The Great Double Bass Race - BBC4 TV, 11.30 7th Jan

[pete.young]

I've just spotted that BBC 4 TV is showing a film called 'The Great Double Bass Race'' at 11.30 pm tonight, 7th January. And hopefully also on iPlayer, it would be about the only thing that isn't if not!

 

This film tells the story of the first double bass festival on the Isle of Man, in 1978, and features Gary Karr amongst others. I remember watching the film when it was first shown and thinking, I've really got to go to the next one. I still haven't been.

[FunkyDude]

Yes, it's on iPlayer. Watching it now! Thanks Pete. 👍

[NickA]

I watched that in 1978 and thought "one day I'll get a double bass".

 

Does the dB festival still run?

[FunkyDude]

8 hours ago, NickA said:

I watched that in 1978 and thought "one day I'll get a double bass".

 

Does the dB festival still run?

Absolutely not a clue! I suppose you could Google and see.

[Richard Jinman]

Imagined it was people using DB’s as canoes… which to be fair would make good telly. 

[Burns-bass]

19 hours ago, Richard Jinman said:

Imagined it was people using DB’s as canoes… which to be fair would make good telly. 

Someone in Bristol actually used an old DB as a makeshift canoe during the Harbour Fesitval.

[Richard Jinman]

Yet another reason why DBs are better than violins

[pete.young]

On 09/01/2024 at 22:42, NickA said:

I watched that in 1978 and thought "one day I'll get a double bass".

 

Does the dB festival still run?

No, it was repeated in 1982 and that was the last time.

[Desbass]

Wow! What a fantastic documentary. I was just about to list my double bass for sale when I was transported back to my childhood, when I played violin for the last two years of primary school and the first year of secondary school. When I went up to the "Big School" I was too cool to keep going with all that old fashioned stuff. Despite the efforts of a fantastic music teacher  who offered me all kinds of alternatives , including Contrabass/double bass, (too young and stupid to know what this was) I gave up the violin and all that "old fashioned stuff". Now I'm a mature (decrepit) bass player who bought a Thomann 3/4 upright for using in a country/americana band.

Since watching this video, (which in 1978 was happening just when I was getting into punk), has rekindled my appreciation of the wide diversity of bass music. Maybe I'll have a wee go at some arco stuff on the Thomann bass before I give up on such a brilliant instrument! Thanks to pete.young for posting this link.