After 17 months of no live music due to Covid-19 restrictions, we’re very pleased to announce that Big Tuna will make its return on Sat, 28 August at the Duchess of Kirkcaldy in Fife.
During the pandemic the band has kept busy and squeezed in rehearsals when possible, so we’re chomping at the bit to get back on stage later this month to do what we love to do: play great rock n roll music to the masses.
We will be on stage from around 9.45pm and playing until midnight. We are looking forward to a great night and invite everyone in the area to come and join the liberation.
If you can’t make this Fife gig, we hope to be playing back in Edinburgh very soon and will keep you posted on upcoming dates on this website and on social media.
We are as dismayed as most people across Scotland about the impact of coronavirus and the affect it’s having on day to day life, including for bands like ours and those who operate live music venues.
The pandemic has forced us to cancel all our gigs that were lined up for 2020. This is, of course, a small sacrifice compared to what many others have had to endure by closing their businesses or, even worse, suffering from the health effects of the virus. We are, however, chomping at the bit to get back out there as soon as possible.
It’s difficult to say exactly when music venues will open again in Scotland. We can take some encouragement from countries like South Korea and Australia where life is returning to normal and public places are reopening. It’ll also be important we don’t jump the gun too early here and risk a further viral outbreak which could be more dangerous than the first.
As we wait out this lockdown, Big Tuna remains very much together as a band and we hope to be able to start rehearsing again over the next couple of months. Once venues are allowed to reopen we hope to have a bunch of new gig dates in place and we will be delighted to share all these with you.
In the meantime, we hope you stay safe, keep well and listen to lots of great music to get you through these uncertain times. They will not last forever.
Big Tuna has announced a series of new bookings for 2019 as the band’s calendar is quickly filling up in the exciting year ahead.
The boys will play a number of dates at the hugely popular Edinburgh night spot Finnegan’s Wake, starting on 26 January.
They will also return to Stirling’s very lively No 2 Baker Street in February 2019, where they played for the first time last winter, and also play a series of gigs at Fife’s best live music bar The Duchess of Kirkcaldy from early March.
Other highlights on the band’s New Year calendar include a return to Blair Atholl’s Food in the Park, a unique marquee venue in the beautiful Perthshire village which is establishing itself as an excellent live music spot, in June. Big Tuna will also play its first-ever performance at Methil’s Wellesley Inn on 2 March.
For more details you can see Big Tuna’s gig guide at: http://www.bigtuna.co.uk/gig-guide
Big Tuna has announced four autumn dates at two of their favourite venues over November and December. The band plays Edinburgh’s Finnegan’s Wake, easily one of the liveliest venues in Scotland, on 21 Nov and 12 Dec. They will also take the stage at Duchess of Kirkcaldy, a beautifully presented bistro bar in the Fife town, on 28 Nov and 19 Dec.
The band has been on a number of adventures playing throughout the length and breadth of Scotland this year, from Galashiels to Fraserburgh, Penicuik to Inverness and many points in between, often on wedding duty. As a top wedding band in Scotland Big Tuna spends much of the Spring and Summer months playing across the country at matrimonial gatherings. These final gigs of 2014 will see them finishing out the year closer to home.
Tuna guitarist and vocalist Neil Ferguson spoke of the band’s love of the venues, saying: “Finnegan’s Wake never disappoints. There is always a great crowd on hand who really appreciate live music. We always raise our game and play a great set, not hard to do when you’ve got a packed venue with 300 plus people dancing in unison!
“We love playing weddings throughout Scotland. As a great wedding band we tend to get round the country in the middle part of the year but it’s great to be playing closer to home to see the year out.
“The Duchess is also a great place to play. It’s a huge club which has been fitted out to the highest standard and is a real gem on the Fife nightlife scene. We especially love playing the Duchess near Christmas when the crowd is immaculately turned out and always up for hitting the dance floor.”
If you would like more details about Big Tuna, including information on playing your Scottish wedding, check out the wedding page on the website.
