Nobody notices the bass player....

[lownote]

Well now, this following is true... after we played a set at the Dereham Blues Festival this summer, out of the blue I was assaulted by an attractive woman of middle years who gave me a great kiss and then disappeared before I could get my mojo together. This goes to show that it is possible to pull being a bass player even if you are fat, bald and the wrong side of sixty. And no she wasn't my wife, who was there and touchingly amused by the incident.

[Woodinblack]

I have been spoken to after gigs by both men and women. I normally try to avoid that kind of thing, but it happens

[KevB]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1509288772' post='3397804'] No. Ironically, huh? [/quote]

This is veering toward Python's 'Arthur two sheds Jackson' territory now...

[timhiggins]

Isn't there a famous comedic character with a pen collection ?

i've already googled Alan Partridge ,and Arthur Dent and the Royston Vasey shop owner but no luck so far...

[mikel]

No one at a lot of live gig's notice the bass player because the sound engineers eq the bass drum so it takes up all the bass frequencies, and you cant hear the bass guitar at all.

[blue]

[quote name='lownote12' timestamp='1509299533' post='3397892']
Well now, this following is true... after we played a set at the Dereham Blues Festival this summer, out of the blue I was assaulted by an attractive woman of middle years who gave me a great kiss and then disappeared before I could get my mojo together. This goes to show that it is possible to pull being a bass player even if you are fat, bald and the wrong side of sixty. And no she wasn't my wife, who was there and touchingly amused by the incident.[/quote]

I'm on the wrong side of 60. I have to admit, my mojo said bye bye years ago. Lol

Blue

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1509308632' post='3397994']
No one at a lot of live gig's notice the bass player because the sound engineers eq the bass drum so it takes up all the bass frequencies, and you cant hear the bass guitar at all.
[/quote]not always the case, but it does seem to have been the rule, the bigger the gig the louder the bass drum, but recently I've noticed this happening less often, maybe I've been lucky or, hopefully the fashion for having a loud kick drum is in decline

[blue]

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1509308632' post='3397994']
No one at a lot of live gig's notice the bass player because the sound engineers eq the bass drum so it takes up all the bass frequencies, and you cant hear the bass guitar at all.
[/quote]

I have no idea what sound guys do to my signal or what the house heard. However in small clubs/bars most folks are going to hear my amp.

Blue

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1509309263' post='3398008']
I have no idea what sound guys do to my signal or what the house heard. However in small clubs/bars most folks are going to hear my amp.

Blue
[/quote]hence, the bigger the gig the louder the bass drum

[chris_b]

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1509308632' post='3397994']
No one at a lot of live gig's notice the bass player because the sound engineers eq the bass drum so it takes up all the bass frequencies, and you cant hear the bass guitar at all. [/quote]

That's why you sit in the low mids and dominate the mix from there.

[Barking Spiders]

Ha, one good reason for slapping . No one ignores you. Either they think you're the mutts nuts or they just want you to shut the fook up. Either way, you don't go unnoticed.

[RockfordStone]

i used to go play in the crowd, they had to notice me then

[EliasMooseblaster]

[quote name='timhiggins' timestamp='1509306721' post='3397969']
Isn't there a famous comedic character with a pen collection ?

i've already googled Alan Partridge ,and Arthur Dent and the Royston Vasey shop owner but no luck so far...
[/quote]

It's Pauline - you were very close with the Royston Vasey Local Shop!

[BigRedX]

The Simpson's version of Adam Clayton has a spoon collection.

[Si600]

[quote name='timhiggins' timestamp='1509306721' post='3397969']
Isn't there a famous comedic character with a pen collection ?

i've already googled Alan Partridge ,and Arthur Dent and the Royston Vasey shop owner but no luck so far...
[/quote]

There's supposed to be a planet populated entirely by all the lost and forgotten biro pens. I'm not sure whether fountain pens live there as well.

[thepurpleblob]

Any number of instances of.... "Yeh, great band! Oh, you play in the band?"

