Author Topic: Gig with Musical Youth (Read 1816 times)

jazzyvee · « **on:** February 17, 2012, 02:56:44 PM »

At long last it looks like my first gig of the year is happening on 25th February in Stockton-on-tees
http://www.arconline.co.uk/detail.php?id=2694

In the past I have played guitar with the band from about 2004 till 2009. However their new bass player is also the bass player for the reggae band Steel Pulse and will be in USA on a tour at the time of this gig so he has asked me to dep for him on bass.

I think I will be taking the Black Europa/Elan 5 bass

Jazzyvee

rustyg61 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 17, 2012, 04:00:37 PM »

Congrats on the gig! Do you prefer playing guitar or bass?

jazzyvee · « **Reply #2 on:** February 19, 2012, 03:04:07 AM »

I don't know now. My first musical desire when I was a kid was to play bass like Aston Barrett of the wailers. But Ive played more guitar in my life than bass. However I personally think owning an alembic bass made me start the migration to being a bass player. I think I prefer the sound I get on their basses above their guitar sound. I think I'm just a strings player really now. Thin ones or thick depending on the gig.

I hope I nevr have to make a final choice.
Jazzyvee

rustyg61 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 19, 2012, 07:23:47 PM »

It's great that you have options! I think good bass players are much harder to find than good guitar players, but being good at both will definitely open more doors of opourtunity for you! Good luck on the gig!

Rusty

tbrannon · « **Reply #4 on:** February 19, 2012, 07:54:18 PM »

I have fantastic memories of 'Pass the Dutchie'

Seems like it would be a fun gig and bass = reggae, so enjoy!!

jazzyvee · « **Reply #5 on:** February 20, 2012, 12:05:12 AM »

Yeah its good to have the option of doing both. However the first call bass players in my area are pretty hot, versatile and available players and so pick up lots of the work. There was a period when I used to get quite a lot of guitar gigs before I became unavailable due to touring regularly and I guess other guitarists took up those gigs I may have been asked to do.

I'm really looking forward to the gig and maybe I can get more on the back of this one.

Interestingly, I've done loads of guitar gigs playing reggae but this is the first full gig I will have done playing reggae as a bass player. So this will be hi-fi reggae.

Jazzyvee

rustyg61 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 20, 2012, 12:29:21 AM »

It should be a fun gig! Like Toby said, reggae is much more interesting on the bass than guitar!

Rusty

jacko · « **Reply #7 on:** February 23, 2012, 04:49:32 AM »

Hope you have a great gig Jazzy. There's nothing better than being up on stage.
Terry Capewell lives in Stockton. Drop him a mail through his forum profile - TERRYC to get him along. He's a nice guy to meet up with.

Graeme

jazzyvee · « **Reply #8 on:** February 25, 2012, 07:30:19 PM »

The gig went really well. I found out on the way down that the bands sound engineer is also a bass player so he was keen to see my bass and give me good clear sound. He also told me that you have to be careful with the lower mids with reggae as they get in the way. At sound check he was pretty impressed with the sound of my bass and said the sub frequencies were extremely clear and powerful, so my sound ended up being predominantly neck pickup with filter fully closed and a touch of crispness from the bridge pickup.
Interestingly at first we used the di out from my Mesa walkabout but the on stage volume was too high and with the prevalence off the subs it was creating a boomy sound which meant we couldnt hear he attack and note separation very
clearly on stage so I went direct to di then out to my amp and mixing desk. That way I could take some of the subs out of my onstage sound enabling us to hear the notes clearly without affecting what I was giving to the FOH sound.

It was all recorded so I hope to get a copy to hear sometime this week coming..

Apart from that I had a chat after the gig with a very enthusiastic bass player who said he loved my bass playing and thought my bass sounded like royalty. He plays a fender precision and he had never actually heard of alembic. Plus he was very drunk.

All in all it was a great night even though we didn't have a particularly big crowd.
Jazzyvee

rustyg61 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 26, 2012, 05:08:36 AM »

Glad the gig went well! I have had issues with my bass sounding boomy from our subs too, so I'll have to try going to the di first too & see if that helps. Many times my bandmates will say I'm too loud onstage, when what they are hearing is the PA, not my amp. The first gig I did with my Alembic, my bass sounded so good coming out of my amp that the soundman didn't even put it in the mains! I hope to hear the recording of your show soon!

FC Bass · « **Reply #10 on:** February 26, 2012, 03:33:30 PM »

Some good memories here also, still have the album:

If you ever play in Holland you can leave your Mesa gear @ home

jazzyvee · « **Reply #11 on:** February 26, 2012, 11:32:39 PM »

Hey that would be great FC. I know their gig schedule is picking up and talk of an Australian tour this year but I'm not in the band a such It was a Dep gig so who knows when I will get the next call. But sure if we do Holland I will take you up on the offer and get you on the gig list.

Only the Keyboard player and the singer are still with the band these days.

Jazzyvee

edwin · « **Reply #12 on:** March 01, 2012, 12:26:38 AM »

Is their new bass player Amlak? I used to into him a bunch at festivals with Steel Pulse when I was on the road more. If so, great player!

Sounds like a lot of fun, it's good to know they're still at it!

jazzyvee · « **Reply #13 on:** March 01, 2012, 04:57:45 AM »

Yep that's right it is Amlak.

jazzyvee · « **Reply #14 on:** June 26, 2012, 05:28:29 PM »

Two Gigs on this weekend with Musical Youth.

Saturday 30th June :South Birmingham College, Digbeth, Birmingham. Wassifa Showcase, Funday 16:00

Sunday 1st July: Pleasure Gardens London, Royal Victoria Docks, E16 2BS
http://www.londonpleasuregardens.com/paradise_gardens_programme.pdf

I plan to use my black Europa/Elan 5 bass will be used at both gigs.

Jazzyvee