chris_b Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 I did a gig in Stevenage about 8 years ago, when someone came up to me wearing a loud shirt and said, I’m wearing this for you, for the old times. Apparently he was a regular at a residency I did in Camden in the 80’s, where we all wore very loud shirts. I don’t crave it but it’s nice to be noticed sometimes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickeyboro Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 21 hours ago, Dood said: Someone came up to me in Asda once!! They seemed pleased to see me!! But they just asked me where something was in the store. Perplexed I told them I didn't work there. They got annoyed and told me I was wearing the shop's uniform. "No," I replied. "Sainsbury's have blue shirts, not even the same blue," as I gestured to the one I had on. #NeverWillBeARockStar You shoulda told em to BOGOF!😩 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 once had a guy come up to me and say "You only play bass cause it's easy" I just agreed with him and said "yeah, there's only 4 strings to worry about" but at least he recognised me as the bass player 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 One of the few comments I got after a gig was some drunk guy came up and said 'hey man, great moustache'. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Though, I will respond to my own posts with this extraordinary experience: I was walking through London one day, many, many years ago with my girlfriend at the time. I forget why we were there and where exactly. Probably doing 'the markets' and having a day out chillin'. This lad cycled past, came back, circled us, turned to me and said, "Don't give up, your dreams will come true" - or at least, something similar, from memory. I'm not so sure that I was recognised as being a bassist, but he weirdly knew that I was having a difficult time with bass. So, if you're reading this, guy on bicycle, thanks for that, its been over 20 years now since the encounter and my bass now pays the mortgage! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 7 minutes ago, Dood said: Though, I will respond to my own posts with this extraordinary experience: I was walking through London one day, many, many years ago with my girlfriend at the time. I forget why we were there and where exactly. Probably doing 'the markets' and having a day out chillin'. This lad cycled past, came back, circled us, turned to me and said, "Don't give up, your dreams will come true" - or at least, something similar, from memory. I'm not so sure that I was recognised as being a bassist, but he weirdly knew that I was having a difficult time with bass. So, if you're reading this, guy on bicycle, thanks for that, its been over 20 years now since the encounter and my bass now pays the mortgage! Spooky. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 I depped in a big end of year Welsh language band gig. They did the same gig for 15 years. It was a massive event on the local scene. We did an hour and a half set. Everyone knew all the words. Everyone had a lovely time. During the get out an ex student came up to me and asked if I had been there all night cos she had not seen me. It made me smile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_S Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 I once had a guy come up to me slightly 'tired and emotional' at about 1am in a rock club and tell me that I was pretty much his hero - nothing to do with my playing, but rather because I'd (in his words) made our lead guitarist let me come and stand at the front of the stage and play, whereas he had to stand right at the back when their band was on stage. Said lead guitarist had just nipped to the bar and came back to join in the conversation, mercifully ending it pretty much immediately! You'd think the fact that I'm the big guy wielding the big guitar and stood at the front would make me slightly memorable, but the only other time I remember being recognised was by a guy who came up after a gig and introduced himself as the driver of the bus I didn't catch to work, but which went past the stop I was always stood at in the morning 5 minutes before the bus which I did catch. He then proceeded to tell me how good our lead guitarist is 🙂 ..I guess he had to come clattering back to normality somehow! I'm ok with not being recognised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickeyboro Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 I was recognised at a Sunday morning boot sale by a punter at the previous night’s gig. Embarrassingly I was wearing the same outfit...😁 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 31 minutes ago, Mickeyboro said: I was recognised at a Sunday morning boot sale by a punter at the previous night’s gig. Embarrassingly I was wearing the same outfit...😁 That's brave. I wouldn't walk around our market wearing spandex and glitter in my hair. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 23 minutes ago, chris_b said: That's brave. I wouldn't walk around our market wearing spandex and glitter in my hair. So, just the mankini then, eh..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushbo Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 (edited) What seems like a lifetime ago, I played in a classic rock covers band whose USP was that the singer did the whole set as Vegas-era Elvis. He was great - karate moves, jumpsuits, corny patter - he had the lot. After a well received gig, somewhere in the Black Country, I was "enjoying" a post-performance pee, when a drooling drunk crashed in and attempted to use the urinal next to me. He squinted at me, through bleary eyes and said, "mate, you're the best singer I've ever heard!" Unless he was referring to my handful of backing vocals, thrown hopefully in the direction of a mic during the gig, it seems our friend had mistaken a chap with a soul patch and a tatty, black CBGB's tee-shirt, for The King of Rock and Roll. He offered me a moist and tattooed hand to shake. I politely declined. Edited January 9, 2021 by rushbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom in Dorset Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Sitting in the open back door of the van quietly running through some of our songs before a gig at a music festival , bass guitar on my knee. A stranger approaches...."Hi , are you in (insert band name) ? " Me : Yes "Who's your bass player?" - not even recognised as a bass player. