BIG UP YERSELF !!

[Cat Burrito]

As a kid I had 3 ambitions - To play on National TV, to play the Marquee Club in London and to release a record. Granted the reality wasn't quite how I imagined it at 14yrs old BUT I have done all of those things.

I think I play bass how I would want bass to be played in my band and I'm really proud of the (unreleased) album we recorded this year.

It stops short at "Women love me, Men want to be me" but there you have it.

[Bloc Riff Nut]

[quote name='silddx' post='1051982' date='Dec 8 2010, 07:25 PM']You obviously could because you edited your post

You are also British.[/quote]
I missed out the 'any' , and when I read it, it sounded silly.
Yes, I am English. I live in Holland and I can tell you th Dutch don't suffer from this affliction.
They're sooner good at something than not. Even if they do say so themselves. Good on 'em!

Edited December 8, 2010 by philipleonard

[Mog]

Can I be the 'Best Non-British Bassist'?

[deaver]

[quote name='JPJ' post='1051697' date='Dec 8 2010, 02:09 PM']My dear old Mum says that I'm the best [/quote]

She also says I'm the best...but context is everything

[Heathy]

I started a band at school despite not being able to sing or play an instrument. As time went on 'proper' musicians joined the band and eventually wanted me out. I bought a Westone Thunder Jet bass and a 10w Marshall amp to prevent this from happening.

25 years later I have played more gigs, and made more money through music than all of them put together.

People seem to like what I do, I am becoming increasingly open minded in my old age and have a greater appetite for learning than ever before.

Musicians I have played with will say that although I can be a pain in the arse, I will occasionally make them laugh so hard that their drink will shoot out of their nose.

I am proud of all of the above.

[icastle]

[quote name='ezbass' post='1051950' date='Dec 8 2010, 05:57 PM']Other people think I'm good, but when I play by myself at home I often think I suck really badly. All I know is that I like to play and others like playing with me, so I'm going to go with those thoughts.[/quote]

[ezbass]

[quote name='icastle' post='1052261' date='Dec 8 2010, 11:34 PM'] [/quote]
I can't believe it took this long, BC is slipping!

[JTUK]

It is all reletive....

I've done some nice gigs all over, been treated very well and I'll still put in a shift at the local pub for the craic, for sure.
I know what I want and what to expect and I can be great or average depending who else is on that bandstand.... I am happy if I can hold my own, sometimes.

I've done enough ( I think ) to realise what a REALLY good player is and whilst I think I didn't let anyone down, those few guys were just passing through on their way to greater things and I keep an eye out for their progress and wish them well.
Also, I've met a few on the way down, and they could sure teach you a lot.

I just try and put myself in a position where I get interesting and fun gigs with the chance to learn something else.

[TomKent]

Reading through my CV, I've done a lot, but I feel bad blabbing about it. Surprisingly, being in the 'show business', I don't like being judged. Ha.

[karlfer]

Had one or two nice comments over the years, most memorable?
Supporting King Crabs, 1979, their bass player came over after our set and said, "wey ye play a lotta notes ye bonny lad", which I took as a complement.
Big, slightly scary guy called Jimmy Nail!
Vic Reeves (Rod Moir to me) in his auto-biography, page 243 or 247 I think " probably the best bass player in Darlington was Karl Altdorfer with his Red Indian looks and raw Rickenbacker (er, Kasuga actually).
Don't actually have the book, but my mother has. What was really nicefor me was firstly he remembered me, and amazingly my name was spelt correctly.
I have trouble with it at times

Karl.

[Bilbo]

You have no idea how much I am struggling to even begin to do this.

I have always considered myself to be a b-lister. I can do everything I set my mind to to some extent but, although I am thought of as a good player, I always fall short of being one of the best. I get plenty of calls but I am noone's first call guy. I can read but I can't read as well as I would like or should be able to. I write/arrange/record stuff that makes some lay people say 'wow' but, in my opinion, is a bit weak/flawed. I have an audio engineering qualification but my recordings lack any real presence (decent recording equipment would help) and are certainly not at what I would call a professional standard. I have written a book but its not out yet and, whilst it has merit, I will always know that it could have been better had I been able to focus on it more. I have done hundreds, if not thousands, of gigs and have always done a journeyman job, sometimes excelled and often been praised by peers but I know I have gaps in my technique and theory that mean I am not there yet and can fall on my a*** mid gig if the going gets tough. I have played with Jim Mullen, Stan Sultzman, Iain Ballamy, Roy Williams, Hank Shaw, Janusz Carmello, Nick Page and a good few other great jazz musicians; my ambition would be called back to do a second gig with any one of them

What's lacking? Time. I have not got the time to do anything well and have to snatch time for any of this activity when I can, the economics of contemporary life being what they are. I know this approach results in consistent mediocrity but I do what I can.

