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What ever happen to all of the (bass) heroes ?


Bass_In_Yer_Face
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Is just me or are there no bass heroes anymore?

You know the guys who you saw on Top Of The Pops and thought “My God!...I want to look as cool at that guy”

For me people like JJ Brunell, Paul Simenon, Simon Gallup, Peter Hook….all made the bass look like an offence weapon.

I just don’t see anyone from contemporary bands inspiring an apathetic youth to play the bass.

While I continue my rant……can anyone suggest any bands around at the moment who have inspiring bass lines as I’m struggling to find anything worth listening to in this current trend of ‘femmepop’ as my mate calls it. Emasculated rock

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[quote name='simon1964' post='127548' date='Jan 25 2008, 09:06 AM']Good point. How about the guy from the Killers? Some really good bass lines which drive their songs.[/quote]


i don't think in this case that its necessarily all about the quality of basslines or ability - its more showmanship and attitude that makes a 'bass hero' stand out from the masses. We're talking people who, regardless of what instrument they are playing, make kids go 'woah!! i wanna be like him!! ' and then go out and investigate bass further.

but the OP is right - where are they all these days??


peace

c

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[quote name='Bass_In_Yer_Face' post='127545' date='Jan 25 2008, 08:54 AM']Is just me or are there no bass heroes anymore?

You know the guys who you saw on Top Of The Pops and thought “My God!...I want to look as cool at that guy”

For me people like JJ Brunell, Paul Simenon, Simon Gallup, Peter Hook….all made the bass look like an offence weapon.

I just don’t see anyone from contemporary bands inspiring an apathetic youth to play the bass.

While I continue my rant……can anyone suggest any bands around at the moment who have inspiring bass lines as I’m struggling to find anything worth listening to in this current trend of ‘femmepop’ as my mate calls it. Emasculated rock[/quote]

What about bands like The Stranglers, The Good The Bad and The Queen, Monaco, Free Bass... oh hang on a minute...

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This has connections with a thread I was thinking of starting a while back-'bands you like with uninspiring bass players'. There are a few bands whose stuff I really like, but whose bass players are fairly straight down the line types-not bad, but nothing to get excited over. An example for me are My Chemical Romance-the first band for years that I have really gotten into, but old Mikey Way is no JJ Burnel-and yes I was one of those who took up the bass after being blown away by JJ onstage. Actually I'm struggling to think of bands that have done much for me lately to continue with this analogy-notable exceptions are The Killers as previously mentioned, and The Fratellis whose bass player isn't backward in coming forward. I don't mind some of Kasabian's stuff, but I can't even think what their bass player looks like!

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Mike Dirnt of Green Day?
even if he is a Paul Simonon clone....

maybe the list of Fender and squier signature basses reveals who's inspiring kids to take up bass-
Pete Wentz? (but he comes across as completely dumb in interviews)
Frank Bello?

Edited by SJA
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[quote name='cetera' post='127650' date='Jan 25 2008, 11:53 AM']I really like Richard Jones of The Feeling....

He looks cool, plays some nicely crafted, melodic basslines.... and controls the stage with constant prowling and boundless energy....[/quote]

+1

The Feeling may not push any musical frontiers, but I bought their first album mainly because Richard Jones has some brilliant basslines. Some great songs too.

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Looking at the music in the charts and on the radio regulary, to me it's really only Chris Wolstenholme who grabs my attention, although I'd concur that Mike Dirnt is also one who's an attention grabbing bassist with the right attitude, but they're both in established acts that have been going for many a year now.

I can't really think of any new acts in the past year or two that I've gone "ooooh, that's good" or "jesus, he's looks like a proper bassist rather than a guitarist who wants to be in a band so has picked bass to play".

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[quote name='JoeS' post='127649' date='Jan 25 2008, 11:52 AM']Nick Oliveri was a big one for me when he was in QOTSA, but now you mention it I'm struggling to think of any others...[/quote]

TBH I stopped listening to QOTSA when he was booted out - In The Fade is my favourite of his lines.

+1 for Muse and Killers

I don't like the band but I really like the girl from Magic Numbers melodic basslines - they really carry the songs. Same goes for guy from Fratellis - the intro to Chelsea Dagger is fantastic - don't like the rest of the song though!

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Kings Of Leon, Bloc Party, Biffy Clyro, Against Me!, Muse, Dillinger Escape Plan and We Are Scientists are all bands who've been featured heavily in the music press of late and they all seem to have bass players with a bit of that aforementioned swagger and some nice lines to boot.

But The Fratellis and The View? each to their own, but I don't hear anything inspiring in the lumpen pub rock I've been exposed to by those bands thus far!

And like it or not, Pete Wentz has probably brought a fair bit of attention to our fair instrument of late, although I can imagine the disappointment on the faces of thousands of budding teenage bassplayers when they realise that you actually have to learn to play it rather than just jumping around busting scissorkicks and hitting it with a plectrum...

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[quote name='SJA' post='127632' date='Jan 25 2008, 11:28 AM']Mike Dirnt of Green Day?
even if he is a Paul Simonon clone....

maybe the list of Fender and squier signature basses reveals who's inspiring kids to take up bass-
Pete Wentz? (but he comes across as completely dumb in interviews)[/quote]

pete wentz is sh*t, the only reason he's so inspiring is 'cos 14 year old little emo kids think he's proper fit. Mike dirnt is quite good, apparently he's a bit of a twat tho.

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[quote name='Bass_In_Yer_Face' post='127545' date='Jan 25 2008, 08:54 AM']While I continue my rant……can anyone suggest any bands around at the moment who have inspiring bass lines as I’m struggling to find anything worth listening to in this current trend of ‘femmepop’ as my mate calls it. Emasculated rock[/quote]

Wombats 'Moving to New York' (?)
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTEN359V8pI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTEN359V8pI[/url]

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[quote name='Bass_In_Yer_Face' post='127545' date='Jan 25 2008, 08:54 AM']Is just me or are there no bass heroes anymore?

You know the guys who you saw on Top Of The Pops and thought “My God!...I want to look as cool at that guy”

For me people like JJ Brunell, Paul Simenon, Simon Gallup, Peter Hook….all made the bass look like an offence weapon.

I just don’t see anyone from contemporary bands inspiring an apathetic youth to play the bass.

While I continue my rant……can anyone suggest any bands around at the moment who have inspiring bass lines as I’m struggling to find anything worth listening to in this current trend of ‘femmepop’ as my mate calls it. Emasculated rock[/quote]


Come and watch me in 6 months time...

SERIOUSLY.

I WILL SLAUGHTER!!! \m/

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