Hmmmm
Bass by bus.
Rush hour (7:30-9:30 am) (5-7pm) approx. forget it all together.
during the day.
Problematic.
You will very quickly find people with prams have very bad attitude and an argument will rapidly ensue if one has the bass in the pram bay (the only place to stand with a bass).
If you live somewhere that has a "bendy bus" route these are a lot easier as there is a lot more room to stand with ones bass and they are much easier to get on too.
Night busses are Ok as people don't tend to use prams at night, just be prepared for the pissed up comments/abuse.
I've totally given up on day busses after getting my bridge kicked over and now wheel my bass the 2 miles to my luthier when needed. Damage by bus out weighs damage by wheel
Over land trains:
good for bass apart from rush hour as these are for the long distance commuters, but they are not as regular as tubes and obviously one must live near a station.
Tube:
rush hour, you will be no ones best friend, but it is do-able, just be arrogant and pushy. Also leave a lot of time for your journey and don't be afraid to jump tube if the place gets too packed or the vibe turns nasty.
Daytime, really great and easy.
Nightime, much much more pleasant than the bus.
I live in brixton and I'm served by the vicoria line which is a gift for getting to central london and connecting with east london. It's such a shame that the tube stops by 1am as one can get stranded and have to rely on black cabs:
(if you have to take a couple of night bus connections, make sure you don't have an early start the next day as it can take a couple of hours to get home)
For the odd journey I use a pay as you go oyster card which takes busses to £1 and central tubes to £1.50. However if I know I'll be doing several music related journeys in one day I'll buy a paper travelcard as these are much easier to archive for tax returns (this isn't an issue if you aren't self employed)
For "moral" reasons I don't use black cabs, but you can get a bass in a black cab. I'm trying to find a contract company that can fit a double bass. Anderson Lee say they can, but I'm not so sure. They are a very reliable company and you know how much a journey will cost before embarking as you get a quote when you book. Handy!
My drummer manages to run a car, but It is very expensive. And don't forget that it is very hard to park in central london without paying a lot for car park charges and then of course one can't drink etc etc. Hastle.
I say all this as a non driver though
It is certainly The most comfortable option for transporting the bass or drums
Where gigs are depends more on what music one plays, but generally central london moving out to a hub in east london. The sort of racket I make tends to end up in art spaces.
For jazz the vortex Dalston (east) springs to mind and the Spitz in Spitalfields, (central)
Even if ones gig isn't in the congestion charge zone, one will probably have to pass through it to get there.
