Danny Sapko discovers… (now including follow up vid that is worse!)

[HeadlessBassist]

5 hours ago, Leonard Smalls said:

Yes... Bear in mind that Liszt (and Paganini) was a showman, playing things others thought impossible and some thought was just musical pyrotechnics that had little bearing on actual music... His concerts caused mass fainting fits among women in the audience, he had a "piano battle" with Sigismond Thalberg in Paris (see Davie 504 vs Berthoud), he was the first musical superstar.

And while I wouldn't necessarily compare the talent of 200bpm bassman to the awesome skillz of Liszt (😁), the showing off part is deeply rooted in Liszt's legacy. 

 

1. I visited Franz Liszt's house in the Weimar Republic in the late 80s while I was a music student. Yes, yes, I know. He was out. Saw his Piano, though. Anyway, did you know that he totally knackered his tendons by taping wooden blocks in between his fingers in order to try and gain an even wider hand span? (Eejit!)

 

2. Also, is this the five minute argument, or the full half hour..?

Edited Wednesday at 20:49 by HeadlessBassist

[Burns-bass]

5 hours ago, Leonard Smalls said:

Yes... Bear in mind that Liszt (and Paganini) was a showman, playing things others thought impossible and some thought was just musical pyrotechnics that had little bearing on actual music... His concerts caused mass fainting fits among women in the audience, he had a "piano battle" with Sigismond Thalberg in Paris (see Davie 504 vs Berthoud), he was the first musical superstar.

And while I wouldn't necessarily compare the talent of 200bpm bassman to the awesome skillz of Liszt (😁), the showing off part is deeply rooted in Liszt's legacy. 

Not sure I’d put Davie and Charles at that level of creativity and virtuosity but the principle is the same, I agree.

 

I think we sort of agree.

 

I love showing off. I regularly go to classical recitals where it’s 2 hours of virtuosity. I play jazz and that’s basically continual showing off. I’ve played so long the whole point now is showing off because the basic stuff is dull.

 

But because nobody actually comes to my gigs, im not monetising it!

 

I actually saw the pillar that holds Chopin’s heart. Apparently he was afraid of being buried alive so when he died he had it take out and sent back to Poland.

 

 

[TimR]

2 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

I love showing off. I regularly go to classical recitals where it’s 2 hours of virtuosity. I play jazz and that’s basically continual showing off. I’ve played so long the whole point now is showing off because the basic stuff is dull.

 

We all do. 

 

The difference is, people either walk out or clap. 

 

I'm guessing the Edinburgh Fringe is kind of like a real life TicTok where you actually see the faces of the people scrolling past. 

 

Maybe there will be a point at which someone will put a vertical window in front of themselves so the passing people actually have to stop for a few seconds to look in before passing on to the next performer.

[Woodinblack]

7 hours ago, TimR said:

Maybe there will be a point at which someone will put a vertical window in front of themselves so the passing people actually have to stop for a few seconds to look in before passing on to the next performer.

 

I have seen such things in several european countries!

[Count Bassy]

On 20/08/2025 at 08:54, Leonard Smalls said:

Aye... Playing anything complicated or difficult shouldn't be allowed! Just because they're using a musical instrument to produce sound doesn't mean it's music, it's just about inflating their own ego. They should just stick to straightforward and easy tunes, so for keyboards, no harder than Chopsticks, and for bass players, stick to the root and throw in the occasional fifth if you really must.

I blame that Paganini and Liszt.

What's this "fifth" thing you mention?

Edited Thursday at 13:37 by Count Bassy

[peteb]

Just seen this from Francis Dunnery on Facebook that made me think of this thread

 

"At 62 years old, so far as guitar playing is concerned, 'fast' has lost its relevance. I watch a hundred guitar players a day on social media playing utterly incredible licks and runs, stunning dexterity, outrageous acrobatics, tapping, arpeggios, faster and faster until it sounds like a pacman arcade game. But to be honest, at this stage of the game I'd rather listen to the acoustic guitar part in 'band on the run' or 'horse with no name'. That's what age does to you.

Most of the people who look for attention performing on a stage are unconsciously trying to get their parents approval via an audience. 'look at me, look how special I am'. When you get older you don't need that. You have your own approval. You've accepted yourself for what and who you are. All of the showboat guitar playing is actually fantastic. It really is. But I still prefer the riff from 'smoke on the water' and that great moment when the bass comes in. It never really got any better than that for me." 

 

[HeadlessBassist]

15 minutes ago, peteb said:

Just seen this from Francis Dunnery on Facebook that made me think of this thread

 

"At 62 years old, so far as guitar playing is concerned, 'fast' has lost its relevance. I watch a hundred guitar players a day on social media playing utterly incredible licks and runs, stunning dexterity, outrageous acrobatics, tapping, arpeggios, faster and faster until it sounds like a pacman arcade game. But to be honest, at this stage of the game I'd rather listen to the acoustic guitar part in 'band on the run' or 'horse with no name'. That's what age does to you.

Most of the people who look for attention performing on a stage are unconsciously trying to get their parents approval via an audience. 'look at me, look how special I am'. When you get older you don't need that. You have your own approval. You've accepted yourself for what and who you are. All of the showboat guitar playing is actually fantastic. It really is. But I still prefer the riff from 'smoke on the water' and that great moment when the bass comes in. It never really got any better than that for me." 

 

 

[peteb]

24 minutes ago, HeadlessBassist said:

 

 

The thing is that all of those songs (with the possible exception of Jimmy Buffet's back catalogue) were f***ing great the first time you heard them! Yes, you may be sick to the back teeth of them now, but you shouldn't underestimate how good they were until you got sick of them, because you heard them so many times. Of course, this is because people overplayed these songs because they were such brilliant tracks to begin with. 

 

I have to play Stairway regularly at gigs because I'm in A Zep tribute band. Although I roll my eyes every time I have to play it, it is worthwhile because of the reaction from punters who perhaps, haven't been as over-exposed to it as much as I have been. The same thing goes for SOTW, as Dunnery says, the simple chromatic bass run up and then playing straight 8s on the root as the riff and drums build moves people in a way that all the shredders playing unbelievable stuff on social media never will. 

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by peteb