session musicians....

[thunderider]

ok after watching totps xmas day,a lot of the singy birds seemed to have a "backing band"miming behind them,most seemed to be playing what looked tlike marcus miller fenders,or stingrays,410s or 810s..but just wondering what kind of heads the session bassests use?as for miming how does one get a gig doing this...as i am eyecandy!!!

[stingrayPete1977]

I think they use pro musicians still so you need to be a pro and with the MU, you then get paid accordingly (if you get the job) depending on if its a full mime, mime but with live BVs or a fully live performance. I would imagine some kind of agency would be your first port of call?

[Lozz196]

I`ve seen a fair few Markbass and Aguilar set-ups on these type of things. Sad as it may be, I tend to check out the bassists gear, rather than the "singy young things/dancers". Must be getting old.

[thunderider]

ur right there lozz i always try to get a look at the gear they use more than the fronting talent...like the first thing i listen to is the bassline,watch bands i always watch the bass player!!,so solid state set ups are the thing now?

[Dingus]

[quote name='thunderider' timestamp='1356797995' post='1913730']
ok after watching totps xmas day,a lot of the singy birds seemed to have a "backing band"miming behind them,most seemed to be playing what looked tlike marcus miller fenders,or stingrays,410s or 810s..but just wondering what kind of heads the session bassests use?as for miming how does one get a gig doing this...as i am eyecandy!!!
[/quote]

I am eyecandy too , but only for women in receipt of Pension Credit nowadays . The miming musos are indeed proper players who are in the MU ect . This kind of TV and promotion miming is commonly referred to as "modelling work " in the industry . Good work if you can get it , and when you are as good looking as we are it would be a shame not to share that with the world .

Edited December 29, 2012 by Dingus

[thunderider]

dingus any attention is good attention for us bassests!!

[gub]

This sounds like the perfect gig for me , as my pout is better than my playing lol !

[risingson]

I've considered doing it before but most of the work is of course based down south. Plenty of friends have done it, one mate even appeared as an acoustic guitar player on the X-Factor despite being a bassist! People still need to make up the work during the time they're not touring and/or playing.

[Dingus]

[quote name='thunderider' timestamp='1356799434' post='1913754']
dingus any attention is good attention for us bassests!!
[/quote]
[quote name='gub' timestamp='1356800507' post='1913764']
This sounds like the perfect gig for me , as my pout is better than my playing lol !
[/quote]

Lets face it , anyone can learn how to play the bass but being beautiful is a gift from God . A bad player can have lessons , practise and improve but an ugly bastard will always be an ugly bastard .

[stingrayPete1977]

Did someone mention norman watt-roy?

[jezzaboy]

Aye, but he`s a talanted ugly b*stard!!

[stingrayPete1977]

Isn't he just on both counts

[BigRedX]

N W-R wasn't quite so ugly in 1977 when The Blockheads first became famous plus he was in a band with Ian Dury and the rest of the band were hardly eye candy.

[stingrayPete1977]

Can't really imagine him in the script or some other saggy arsed chino wearing band can you?

[Blademan_98]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1356802101' post='1913790']
Lets face it , anyone can learn how to play the bass but being beautiful is a gift from God . A bad player can have lessons , practise and improve but an ugly bastard will always be an ugly bastard .
[/quote]

Sadly you are correct.

I can have lessons but I will always be bald, fat and overweight

[OliverBlackman]

Most people in London seem to be using Aguilar and Markbass. Markbass is by far my favourite sound.

As for getting gigs miming, they are selected in the same way as musicians are for live shows. A fixer is paid to find musicians, he/ she will know people from their network that will fit the bill. Most of the guys that mime are very skilled at playing bass/ other instruments.

[thunderider]

looks like im pretty tatered then being a over weight middle aged....didi really say middle aged...!! with an old laney a couple of battered 152 an a thunderbird...or ric copy...oh i could always use my ibanez!!

[AttitudeCastle]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1356802101' post='1913790']
Lets face it , anyone can learn how to play the bass but being beautiful is a gift from God . A bad player can have lessons , practise and improve but an ugly bastard will always be an ugly bastard .
[/quote]

[paul torch]

I'm stuffed on both fronts then.

[Bilbo]

I knew a guy who was a great bass player who got his 1st tv work backing up Madonna on Wogan. He was miming a keyboard bass which he couldn't play. All that practising paid off then.... I also know a drummer who auditioned for a gig backing someone on tv and was filmed, and not listened to at all, to see if he 'looked the part'. Puts it in perspective, doesn't it.

[TimR]

My friend appeared on Big Breakfast playing a Souzaphone. I think at the time he was the only Souzaphone player in the MU in London. He couldn't actually read music, or play it, come to that.

Join the MU as a Bass player and add loads of obscure instruments. You're bound to get some TV miming work.

[JamesBass]

I know someone who was on the 2011 XFactor backing band as a guitarist, he didn't even plug in ever and actually couldn't play many chords either... Was just your typical bedroom guitarist that was a pretty boy!

Actual session work is probably among the hardest form of playing as a musician. My lecturers do it often and are often rung up and offered an audition within 48 hours of phone call and have to know the set list backwards, massively demanding work! Plus often you'll find you aren't the first choice so will hear the "We tried everyone else abut no ones diary fits" In other words you're the last choice! Must make you feel like sh*t!

[TimR]

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1356955770' post='1915492']
...
"We tried everyone else abut no ones diary fits" ...
[/quote]

Whenever I learn this, I make a mental note to charge more next time, assuming that the reason why no one was available doesn't become evident in the next few hours.

[SteveK]

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1356955770' post='1915492']
Plus often you'll find you aren't the first choice so will hear the "We tried everyone else abut no ones diary fits" In other words you're the last choice! Must make you feel like sh*t!
[/quote]Aside from being rude it strikes me as a rather dumb thing to say - " So, are you really saying that you've tried everyone else and I'm your very last choice?.. In that case it'll cost you double my normal rate".

[risingson]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1356954837' post='1915477']
I knew a guy who was a great bass player who got his 1st tv work backing up Madonna on Wogan. He was miming a keyboard bass which he couldn't play. All that practising paid off then.... I also know a drummer who auditioned for a gig backing someone on tv and was filmed, and not listened to at all, to see if he 'looked the part'. Puts it in perspective, doesn't it.
[/quote]

It does, but then is is surprising that we should be surprised about popular music being massively image conscious? I thought it was kind of obvious really!