Cat Burrito Posted May 26 Share Posted May 26 This weekend saw me venturing up to Lincoln for the Call of the Wild Festival. I was delighted when I saw the backline because after 20yrs of flitting between Ampeg and Orange, I have recently moved over to Blackstar. I realised that although this was our third gig with the new drummer Andy, it was actually our first rehearsal together. The rehearsal was great which is normally kiss of death. The weather wasn't on our side and with no pride whatsoever, I can confirm that I own absolutely no practical clothes whatsoever. I stopped at a shop and bought an umbrella (colour coordinated with my shoes and car, as you do). The rain came before we went on but we had a fair crowd and it really brightened up quickly during the set. I haven't really used the Thunderbird too much since my Americana days. I like to mix it up and avoid rock style basses for rock groups etc. However, it is a beautiful and lightweight bass that has been with me for nearly 10 years now. I was feeling it, so went with that. Thanks to Jackie Middleton, Mark Ellis and, um, Andy the drummer for these three images. 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted May 26 Share Posted May 26 11 minutes ago, Cat Burrito said: The next time someone asks you "why Thunderbird?" just show them this picture. 9 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricksterphil Posted May 26 Share Posted May 26 (edited) Sorry to hear about your mum. @WalMan. I lost my Mum suddenly too, she just dropped down dead in the care home one Saturday morning. I console my self that it was instant with no draw out suffering. Good for you for getting out gigging Edited May 26 by ricksterphil 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted May 26 Share Posted May 26 I’m just in from an afternoon slot at a really well attended local multi-band event. Great gig, excellent onstage and FOH sound, and we blooded our new guitarist who played a blinder despite only having three weeks to get up to speed with our set. 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricksterphil Posted May 26 Share Posted May 26 (edited) Friday night at The Blue Bell Stoney Stanton in Leicestershire, just up the road from Stoney Cove for all you in the diving fraternity. It's a great little pub and Jade, the landlady is a bone fide Country fan. Went down a storm with the added bonus of my daughter and S-I-L attending as they were up from that London for the w/end. Lots of boogie from the audience and despite our drummer having a gammy leg, we played a blinder. My usual goto gigrig of Mike Lull P4 through the Handbox R400 and matching 1x12. On to Newark next Saturday Edited May 26 by ricksterphil 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StingRayBoy42 Posted May 26 Share Posted May 26 2 hours ago, Cat Burrito said: This weekend saw me venturing up to Lincoln for the Call of the Wild Festival. I was delighted when I saw the backline because after 20yrs of flitting between Ampeg and Orange, I have recently moved over to Blackstar. I realised that although this was our third gig with the new drummer Andy, it was actually our first rehearsal together. The rehearsal was great which is normally kiss of death. The weather wasn't on our side and with no pride whatsoever, I can confirm that I own absolutely no practical clothes whatsoever. I stopped at a shop and bought an umbrella (colour coordinated with my shoes and car, as you do). The rain came before we went on but we had a fair crowd and it really brightened up quickly during the set. I haven't really used the Thunderbird too much since my Americana days. I like to mix it up and avoid rock style basses for rock groups etc. However, it is a beautiful and lightweight bass that has been with me for nearly 10 years now. I was feeling it, so went with that. Thanks to Jackie Middleton, Mark Ellis and, um, Andy the drummer for these three images. Fantastic boots! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dclaassen Posted May 26 Share Posted May 26 1 hour ago, JPJ said: I’m just in from an afternoon slot at a really well attended local multi-band event. Great gig, excellent onstage and FOH sound, and we blooded our new guitarist who played a blinder despite only having three weeks to get up to speed with our set. What style of music? I’ve been fascinated by the NS Design basses since I played one last winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted May 26 Share Posted May 26 46 minutes ago, dclaassen said: What style of music? I’ve been fascinated by the NS Design basses since I played one last winter. Hard to pigeon hole us, it’s a pretty broad mix of country, Americana, a few popular tunes done differently. The main artists we cover are Buddy & Julie Miller, Shawn Colvin, Lucinda Williams, Martina McBride, Thea Gilmore, Kasey Chambers, with a bit of Sheryl Crowe, KT Tunstall, and even Tom Petty thrown in. The NS covers the slower rootsie stuff beatifully. