Fish out of water

Well, it was all a bit of a disaster -- never try and organise a dinner the same night as a gig! With all the faffing about regarding soundchecks etc. My folks went "see you later, we're off for a curry" and I ended up hastily grabbing a rather doughy pizza in Pizza Express.

Will be back up in July so will be looking at this thread again nearer the time.

Cheers folks!

Thought Ghosts of Progress were grand - really original approach.

Shame. Back in the day it completed the Holy Trinity of pubs I visited before toddling up to the Monday Mudd.

That was rubbish.

mmm, agreed. Very poor.

Suspect that computer is about to become the least used in the college.

I think they are to an extent hitting the law of diminishing returns which is probably why The Dengler has decided to jump ship. He has been a bit of a greeting -face bastart regarding Interpol for a while now.

Think they've always been a bit patchy when it comes to albums but a lot of individual tunes are great. Couple off the last LP (Rest My Chemistry & Pace is the Trick) I still play a lot. Can't say I really dug the rest of the album though.

Played quite a few shows in the Dungeon when it existed. One of the biggest tragedies to befall the city of Aberdeen, the Aberdeen Union shutting it's doors.

So, so many good memories of the place. Never played it but spent many a drunken hour in Sivells, The Dungeon, and the Neil Lounge (Elf). What's the latest on the site? Is it still empty or is it being "developed"?

Totally read that as a gayatone compressor. Think that would make for a great pedal.

"Yeah, turn up the sparkle a bit your guitar doesn't sound gay enough".

Or the pedal won't work if the colour of the guitar clashes with it.

Not making sweeping generalisations at all there.

Simple Minds had a few good early albums but they grew gradually more horrific.

So, which album's the cut-off point for them in terms of quality? Have to say I don't think they're nearly as bad as people paint them to be although I do think Kerr is the bigger problem in many eyes. I would say they're ok up until about 1983, therafter pretty bad. Belfast Child? Oh dear.

Parcelforce cannot be recommended for sending musical instruments - they recently changed their insurance policies - you get the base level of cover for the service you pick and you are not allowed to take out additional cover. express48 only gives you 50 cover, express24 is 100, expressAM and better give you 200.

I use Interparcel to send instruments these days (who sub a lot of their stuff out to UPS it would seem). It's simple - package it up, measure/weigh the parcel, fire in the details, choose level of insurance, pay, print out labels, stick labels on package, they'll come and pick it up. Simples. Even their economy service got there next day the last time I used it. 14 to post a bass including 250 cover.

Will be avoiding Parcelforce in future then. That said, I used Interparcel not so long ago and they managed to damage the bass amp I sent to a guy in the South of England. They did pay compensation (after lots of photos were sent in of the packaging) but somehow it wasn't really the point.

I think your customer should have known better than to send a cheque if they expect the goods quickly. All smells a bit fishy to me.

Play it safe chieftain.

I've sold a few - A Rick 4001 copy to Denmark (Fed-Ex) that was a pain in the hoop to send. Cost 60 quid.

Sold a couple of other basses and a twelve string acoustic and they all went Parcel Force - about 25 quid for the tracked delivery thingy. That was a year ago though. All had cases and went in boxes (if doing this online, you'll need dimensions and weights, although I guess-timated it) that a mate working in a guitar shoppe squared away for me. Also, you can never use too much bubble wrap.

I'll take it off your hands for a tenner - can't say fairer than that

It's where the Gordon Cafe used to be.

Opposite side from the East Neuk pub, about 100 Yards further down, on the left side.

Got ya, didn't realise the cafe was away but it has been a while.

Lahore Karahi

This place is quality, authentic & reasonable. No "Flock wallpaper", Etc. Lots of local Indian families eat here regularly.

Might need to book, as usually very busy.

Have fun.

Menu looks grand - how far down King Street?

This thread seems to be getting a bit too personal for some people and just seems to be going round in circles.

At the end of the day crowds that go to watch a covers band are looking for something different. They are usually a mixed crowd out for a bevvy and not giving a shit if Blues Deluxe are playing a Hendrix song in front of them or if the Marionettes are belting out one of their tunes.

