Best Punk Bassist?

[MoeTown1986]

Matt Freeman and Mike Hererra are my favorite.

 

[Reverend179]

THIS! Most people 'round here seem so stuck in the past regarding punk. This is what punk is about nowadays people. Most punk classic bassists I know can barely play compared to modern standards. Punk has to evolve too. Not only that but if there's one genre that shouldn't allow being conformism and repetitive it is definitely punk rock. Are you doing 70's punk in 2016? Well that's not punk anymore. Was punk back then, now it's stablishment, a new thing has to keep on pushing the boundaries.

Punk rock is what we make it to be, and in that people playing classic style punk rock aren't wrong. What's wrong is dismissing anything as 'not' punk rock.

 

[jasmangan]

To each his own, but punk had a very short window, late 70's to mid 80's, everything before and after was something else. In fact, I'll go even further and say there was only one punk band ever, DK. A band called Death gets an honourable mention.
I don't know how bands like green day, blink 182, mighty mighty bostones, ect can be called punk.
Nirvana? I like them but they are not punk at all.
Anyway, back to the OP, if Klaus Floride or Bobby Hackney aren't a choice you might be looking in the wrong places.

 

[PunkNerve]

Mike Dirnt definitely gets a vote from me. He made some really great basslines before and during Warning (he got CTS after Warning and had to slow down), basslines such as 86, Jaded, 16 and I Was There.

Edit: How could I forget Longview?

 

[MojaveVox]

In my opinion....
Bruce Foxton of the Jam
Arthur Kane of The New York Dolls
Bobby Hackney of Death
Dee Dee Ramone of The Ramones
Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads (If you count them as a punk band)

 

[bassrich]

Dee Dee Ramone

 

[MCF]

so latley a few of my friends and I have been having a debate over who is the best punk bassist. while punk is not known for its musicianship we still decided it was worth asking. so we asked around our local area and the 4 biggest names are:

Dee Dee Ramone (The Ramones)

Mike Dirnt (Green Day)

Paul Simonon (The Clash)

Krist Noveselic (Nirvana)

so which of these do u think is the best? note: dont pick based on how much u like any of their music, pick the 1 u think is the best bassist period.

Simonon. No question. Punk, ska, ragae, rock.

 

[phangtonpower]

In my opinion....
Bruce Foxton of the Jam
Arthur Kane of The New York Dolls
Bobby Hackney of Death
Dee Dee Ramone of The Ramones
Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads (If you count them as a punk band)

I wouldn't really consider the Jam punk either. More power pop.

 

[NoiseNinja]

Mike Watt, hands down.

I can't say I listened a lot to his stuff, but I saw him live with J. Mascis + The Fog once and he absolutely killed on bass, also heard a bit of some project he had going on with some woman I believe with them both on bass.

 

[Misfit]

Best? I have no idea. But my favorites would be, in this order: Matt Freeman, Dee Dee Ramone, and Jay Bentley.

 

[ManOnEarth]

How has no one mentioned Hunter from AFI? Some pre Sing the Sorrow stuff is stellar (sing the sorrow and after is also stellar but not punky sounding).

From your list I'd say Dirnt too.

 

[10cc]

Mike Watt, hands down.

I can't say I listened a lot to his stuff, but I saw him live with J. Mascis + The Fog once and he absolutely killed on bass, also heard a bit of some project he had going on with some woman I believe with them both on bass.

Here ya go. From two different bands.



From the Jackass show

 

[kevink]

Faves (for all different reasons):
Derf Scratch and Flea (Fear), Darryl Jenifer (Bad Brains), Tony Lombardo (Descendents), John Doe (X), Mike Watt (Minutemen), Robert Trujillo (Suicidal Tendencies/Infectious Grooves), Steve Soto (Adolescents/Agent Orange), Mike Dean (Corrosion of Conformity), Keith Brammer (Die Kreuzen)

 

[A. D. Fairhurst]

Changed mind. Klaus Flouride any day for a 'true' punk bassist.







As well as being a great band, these guys were really funny too! Who said Jazz basses couldn't also be punk basses?!

 

[kevink]

Oh man, I totally forgot about Klaus, DK's were such a great fun band. Thanks for the links A.D. Fairhurst, it brought some memories back.

 

[Barking Spiders]

Easy although it depends what you call 'punk'....Jean Jacques Burnel. Great, great tone and very memorable lines

 

[A. D. Fairhurst]

Not a prob!

 

[descendent22]

um ok idk why I'm even responding. I'll say Matt Freeman or Mike watt

 

[stajki]

FAT mike

MATT freeman

 

[Stevehill]

so latley a few of my friends and I have been having a debate over who is the best punk bassist. while punk is not known for its musicianship we still decided it was worth asking. so we asked around our local area and the 4 biggest names are:

Dee Dee Ramone (The Ramones)

Mike Dirnt (Green Day)

Paul Simonon (The Clash)

Krist Noveselic (Nirvana)

so which of these do u think is the best? note: dont pick based on how much u like any of their music, pick the 1 u think is the best bassist period.

Only one punk band there, so out of those I'd pick Paul Simonon. Above him I'd put Glen Matlock and JJ Burnell.