At last, I have a Tweed Deluxe 57 all valve amplifier. All custom made and hand wired by myself and I really don’t know why it took so long.
As a lifelong guitarist and electronics engineer, the guitar amplifier has probably been the most fascinating of all electronics to me. When I was growing up, amplifiers were appearing everywhere as the technology was changing from valves to solid state.
The thermionic valve, as it’s technically known, had been at the heart of many an amplifier for many decades. It’s time had come as it was about to be replaced by a much smaller device. The transistor. Made from Silicon and Germanium, the transistor was more efficient, cheaper to make and much much smaller. This meant amps could be build smaller as well as cheaper. This was to create a boom as amps became more available and affordable.
Nowadays though, the guitar enthusiast will tell you that there are still major differences in the sound that both these amplifiers types produce. The thing is, the transistors design is almost perfect and it produces an almost perfect replica of the guitars sound. Whereas the valve is a very inefficient device which causes distortion to the sound when pushed too hard. It is precisely this flaw that creates the desirable tone that us guitarists are seeking. It’s funny that modern day transistor amps are trying to copy the valve sound and that speaks volumes.
I started building my Tweed Deluxe 57 clone in July 2013. I had spent a long time researching which amp I should build. Since I have owned amps that have 6L6s, EL84s and EL34s, I decided to build an amp with a valve I didn’t have. The 6V6.
After a little research, I kept coming back to the Fender Tweed Deluxe 57. The circuit looked really easy (to me anyway) and exactly what I wanted. Little did I really know that this little amp was one of the most classic amps of it’s generation and still is today.
Without further ado, here it is.
I toyed with the idea of building everything from scratch and sourcing all the parts, but in the end I decided to buy a chassis kit and source a cabinet maker. I managed to source a Scottish based supplier for the chassis kit from Modulus Amplification. It took a while though. Some of these guys are hard to find on Google. What’s more is that it’s in Kirriemuir, the birth place of Bon Scott! (I am and AC/DC fan)
I soon realised that the cost for the tooling for a single build was too expensive, so I found a real nice guy called Mark Phillips of AF Custom Cabs who produced the work of art below. I cannot recommend Mark enough as the quality of the cabinet was second to none. Mark also kindly took the pictures for me as he was building.
I have to say that before I never really cared much for the Tweed finishing, but now I think its a major part and feel of the project and I am so glad I went for it.
Building the chassis took me around 15 hrs in total. To be honest, I could do it much quicker, but I wanted to soak it up and enjoy the first build of hopefully a few more.
I decided to buy a period correct speaker so I opted for a Jensen P12Q. However, I did not like the sound of it and promply returned it and had it replaced with my favourate, a Celestion Vintage 30.
So what’s the verdict?
I haven’t gigged it as yet, but have done two rehearsals with it and I must say I am extremely pleased with the look, feel and sound. I have heard and played some high quality amps and this sounds just as good if not better. At 15 watts and with a 10db louder than normal speaker, this thing rocks. It competes with the drummer no problem and has a massively touch sensitive sound and feel.
The next step is to get some sounds clips recorded and posted. You never know, I may be building a few more once people hear this.
As a Scottish-based covers band which is often sought out to play weddings we saw a noticeable dip in activity over the past year. While we’d normally take on 10 – 12 weddings in a year, we have played only six so far in 2013 with little prospect for additional bookings between now and the end of December.
Without wishing to sound pompous, we know from the feedback we get from couples that we are a great wedding band but don’t take my word for it, just check the comments on the weddings section of our website (http://tinyurl.com/p4y3ckn)
So what then has caused the decline in wedding bookings over the past year? Was this drop a result of Scottish couples losing faith in the institution of marriage? Was it just a random blip for us as a band where, for various reasons, we simply didn’t benefit from word of mouth PR from couples who were looking for a wedding band? Or was the decline in weddings this year actually a result of superstition surrounding ‘unlucky’ number 13?
