My first gig for three years.

[bobpalt]

Having played in a wedding type band for many years I jacked it in when I retired from work three years ago and bought a motorhome. Sue and I have done a bit of travelling now and although I haven't missed the hassle, regimentation, long hours etc of playing in a function band there was a feeling returning that I wanted to do something musical, so a friend and I decided to see if we could get a little act together using backing tracks. The Two Bees were born, me on bass and really awful backing sounds and Barry on guitar and proper vocals.

We did our first gig last night just to see how things were progressing at a local village club, and I have to say it was probably one of the most enjoyable gigs I have ever played at! The lack of structure, the relaxed atmosphere, the fact that no one stared at you if you played a bum note and the 10 minute set up and tear down times were ace, and everyone (well it felt like everyone) shook our hands at the end, said we were magnificent (beer talk!), bought us drinks and even gave our wives a bottle of wine each to take away. I think we will get some more bookings out of it as we gave plenty of cards away to interested parties, and I can't wait now for the next one. It's our 40th wedding anniversary today so Barry and I (and wives of course!) are out for a posh meal tonight so we can analyse how the night went. It's good to be back, albeit on a very small, very enjoyable scale.

[alyctes]

:Like:

[SpondonBassed]

Lovely.

[Trueno]

Excellent.
With a ten minute set up/tear down time I might be persuaded to start gigging again myself.

[Oopsdabassist]

Well done that man, sounds like a gig I could fancy meself...although still a coupla years short of 40th anniversary lol!

[machinehead]

Brilliant!

I had a 10 year break from gigging between 1993 to 2003 so I know how you feel and now, I hope to keep gigging until I drop.

40th wedding anniversary next year too. Where did the time go?

Frank.

[mrtcat]

Most excellent to hear. Sounds like a great way to get your playing fix without the hassle.

[blue]

[quote name='Trueno' timestamp='1471172916' post='3110948']
Excellent.
With a ten minute set up/tear down time I might be persuaded to start gigging again myself.
[/quote]

For me, setting up and tearing down is all apart of the fun of gigging. We play together and we work together to set up and tear down.

Blue

[skankdelvar]

Good to hear you're back in the saddle, Bob, and having a good time.

One of the tidiest little combos I ever saw was two chaps in a Soho boozer; knocking out hoary old standards with great brio and [i]élan [/i]over some minimal backing, drums and a smidge of keys pads. The room was rammed and rocking; the tourists were stuffing banknotes in the tips jar; some local working girls were upfront, jiggling wildly in an excess of enthusiasm.

'Now that's a gig I'd like,' I thought.

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='bobpalt' timestamp='1471168575' post='3110908']
It's our 40th wedding anniversary today so Barry and I (and wives of course!) are out for a posh meal tonight so we can analyse how the night went. It's good to be back, albeit on a very small, very enjoyable scale.
[/quote]

How romantic

[BrunoBass]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1471187425' post='3111088']


For me, setting up and tearing down is all apart of the fun of gigging. We play together and we work together to set up and tear down.

Blue
[/quote]

I like the set up. Hate the tear down though, the last thing I want to do when I'm still on the buzz of having just played.

[Mickeyboro]

Welcome back from the guy who bought your Telecaster for his wife as a birthday present!

Which of your excellent basses (I got the grand tour) did you keep? The missus swopped the Tele for a video camera...clearly not my best present idea!

Coincidentally we are two weeks away from the end of a pre-retirement gap year. Not a motor home but a round the world air ticket!

[gary mac]

Well done Bob, long may it continue

[MoonBassAlpha]

Hi Bob
I was also wondering which basses you kept. I can't believe it's just the ones in your sig...
(I just realized ALL my current basses were bought from Bob!)

[leftybassman392]

Excellent stuff!

Some of my favourite gigs were really simple female singer/acoustic guitar duets - music at its simplest. I used to enjoy setting up the P.A. (such as it was) on these gigs too. Dead simple, but fun all the same.

[bobpalt]

Hi Everyone. Great to be back in the fold!

Set up and tear down for the function band was a huge hassle. Took a couple of hours each way, and at two in the morning when you're not a young man any more was something I despised. Carting Mackie subs up and down stairs still features in my worst dreams. We now have a JBL Eon One array system which, quite frankly amazes me with its fabulousness.

The little gig on Saturday went superbly well, and I believe I may even have got the biggest cheer for my solo rendition of "Monster Mash". Being a non- singist I am a little restricted in what I can do on my own. Also, I am lacking a singers ego.

Bass wise, I still have the stuff in my sig under the bed, but now use one of Scott Whitley's short scales which is very nice. Amp wise I have an Eden head and 12" Eden cab to gig with. Not sure if I want to go back to full scale jobbies? My time as a purveyor of fine basses and occasional guitars is at an end, but long may my former stock (Hi Jules!) continue to give pleasure. I recognise many former basses in the Basses for Sale column!

[Skinner]

Hi Bob, good to hear you're back- did you leave- not really. I'm still loving one of your former basses - The ZON Sonus amazing bass.