bbrich Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 Yes that's right - Saudi Arabia. Somewhere in the Middle East as it used to be called. I'm actually from Stockport just south of Manchester but I've been contract working here for over thirty years and been playing bass for most of 'em. Get home every three months or so, but my music is all done here. My main bass is a heavily customized red Westone Thunder IIIA. EMGs, Badass, EMG BTC. All that's left is the original wood but it fits me like a glove and sounds really tight through my ancient Trace Elliot 715 combo and the PA. I bought it from the Bass Centre in 1986 and all the mods have been done by them. Its probably done more air miles than most Westones and gets new strings before every gig. I also have a gorgeous Schecter Omen Extreme 5. The black cherry flamed maple contoured top looks fantastic and it sounds good too - just roll the bottom off a bit. Plus the usual Precision but with a Warmoth neck, Badass bridge and split EMG, an Ovation Applause acoustic bass, a Vintage acoustic bass and a Steinberger Spirit headless 4 string in white - purely for posing. As well as the (currently being reconditioned) TE 715 I have an equally ancient Marshall 100w combo and a really, really ancient Ohm Tramp 15w practice amp that just refuses to quit. Its played every rehearsal for the past 25 years so it doesn't surprise me that they don't make bass amps any more. I also have a Roland Micro Cube EX Bass which is neat, a Boss ME50B which isn't, a Boss DI box and a spare room full of PA cabs, desks, stands, etc, etc. I also look after the bands backing tracks (!!) via a PowerBook, Logic Pro, Alesis keyboard and a Roland MC80 sequencer. I manage and play in a covers/function band that's been playing the private circuit here for twenty years or so. We get to play roughly every 6 weeks and at any one time there will be one of us on holiday or away on business and there's never been a keyboard player in town - hence the MIDI. I suppose my musical influences started with Motown and from there migrated to glam-rock with Roxy, Bowie, Reed, Queen which in turn became prog-rock with Floyd, Genesis, etc. Then, in 81, I came to Saudi and at that point my music went sideways since in 81 in Saudi there simply wasn't any. Without radio or any regular source of music we relied on stuff that we'd bring in from the UK and the States so "ones listening became diversified" to say the least. I wound up going down the jazz-funk road and bass playing followed soon after. The rest is history as they say. Looking forward to many more years of bass playing but not too many of them in Saudi. Cheers, bbrich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceChick Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 Welcome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntLockyer Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 hello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 Welcome! Does this mean you're in a booze-free situation?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horizontalste Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1370109766' post='2096588'] Welcome! Does this mean you're in a booze-free situation?? [/quote] Not so sure, a friend of mine is in Dubai as we speak and she is managing to find booze. Welcome to BC bbrich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 Hey bbrich, Welcome! Fascinating story that was, man. Enjoy BC. best, bert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 I was out there for the 'big company' for a time at izdihar - looks like its a hotel or soemthing now lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gust0o Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 Welcome in, lah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 Salam a lickem Welcome to Basschat. Spent a lot of time in Dubai, Oman, Abu Dhabi etc playing the posh hotels in the early 90's before the Ruskies and Flip bands spoiled it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 [quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1370186830' post='2097319'] Salami lick'em [/quote] No! Strictly forbidden in Saudi, as you should know! b, b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbrich Posted June 7, 2013 Author Share Posted June 7, 2013 [quote name='Horizontalste' timestamp='1370114415' post='2096659'] Not so sure, a friend of mine is in Dubai as we speak and she is managing to find booze. Welcome to BC bbrich [/quote] Dubai and Saudi are very different places. One is about the size of Leeds, the other is about the same size as Spain and France put together. One has booze, the other doesn't. And even if it did I'd never admit to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 [quote name='bbrich' timestamp='1370630226' post='2103791'] ...even if it did I'd never admit to it.[/quote] I don't blame you given the penalties for possession and/or supply of booze. