Who is a truly awful bassist?

[Adrenochrome]

In almost 30 years of watching bands play live, I've never witnessed an [i]awful[/i] performance on bass.
I've wanted to maim many a soundman for burying the bass in the mix but I've really never seen a bad bass perfrmance.
I even thought that Blink 182 guy was decent considering he sang lead most of the time and was pretty mobile around the stage.

[Doddy]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='923967' date='Aug 13 2010, 02:59 PM']Not a fan, then?[/quote]

As much as I'm not really a fan of hers(although her solo album is quite good), Tal Wilkenfeld doesn't belong
in this thread,as she is a far better player than guys like Wentz,Guigsy et al.

[crez5150]

[quote name='Doddy' post='923983' date='Aug 13 2010, 03:07 PM']As much as I'm not really a fan of hers(although her solo album is quite good), Tal Wilkenfeld doesn't belong
in this thread,as she is a far better player than guys like Wentz,Guigsy et al.[/quote]

+ 1

I can't stand Hooky.... he'd be my choice

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='Doddy' post='923983' date='Aug 13 2010, 03:07 PM']As much as I'm not really a fan of hers(although her solo album is quite good), Tal Wilkenfeld doesn't belong
in this thread,as she is a far better player than guys like Wentz,Guigsy et al.[/quote]

Agree. She's far from awful.

[Colledge]

he's by no means a bad player, infact i think he's very talented... but i can't stand Steve Harris' tone, its like sandpaper to my ears and ruins the whole iron maiden experience for me.

[lemmywinks]

[quote name='geoffbyrne' post='923944' date='Aug 13 2010, 02:44 PM']No-one's mentioned Roger Waters yet.


G.[/quote]


I always thought roger was a decent player, just not one who actually cared about bass!

[270degrees]

*sneaks in*

Gene Simmons

*runs away*

[Low End Bee]

I'd rather listen to an hour* of Sid cocking up than a minute of some of the technical twiddlers that some people wet their pants over on here. I think the 'awful' description is open to a lot of interpretation.


*Well maybe 10 minutes.

[JamieBenzies]

[quote name='270degrees' post='923991' date='Aug 13 2010, 03:11 PM']*sneaks in*

Gene Simmons

*runs away*[/quote]

Just to illustrate your point.




Although to be fair, it is just about the show... Still goddamn awful.

Edited August 13, 2010 by benzies123

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='benzies123' post='924005' date='Aug 13 2010, 03:18 PM']Just to illustrate your point.




Although to be fair, it is just about the show... Still goddamn awful.[/quote]

f*** me!

[Doddy]

[quote name='benzies123' post='924005' date='Aug 13 2010, 03:18 PM']Just to illustrate your point.

Although to be fair, it is just about the show... Still goddamn awful.[/quote]

That's like those videos where the guy overdubs really bad playing over Jaco and Mark King footage.

.....Only real.

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='Doddy' post='924027' date='Aug 13 2010, 03:29 PM']That's like those videos where the guy overdubs really bad playing over Jaco and Mark King footage.

.....Only real. [/quote]

He has shagged a lot of women, to be fair. They're obviously not interested in his playing.

[Doddy]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='924042' date='Aug 13 2010, 03:36 PM']He has shagged a lot of women, to be fair. They're obviously not interested in his playing.[/quote]

Good point

[crez5150]

[quote name='Doddy' post='924027' date='Aug 13 2010, 03:29 PM']That's like those videos where the guy overdubs really bad playing over Jaco and Mark King footage.

.....Only real. [/quote]

I thought it was a shred someone had put together..... Jeez!!!!!!!

[Prime_BASS]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='924042' date='Aug 13 2010, 03:36 PM']He has shagged a lot of women, to be fair. They're obviously not interested in his playing.[/quote]

We'll let him off then.

And in regards to Tal wilkenfield. I wouldn't say she is aweful. What some call easy listening, I call boring.

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='Prime_BASS' post='924051' date='Aug 13 2010, 03:41 PM']We'll let him off then.

And in regards to Tal wilkenfield. I wouldn't say she is aweful. What some call easy listening, I call boring.[/quote]

Sorry, forgot to insert the smiley face after the Simmons comment.

[thodrik]

I would say Pete Wentz. I would also say Danny from the Wildhearts, though that was live rather than on an album, and I believe it was mostly due to the heroin, rather than lack of talent.

Must say I think Tal is a little bit overrated, but overrated and awful are pretty different, so she doesn't really belong in this thread. She is arguably a bit like Wentz, how they look makes a lot of people listen with their eyes, making them seem better than they actually are.

Really though, I think that the guy from Complete wins hands down. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRnPE1u4ruM&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRnPE1u4ruM...feature=related[/url]

[JamieBenzies]

Came across this, provided a good 20 minutes of cringe worthy entertainment - Not quite the worlds worst bassist as he does his part... it's just... you will see...

