lemmywinks Posted August 13 Share Posted August 13 7 minutes ago, casapete said: I suffered the same situation in a previous band, where people knew I’d always have some new spares. Incidentally though mine worked out around only a quid each - Duracell Procells via eBay if buying a box of 10. Made the loss a bit easier to bear! The danger here is when they find out you have a box of 9v batteries, you'll need some sort of stick (preferably on fire) to keep inquisitive hands away. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted August 13 Share Posted August 13 27 minutes ago, lemmywinks said: The danger here is when they find out you have a box of 9v batteries, you'll need some sort of stick (preferably on fire) to keep inquisitive hands away. Ah, the trick is not to tell them you’ve bought a job lot, just have one or two handy for yourself if you need them, and then keep your used ones to give out to the unprepared ones ( okay, guitarist) 😆 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted August 13 Share Posted August 13 our bassist once gave our guitarist his spare 9V for the acoustic guitar. It was a big gig ad he saved the day. He charged the guitarist £2.50, which I thought was a bit ridiculous, but having read this thread I think he knew exactly what he was doing. The guitarist has taken spares from then on, as opposed to relying on the bassist. Start charging for your spare batteries! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_dinger Posted August 13 Author Share Posted August 13 I am enjoying the stories of others - clearly, it's not just me! However, what I am struggling to understand is why others don't turn up with the necessary spare kit. Surely it is necessary to bring spares to enable one to be sure of playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted August 13 Share Posted August 13 Some people just carry generic spares for themselves. You won't remember all the times the others have spares and quietly swap batteries, leads, or have pens and gaffa tape. You'll just remember when they didn't. An odd one for me the other week. Battery in the bass died at a practice so I stopped and went to my bag to get the spare along with my screwdriver but the guitarist insisted I used his, and was surprised that I'd got spares. 🤷♂️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted August 13 Share Posted August 13 (edited) 10 hours ago, casapete said: I suffered the same situation in a previous band, where people knew I’d always have some new spares. Incidentally though mine worked out around only a quid each - Duracell Procells via eBay if buying a box of 10. Made the loss a bit easier to bear! I've always get two boxes of Duracell Procells from eBay, one goes in my gigbag and the other on my desk at home. They're pretty cheap and I have given a fair few to bandmates, which makes up for all the times people have given me 9v batteries (and other spares) in the past. It all evens out in the end... Edited August 13 by peteb 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_dinger Posted August 14 Author Share Posted August 14 On reflection, I too was once That Person without the necessary kit. I distinctly remember being given a battery about 15 years ago, and having cables that crackled like a short wave radio in a thunder storm. As a result, I have realised that life is better with backups and spares. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cetera Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 I carry spares but only hand them out on occasion in genuine circumstances. You soon learn which bandmates are never prepared and don't carry the gear they need, but still expect others to provide for free. Those people always get the stock answer "sorry, no I haven't got a spare one of those...." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 (edited) The current band manage OK. I think I've lent one guitarist a capo at a rehearsal and that's it. However, I did find a shortcoming in my own preparation at the last gig - plugged in spare bass to get it tuned up and the sound was absolutely horrendous, as if something had gone horribly wrong with the amp. Main bass was OK and as usual didn't have anything go horribly wrong with it so played the gig with that. It was the battery, and I wasn't carrying a spare - something I have now rectified in my little bag of bits. PS: This bass is terribly profligate on batteries. It's the second time it's run a battery flat (first time also at a gig), so now I'm on the third battery since 2007, which is shocking. Edited August 14 by tauzero Didn't mean the pun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 I definitely sympathise with the original post. Musicians are a notoriously flaky bunch but it's also give and take. When I was on tour recently, it was my drummer who had a speakon to jack adapter for me to link my head to house cabs. Generally, it it keeps happening, you need to take some ownership for the gear you bring out. I came off the tour and bought one. The hands down worst experience I ever had was playing in Camden about 10yrs back and the bassist from the other band's bass died mid set. I didn't know the guy but lent him my bass so they could finish the gig. Afterwards, he gave me a running criticism of everything that was wrong with my bass! He was "normally a guitarist, you see"... He did start to backtrack massively when I said that next time I would leave them hanging as I wouldn't want to put them through the ordeal again. Typical indie poser! Thankfully, my current main project, we have loads of fun swapping instruments and are very fair with each other. I am far too along to be wasting my time with idiots in the band. