The first time I really noticed the bass was at a concert at the Albert Hall when I was 7 or 8 or so. I distinctly remember pointing at the bassist and telling my mum that I could feel what 'that man with the guitar' was playing, making my tummy flutter. If memory serves correctly, it was a sunburst Fender of some sort.
From that moment on, my ears instantly homed in on the bass whenever I listened to music. When ska hit in 1979, I wanted to be Horace Panter -- he was the Specials for me. And when a bunch of us in the 6th form decided to form a band, there was only really one choice for me. First influences were Horace, Dave Steele of The Beat, then Tony Butler of Big Country. And then one night, I saw Mark King on the telly and he quite literally changed my life.