Fish out of water

Yeah they're pretty pricey most of the time, but they are hand made. If you look at hand made fender's you're talking the same price, I'd imagine? Plus, the Sandberg beats the Fender jazzes I've heard/played hands down. Would like to put it toe to toe with a lakland, but it think the active/passive Delano p'ups would edge it for the Sandberg.

Yeah, Sandbergs are boutique basses really hence the price. Laklands' - I quite fancy the Decade, not really that bothered with their Super Jazzes.

tonight - Flash Forward repeat. Tommorow, folks coming down to stay, bit of dinner then let them watch me make a fud of myself at the gig I'm playing at 13th Note. Sunday, lazy day.

Sandberg's are the pups nut but fuck me, what a price.

Michael Forbes, the salmon fisherman and quarryman

Can you do both these things at the same time?

Horses for courses.

I rather stick a red hot poker in her face than have her produce any more music myself.

It was interesting recently that an x factor spokesman actually admitted that Jedward had been pre auditioned in Ireland prior to their audition with cowell.

I'd heard this too, probably from some tabloid or other. The more interesting thing is the muted response to it by the public - they are fully aware of the fixed nature of the audition process. It's been covered by some of the broadsheets as well. Yet there's been little or no real reaction to this. There is a limited (VERY limited) competition aspect to X Factor, so maybe they don't care as long as it's entertaining.

Do tell more. Why horrified? What was in the paperwork? A sub clause to play with Cowells balls?

It is the home of it after all...

Viola.

(8 char)

Oh FFS, a big Violin?? In that case it re-inforces my original point about violins then.

Back to the original debate - I don't have much time for post-rock (85% of the stuff I've heard is gash) and zero time for twee/fey stuff. I find that people who attempt to define their music as experimental rarely deserve the epithet - it might sound experimental to them but sure as shit doesn't to me.

People often scoff at Lad/Dad/Indie Rock as entirely derivative and traditional without realising that their own musical efforts/listening habits aren't that much more original. So, often many of its critics are in no better a position to be able to criticise. There again, as the old saying goes, everyone's a critic.

Lad/Dad/Indie Rock does have poor cred points with many, but its really inter-genre sniffiness that drives it and I'll defend to the end a person's right to enjoy it. Most of the stuff I listen to is generally labelled either Shoegaze or Prog so I can appreciate the marginalisation. I haven't listened to Oasis for years (i like some songs but never really loved them like a lot of people do), and what Weller I do listen to is limited to the albums that got panned by the critics (Heavy Soul, Heliocentric)!

As for Vesuvian themselves, I don't know them so can't comment on their personal qualities or lack thereof. I think if they were to shorten their songs by a few minutes at the end, it would improve them no end. I would still choose them over a lot of guitar music doing the rounds for the simple reason that some of what they do does the right things for my ears.

Actually, yes and he owns you.

I was being ironic, but in any case being owned by a corpse is a new one.

FJ - do expand on this as I was always under the impression that the wooden stringy thing John Cale stuck under his chin was a violin. It ain't a guitar. Hurdy Gurdy? Wouldn't have thought that was VU's thing.

YES! I saw them at The Skinny birthday party thing the other month, and they were ace. Occasionally pressing a butto on a laptop, while dancing in a fighter pilot outfit is surely the best role in any band ever.

I'm kicking myself for not having thought of it first. Absolutely inspired.

i did read today that a collaboration between rolf harris and rick parfitt is going to have a bash at dislodging whatever crap cover the x factor is doing this year, now that would be fantastic if they could do it but we all know it wont!

I'm probably alone, but I would buy this. Because Rolf is the fucking sheriff.

Anything feat. John Barnes.

As in the John Barnes who delivered the "John Barnes Rap" on World in Motion by New Order?

Otherwise, I'm extremely impressed with The Horrors second album - the music is tip top.

Also digging RBRBR from Edinburgh - best live band I've seen in ages. They have a pilot at one end, and a ninja at the other who does little exlse other than glower at the audience and occasionally rattle shakey eggs - sublime. No, I don't know them.

Paganini.

Paganini was a bass player?

Touche, salesman.

(Although if played well on a high-quality instrument it's neither 'rotten, whiney or screechy'.)

Hmmm, we'll never see eye to eye on that one. From Stagg to Strad, they're all terrible!

Or maybe its my traditional brass player's bias coming through again.

Easy tiger. Honestly? it's rotten, whiney, screeechy instrument that is akin drawing fingernails down a blackboard. It has to be heard in packs of 12 or more to sound even remotely interesting and even then its usually deployed to give a treacley bloated feel to things like "The Drugs Don't Work". Deployed on its own in a rock setting, you get pish like Arcade Fire - awful. The only song where it's really worked on its own is "Venus in Furs".

But, as I said before, its a matter of (personal) opinion.

Anyway, you play bass too which is the instument choice of kings so it's not all bad.

Interesting. Were you aware that Simon Cowell was seen on the grassy knoll in Dallas in November 1963?

like it.

There is infact plenty wrong with that.

Possibly. Much like there is plenty wrong with playing violin.

All a matter of personal taste though.

They have 'that' sound which means they will always be popular with 35-year-old ex-football hooligans who wear trackie tops zipped right up to the neck and walk with an exaggerated Ian Brown swagger.

Nowt wrong with that, except the swagger and the thing where they look they're carrying an invisible carpet under each arm.

Almost played a gig with them a year or two ago but the promoter pulled it. Checked them out on myspace and thought much the same as the above posters. Some songs are a bit over-long and a bit same-y but they're a decent enough proposition if you're into your psychedelic space rock. They're Oasis in vibe, but seem more Spacemen 3 with some of the music. Its a least a change from a lot of the lumpen post-rock doing the rounds currently.

What is it about them that polarises opinion? They aren't going to re-invent the wheel with what they're doing but then, who is?

I always remember him as The Equalizer.

Damn shame... why take him and let the likes of Edwina Curry live?

So true.

Impressed he made it to 79 though, his health's been terrible for years.

Its just like Corrie or Easties really - its a soap opera. Its not really about music. its about drama/bickering/cliff hangers.

Think the actual singing competition aspect (such as it was) went down the cludgie years ago.

And Brian May looks pretty knackered these days. Roger Taylor looked more awake and he's got fucking white hair.

Time to ressurect this, new Dr Who on on Sunday, and it looks bloody good and I really hope this is true:

Doctor Who exclusive: All 11 timelords to unite for mission - mirror.co.uk

It is possible, especially now that Tom Baker has returned to the role in audio format at least

In that case leave it in the audio format. I love Tom and his voice could melt a table at three miles but he's looking pretty rough these days.

Will do. Cheers.

Would be funny if they got Robert Plant in to replace him.

Aeroplant?