Jam nights - cliquey

[peteb]

7 minutes ago, chris_b said:

 

If Nathan East dropped in I would ask one of the jammers if he could borrow their bass. . . . cos he wouldn't be playing mine!

 

It's the rule, it's in all the advertising, and, so far, everyone has been happy to abide by the rule.

 

Fair enough, but completely different to any event that I've done.

 

If you were to turn up at the jam nights that I used to do a few years ago and we knew about you, the BL would be making a point of asking you to get up. If I had said 'he's not using my bass', then I wouldn't have been asked back as part of the house band! 

 

[Dan Dare]

1 hour ago, peteb said:

So, here's a scenario. I'm visiting someone in your town and they get me to come to your jam night. They come and say to you, we've got someone new in the audience tonight who's happy to get up and who's played loads of festivals, played with people who you may have heard of and been on a couple of albums. Are you going to say we're not going to invite him up because he doesn't carry a bass when he travels? 

 

I've done loads of these events, some (especially the ones at festivals) where there are some pretty decent players getting up. I would never take a £5k bass to a jam night, I generally just used to take out a bog standard four string Fender Jazz. We never used to allow drunks or idiots to get up (you can always tell) and even if they weren't the greatest players, we never had any issues. Some of the jam nights were great, but the regular ones used to run out of steam after a bit because you just get the same guys coming week after week. Insisting that you only play with guys who bring their own bass is only going to make that worse. It seems a bit pointless to me. 

 

 

So here's a similar scenario.

 

If you want to play at a jam night, by all means put your name on the list (asking friends to do so on your behalf is a bit naff). Saying you're "happy to get up" implies you feel you're doing everyone a favour. Few care that you've "played loads of festivals, played with people who you may have heard of and been on a couple of albums". Many of us have done similarly and don't make a deal out of it. It might be different if you are a known singer/frontman, but a bass player? Let's be real.

 

If someone wishes to take their expensive bass to a jam night, that's their business. Many jam nights have a few loan instruments (as I pointed out previously, I take one when I play in the house band at jam nights). If you don't have an instrument, feel free to ask to borrow one, but you can't demand or expect it.

[Wombat]

I'd be happy to let Nathan East play any of my basses. Get photos and videos of him doing it and you just added loads to the value 🤣.

[peteb]

50 minutes ago, Dan Dare said:

 

So here's a similar scenario.

 

If you want to play at a jam night, by all means put your name on the list (asking friends to do so on your behalf is a bit naff). Saying you're "happy to get up" implies you feel you're doing everyone a favour. Few care that you've "played loads of festivals, played with people who you may have heard of and been on a couple of albums". Many of us have done similarly and don't make a deal out of it. It might be different if you are a known singer/frontman, but a bass player? Let's be real.

 

If someone wishes to take their expensive bass to a jam night, that's their business. Many jam nights have a few loan instruments (as I pointed out previously, I take one when I play in the house band at jam nights). If you don't have an instrument, feel free to ask to borrow one, but you can't demand or expect it.

 

You might not care, but if someone turned up to the jam night I used to do had a bit of a decent CV, then we wanted to play with them. Quite often (especially the jams at the blues festivals), pretty much everybody on the stage had done more than I had, which was great because I got the opportunity to play with some excellent players that I otherwise wouldn't have done. My point was that if someone like @chris_b had turned up to one of those jams, we would have asked him to get up rather than him having to ask us and we would have been happy for him to use my bass. All I expect is the same respect that I would show to you, semi-professional courtesy if you will. 

 

I would always take a decent enough bass to these sessions and always let other people use it (assuming that they seemed OK) and never had the slightest issue with them treating it with respect. As far as expensive basses go, the first of these jam sessions that I went to (which was kinda like an informal audition for the BL's own blues band), I was called up as soon as I walked in (I was onstage before I had chance to pay for my drinks at the bar) and handed a Fodera that was being used as a house bass for the night! It didn't even belong to the guy playing in the house band, a friend of the BL had just got it and asked the other guy if he wanted to try it out. It's a guitar, not a woman! The other guy who used to do it when I wasn't around used to bring a Mexican Jazz bass rather than his American P bass, which was perfectly fine. I generally used to bring an American Jazz bass or, sometimes a Stingray - no harm at all ever came to any bass that I let others play. 

