musicbassman

Many years ago I came across an Irish heavy metal band called 'Third Effect'

...Oh, go on, say it....

It's just a form of pointless verbal vandalism.

People who have no status or influence in their lives can resort to this - it's all they have to offer.

It's a bit like local yoofs beating up the bus shelter, throwing litter around or throwing stones at fire engines - it's the only way to make them feel like they are getting noticed or are important.

Apparently having your face tattooed is another sensible option sometimes chosen...   .

So, here's Ced Mitchell doing a great bass cover of 'Make Daddy Proud' by Blackbear. Excellent playing - great phrasing, musicality and feel.

And then, if that wasn't good enough, along comes Dunkan Robertson and does an even more incredible arrangemnt of Ced Mitchells' arrangement...

Lots to like here, methinks, and anyone ever says bass playing is stuck in a rut, here's evidence to the contrary.  Enjoy.

Thanks to everyone for their sympathetic and thoughtful replies.

Well - I've bitten the bullet and joined Facebook.

I have to wait to get access to 4 FB groups I've joined, I will report back when I've had a chance to see what's about.

They each appear as if they could be useful, but will the reality live up to the expectations ? Watch this space.   🤞

5 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

But it would be useful to hear from you what you are particularly looking to get out of playing bass in a band? 

Because I had gigged constantly for 30 years I must admit it's something I really missed when I stopped.

For decent function work, it's not really an income stream I'm looking for, it's more about the satisfaction of playing live in nice venues and being appreciated, and equally it's the delight of working with quality musicians who really know their chops and are absolute professionals in their attitude.

So, no Dad rock down the Dog and Duck for me, thanks, and also I don't really want to be in a band where I have to tell the keyboard player he's clearly playing the wrong chord. 

9 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

In truth, then, I'd expect you to have a pretty impressive contacts book already. 

Just call a few friends ...

If only it was that simple, HappyJack.

I gigged continuously for 30 years in numerous different cover bands 1971 - to 2001, then I'd had enough and stopped playing for 16 years. I retired 18 months ago and decided to take up playing again. But the world I left in 2001 was mostly pre digital and many of the bands, musicians, agents and venues I knew have closed, retired...or, ahem, are no longer with us.

It's a different world out there now. I'm confident my playing is back up to scratch and I'm sure there's a bass gig out there somewhere, but I feel I'm not sourcing it.

Which is why I'm on here asking for advice.

16 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

If you go that route, though, give some thought to what sort of bands are actually in demand round your way. Starting yet another Dad-rock outfit, especially if your area is already stuffed with well-known Dad-rock outfits, may be a road to nowhere. 

I assure you, Happy Jack, a Dad-rock outfit is the very last thing on my mind.

I'm more familiar with doing high end function work.

40 minutes ago, thepurpleblob said:

Join Facebook.  I'm not massively younger than you but I find it a PITA dealing with musicians who can't work social media. It's where bands live these days - it just is. 

It's not being 'unable to work' social media, purpleblob, I'm not a complete luddite! 

It's the information harvesting that I ( and apparently many others) have a natural aversion to.

But if people on here really think this might be where I'm missing out, then it could be a price I'm prepared to pay.

Hi Steve - I'm at Chichester.  Yes, jams can be good fun (unless they are just excuses for guitarwanks) and can be a great way of meeting other musos, but (as you suggest) I might be unlikely to find guys already playing in covers/functions bands to be in attendance.

Hello BCers,

So, I live on the South Coast, I’m 66, and I’m having a real problem sourcing a bass vacancy in a quality well established covers/functions band anywhere in Sussex, Hampshire or Surrey.

I’ve been looking for over a year now, and have only chosen to do one audition – this was the only gig on offer I’d come across which had the decent level of playing ability and professionalism I would expect.  I didn’t get the gig - I don’t think there were any problems musically, but the rest of the band (and the two other auditionees I saw) were about 25 years younger than me, and maybe who really wants their Dad on stage with them?

I’m not expecting to find a Vulfpeck or a Natalie Williams Soul Family, but surely I should have been able to find more than one suitable vacancy worth auditioning for in the last 15 months.

Am I looking in the wrong places? I use Bandmix, JMB, Find a Musician, Gumtree and Starnow. Maybe I should use the dreaded Facebook ? – I’ve avoided signing up to this for reasons many will understand – but is this worth selling my soul for now?

I’ve been lucky to have found two long term dep gigs over the last 12 months, the second of these finishes after this NYE, so I’m hoping I’m not about to enter a gig desert and still be looking for something in 12 months’ time.

Any reasonably polite suggestions welcome, apart from “Why don’t you just pack it in, Grandad?”   

Well, this is either gold plated genius, or absolutely appalling - you decide.

Stumbled upon by chance in one of the stranger back streets of Youtube. I'd go for genius.

Definite shades of early Return to Forever from 6.00 to the end.

I used to do a lot of high end function work and the general rule seemed to be - the posher the function, the less likely you were to be allowed anywhere NEAR the buffet.

You were merely 'staff' and got a plate of sandwiches in the kitchen.

Admittedly, I also remember doing some gigs where we were offered first dibs at the buffet - and this was clearly to the great annoyance of some of the guests. I remember a Hooray Henry at one do being particularly offended. He told us in no uncertain terms that we needed to 'learn our place' and threatened to 'sort us out' later.... but I suspect the shampoo may have been doing most of the talking here...