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbrich Posted June 7, 2013 Author Share Posted June 7, 2013 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1370109766' post='2096588'] Welcome! Does this mean you're in a booze-free situation?? [/quote] Hmm. I'll be discreet and say that I don't drink much these days and I don't drink either before or when I'm on stage, regardless of where I am, so it wouldn't make any difference as far as my bass playing is concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiOgon Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 Hi & welcome, I've worked out your way, (a few years back), from Oman to Saudi, through all the Emirates, telecom projects with Cable & Wireless. Rather be home these days Cheerz, John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbrich Posted June 7, 2013 Author Share Posted June 7, 2013 [quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1370161353' post='2096998'] I was out there for the 'big company' for a time at izdihar - looks like its a hotel or soemthing now lol [/quote] Asalam a-leykoum Steve-bbb. Izdihar Hotel Riyadh? What did it used to be? When were you there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbrich Posted June 7, 2013 Author Share Posted June 7, 2013 [quote name='KiOgon' timestamp='1370630985' post='2103805'] Hi & welcome, I've worked out your way, (a few years back), from Oman to Saudi, through all the Emirates, telecom projects with Cable & Wireless. Rather be home these days Cheerz, John [/quote] I knew a couple of guys who worked for Cable & Wireless in Jeddah. When were you in Saudi? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbrich Posted June 7, 2013 Author Share Posted June 7, 2013 [quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1370186830' post='2097319'] Salam a lickem Welcome to Basschat. Spent a lot of time in Dubai, Oman, Abu Dhabi etc playing the posh hotels in the early 90's before the Ruskies and Flip bands spoiled it all. [/quote]A lickem a salaam. Yeah, the Flip bands! They've all got a copy of the same song book - the one one with Hotel California and Winds Of Change (with their own take on the lyrics). "Follow the musk-rat down to Donkey Park". I was in the Abu Dhabi Hilton a few weeks ago. Their resident band was an American/Canadian outfit, which made a change. 3 singers, guitar, bass, drums and backing trax. They were good but I do hear you about the Ruskies and Flips. They just undercut everybody. Thanks for the welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monckyman Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 Have a waft of McVities making Jaffa cakes on me and next time I'm in Mersey square Ill pull my hood closer against the rain and smog and think of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 [quote name='bbrich' timestamp='1370631020' post='2103807'] Asalam a-leykoum Steve-bbb. Izdihar Hotel Riyadh? What did it used to be? When were you there? [/quote] it was the compound for the 'big' company Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiOgon Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 [quote name='bbrich' timestamp='1370631182' post='2103809'] I knew a couple of guys who worked for Cable & Wireless in Jeddah. When were you in Saudi? [/quote] On & off in the mid to late 80's, working with C&W, Egerton Construction, Nokia & Fujikura on their Cable laying projects throughout the area. TBH spent as little time as possible actually in Saudi, much preferred the Abu Dhabi & Dubai lifestyle Bahrain was maybe best of all, Qatar & Kuwait not so much I know how much it's all changed in the last 30 years I wouldn't recognise any of it. Best wishes, John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telebass Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Welcome! Did a year in Dhahran for Dallah Avco a long time back. That was enough... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 so how is the gig scene these days in Riyadh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbrich Posted July 1, 2013 Author Share Posted July 1, 2013 Sorry, no idea what the Riyadh scene is like. I had a bass playing mate that moved over to Riyadh from Jeddah a couple of years back. Think he plays a lot of golf these days. Jeddah is recovering. When the security walls went up after the compound attacks in 2003/04 the live music scene really suffered. Prior to that were doing 12-15 gigs a year. After '04 we dropped down to 4 or 5 if we were lucky. Things have eased a little recently and with a new singer and set list we're doing OK. Heavy on the MIDI though. I'm finding that audiences don't want guitar music at the moment. More space for the bass player though. Played a couple of weeks ago and when we went on stage at 830 in the evening it was 41C, that's 106F in old money, with humidity to match. Every piece of my kit failed at one point or another and the stage monitor amp decided to take a well earned rest half way through the first set so I couldn't hear the backing tracks. Every time I leaned forward the sweat dripped into my glasses - so I couldn't read my cheat sheet either. Got through the gig on braille I think - but got through it. Stonking third set to finish with a full dance floor. Must be mad doing this at my age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 good effort! are you playing on greens or browns? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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