 

Edited Thursday at 13:18 by peteb

[Burns-bass]

Maybe it’s because the rules of engagement are all different?

 

I did one blues jam where you had to bring an instrument. I did another where a great bass player (member here) let me use his. I do jazz sessions where people will spend hours on my double bass.

 

It’s all contextual, innit.

[Dan Dare]

48 minutes ago, peteb said:

You might not care, but if someone turned up to the jam night I used to do had a bit of a decent CV, then we wanted to play with them. Quite often (especially the jams at the blues festivals), pretty much everybody on the stage had done more than I had, which was great because I got the opportunity to play with some excellent players that I otherwise wouldn't have done. My point was that if someone like @chris_b had turned up to one of those jams, we would have asked him to get up rather than him having to ask us and we would have been happy for him to use my bass. All I expect is the same respect that I would show to you, semi-professional courtesy if you will. 

 

I would always take a decent enough bass to these sessions and always let other people use it (assuming that they seemed OK) and never had the slightest issue with them treating it with respect. As far as expensive basses go, the first of these jam sessions that I went to (which was kinda like an informal audition for the BL's own blues band), I was called up as soon as I walked in (I was onstage before I had chance to pay for my drinks at the bar) and handed a Fodera that was being used as a house bass for the night! It didn't even belong to the guy playing in the house band, a friend of the BL had just got it and asked the other guy if he wanted to try it out. It's a guitar, not a woman! The other guy who used to do it when I wasn't around used to bring a Mexican Jazz bass rather than his American P bass, which was perfectly fine. I generally used to bring an American Jazz bass or, sometimes a Stingray - no harm at all ever came to any bass that I let others play.

 

No, I don't really care. For me, jam nights are a fun evening and everyone gets the same chance - CV or not - to do their stuff. An important element of jam nights is that they are a chance for those who haven't done much playing publicly to do so. Some are good/experienced, some less so. We all have to start somewhere. As someone who has "played festivals, been on albums", etc, I appreciate that. At a jam I attend, the BL will sometimes ask me to play with less experienced players to help them along/keep order and I'm happy to do so. Others did the same for me when I was young and green 50 odd years ago.

 

It's nice when someone good turns up, but it's a bonus. Lending instruments is a thorny area. If you don't know someone, you don't know whether or not they will treat your stuff with care and respect. The fact that they may be a "name" guarantees nothing. I wouldn't have lent a certain Jaco anything of mine, for example. He was known for not giving a flying one when he was off his face.

[chris_b]

At a jam a few years back, before the smoking ban, a friend was up using my back line. I usually go to the stage, between bass players, to help with the lead, EQ, tuning pedal etc. So I walked up to the amp to find a lighted cigarette on the side of the cab! It hadn't burned down far enough to cause any damage, but that’s what you can get when other people, even friends, use your gear!!!

[Dan Dare]

26 minutes ago, chris_b said:

At a jam a few years back, before the smoking ban, a friend was up using my back line. I usually go to the stage, between bass players, to help with the lead, EQ, tuning pedal etc. So I walked up to the amp to find a lighted cigarette on the side of the cab! It hadn't burned down far enough to cause any damage, but that’s what you can get when other people, even friends, use your gear!!!

 

Exactly. It wouldn't happen nowadays because of the smoking ban, but there are other issues. I always tell people no drinks on top of the amp. Some give me a funny look, but if that drink goes over, the fan will suck the spillage into the amp and bang. New amp time.

[Wombat]

Playing in the house band at our open mic I was asked by another bassist if I would play his bass so he could hear what it sounded like (sigh).

Cherry red P. As he handed it to me I only got a glance at the headstock and I thought I saw a circle with a ‘K’. Played a few runs on mute and the neck was ok. When I ‘pressed play’ it was awful. The two outer strings had no volume at all so you had to dig in to them. The two inner were so loud if you touched them they were overwhelming the band mix.