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickeyboro Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 1 hour ago, Dad3353 said: So, just the mankini then, eh..? I deny knowing either of you. And how did you know it was in Staines-on-Thames?😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 8 minutes ago, Mickeyboro said: ...And how did you know it was in Staines-on-Thames?😂 Better there than stains on ... No, on second thoughts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nail Soup Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 IIRC Alex James used to waggishly refer to himself as the the "third most important person in Blur". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StickyDBRmf Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 I thought he was standing in front of racks of albums. He's shopping for stones? And wonders why? And I know girls that SPECIFICALLY hunt down the bassists. Weird girls. Love 'em... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 To be fair if these chaps were in their civvies, it would be understandable if they were not recognised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 58 minutes ago, MacDaddy said: To be fair if these chaps were in their civvies, it would be understandable if they were not recognised. I think this fella would find a way to let you know who he was... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 10, 2021 Author Share Posted January 10, 2021 22 hours ago, StickyDBRmf said: I thought he was standing in front of racks of albums. He's shopping for stones? And wonders why? And I know girls that SPECIFICALLY hunt down the bassists. Weird girls. Love 'em... As you may not be acquainted with the Blur Bassist, for some time he has had a farm and is a cheesemaker and I suspect the clip was taken at his farm where the young lad who may have been working there on some buildings was not aware who the owner was.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 It doesn’t just happen to bassists. At a punk festival last year an ex England football captain was trying to get backstage - he had the right pass and everything - but one of the security guys wouldn’t let him through and had to radio through for guidance, didn’t recognise him at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 How embarrassing not recognising musicians. Sat with the future Lady Maude in a pub behind Plymouth Pavilions at a large table, and in come a bunch of traveller types who plonk themselves down at the rest of the table and start drinking. We were going over The Pavilions to see The Levellers later and I leaned over to Lady M and commented it's a bit sad when fans try to dress just like their favourite bands. No malice intended though and we had a drink with them. Yeah you know where this is going. Roll on a couple of hours in The Pavilions and our table sharers walked on stage. In my defence the bass player (the recognisable one with the dreads) wasn't with them in the pub and the singer had put on a bit of weight. Also to be fair to Lady M she did keep telling me it was them but Captain Kronenbourg here was having none of it. 🙄 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfoundfreedom Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Lozz196 said: It doesn’t just happen to bassists. At a punk festival last year an ex England football captain was trying to get backstage - he had the right pass and everything - but one of the security guys wouldn’t let him through and had to radio through for guidance, didn’t recognise him at all. Understandable. There's maybe a dozen footballists on the planet I'd recognise, and most of those are probably now retired or dead. Having said that, there's probably even fewer bass players than that I'd recognise. Take away the ones that are also lead singers and I could probably count them on one hand. Edited January 10, 2021 by Newfoundfreedom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurksalot Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 12 hours ago, Maude said: How embarrassing not recognising musicians. Sat with the future Lady Maude in a pub behind Plymouth Pavilions at a large table, and in come a bunch of traveller types who plonk themselves down at the rest of the table and start drinking. We were going over The Pavilions to see The Levellers later and I leaned over to Lady M and commented it's a bit sad when fans try to dress just like their favourite bands. No malice intended though and we had a drink with them. Yeah you know where this is going. Roll on a couple of hours in The Pavilions and our table sharers walked on stage. In my defence the bass player (the recognisable one with the dreads) wasn't with them in the pub and the singer had put on a bit of weight. Also to be fair to Lady M she did keep telling me it was them but Captain Kronenbourg here was having none of it. 🙄 What a beautiful tale ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 This thread has concentrated on punters, predictably. But how many people within the band itself ‘recognise’ the bassist? My experience in most of my career has been in jazz ensembles, a lot of them seven pieces. I was having a chat with a fellow bass player recently and we both agreed that a lot of front line people haven’t a clue about what is a good, or bad, rhythm section. It’s all about the front and as long as the bass makes a thumping noise that’s ok. As long as they can fill the slot that’s ok. When I was with a decent touring band it took me quite a while to ‘educate’ them to even put me through the PA. Then there are others. That’s ok, that’s better, and all is forgiven.😊 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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