How was your gig last night?

[Gasman]

Two gigs this weekend for Mustang Sally without our regular lead guitarist who's in Spain having a 'working' holiday (he's a therapy consultant and getting paid!). As our rhythm guitarist has given in his notice effective end October we invited his replacement (keyboards/vox) to dep for our lead, so still a five piece but a rather different sound with no stadium rock guitar heroics, but some nice Jools Holland-type keys instead.

 

Saturday was a late start at 9pm at the tiny social club in Mere (Wiltshire). Place was rammed with a - for us - very young crowd (teens-40) who loved what we did and we had a great time - back home at 1am...

 

Sunday was an afternoon start 5.30pm on a very smart mobile stage outdoors at the Castle Cary Cider Festival, with our set ending just before the rain came down at 7.15. I have to say that the crowd seemed to enjoy what we played as they necked every type of medicinal apple juice ever invented, singing heartily along with us especially with 'I am a cider drinker' (arghh!). The stage was a lightweight articulated unit behind a smallish prime mover - it featured lighting and power from an external genny, changing area, steps, retractable canopy and lighting gantry - all in polished aluminium and very stylish compared with the grubby curtainsiders we're used to.

 

WOT NO BASS? Now here's a thing - we had to include my three sax numbers on both nights to fill the sets out. However, without our lead guitarist taking over from me on bass while I honked out front I was a bit worried that the band might sound feeble. However, Dave our new keyboard guy filled in very well with left hand bass and all went ok, tho' I'm looking forward to Francis's return next month...

 

Here's a link to our last number on Saturday - more to feature the sound I'm getting now from the MM Bongo than any claim for originality or musical merit - yes, I'm ready to collect my coat! Best listened to on headphones - recorded on a Zoom H6 on a windowsill behind the band...)

 

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2unr7uje04lg6yktrzm3j/Best-Days-Mustang-Sally.mp3?rlkey=t3mz6qncp7sqhpm7nlycpk4ok&dl=0

 

Here's a couple of pix from Sunday - the stage rig and Gasman posturing again while blasting out 'Geno' on sax... and I swear that the Z Cars T-shirt had been washed since the pic of me wearing it for our West Bay gig last month!

Edited August 28, 2023 by Gasman
Added playback info

[warwickhunt]

@Jack is your dad Joe Hope, artist and bassist?  

 

[dmccombe7]

4 hours ago, gafbass02 said:

Thanks. That’s what I first thought! Despite not having smoked in a long time!! 

Do a little photo-shoping and remove it. 

Dave

[asingardenof]

.

Edited August 28, 2023 by asingardenof

[asingardenof]

21 hours ago, asingardenof said:

 

 

Here's a video from last night showing the close quarters, taken by the guitarist's husband who was stood at the bar. The lady with the green hair tie and her mate in the blue dress were the perpetrators of the bass to the head incidents.

Edited August 28, 2023 by asingardenof

[Downunderwonder]

The echoes are back.

[asingardenof]

7 minutes ago, Downunderwonder said:

The echoes are back.

Sorry for spamming, I hadn't noticed the page had flipped back one and I'd posted the thing multiple times. This not being able to delete your own posts thing is rubbish.

Edited August 28, 2023 by asingardenof

[Bluewine]

1 hour ago, Jack said:

 

 

Saturday:

 

 

Sunday:

 

Excellent!

 

Blue

[Bluewine]

25 minutes ago, asingardenof said:

 

 

 

Nice video, looks like a great show.

 

Blue

[Bluewine]

On 27/08/2023 at 04:34, WAYNESWORLD said:

Last two gigs have been wrecked by decibel meter.

I don't like those things. There was a decibel meter at The Baaree. We're really not a loud band. The meter seems  disrespectful to the band to me.

 

Blue 

[gafbass02]

1 hour ago, dmccombe7 said:

Do a little photo-shoping and remove it. 

Dave

I wouldn’t have a clue where to start with that! I don’t even have photoshop! It’s ok though, after 30 years gigging I don’t really need any more pics of my with a bass in my hands 😂

Edited August 28, 2023 by gafbass02

[asingardenof]

2 hours ago, Bluewine said:

 

Nice video, looks like a great show.

Cheers! It was definitely fun despite the challenges.

[Clarky]

Fun in the sun for The InSect at the Carshalton Eco-Fair yday

[Obrienp]

First gig back with covers band after me being hospitalised last month. We hadn’t played together for over two months because of all kinds of disruption but it worked pretty well, even though we were without our keyboard player. Small but enthusiastic audience in a village hall, with lots of dancing from the get go: possibly fuelled by the free wine that had been provided earlier.
 

I played my Nordstrand Acononyx throughout, as it is my lightest bass and I was worried about getting through 2 hours (turned onto 2 1/2 with encores) with the after effects of a broken rib. It did the job really well, both from the comfort perspective and tone wise. 

[dmccombe7]

11 minutes ago, Obrienp said:

First gig back with covers band after me being hospitalised last month. We hadn’t played together for over two months because of all kinds of disruption but it worked pretty well, even though we were without our keyboard player. Small but enthusiastic audience in a village hall, with lots of dancing from the get go: possibly fuelled by the free wine that had been provided earlier.
 

