians/File0401_zpse724801e.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Just%20Stuff/Music%20and%20Musicians/File0505_zps86bda306.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Just%20Stuff/Music%20and%20Musicians/File0505_zps86bda306.jpg[/IMG][/URL] The eagle-eyed amongst you may detect that bass was not actually my first instrument. The shot of me at the piano was one of my mother's favourites. The music on the stand is my sister's (Royal College Of Music etc.) while I'm actually playing a honky-tonk blues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barneyg42 Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Late 70s, early 90s and then 2013!! I seem to have gained more strings, less hair and more than a few pounds!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted May 13, 2013 Author Share Posted May 13, 2013 Some nice old pics here, folks. Please give a bit of background to the old ones. What was going on in your life, gear you were using, that sort of thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman Steve Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 I'll add to the gear bit for 1978 then. I had that Precision and a Candy Apple Red one with a maple neck. Amp-wise (at that gig) I was using a Marshall 50 through a cab made for me with a single 15" loudspeaker. For other gigs I used another custom cab with an 18 in and a Sound City 4x12. That was driven by a Sound City 120. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlfer Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 (edited) Turks Head Darlington about 1980 H|H, Kasuga Faker, South Park Darlington 1980, Kasuga Faker, Acoustic combo (not mine) Middlesbrough Rock Garden 1981, Peavey T40, H|H, The Bath, Morecambe, 2012, Fender FSR Shuttle 6, Schro 410BMF. By the way, the guitarist on the right in the first three moved away. He has now played with our very own Dr Dave for about 15 years I think. Edit, oh Sod it, based on every dog has it's day, and excerpt from Vic Reeves Me:Moir [URL=http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/Karl_Altdorfer/media/109d212e-be83-46dd-aa78-63ab45bee466_zpsf6c848bd.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1354.photobucket.com/albums/q693/Karl_Altdorfer/109d212e-be83-46dd-aa78-63ab45bee466_zpsf6c848bd.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [url="http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/Karl_Altdorfer/media/img004_zpsc4105009.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/Karl_Altdorfer/media/img007_zps69159287.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/Karl_Altdorfer/media/img109_zps81f40e15.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/Karl_Altdorfer/media/603965_10151254661408330_913679179_n_zpsf68aea0d.jpg.html"][/url] Edited May 13, 2013 by karlfer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 [quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1368474946' post='2077574'] Turks Head Darlington about 1980 H|H, Kasuga Faker, South Park Darlington 1980, Kasuga Faker, Acoustic combo (not mine) Middlesbrough Rock Garden 1981, Peavey T40, H|H, The Bath, Morecambe, 2012, Fender FSR Shuttle 6, Schro 410BMF. By the way, the guitarist on the right in the first three moved away. He has now played with our very own Dr Dave for about 15 years I think. Edit, oh Sod it, based on every dog has it's day, and excerpt from Vic Reeves Me:Moir [url="http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/Karl_Altdorfer/media/109d212e-be83-46dd-aa78-63ab45bee466_zpsf6c848bd.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/Karl_Altdorfer/media/img004_zpsc4105009.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/Karl_Altdorfer/media/img007_zps69159287.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/Karl_Altdorfer/media/img109_zps81f40e15.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s1354.photobucket.com/user/Karl_Altdorfer/media/603965_10151254661408330_913679179_n_zpsf68aea0d.jpg.html"][/url] [/quote] I'm impressed ! Being immortalised in print - that will take some beating . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlfer Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 Aw shucks Dingus, you are too kind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzneck Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 If this was in the "Off Topic" bit - BC members only - I may scare the life out of you.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted May 14, 2013 Author Share Posted May 14, 2013 [quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1368530079' post='2077984'] If this was in the "Off Topic" bit - BC members only - I may scare the life out of you.... [/quote] I hadn't realized one was open and one was closed. Do you think this is putting people off posting? I put it in general as it's bass related. I'll get the mods to shift it over if it will encourage members to share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 Me at my first gig : [sharedmedia=core:attachments:7650] Me having received my ACG : [sharedmedia=core:attachments:33111] Me with my last band : [sharedmedia=core:attachments:112229] Me at my last gig : Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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