But I do hold onto the fact that, in terms of the resources available to me, I have done a lot with my life and continue to do a lot. A few appearances on national TV and radio, appearances at the Brecon Jazz Festival for 9 years running, one appearance at the Vienne Jazz Festival, the ebb and flow of regular gigs throughout the last 30 years etc. I keep plugging away and have my highs, the most recent being a gig with my own band 'Whither Then'? (who have recorded recently; I am waiting for the final mix) so I can't complain. I have learned to be satisfied with quiet victories.

[Pete Academy]

Two gigs I'm proud of are Glastonbury 2000 and The Blue Note Club in Milan a few years ago.

Played bass on 'Lonestar Rising', the B-side to Robbie Williams 'Rudebox' Apart from getting paid for the session, it hasn't earned a penny in PPL, as it hasn't had any radio plays.

[JTUK]

yes..you struggle and do this and that and then see a really really good player who makes it all look very easy...and doesn't get how hard it is for everyone else.

There may be a lot of bullshit about the industry and we could indulge in some of it here..but when you come across a really really good player who you have been lucky enough to be in a band with.. that puts talent into perspective for me..
and if I was being a bit arrogant, I like to think I have played with some good players

Best ever player I came across was a drummer... who could put away so many 'names' I may have come across over the years in a box and tied up with a ribbon, IMO. with his feel and groove alone.

When I saw him with a big name band headlining everywhere, that gig was in his pocket but I didn't go OTT on his lpaying in that gig..
I'd call him a genius, tbh, tho'..and sound checks were a real treat...could listen to his drums alone for ages..

[xilddx]

[quote name='JTUK' post='1052750' date='Dec 9 2010, 01:55 PM']yes..you struggle and do this and that and then see a really really good player who makes it all look very easy...and doesn't get how hard it is for everyone else.

There may be a lot of bullshit about the industry and we could indulge in some of it here..but when you come across a really really good player who you have been lucky enough to be in a band with.. that puts talent into perspective for me..
and if I was being a bit arrogant, I like to think I have played with some good players

Best ever player I came across was a drummer... who could put away so many 'names' I may have come across over the years in a box and tied up with a ribbon, IMO. with his feel and groove alone.

When I saw him with a big name band headlining everywhere, that gig was in his pocket but I didn't go OTT on his lpaying in that gig..
I'd call him a genius, tbh, tho'..and sound checks were a real treat...could listen to his drums alone for ages..[/quote]
You realise this thread is call Big up YERSELF don't you? Not Big Up A DRUMMER I USED TO PLAY WITH

There are a lot of Brits on here

[JTUK]

[quote name='silddx' post='1052857' date='Dec 9 2010, 03:07 PM']You realise this thread is call Big up YERSELF don't you? Not Big Up A DRUMMER I USED TO PLAY WITH

There are a lot of Brits on here [/quote]


You are right, but this guy, IMV, was something else.
I like to know what tools people have to have to get to that sort of standard.
It is like things like football and golf which have dabbled in.... one of the local PGA guys plays out of our club... or used to and can still be seen about every now and again. He is a nice guy to talk to but he plays our long par 5 with a driver and 8 iron..so on a different planet to all our clubs players, of course.
It takes me driver, rescue and 8 iron... he is not considered anything like a long hitter on his tour nor is he one of the top players, although he has grossed some more than decent prize money some years, so that is why I call this thread all relative.

I am always intrigued about how good these people that you get to hear about, actually are...but the two cases I have mentioned are the REAL deal, as far as I am concerned.

