Gigography for 2014

Oops, a bit late with this, but it's still January so I guess the year's still new enough.  Here is a list of where I've been terrorising the earholes of the general public in 2014...

21/02/14 - @The Moorings with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: G&L Tribute M-2000
12/04/14 - @Cafe Drummond with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson EB
26/04/14 - @The Green Room, Perth with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson Les Paul Double Cut
03/05/14 - @Downstairs with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Fender Starcaster
09/05/14 - @The Moorings with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson Non-reverse Thunderbird

Matt@Moorings 09/05,
picture by Biz

24/05/14 - @Henry's Cellar Bar, Edinburgh with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: G&L Tribute M-2000
31/05/14 - @Cafe Drummond with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Epiphone Jack Casady
26/06/14 - @Pivo Pivo, Glasgow with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson EB
29/06/14 - @Opium, Edinburgh with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson RD Artist
12/07/14 - @Cafe Drummond with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson Les Paul Double Cut
12/07/14 - @Cafe Drummond with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson Non-reverse Thunderbird
20/07/14 - @Elphin Music Festival with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson Victory Artist
09/08/14 - @Johnshaven Fish Festival with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Yamaha BB450
17/08/14 - @Downstairs with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Michael, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson Non-reverse Thunderbird
23/08/14 - @Dellston, Auchnagatt with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Fender Power Jazz Special
23/08/14 - @Dellston, Auchnagatt with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Fender Power Jazz Special
27/08/14 - @Pivo Pivo, Glasgow with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Yamaha BB450
29/08/14 - @Market Bar, Inverness with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson EB
30/08/14 - @Cellar 35 with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Michael, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson Les Paul Double Cut

Matt@Drummonds 28/11,
picture by Cat

13/09/14 - @Live at Captain Toms with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson EB
13/09/14 - @LACT:LATE (Captain Toms) with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Michael, Rodaidh.  Bass: Gibson Les Paul Double Cut
17/10/14 - @Cafe Drummond with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Epiphone Jack Casady
17/10/14 - @The Tunnels with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Luke, Michael, Rodaidh.  Bass: Epiphone Jack Casady
07/11/14 - @The Moorings with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson Midtown Standard
28/11/14 - @Cafe Drummond with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: Gibson RD Artist

Gigography for 2013

I'm pretty sure I'm done for this year, no bookings left and people away so it's unlikely that either of my bands will be playing again in 2013.  Without further ado, here is my year in live music in probably too much detail:

17/01/13 - @Ivory Blacks, Glasgow with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: Yamaha BB450
02/03/13 - @The Tunnels with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: G&L Tribute M-2000
06/03/13 - @Cafe Drummond with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: G&L El Toro

Matt @ Lemon Tree 06/04

06/04/13 - @The Lemon Tree with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: G&L Tribute L-2000
28/04/13 - @Copthorne Hotel with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: Gibson IV
17/05/13 - @Cafe Drummond with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: Epiphone Jack Casady
01/06/13 - @Dellston, Auchnagatt with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Chris, Daryl, Kenny.  Bass: G&L El Toro
08/06/13 - @BOX, Glasgow with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: G&L Tribute M-2000
15/06/13 - @Douglas Hotel with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: Epiphone Jack Casady
29/06/13 - @Torry Lighthouse Festival with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: G&L Tribute L-2000
05/07/13 - @Downstairs with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke, Robin.  Bass: Yamaha BB450
03/08/13 - @Belladrum Festival with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: Yamaha BB450
09/08/13 - @Cafe Drummond with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: Fender Cabronita Precision
31/08/13 - @Allathan, New Deer with The Inevitable Teaspoons.  Personnel: Me, Al, Chris, Daryl, John, Kenny.  Bass: G&L Tribute M-2000
21/09/13 - @Eagle Bar, Inverness with FaR.  Personnel: Me, Fifi, Rodaidh, Luke.  Bass: G&L El Toro

Brings us nicely round to 47 gigs in my "career".  Looking forward to 2014!

Photo a day 2012 (85/366) - it's cream, ok?

