I don't mind Pete Wentz.

MirageBass · #1 07-17-2007, 05:05 AM

There, I said it.

Yes, he's a pretty mediocre player at best (EDIT: terrible, yeah), and yes, it's kind of stupid that he made it to the cover of Bass Guitar Magazine and got his own signature model. However, I say, more power to the guy.

When it comes to music, which is a field of complete subjectivity, I find it hard to look down on other styles of music - Given, I may prefer one to another, but music is no place for any sort of snobbery. Different styles just appeal to different people, and one bassist may take more away from punk songs than any amount of motown you could throw at them. However, there is a means to an end - this guy is inspiring more and more people (mostly tweens) to pick up the bass guitar. Now, given, this will likely create a glut of bad bass players, but I have trouble believing that someone would admire the guy so much to pick up his instrument and play it for the sake of looking cool - if they wanted that, they could get an acoustic guitar and play Good Riddance in their dorm over and over again. What Wentz is doing, inadvertent as it may be, is making people take a second look at the instrument. A person who spends the cash to pick up his signature and play music they love, simplistic as it may be, might be moving down the road to quality musicianship, and, even if they aren't, they still find a good time playing an instrument they may grow to love, which is the most I could ask for.

I like to think of him as a kickstart for bass players, in the same way Geddy inspired me to pick up my bass again after three years of total neglect after purchasing it (please note I am in NO WAY making a comparison between Wentz and Ged

). If he's a gateway drug for people who will become passionate about the instrument I love, so be it. The rest of the crew can take over from there.

Anyone share this opinion? Or does anybody think that Wentz is doing more harm than good to the bass playing community?

TheDarkReaver · #2 07-17-2007, 05:09 AM

i see what you're saying. makes sense, perhaps we can use the term 'Gateway Bass Player'.

grommit · #3 07-17-2007, 05:13 AM

I always get annoyed when people start bashing punk bassists.

I mean how many of us got started playing that? I know I did.
And look where i am now. Through punk, i developed a liking of music in general, from that i progressively moved on through different bands as my ability grew and i wanted to play something different.

Somewhere over the space of 3 years i moved from good charlotte and simple plan, to phish, yes and every claypool associate.

But what better way to start playing, we all know how boring etudes get, and the examples you find in instructional books, like "g, g, rest, g, a, a, rest, a, so on" punk lines are pretty easy to pick up most of the time, so you can develop your playing, while shouting 1-2-3-4 at the beginning of each song.
I have trouble with playing other instruments, because the music i listen to now is so much more complicated, theres no where i can really sort the basics out.

So all i can say is this.

Punk bass: Someones got to play it.

Spector_Ray · #4 07-17-2007, 05:23 AM

There are two problems I have with this.

1. Pete Wentz is not playing to play. If you look at the overall picture, he's a show boy. He cares more about his looks and how he looks "playing" bass. It's really not about the music to him. So basically, there is definitely going to be a glut of bad bass players strumming the bass at the 18th fret just because it looks cool. Just like the players draggin' their arses on stage while playing because Fieldy does it.

2. Fall Out Boy is nowhere near punk.

Anyway, check out the latest issue of Blender.

BTW, I'm not hating on anyone's opinion and anyone can like anybody they want to, but I do think Wentz is a tool personally.

Edit: To OP, you need to put Pete Wentz on your influences under the all the Jaco, John Entwistle, Steve Harris, Billy Sheehan, etc. That wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb!

That's just my $.02

MirageBass · #5 07-17-2007, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spector_Ray

To OP, you need to put Pete Wentz on your influences under the all the Jaco, John Entwistle, Steve Harris, Billy Sheehan, etc. That wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb!

That's just my $.02

What, like I see Wentz as an influence? Please. There's a difference between not hating someone and citing someone as an influence.

And, again, my position is that he's a means to an end, though he plays purely for self interest. I think we can agree to disagree on this point.

Baird6869 · #6 07-17-2007, 05:42 AM

I think Wentz is an absolutely terrible bass player and he will be the first to admit he stinks, can't read music and would really like to learn how to play better.

Having said that... he is famous and playing for sold out arenas and I play bars for $100 a night. I know lots of great bassists that can barely pay the bills, so good for him.

He does seem to have a knack for writing silly Blink182-style lyrics though.

TaySte_2000 · #7 07-17-2007, 05:48 AM

I say a band that can barely play or musicians that make it big mainly on looks is still much much better than the hoards of boy/girlbands we had all over the airwaves.

End of the day at least they are playing instruments.

P.S. Also not a Fall Out Boy fan

Spector_Ray · #8 07-17-2007, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MirageBass

What, like I see Wentz as an influence? Please. There's a difference between not hating someone and citing someone as an influence.

And, again, my position is that he's a means to an end, though he plays purely for self interest. I think we can agree to disagree on this point.

I see your point about getting people interested in bass and that's a good thing as long as the bad technique and such is rectified. However, there are definitely other ways to skin a cat.

MirageBass · #9 07-17-2007, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spector_Ray

I see your point about getting people interested in bass and that's a good thing as long as the bad technique and such is rectified. However, there are definitely other ways to skin a cat.

Hey, the way I see it, the good players will get better technique and move on, and the people who retain the Pete Wentz technique will quickly sink. Might as well try to skin as many cats as possible, eh?

