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 April 17 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 April 19 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

[Lozz196]

Just got home from rehearsal with my instrumental classic rock band. Used my Fender JMJ Mustang strung with Elixir nickel rounds into the rehearsal rooms Ampeg SVT350 & 810, sounded great. 
 

I was very pleased to be using the JMJ again, over the last couple of years I’ve developed arthritis in my left thumb and my playing style was always thumb hooked over the neck, true punk style, so I’ve been working on my playing technique to the classic thumb on the back of the neck, and am pleased that after a 4hr rehearsal no issues with my thumb. I had been using my Fender Japan Mustangs and although they’re great I prefer the sound of the JMJ, more Precisiony. 
 

Band wise we’ve now got about 90 mins of material and all sounded really good, overall a great rehearsal.

[tauzero]

A slightly unusual rehearsal with the originals band as it's the first time I've left the previous rehearsal with a male drummer and come back to this one with a female one, and they're the same person.

 

Our BL is somewhat stressed out by work at the moment and exhausted, so there were a few mistakes, but we got a good foundation for the next song, just sorting the middle 8 out, and we weren't too bad running through the existing songs.

[rwillett]

17 minutes ago, tauzero said:

A slightly unusual rehearsal with the originals band as it's the first time I've left the previous rehearsal with a male drummer and come back to this one with a female one, and they're the same person.

 

Our BL is somewhat stressed out by work at the moment and exhausted, so there were a few mistakes, but we got a good foundation for the next song, just sorting the middle 8 out, and we weren't too bad running through the existing songs.

 

Gosh, you have a far more interesting life than I do.

 

The female drummer and I, (the whole band) spent a few hours last night tiding up our very first song that we have written. We're dead chuffed (thats a gross understatement) as neither of us have written anything musical before, and if you heard us play, you'd know why

 

We have the basics but the middle 8 is actually a middle 12 and I have no idea how to get it down to a middle 8. The joys of learning.

 

Anyway, I can now say I have written an original song and have recorded it with another musician.  Will it make me a fortune, doubt it, but I've broken my duck here.

 

Rob

 

 

[tauzero]

20 minutes ago, rwillett said:

Gosh, you have a far more interesting life than I do.

 

The female drummer and I, (the whole band) spent a few hours last night tiding up our very first song that we have written. We're dead chuffed (thats a gross understatement) as neither of us have written anything musical before, and if you heard us play, you'd know why

 

We have the basics but the middle 8 is actually a middle 12 and I have no idea how to get it down to a middle 8. The joys of learning.

 

Anyway, I can now say I have written an original song and have recorded it with another musician.  Will it make me a fortune, doubt it, but I've broken my duck here.

 

It's not obligatory to make it an 8. In a former social club band, the singer would make the middle 8 into anything from a middle 3.5 upwards, which did mean the rest of us needed to be on our toes (we did anyway for the random rearrangements of verse and chorus). But if 12 feels right, then 12 it should be (the middle 8 of our song in question is actually a middle 18).

[stewblack]

Don't usually get to post in this thread as I don't rehearse in my regular bands.

However we lost yet another member in my Trigger's broom of a Glam band so arranged a night to audition drummers.

Four applicants all agreed to learn some tunes so we hired a room, a kit and scheduled them in over a four hour rehearsal.

Three dropped out at the last minute for a number of exciting and creative reasons leaving us stuck with the bill and only one guy to see.

I didn't feel particularly positive.

But mark the sequel! The guy was great. Established a rapport with him almost immediately. He had his eyes on me for cues, played really well, and even busked Hell Raiser having not learned it.

Anyone who has played any Sweet song knows the structures are never straightforward but he was spot on.

Edited 6 hours ago by stewblack

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, rwillett said:

 

We have the basics but the middle 8 is actually a middle 12 and I have no idea how to get it down to a middle 8.

 

Is there some imperative for shortening it?

[rwillett]

50 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Is there some imperative for shortening it?