Photo taken at my friend Rich's house.  Fed up with people saying that his home made speaker cabinet is white, I proved that it is cream by sticking a known white object on top of it :)

Photo a day 2012 (66/366) - new toy

Photo taken in my bedroom.  I got a new amp recently, and so far it has performed excellently.  It totally surprised me by keeping up with the band at band rehearsal.

Photo a day 2012 (62/366) - pointing the way

Photo taken in my bedroom.  Sorry folks, nothing exciting today, just some gratuitous mother-of-pearl on black ;)

Photo a day 2012 (46/366) - 1981 Gibson Victory Artist

Photo taken in my bedroom.  I know I've featured this bass before on these pages, but just look at it!  It's probably the prettiest bass I own.  I'm so glad I was able to rescue it.

Moffat bass bash, videos emerge

I had a great time at the Moffat bass bash last weekend.  This was the fifth one I have attended and they keep getting better and better.

This year was probably the best one yet - a structured, organised "bassyokey" where we pick songs in advance then go up and take our turns with the house band.  A nerve-wracking experience, considering the audience was made up almost exclusively of bass players - most of whom have been playing for many more years than me.  It would be like a driving examiner conducting a driving test in a people carrier full of driving examiners.

Anyway, I chose to play the theme from the TV series "True Blood" - if you don't know it it's a song called "Bad Things" originally by Jace Everett.  I did OK, a couple of bloops but I held it together.  Due to nervousness I lapsed back into bad left hand habits (excessive movement, "any finger will do as long as you get there on time" sort of mentality) which irritated me because I've been trying to get that out of my system.

Anyway, have a video:

There was a vast collection of basses on show as ever.  I took a sweep of the room where most of them were:

I had a great time, already looking forward to the next one!

Photo a day 2012 (36/366) - bass bash!

Photo taken in the Old Well Theatre, Moffat.  Some of the basses belonging to me and my friend Rich.

Photo a day 2012 (34/366) - boxed and bagged up

Photo taken in my bedroom.  Road trip to Moffat tomorrow for the fifth bass bash!  Getting pretty excited about it.  If it wasn't for the fact that all my shirts are still hanging up it kinda looks like I'm being kicked out of the house :)

Photo a day 2012 (32/366) - practice makes perfect

Photo taken in my bedroom.  This is a Tascam MP-BT1 bass trainer.  For me it's an indispensable tool for learning songs as it can slow songs without altering the pitch, and can also change the pitch without changing the tempo.  It can EQ out the bass to a degree for playing along, and it can boost the bass so you can hear it above the rest of the music.  I use it for all my silent practice.

Photo a day 2012 (29/366) - tookay

Photo taken in my bedroom.  Couldn't really be bothered today, so have another bass.  Specifically a G&L Tribute L-2000.

Photo a day 2012 (24/366) - 1981 Guild B402-A

Photo taken in my bedroom.  In the first of a series of gratuitous bass photos (yes, run out of inspiration already, eh?), this is a 1981 Guild B402-A.  One of only 335 made, which makes it the rarest of all my basses.

October Oxbow gigs! Upgraded bass amplification! Almost!

Shameless plug time - The Oxbow Lake Band have a couple of gigs this month which I'd like to bring to your attention:

Saturday 22nd October - Banff Castle, Castle Street, Banff

Another new venue for me, I have never played here before in my life.  Come to think of it I haven't spent a great deal of time in Banff, despite being schooled 8 miles away in Turriff.  I think it was a Turriff vs. Banff school thing (not that I ever felt any affinity with "Turra" - I just went to school there - I'm from Fyvie, another 7 miles further south.  Anyone who even suggested I was from Turriff was swiftly corrected.)

Reminiscing aside, it should be an interesting gig.  Apparently it's some kind of open session first where anyone who comes along with an instrument can play.  Then we play our set.  I've never done anything like this before, I'm looking forward to it.