I had a gut feeling that this may have been the case; our guitarist/vocalist Neil also heard this theory when he spoke to an event manager at a recent wedding show and I also noticed this article in that bastion of credible journalism, the Daily Telegraph (http://tinyurl.com/np52v3v) which includes comments from a wedding venue which saw a fall in 2013 bookings with many couples instead opting to go for the following year for their big day.
The question for Big Tuna and other bands which regularly play weddings is: will 2014 be a bumper year for couples tying the knot? It’s probably too early to say at this stage. While we have a few weddings in the book for next year we’ve not yet been inundated with inquiries. We should however have a clearer picture by the end of 2013 if the next 12 months will be filled with Scottish wedding parties. Regardless of what happens, we will certainly continue to put on a great performance wherever and whenever we play for couples on their big day to ensure they are at the centre stage of an amazing, music-filled wedding party.
When I decided to order something from Warmoth it was because I had played many basses that I’d seen and heard in a lot of the bands I am into, and got close to, but they never exactly as I’d envisaged. It was time to build a custom bass guitar.
Some of the stand out basses I’d owned at this point were:
Bass Collection 465 5 string with gold hardware and ebony fretboard
Warwick Thumb 5 string neck through with Wenge neck & JANIII
Modulus Graphite Flea Bass in Silver sparkle
Musicman Stingray 30th Anniversary with mahogany body
Fender ’51 reissue Precision
I’d always loved the early single coil precision bass look with the Telecaster neck which was used in two bands that I love – ZZ Top and Sting’s band so I decided to go for something along those lines.
Anyone who’s ever been on the Warmoth website will know that it’s the musician’s equivalent of a sweet shop so it was time to take my favourite parts of my favourite bass guitars and put them together.
I began with a rear routed mahogany body as I loved the growl I got with the Stingray and I loved the silver sparkle of the Modulus so I decided to go the whole hog and get a gold flake finish.
Next was the neck, so the obvious choice for me was the fast playing wenge from the Warwick and the ebony fretboard from the Bass Collection including no front dots as per the same bass.
I was obviously going through some kind of King Midas phase as I went for completely gold hardware from the tuners down to the Schaller straplocks and even had gold frets installed (these are actually a super tough copper alloy that looks like 12k gold)
The pickup was a Seymour Duncan quarter pounder, Gotoh 201 bridge, Schaller BML tuners, Hipshot string retainer.
For the electronics I went proper traditional with CTS pots, cloth covered wire, Switchcraft jack and even a paper-in-oil cap
The products that Warmoth sell are widely regarded as easily being as good as Fender custom shop and I have to admit that everything was flawless with the tightest neck to body join I’ve come across.
It’s actually very time consuming putting together a bass from parts as you want to put the best quality instrument together as you can but still want to shop around for the best prices. With there being over a dozen different parts to source other than the neck and body you can see how you can rack up the hours doing this.
So now to the actual build.
The first thing I did was to install the electronics, bridge and straplocks to the body as it was easier to work with just the body without the neck attached.
I then went onto fit the tuners, string tree and file down the area where the nut would go. For those of you that saw JANIII above and had no idea what that was, this is the Mk3 version of Warwick’s adjustable nut. It comprises two parts, one part I applied two small blobs of superglue and stuck into the slot that I created for the nut. The second part just sits on top and the strings hold it on. The beauty of this type of arrangement is that there is no filing down of the nut required, You merely adjust the height to suit your playing style and if at some point in the future you need to change it then you only need an allen key to do so.
Next up I offered the neck into the neck pocket on the body. It was pretty tight but because both parts had come from the same manufacturer, they went together without any issues. I bolted these together naturally using a gold plated neck plate and gold plated screws in keeping with the rest of the instrument.