[url="http://www.i-mockery.com/bad-albums/hogan/"]http://www.i-mockery.com/bad-albums/hogan/[/url]

[Ancient Mariner]

Hmmm. Guess I'd better not try to play bass around anyone here.

[Cat Burrito]

A lot of this comes down to rock showmanship compromising your playing though, right? I wouldn't know Pete Wentz if he passed me in the street & couldn't name one of his songs but bands like his are often about an image (& I don't necessarily just mean how they look). I wouldn't expect him to release a tuition DVD called "Advanced Harmonics on Unusual Frets". Fair play to him. He has his own sig bass too (nobody mention Avril!)

A few challenges to some of the bassists under fire here. I worked with a bass playing producer back in the 90s who raved about the U2 bassist. I'm not a fan of the band personally but would they have been as popular with a different player? He does what he does & it works.

Gene Simmons (& that YouTube video seriously undermines my argument but then I've never tried soloing in S&M gear with a dead cat on my head) is actually responsible for some very tasteful playing on a few tracks on the early 70s records - closet Kiss fan so I know they were ones he played on.

Also Bill Wyman, please see the U2 argument.

Oh & Paul Simomon may have been learning on the first record but boy did he get there? His influence answers so many critics. Sid Vicious, see the Pete Wentz argument.

If you want awful bass playing, come & watch me on my upright after the 3 pint mark!

[bassbloke]

[quote name='benzies123' post='924061' date='Aug 13 2010, 03:47 PM']Came across this, provided a good 20 minutes of cringe worthy entertainment - Not quite the worlds worst bassist as he does his part... it's just... you will see...

[url="http://www.i-mockery.com/bad-albums/hogan/"]http://www.i-mockery.com/bad-albums/hogan/[/url][/quote]

Thank you for curing my writer's block.

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='924078' date='Aug 13 2010, 04:07 PM']A lot of this comes down to rock showmanship compromising your playing though, right? I wouldn't know Pete Wentz if he passed me in the street & couldn't name one of his songs but bands like his are often about an image (& I don't necessarily just mean how they look). I wouldn't expect him to release a tuition DVD called "Advanced Harmonics on Unusual Frets". Fair play to him. He has his own sig bass too (nobody mention Avril!)

A few challenges to some of the bassists under fire here. I worked with a bass playing producer back in the 90s who raved about the U2 bassist. I'm not a fan of the band personally but would they have been as popular with a different player? He does what he does & it works.

Gene Simmons (& that YouTube video seriously undermines my argument but then I've never tried soloing in S&M gear with a dead cat on my head) is actually responsible for some very tasteful playing on a few tracks on the early 70s records - closet Kiss fan so I know they were ones he played on.

Also Bill Wyman, please see the U2 argument.

Oh & Paul Simomon may have been learning on the first record but boy did he get there? His influence answers so many critics. Sid Vicious, see the Pete Wentz argument.

If you want awful bass playing, come & watch me on my upright after the 3 pint mark![/quote]

Good post.

As I joked earlier, Simmons will always admit he's in it for the rock and roll, and all the advantages it brings.

[derrenleepoole]

Steve Bailey gets my vote any day of the week - completely OTT player with little in the way of soul. It's all technique and flash in the pan pyrotechnics that are totally dull and uninspiring! All those false harmonics, many of which are never in tune... boring.

Adam Nitti also falls into this category! Another example of a player who's playing is all technique at the expensive of anything else. I saw him live at Bassday, and while he was interesting to watch, it left me very cold and unmoved.

My all time most awful bassist ever though is John Myung! How is it possible that someone so completely unoriginal and lacking in technique gets so much devotion and attention as being a 'special bassist!' Saw him live with Dream Theatre, and that has to be the worst gig I have ever seen - period. Talk about a band comprised of egos instead of musicians! sh*t!

[Machines]

[quote name='derrenleepoole' post='924095' date='Aug 13 2010, 04:24 PM']Saw him live with Dream Theatre, and that has to be the worst gig I have ever seen - period. Talk about a band comprised of egos instead of musicians! sh*t![/quote]
*looks for ban button* .

[Doddy]

[quote name='derrenleepoole' post='924095' date='Aug 13 2010, 04:24 PM']Steve Bailey gets my vote any day of the week - completely OTT player with little in the way of soul. It's all technique and flash in the pan pyrotechnics that are totally dull and uninspiring! All those false harmonics, many of which are never in tune... boring.[/quote]

All I'll say about Steve Bailey,is that you don't get to tour and record with artists as diverse as Dizzy Gillespie and Jethro Tull if you are all flash and pyrotechnics. He's another player that had become know for the 'Bass Extremes' thing,but had paid his dues for years prior to it.

Edited August 13, 2010 by Doddy