The only ‘plus’ was that it was really light!

Afterwards he thanked me and said how great it was sounding and as I handed the ‘Kay’s Copy’ back I noticed there was actually a pick in the strings over the headstock logo that made me think it was the Kay Logo. Underneath I saw an ‘F’ so asked him what it was.

1962 Precision was the reply. Owned since new he’d basically ‘given me a treat’ to play an awesome Vintage Bass! I was very thankful I’d thought it was a dog as it would save me thousands as I now didn’t want to own one!

Unfortunately that was short lived as he brought its sister, a blonde 1962 jazz, to the next OM. That was LOVELY!

[Count Bassy]

5 hours ago, Dan Dare said:

 

 I wouldn't have lent a certain Jaco anything of mine, for example. He was known for not giving a flying one when he was off his face.

 

And he'd rip all your frets out!

[Bluewine]

On 09/05/2018 at 04:03, shoulderpet said:

Jam nights - cliquey  - Anyone else found this? The concept is appealing and the chance to play some songs you have not played before is in theory a good way to learn and improve , the reality is that most of the jam nights I have been to you see the house bands first pick their favourites that they let play several songs then the remaining people wait half the night to go up and play maybe 3 songs, I generally enjoy jam nights but the cliqueyness is so off putting

 

I think there's a huge difference over here between open mics and jams.

 

Jams are usually invitation only and very cliquey.

 

Open mics, anyone that's on the sign in sheet gets called up to play. Usually all acoustic and solo.

 

Daryl

[Bluewine]

4 hours ago, Wombat said:

Playing in the house band at our open mic I was asked by another bassist if I would play his bass so he could hear what it sounded like (sigh).

Cherry red P. As he handed it to me I only got a glance at the headstock and I thought I saw a circle with a ‘K’. Played a few runs on mute and the neck was ok. When I ‘pressed play’ it was awful. The two outer strings had no volume at all so you had to dig in to them. The two inner were so loud if you touched them they were overwhelming the band mix.

The only ‘plus’ was that it was really light!

Afterwards he thanked me and said how great it was sounding and as I handed the ‘Kay’s Copy’ back I noticed there was actually a pick in the strings over the headstock logo that made me think it was the Kay Logo. Underneath I saw an ‘F’ so asked him what it was.

1962 Precision was the reply. Owned since new he’d basically ‘given me a treat’ to play an awesome Vintage Bass! I was very thankful I’d thought it was a dog as it would save me thousands as I now didn’t want to own one!

Unfortunately that was short lived as he brought its sister, a blonde 1962 jazz, to the next OM. That was LOVELY!

 

Did the bass look like a Fender Precision?

 

Daryl

[Bluewine]

5 hours ago, Dan Dare said:

 

Exactly. It wouldn't happen nowadays because of the smoking ban, but there are other issues. I always tell people no drinks on top of the amp. Some give me a funny look, but if that drink goes over, the fan will suck the spillage into the amp and bang. New amp time.

 

Who would put a lit cigarette on top of someone else's amp ?

 

Daryl

[Wombat]

8 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

 

Did the bass look like a Fender Precision?

 

Daryl

Yes, but so does a Kay and many other basses. It also looked old, although it was loved so not terribly ‘worn’. I think I was prolly more distracted by the next person up calling out the song & key and the bassist coming off handing me his bass and asking me to play it than really noticing what it was.

I do remember not thinking the strap was too low or too high so that was a plus. But thinking ‘is this made of balsa’ it felt so “fragile”.

[Dan Dare]

54 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

Who would put a lit cigarette on top of someone else's amp ?

 

Daryl

 

Someone who doesn't give a rat's.

 

1 hour ago, Bluewine said:

I think there's a huge difference over here between open mics and jams.

 

Jams are usually invitation only and very cliquey.

 

Open mics, anyone that's on the sign in sheet gets called up to play. Usually all acoustic and solo.