If you go to the globe, you will see a good covers band playing but most of the crowd will probably be more interested in drinking and pulling birds!

If you go to the tunnels on a sat night then the crowd there will be having a beer and listening to a local original band enjoying it more than they would a covers band, They probably don't wanna see joe Bloggs up the road playing chasing cars by snow patrol.

Different tastes for different folk, If people don't wanna be creative and are playing in covers bands then fair play, I don't think they should be slated for it.They are either doing it to earn a living or cos its what they look forward to after a hard weeks work. Guys that play in original bands are doing it because they love creating their own music and playing to a crowd that enjoys listening to it. Theres probably not a greater feeling in the world when you write a song and it goes down really well to an audience.

If you put The Marionettes on at Revolution on a Saturday night and then a covers band playing Lady GaGa tunes or Razorlight tunes, who do you think would go down better?

No offence to The Marionettes but it would probably be the covers band as the crowd there on a Sat night would just wanna drink and hear background music. They would probably have lassies coming up to them asking for a Pixie Lott tune or something!!

and at the end of the day, people don't seem to like battles of the bands!!

Good post and Runcie's last is pretty much on the nail as well. I think we are talking about two entirely different audiences here and never the twain shall meet. There is little or no point in mixing the two as the majority of folks just aren't interested in finding new music outside of the normal mechanism - ie, the mass media. I played in a horrible little band (only band I can honestly say I was embarrassed to play in) a few years back that had a few paying gigs where we played both covers and original material. The punters were mildly receptive to the covers but totally uninterested in the originals.

Fuck, if I was to form a covers band, it would be to play some fairly obscure Swervedriver B-Sides that NO fucker would be interested in. Doubt that would get much of response past a rehearsal room! Still, it'd be a lot of fun I daresay, and there lies the appeal I suppose.

100kg amp rack! your gonna need military vehicles to cart all that stuff round the beach!

Something a little like this?

Welcome to MOD Sales Online - Military Vehicles for Sale - Ex MOD Land Rovers for Sale - #23166 - FV 439 Tracked

Only 1400 miles on the clock too.

That's not what he said though, is it?

Not directly, no. There was something in the abstract though and OG wasn't the only one to pick up on it.

So, are X any good then?

Should have known better than to read this thread when hungry. Feckin' salivating now.

Saigon is definitely the front-runner. Fancy me some Viet-Cuisine.

Cheers for the responses!

Coming up the road in a couple of weeks and would ideally like to take the parentals out for a bit of dinner.

Any recommendations?

Probably in the realm of Indian or Chinese food I reckon. I was in a place halfway down Crown Street not long ago where the curry was grand but I'd like to try somewhere else.

Cheers in advance peoples.

Gah! I'm at work. No dowloadage till late in the day. There's not a time limit on availibility is there? Can't even get on the site here.

The whole BOTB thing is pretty iffy really. I mean, in terms of cool points they've always had a null points, hence so many bands stay away.

As for covers bands as a whole, I think questioning the motivations of those that do it is a little unfair. Maybe some people are creatively spent and can't be arsed thinking of anything new. You only have, and generally you're only allowed to have, a few years playing this game. I know some that are in these bands because they've slogged for years doing their own thing for little gain and have nothing left in the pot to give of themselves. Let's face it, tons of bands have the one album (even more only have one song) that is the purest distillation of their craft. After that, they are just treading musical water.

I don't think 'ability' means much as regards creativity.....nor do record sales.

I agree there are gash original bands.....but I'd rather see/hear them than a cover/tribute band doing someone else's stuff.

If it was a covers band covering a "live" act, so to speak, then no. If it was a band covering stuff from an act that no longer exists and the music in a live sense no longer exists (ie, The Musical Box who I've seen several times and enjoyed), then I probably would.

That said, I despise Beatles covers bands.

But we won't be ripping off anyone to do so, that would be cutting off our noses despite our faces.

Sorry, can't let this pass; you're cutting your nose to spite your face, not despite.

Very nice. Puts my bog standard 3TS with tort guard in the shade a little.