At the time of buying from Warmoth they didn’t offer graphite stiffening rods or slimmer profile necks so the neck was chunkier than what you can now buy. This didn’t bother me as I played 5, 6, 8 & 12 string basses for a number of years so anything less feels like I’m holding a pencil by comparison. Because of the thickness of the neck and the steel stiffening rods I actually didn’t have to tighten the truss rod at all and could’ve effectively taken it out of the neck.
Once assembled and checked that the electronics were functioning properly, it was time to string it up. What else could I use but Optima 24k gold plated strings as favoured by the Ox from another one of my favourite bands, the Who. At the time I could buy these at £16 a set which was as cheap as a set of Ernie Balls. They’re now around the £40 mark for a set.
Once plugged in it was apparent that this was a huge sounding bass. It had the growl that I was expecting from the mahogany body and the high output pickup that nearly cause my amp to clip and it played effortlessly.
Despite being a very simple bass with one single coil pickup, a volume and a treble control it sounded good regardless of the genre it was used. I used it in a wedding band but also in a rock band through a Gallien Krueger 700RB II into a Schroeder 1212L 2×12” cab and it cut through so well but there was something missing.
After listening to Sting I had to find something that would sound more like that and an original ’57 single coil wasn’t something I was going to find easily or cheaply and then I discovered that Sting’s 57 single coil is actually fitted with a Seymour Duncan Custom Stack pickup.
After only a few days I found one on Evilbay in the US for £50 delivered which was a lot cheaper than the £100+ I’d seen them going for. It was a bit taller than the quarter pounder due to it being a humbucker but it fitted right into the cavity no problem.
And there it was – the brightest, blingiest, growliest bass that I’d ever owned and it played so well. If the back of the neck ever got sticky from playing then a quick rub with 000 grade steel wool and it was as smooth as a very smooth thing.
The grandaddy of them all, the humble Telecaster, and what a great instrument it is. Bereft of anything unnecessary, designed to function and perform, in all honesty probably the greatest electric guitar ever conceived.
Although I have other axes, great to play and admirable in they’re own right, for some reason I always revert back to the Tele, and in particular the afore mentioned Squier Classic Vibe 50’s Telecaster.
I got turned on to this Squier when they we’re first being discussed over at the TDPRI Forum – a great resource for all things Telecaster and beyond, and a wealth of knowledge is there at your fingertips.
This particular example I picked up new at the time for a mere £225 in 2008, and was literally stunned when I opened the box and played it. Nothing fancy, but still pleasing to the eye, it felt solid and performed great. Set up is fantastic, this is a bulletproof guitar, and has served me well over hundreds of gigs from pubs, clubs, festivals and Scottish rock weddings. I rate it so highly I sold my USA Strat soon after!
Why is it so good, and how come a Squier continues to be one of my main guitars? Because it’s so well built and of course – it’s a Telecaster, the personification of design and function. Build one well and you simply cant go wrong.
It’s been through all the mods under the sun, pickups, necks, pickguards, esquires etc, but like the T-1000 from Terminator 2, it keeps morphing back to it’s stock build!
Usually it’s best friends with my Orange Tiny Terror (good forum there also), a single channel amp, no pedals, just plugged strait in and controlled with the Tele’s volume and tone knobs – simple perfection. Totally reliable at gigs, fast set-up and nothing to get in the way of playing, bliss.
Sure, there’s other great Telecasters out there, I even own a few Fender’s and all, but this has become my old faithful, a real workhorse. The Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster is flat out superb, and you’ll have to prize mine out of my cold dead hand!
You just can’t beat the sound of a valve (tube) amp with the clean channel max volume (dimed). That’s how they used to role in the old days of rock and I loved it.
So I decided to do a quick comparison of my amp on the dirty channel then on the clean channel at full volume maxed (dimed).
Just a bit info for the more nerdy tekki types.
The amp has been modified slightly from the original spec. Not much, but enough to make it even better. As you can see it is a Blackstar HT Studio 20 combo version. I changed the speaker out for a Celestion Vintage 30, which I have had for years in all the amps I play.
