lowhand_mike Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 not to bothered about getting comments but the best one i had was from my band mates when after i had a hiatus from the band they said they could find someone as good and would i rejoin. i think the best complement is the audience being into what we are playing. being singled out doesnt mattter to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 (edited) It depends on the person asking depends on whether I put much store in what they say.. If a pretty happy drunk, I just say glad you liked it, etc etc If someone goes into detail about sound, technique what type of bass... it is pretty easy to figure out where they are coming from.. We might talk tech for a few mins. If a musician I know, then it is nice when they say, nice bass- as in nice playing. I'm generally able to suss the tone pretty quickly but if they bother to talk to me, then it is generally going to be a positive thing. If people rave about the gig, then that is nice..but if I thought we weren't all that... I might try and tell them they should check us out when we are on form etc ect .. and if we were crap, I'd tell them that as well. It is all perspective and you should be able to get straight away where they are coming from...and be polite at the end of the day. The way I see it and band mates will say this...is that I make the band sound good because I tie the drums in and provide the foundation. I can be quite busy here but I always get ad-hoc drums fills and wont be thrown off ( provided the drummer can really play) and drummers love this and it makes the band instantly tight from day 1. The rest of the band know from the first run thru whether the song is likely to work in that regard... It doesn't matter if things like fills change, they work as long as they are in time. If the songs works from just bass and drums, then the key and gtr just need to dress up the song..they don't have to worry about filling in to make it work.. Edited June 30, 2016 by JTUK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smaz Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 In the mens room after I'd just played a gig, I had the following: Bloke A: Ah man, that was some really nice playing - solid grooves, nice fills, made it look effortless & so easy Bloke B: I thought you looked like you were completely winging it all the way through! Bloke B was correct... But interesting to have two very different comments! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinArto Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Nobody's ever described my bass playing, but at least nobody's ever described it as awful! What type of bass player am I? Friendly and punctual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I've had my style described as 'upfront' and a mention of how I fill the space. Probably mean I'm just too loud! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 We were the first band on a charity gig. As we were packing up to let the next band on, Their bassist came up to me and said "Some nice bass playing there mate!" I felt a bit awkward and embarrassed and muttered something about the onstage sound being crap and not being able to hear myself. He must have though to himself ' What a w***er!' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassninja Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 (edited) That Silverfoxnik chap implied I was 'distinctive' the other day . I took it as a great compliment, of course, as Nik is a knowledgeable geezer and cool player himself. Best backhanded compliment recently was when a drunk punter slurred that we were the 'best amateur band' he'd ever seen... What type of player am I? Punctual. Edited June 30, 2016 by bassninja Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el borracho Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I've only ever been complimented on my playing on two occasions. Once by the girlfriend of the other band's bass player, who was way better than me, and the second time by Derek Forbes. At least I must do something right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger2611 Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I got a comment after soundcheck for a recent gig from one of the other bands members "that was amazing you are more like a lead guitarist than a bass player" I am not sure how much of a compliment that was but I turned my amp up until everything else was drowned out an widdled away throughout the gaps between songs before stomping off in a huff when I failed to pull after the gig! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 [quote name='bassninja' timestamp='1467303107' post='3082707'] That Silverfoxnik chap implied I was 'distinctive' the other day . I took it as a great compliment, of course, as Nik is a knowledgeable geezer and cool player himself. Best backhanded compliment recently was when a drunk punter slurred that we were the 'best amateur band' he'd ever seen... What type of player am I? Punctual. [/quote] Very true, I did say that Wal, but IMHO, your playing is much more than just 'distinctive' - though that's no mean feat in itself - and it's so much more than 'punctual'.. I remember watching you play a few years back when chimike was there too, and we both said what a pleasure it was listening to you play; I think Mike's phrase at the time was you were' on the money! ' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 (edited) I got this text a while back from a drummer in a jazz band that I dep for. [attachment=222560:12651023_466263476915252_8043306969545913635_n.jpg] I've been told a few times by people that they know I can play pretty much anything, as long as I have a chart/score in front of me. Bare in mind that I prefer to do reading gigs, cos I'm too lazy to learn stuff, that's pretty good I guess. Edited June 30, 2016 by ambient Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 (edited) These days with a decline in interest in live music overall, I don't think most people even know I play bass. They think I'm up there playing guitar. No one has ever approached me and commented on my playing. I'm a bass player in a bar band and play at that level. I have some nights where I feel like I should be playing at the national headliner level and some nights where I think I should pack it up. Blue Edited June 30, 2016 by blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 My playing has been described as 'dull' which is pretty accurate afaic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I have, on more than one occasion, been described as "The best bass player I've ever played with". This was, in every occasion, said by the worst musicians I've ever played with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobthedog Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 My wife once said thats a funky noise. At least I think she said funky. One backhanded complement was I apparently have great timing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 [quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1467311678' post='3082786'] I have, on more than one occasion, been described as "The best bass player I've ever played with". This was, in every occasion, said by the worst musicians I've ever played with. [/quote] Yes, Me too! - By a guitarist. Although to be fair he isnt the worst musician. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivansc Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 [quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1467311678' post='3082786'] I have, on more than one occasion, been described as "The best bass player I've ever played with". This was, in every occasion, said by the worst musicians I've ever played with. [/quote] Yup. I have always been the low rung on the ladder in any band I have worked in whenever possible - best way to learn is play with people who are better than you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I've had 'solid' a couple of times. I'll take that, but to me the biggest compliment is when the band I'm depping for asks me back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirky Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I usually get reasonably positive comments about my bass playing. But i went into very small mens' room at then end of one gig and accidentally knocked a guy at the urinal when I opened the door. Naturally I apologised. He replied "what are you apologising for?". I explained I'd opened the door too quickly. He then said "I thought you were apologising for your singing". Fair comment imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I play in two bands of different genres, but in both my playing is pretty prominent for the structure and drive of the songs. I've always ended up playing in bands with lots of space to fill onbass, so I have a chance to create some unusual and hopefully distinctive basslines as a result. Its usually really pumping, rhythmical and melodic, so if I can be considered to have a style I guess that is it, just by default really. I got a brilliant back handed compliment at a gig with my covers band recently. A bloke said: "that was great - you should just sing, your guitarist should play the bass and you should get someone else in on the guitar." Sort of managed to insult everyone bar the drummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Playing in a 3 piece band does give you more room to be noticed, and I often get positive comments about my playing, but I'm not really sure why. One Beardie old fellow said he could hear the influence of Percy Jones, which I took as a massive compliment! I rarely get comments on the sound, and think my sound is quite ordinary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I don't think 'invisible' is necessarily a negative comment. If you're doing your job right, i.e. playing for the song, keeping it minimal, making tasteful note choices, sitting in the mix and locking in with the drums then what's the problem? You've turned up, you're in tune, you're playing in time, you're having fun and you're getting paid. Life is good! Bass players I've seen who deliberately stick their heads above the parapet, play too much/too loudly/out of time and/or don't listen to what their band mates are doing are inevitably bloody awful and would be better off with a guitar. Or possibly a broom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I get comparisons to Paul Simonon and comments about cool shoes. Generally the musicianship of the band gets praised and you can't hide a bad bassist in a good band. For the record I haven't played anything punk in 20yrs but I guess our formative years still come out a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 I've only really been compared to other bassists. Weird collection too.. Steve Harris Stu Hamm Dave Ellefson The bassist from portishead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deep Thought Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 My sound was once compared to Burke Shelley of Budgie, which I had absolutely no problem with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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