Thunderthumbs Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 (edited) I've sort of known Nigel for years, as he used to work at A1 Music in the centre of Manchester, and it used to be my haunt every Saturday for years. Even back then, he was one hell of a bass player, and could do things I could only every dream of doing. I seriously believe there is lots you can achieve with practice and hard work, but there's still an awful lot I believe you are just born with....and for me, Nigel fits into the second category. Anyway, I've not seen him for years, but bumped into him at the Bass Day at the RNCM in November and had a good chat with him. Just having a nosey on YouTube tonight, and came across a video someone did while he was thrashing out on a bass. Ironically, he was gigging that night, and said he should be out of there by 6pm as he's always late, but if I remember correctly, he was thrashing out around 6.15pm. I don't know....some people just don't know when to stop Enjoy. Edited January 5, 2008 by Thunderthumbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Very nice and very triplety (if there's such a word).. Particularly liked the second half of it... Good bass too though I couldn't recognise it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Can I just make a straight remark here (and I'm not looking for a fight)? If this was a guitarist we'd all be saying it was a load of fretw*nk. I'm sorry, but that sort of playing is just drivel and it doesn't have any place in a musical sense. OK so the guy can do a lot of fancy tricks. Duh. And no, I can't 'play' like that, nor do I have any inclination to learn and do so either. If I actually had to listen to a musical track with that going on in the background I think I'd upchuck. P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 He's a Rotosound endorser and provided all the funky bass bits on their site ;o) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 [quote]but that sort of playing is just drivel and it doesn't have any place in a musical sense.[/quote] Statement of fact? Or your opinion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderthumbs Posted January 5, 2008 Author Share Posted January 5, 2008 [quote name='NancyJohnson' post='113947' date='Jan 5 2008, 11:11 AM']Can I just make a straight remark here (and I'm not looking for a fight)? If this was a guitarist we'd all be saying it was a load of fretw*nk. I'm sorry, but that sort of playing is just drivel and it doesn't have any place in a musical sense. OK so the guy can do a lot of fancy tricks. Duh. And no, I can't 'play' like that, nor do I have any inclination to learn and do so either. If I actually had to listen to a musical track with that going on in the background I think I'd upchuck. P[/quote] Remarks are fine, we all have opinions. But to describe that sort of playing as "drivel" is bit harsh. It's the sort of playing that's earned the likes of Mark King et al a nice pension plan. And the fact that he had a huge crowd of interested people around him at the time shows that it's still impressive to a lot of people, and if one person goes home inspired then that's fine by me. What you won't know is that Nigel is also a wonderful player with his fingers, and also played in a full on rock band for a while with ex members of Thin Lizzy, so he does have many strings to his bow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Nigel thankfully doesn't just rattle away in 'musical masterbation mode'. This is just a vid clip of some bass acrobatics. It obviously doesn't make for a musical bass line.. oh except for 1.10 - 1.40 ;o) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 [quote name='Thunderthumbs' post='113959' date='Jan 5 2008, 11:36 AM']What you won't know is that Nigel is also a wonderful player with his fingers, and also played in a full on rock band for a while with ex members of Thin Lizzy, so he does have many strings to his bow.[/quote] ah, you got in there before me ;o) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 [quote name='GreeneKing' post='113956' date='Jan 5 2008, 11:31 AM']Statement of fact? Or your opinion?[/quote] Both P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 [quote name='Thunderthumbs' post='113959' date='Jan 5 2008, 11:36 AM']...he had a huge crowd of interested people around him at the time shows that it's still impressive to a lot of people...[/quote] A few years ago I was leaving a gig at the Astoria in London and saw a large crowd of people surrounding a couple of people who were having sex on some stairs leading into a building. It was about 11.00pm. I suppose a lot of people thought that this was particularly impressive, but it's not really something I want to see in public. P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderthumbs Posted January 5, 2008 Author Share Posted January 5, 2008 [quote name='NancyJohnson' post='113968' date='Jan 5 2008, 11:53 AM']A few years ago I was leaving a gig at the Astoria in London and saw a large crowd of people surrounding a couple of people who were having sex on some stairs leading into a building. It was about 11.00pm. I suppose a lot of people thought that this was particularly impressive, but it's not really something I want to see in public. P[/quote] Clever analogy.....but a ridiculous one all the same........in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 [quote name='NancyJohnson' post='113968' date='Jan 5 2008, 11:53 AM']A few years ago I was leaving a gig at the Astoria in London and saw a large crowd of people surrounding a couple of people who were having sex on some stairs leading into a building. It was about 11.00pm. I suppose a lot of people thought that this was particularly impressive, but it's not really something I want to see in public. P[/quote] Were they doing it really fast, up and down the pavement in all manner of styles with the finesse of a couple of porn stars? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 [quote name='NancyJohnson' post='113947' date='Jan 5 2008, 11:11 AM']I'm sorry, but that sort of playing is just drivel and it doesn't have any place in a musical sense.