My names Kevin and I don't have a problem

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Comments

  • ESBlondeESBlonde Posts: 980Member
    Nic, I think a number of retail establishments have installed screens ready for re-opening. I too heard there was a shortage.
  • DaveBassDaveBass Posts: 3,328Member
    Our village shop has been closed as it's rather small, but it's putting in a perspex screen by the till in readiness for reopening in a number of weeks. It's been operating a click-and-collect service, with deliveries for those who are shielding.

    Mrs Bass and I have been having Tesco deliveries for years, probably decades, ever since they distributed their stock lists on CD-ROMs, but now everyone else wants deliveries we've been unable to get slots. So much for loyalty -- which should work both ways; basically they dumped us. Fortunately we've been able to get food from the village shop but it doesn't stock everything. People in towns and cities don't realise that we can't just "pop into a shop" to get the food we need! For the first time in our lives we've been concerned about whether we're going to be able to eat properly. But that's over now (I hope).

    I've also been baking our own bread for decades, and again everyone else has decided to do the same with the result that bread flour and yeast have been like gold dust. But a connection in the village obtained a 15kg bag of strong flour for us, and I've been able to get 500g of dried yeast on Ebay. This should last us months!

    I'm ashamed to say I've not done any tidying or clearing out. I'm also ashamed to say that my musical activities in lockdown have been very limited; I normally do everything on a computer nowadays but I don't seem to be able to get much inspiration.

    One thing I'm on my way to achieving is regrowing my hair! Fifty years ago, as a student, I had hippy style hair down below my shoulders. It's now making good progress in the same direction. Surprisingly, Mrs Bass has told me she thinks it's a good idea! I'm aiming for a ponytail this time.

    My 70th birthday is coming up and I've decided I don't need to be respectable any more, so I'll be disreputable instead!

    Best wishes to everyone here.
    Dave


  • ESBlondeESBlonde Posts: 980Member
    Nice one Dave, I've got clippers and normally keep whats left of my hair very short, for some reason I'm using the shutdown as an excuse to grow it out. It's currently just over the tops of my ears! Mrs. ESB also likes the idea for some reason.
  • ESBlondeESBlonde Posts: 980Member
    Just a bump really, not a lot happening through Covid. I'm working from home but haven't played a lot of guitar and certainly haven't taken one out of the house (unless you count showing my new Atkin Essential D to a visitor on the drive).
    So I peruse the ads online just in case something pops up, All my bands are inactive as you would expect but I hope they all survive.
    There is a father and son sax/keys & Bass near Newmarket talking about forming a pop soul funk thing, they claim to have a safe home studio (?) so I have expressed an interest, nothing developed in a couple of weeks buy hey!
    Also what looks like a pub rock band with bass drums and fem vox a couple of villages over, they need a singing guitarist and have an aircraft hanger/warehouse to rehearse in.
    This could comply with the 3 Mtr side by side singer requirements. Suddenly I have songs to learn and pedals to program and I'm looking forward to Monday evening when I can blow away some cobwebs.
    To be honest it might be too pub rock for me, the drummer is not very experienced either. Here's a selection of thier set:-
    Rollin In The Deep - Adele Cm
    Satisfaction - Rolling Stones E
    Seven Nation Army - Whitestripes Em
    Supersonic - Oasis ? F#m
    Use Somebody - Kings Of Leon C
    Valerie - Amy Winehouse Eb
    Zombie - Cranberries Em
    She Sells Sanctuary – The Cult G
    Highway To Hell - AC/DC

    Monday we are doing:-
    Always Remember Us this Way – Lady Gaga Am
    Another Brick In The Wall Dm
    Dreams - Fleetwood Mac F
    Nothing Brakes Like A Heart - Miley Cyrus Gm
    Summer Of 69 - Bryan Adams D

    Only Dreams and '69 were previously in my repertoire from way back when they were hit singles!
    This might be a colossal clusterf#$k or a lot of unexpected fun. Nothing ventured and all that.

    I also have to convince herself that I will be completely safe and responsible, for sure no jam/rehearsal is worth the risk, so if I turn up and it's not as expected I shall be home by 7pm.

    Anyway it's all been a bit quite on here (well everywhere really) so thats my latest story.
  • LesterLester Posts: 1,730Member, Moderator
    From the songs I know that sounds like a great set for both performers and the audience.

    Go easy on your drummer as that remark resembles me - the drummer is not very experienced either. I have made up a mini kit with a floor tom as a smaller, quieter kick drum.

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  • ESBlondeESBlonde Posts: 980Member
    Lester said:

    From the songs I know that sounds like a great set for both performers and the audience.

    Go easy on your drummer as that remark resembles me - the drummer is not very experienced either. I have made up a mini kit with a floor tom as a smaller, quieter kick drum.