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelDean Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 Back at the basement at Exchange in Bristol, we (Hora) organised this gig with our guitarist's friend's band, Tüsk. We were a bit worried about tickets sales. This is our 6th gig, Tüsk haven't played in Bristol before, but we actually managed to almost fill the 50 capacity venue! Very pleased with that. Plus we sold a couple of t-shirts. I managed to snap my high C string on the first song so I was out of tune for the first couple of songs until I got a chance to retune 😅 I took along my Zilla cab because the stage is so tiny, and it delivered the thunder in spades, as it always does. Much better than their house cab, a beat up Ashdown 410. Love that thing. Signal chain was Combustion, GX-100, ABM-600, Zilla 212. VID_198270127_083805_925.mp4 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gasman Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 Another day at the seaside for Mustang Sally, one of the very few gigs we do that's within walking distance for me, on the seafront at West Bay. It's the annual Pirates' Day event so lots of plastic cutlasses, funny hats and shouts of 'Avast behind!' (not I hope aimed at any of the punters' a*ses...) Weather was iffy, bright sun mixed with sharp showers. There were two stages (curtainsider trailers) so plenty of room width-wise but no depth, especially unfortunate as the open side faced south-west; guess where the weather was coming from? We're still having trouble taming the Bose PA, but then having to set up and get it sorted for FOH and foldback in an hour was always going to be a challenge. The outdoor venue made it even more so - no natural reverb/feedback from France (70 miles straight ahead) rather than the concrete warehouse walls where we played in two weeks ago! Musically it was good - no blunders, fast follow-on between numbers, radio-link for bass (Nux) makes its handover to our Gitrist easy when my sax set comes up in the middle. I put the setlist together specifically avoiding the new under-rehearsed numbers that fell apart at the last gig, so the punters danced and sang along but we had to chop our single 90-minute set by five at the end as the rain finally came down - nice to have the curtain-side slid along to keep us dry as we packed up! There's trouble brewing between the original band members who really want to go back to a classic three-box PA with knobs to twiddle and a ten minute set-up versus the more avant-garde who think it's worth persevering with iPad mixing, wifi links and quality speakers. Which side am I on? I couldn't possibly say! 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 7 minutes ago, Gasman said: There's trouble brewing between the original band members who really want to go back to a classic three-box PA with knobs to twiddle and a ten minute set-up versus the more avant-garde who think it's worth persevering with iPad mixing, wifi links and quality speakers. Which side am I on? I couldn't possibly say! That's funny as the PA we were using on Sat night was tablet controlled with all wireless mics and IEM systems and i think the drum mics too. The guy running it mentioned to me at one point that it kept dropping out and he said it was possibly because of too many wireless signals. He had all the receivers in a rack mount unit at back of stage next to drummer. To be fair i didn't investigate further as it wasn't our PA so i've no idea how many channels were being used. Apart from my bass wireless unit to my own amp i have no experience in full wireless rigs like this. Our singers both have wireless mics and IEM's and altho the desk is digital and can be controlled by a remote tablet / mobile we don't use that. Drummer controls the desk which sits next to him. Dave 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 Wedding gig on lead guitar for a friend of the singer. It was one of those gigs where it feels like an invisible force is making you sound and play better. Mind you I had a head start with a Custom Shop Strat and a self-pimped Tele Deluxe into a Matchless Lightning Reverb. I don’t normally use that Strat for such a rocky set but I mainly played through a couple of low gain drives and the thing just sang. Pic shows stage before we started. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taunton-hobbit Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 Nice, tidy setup - have a gold star ! 😎 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 Monthly Bandeoke in Warminster last night. Dep guitarist was a tiny bit enthusiastic for my tastes but played well which is all that matters. I used this lot That's Jordan. He's a drummer. He deserves pity rather than censure. 