Barking Spiders

I'll raise you 90%.

Which also means Dad Rock is now probably more Grunge and Nu Metal while the likes of Led Zep, Who etc constitute GrandDad Rock

If there's Dad Rock there should also be Mum Pop, Dad Rap, Old F*** Folk etc. New angle there for marketers of CD compilations. Guess the electronica I listen to, mostly from the 90s might be termed Dad Dance.

For me, playing to an audience that are sitting down or just standing there with pint in hand is pretty dispiriting. While I like a bit of rock (post punk and some Grunge) when playing, it doesn't come natural to me. I'm much more at home playing tunes written for the dancefloor. Also, from what I've seen, most of those in rock crowds are older blokes. When I used to play funk/soul/disco/new romantic, it was usually more women and girls watching and dancing, which I always preferred playing to.

Over the last half dozen years I've been at many venues where a couple of dozen tunes get recycled ad infinitum key crimes being Mr Brightside, Sex on Fire, Seven Nation Army, Mustang Sally, Valerie, Brown Eyed Girl, Sweet Home Alabama. Now when I hear one of these it's a 180 degree turn on my heels and back out of the door.

That's nice if you can get to do your own material but IMO it's great if you can do sufficiently good covers that still get people onto the dancefloor. I used to play bass in a function band that did disco, chart funk and LA boogie (i.e. stuff like The Whispers 'And the beat goes on', 'There it is' by Shalamar. We had two cracking singers, M + F, who were our secret weapons. They nailed it every time. I'd like to be able to do more of this stuff but obviously, covid put paid to wedding gigs in 2020. Unfortunately over the last couple of decades, the live scene in Gloucestershire has nose dived with most of the better venues in Cheltenham and Gloucester now gone, along with all four musical instrument stores and several music shops in Chelt 😞

After my clip of The Associates, here's another fine Scottish band from the same era, The Cocteau Twins. Integral to their deep sound beneath Liz Frasier's otherworldly voice is Simon Raymonde's bass playing. Check it out here Finally another fave player from the 80s post punk era, David Allen formerly of Gang of Four then Shriekback, one of the most underrated Brit bands of the 80s. It's the tone, which I've still being try to figure out for decades

In my 20s played in a few rock bands to semi-interested pub crowds that just used to stand there nursing their pints. Often they were just indifferent and unresponsive so I jacked that in. Said to myself, sod that for a game of soldiers and then only joined bands that played music for the dancefloor, mostly at weddings and small festivals. Much more enjoyable as we managed to get people up out of their seats and strut their stuff. The vibes were generally more like parties than gigs.

After 30+ years of playing I'd never heard of the phrase 'tone wood' until I came on BC. Now I sure wish it remained that way😁. My idea of customisation is putting a sticker on the body

I've gotta give a big heads up to Michael Dempsey, original bass player with The Cure and then with The Associates.

Seems it's the norm for bass players to be unknown outside of the bass microcosm although guitarists are mostly hardly more famous and if they are known it's because they're in a very famous band. Even within the bass microcosm I guess most of us are unfamiliar with those who play stuff we don't listen to. Don't think I can name a single metal or contemporary blues rock player. Conversely I guess most rock players won't be familiar with Kai Eckhardt, Scott Ambush and Armand Sabal-Lecco plus there's loads of top notch players across Africa.

People laughed at David Icke when he claimed lizard illuminati were trying to take over society. They wuz wrong Farage An iguana yesterday

I'm not much of a jazz head but he's both a top notch soul singer and a great guitarist and Give Me The Night is def an all time fave album. He was never going to go far wrong there with Quincy Jones on production and the great Rod Temperton penning several of the tunes.

Totally need humour in music to counter a lot of the overly serious po-faced ballcocks out there. My own personal faves are Ian Dury, Macc Lads, Half Man Half Biscuit (from my former manor), Dead Kennedys and the Beastie Boys. Have a bit of Boomin Granny

Nein, niente, nada, no way Jose! You could end up with sub-fora based on genres/playing styles e.g. death metal bass with pick forum, jazz bass with fingers forum and a slap bass forum which many on BC would even veto and demand to be withdrawn or sanctioned 😉

I'm of Italian and Austrian parentage and raised in Liverpool. Over my 52 years I've had people sieg heil me, call me a Nazi (I have a German surname), been called a spic/wop/kraut/nazi etc and heard every scouser joke under the sun. Am I bovvered though? Haven't been for many decades. While sexist banter/jokes are not particularly funny in themselves, I'd say to anyone to just let it wash over.

What you say about your missus reminds me of Prince. In a class of his own as a performer but by all accounts a shy and private man. A lot also depends on the size of band. Nerves used to get to me in any size up to a 5 piece. I've also played in larger funk and world fusion combos of 8-12 and then I had no problem. I'd have never made the grade in a trio.

I've always liked the four singles off it but the other 5 cuts are a bit pants. The next 3 singles, off Rio, are good too but after that point I don't care much for the rest for their output except Skin Trade and Ordinary World. Le Bon's not the greatest of singers but his voice sometimes works quite well.

In my job I have to do presentations at director level, trying to persuade investors to put money into solar energy projects, and also have to face down angry locals who object to them in their back yard at public consultations. I'm fine with this, no problems. I'm considered outgoing and sociable, but playing bass or guitar on stage is another matter. I don't gig anymore but always used to need Dutch courage. I think it's because unlike regular (non entertainment) work, where you can emotionally detach yourself, with performing it's a lot more personal as you've picked something you hope to get good at. If you're judged negatively it can cut to the quick and undermines belief in your own ability and even make you think about taking up another interest that doesn't involved public performance. I did way more gigs as a drummer, which wasn't so bad as being upfront as I was partly hidden away at the back of the stage and didn't have to try to make eye contact with the audience but focused on parts of the kit instead.

and if you can, get them to do some of the heavy lifting.

This thread's gone a tad quiet over the last 2 months so time to bump it up. Been playing quite a lot of Wire of late, well I mean the first three classics of post punk. This track is a particular fave..

I've a special place in my head for the disco/soul sounds of the 80s, e.g. The Whispers, Shalamar etc. Here's a trio of massive faves I used to have on 12" before the great flood of my south London basement flat in 1997 mullered my entire vinyl collection. It was more than just these 12" though! Anyway here are the 7" versions..

Love me some 90s hip hop/rap and IMO Definition of Sound definitely the best the UK scene had to offer then. Their sound was pretty varied and usually featured live instruments in addition to samples.

That would make quite an interesting thread, bassists who have actually made heaps from just playing bass and excluding royalties from songwriting. Viz endorsements, I started taking serious notice of Sire cos of Marcus Miller. Had he not endorsed their basses I'd have probably overlooked them. If I had the money I'd also buy a Jaydee, initially due to Mark King's endorsement but thereafter it would depend on how it feels etc

As long as they're not being played in a noodlesome fashion