    I think they are popular songs, just not what I've done in revent years so I'm rusty or 'outside of the loop' in that respect. Whilst the drummer may be inexperienced, he sounds like a driving force and in my experience every band needs a driving force to arrange gigs, pull people together, make stuff happen etc. They are therefore often invaluable to the band and well worth encouraging.

  • ESBlondeESBlonde Posts: 980Member
    So a month on, the father and son outfit has gone silent, thier drummer failed audition appearantly, I found us a singer and now nothing....Still haven't met in person.
    The pub rock outfit are nice people (always a big plus for me) and have been joined by an old keyboard player that I knew of before. We've jamed twice, had a serious meeting and discussed set list options/direction and then a proper rehearsal. This could work.
    My funk band finally had a session, one femal vocal short (family commitment), but after more than six months it was lovely to see them all and blow through some of the set. Surprisingly few cockups in the 3 hour session and lots of smiles.
    Now I need to knuckle down and learn some stuff.
  • LesterLester Posts: 1,730Member, Moderator
    It's good to hear what is going on. I am impressed that you manage to have so many possibilities on the go.
  • ESBlondeESBlonde Posts: 980Member
    I have a Gig in the diary!!!

    A local RBL have been tentatively running a couple of live gigs and consequently have asked our old farts country band to play Saturday 31st October. I'm assured the correct proceedures will be followed. There is direct access to the stage door beside the stage. Early start and finish at 9:40pm so people are out by the specified 10:00pm as per local law.
    I'm both excited and apprehensive.

  • ESBlondeESBlonde Posts: 980Member
    Blinking typical. (Thats the edited version) ;-)

    I was hanging a new door for our recently refurbished bathroom (I spoil that woman), when one of the supplied cheap screws for the hinges spun out leaving no grip as I took the door off for further adjustments.

    So I got one of those fancy screw extractors and shoved it in the drill/driver, whereupon it spun very quickly but slowly extracted the damaged screw. I reached for the screw as it started to flop about and promptly got a burn on my left hand first finger tip! Ouch, it has opened up nicely this morning weeping a little. Just in time for my first gig in many months this saturday! Now it's not a fancy gig and proper precautions will be followed by one and all, but I hope my finger recovers somewhat before saturday night so I can at least play something. Some practice beforehand would be nice.
    Note to self, the included screws with fixtures are always very low quality, so throw them out before doing anything. I broke two more off taking them out of the door side of the hinge, so I had to cut a plug hole around them to extract the headless screw, them plug the hole with 12mm dowel so I could put in decent fresh screws. Luckily thi is hidden behind the hinge plate so only I know about it.

    Did I say Ouch?

  • ESBlondeESBlonde Posts: 980Member
    Well that went up the spout. Singer for Saturdays gig flew home from Bulgaria and was told to Isolate for 14 days (fridays news). That left three of us in a pickle, Given the short time we needed to play (2 half hours and a 45 Min) I thought I could normally sing enough to get us through, but I don't sing and play generally and the fact that I had a sore finger meant that I couldn't spend 24 hours rehearsing material and then go gig it straight after (finger was quite painful at the tip). Other singers or guitarists were understandably not keen on filling in knowing that the infection rate was on the rise. I decided I would do the gig as a three piece but not rehearse to save the finger. In the end we phoned the club who said many of thier booked tables were pulling out and they had a committee meeting when they knew our plight. At that point we all agreed it was best to cancel and the event didn't take place.
    Those concerned at my appearant lack of concern for infection might be relieved to know that excellent precautions were available to me. I could load in through double doors at the back of the stage. Any/all off stage time would be spent in our cars, the dark hedge would serve as 'a hedge', and we would take our own refreshments. Interaction with anyone else would be minimal at worst.
    So I was relieved in the end not to gig despite the long period of no gigs. Since this is the 3 time this singer has let us down at the last minute he won't get another chance. We will actually rehearse a 3 piece set for any future work like this and design the set so we can add another couple (keys and sax/vocals) for larger events. I've not worked in a 3 piece before as lead everything so it will be interesting. At least i get to call the tune.

  • ESBlondeESBlonde Posts: 980Member
    Well amongst all the gloom that 2020 and the shutdown christmas has brought, I would like to share a little feel good.
    Today is my last working day! I'm working from home because a collegues sons nursary have positive cases this week, so there is little fuss in general. But at the ripe old age of 62 I'm done bashing keyboards and pushing a pencil for a living.
    Next chapter involves more practice and guitar playing in general.
    In case I don't look at a 'puter before the big day may I wish all our readers a happy and particularly safe christmas and new year.
  • LesterLester Posts: 1,730Member, Moderator
    Here's wishing you, too, a happy Christmas.

    Good news on finding a new way of life beyond pushing a pencil.

    By the way, 62 is a good age; that is my current number, too.

    I normally bounce back between England and Slovakia but this year I came out here in February and have been here since. Today we enter a 3rd lockdown.
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