I also upgraded the tubes to Svetlana Winged C EL34 which I bought from Hot Rox. I had trouble getting the bias adjustment low enough so they are running a little hot.
I chose the Manic Street Preachers, A Design For Life, simply because it’s an awesome song and it uses open chords.
Channel settings are as follows:
Dirty Channel
Gain @ 10 o’clock
Volume @ 2 o’clock
Master @ 9 o’clock
Clean Channel
Volume @ full
Master @ full
Anyways, lets hear you feedback as that’s what it’s all about.
Here’s another great example of why the internet and social media can be amazing.
This is the FaceBook page for Domenic’s Drum Zone which features the work of Canadian based drummer Domenic Nardone. Not only is he an extremely talent percussionist but he has a real creative flair in producing videos of his work, both on a solo basis and in collaboration with others. He should really be performing on a much bigger stage in my opinion!
Check him out – he’s an inspiring guy from whom I have tried to pick up more than a few tips since discovering his online space.
In Big Tuna’s 10 years of playing gigs across Scotland, including numerous Scottish weddings, we know the drill pretty well and we are pleased to offer a few simple hints to brides and grooms as they begin the search for the perfect wedding band for their big day.
1. When you set the date, book the band ASAP.
Good wedding bands tend to be in demand especially in the Spring and Summer months so once you have a date set and you know what you want then get the date in the band’s diary. You may have to pay an advance deposit but it’s better than being disappointed. While most people tend to book 12 months before the date, it is not uncommon for us to get bookings as far as two years in advance.
2. Try before you buy
While bands will often showcase video and audio on their websites I would always advise that you see them playing live before booking them for your Scottish wedding. It may involve driving across Scotland or sitting outside a hotel when they are playing at another wedding party but it is worth making that effort to ensure they are as good as you think (and as good as they claim to be!)
3. Who do you want to please on the day?
This may seem obvious: it’s you and your spouse-to-be, right? Of course it is but often weddings are a gathering of diverse people with differing tastes and age ranges. You may want to ensure that your band appeals to the wider cross section of guests rather just your own musical preferences.
4. If you want, ask.
Don’t be afraid to ask the band if they can play a variety of styles to suit the age/taste ranges of your guests. While Big Tuna is primarily a rock band, we will often play lighter, more mainstream songs early on at a wedding saving the heavier, rocking tunes for later in the night. Of course, if you want a rock fest from the word ‘go’ then that can be arranged as well!
5. Can I negotiate on costs?
Bands tend to charge a premium for weddings because there is much more preparation and set up time involved. Not all bands will be flexible on cost but with some there are ways to negotiate a better fee. One sure fire way to reduce all wedding costs is to have your reception on a weeknight – band fees are usually more competitive then as there is less likelihood of a rival booking. Ensuring the band can get access to set up just prior to your evening reception (rather than having to set up many hours earlier in the day) will reduce their time and, potentially, their cost. If wedding finances are tight you could also negotiate by asking the band to play 1-2 sets early on and then, while they pack up, finish your reception with an iPod disco, for example. Of course, given this is your big day you need to consider carefully if you want to compromise a great reception just to save a couple hundred pounds – but it is an option.
6. Direct your band
We have a policy that we will play our set with some formal introductions of the bride, groom and wedding party at the start of the night. However, like most wedding bands, we are happy to make special announcements, call out toasts to specific family members, or even have a bride/groom sing a tune with us on the night. To ensure you get the right tone don’t be shy to tell the band what you want and don’t want on the night. That also includes your song selection. Most good bands, Big Tuna included, will publish a list on their website so feel free to tell them what songs you especially want included and those you’d rather not hear on your wedding day. After all, you are the client.
