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I can't play punk anymore
- Thread starter dnp41
- Start date
No, it's not his real name. The singer's name, Jello Biafra, is also not his real name.Is this his real name?If so, he might always be asked to not go in people's pool...
I kinda feel your pain.
I'm older than you, and still LOVE a lot of the older punk stuff (Pistols, Black Flag, Damned, etc...).
Mind you, I've NEVER played a single one of those band's bass lines at all*. I love the ragged enthusiasm the players have (technique be damned, right?).
Lately, I've been watching guys like the late Dee Dee Ramone (thank you, YouTube!), and marvel at how he can play relatively well in a live context, considering the amount of jumping around he did on stage. On the other hand, take Sid Viscious- in a live context, that guy could barely hold a groove, even if it had a handle and forklift! I know the REAL bass player on "Never Mind the..." may never truthfully be known (Glen Matlock and Steve jones both claim that chair).
*Interestingly, I CAN get a handle and lock the groove on a few of those tunes ("Problems" is still my "go to" riff when trying out P-basses and/or SVTs in a music store- that turns heads!). I say grab a single tune from a band you really admire, study the crap out of the part, and go to town woodshedding it. It may not be "punk" to practice it, but once you get the notes, you can add YOUR attitude to it!
I'm older than you, and still LOVE a lot of the older punk stuff (Pistols, Black Flag, Damned, etc...).
Mind you, I've NEVER played a single one of those band's bass lines at all*. I love the ragged enthusiasm the players have (technique be damned, right?).
Lately, I've been watching guys like the late Dee Dee Ramone (thank you, YouTube!), and marvel at how he can play relatively well in a live context, considering the amount of jumping around he did on stage. On the other hand, take Sid Viscious- in a live context, that guy could barely hold a groove, even if it had a handle and forklift! I know the REAL bass player on "Never Mind the..." may never truthfully be known (Glen Matlock and Steve jones both claim that chair).
*Interestingly, I CAN get a handle and lock the groove on a few of those tunes ("Problems" is still my "go to" riff when trying out P-basses and/or SVTs in a music store- that turns heads!). I say grab a single tune from a band you really admire, study the crap out of the part, and go to town woodshedding it. It may not be "punk" to practice it, but once you get the notes, you can add YOUR attitude to it!
I grew up playing punk and metal. I have the same issue now at the age of 35.
There are some incredible punk bass players (rancid has some great playing). But, I've been playing covers like you and mainly holding a groove with an occasional solo.
It's refreshing going back to want was once natural and finding it a challenge! Gotta stay on your toes and keep your playing diverese!
Once you get dialed in to some faster playing, incorporate all the new knowledge and talent you have obtained! Double thumb sounds awesome on punk bass.
There are some incredible punk bass players (rancid has some great playing). But, I've been playing covers like you and mainly holding a groove with an occasional solo.
It's refreshing going back to want was once natural and finding it a challenge! Gotta stay on your toes and keep your playing diverese!
Once you get dialed in to some faster playing, incorporate all the new knowledge and talent you have obtained! Double thumb sounds awesome on punk bass.
Couldn't agree more. I actually had to stop reading the rest of this thread because such comments were so incredibly infuriating. I would love to hear any of those people play Maxwell Murder, or many other Freeman licks, I would love it.
The ability of some punk bassists to wrangle in that bass twang with the tone knob on their $185 bass and make it fit so well with the others is a nuance which I'm confident many bass players on TB would never be able to accomplish, and certainly destroys some of the highfalutin and incredibly generic BS you hear posted on here sometimes which would is considered "nuanced." I'm sorry, but playing some generic Beatles bass line does not make you a better bass player than a punk bassist.
I too am a fan of Rancid, hellava bad A$$ band. Back in the day it was a given that someone would shout out "you suck!" at a punk show. We wore it like a badge of honor and had well prepared responses ready. Example;
Fan: You guys suck!
Me: Yeah but we suck really really loud!
Audience: cheers and/or boos
Me: And now a tune from our EP, it's called "Suck This B*tch"
Then: proceed to crush it.
Thick skin and plenty of attitude was the way is was for the bands and the fans. Alcohol consumed in mass quantities. Great times.
Fan: You guys suck!
