Bass player recognition ...

[RustyAxe]

We always introduce the band, every gig. At a recent gig my BL comes up to me as tells me that I'm getting lots of compliments from listeners (I sing and play). "How nice to be recognized", I'm thinking. "Yeah, they said that tall guy in the back is pretty good".

 

[jad]

I agree, it's nice to get some compliments, even if it comes with a "You're the guitar player, right?". I like to drop by and say hello to some of the groups of people who turn up at our shows, especially if I don't recognize them. Funny thing is sometimes they don't recognize me at all. Last show between sets 2 and 3 I sat down at an open seat at a table with 6 or 7 people there and one guy asked me why I was sitting there. After a little back and forth, it became obvious that he had no idea I was a member of the band. I had a nice chat with the rest of the group.

 

[NZBassman]

my current band is the only band I've been in where BL introduces the band individually......

a few years ago in my old band we had finished and were packing up when someone came over to me and said "man you were awesome on the drums tonight bro...." I just said thanks and continued to pack up

 

[el jeffe bass]

I have been getting some attention from the dancers at the Senior center recently. Last week I took two solos at the bands request. People actually clap and give a few hoots and hollers when I’m introduced. To be honest it kinda freaks me out a bit.

 

[Shalto]

I agree, it's nice to get some compliments, even if it comes with a "You're the guitar player, right?". I like to drop by and say hello to some of the groups of people who turn up at our shows, especially if I don't recognize them. Funny thing is sometimes they don't recognize me at all. Last show between sets 2 and 3 I sat down at an open seat at a table with 6 or 7 people there and one guy asked me why I was sitting there. After a little back and forth, it became obvious that he had no idea I was a member of the band. I had a nice chat with the rest of the group.

If I was in a bar as just audience/not performing and a member of the band joined my table randomly I probably wouldn't be rude enough to vocalist it, but I would find it weird they came and sat with strangers.

 

[Hot Rats]

A nice lady at the senior center told me they like looking at me better when I smile. Then she you you should smile more...you never smile.

 

[RustyAxe]

my current band is the only band I've been in where BL introduces the band individually......

a few years ago in my old band we had finished and were packing up when someone came over to me and said "man you were awesome on the drums tonight bro...." I just said thanks and continued to pack up

Sunday night a guy was invited to play a couple fiddle tunes. Old fella, not much of a fiddler, but a nice guy who has thrown a few plum gigs our way. During break he says “l’m off my game tonight, if I mess up hit the drums extra hard”. “OK, but they’re Kenny’s drums”.

 

[NZBassman]

Sunday night a guy was invited to play a couple fiddle tunes. Old fella, not much of a fiddler, but a nice guy who has thrown a few plum gigs our way. During break he says “l’m off my game tonight, if I mess up hit the drums extra hard”. “OK, but they’re Kenny’s drums”.

a few years ago (in the same band actually) we had a fill in drummer for the night and he happens to be a good bass player / keyboardist. So during the break between 2nd and 3rd sets I was talking to him and said "Hey wouldn't it be funny if I jumped behind the drums and you got on the bass for the 3rd set"..... well that's what happened - I got on the drums and singer looks at me and says "hey what's going on here"??
I just counted the next song in and we started playing..... guitarist said to me after the gig that I had a good feel on the drums.

 

[bound'n'blocked]

The last band I was in, we played at this place frequently. We usually killed it in there. They loved us and the crowd was always big. Waitresses made great tips when we were in there. We had played a Friday and Saturday and had packed the place both nights. On Monday evening, I went in to eat dinner there. The waitress was the same one I had on both Friday and Saturday night. She came up to take my order and asked "Have you ever been here before?".



BnB

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

At one point in the show, after I sing a song that gets lots of applause/cheers/whistles, I will ham it up and take an extra bow or two, True Willie will invariably turn to me and say, "Hey! Get your own show!" Everybody cracks up.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[NZBassman]

Hi,

At one point in the show, after I sing a song that gets lots of applause/cheers/whistles, I will ham it up and take an extra bow or two, True Willie will invariably turn to me and say, "Hey! Get your own show!" Everybody cracks up.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

and you reply - "Hey without me there'd be no show....." then take another bow

 

[BassCliff]

Hi Nick,

and you reply - "Hey without me there'd be no show....." then take another bow

Ha! Well, not really.

True Willie is the cake that the audience has come to consume. I'm just the fondant Julio, Ray, Johnny, and Merle that looks nice but nobody eats it.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[two fingers]

The two other vocalist's in my band are technically better singers than I am. But they aren't as lively with their performances. I often get told I'm the "best singer" in the band. I might be a better "performer", but they're better singers.

It's funny how audiences perceive things.

 

[RSBBass]

I may have told this one before. I did a bit backing a friend who sang and played guitar. I played upright bass, electric bass, guitar and mandolin. A couple of nights later at my then regular watering hole some other regulars started telling me about the great show our mutual friend Finn had done a few nights before. They seriously didn't notice I was there playing. Should I repeat, it was a duet?

 

[WI Short Scaler]

Maybe because of our simple lineup of bass/guitar/cajon people seem to be less confused by what I play. I start songs alone or with the cajon so it's pretty clear who's doing what.

As for talking to people on breaks, always, met lots of people and seems some of our "regulars" were people we met only because we talked to them on break or another time at a gig. Just saying thanks for coming out is an easy enough way to start a conversation.

 

[dave64o]

Our singer does introduce everyone in the band by name at some point during the gig. She'll also recognize us all a few times during a show ("Let's hear it for Dave on lead vocals!", "That was Colin on keys!", etc.). I din't expect that when I started with them, so that's kind of cool of her to do every time out.

But getting recognition by someone from the crowd is something I never expected and it's surprised me when it's happened. Unfortunately, in most cases it was a drunk guy who's dabbled on bass at some point in his life and wants to talk about gear but, hey, it's something. But the other times someone stopped me after a set or when we were packing up it was unexpected and is its own kind of reward. This is my first gigging band and I know I still have a lot to learn, so I primarily focus on just providing a solid bottom, keeping in sync with the drummer, playing the bass line as closely as I can, and not getting too fancy when I throw in an occasional fill. Getting an occasional compliment on my playing is great encouragement and, at least at this point, makes me as happy as getting paid (we're just a weekend warrior bar band, so we don't make much).