[xilddx]

[quote name='JTUK' post='1053068' date='Dec 9 2010, 05:19 PM']You are right, but this guy, IMV, was something else.
I like to know what tools people have to have to get to that sort of standard.
It is like things like football and golf which have dabbled in.... one of the local PGA guys plays out of our club... or used to and can still be seen about every now and again. He is a nice guy to talk to but he plays our long par 5 with a driver and 8 iron..so on a different planet to all our clubs players, of course.
It takes me driver, rescue and 8 iron... he is not considered anything like a long hitter on his tour nor is he one of the top players, although he has grossed some more than decent prize money some years, so that is why I call this thread all relative.

I am always intrigued about how good these people that you get to hear about, actually are...but the two cases I have mentioned are the REAL deal, as far as I am concerned.[/quote]
I think it's a rare combination of natural ability, motivation, the right practice, and stubborn single mindedness.

[LiamPodmore]

Think the best i can put forward is my band not recieving a single bad comment at practically every gig from our 3rd onwards. Also, being told that i am too good for my band, and i need better players. Not bad for me age.

Liam

[Sibob]

This thread reminds me of Jeff Berlin's reply to a readers letter in the back of this months BGM......has anyone read it?

Completely with Jeff on his reply!!

Si

[Paul S]

I can't do very much at all but what I do do ( ) I do as well as anyone else could.

[BobTheBassist]

The only thing that really stick in my mind is a gig many years ago when my E string gave up just before we got up. No spare so I ended up re writing a 10 song set for a 3 string bass on the fly. Quite proud that I pulled that off.

[peteb]

[quote name='Sibob' post='1053166' date='Dec 9 2010, 06:22 PM']This thread reminds me of Jeff Berlin's reply to a readers letter in the back of this months BGM......has anyone read it?[/quote]
Nope - would you care to enlighten us??

[lowdown]

Some of the people i have had to work with in my Muso career has made me think i will Big myself down and run off and join a factory.



Garry

[BTS_Spacebass]

Someone once said to me "it's nice to see someone play the bass like a bassist and not a guitarist" I thought that was really cool.

I'm certainly not the greatest but I do what I do well and enjoy it. We got pretty sweet reviews all round for our album which is nice.

BIGUP

T

[garethfriend]

Don't know whether it's an acheivement as such but when I started playing for my current band I had never really played bass (8 years as a lead guitarist), I felt kind of like an imposter - a guitarist in bassists clothing. The first few gigs I have ever done on bass I am told after each one by members of the audience that I am better than the bands previous bassist (a proper bassist with a warwick and everything). Other bassists are surprised to learn that I have only picked up bass 2 months prior and that I have written all the basslines I've been playing.

Over the course of the last few months I have actually realised I like playing bass more than I ever liked guitar and that I probably picked up the wrong instrument 8 years ago (further proved by the fact that if I go back and listen to what I was listening to back then it was mostly stuff with great basslines).

Not really an acheivement as such but a happy day when you realise and others confirm youv'e found the right instrument.

[icastle]

Ok,
I'll give it a go.
Not necessarily a great moment in the history of music, just something that made me quite proud.

Back in the mid 1980s I was invited back for a second audition with a fairly well known folk rock band but had decided that I wanted to leave the music business and get the stability of full time work.
I apologised to them and explained the reasons why - they were very understanding and we parted very amicably.
A week later I had a call from their guitarist asking if I'd be prepared to dep for another band who were mates of theirs - the band were on tour and their bass player had been rushed into hospital with appendicitis.
I agreed.

The following night I was standing on stage, curtains drawn, a seated audience of 500+ waiting for the show to start.
Curtains drew back to a rousing round of applause as we started playing and the lights came up.
I could see the first three or four rows of the audience - nudging each other and looking at me - "who the bloody hell is that?"

After the intro song the singer briefly explained to the audience what had happened and who I was - I got a polite, somewhat restrained, round of applause and the show continued.

The gig went well, we got to the end of the night and did the usual "on drums we have..." routine - everyone getting a massive round of applause from an appreciative audience - at this point I was nervous and I never get nervous!
This was a band I'd admired for years, how bl**dy embarassing could this turn out to be?

The singer drew a breath and introduced me - a round of applause as big as everyone else had got
I was so proud I almost burst out laughing!
Then she told them that I'd only played with them for the first time that afternoon.
500+ people stood up and raised the roof...

25 years later and that still has to be the best night ever, even if I did desperately hope that the stage trapdoor would open and give me somewhere to run to!

Edited December 10, 2010 by icastle