👕 Get New Ernie Ball Merch Now!
  • Ernie Ball
  • Music Man
  • Sterling by Music Man
  • Security notice: Ernie Ball staff will never send you a direct message about a prize or giveaway, and will never ask you to click a link to "claim" anything.
    If you receive a message like that - even from an account whose name looks official - do not click the link. Please report it using the Report link on the message so the moderators can act. A scam campaign impersonating admin accounts was blocked on 29 July 2026; those accounts are banned and their messages have been deleted.
Axis 30th Anniversary

Colin Hay/Bongo Man (Cliff Hugo) NJ Review

Moondog

Moondog

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 15, 2004
Messages
1,466
Location
Red Bank, NJ
adelucia said:
Moondog - We'll need a NJ review! ;)
Click to expand...

adelucia, as requested . . .

Fellow forumite and new pal Cliff Hugo invited my wife & I to come a little early and hang out before the show. Cliff took us up on stage and showed us his set-up, which included a beautiful buttercream BongoHH and a graphite black BongoHH with “sting-thru” design!! (more on that another time). We talked MusicMan for quite a bit while my wife smiled & nodded her head like we were talking another language.

Cliff hooked us up with some great seats and the show began when Colin came out alone and addressed the audience for almost 20 minutes. It was very good “stand-up”, entertaining and funny (also found out that he is Scottish, not Australian). Colin then grabbed 6 and 12 string acoustic guitars and played several “unplugged” songs before the band joined in (Cliff, a guitarist, keyboardist, drummer, and very energetic back-round vocalist). Colin’s vocals were stronger than ever, no problem at all hitting the high notes that were prevalent in many of his songs from the 80’s.

Cliff played his Bongo flawlessly and made thunder that would make all of you proud, and that buttercream looked so tasty. Cliff played that beautiful bass the entire performance through a “borrowed” bass rig (small head through a 2 x 12 + 1 x 8 cab – forgot the make).

The band sounded great: nicely mixed, strong vocals, and most importantly, solid bass. Songs were a nice combination of new and old and most the M@W songs were saved for later. After the show, Colin stayed to meet folks and sign CD’s.

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the show and if the pics come out ok – I’ll be sure to post them here (I broke our digital).

NJ/NY Folks: They will be at Maxwells, Washington Street, in Hoboken this Wednesday night (8/24) so do try to see them.

On a personal note, I’d like to say thanks to Cliff again . . not only are you an A+ player, you’re a class act and we appreciated the fact that you took time to hang with us both before and after the show. Good luck with the rest of the tour and don’t forget the fresh mozz @ Fiore’s ;)
 
I have a copy of CH's "Man at Work" CD and love it. Did Cliff play on that session or is he only touring with CH? I somehow seem to remember that LA Bassist Lynne Davis was on that session but I could be wrong.
 
thanks for the kind words----
it's great to make new friends and talk MM
moondog and his wife are very cool people and soon will be welcoming a new addition to the family;-)
thanks for coming
take care
cliff
 
CLIFF HUGO IS A CLASS ACT!

Cliffie thanks so much for being you. Are you guys starting to get that the family at eb is real? How many bassist's on the road would go out of their way to met and get to know someone on a forum?

THanks again and thanks for the post moondog
 
Can I be the unshaven, chain smoking, porno obessed, drunken uncle in pee stained shorts???
 
Last edited:
Family with execptions I agree. Steve we gotta get ya potty trained. And fast.

JK.

Here is home to me and here is family to me.

tk
 
Ok, ok, I'll shave and give an extra "shake" or two but it's good to know that you'll accept me as far as the rest goes. (chain smoking, porno obessed & drunk)
 
Last edited:
it's good to know that you'll accept me as far as the rest goes. (chain smoking, porno obessed & drunk)
Click to expand...

You sound like me, and look, they like me here, mostly.

the there's hope for you yet,
JW
 
the there's hope for you yet
Click to expand...

Yes, but I am yet unshaven and just dribbled a bit.

All joking aside, it's very cool to have someone like Cliff Hugo posting here!!

Do you have a website?
 
Last edited:
Cliffs string thru Bongo HH

Moondog mentioned that Cliff owns a string through bongo 5, I wonder how it compares to the current models?
 
0557 said:
Moondog mentioned that Cliff owns a string through bongo 5, I wonder how it compares to the current models?
Click to expand...
The bass that moondog saw is an early proto-type. The string through openings are not being used. Dudley was trying different options. I think it has different op amps--I'm not sure. I brought it out as a backup. And being that i've never had any problems with any MM bass in 16 years ( maybe more) I'll probably never need to use it.
You should have seen moondogs face when he saw the string through holes on the back.
;-))
 
bongo man said:
You should have seen moondogs face when he saw the string through holes on the back. ;-))
Click to expand...

I looked like this: :eek:
Could hardly wait to get a pic w/that thing.
Now I have some hope that there are some
trans-finish Bongos out there . . .
with birdseye necks :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Classic Rock N Roll Slinky
Back
Top