to drag up an old thread...
I think that there are several keys to doing this is and making it viable.
be true to yourself. sincerity and honesty appeals to an audience more than flash, at least in the long run.
exploit your full range. variety will keep an audience engaged.
understand the power of melody. there are scores of players out there with great chops (just visit NAMM or watch the videos for proof), but most people will take home what they can sing.
along the same lines, space is as meaningful as noise. let the music breathe. Michael Manring can absolutely decimate a bass, but he writes and plays music.
talk. people may appreciate your virtuosity, but if you can make 'em laugh or draw them in, they'll come back. by the same token, don't "dumb down" to address a crowd. talk to them like you would talk to your friends. listen to Seth, Trip Wamsley, Jeff Schmidt and Jean Baudin when they're on stage and check out the crowd's response.
don't be afraid of your ability. you've worked hard for your chops. it's okay to let 'em out. just make sure that's not all you have to play.
learn how to 'read' a room. some nights they will be hollering and jumping up and down with delight. some nights nothing you do will get you applause. being able to gauge what's working and what isn't can help this. but no matter what, you can't let it get you down.
most imporant? have fun! when you're having a good time, those watching and listening can tell.
we all steal and parrot as players. that's a part of the process of growing and learning. but if you want to do this seriously, you have to find your own voice. all the cats who are doing this are very identifiable. aside from the instrument, you will not find a lot in common in terms of material between Seth Horan, Steve Lawson, Jean Baudin, Trip Wamsley, Greg Campbell, Jeff Schmidt, Darren Michaels, Paola Venturini or any of those who get on stage alone with a bass. none of us is Michael Manring, Jaco or Victor Wooten. none of us should be. those guys have blazed their own trails. if you want to it, so can you.
it's time, discipline and dedication. just like anything else.
of course, I'm often wrong...
lots of really good advice in there!
when I saw Seth play, I had an idea to ask him to do a really simple song: no slaptapping or his unique fingerpicking... hell, just down to the standard 2 finger bass pluck, and no looping pedals or anything. Well I didn't ask him, 'cause I was thinking about trying it for myself... but then my voice is no good, and to do it well would depend totally on that.
remember some of those really simply folky songs that ben harper did on his first albums, the ones with 3 or 4 notes played on acoustic? That spirit of things should be do-able on bass, on a nice tuneful bass with really colourful response and sound...