Late 1970's - The roadie of the band I was in somehow managed to leave my '63 Precision (in it's case) overnight leaning up against his gatepost at his house after returning home after a Sat night gig - we were playing the Sun lunchtime and he'd agreed to leave the gear in the van but take all the guitars indoors overnight.

Two little boys had knocked on his door about 10am on the Sun and asked him if he wanted the 'old guitar' that he'd left outside and 'was it for the dustman ?'.....

JMB is really the best of a bad lot, but as others have said, a lot of dreamers and fools on there. The wording of the ads can usually set off alarm bells - for me, anyway.

Bandmix is a complete waste of time - half the people advertising on there seem to misunderstand how to use the composition menus, so the search result says they are looking for a bass player, but their page reveals they are actually looking for a girl singer.

Find a musician - a waste of time.

Starnow - only recently found this, but seems to be the same ads up all the time with nothing new.

I'm depping at the moment but have been looking for a decent permanent covers band position for over a year now. Maybe I'm too fussy - I've only chosen to do one audition in all this time. That was fine musically, but the rest of the band were all about 30 years younger, and who would want their Dad playing on stage with them?  😥

2 hours ago, mikel said:

Well quite, but what is a singer doing answering an add, insisting on songs, asking for the gig, If the partner is not on board in the first place. That was what pi**ed me off.

They're deluding themselves, somehow imagining that it's all going to work out somehow.

Signs of an immature personality, a selfish streak and possibly an unravelling relationship with their partner.

Avoid like the plague !!

1 hour ago, mikel said:

Hence the phrase "That I would never use". For most of us time is tight regarding music as its not our full time job. Why waste any of it listening too, deciphering and learning something that is completely alien to what you want and like to play?  My musical theory is to drop stuff I dont need and get better at the stuff I do use and need. If I was a pro musician with 10 hours a day to practice then it would be different.

We’ll have to agree to disagree on this, mikel.

Yes, of course you learn your favourite bass lines from your favourite players – these will influence your fundamental playing style. You may also, like me , usually work in cover bands and have to learn a wide variety of bass lines and bass styles to suit your chosen set list.

But if you sometimes try to learn something outside your comfort zone then all sorts of wondrous creative things can happen – and if you are in a band trying to write original material that doesn’t sound too much like something that’s gone before you can then bring a fresh approach to your bass lines as a result, and people maybe won’t say “Oh, they sound just like so and so”

Just two examples – think of Louis Cole – he’s written some amazing innovative synth bass lines for Knower. And then along come Sam Wilkes (and Tim Lefebvre) and they use these as a kicking off point to play some really fresh lines (and most of these are completely beyond my capabilities!)

And also think of the influence of Dilla beats on Hiatus Kaiyote – this affected the whole interplay between bass and drums on all their material and pushed things off in another new direction which other bands are now slavishly trying to copy.

Just my opinion...

2 hours ago, mikel said:

Depends what you want to play or the style you want to have. If the part has techniques, phrasing or style that you would never use in the music you like to play then I dont see the point in learning to play it.

Sorry mikel, but if it has "techniques, phrasing or style that I would never use in the music I like to play"  then that's every reason to learn it - to open your mind up to different ways of looking at the bass as an instrument and its musical role in a band.

2 hours ago, Delberthot said:

Occasionally I have to learn songs that I don't like for wedding gigs so I always have something ready at the end that I enjoy playing. At the moment it is this version of What Is Hip - I find it easier to play than the original despite being a lot faster

 

Jeez - that is seriously quick !!

It's a generation thing. What is a 'standard' to one generation is a WTF to the next.

In the early 70's I was in my early 20's and was living in London. I used to pick up dep gigs through the MU. A lot of this was function jobs with musos in their 60's and 70's who were the remnants of the old dance bands from the 40's and 50's.

"What? You don't know 'Satin Doll' ???   What is the world coming to ???........ Well surely you must know 'Cherry Pink and Almond Blossom White ???" etc etc......

Plus ca change...

40 minutes ago, ambient said:

I’ve got a transcription of what is hip if you want it. It was an exam piece at uni.

Thanks Ambient - for me, working out the line for myself entirely by ear is all part of the learning process.

So.... I've finally got round to learning Rhythm Stick. It's a monster bass line I've been meaning to learn for a while.

Any other ideas for great bass lines to study?

(I'm planning on 'What is Hip?' next)   

Mononeon has also covered this in his trademark OTT style - I think the original bass lines here are equally God tier but more restrained.

Best of luck. I'm sure others can advise you re Jam/open nights, but although you may now have an Ozzy attitude to distance you'll have a job understanding the current problems of parking - you'll know it was difficult in 1990 - difficult at best of times, but now it's almost impossible in some big cities, even in the evenings. And as for London, forget it - you'll have to use public transport to get around now.

I had some U.S. friends stay a few years ago and they were dumbfounded that you couldn't simply rock up to some venue to jam and simply park nearby.

Sorry to dampen your enthusiasm, but best you appreciate this before you start planning things in advance.   😀

Two minutes in, and I have a gradual creeping realisation that this is NOT a comedy sketch. It's like Jazz Club but for heavy metal.

This is pure horror gold - he's straight from Central Casting...

So, he apparently bought seven 'Hyperfuzz' pedals - does he chain them?  It couldn't sound worse...