10 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StingRayBoy42 Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 (edited) SATURDAY! Two gigs in one day, both with Azura - 4 piece rock 'n' roll/indie/80s stuff. The drive to North Wales took us four hours (should have been less than two) due to a crash on the A53876 (?). The gig was an open day at a caravan park in Towyn (ultra glamorous and sexy, as you can imagine) outside under a gazebo to a load of people who literally could not have cared less. We played pretty well, considering the total lack of any response. The highlight was the stilt walkers and fire dancers who had a boogie along to our set. Thanks, ladies! Then pack down, back in the van, back to the midlands for a quick car swap and off to a pub in Halesowen where we got to do it all again to a slightly more appreciative audience... a few folk seemed to be enjoying it, including the woman who repeatedly told the singer (mid song) that we HAD to do some Kings of Leon, despite being told three times that we were going to. A couple of mates of the band were there and said it sounded grerat out front, a few dancers up by the end and we had a laugh so... yeah. Highlights were the drummer thrashing away at the back like he was on the pyramid stage and finding a still edible slice of Friday's pizza in my bag as we were packing up. I went fully wireless for the first time, Lekato wireless XLR for the IEMs and subzero bug for the Bass... they both played nicely together, so that was a win. Looking forward to the sort of gig where I can go for a wander on to the dance floor. Played the StingRay -> Small board -> Amp board (thumpinator and VTDI) -> MB 802. Back about half midnight for a bottle of Old Pa StingRayBoy's homebrew spiced christmas cider (6.2% ABV (approx)) Not the best gigs I've ever done, but it was more fun than not doing it and it's free money, right? Edited May 27 by StingRayBoy42 Speling 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asingardenof Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 (edited) Back at Spen Victoria Cricket & Bowls Club for our delayed gig from February. The car managed to get me there and back again with no trouble other than the boot switch not working meaning I had to get everything in and out of it via the back seat. Our setup started after the Leeds match, so the mood in the clubhouse was a bit despondent and probably a fair few had gone home, but fortunately the place filled up and was pretty rammed by the time we were underway. We weren't perfect and all of us made a few mistakes, but we were all pretty much on it besides that, and the show had some good flow, apart from when our singist decided to pay tribute to half the Western world before our last song, but our two new songs went down well and the show was a success. I got compliments on my tone afterwards, and a guy I recognised as a fellow bassist have me a thumbs up and a big grin before he left midway through our second set. Same setup this time as last, with the Squier P in use as the Siredowsky (as it shall be henceforth known) is still guts out on my kitchen table waiting for my mate with the soldering iron to get over a bout of food poisoning and return to finish connecting it all up. No gig in the diary now until August, but our singist handed out one of our business cards so we might get another one lined up, which would be nice. Edited May 27 by asingardenof Typos 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackroadkill Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 A bit of a strange one for us on Saturday, playing at a local festival that's always very well attended and has been going since 2006. I played there years ago with a previous band and we went down well, despite dodgy old PA's that were cobbled together from various ancient components etc etc. Fast forward to Saturday and things were.... different. The gig was indoors, the PA and engineer as well as the lighting were superb and the audience was sparse. Okay, we assumed it wouldn't be heaving at 5:30 on a Saturday but it was a bit of a shame that there weren't the crowd we'd been told to expect. We went down very well with the people that did see us so that was great, despite playing immediately after some young 'uns (the drummer was 14!) who played covers of mostly 1990's grunge songs and played them like they'd invented that sound - bejaysus they were good, and following them was a tall order! We played pretty well, and the bass sound was immense. I don't mean it was big, I mean it was like Kyuss in 1993. The amp was the provided Ampeg head and 4x10 (I think, but it could have been a 2x15) and combined with my new Cali76 the tones were amazing, even if I say so myself. Our singer, bless him, reckons he let us down but he wasn't feeling especially well and was really nervous as a result, convincing himself that he wouldn't be any good. I thought he was grand - maybe not quite up to his usual high standards but still better than the majority of cover band singers I've heard. All in all it could have been worse, and we broke our duck with our new drummer, so that in itself was good to do. Onwards to the next gig on this coming Saturday, which is a fund-raiser for boobies. Cheers, JRK 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taunton-hobbit Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 39 minutes ago, Jackroadkill said: playing immediately after some young 'uns (the drummer was 14! I played at The Star & Garter in Windsor (the original Ricky Tick) a looong time ago & we had a guest group whose name I forget, but the Bassist was about 13 & the Ric was almost bigger than him (& yes, they were bluddy brilliant) .............. 