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 5 hours ago, cetera said: Those people always get the stock answer "sorry, you had my only spare one of those last time...." FTFY, with added passive aggression 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prowla Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 31 minutes ago, Norris said: FTFY, with added passive aggression 😉 Gee, I wish I could help you, but I don't want to! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 6 hours ago, Cat Burrito said: the bassist from the other band's bass died mid set I had to read that three times! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 Been there and T-shirt owned. Best one I've done is supply the guitarist with a guitar rig... guitarists combo went pop toward the end of the first set (we ended the set there) and he announces 'That's it, gig off!' I produced a Hughes & Kettner guitar preamp from my gig bag which I carried as a spare for my bass amp breaking down. He's looking at me like 'WTF do I do with that', so I hook him up to the PA and put him through the monitor. Gig NOT off due to bassists forward planning for eventualities. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boodang Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 For the covers band I play drums in, the bass player only brings one pick (obviously too expensive to have more) and is always misplacing it or dropping it during a number. I usually have spare picks lying around in my gig bag (after all I'm the drummer, why wouldn't I) but after getting fed up with lending them to him I got one of those round red 'break glass in emergency' box and installed behind the glass a shiny new pick. I hang said box off the cymbal stand on the side he plays on... he still hasn't bought a spare pick but it's funny watching him contemplate actually smashing the glass when he gets desperate! 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 10 minutes ago, Boodang said: For the covers band I play drums in, the bass player only brings one pick (obviously too expensive to have more) and is always misplacing it or dropping it during a number. I usually have spare picks lying around in my gig bag (after all I'm the drummer, why wouldn't I) but after getting fed up with lending them to him I got one of those round red 'break glass in emergency' box and installed behind the glass a shiny new pick. I hang said box off the cymbal stand on the side he plays on... he still hasn't bought a spare pick but it's funny watching him contemplate actually smashing the glass when he gets desperate! Have you thought of getting a real bass player that plays with fingers instead of a failed guitarist? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 1 hour ago, TimR said: Have you thought of getting a real bass player that plays with fingers instead of a failed guitarist? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boodang Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 12 hours ago, TimR said: Have you thought of getting a real bass player that plays with fingers instead of a failed guitarist? Funny you should say that because recently we held auditions to find a finger player. But the only people to turn up were some random guys; Mike Dirnt, Justin Chancellor, Jean-Michel Labadie and Matt Freeman. As soon as they got out a pick we were like, whoa, stop right there, we don't play with failed guitarists, and sent them packing. We didn't even let them play a note, so I've no idea if they were any good. I don't know why the bothered to show up! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 20 minutes ago, Boodang said: Funny you should say that because recently we held auditions to find a finger player. But the only people to turn up were some random guys; Mike Dirnt, Justin Chancellor, Jean-Michel Labadie and Matt Freeman. As soon as they got out a pick we were like, whoa, stop right there, we don't play with failed guitarists, and sent them packing. We didn't even let them play a note, so I've no idea if they were any good. I don't know why the bothered to show up! If Steve Swallow, Bobby Vega or Cody Wright turn up, don’t even let them get their basses out of the gigbags, they’re losers and rubbish players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munurmunuh Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 15 hours ago, TimR said: Have you thought of getting a real bass player that plays with fingers instead of a failed guitarist? No doubt poor Gar Samuelson was thinking thoughts like these when he found himself saddled with David Ellefson: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 7 hours ago, ezbass said: If Steve Swallow, Bobby Vega or Cody Wright turn up, don’t even let them get their basses out of the gigbags, they’re losers and rubbish players. If Chris Squire turns up, don't let him eat your brains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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