Bassist Pet Peeves

[Bobby Aaron]

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Please Vent! 

 

There is a reason why you don't know the name of Etan Embry's character in 'That Thing You Do'. Because nobody cares who the bassist is generally. Of course you can raddle off 10, 15 or maybe 20, but you'd probably have to be a bassist to know even that many. 

 

Let's talk about past roles in bands, and some crazy stories that made you either get fired or quit. 

 

"I GET NO RESPECT!" 

Rodney Dangerfield

 

Bobby

[Nail Soup]

7 minutes ago, Bobby Aaron said:

Of course you can raddle off 10, 15 or maybe 20, but you'd probably have to be a bassist to know even that many. 

A couple of years ago, just for the hell of it, I challenged my self to write a list of 100 bass players (and what band or whatever) from my head into an excel file.

For the first few minutes I was thinking faster than I could type, then after about 50 or slow began to slow down. But after a couple of hours I had the list.

[christhammer666]

was in a band where the singist and drummist would argue constantly, Myself and the 6 string overlord would just sit outside and chat and let them rage on, then once they were finished i had to sit them both down and be the mediator and try to keep the band going

yes i was the oldest and most grown up

[Rich]

Pet peeves?

Egos in the band. I can’t be doing with it. 
Band politics. Ditto. 

[dclaassen]

1. Drunks (in or out of the band)

 

2. People who show up for rehearsal unprepared (like, at all)

 

3. Folks taking themselves too seriously

 

4. Playing the bass part on the keyboard (maybe this is #2)

 

5. Out of tune guitar 

 

6. Ridiculous written bass parts

 

That is a good start...I am sure there are more...

[SteveXFR]

Drink and/or drugs. They stop people turning up on time, knowing their parts and playing competently.

 

Band members thinking the band will be the next greatest thing. A situation which in my last band resulted in the guitarist/singer telling me I had to buy an Ampeg SVT classic and Ampeg 8x10 plus a Justin Chancellor signature wah pedal. That in turn resulted in them needing a new bassist and shortly after, a new drummer when he was told to buy a new kit plus triggers and a 2kW active sub.

[TheRev]

Singer/songwriter-guitarists (for it is always these people) who expect you to be able to transpose on the fly when they put their capo on the wrong fret, or expect you to improvise to whatever they're playing without even telling you the key or meter. 

[Boodang]

Vocalists who don't even have their own mic, turn up late to everything and indignantly ask why their mic and stand has not been set up for them. One the prime reasons to only play in instrumental bands.

[MacDaddy]

Once turned up for an audition, I'd learned the songs they wanted me to, but I learned another while the guitarist was tuning up.

 

 

Edited May 4, 2022 by MacDaddy

[CPCustomdubwise]

1) Almost everything.

2) Other people finding this to be an unreasonable proposition.

[FinnDave]

Drummers who bring a pile of bottles of booze to the gig then drink the lot despite being repeatedly told that he can't do that sort of thing in a pub. 

 

Drummers who get drunk and then start chucking their kit about like they're Keith Moon.

 

Guitarists who pop out during the short break between sets and come back 45 mins later because they decided to get something to eat.

 

Guitarists (not the above) who start their solo on the very first beat of the song and don't stop until the song has ended. Likewise harmonica players.

 

Singers who make impassioned (though usually inaudible) speeches about how the next song is close to their heart, always loved it, etc. and then pull out a  creased sheet of paper so they can read the lyrics as they sing.

[CPCustomdubwise]

2 minutes ago, FinnDave said:

Likewise harmonica players.

 

Oh god yes, should have remembered this one....

There always seems to be one on duty...they must have a roster, and access to our diary.....and a fervent belief that they provide the key thing that's missing.

[SteveXFR]

Surely just owning a harmonica should be illegal. 

Has there ever been a jam session where there hasn't been a harmonica player show up?

[FinnDave]

5 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

Surely just owning a harmonica should be illegal. 

Has there ever been a jam session where there hasn't been a harmonica player show up?

 

They should be on a musical equivalent of a list of banned offensive weapons. 

[SteveXFR]

19 minutes ago, FinnDave said:

 

They should be on a musical equivalent of a list of banned offensive weapons. 