7. You get what you pay for.
You may think there’ a touch of self-interest here but I only make the point because it is true. Great wedding bands are usually busy and will therefore command a higher fee. While we always aim to charge a fair price you have to bear in mind that there is a much greater level of work involved in playing a wedding in terms of preparation and the length of performance on the night. By all means do cast out the net and get quotes from a few bands that you like but before settling on a cut-price band, make sure you check them out so you are not disappointed on what everyone calls the biggest day of your life.
So you want to own a Fender La Cabronita? Well look no further.
If like me, you love the look and sound of these beasts, but think they are way over priced.
OR
Have plenty money and just want to build the best sounding axe you can ever own.
AND
You’re reasonably handy and like the smell of freshly sawn wood. Read on.
My friend, you have arrived at your destination. For I, have traveled the path before you and wish to share my hard earned knowledge with you.
I first tried one of these at Red Dog Music in the Grassmarket. It was part of the Fender Telebration series and sounded amazing. The clarity, note separation and sheer growl under crunch was awesome. Proper Malcolm Young.
And so the quest began.
I needed a body first. After a bit of research, I ended up on eBay and a supplier called WoodWoo2.
I love eBay, it’s like a game. I watched, waited and then pounced. The Alder body was mine. This seller makes these custom La Cabronita bodies and they are value for money. Check it out below.
La Cabronita Part 1
So now I had the body, I needed some parts. First of all the bridge. I borrowed a Fender modern hardtail from Lee’s Strat and it was perfect for prototyping the build. Next up buying the other bits and bobs:
CTS Pot for volume
Jack socket
Jack casing
Borrow a telecaster neck from Lee
Borrow a hardtail modern bridge from Lee
Wire from connections, shielded proper Gibson style
So onto fitting the test bridge. Easy stuff and if I remember correctly, I drilled the screw holes a little bigger.
Now I had to fit the pickups. Well I didn’t have them yet, so I had to borrow one from my Gretsch.
Then came the surprise. The pickup was sitting way too high in the routed cavity.
Apparently, the pickup cavities had been routed for TV Jones and I had HS filtertrons. They look very similar on the top, but underneath the TV Jones have shorter pole screws.
So I had the choice. Cut the screws, all 32 of them, or adjust the cavities. So guess what I did? I pressed the pickup into the wood to mark the hole. The I drilled a hole deep enough to house the long screw. This would do for testing, but for the final build, I routed the cavity out with a router for a nicer cleaner finish.
Once this was done, a quick string up to check everything was in place and aligned correctly. I then wired up the pickup to see how it sounded.
Cue the Guinness.
La Cabronita Part 2
So you might be thinking at this point all is tested and working, let’s finish building this thing.
No, I decided to gig it – at a wedding – and it was awesome.
So built, tested and gigged it was time to buy the proper parts and finish the build. Back onto eBay to find a supplier for HS Filtertrons, the same as in my Gretsch. I dabbled with the idea of buying TV Jones Classics, but the sound from the Filtertron was so good, I decide to get them.
At the same time I ordered a neck and thanked Lee for lending me his. It did the job but now I wanted a new Fender built birds eye maple neck with abalone inlays. Both the neck and the pickup came from the US and I got stung by customs on the neck, so beware. However, the pickups slipped under the radar.
When they arrived, I built a little jig and routed out the pickup cavities to fit them properly. Oh what a great Saturday morning that was, cutting wood!
All that remained was to adjust the size of the brass base plate on the neck pick up as it was too wide. I dismantled the pickup to remove the plate and run it against my bench grinder, but not before wrapping the pickup in cling film to stop filings going inside.
Everything now fitting and assembled, including a new hardtail bridge, it was now ready for the neck.
La Cabronita Part 3
It seemed to take ages for the neck to arrive, but when it did it looked amazing. It was exactly how I wanted it. My first maple neck and a birds eye one at that. Neck fitted and strung up, it was ready to fully test. I plugged it into my Blackstar amp and let rip.
At this point I had not properly setup the action or intonation etc, but it played and sounded incredible. To believe that you can assemble/build a guitar that sounds as good as this is just great. I have played many guitars through many amps and this was kicking the crap out of them all.