It's actually three middle 12s rather than one. My song writing skills are still developing (to put it mildly), so it's all a it long 

[asingardenof]

Pretty good rehearsal on Sunday (yes, I'm a bit late), and I think we have our two new tunes almost nailed. We had a bit of a chat about more new tunes but I don't think certain members of the band have much ambition in terms of what we should add to our set list. A number of absolute bangers (e.g. Go Your Own Way, or anything by Oasis) have been dismissed out of hand because the singer is vehemently opposed, so we're reduced to now learning a couple of plodders by Tears For Fears and Somewhere In My Heart by Aztec Camera, none of which I think will exactly get people in a party mood. Ah well, I'll have to put more effort in, because the last song I proposed (Two Tribes) is now a well-established crowd and band favourite.

 

The seeming tradition of arranging rehearsals on holidays continues, as after having one on Easter Sunday the next date we can all do before our next gig in August is on Fathers Day.

[Lo-E]

A good two hours in a hired room. 
Five new original tunes to be worked into the set for an upcoming gig on the 2nd. Punk/pop originals. 
 

Many rehearsal rooms in NYC are pretty run down but this place is plush; top-shelf gear, really good sounding rooms with good PA and a crew that actually knows their stuff. The bass rig was a Bergantino head and 3x10 cabinet. Very uptown stuff. It’s a pleasure to play there. 
 

Our bandleader/songwriter’s songs aren’t  overly complex so the new songs came together quickly and we’ll clean them up further at one more rehearsal before the show. One of the guitarists had to miss our last rehearsal so it was good to have the whole band at this one. 
 

I took out the Rickenbacker again after a long stint of playing Fenders and I always need a little time to get used to the Ric and its quirks so I had to really pay attention to what I was doing. I mostly pulled it off….

 

Tonight I’ll be rehearsing with a different band in Brooklyn for a show on the 3rd.  Their studio is a dump and a nuisance to get to so it will be a very different experience than last night’s. They’re nice folks, though, so it’s all good. I’ll stick with the Rickenbacker until both shows are over so my brain doesn’t break. 

[Woodinblack]

13 minutes ago, asingardenof said:

We had a bit of a chat about more new tunes but I don't think certain members of the band have much ambition in terms of what we should add to our set list. A number of absolute bangers (e.g. Go Your Own Way, or anything by Oasis) have been dismissed out of hand because the singer is vehemently opposed, so we're reduced to now learning a couple of plodders by Tears For Fears and Somewhere In My Heart by Aztec Camera, none of which I think will exactly get people in a party mood. Ah well, I'll have to put more effort in, because the last song I proposed (Two Tribes) is now a well-established crowd and band favourite.

 

While I agree with the oasis comments, I also have the same issues getting upbeat songs in, or at the moment, any songs! It seems to take forever, I am not sure why most songs cant be done in a week, or maybe two if it is a really tricky one.

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, rwillett said:

It's actually three middle 12s rather than one. My song writing skills are still developing (to put it mildly), so it's all a it long 

 

Leave the first one out? A popular trick.

[knirirr]

We've been preparing for a jazz gig in the centre of Oxford at the beginning of June. The set is pretty much sorted out now, and other than a few wrong notes (this is jazz, though) and a flying drumstick everything was sounding good.

Some effort has been spent trying to find varied arrangements, with different structure and number/order of solos, which is something we usually do for gigs - see https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/324449-jam-nights-cliquey/page/8/#comment-5458986 for why I mention that...
 

[rwillett]

50 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Leave the first one out? A popular trick.

I've been playing about with introductions and the middle bits and chorus and I can see something emerging from the mists. I'll keep trying.

 

The nice thing about 90 min Teams calls with 200 people, are that I can pick the guitar up, play into a tiny speaker just to try things out. Just make sure sure I keep the mic and video off. If I hear my name I can just put the mic back on.

[asingardenof]

1 hour ago, Woodinblack said:

 

While I agree with the oasis comments, I also have the same issues getting upbeat songs in, or at the moment, any songs! It seems to take forever, I am not sure why most songs cant be done in a week, or maybe two if it is a really tricky one.

I'm not saying that everything by Oasis is a banger because that's demonstrably untrue, however there are some of their catalogue that would be extremely popular were we to play them, however it's just a flat no.