[/quote] It's more musical than John Cage. JS Bach used to do the 18th century piano equivalent to shock and amaze the punters. It's an interesting style, when done well. It's not for me, though I wish I could do just a little bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgt-pluck Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 (edited) It's all horses for courses isn't really? Technically brilliant, I suppose, but musically that style of playing does nothing at all for me either. But just because I don't like it, it doesn't mean it's rubbish. I've had a life-long love affair with motorcycles, but I wouldn't be seen dead on a Harley, or anything that even vaguely resembles one. I'd get laughed at if I tried to convince the world that Harley's weren't real motorbikes or their riders not real bikers. ( Although believe it or not, this is in fact the case ) Pluck Edited January 5, 2008 by sgt-pluck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimmyC Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 [quote name='NancyJohnson' post='113947' date='Jan 5 2008, 11:11 AM']Can I just make a straight remark here (and I'm not looking for a fight)? If this was a guitarist we'd all be saying it was a load of fretw*nk. I'm sorry, but that sort of playing is just drivel and it doesn't have any place in a musical sense. OK so the guy can do a lot of fancy tricks. Duh. And no, I can't 'play' like that, nor do I have any inclination to learn and do so either. If I actually had to listen to a musical track with that going on in the background I think I'd upchuck. P[/quote] People always go on about this, but the fact is that he is not playing with a band! If he was then I'm sure he wouldn't be playing this. Someone has just popped out a camera and probably said can I record some chops so he's just showing off. It's all about context. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alun Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 He is a good player but I've seen him at a couple of bass days and it's always the same - set up, turn up louder than anything in the nearby vicinity, play fast triplets for 20 minutes. I'm sure he is a great band player, and his slap technique is inspiring, but his "performances" have always struck me as an extension of the Saturday afternoon slap monsters found in most guitar shops. Just my opinion. Cheers, Alun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakenewmanbass Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 I just don't want to listen past 5 seconds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 [quote name='dood' post='113984' date='Jan 5 2008, 12:08 PM']Were they doing it really fast, up and down the pavement in all manner of styles with the finesse of a couple of porn stars?[/quote] You want some more details? You're not getting excited are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassy Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 I managed to listen through it all, but it was difficult. Wonderful technique no doubt, but, apart from one or two moments in the middle, pretty un-musical. I'm sure there are far more musical things that can be done on a solo bass guitar, but as has been said, perhaps someone asked him to 'do that really fast slapping thing'. I'm not questioning his right to do this, just stating that it does nothing for me personally. If I had that much skill on a bass I don't think I'd choose to do that. On the plus side if he were to do this as solo in a band situation it would give the band and audience a chance to go to the bog/bar. Clive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderthumbs Posted January 5, 2008 Author Share Posted January 5, 2008 [quote name='Clive Thorne' post='114075' date='Jan 5 2008, 03:10 PM']On the plus side if he were to do this as solo in a band situation it would give the band and audience a chance to go to the bog/bar.[/quote] Ha ha.....I'm all for more time at the bar! In all seriousness, my original post was not to say that it's the most musical bass playing I've ever heard, it's not, and I'm sure Nige would be the first to admit it. I was just trying to highlight a bass player who I've "known" for a long time, but is relatively unheard of by a lot of people. Like dood said, he's a Rotosound rep, and if you go to the Rotosound main page, the track that's playing is Nigel's (which ironically is the most musical part of the YouTube video). He's a tremendous player, and used to inspire me on many a Saturday afternoon in my 20s. It's a shame in a way that there aren't more videos of his other skills to balance out what can look like a very one-dimensional style in this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickThomas Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Nice chord on the end Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul, the Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 [quote name='jakesbass' post='114011' date='Jan 5 2008, 01:08 PM']I just don't want to listen past 5 seconds[/quote] +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 He may be sh*t hot with his technique but I bet he couldn't bitch and whinge on a forum as well as some of us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 FOr those who wondering what bass it is, it's a Marleaux Consat straight 4 string. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumb4bob Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 [quote name='Sean' post='114322' date='Jan 5 2008, 08:28 PM']He may be sh*t hot with his technique but I bet he couldn't bitch and whinge on a forum as well as some of us! [/quote] he he well said so he's showing off and its not very musical, so what? It wasnt great to listen to but it didn't offend me in any way and certainly wasn't drivel. The only way I'd have that big a problem with it is if maybe I secretly wished I had that level of teqnique Envy can be a terrible thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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