I played my Nordstrand Acononyx throughout, as it is my lightest bass and I was worried about getting through 2 hours (turned onto 2 1/2 with encores) with the after effects of a broken rib. It did the job really well, both from the comfort perspective and tone wise. 

Well done and good to see you back out gigging.

Dave

[ricksterphil]

17 hours ago, Jack said:

Two gigs this bank holiday weekend, and a tale of two halves really.

 

Saturday was the Rifleman's Ball. We were on at 2pm and played to a decidedly sparse crowd. Sure there were pockets of dancers and everyone clapped but there was about 300 people in a venue that can easily hold almost 40 times that and it had a very empty feel. Anyway, I don't care because for the first time in my not-so-illustrious 'career' as a bass player I played the Newcastle Arena. The same stage that I have seen Iron Maiden, Rammstein, Green Day, New Found Glory, Bill Bailey, Eddie Izzard and many more. That was a massive, massive tick in my life column and something that I am insanely proud of.

 

Sunday was a bar on Roker beach. Small, sweaty, busy, and I had to suffer the indignity of carrying my own stuff, which was a real come down after the roadie-filled luxury of the arena! However, the place was standing room only with dancing and singing, so really the opposite of the Saturday for sure. Both great fun in their own way.

 

As I know you'll be asking. The band is The White Line. I'd post the link but we're not accepting any more gigs and winding down so you're likes would be wasted! The rig in both cases (because I'm too lazy to pack a car TWICE in one weekend) was my trusty EBMM Stingray, a G&L L2000 as backup (never out of the case this weekend), and Shure wireless into a HX Stomp.

 

Saturday:

 

 

Sunday:

 

Is that Rhod Gilbert on guitar next to you 😎

[Jack]

23 hours ago, warwickhunt said:

@Jack is your dad Joe Hope, artist and bassist?  

 

 

6 hours ago, ricksterphil said:

 

Is that Rhod Gilbert on guitar next to you 😎

No to both, sorry guys! Just those kinds of faces I guess. 

[Jo.gwillim]

Played at the big tribute festy on Saturday. We were on first in the afternoon, but there was a good appreciative crowd. Still kicking myself misreading the set list and launching into the wrong song on the second number. Should have been playing on Bb instead of F# so really didn't fit

[ricksterphil]

13 minutes ago, Jo.gwillim said:

Played at the big tribute festy on Saturday. We were on first in the afternoon, but there was a good appreciative crowd. Still kicking myself misreading the set list and launching into the wrong song on the second number. Should have been playing on Bb instead of F# so really didn't fit

 

Jazz notes!

[Bluewine]

We're playing an acoustic gig back at The Harley Motor Restaurant this Saturday, 9/2  5:00-8:00.

 

Between Maple Road and our acoustic offering it's been a busy and fun Summer 

 

Blue 

 

 

[Simon C]

On 28/08/2023 at 21:02, asingardenof said:

 

Here's a video from last night showing the close quarters, taken by the guitarist's husband who was stood at the bar. The lady with the green hair tie and her mate in the blue dress were the perpetrators of the bass to the head incidents.

Thanks for posting the video.  It’s good to see footage of people playing.  And good to hear pubs in my hometown are putting on live music.

[Leonard Smalls]

In a slight deviation from the topic title, nice support for us with Henry Cluney, ex-guitarist of Stiff Little Fingers, hence xSLF. Anyone near Hereford/Gloucester?

 

 

[Mickeyboro]

20 hours ago, Jo.gwillim said:

Played at the big tribute festy on Saturday. We were on first in the afternoon, but there was a good appreciative crowd. Still kicking myself misreading the set list and launching into the wrong song on the second number. Should have been playing on Bb instead of F# so really didn't fit

That’s jazz!😂

[dmccombe7]

1 hour ago, Leonard Smalls said:

In a slight deviation from the topic title, nice support for us with Henry Cluney, ex-guitarist of Stiff Little Fingers, hence xSLF. Anyone near Hereford/Gloucester?

 

 

Nice one. We got asked to support them few yrs ago and the organiser asked how much we would charge to play. After i gave him the price of £250 back then i was assuming PA and lighting was supplied for them he then informed me that they would use our backline plus we need to supply the PA and lighting. I said no that i don't allow people i don't know to use my bass rig plus we hadn't quoted for supplying a full PA rig and lights. 

Think it was more an issue with the sneakiness of the organiser than the band to be fair.

Have a great gig.

Dave

[neepheid]

4 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Nice one. We got asked to support them few yrs ago and the organiser asked how much we would charge to play. After i gave him the price of £250 back then i was assuming PA and lighting was supplied for them he then informed me that they would use our backline plus we need to supply the PA and lighting. I said no that i don't allow people i don't know to use my bass rig plus we hadn't quoted for supplying a full PA rig and lights. 

Think it was more an issue with the sneakiness of the organiser than the band to be fair.

Have a great gig.

Dave

 

That's sleekit.  Can't stand that kind of slimy, slopey shouldered, responsibility offloading bollox.