General Chat

[AVFCforever1991]

 

I just had a wank to celebrate your 100th post...

Ahoy hoy

 

 

[tonyh29]

I just had a wank to celebrate your 100th post...

Ahoy hoy

I answer the phone like this for that very reason

But it was actually how Bell planned / wanted phones to be answered

[villa4europe]

yeah I have to do asbestos awareness training too, not actually sure the house is that old, id guess late 70s early 80s so maybe

[Jimzk5]

Asbestos was still used in artex up to 1990

[chrisp65]

I don't think domestic quantities of white asbestos in artex has needed proper licensed removal for a few years?

 

If you know when it was artexed, that'll help you decide the relative risk. Early 70's ropey, late 70's 'should' be ok, mid 1980's you'll be fine it shouldn't contain asbestos at all.

 

The wet method (steamer) is best, sanding down anything that creates air borne dust n crap is not a good idea.

[tonyh29]

My house was built in the 80's and had artex for whatever reason

We had a leak from the shower one day into the dining room , the hole was about the size of a 10p ... Insurance came around and arranged for a survey as he thought there was a risk

Turned out he was right so they moved us out the house for a week and ripped down all the downstairs ceilings ... Insurance company logic its cheaper to pay a few K now rather than tens or hundreds of K later

I guess there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to Artex so just go careful is all I'd say

[mjmooney]

If it is artex than there is a very very high chance that it contains asbestos so don't attempt to do anything yourself

 

Ah. That explains why I'm dead. 

Edited October 14, 2013 by mjmooney

[Xann]

Ah. That explains why I'm dead. 

 

Ah. That explains why I haven't had a Honeybus CD.

[mjmooney]

 

Ah. That explains why I'm dead. 

 

Ah. That explains why I haven't had a Honeybus CD.

 

 

OK, OK, I get it. 

[Xann]

Don't make me come round there

 

Have you got Linda Hoyle's 'Pieces Of Me' btw?

 

How the **** had I missed that til a fortnight ago?

[StigVillan]

Don't make me come round there

 

Have you got Linda Hoyle's 'Pieces Of Me' btw?

 

How the **** had I missed that til a fortnight ago?

Black Crow?

[Xann]

Yeah.

 

Love the Affinity and early Soft Machine stuff, the various

too.

 

Nearly as exciting as finding out that these two had performed together

Edited October 14, 2013 by Xann

[Folski]

Quick one for you guys, I badly need a pair of glasses as my eyes have melted from hours and hours of Villatalk, I went into a new place that opened in town yesterday who are doing free tests and they told me roughly all in it would could to about €100 for a decent pair, now my girlfriend works in a chemist who also have an optical department and she bought a pair 3 months back for about €350 they were raybans. I suspect she may have overpaid however, how much should I be talking roughly?

[AVFCforever1991]

Quick one for you guys, I badly need a pair of glasses as my eyes have melted from hours and hours of Villatalk, I went into a new place that opened in town yesterday who are doing free tests and they told me roughly all in it would could to about €100 for a decent pair, now my girlfriend works in a chemist who also have an optical department and she bought a pair 3 months back for about €350 they were raybans. I suspect she may have overpaid however, how much should I be talking roughly?

 

These should do:

 

[Folski]

Won't need those in Ireland

[mjmooney]

Have you got Linda Hoyle's 'Pieces Of Me' btw?

 

No, just the Affinity album. 

[Xela]

Quick one for you guys, I badly need a pair of glasses as my eyes have melted from hours and hours of Villatalk, I went into a new place that opened in town yesterday who are doing free tests and they told me roughly all in it would could to about €100 for a decent pair, now my girlfriend works in a chemist who also have an optical department and she bought a pair 3 months back for about €350 they were raybans. I suspect she may have overpaid however, how much should I be talking roughly?

 

I think the price varies greatly on the frame... you want designer frames then they'll be expensive. I don't wear glasses (yet) but I know people who have spent £250 on one pair.

