Most pitiful thing youve ever seen a bassist do live

[bloobass]

Way back when, I saw a band do the song "Why Do You Think They Call it Dope?"...it actually has a pretty cool slap bass part, and the bass does it solo for 4 or 5 bars. This guy choked the very first note, stopped playing and did a facepalm, so the bass break ended up being 4 or 5 bars of total silence.

 

[evanoverdrive]

I was doing backing vocals and the stage moniter was at a weird angle.I tripped and fell flat

to the ground,at the same time smashing my headstock on the head of a girl at the front of the stage,She was bleeding all over the place and i gashed my bass..After she was cleaned up she was a good sport about it.

 

[Zoomie]

Hmmmm. I think that I average about 4 headbobs and 2 foot stomps per every root note played, and most them are root notes ! It keeps me from falling asleep. Don't hate on the bass player, hate on the songs.

I saw a bass player slap through "Some Kind of Wonderful." It sounded stiff and horrible at best. I just wanted to walk up and say, "what is wrong with you?"

 

[powderfinger]

I should include myself on the pitiful list...

Back in 2000 (summer) I was playing an outdoor gig. I had tuned by bass right when we were setting up, and my bass stood on a guitar stand in near (it had been about 85 when I tuned it) 100 degree weather for about 3 hours before we played. I didnt bother to recheck the tuning, and as soon as we played, the first note I hit was WAY out of tune, and it sounded horrendously bad. I tried to tune as I played but it was just a mess all around.

 

[RoadRanger]

I had to tune my guitards's guitars for them once but they had a good excuse. We were playing a dry event and they smuggled in a 2 liter bottle of Cola that was 1/2 rum and by the last set .

 

[thedudebrah]

Playing a small stage in my high energy punk band a few years back, I had one too many before the set and as I was jumping around like an idiot I stumbled and kinda took a seat on my drummers bass drum and he managed to punch me in the back while still keeping time. Oh well :/

 

[Waffles and Scotch]

My first band was a progressive metal band (think Athiest's first album). There was this one song that just didn't sound right - no matter what I did. Turns out I was playing a half step higher than where I should've been. The best part is, although it took me a year to figure that out, nobody ever caught it and I got all kinds of compliments on my bassline...

 

[ko stradivarius]

Ill include myself.
In the late 80's I was jealous of my friend smashing his Ric guitar up so I launched my Ric 4000 into the drummers kit snapping the neck off of it. Very young and very very stupid.

 

[funkytoe]

I was judging a Battle of the Bands competition in the mid 1980's. Three piece band looking very serious (leather/chains/eye liner) made an attempt at a cover of Rush's YYZ. Half way through the song, the bassist, who was maybe 19-20 years old, became so clearly frustrated that his face began to contort. Not bass face - but like he was about to cry. Then, one minute later, he did start to cry and promptly unplugged his bass and walked off stage, leaving the guitarist and the drummer to finish the song by themselves. Of course, the other bands erupted in laughter. Never felt so bad for another bassist in my life.

 

[RoadRanger]

My first band was a progressive metal band (think Athiest's first album). There was this one song that just didn't sound right - no matter what I did. Turns out I was playing a half step higher than where I should've been. The best part is, although it took me a year to figure that out, nobody ever caught it and I got all kinds of compliments on my bassline...

Back in the day when I too was a "mid cutter" I'd find myself off a fret from time to time and not notice .

 

[RoadRanger]

I was judging a Battle of the Bands competition in the mid 1980's. Three piece band looking very serious (leather/chains/eye liner) made an attempt at a cover of Rush's YYZ. Half way through the song, the bassist, who was maybe 19-20 years old, became so clearly frustrated that his face began to contort. Not bass face - but like he was about to cry. Then, one minute later, he did start to cry and promplty unplugged his bass and walked off stage, leaving the guitarist and the drummer to finish the song by themselves. Of course, the other bands erupted in laughter. Never felt so bad for another bassist in my life.

Hey he was ahead of his time - pro'lly fronting an EMO band now .

 

[funkytoe]

I don't think Pete Wentz was actually playing bass in the mid-eighties.

 

[Ric5]

 

[Webtroll]

I like Michael Anthony, but his bass solo at the Monsters of Rock in Dallas however long ago was just plain stupid. Jack Daniels bottle and bass. Do a sloppy riff, drink some Jack, crowd cheers. Do another stupid riff, drink more Jack, crowd cheers. Hell, he could have put the bass down and drank Jack and the crowd would have cheered. I wasn't expecting Billy Sheehan, but it would have been nice if he'd tried or skipped the solo entirely.

 

[two fingers]

Ha! In the late 80's I used to play a club that had two rooms (both kinds of rock..... Southern and hard). Anyway, during our set break we would go next door to watch. Bass man puts his big flashy boot up on the monitor wedge and leans forward. The monitor tips over. The "point" on top of the wedge actually cracked his tail bone. He was carried away in an ambulance. The head on his bass broke off (really nice black Spector). And his chord yanked his rig over. I have no idea what damage (if any) was done to his rig. I actually went up with the band and did a few tunes to help them finish the night and get paid.

 

[powderfinger]

I like Michael Anthony, but his bass solo at the Monsters of Rock in Dallas however long ago was just plain stupid. Jack Daniels bottle and bass. Do a sloppy riff, drink some Jack, crowd cheers. Do another stupid riff, drink more Jack, crowd cheers. Hell, he could have put the bass down and drank Jack and the crowd would have cheered. I wasn't expecting Billy Sheehan, but it would have been nice if he'd tried or skipped the solo entirely.

I laugh hysterically at the Michael Anthony bass solo on YouTube (the one where he is wearing a cape). It's pitiful yes, but it makes me so happy and hysterical. Love it.

 

[Handyman]

Tapping.

Speak of the devil...



Whether this is our beloved JimmyM, we can only speculate.

 

[Waffles and Scotch]

I laugh hysterically at the Michael Anthony bass solo on YouTube (the one where he is wearing a cape). It's pitiful yes, but it makes me so happy and hysterical. Love it.

Hahaha!!!! I'm watching it now...***?!

 

[thedudebrah]

I was judging a Battle of the Bands competition in the mid 1980's. Three piece band looking very serious (leather/chains/eye liner) made an attempt at a cover of Rush's YYZ. Half way through the song, the bassist, who was maybe 19-20 years old, became so clearly frustrated that his face began to contort. Not bass face - but like he was about to cry. Then, one minute later, he did start to cry and promptly unplugged his bass and walked off stage, leaving the guitarist and the drummer to finish the song by themselves. Of course, the other bands erupted in laughter. Never felt so bad for another bassist in my life.

Wow, I cringed just reading that.

 

[pklima]

I know a "bassist" actually a good dude and friend of mine who used to turn down the volume knob on his Pbass because he didn't know any of the songs. after being with the band for 3 years..

I used to play in an originals band which signed with an indie label. In the first meeting with the label owner, I thought it would be a good idea to mention that I didn't know any of the songs for the first few gigs, just asked somebody what key they're in and that was enough for me. I thought I was bragging about how awesome I am, but the singer got kind of mad at me for that one.

OK, not something I did live, but...