So gigging we went, but after a few I realised that I needed to finish off the wood or at least to protect it.
My original idea was to paint the body in a green sparkle with a cream double binding, but the paint job alone would have almost doubled the price. Not only that but when the body arrived, the edges had been contoured meaning I couldn’t do the binding.
The cost didn’t bother me, it was the time and effort. So I decided to treat the wood and I have to say it was very enjoyable. Rub the wood down, coat it with shellac and repeat three times. The finish was a very natural colour and I really kind of liked it as it went really well with the neck. Job almost done.
A quick purchase later of tortoise laminated plastic (eBay) and I had quickly crafted a control cavity plate using only a Stanley knife and a bench grinder for tools.
So that’s the story. It is now my favourate guitar and I have played it at every gig since building it.
After playing with my new Gretsch Duo Jet 6128 for a while, I decided to change the floating bridge as the angle looked wrong. Since these type of guitars have what is called a “floating bridge”, if the contact to the body is poor, the sound will be affected.
So, I purchased a new Ebony bridge and began about the process of sanding the base. This needs to be done due to the curvature of the body. Since every guitar is different, you need to rub down the new bridge so it fits the body contours exactly.
I carefully removed the old floating bridge and took note of the position. I cleaned the body very carefully then cut out a piece of paper and sandpaper. The paper was slightly bigger and you can see it was placed on top of the paper. This would stop any rough edges of the sandpaper causing any scratches.
Stretching them both tightly, i taped them to the body with low tack tape. Get the right kind here otherwise it may cause issues on the paint.
Next, carefully place the new bridge roughly where it should go and start rubbing back and forward making sure you dont tilt it. Take your time and replace the sandpaper with finer and finer types. After about 30 mins, you should be good to go.
Remove sandpaper and wipe dry. Check the bridge against the body. There should be no gaps at all. Easy No?
Big Tuna’s set list consists of well over 100 songs has just gotten bigger with the addition of some new tunes. To kick start 2013 the band has added Mumford and Sons ‘Little Lion Man’ and the Cult’s late 80’s rocker ‘Lil Devil’ to their repertoire.
The lads are also working on a number of other great rock covers including songs by Editors, Stevie Wonder and Journey, the latter being requested as a first dance of a spring Scottish wedding reception.
More details on these to come once they are confirmed as part of the ever-growing set list.
Stay tuned for our ever expanding repertoire or leave us a comment if want us to play a new tune.
Big Tuna has been called on to provide the entertainment for one of the year’s liveliest and craziest parties in Scotland, the Young Farmer’s summer bash.
The ticket only event takes place on the last weekend of June at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange. Big Tuna will take to the stage late evening to provide another rocking mix of classic and contemporary covers to get the young farmer’s jumping until the early hours. The band head-lined the YF’s 2009 outdoor bash at Ingliston, where they brought joy to a crowd of over 2,000 party-goers.
If we get anything like these numbers again, it will be one hell of a night. In 2009 it was an absolutely superb night, probably the best gig we have ever had the privilege to play. The crowd were in great from and they certainly know how to enjoy themselves.
We look forward to providing the rock all again in June.
Finnegan’s Wake has been a venue long-targeted by Big Tuna and after a few delays in getting a gig there – not least because of the big Kushi fire in December 2008 which closed the venue for over a year – on Thursday (21 Oct), the band made its debut at the Grassmarket pub on Edinburgh’s Victoria Street. The newly refurbished pub is amazing, done to a very high standard and the new band stage area is ideal: big enough for a 4-5 piece band but intimate enough for a mid-sized venue like Finnegan’s.
Thursday saw a decent crowd flowing into the venue and by 11.30 the punters were in full swing dancing to Big Tuna’s vast array of rock covers with music from the likes of Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys, The Darkness, The Kinks and The Proclaimers. It’s a very lively but also very civilised crowd, ideal for a band with Big Tuna’s repertoire and, judging from the comments of many of the patrons after the performance, it was also an ideal fit for the Finnegan’s crowd.
