First gig of the year this Sunday Evening at another 80's weekender.
Ultimate 80s - Bognor Regis 19/01/24 | Butlin's Big Weekenders (butlins.com)

As it happened, we got asked to stand in on another Butlins Festival on the Saturday night up in Skegness aka SkegVegas. So that was just over 612  miles over those two days.

We have these two on next month.
24th February 
https://www.ents24.com/birmingham-events/austin-sports-and-social-club/musical-youth-in-concert-longbridge/6825682
and

25th February

https://www.tamworthartsandevents.co.uk/whats-on-rv?webeventid=MusicalYouth


It will be good to do some club gigs as we don't get much of those.

Just been asked to stand in on bass with a Bob Marley Tribute Band on Saturday night at a Carnival in Bath. Should be fun.
https://www.bathcarnival.co.uk/festival

Looks like a nice gig in a nice place, Jazzy. I looked because I was curious. Bath, evidently is named for the Roman baths. Lots of places in the U.K. share names with colonial Virginia places. Two counties north of here is Bath County, Virginia... named for its hot spring baths. It's a resort town in the mountains. I had a nice gig at the ski lodge there for a couple seasons.

Two gigs tomorrow  with the same band so i guess they liked what I do on bass. :-)
First is a tribute band festival
https://nearlyfestival.com/maldon/
Then tomorrow evening at a private party for the MOD.

Another small festival gig last night called Rum & Reggae. Really nice vibe there. And it was nice to be approached after our set by a young bass player from a band who were on earlier in the day, asking me to share my perspective on playing a five string bass in a reggae band to a young musician. Apparently it's his first band and he has a five string but the band want him to play a 4 string. I had a good chat with him and his lead singer discussing my thoughts on basses in reggae and how i approach using 4 and 5's and he went away really appreciative and happy, and will be sticking to his 5 stringer.

Nice!

When i'm playing or listening to reggae, i am acutely aware of how far a my alembic is from the really basic basses that were used to play all those early classic tracks that established the sound. An alembic is totally not neccessary to sound great in that genre. I think in all my days I have seen less than a handful of reggae bass players gigging with high end basses. One was using an epic and the other was the bass player in the band Third World I saw a few times playing a Ken Smith bass.

I used to feel the same way when playing my Alembics in the newgrass/jamband scene, Jazzyvee. I may be the only one, and I'm okay with that. Just do you. I've heard you play... it works fine. Over a long period of time, we define ourselves. You and I have already chosen what it will sound like.

Helping out in bass on a couple of festivals this weekend.



Bob Marley Experience Saturday 24/08/2024
https://malvernsclassic.com/schedule/

Last gig in the gig diary for 2024.
https://www.get2events.co.uk/events/80s-festive-legends-2024
Contrary to what the photo shows i won't be taking the Classico.

Enjoy!

The Classico makes for a cool photo-op though, Jazzy.    Have a great last show of 2024.