How was Your rehearsal last morning or night ?

[Bagman]

And great fun it was 

good for the soul live music

[mikebass456]

Full set run through last night, getting ready for our slot at the Folk and Cider festival at the end of May.

Got through most of the songs without issues, just a couple that stubbornly refuse to settle in - maybe change where they are in the running order.

Used my Martin short scale acoustic into Phil Jones Double Four, with a line out from the Ashdown Acoustic pre-amp to the desk.  Eagle eyed will notice that there's a feedback buster in the Martin, which has been a welcome addition to the setup! 

Overall, a very productive evening!

Edited Thursday at 05:47 by mikebass456

[Franticsmurf]

First run through last night for a side project that supports the Hulla band at their festival every year. It's a subset of the main band and we only play the one gig each year. The rehearsals are usually few and far between as everyone has other things they are doing, but its worked out well in the end each time we've done the gig. Last night was meant to be just a chance to go through some of the songs, see what's working and what isn't, settle in our newest member on sax and set the scene for the rehearsals to come. We warmed up with some songs from last year's set and then, completely unplanned, decided to give 'Baker Street' a go. It was on the 'possibles' list but we were going to leave it for a separate session as none of us have played it before. The sax player was quite nervous about doing it but it's a fun, relaxed atmosphere so we went ahead. And after one dodgy start we played a pretty good version all the way through until we realised we didn't know how to end it. 😀

 

The drummer has a purpose built soundproofed rehearsal space in his garden as he's quite busy with several big bands and depping work. It's just big enough for 5 people to squeeze in. I used my BAM200 into his 1x15 cab and my Ibanez EHB1000s to save hitting people with my headstock.

[Lozz196]

Good Spacewasters rehearsal last night for a gig tonight at The Hope & Anchor, Islington.

 

Lineup swap, our old guitarist standing in for one of the guitarists who’s on hols. Good sounds& playing tho have to admit I wasn’t keen on the supplied Orange bass combo, but it did its job.

 

Also tried ear-plugs but couldn’t pitch my vocals with them in so compromised and just had one in the ear that faces the drums - it’s the cymbals that wreck ears!

[casapete]

1 hour ago, Lozz196 said:

Also tried ear-plugs but couldn’t pitch my vocals with them in so compromised and just had one in the ear that faces the drums - it’s the cymbals that wreck ears!

I have the same problem Lozz, and the same solution. Damned cymbals….

[Mickeyboro]

Provisional Otis Jay Blues Band line-up for a gig on 1st May at Forest Arts Centre, New Milton. All very welcome! We sold out last year, so 🤞
 

Singer and harmonica player are on loan, but like Marcus Rashford are playing up a storm.🎤🎺 

 

It will be this lineup’s second and last gig. There are three Dave’s, and my second name is David.

 

On 2nd May, the remaining trio will be going forward with… shock horrow … a girl singer. Watch this space!

 

Edited Saturday at 07:43 by Mickeyboro

[MacDaddy]

Electrik Soup. Covers band. Yesterday we took ourselves down to Powerhouse in Addlestone so we could do some promo/show reel vids.

Powerhouse staff were absolutely marvellous.

 I used Shuker's 2 and 3 through my Tecamp Puma 500 into my modified Tech Soundsytems 2x12. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were done by 5:30pm then all met up in the pub later. Fantastic end to a great day. Did my mental health lots of good 😊 

[mikebass456]

4 minutes ago, MacDaddy said:

Electrik Soup. Covers band. Yesterday we took ourselves down to Powerhouse in Addlestone so we could do some promo/show reel vids.

Powerhouse staff were absolutely marvellous.

 I used Shuker's 2 and 3 through my Tecamp Puma 500 into my modified Tech Soundsytems 2x12. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were done by 5:30pm then all met up in the pub later. Fantastic end to a great day. Did my mental health lots of good 😊 

And that's what it's all about, really..... Good to hear you had a great day - love the band name too 😎🤘🤘

[zbd1960]

As the non rock n roll bassist, I also sing, but I sing in classical choirs - choral societies and chamber choirs... The nearest I usually get to modern music is arrangements for choir of American Song Book stuff. I sing baritone (roughly the two octaves up from the F at the bottom of the bass clef).

 

I'm a very experienced singer and I've been chair of various groups over the years - I know how they run. Anyway, for the last year I've been singing with a local choral society. They have a number of problems.... They have an MD with an inflated ego and it looks like the committee aren't up to challenging him. They don't have a separate accompanist, which is a major hindrance. 

 

The main issue though is the tenor and bass sections are weak. The basic cause is a lack of younger voices. At 65 I'm younger than any of the tenors by a large margin and I'm the second youngest bass... None of the other first basses (baritones) is strong which means I feel as though I'm always leading the line. This is where a good MD comes in and works to get people singing out.

 

It makes rehearsals very tough going for me. I have to be on point all the time as if I'm not there's just nothing there. If I go off the rails, which happens (it's easy to come in a third too low or something) I've got no way of fixing it as there's no one else there.

 

If this were a vocal consort with just three or four voices to a part, then that's a different thing, but this is supposed to be a 60+ member choral society.

 

The current repertoire in rehearsal includes complex 8 part a cappella stuff. I've sung all of this repertoire before, so it's stuff I'm aware of. It's obvious that most of this stuff is new to most of the choir who've not sung this rep before.

 

I pushed back to the MD a couple of weeks ago and told him this isn't working. He was very dismissive although words were said at the next rehearsal where it was evident I'd had some impact... The next rehearsal was hopeless. You would never know that there were 9 basses.

 

It's supposed to be fun and this has become hard going. The choir just isn't up to this repertoire (don't get me started on sopranos unable to maintain pitch in the a cappella numbers).

 

I've called it a day.   

[Bluewine]

On 18/04/2025 at 16:41, Mickeyboro said:

Provisional Otis Jay Blues Band line-up for a gig on 1st May at Forest Arts Centre, New Milton. All very welcome! We sold out last year, so 🤞
 

Singer and harmonica player are on loan, but like Marcus Rashford are playing up a storm.🎤🎺 

 

It will be this lineup’s second and last gig. There are three Dave’s, and my second name is David.

 

On 2nd May, the remaining trio will be going forward with… shock horrow … a girl singer. Watch this space!

 

 

Great pics. You guys look great 

 

Daryl

[Woodinblack]

I had a notification from bandmix in the 'someone looking at your profile', so I looked them up (I have a free account, can't send messages) and they were looking for a bass player. This year with my current band we have managed 1 or 2 practices as the guitarist always has some reason to cancel, and only a few gigs, also a little bored that it takes us an age to learn the simplest of things, so though I would look for a side project, so I looked up this band and found them advertising on JMB. Contacted them and agreed to meet up this thursday (actually last thursday but that was cancelled as there was a legit emergency for someone). Met up at a village hall. A very different way of practicing than I am used to, all have microphones and stereo in ears, no amplifiers at all, all though the mixer, the sound was great. 2 guitarists, drummer wasn't there (played along to the drum recordings), singer. 

Went through a whole host of songs that I have mostly not played before, heavier stuff with some muse etc thrown in, really enjoyable leaning 10 new songs in a couple of weeks and getting them down not too bad, they seemed happy anyway and asked me back.

Going to go back and see how things work out with it - maybe just playing around and getting set lists ready for the moment, but nice to have a break and completely different styles of music to play. The in ear thing made stuff so good as did only having to turn up with a bass and the Boss me90b