Saturday 29th October - City Cafe, Netherkirkgate, Aberdeen

Another gig, another new place.  It's been a long time since I was in this establishment, I think it's changed hands at least twice since.  The last time I was in here it was called the City Bar and it was when the bandit jackpot was £6 and wins above a certain threshold were paid out in 20p tokens which could either be fed back into the machine or used to pay for stuff at the bar but curiously not allowed to be exchanged for money.  I was in there with a mate and we had a shottie of the bandit.  The football was on.  We won the jackpot and a repeat, I believe.  The machine then proceeded to spit it out 20p at a time, much to the consternation of those watching the football.  We got glowered at quite a lot.

Come on down and see us play in a place where I didn't even know bands played!





Upgraded bass amplification!

On Friday I took delivery of a Zoot ZB410 - a 4x10 speaker cabinet which handles 1200W at 4ohms.  This reduction in impedance means that I will have 350W available to me instead of the usual 230.  Unfortunately the cab arrived slightly damaged in that the HF horn has cracked at the corners and is hanging loose in its mounting hole.  Oh dear.  Thankfully it was insured in transit.  I have sourced a replacement horn and it will be ready for the gigs.  The main bonus to all this is that I have replaced my old cab (my trusty Ashdown ABM) which weighed nearly 80lbs.  This new cab is a much more svelte 52lbs.  But louder ;)

Exciting times ahead, pop pickers.

1981 Gibson Victory Artist - restored!

Some of you may remember the bass I bought back in June - a Gibson Victory Artist.  Anyone paying attention will remember the awful cosmetic state it was in, but in case you need reminding, here are a couple of pics:



Well, on Wednesday I got it back from my good friend Rich who had performed his magic on the body and neck.  Please excuse the large burp of pics but all I can say is wow:

 

Hats off to Rich, he really has done an amazing job.  At the moment the bass is sitting on its own stand while the lacquer hardens some more and some neck adjustments settle down.  It sounds amazing, and now it looks amazing too.  The only down side to this bass is the weight - that all maple construction makes for a very heavy instrument.  To combat this I am waiting for a special strap to arrive which I hope will stop it from destroying my shoulder/back.

Gear in: 1981 Gibson Victory Artist

I have been looking for one of these for months.  I haven't seen one (reasonably priced) in the UK since December.  I've had to cast my net further afield, which brings its own problems (mostly US eBayers being sniffy about selling internationally or quoting ridiculous amounts for postage).  A mint example appeared on the market (came into this decade in a time machine type pristine) which made the values spike for a while.  Rubbish like that.

However, this rather sorry looking example appeared and I decided to make it my mission to resurrect it to something approaching its former glory.

The picture doesn't show the half of the problems:

• The bass has been refinished (badly) in dark blue
• Someone thought it'd be a great idea to paint the pickguard in silver Hammerite
• Someone thought it's be a great idea to install a push button switch at the back to connect/disconnect the battery - in a place where you keep nudging it when you play the thing.
• The final insult - someone thought it'd be a great idea to take a blow torch to the back of the neck

Thankfully that's where the problems pretty much end.  Electronically and structurally it seems intact.  All the chrome is in good nick, the only tarnishing is on the screws (I'll soak them in cola to clean them up).  One of the tuners was bust, but that has been temporarily fixed - awaiting parts from Schaller in Germany to do a proper job (at least I think that's what's happening - "We send to you the parts you need" sounds like they're going to do it).  One of the very distinctive "Posi-Lok" strap buttons has been replaced with a standard style one.  I had made contact with a guy in Italy who claimed to have some, but that's gone quiet.  One of the wires had come off the circuit board inside, but that was a quick fix.  The stupid switch is already gone :)

So, the plan is a full refinish.  From my digging around inside, I conclude that the bass was originally Candy Apple Red (which is a layered finish of gold, trans red then clearcoat).  I don't fancy that.  I'm erring towards black, it's the least likely to mess up, but all my other Gibson/Epiphone basses are black, so perhaps a change is necessary.

The cleanup has begun - I was able to polish up the headstock so it's looking a lot nicer now:

A lot of elbow grease later >






The truss rod cover was also coated in that Hammerite and when I removed it the "Artist" logo was gone :(  Will have to try and reinstate that somehow.

 I wonder how I'm going to do this.  Paint it on?  Get a white transfer/decal made somehow?

These things are sent to try us.

By the way, did I mention it sounds great? :)