😎 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moley6knipe Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 13 hours ago, stewblack said: Monthly Bandeoke in Warminster last night. Dep guitarist was a tiny bit enthusiastic for my tastes but played well which is all that matters. I used this lot That's Jordan. He's a drummer. He deserves pity rather than censure. Mercy mercy me. That’s a rig, ladies and gentlemen. That’s a judicious choice of amp + cabs right there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 In Isolation played The Arches in Coventry with Chaos Bleak on Saturday. I played there a about 10 years ago in my Terrortone days, but the venue has improved massively since then although it's still just as difficult to find. Both bands played to a small but very enthusiastic, and relatively young (for a "goth" gig) audience. Obligatory photos: Next gig for me is with Hurtsfall in Morecambe on the 8th June opening day two of BLAQKHOLESUN Next In Isolation gig is supporting The Rose Of Avalanche in Leicester on 28th July. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 We played the Woodland Stage at Bearded Theory on Friday. I'd read a load of horror stories online about the weather and mud. Apparently they were towing people on to the site! Anyway, we got there at 1:30 for our set at 4pm. I'd forgotten my boots so was stuck hanging around back stage in my converse, trying to avoid getting stuck in the mud before our set. I got to set up my kit to the side of the stage so the changeover was only about 5 minutes. The sound was fantastic, as you'd expect at a proper festival like this. The field in front of us was packed, and it sounded like every one of them was singing along. Only a 30 minute set which makes it super easy on the drums as I don't have to hold back at all. Ace gig 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martthebass Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 (edited) Gig at a nice local pub for us at the weekend. A new venue that’s only just started up live music so wasnt sure what to expect. Lousy stage area so using the short scale Lionel was a bonus. Audience was initially a bit subdued but we eventually brought them around and had a cracking night. Vox still having issues with his Shure wireless set up (losing contact between set up and start of set…) which meant he had to do his audience participation shenanigans with a long lead…. Edited May 28 by martthebass 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricksterphil Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 4 minutes ago, martthebass said: Gig at a nice local pub for us at the weekend. A new venue that’s only just started up live music so wasnt sure what to expect. Lousy stage area so using the short scale Lionel was a bonus. Audience was initially a bit subdued but we eventually brought them around and had a cracking night. Vox still having issues with his Shure wireless set up (losing contact between set up and start of set…) which meant he had to do his audience participation shenanigans with a long lead…. and the award for 'best stage gear' goes to... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 6 hours ago, martthebass said: Gig at a nice local pub for us at the weekend. A new venue that’s only just started up live music so wasnt sure what to expect. Lousy stage area so using the short scale Lionel was a bonus. Audience was initially a bit subdued but we eventually brought them around and had a cracking night. Vox still having issues with his Shure wireless set up (losing contact between set up and start of set…) which meant he had to do his audience participation shenanigans with a long lead…. Loving the boots there Mart. Very nice indeed. Have to admit i have the same top. He has good taste Dave 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martthebass Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 Just now, dmccombe7 said: Loving the boots there Mart. Very nice indeed. Have to admit i have the same top. He has good taste Dave I tend to stick with silver and red-silver-blue sequinned converse Dave, I just haven’t got the head for heights these days. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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