BASS UP FRONT TACTICS

Sometimes playing boring root notes is the best thing you can do as a bassist.

 

how cool is this: the guys in my band realise that the thing that most distinguishes our band from all the others out there is the fantastic bass playing

so we've ended up with lots of cover tunes with interesting and in your face basslines (and there were a surprising amount of great bass players in punk & new wave) in the set... which is great for me

the sound guy makes sure the bass is nice and loud out front, and I get to basically do what I want... and I didn't have to fight for any of it

 

Who's the one person that doesn't like it?? The members?? So if the guy flipping burgers at McDonald's is a Vegan, you'd have no problem with him not putting meat on your big Mac and substituting a handful of mung beans instead?

You are there to supply a product. Whether or not you happen to like all the products you supply is irrelevant. Some Kinda Wonderful isn't the most technically challenging song in the universe, but around these parts it's guaranteed to fill the dance floor with chicks. A dance floor full of chicks brings in a room full of guys. The room full of guys buy drinks for said chicks, and the bar makes good money. Seeing how much money the bar makes, the owner will want you back. If you consistently give the people what they want, they continue to show up in larger and larger numbers. Once you have a large following, you tell the bar owner you want more money.

The bands job is to play songs that the audiance likes. That's called entertaining. If you want to play songs you like with no thought given to the bands popularity or success, you won't get too many good paying gigs.

Sorry if I'm harshing your mellow, but I think giving one band member control over any and all material based on whether or not they like it is not a good policy.


You have to play to the crowd, or you will have no crowd to play to.

 

We try to play stuff everyone likes but often it's just not possible unless everyone is prepared to make a few sacrifices now and then. Often the guys sugguest something, and I'll sugguest a compromise similar track that I prefer, or I'll OK it on condition something else that I do like goes in.

If you follow a strict no questions asked veto policy you're not going to have a lot of stuff to choose from. If most of the guys like it, and no one REALLY hates it, then maybe you need to give it a go...

 

I play a few tunes I abhor but I love my band so much that it's actually fun. If you guys can find enough material your way, more power to ya. I'm sure it beats playing something w/no enthusiasm, for you & your audience.

 

I think there is validity in have a sole uncompromising purpose to serve the music itself without consideration of what the tunes the audience wants to hear. Musicians can fake it on playing music they dislike, but they only play with true conviction on music they enjoy.

 

I get off on getting all cozy in the pocket with the drummer. Music is a means to that end. There's songs I like better than others, but that's not a valid reason to drop fan favorites in favor of something obscure that will just have people sitting in their chairs and staring at the band rather than shaking their money makers.

It took me a long time to find the groove on Crazy Bitch. I hated that song!! I still willingly played it though because all the chickies really dig it. After playing it for a while, I discovered the heart and soul at the center of that (on the surface) non-groovy song. Now, not only do the chickies dig it, but I enjoy the hell out of playing it.


Playing music with very talented musicians is the reason I play music live. Playing what the crowd enjoys the most ensures that I will continue to have ample opportunity to continue to do just that. I don't give much of a crap if it's AC/DC or Barry Manilow. As long as the band is locked in on a visceral level and making the magic happen I'll keep coming back for more.

 

I play a lot of Funk, Jazz, Soul, Hip-hop, Bluegrass, etc...


But I'll be damned if I don't occasionally enjoy pounding out 16th note roots with a pick and rocking out.

 

What planet are you on, again?

Great situation to be in. I just noticed my skin is turning a weird shade of green.

 

You can have songs with great Bass lines, play them well, and love it, but NOBODY in the crowd, or audiance will ever notice...

 

+1 the older I get the more I like it.

the simpler/more boring my part is, the more it frees my ears and heart to follow the song with real feeling.

 

+1

In the world of mainstream cover bands, this goes for the whole band, really. Talent goes unnoticed unless you are awful. At least in my area. If the band looks good and plays what the audience likes (Crazy Bitch, Summer of 69, Jessie's Girl, etc.), they are a hit. There are some very good bands around that pick songs that are not quite ideal, and end up with few gigs.

 

I remember this one bass player in a local metal band. He would not play any songs with simple basslines, he always wanted to play like Cliff Burton. Guess what happened, he got booted from the band. Your band's rule seems kind of selfish to me.

 

Old farts of the world unite!!!

 

Playing standard repertoire is definitely a safer bet in the music industry. I think the problem with making safe bets with music in general is that it will only take you so far. Creatively, the dead end is pretty obvious. There is a dead end in building a career as well. When playing standard tunes in the standard fashion (aka cover band), there really isn't anything to standout. There are probably dozens of other bands in town that play the same tunes in the same way. To go anywhere, you either have to be the 'best' or you have to bring something distinctive and unique to music.