12stringbassist

Matlock also revealed how their collaboration came about “just over a year ago”, when he received a phone call from drummer Clem Burke while in the middle of cooking his dinner. “I was in the middle of doing my risotto, it was nearly ready, then the phone rang, I had a mate round so stirred it for me,” said Matlock. “I told Clem, ‘My risotto is nearly ready and you’re spoiling it, so get on with it’. “He said, ‘We need a bass player’, I said, ‘I thought you got one’, he said, ‘It’s not working out, can you come over?’ I thought he meant in a couple of months but he said, ‘No, next week’. I said, ‘Ah, let me think’. I did overnight and I knew I should. I’ve worked with Clem on loads of things over the years – some alright, some a bit hair-brained – but we play well together and I love Blondie’s material. They’ve got a great body of work and they always seem to push the envelope somehow, slightly. They also have good basslines.” Glen Matlock on playing Glastonbury with Blondie, solo work and Lil Nas X (nme.com)

Ouch, good luck with its return.

I parted with my Wal Pro 1e in the 90's. It was the nicest bass I've played, feel-wise, but it didn't have the guts I wanted onstage and so I sold it on when I got another one that did the trick. Obviously it would have been a good idea to keep it (knowing what we know now), but I didn't 'collect' basses then.

Usually A, but sometimes expanded to B. A B

Some people like to look at what people bring along. I always like to give those people something to look at, but my stand with the 2/3 basses on is not visible unless someone is actually looking for it. Sometimes it's behind my rig if there's room. or to the side behind the PA and mixer.

I NEVER ever go without a spare. Sh*t would happen if I hadn't got a spare. So it's usually 2, either active or passive. If I take the 12-string bass, that's an extra over 2 active basses.

EXCALIBUR

I'll take any bass that I own out to any gig that I do. I will play whichever one is easiest to get a grip of at home. The exception is the 12-string bass. I use that a bit more sparingly these days.

When slowing a song down and using strings and brass causes offence. A song consists of melody line and chords, then you take it from there. Just use your imagination. A punk rock version of Mull Of Kintyre would probably set some people kicking their laptop screens in...

This is in some ways similar to the Postmodern Jukebox treatment of some classic songs, which can either be amazing or hit and miss. It is meant to be different and a bit thought provoking. I don't ever believe there is only ONE way to play any song, even if I massively prefer the original when I hear a cover. That is a frankly daft notion. I do find this a little clunky and a wee bit laboured-sounding in parts like the break part in the middle (compared to the original), but it's a very familiar song taken at a slightly slower place and it's a live performance with almost a dozen people playing, so I can cut them some slack. I think if I had been in the room, I would feel it a bit more than I do by watching from YT. It may wind some people up when they hear it, but when a group covers another artist's work (to whatever degree of success) at least they are keeping it alive.

The photos of my 3 Player basses have expired, so here they are again.

I had this one for a good while, then got fed up of trying to shoe-horn the case into the car. I hardly ever touched the guitar neck and eventually sold it. The problem I found was the difference between the guitar and bass parts when switching through a bass amp. I'd probably find it quite useful now. The bass was lovely to play.

I've sold a few things, including a WAL. I sold them because they had gone to the back of the class and I don't regret selling any of them really.

I always take a spare bass. Quite a few spare PA connecting cables, batteries. I don't take backup amplification since I got rid of my Blackstar Unity garbage.

The Thin Lizzy Live and Dangerous box - finishing off their 21.10.77 Philadelphia show.

I had to think about this... I have only been asked to scrawl on something a couple of times. Usually something I've played on. With an old band, we used to play the RAFA Club in Wrexham, Wales. They had a lad there who came to watch all of the entertainment and he always got all of the signatures, every time we played. Not just us - everyone. He obviously had some disability issues and it was nice to please him.

Holiday in the sun Sex Pistols

You could get it restored to its original finish. Well worth doing if you love it.

In past years I have spent around the £2k mark each for two Warwicks. I also got a Ric 4003W (the walnut bass) from France for about £1400, a few hundred quid cheaper than in the UK, where they couldn't be found anyway. Would I ever spend that money again (even for the same basses)? No.

Correct. I've had my 12er truss rod tweaked once since 1994. An 8-er is certainly easier to record and amplify, but doesn't have the same big sound. Easier than a Rickenbacker 12 string guitar with a slotted headstock. As for the cost of 12er bass string sets, yep, they are expensive, but there are 12 strings in there. I haven't changed mine that much over the years, surprisingly, but I only change the strings when they start to die.