 

Along with ukuleles

[Bobby Aaron]

100 bass

4 hours ago, Nail Soup said:

A couple of years ago, just for the hell of it, I challenged my self to write a list of 100 bass players (and what band or whatever) from my head into an excel file.

For the first few minutes I was thinking faster than I could type, then after about 50 or slow began to slow down. But after a couple of hours I had the list.

That is impressive sir! I don't think could do a hundo

[Bobby Aaron]

4 hours ago, christhammer666 said:

was in a band where the singist and drummist would argue constantly, Myself and the 6 string overlord would just sit outside and chat and let them rage on, then once they were finished i had to sit them both down and be the mediator and try to keep the band going

yes i was the oldest and most grown up

Hahaha - It would have been weird if after the arguments, they get a case of writers block. 

[Bobby Aaron]

1 hour ago, FinnDave said:

Drummers who bring a pile of bottles of booze to the gig then drink the lot despite being repeatedly told that he can't do that sort of thing in a pub. 

 

Drummers who get drunk and then start chucking their kit about like they're Keith Moon.

 

Guitarists who pop out during the short break between sets and come back 45 mins later because they decided to get something to eat.

 

Guitarists (not the above) who start their solo on the very first beat of the song and don't stop until the song has ended. Likewise harmonica players.

 

Singers who make impassioned (though usually inaudible) speeches about how the next song is close to their heart, always loved it, etc. and then pull out a  creased sheet of paper so they can read the lyrics as they sing.

The last one is the best. Neverending solo is the common cliché and yet it seems to be so true. 

[Bobby Aaron]

1 hour ago, Boodang said:

Vocalists who don't even have their own mic, turn up late to everything and indignantly ask why their mic and stand has not been set up for them. One the prime reasons to only play in instrumental bands.

Ugh I've had the worst luck with singers in the majority of music projects. You post a "Singer Wanted" ad and you get "people tell me I should be a singer" or a "karaoke champ" at an unpopular dive.

[Bobby Aaron]

2 hours ago, TheRev said:

Singer/songwriter-guitarists (for it is always these people) who expect you to be able to transpose on the fly when they put their capo on the wrong fret, or expect you to improvise to whatever they're playing without even telling you the key or meter. 

YESSSS - or a singer/songwriter saying the key on a recording he gave to learn off of us in E, and it ends up being in Eb. Recording, USELESS. Not to mention that those two keys almost completely change everything for a bassist unless you tune everything a 1/2 step down. 

[EssentialTension]

TOP TIP

When auditioning singers, get them to sing unaccompanied over the phone. Then give them the correct time and address for the audition ... or hang up.

[Bobby Aaron]

2 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

Drink and/or drugs. They stop people turning up on time, knowing their parts and playing competently.

 

Band members thinking the band will be the next greatest thing. A situation which in my last band resulted in the guitarist/singer telling me I had to buy an Ampeg SVT classic and Ampeg 8x10 plus a Justin Chancellor signature wah pedal. That in turn resulted in them needing a new bassist and shortly after, a new drummer when he was told to buy a new kit plus triggers and a 2kW active sub.

Because having that specific gear will speed up the long journey to the middle lol love it! 

[FinnDave]

28 minutes ago, Bobby Aaron said:

The last one is the best. Neverending solo is the common cliché and yet it seems to be so true. 

I'm in the process of leaving a band, mostly because of this.

[Bobby Aaron]

3 hours ago, dclaassen said:

1. Drunks (in or out of the band)

 

2. People who show up for rehearsal unprepared (like, at all)

 

3. Folks taking themselves too seriously

 

4. Playing the bass part on the keyboard (maybe this is #2)

 

5. Out of tune guitar 

 

6. Ridiculous written bass parts

 

That is a good start...I am sure there are more...

I like this... obviously being a bassist who is always on the lookout to be fired from another band, one of these or a combination of multiple, can cause #6. If its all about you, then this is yet another scale practice for me. Communicate who you are, and what you want to be musically from day 1 and don't waste my time.

[Bobby Aaron]

5 minutes ago, FinnDave said:

I'm in the process of leaving a band, mostly because of this.

I bet, we play an instrument that is preferred when when we barely play. Yet everyone else can can venture down the road of self service and musical creativity.