 

Daryl

 

In the UK, jams and open mic's are pretty much the same thing.

[Count Bassy]

34 minutes ago, Dan Dare said:

 

Someone who doesn't give a rat's.

 

 

In the UK, jams and open mic's are pretty much the same thing.

Not in my experience. The open mic that I go to is every other Thursday. Every other other Thursday is a jam session, and is totally different.

[casapete]

2 hours ago, Bluewine said:

 

Who would put a lit cigarette on top of someone else's amp ?

 

Daryl

Maybe the same person who would put a beer on it? 

[Geek99]

1 hour ago, Dan Dare said:

 

Someone who doesn't give a rat's.

 

 

In the UK, jams and open mic's are pretty much the same thing.

Totally disagree, sorry 

how does a solo acoustic player fit in with a jam night, where by definition more than one person would be playing at once. 
I do  agree that a given night could feature both setups, if the house band take a break, for an example but that’s an edge case 

Edited Thursday at 22:52 by Geek99

[Chienmortbb]

I was once watching friends band, late 60s or early 70s. The bassist had a pint on his amp, it moved while he was playing. 
 

Eventually the pint toppled over, pouring its contents through the ventilation grille  onto the hot valves below. Needless to say the glass cracked, the amp stopped working. 

[casapete]

12 minutes ago, Chienmortbb said:

I was once watching friends band, late 60s or early 70s. The bassist had a pint on his amp, it moved while he was playing. 
 

Eventually the pint toppled over, pouring its contents through the ventilation grille  onto the hot valves below. Needless to say the glass cracked, the amp stopped working. 

I’m almost OCD about safety onstage, which comes from mainly playing in theatres for 15 years where 

a tidy stage was the norm - cable runs taped down and covered etc. In most of the venues water was 

the only thing allowed onstage and then it had to be bottled, no glasses.

Any drinks near anything electrical have always been a no-no with me. I hate to see drinks on amps 

or on the floor near mains powered pedalboards etc. Also can’t stand punters getting too near whilst

dancing with full glasses in their hands - when did that become a thing I wonder. 

[Bluewine]

24 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

Totally disagree, sorry 

how does a solo acoustic player fit in with a jam night, where by definition more than one person would be playing at once. 
I do  agree that a given night could feature both setups, if the house band take a break, for an example but that’s an edge case 

 

Over here jams are mostly the local accomplished hot musicians (not me). Not so much with acoustic open mic solo performers. They're really not what I would call guitarists. In many instances they only know how to play the songs they bring to the open mics. I don't think they have the skills to jam and improvise with other musicians. I'm sure there are exceptions. 

 

Daryl

[Stub Mandrel]

2 hours ago, Dan Dare said:

 

Someone who doesn't give a rat's.

 

 

In the UK, jams and open mic's are pretty much the same thing.

 

It kind of depends. The 'Blues Dragon' nughts lean towards a true jam... the Earl Haig 'open mic/jam session' leans towards the latter. Most of the local open mics are dominated by acoustic singer/ guitarist types but often get a backing if people are available.

 

They can all be a lot of fun, this one was memorable:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Thursday at 23:33 by Stub Mandrel

[chris_b]

59 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

Totally disagree, sorry 

how does a solo acoustic player fit in with a jam night, where by definition more than one person would be playing at once. 
I do  agree that a given night could feature both setups, if the house band take a break, for an example but that’s an edge case 

 

If someone wants to do a solo spot at our jam night they are allowed. Duos get on as well. At one point we had a guy singing an unaccompanied sea shanty! Then he recited a poem. It wasn't good, but if you ask you get your shot.

[Burns-bass]

A lot of jazz jam sessions can be exclusive, but not always. There’s a great one near me (The Stillage pub) where all people are welcome. 

[Wombat]

At ours it’s sometimes ’bandioke’ where someone sings or plays guitar with a band - often for the first time. People have to pop their Cherry somewhere!

We’ve had people who were truly awful - but so encouraged they come back again getting better & better each time.