tonybassplayer

I'm certainly not the best bass player in the world ( probably not even the best in my street ) but I get by and love it. We play from Abba to Hendrix and even the more cheesy songs are enjoyable when you have 50 people on the dance floor dancing to them. We play Do You Love Me ( from Dirty Dancing ) as our last song and it gets everyone up dancing and guarantees an encore. We do not play anything that is too musically demanding so it can become a little stale but like I said earlier it feels pretty damn good when there is a full dance floor.

Hi Simon Nice to hear from a local. I live in Scholes near Cleckheaton. Looks like you have acquired quite a bit of gear in the last five years, Geddy Lee Jazz.....mmmmmm nice Just going to go check your website Tony

I promise to future generations that if I ever write a classic iconic song that will last forever I will make the riff 4, 8, or 16 beats long but will never write one that is 4 and a half beats long !!!! Thanks for the explanation, it makes me feel a bit better. Wonder why he didn't just think " this would be easier for me if I knocked a note or two out here and there "

I keep playing it and it is getting better but it still doesn't feel comfortable and I am a long way from getting it right. Think it may be one to work on when ( if ) I get in the band lol

Learning Black Dog for an audition on Monday night and when it goes to the second part of the bass line ( just as it moves away from the initial riff ) it just sounds wrong and out of time/sync. I know that it can't be because that is how it is supposed to sound but when you listen to it to try to learn it is not easy. Anyone else had problems learning it ??

35 in my pub/function band plus two deps for a 13 piece soul band. Looking to double that this year by playing in two bands

Lots of popular songs but strangely very few that I have done so I will pick and choose the ones to audition with and leave the others until I am in the band ( or not lol ) Black dog Whole lotta love }Led zeppelin Since i've been loving you Good times roll Fire }Jimi Hendrix Back in black Riff raff }Acdc Hell ain't a bad place to be Radar love }Golden earring Cos i luv ya }Slade Ball and chain Move over }Janis Joplin Come together }Beatles Need your love so bad }Fleetwood mac For what it's worth }Buffalo Springfield The letter }Joe Cocker The ocean I can't quit you babe }Led zeppelin

I have an audition in 6 days and have just got the set list of 20 to pick 6 from. Anyone know where the best tab source is these days ?? I think a night on youtube is called for !!

Another One Bites The Dust.......very simple line but very effective.

Lots of previously mentioned songs work for us but we have just introduced a laid back funky version of " I Want You Back " by the Jackson Five and what a cracking song this has turned out to be as it has a lovely bass riff in the intro and verse with a long lazy line in the chorus and it can easily be extended when going down well. Love the comments about what individual members think about each song. When we have to play a shortened set it is almost impossible to gain a consensus as to what songs to leave out. One persons least favourite is someone else's favourite !!! Our singer hates singing Soulman whilst I love playing it !!! Merry Xmas to you all

Hi Argh, are you the bass player in Export that comments on the the Rock of the North website ?? I saw the comment about the 9 string bass sometime last week and assumed it must be the same person. Tony

Hi Bren The band is SOUL7 website is at www.soul7.co.uk and we play pubs and functions etc ( all the gigs are on the website ) No, I never had a Jaydee just a cheap P bass copy. I bought the TRB about five years back and never felt the need to upgrade although I have a Yamaha 5 string that gets taken to gigs but rarely used. Have you any gigs coming up ?? Tony

A drum kit !!!!! yes honestly

I tend to look at lots of band websites for ideas that I can use on ours and their website is one that I have come across quite a bit. Besides playing bass in my current band I have recently starting playing drums as I would like to gig more and thought it would be good to play with another band on a different instrument. I thought that I would get myself a few lessons rather than waste years playing badly and the guy I contacted turned out to be the drummer in Duvet !! Nice co-incidence, I am going to start the lessons in January but having great fun playing the drums ( I have an electronic kit set up in the spare room at home with all other gear ) so if you fancy a bit of a jam session over xmas just bring along your bass ( or use mine !! ) Are you playing in a band at the moment ?? Tony

Hi TPJ Yes, every day for the last 10 years until august this year I used to go from Cleck to Wakey down the M62 and then M1. I now go down the M62 and then up to York so still hit the same traffic going to Leeds. Did I see one of your earlier posts say you used to play in the function band "Duvet" ?? Regards Tony

Very brave playing a solo gig like that. If you are ever playing further up north let me know. Tony

Progressively less and less to try to reduce the stress on the back and the clattering about at one in the morning when I get home but minimum of two bass's amp, tuner leads and two cabs.

I had lessons from Bren 10 years ago and I can highly recommend him as a teacher. He gave me the knowledge and confidence to get out and join a band and I have never looked back. He is also a superb player and a really nice guy as well. Regards Tony

Also loved playing it in a previous band but I definitely play it a little more solid as it needed to be in the context ( we were a classic rock band so played things pretty full on ) Lots of lovely little riffs and the bit echoing the mandalin is lovely to play.

Also have to remember to bring the digital camera, work the lights with my feet do the website the day after etc etc........... should be on double money lol

Forgot to add that two songs in to the second set the guitarists amp went pop and he had to use the second channel on the keyboard players amp !!! Kept the noise out of my ears for the rest of the night so not all bad !!

In theory last night was our annual "no pressure" gig. Every Xmas we play an early evening gig to a group of about 150 special needs people and the joy on their faces when we are playing is absolutely priceless. We turned up early at the venue to find the place all locked up with the party organisers frantically trying to locate the club owners as the posters in the entrance indicated that the party was next Thursday !! Eventually they arrived and apologised for the confusion and opened up. Set up started very slow as our singer was arriving late due to work commitments, the sax player had a migraine and needed to sit down with his eyes closed and the drummer was nowhere to be seen !! Up with the lights and speakers and look for the leads which were nowhere to be seen. The keyboard player had taken them from the last gig so off he went back home to collect them ( fortunately only a half hour round trip ) The organisers asked if we could put some music on so I pulled out my trusty ipod ( every band should have one ) and put it through my bass rig which livened the evening up a bit !! The keyboard player arrived back at the same time as the singer so the PA and lights went on but still no drummer. A quick call confirmed that he had not realised it was an early start so twenty minutes later he arrived to set up. Another 10 frantic minutes and we played our first song to an ecstatic audience. The night was a roaring success, roll on the next gig !! PS Did I mention it was a "no pressure" gig !!!!!!!

Hi Skywalker, Yes let me know next time you are up this way and we can meet for a drink and maybe take in a band. Are you playing in a band at the moment ?? Tony

PS Check the picture I sent but I had a moustache in those days.

Hi Bren I used to get lessons from you on a Thursday or Friday morning ( seem to remember it was a two hour session once a fortnight on a Friday ) I am about 6ft and had a few extra pounds around the waist ( now stones ) I worked at Volkswagen in Wakefield and had never played in a band ( I have now and love it to bits so many thanks for giving me the knowledge, ability and determination to do it ) Are you playing in a band at the moment ?? I seem to remember that you were playing in a band at the time ( was it Contraband ?? ) Nice to hear from you and I might grab a few more lessons to try and take me up another notch or two Regards Tony