[AVFC_Hitz]

The frames get more expensive if there is a name attached to them. Also, it depends on the lenses you're getting. 

[mjmooney]

Ginger Baker really doesn't like doing interviews...

 

 

How are you doing?



I'm doing the same as ever.

I wanted to ask you about Jazz Confusion and how the recent gigs went.
Every gig we've done has gone extremely well. 

Did anything surprise you about playing with them? 

No. 


How did you put the group together?
It was a roadie friend of mine really, who got it together. Edgar, he's not really well at the moment. Abbas and I have been together for over five years now. But Edgar got Alec Dankworth, who's my favorite bass player of all time. He's the best bass player I think I've ever played with. He's just great. He's got a great sense of humor. It's really a joy to play with him and it's really good music.

Why is Alec your favorite bass player?
Because of the way he plays!

Did you have any expectations going into it?
I just wanted to play again.

How did that decision start?

I don't know!

Do you remember where you got the idea to do this? 


No, not really.

Are you living in England now? 


Yes. That's where I am right now. You just phoned me so you know that this is an English phone number.

I know, I just wanted to ask.
Well why ask me questions if you know the answer?

I thought you might be playing gigs or rehearsing or something. Anyway, why did you want to go back and live in England again?

Because that's where the musicians are.

Do you still have a home in South Africa?
No.

When did you sell it? 


A couple of years ago.

Do you miss it?
Yeah, I miss a lot of it, but that's the way life goes sometimes. 

Has your life changed at all since Beware of Mr. Baker [Jay Bulger's 2012 award-winning documentary] in any way? 


No.

Did you get a lot of good feedback from the film? 


I don't know! I have nothing to do with it.

Did you like it? 


Some of it is very good and some of it is annoying.   

Like what?
Like some of the people he interviewed. One of them I specifically told him I didn't want the guy on the film. (mentions a former manager) He was a lazy bastard and cost me a fortune.

But at the same time you had people like Eric Clapton and Charlie Watts.
Yeah, that was very nice. That was very good.

You've played the Iridium before and you played for Max Roach there. Are you excited to play…
I played with who there? 



You played for Max Roach there.
No I didn't.

Well he came to your show.
He came to two or three of the shows. Max is a great friend of mine.

Do you have good memories from playing in New York, specifically at this club?

Yeah, that was a great band. The DJQ was a really great band.

How long has it been since you played a show in the States [besides Cream's reunion]? 


I don't know. A long time. Probably the last actual show I played was at the Iridium. I don't know when it was. 1997, I think.


What is it like coming back and playing again? 

I don't know! What is it like – ?



Is it exciting? 


I don't know. I don't get excited anymore.

Why not? 

Because I don't! I never have done.

How is your health nowadays?


Not good.

Are you feeling okay though? 


No. It's troubling. At the end of the gig I'm absolutely exhausted.

It's amazing that you still have the stamina to do this.
Well, I don't! (laughs)

Then why do it? 


Because I enjoy the music.

Is that one place where you are happy? When you're playing with a group of people? 


When we're actually playing, it's the good bit, and after is not so good.

Are there any health issues right now that you're concerned about? 


Yes. I've got degenerative osteoarthritis, which is extremely painful and I'm on a regiment with a health service pain management control. Apart from that I've got COPD from smoking.

Are you still smoking? 


Yeah. (laughs) 

You look good and you're playing well though.
I look good because of my wife. She makes sure I look good. 

The film and some articles made a big deal about your financial situation. Is that one of the reasons you're touring again?
One of them, yeah. You have to earn money to live, don't you? I'm not a super rich person.

The Stones just wrapped up a tour. Have you heard them lately or what do you think of how they're playing nowadays?
(laughs) You're joking right? 
 