... Did I just say that?
... Now I feel kind of dirty.

MikeBass · #10 07-17-2007, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baird6869

I think Wentz is an absolutely terrible bass player and he will be the first to admit he stinks, can't read music and would really like to learn how to play better.

Having said that... he is famous and playing for sold out arenas and I play bars for $100 a night. I know lots of great bassists that can barely pay the bills, so good for him.

He does seem to have a knack for writing silly Blink182-style lyrics though.

Good management and marketing will get you far. Case in point- Fall Out Boy.
As you can tell, you don't need talent.

jpark369 · #11 07-17-2007, 06:39 AM

i think hes a bum. i believe he said something like, "i dont know **** about playing the bass" in that magazine interveiw. some corporete guy invented him and his band and payed for him to learn bass. its wack, and so is he.

i gotta give it to him though, hes fooled alot of people.

Sergio · #12 07-17-2007, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpark369

i think hes a bum. i believe he said something like, "i dont know **** about playing the bass" in that magazine interveiw. some corporete guy invented him and his band and payed for him to learn bass. its wack, and so is he.

i gotta give it to him though, hes fooled alot of people.

What he said was "I want to learn the fretboard. I'm a professional musician, but there's so much I don't know."

Now, I don't know of many guys who would openly admit if they couldn't play thier instrument well, especially if they were in one of the biggest bands in the world.

And he's fooled a lot of people into what? Fall Out Boy invented Fall Out Boy. They are not just some coporate band. Wentz has a history on the Chicago hardcore scene, and the rest of the band have similar stories as well.

It's just always so funny to me that people get upset when a bass player (or any musician for that matter) in a popular band doesn't show the technical prowess of the artists they like to listen to. Here's an idea: instead of posting in threads bad-mouthing someone on the internet, go listen to
your favorite records. Go do something productive with your time.

Or not. =P

punkbassistfc · #13 07-17-2007, 10:19 AM

He is good at what he does(he plays the root, basics can get quite hard), he is banging ashleigh simpson, he has a lot more money then all of us, and he is playing stadiom shows.......I sense a bit of jeolousy.

BassJunkie730 · #14 07-17-2007, 10:39 AM

Pete certainly has his place.

For better or for worse

he is my generation's

Kip Winger

infect · #15 07-17-2007, 10:42 AM

I wouldn't cry if he went away..

CelinderMotoMan · #16 07-17-2007, 10:54 AM

One band that I am in plays "Dance, Dance" and "Sugar We're Goin Down" and they are my favorite songs to play. I think that they have great grooves and are well crafted songs with very catchy hooks.

Double Agent · #17 07-17-2007, 10:59 AM

Dude....how could you say that about Kip Winger?????

I don't know about all of this "he gets people to play bass and thats cool" stuff. Bad bands beget bad bands(Note to self: nice use of alliteration). What we have now reminds me a lot of what was going on when Nirvana came out, a few good bands but mostly really crappy ones. Nirvana came out and all those band were out of work within a year. Something like that needs to happen again because this whole Green Day/Blink 182/Good Charlotte/Fall Out Boy phase has kind of runs its course. Unfortunately, with the music business on such shaky ground, its highly unlikely that any of the major labels would devote serious money to anyone that goes too far outside the mainstream box.

Double Agent · #18 07-17-2007, 11:02 AM

In addition to my thoughts above, I don't think any of those things I mentioned are Pete Wentz's fault and he using the tools he has to make lots and lots of money. Its not him that I mind, its just the whole scene.

Celinder, I would bet my Bongo that your band plays "dance, dance" better live than FOB does. I wouldn't be against covering it in my band either, FWIW. If it gets the girls a-dancing, its ok by me.

TK-421 · #19 07-17-2007, 11:11 AM

He knows damn well that he's a sex symbol to millions of teenage girls, and he knows damn well that he's not very talented. But I don't think that bugs him that much considering his band has an extremely slim chance of sticking around.

thebassist1234 · #20 07-17-2007, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpark369

i think hes a bum. i believe he said something like, "i dont know **** about playing the bass" in that magazine interveiw. some corporete guy invented him and his band and payed for him to learn bass. its wack, and so is he.

I'm not defending Fall Out Boy (Ok, I guess I am but I don't want to), but they actually had a humble start. Their first CD didn't even scratch the popular music scene and they were just another pop punk band touring the midwest. Also, I believe that their first mainstream hit CD was released by Fueled By Ramen which is an indie label. I hate to say it, but Fall Out Boy is legit.

That said, I don't think any one band is gonna change the popular music scene like the Nirvana example. What I do believe is that a string of bands of a new genre of music are going to come into the spotlight and change the "rock" side of pop music. I think the next big thing is going to be what is Indie rock right now. Example, last year Death Cab For Cutie (amazing band, they have a great bass player and put out a ton of albums) got signed to Atlantic records. A major label. This year, Arcade Fire, a very popular band on the Indie scene, had their new record out, and it ended up being the second bestselling CD for a few months, which is unheard of for an Indie release. More examples: Interpol signing to Capitol, The Shins popularity, etc. The major record companies know that a new change is coming soon, that is why they are starting to sign all these Indie bands.