I've taken to standing at the front and singing some backing vocals - badly. Same. I'm over it now.

Edited October 31, 2017 by thepurpleblob

[bassjim]

Whilst playing in a rough pub, my wife was asked by a punter if she was with the band. She said yes, she was with the bass player. The punter replied "which one is that?"

Oh how we laughed.



Apart from that, I've met most of my past girlfriends, friends in general, band mates new and old, enthusiastic audience members that piss on you in the bogs whilst telling you you are the "best fackin bassists they have ever seen in their f***in life mate...ah f***in mean it...apart from this geezeer that was in er a few manfs ago...but I tell yer wot you could be a fackin pro ect ect", my ex wife and my amazing new wife all whilst getting on with it playing gigs.

[timhiggins]

[quote name='EliasMooseblaster' timestamp='1509442786' post='3398860']
It's Pauline - you were very close with the Royston Vasey Local Shop!
[/quote]Ah that would explain it ,Bilbo was obviously mistaken for Pauline

[timhiggins]

[quote name='Si600' timestamp='1509445143' post='3398891']
There's supposed to be a planet populated entirely by all the lost and forgotten biro pens. I'm not sure whether fountain pens live there as well.
[/quote] ... perhaps it was Hotblack Desiato looking for a bass player !

[Dr.Dave]

Different for me because I do half the lead vocals , but when a loud bloke with a flowery bass in an (humourous) offensive T Shirt calls you worse than sh*te ( good natured and victims chosen by years of experience )all night it's difficult to ignore him ! I'm always up front anyway - singing or not.

I've been approached by people of all sexes , sexualities and ages - never had a problem making friends with the punters. Regularly it's because of my bass playing and folk are always chatting to me about it - so maybe my putting plenty into performance reaps it's rewards. If I stand in the shadows with my head down I'm making myself unapproachable. That's fine if that's how you want to be but you can't have it both ways.

BTW - I actually do have a small collection of Parker ballpoints plus an expensive Omega blagged from a James Bond premier ! Oddly , nobody's ever asked me about them.

[Guest bassman7755]

Maybe its a jazz thing. I was at a gig at ronnie scotts and on the way to the bog after the performance I bumped into the drummer and told him "brilliant playing mate, cheers" and he said thanks back, wierd thing is noone else around payed him any attention. So either I was the only person observant enough to recognise someone I'd just spent 2 hours watching from 3 or 4 metres away (its a small venue) or I was in breach of some unwritten etiquette that your not supposed to talk to the performers after the gig.

[thebigyin]

Who cares if you get noticed....i was always told take the Bass away and everyone will notice....to me it's all about supporting your fellow band mates if you want to stand out play another instrument or front the band...i have fronted many local cover bands and it can be a lonely daunting job trying to gee up a crowd that are unresponsive...i enjoyed playing bass and having non of that pressure

[mikel]

[quote name='thebigyin' timestamp='1509603865' post='3400160']
Who cares if you get noticed....i was always told take the Bass away and everyone will notice....to me it's all about supporting your fellow band mates if you want to stand out play another instrument or front the band...i have fronted many local cover bands and it can be a lonely daunting job trying to gee up a crowd that are unresponsive...i enjoyed playing bass and having non of that pressure
[/quote]

/\ This. I love playing gigs, its the only reason I play an instrument. The nerves, the thrill of playing, and the sublime feeling when the whole band is cooking as one. Nothing to match it. I don't need anyone to tell me afterwards how good or bad I was, that's not why I do it, I do it because I love it and I know when the band has been great. The only pat on the back I like is when one of the other band members says "That was great, we nailed it tonight". The emphasis is on we, as I am simply part of a band.

[Kevin Dean]

"nobody cares about the bassist apart from their immediate family" John Peel.

[Barking Spiders]

Viz this thread title it depends what you play. Sure if it's general rock , metal or indie I guess bass players are usually overlooked but if you're in a funk/disco band it's generally all eyes on you as anyone into funk or disco knows it's ALL about the bass.