Images that made you want to play bass

[mattbass6]

Steve Harris of Iron Maiden. The first time I heard the band, the first time I saw the images, the first time I saw them live, the first time I heard/saw that bass, I had to play bass. I was lucky enough to support British Lion in December, and play through his Iron Maiden cabs (only 1 of the 4 he brought out with him), and I got to chat to him as a “peer”. What a brilliant, engaging and funny guy he is. Mind blown. 16 year old me would never believe it was possible ☺️⭐️

[rushbo]

[MGB]

Edited April 6, 2020 by MGB

[itu]

Stan the Man with his hair and Alembic (1st solo), John Illsley with his red unlined Wal...

[bassbiscuits]

2 hours ago, NickD said:

I must have worn both the tapes and the video out. As an impressionable 14 year old who had just saved enough from his paper round for a guitar, this was how a rock show should look!

Exactly the same here! I was 12 in 1986 and had the video and double LP of Live After Death, as well as the Scorpions Worldwide Live video and Alive II vinyl. I had a morning paper round and used the money to pay back my dad who’d agreed to stump up for my first bass - a Satellite - and a five watt practice amp. 

[bassbiscuits]

6 hours ago, Tom Jung said:

... and this is one of my favourites ....

That’s a fantastic pic 

[2elliot]

Head of Music's face when he said the drum teacher had buggered off and won't be back, you're  playing bass guitar now. 

Edited April 6, 2020 by 2elliot

[bassbiscuits]

Apologies for the poor pic quality (the original isn’t very good) but this image from the inside sleeve of New Model Army’s Thunder and Consolation made me want to swap the pointy 80s Charvel I played at the time (around 1990)  for a Precision. 

[bassbiscuits]

Not forgetting this of course...This was on A LOT in our house as kids.

 

[oldslapper]

8 minutes ago, bassbiscuits said:

Not forgetting this of course...This was on A LOT in our house as kids.

 

Geddy cites this image of Tomsk as a major influence. 

[T-Bay]

[dougieb]

As well as seeing and hearing him on Doremi Fasol Latido!

[FinnDave]

I can't find the image, but there was a picture in NME or MM of Soft Machine's bassist's (Hugh Hopper?) bass leaning against an amp. It was in the first half of the 70s, but I can still see it, a white Fender bass from the back. I think that started a life long obsession with Fender basses!

[bassace]

Back in the day things were a lot more simple. The first day I joined my new school there was this double bass on its side at the back of the stage. I’d never seen anything quite so majestic before and that was all I ever wanted. So after all these years that’s what I play.

A fellow schoolmate was Les Hurdle - Womble Tomsk. I wonder whether he was similarly inspired. I never asked him.

[4000]

[Bassfinger]

May as well lock the thread now.

 

[Maude]

No really any one image but just whole attitude of these sort of images. 

So how come I don't own a white P bass with a black scratchplate? 

[4000]

Just now, Bassfinger said:

May as well lock the thread now.

 

Lem was my most important early influence but I can’t remember a specific image that drew me in, off the top of my head. Maybe the pic on the inside of Space Ritual....

[ead]

Mostly guitarists

Edited April 6, 2020 by ead

[stewblack]

5 hours ago, rushbo said:

Yep. I was about to post the same thing 

[DJpullchord]

Castlemorton?

 

 

You mean playing bass guitar or bass through a rig?

[Tom Jung]

One more Murdoc ...

Glastonbury ...

 

Edited April 6, 2020 by Tom Jung
Missing note

[Frank Blank]

[Ricky 4000]

Rickenbackers. 👍

[skankdelvar]

10 hours ago, MGB said:

Thanks for posting this, @MGB

It was that very album cover ↑ (and Bill McCormick's noodlings over the start of track 2 (Tomorrow Never Knows) which set me on the path.