Author Topic: Why on earth did he think I would say yes? (Read 600 times)

jazzyvee · « **on:** October 12, 2014, 08:46:45 PM »

This evening I had a gig up in the east of the country at a 80's night with Musical Youth. In the evening there were two bands on. A Blondie tribute band (who were really good) and us, Musical Youth, headlining the gig.

Anyway about 3/4 of the way through the blondie set the bass player walks into the dressing room with our trombone player and sheepishly asks if he can use my bass as the jack socket on his bass had stopped working...........

My answer was a clear but polite. No I don't lend out my basses
I did feel sorry for his predicament using my bass to fix it, nah.

Funnily though a few minutes later we could still hear bass coming from the stage so I guess he managed to fix something somehow and finish the gig.

What would your response have been?

(Message edited by jazzyvee on October 12, 2014)

sonicus · « **Reply #1 on:** October 12, 2014, 09:22:37 PM »

The same as yours Jazzyvee clear and polite . Most likely for the same reasons running through your head at the time in such a moment when an answer with brevity is required.

hammer · « **Reply #2 on:** October 12, 2014, 09:38:19 PM »

I might expect a 17 year old in his first band to show up at an important gig with no back up. Unless this was the case what you appear to have experienced was a lack of professionalism on the part the other bands bassist. That being a given, I can't conceive of my saying yes to loaning him a bass unless I had a third instrument with me that was worth close to nothing. Your response was appropriate and to the point so that he hopefully learned a lesson. If you had said yes, I can almost guarantee that this behavior on his part (coming to a gig unprepared) would be repeated in the future.

jazzyvee · « **Reply #3 on:** October 13, 2014, 03:14:47 AM »

Rightly or wrongly, I always do gigs without a backup instrument. There have been times I've taken a 4 stringer along because there is a track I want to do on that bass, not as a backup though.
There have never been any problems with my bass that has brought the gig to a halt, if there have been problems its leads or noisy DI etc. Even when I was touring as a guitarist I only carried one guitar apart from gigs where I needed acoustic as well as electric. On one 2 week tour in the USA I took two electric guitars in order to have a backup and that caused an issue with the band because of the extra baggage costs for weight of the guitar in a flight case. After that I just took one guitar and if a string broke, well they would just have to carry on until I changed it.

edwardofhuncote · « **Reply #4 on:** October 13, 2014, 04:14:53 AM »

Though I do *always* carry a backup, I too am a little nervous about lending my basses to anyone... accidents happen.

Ultimately, it depends on the situation... if I know them well, (which happens a lot here, where the musical circle is pretty small) then yes, I might bail a buddy out of a jam. If I don't know them at all, then sorry - no way.

5a_quilt_top · « **Reply #5 on:** October 13, 2014, 08:20:37 AM »

+ 1 on not lending your bass - especially an Alembic.

++ 1 on bringing a backup.

s_wood · « **Reply #6 on:** October 13, 2014, 10:15:17 AM »

Jazzyvee, you handled the situation exactly as I would have. I never loan my Alembics to someone I don't know. If I don't know the person asking to borrow my bass I also don't know how he or she might treat the instrument or whether he or she would be willing or able to pay for the cost of repairs in the event it was damaged. I will admit to feeling badly when I say no to such a request as I try to be more generous than that in my life, but in the end I am just not willing to take the risk.

cozmik_cowboy · « **Reply #7 on:** October 13, 2014, 11:44:42 AM »

Band I used to roadie for carried a piano; not a keyboard, a spinet (well, actually, I did the carrying). Keeping it tuned & working was worth it (esp. given the options in '80-'81), but ongoing.
We did a weekend in our home club with a band whose name, if I were to give it, many would know. Their pianist came in, said Oh, good, I can use your piano! Our guy said OK.
Cat went wild, playing with his butt, his fists, his feet:
I told him You do that tomorrow & I'll come pull the damn piano right out from under you! He was pissed, but stayed within bounds the second night. Never again would I allow instrument borrowing on my watch. As Steve said, you never know what they'll do. Well handled, JV.

Peter

s_wood · « **Reply #8 on:** October 13, 2014, 12:40:58 PM »

Peter... so true...

Just a few weeks ago, in what I presume to be a moment of weakness, my guitar player decided to loan his beautiful Les Paul to some random guy who was begging to play a few songs with us. The guitar player didn't notice that the guy was wearing a huge studded belt buckle that would have carved up the back of the Les Paul faster than an a router in the hands of a crack-addled vandal. Luckily, I caught sight of things just as the guy was putting the Les Paul on and was able to save the day. That's the point, I guess: just because we care about our gear doesn't mean that anybody else does!

lbpesq · « **Reply #9 on:** October 13, 2014, 12:56:44 PM »

You may not remember, but a couple of years ago, you posted the perfect solution to this problem, Jazzy. Just explain that your instrument is an Alembic and requires use of a special cable.

Bill, tgo

jazzyvee · « **Reply #10 on:** October 13, 2014, 01:09:27 PM »

Well remembered Bill, hahaha. I presume I plug it in then give it to him before he gets hold of my bass. :-)

i think the UK version running at 240v would be much more effective as a deterrent though.

slawie · « **Reply #11 on:** October 13, 2014, 02:57:36 PM »

I believe that everyone should live your life so that they may experience it;
-Suffering no guilt and,
-Feeling no regrets.

You did/said what you did/said and I am sure that you are comfortable with your actions.

My response would have been different.
Quite frankly I do get a buzz when somebody plays my bass and particularly if it is the first time they have handled an Alembic.
The look of awe on their faces for me is priceless.

slawie

jazzyvee · « **Reply #12 on:** October 13, 2014, 04:38:53 PM »

Thanks, Slawie, I am comfortable with it because its been a policy of mine as far back as I can remember so I didn't even need to think about the circumstances behind his request.
The answer was going to be no even if my bass wasn't an alembic.

I have also never felt comfortable or really interested in playing any instruments that are not mine. So even at the Alembic meet a couple of years ago there were lots of instruments to be played but I really only played a handful.

I don't think there is a right or wrong in it, it's down to personal choice.
I have seen threads about this on a couple of musicians forums before and the pro's and cons and tragedies are really interesting.

I can't say its been something I've been asked many times in a live gig situation.
Actually I remember one time I was in Europe on a festival tour playing guitar with Apache Indian and a guitarist from another band asked me if he could use my effects board I said no.

Wind the clock forward a few years and we are both in Musical Youth. He's a great guy and we have laughed about it but I didn't know him back then and he understands.

slawie · « **Reply #13 on:** October 13, 2014, 05:02:14 PM »

Then again I would never lend my bass to this guy!!!!

That's Paul Gustave Simonon participating in the creation an iconic punk portrait.

slawie

cozmik_cowboy · « **Reply #14 on:** October 13, 2014, 08:04:40 PM »

I do see a difference between letting someone play your instrument in a check it out situation & them taking it on stage (out of reach & in the heat of passon).

Peter (who just visted his son in AK & was loaned a guitar for the duration to pick with the boy, and so should probably shut up)