Do you have to be a fan of the original artist, or maybe you become one? I think to do it as well as possible, it helps to be an enthusiast about the act concerned. How important is it to be visually/musically identical? How much latitude are you allowed? I personally think that it is interesting to put your own stamp on other people's work in a tribute, but I also see the appeal of being a carbon copy. Do you ‘get into character’ or is it just a gig? I dressed in a style that very vaguely approximated Jim Lea of Slade, when doing a tribute gig at a Slade convention once, years ago. I don't think I would ever personally dress up as someone from a band, except on stage. It's rather sad to do that. I know a couple of people who walk round dressed up in some form of imitation of their heroes. It's creepy. Does it feel musically limiting, or is it fulfilling your needs? (Maybe you have a side band?) I've only done the odd tribute gig. My band does a cross section of covers and we dress as ourselves. Do you have any qualms about tributes ‘stifling original music’? Not in the slightest. It has its market and its place. it keeps a lot of people happy. If people don't like it they can avoid it. There's room for everybody. Have you ever met or been seen by a member of the ‘originals’? What did they say? I've met Jim Lea a number of times. I have never mentioned doing the tribute gig. When my guitarist and I met Francis Rossi, we mentioned doing a few of their songs and he was curious as to whether we were a tribute. We aren't. We just do a few of theirs. What is the overriding thing being in a tribute act has taught you? Learning the songs properly is key. You can't really muck about and wing it. It just makes you look stupid. I have seen a couple of Slade tributes that rely on one person doing all of the main singer-lookalike thing and those bands, tbh, totally fail for me. Having done it once, would you do it again? If so, would the musical angle be very different? I couldn't be arsed doing it again. I was offered the bass job in a Slade tribute a few years ago. Too much trouble with other players. The Slade guitarists all thought they were Dave Hill. The players were all geographically remote and they never seemed to make a profit on gigs...

A decent bass is a decent bass, no matter what is written on the headstock.

August 26th: This evening we played at a new venue for us, just south of Stockport. The evening was slightly marred by me getting yet another migraine, just before we were due on stage. Three Zapains and 15 minutes in my car in the dark sorted it out so that I could play. There was a short panic when I rooted through my pockets and found empty pill-strips. I thought I'd taken all of my tablets and had none with me to use, but it all worked out. We stuck to the crowd-pleasers. Although there were a lot of their regulars missing, because of holidays and such, we went down a treat with those who were there. One of the more involved crowds we've had for a short while. Back there in November and hoping to break into the pub chain that has that venue. - - - - - - - - - - - - - August 27th: The evening saw us at one of our regular venues in Leigh. The PA was overly bassy and boomy - even just with recorded music with a flat EQ on the player and bass rolled right off on the PA - and I ended up having complete nightmares with my bass sound. I practically had it on nothing for a lot of the second half. We usually invoke what I call 'The C**t Code' when someone in the crowd falls into the gear. We stop dead on any disruption. Of course, there was the inevitable whizzed-up bald guy. You know the type, big stupid grin, shaved head, trying to take over the show from the band, who inadvertently turn into their backing. Yeah, he's the one.... The punters usually give up and move on, not that the prat ever notices. He had probably been drinking all day and was idiot dancing wildly in front of us to impress all the punters in the pub (he failed miserably - they all thought he was making a total c*ck of himself). We knew it was coming. He fell into my mic, so I stuck my bass sharply into the back of his head and shoved him roughly away. So... out comes the code... I announced the next song as the last one - and so it was. The crowd were just limp. The sound had been too much of a problem for us and we were glad to stop and get out a little earlier than expected. The prat came up to me as we were putting the gear near the exit and slurred incoherently at me (probably to ask if we were doing any more, so he could carry on his grisly cabaret), so I told him about the C**t Code and thanked him for saving us 20 minutes playing time. He just looked confused. Take the money and run, I say. - - - - - - - - - - - - - August 28th: The jam night in the evening started late, as the Christening function in our venue didn't want to stop. It's good that they were having such a good time. They carried on until the jam night punters started pouring in through the door around 7pm. We were a number of the usual players down, but you might not have been able to tell that on the night. We made the best of the players that we had and I ended up singing a few songs and had some surprise help which was nice. - - - - - - - - - - - - - August 29th: Bank Holiday Monday. I walked the dogs then I had a bath and at around 2pm, we set off for a festival, near Blackpool. We were due on at 5, so we got there around 3pm and met up to spend time with our drummer and his wife. We were asked if we could go on a bit earlier as the band before us had rather a lot of a mishap with their guitarist failing to turn up, so they didn't play. We were asked to cover their spot for an increased fee. When our guitarist Ian arrived, we hustled onto the stage and played a longer-than-expected set. We went down really well and we look pretty certain to be doing it again this time next year. Lots of compliments from audience members and other musicians, as well as the organisers. A day well spent. Nice that my wife managed to come along for this afternoon, as she is struggling with quite a lot of severe abdominal pain and is struggling to eat or drink at present.