Big Tuna plays Finnegan’s Wake again on 3 November. Also look out for new dates at the venus in 2011.
The law of averages is a lay term used to express a belief that outcomes of a random event will “even out” within a small sample.
Roughly translated, if you play your equipment enough times, at some point it WILL eventually break. This holds true for your guitar, your drums, your mixing desk and even your unbreakable, Sherman Tank encased Orange Tiny Terror Valve Amplifier.
So what are you going to do when disaster strikes and your trusty steed decides it’s had enough? Continue reading →
Having tunnel vision can be a good thing sometimes. It can hep you focus, prevent distractions and improve your ability. That’s what I used to think. Why would anyone need more that one guitar? How many different sounds do you need? Surely one guitar is enough to master the fretboard. You only have to look at Angus Young to see that. Well kind of, he has quite a few Gibson SGs, but it is the same kind of guitar. Continue reading →
While hormones, acne, cheap beer and angst join forces to whip up a storm of confusion in your maturing mind, you need something certain to hang on to.
That need is sharpened by peer pressure, as the people you admire, fear, fancy or despise demand to know ‘what are you’? Continue reading →
I love taking things apart. I have been like that since I can remember. While everyone else in my family was playing with their newly unwrapped Xmas presents, I was taking mine apart to see how they worked. Sometimes it’s a curse and other times it a blessing. Continue reading →
As anyone who knows me will tell you, I’m pretty much addicted to all things Bass. I regularly attend gatherings of like minded individuals in far flung parts of the world like Newcastle and Manchester and contribute on a number of fora dedicated to the Low end. The main forum I spend my time on is hosted by the California based instrument maker – Alembic; I play their instruments and they’re very supportive, treating each customer like royalty. Continue reading →
“It’s a funny old game” Greavsy once said, and there’s no stranger truth. Although during the day job I sometimes design and build websites, I have actually never written anything for a blog before! So let get tits deep in text together. Continue reading →
I don’t think there has been one gig I’ve played with Big Tuna that someone hasn’t asked me the obvious question.
“Big Tuna, that’s mental, what does it mean ken-like-pal!”, which of course is a Fifeism for friend or neebour. Or “Big Tuna, that’s like rub……. (long pause) pretty good min or buddy.
So where did the name “Big Tuna” actually come from?
Draw a rakish comedy moustache on Michelangelo’s David, pour Agent Orange over Van Gogh’s sunflowers and roll a Faberge Egg to destruction down a grassy precipice next Easter.
All these efforts are overshadowed, out-gunned and just plain beaten to a snotty, mewling pulp by man’s greatest artistic endeavour, The Guitar Solo.
Crocodiles, BB King, horseshoe crabs, cockroaches and Angus Young.
What do they have in common?
All of them have been around for a very long time, and none of them has needed to change with the times.
Why? Because, in evolutionary terms, they hit the nail smartly on the head at a very early stage.
As you’ve probably guessed by now, I don’t write for a living. I’ve never been one for reading or writing 300 words when 50 will do. When I pick up something to read, I want to be straight into the action.
However, I thought I would try a little bit harder and write a little bit more about that elusive tone that keeps us guitarists so keen.
Ask any keen guitarist what it is that makes them tick, and you can bet a 1959 Les Paul they will tell you it is all about the tone.
I remember walking to school when I was 12 years old and hearing for the first time a song that would stay with me forever.
Rainbow’s “All night long” was blasting from a radio, somewhere and I knew that was my music. Richie Blackmore’s simple, but amazing riff, stills echoes in my head today. The raw energy and vocals in that song were amazing.
It was the first time I had really heard rock music and I was sold.
Looking to form a live covers band to play in clubs and at weddings? This is the story of how Scottish four man band BIG Tuna got its act together. Drummer Bill Shaw writes.