No.
I mean Charlie is a great friend of mine. I think the world of Charlie. When I was living in the States, Charlie came to see me at my house and he said, "I'd give you some tickets but I know you would never go!" I won't go within 10 miles of a Rolling Stones gig. 

Why is that?
They're not good musicians, that's why. The best musician in the Stones is Charlie by a country mile.

I agree he is. But the way they play together, people argue, is greater than the parts.
People can argue what they like.  

Do you agree they're great songwriters, though?
No, not really. 

Is it crazy that they're still doing it? 


They are earning lots of money.

Are you a fan of the Who?
No. I knew Pete Townshend's dad better than I knew Pete Townshend. I worked with Pete Townshend's dad in the early Sixties and late Fifties. Keith Moon was a friend of mine but I wouldn't say he was a great drummer.

Dylan is still on the road. 
Is he?

Yes. Were you a big Dylan fan? 


I'm not a big anybody fan.

What was the last record that excited you?
God knows. I don't know. I don't listen to music.

Why? 


Because I don't!
 

It's what you do, though.
Yeah. So when you're talking about a bus driver, his holiday is driving?

Something I watch fairly regularly is the Cream Royal Albert Hall film from 2005.
Yeah. That was really good. 

I wanted to see what that was like for you and what it was like to go back to that place.
The question I find the most annoying is, "What was it like?"

Why?
"What was it like?" I played the drums, man!
 

But you were with people that you have a deep history with and recorded a lot of music that people really love.
Yeah. . .

So that meant a lot to a lot of people, so it's interesting to hear what it meant to you.
Well, it was very enjoyable.

I've read that you've gotten offers to do it again.
Who did? 


You did.
No, I didn't!

That [bassist] Jack Bruce contacted you about another reunion?
Who?

Jack.
Well, he didn't. 


Would you do it again? 


No.

Why?
We've done it. 

But it was only six shows. You wouldn't want to do anymore?
Well, it was actually seven shows, but never mind. You guys always get everything wrong. This sort of rubbish that people publish about news is quite extraordinary.

We'll do our best to get it right. I guess it just comes with being a respected figure.
I don't know whether it's being respected or not. I get more bad press than I do good press. (laughs) 

For a band that was only together for a couple years, you made such an impact on people that are still emulating that music. It's one of the most influential groups ever.
Yeah but that was it. Nobody's ever gonna do that again. The only people that can do that was us.


But I felt like in 2005 you found a new way to play together that wasn't exactly the same as the old way but you sounded like you – you guys had so much experience and it was kind of laid-back, which was cool. 
We're older. That's why. (Laughs)

Do you keep in touch with any current music on the charts or any pop music? 


No. (pause) I do like some of the girl singers though, 
like Kelly Rowland, Emeli Sandé.

Do you like any new rock bands?
No, I don't listen to them. Most of them are pretty bloody awful. 

Well they can't really match what you guys did.
Nobody ever could.

Do you think that there's so many distractions today that most people don't really put in enough time to be great musicians?


(grumbles) Oh God. Musicians are born. You can't become a great musician if you haven't got the gift.

But a lot of practice helps though, right?
No, it doesn't.

Really?
I practiced for a couple of years, in 1958 and '59, and since I haven't practiced at all. The only time I bang my drums is when we're on a gig.

Wow.
What do you mean, "Wow?" 



To play the way you play, you would think you would have to keep up with it.

Keep up with what? 



Being able to play the way you play.
I've always been able to play the way I play.

Do you keep a drum set in the house now?
Yeah. Just one.

Does that get harder as you get older to play without practicing a lot or no?
(laughs) We play the music. That's what I do. I'm the drummer. I play the drums. Enough.

Do you still try to get better though? Are you still trying to do new things?

 
No. You can play what you want to play. What's the point of trying to play things that are difficult just for the fact of doing it? 

 

Do you still have your horses? 

No, I don't. I lost them all. 

How?
There's a saying that "shit happens" and it happened. Alright?

[Folski]

Thanks guys.