"FAKE" bass players irk me!!!

[basspraiser]

I just got back from a conference in Hollywood and a few days of vacation with my family at Disneyland and California Adventure....near one of the rides in California Adventure was a stand where they did some country/blue grass type music....the "bass player" was using what appeared from far away to be a rather nice stand up....I was going to go talk to him and see what else he played etc...you know...."bass-bonding".....but upon further and closer observation, I noticed he was not playing at all.....not even plucking the strings.....just (literally) slapping the old tub.....Man was I mad and disappointed!

Why does Disney do this? I know they want consistancy, and I know they can afford to pay for decent musicians in order to achieve this "consistency"....

I believe the guitar and banjo player were really playing (though I could not confirm - if not, they were "faking it" more convincingly than the "bass player"....)

I think "the land of make believe" is expanding way too far!

Anyone else have a similar situation!?

[bongomania]

Was he slapping the body of the bass, or was his hand over the strings? I ask because he may have been playing in a style you are not familiar with. I have seen competent upright bassists in ragtime and rockabilly play in a way that looked like casual slapping of the surface of the strings, but where their thumb and fingers were hooked on the strings at the right moment for each note, very subtly and quickly.

[MadMark5]

last year I was in epcot center in fl, and they had a future type band with a lot of wireless kind of instruments. the bass player had a sadowsky and trust me, he was PLAYING. the funny moment was when my 12 year old asked,"can you play like that?" which I quickly responded to with a No. that bass player smoked, I was also looking to bond over the bass, but after they finished they went running into a crew room.....

[IconBasser]

which ride? I'm a regular there, and know there entertainment pretty well.

[basspraiser]

Originally Posted by IconBasser

which ride? I'm a regular there, and know there entertainment pretty well.

It was in front of the water ride (Grizzley something or other)....BTW - the ride was great! so great we went on it twice in a row!

[basspraiser]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Was he slapping the body of the bass, or was his hand over the strings? I ask because he may have been playing in a style you are not familiar with. I have seen competent upright bassists in ragtime and rockabilly play in a way that looked like casual slapping of the surface of the strings, but where their thumb and fingers were hooked on the strings at the right moment for each note, very subtly and quickly.

He WAS slapping the strings, but I did not see any "hook" to his fingers.....I was looking for that...maybe I was wrong - if so, I will stand corrected.....maybe he is on TB and can let me know....

[bassteban]

Every bass player I've seen in the past half-dozen trips I've taken to Dizzyland has been VERY impressive- slab & doghouse(even the tuba dude in the Bayou Brass Band smoked)alike. They have all been very approachable as well. One ol' cat(on upright)said he had done sessions w/Fats Domino & Chubby Checker, but this(D-land)was the best gig he'd ever landed. My feeling is that the guy you saw was so good it looked fake. I've had that experience myself.

[Sneckumhaw]

I doubt it was actually fake.

[cb56]

I remember I was real PO'd when I found out mickey mouse wasn't a real mouse.

[Baryonyx]

You should have botted him off the bass, got up their and went at it like Stanley Clarke on an upright!

[Steve]

If Disney west is run like the east, working for the rat is a very good gig. They don't need to hire fakes. There are plenty of great players that want that gig.

[richnota]

Originally Posted by cb56

I remember I was real PO'd when I found out mickey mouse wasn't a real mouse.

what do you mean? he's not real? how is that possible?

i find the rockabilly slap technique pretty amazing to watch...quite a bit on youtube.

[basspraiser]

Originally Posted by Chris2112

You should have botted him off the bass, got up their and went at it like Stanley Clarke on an upright!

If I could've, I would've.....Mr. Clarke has more talent in his thumb than I have in my entire body!

PS - I am beginning to agree with y'all that I was probably just not looking hard enough and he WAS playing....I think they do hire the "best" so he would make it look easy....

PPS - Mickey IS REAL - just ask my 5 year old daughter!

PPPS (is there such a thing?) - I actually enjoyed "It's a small world" - not the ride, but seeing my daughter laugh and enjoy the voyage......that made me appreciate it all the more....it was her first ride (ever) at Disney and it was well worth it - even if I can still hear the song in my sleep 3 days later!

[Riley R]

dude I was there last year and seen the same exact band, he was definitely playing. Your are correct about the location, these guys wore like old overalls and a couple of them were barefoot to, you know to give them that real hillbilly thing. But I remember watching them for like a half hour while my friends went on that ride, the grizzly or whatever. I didn't want to get wet so I stayed back and had a cold one and watched them. They totally rocked, for sure, he was slappin that bass to, but also doing some finger work to.

[JeffTheBig]

Originally Posted by cb56

I remember I was real PO'd when I found out mickey mouse wasn't a real mouse.

i know what ya mane man.......but i still wanna know what the *^$% is goofy???

[Jazzdogg]

Originally Posted by bassteban

Every bass player I've seen in the past half-dozen trips I've taken to Dizzyland has been VERY impressive- slab & doghouse(even the tuba dude in the Bayou Brass Band smoked)alike. They have all been very approachable as well. One ol' cat(on upright)said he had done sessions w/Fats Domino & Chubby Checker, but this(D-land)was the best gig he'd ever landed. My feeling is that the guy you saw was so good it looked fake. I've had that experience myself.

In my experience, the musicians who play live for Disney have been consistently terrific!

Back in the days of "E tickets," when admission to the park itself was still reasonable, my friends and I would drive up to Anaheim from San Diego just to hear the live music; I have fond memories of hearing the Count Basie Orchestra play at Disneyland in the early 70s.

[Spector_Ray]

Wow...I thought this was another thread about Pete Wentz.

[uglybassplayer]

Originally Posted by Riley R

dude I was there last year and seen the same exact band, he was definitely playing. Your are correct about the location, these guys wore like old overalls and a couple of them were barefoot to, you know to give them that real hillbilly thing. But I remember watching them for like a half hour while my friends went on that ride, the grizzly or whatever. I didn't want to get wet so I stayed back and had a cold one and watched them. They totally rocked, for sure, he was slappin that bass to, but also doing some finger work to.

I saw this show too while visiting relatives in San Diego this past April. Had a good seat near the front too. They were all definately playing. The bass player (real tall guy) was phenominal. the whole band was killer... and multi-talented as well (especially the guitar player).

- Frank.

[Riley R]

Originally Posted by Spector_Ray

Wow...I thought this was another thread about Pete Wentz.

lol good one!!

[GregC]

Doug, all I know is the upright player in the Magic Kingdom's Country Bear Jamboree kills.
http://www.yesterland.com/images-bea.../cbjstage.jpeg