Me: Yeah but we suck really really loud!
Audience: cheers and/or boos
Me: And now a tune from our EP, it's called "Suck This B*tch"
Then: proceed to crush it.
Thick skin and plenty of attitude was the way is was for the bands and the fans. Alcohol consumed in mass quantities. Great times.
"I couldn't make it as a punker"
-The Vandals
I suppose you could put the Circle Jerks in that category too, lol
I can't play heavy metal anymore, but it is just from a lack of practice. I mean, we talkin 'bout practice here........practice!
-The Vandals
I suppose you could put the Circle Jerks in that category too, lol
I can't play heavy metal anymore, but it is just from a lack of practice. I mean, we talkin 'bout practice here........practice!
I just play what I want, and play it the way I want to play it, and try not to get bogged down in concerns about a band's political and cultural "purity."
Funny thing about discussions about what constitutes 'punk' and 'real punk.' I saw a brief attempted news interview with The Sex Pistols back in the day. A reporter asked them what it was that makes someone "a punk." Sid replied he didn't know. Because 'punk' was a term the news media made up for them. He said something to the effect of: We don't refer to each other as punks. That's your word. Not ours. So why don't you figure out what it means?
Funny thing about discussions about what constitutes 'punk' and 'real punk.' I saw a brief attempted news interview with The Sex Pistols back in the day. A reporter asked them what it was that makes someone "a punk." Sid replied he didn't know. Because 'punk' was a term the news media made up for them. He said something to the effect of: We don't refer to each other as punks. That's your word. Not ours. So why don't you figure out what it means?
I've been in a punk band for the last 3 years and it's like coming full circle. I started on punk and here it is 25 some years later and I'm back at it. I play with my fingers, and we do the NOFX-style gallop mainly.
Sure - punk sounds easy (hah), but GOOD punk is something else. 180 bpm with tight changes and the sound of a freight train hitting you? Freaking awesome. It took me a couple rehearsals to get it all back, but if you don't practice, it will go on you, just like anything else.
In my punk band we are all talented musicians and our schtick is that we look like we suck. We take other people songs and make them our own. Screw writing that stuff, we are lazy as can be, lol...
Sure - punk sounds easy (hah), but GOOD punk is something else. 180 bpm with tight changes and the sound of a freight train hitting you? Freaking awesome. It took me a couple rehearsals to get it all back, but if you don't practice, it will go on you, just like anything else.
In my punk band we are all talented musicians and our schtick is that we look like we suck. We take other people songs and make them our own. Screw writing that stuff, we are lazy as can be, lol...
I never liked punk in my early days, but now I do at 65. Wish I could play in a punk band.
I did like Blue Cheer back in the day but they're not punk.
I did like Blue Cheer back in the day but they're not punk.
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The funniest part is that he used "Old" and "31" in the same sentence. Tell us how you feel when you're in your 50's!
MDBass
Supporting Member
- Nov 7, 2012
- 8,590
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Strung Out has been a punk band since 1989, and aside from also having guitar leads and hailing from California have essentially nothing in common with Avenged Sevenfold.
Ears are a funny thing aren't they?
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MDBass
Supporting Member
- Nov 7, 2012
- 8,590
- 14,892
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Dingwall-Fender-Bergantino-Dunlop-Tech 21-Darkglass-Nordstrand
Too late, somebody else already got to be "that guy"...but if by "these days" you mean the late 80's, then yes
The way I perceive it, the answer to this question can be demonstrated as follows:
Person 1: You're not a real punk.
Person 2: Okay. *continues playing whatever s/he wants regardless of whether people like it, very very loudly*
Person 2 is a punk.
Sorry to say, but this thread had zero punk legitimacy until this post with Chris Walter's name on it.
I play punk, but when I started playing, I wanted to play metal, originals in either case. I switched to punk because I figured as a song writer I have a finite amount of decent material I'm going to generate, so write punk songs and sip those riffs instead of gulping them down in metal song swallows...
I played with my old punk band from 23 years ago recently. Required a few weeks of practice to get my hands back in shape again. Many aspects of playing punk is harder than it looks. Tons of mistakes and sounded like poopie but it's supposed to be that way. 
Keep at it.
Keep at it.
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