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Terrible experiences meeting any bassists?

#21
Not a bass player...
A female cousin of mine was a bit of a groupie (non-sexual, of course!) during the 80's. Every show she went to, she somehow got backstage. INXS, the Cure, Poison, Bon Jovi, Peter Gabriel; everyone. Even Robert Palmer. She said that while he would sign autographs, you hand to keep at least 5 feet from him or he'd go ballistic. Some kid, maybe 10 or 12 was there with his dad and dared to walk right up to him. RP went nuts yelling at the kid "I don't have time for ****ing kids! **** off!" then stormed off.
Ass.
 
#22
Without exception I have yet to meet, or have a bad experience, meeting any famous bassists - some have been less talkative than others - but generally they (and 99% of all other jazz musicians I meet) are very very cool people, very grounded etc - I think there's ann unwritten rule that ******** will not be tolerated - I heard an amazing story about Martin Taylor (the famous UK jazz guitarist) giving Eddie Gomez a serious bollocking after he acted like a total prima donna when they played a week at Ronnie Scotts a few years back - Taylor ended the conversation with "...so get on your tour bus and f*** off!" I heard the tape of it as Taylor taped to play to his label (Sony at the time) and it was shocking to hear such a sweet guy completely tearing into Gomez.

The nicest guys I know would be Laurence Cottle and a little known but brilliant player called Dave Marks - see www.davemarks.com - he's wicked - and I just met and interviewed Kai Eckhardt and he has to be one of the most amazing people you could ever meet and his playing and musicianship are just outstanding - he's really inspired me recenty.

Keep it real as they say -

Mike
 
#26
Haven't met any famous bassists yet, but the working professional bassists I've met in clubs, restaurants, etc. have definitely supported the idea that bassists in general are a friendly lot. I've had guys spend their whole breaks talking to me about bass-related stuff. Even had a guy who noticed me watching him play reggae stuff at a local seafood restaurant offer me to sit in for a song!
 
#27
Anesthesia said:
i work with an ex-pohm (for those of you who dont know what i mean its a prisoner of her majesty or an englishman) he was living near london when the police were still gaining popularity. The police played a gig at a club he used to frequent. One of his mates at the club worked on the door and was black. after a police gig his friend asked sting if he would sign his album. sting pushed past and said "f#*k of you black c&@t".
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If I'd worked at that club I would had taken my mates along and given Sting a proper beating. But it's quite obvious that he's an *******, just take a look at the lyrics to "I'll be watching you", a song he wrote after his girlfriend left him. A guy with that kinda attitude can't a very nice person.
 
#28
A guy with that kinda attitude can't a very nice person.
Click to expand...

Wikipedia said:
Throughout the 1980s, Sting strongly supported environmentalism and humanitarian movements, such as Amnesty International. With long-time girlfriend Trudie Styler and Raoni Metuktire, a Kayapó Indian leader in Brazil, he founded the Rainforest Foundation to help save the rainforests. His support for these causes continues to this day.

His most high-profile contribution to the human-rights cause came in 1988, when he joined a team of major musicians and rising stars—-including Peter Gabriel and Bruce Springsteen—-assembled under the banner of Amnesty International for the six-week world Human Rights Now! Tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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For "Every breathe you take", knowing that they divorce after eight years of marital life, it's not a mere girlfriend that leave him.
And the lyrics do not seems so "awful" to me. According to vairous bios, he was awfully depressed by this divorce.

Wikipedia said:
Since you've gone I been lost without a trace
I dream at night, I can only see your face
I look around but it's you I can't replace
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace
I keep cryin', baby, baby, please
Oh, can't you see
You belong to me
How my poor heart breaks
With every step you take
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For his attitude at the gig, he was clearly not sympathic. :( It astonishes me and I admit that I doubt of the veracity of such third hand story. It does not fit with what he seems to be.
But maybe anger, or alcohol or something like that can change temporarly a personality.
 
#29
John Patitucci was a kind and gentle soul when I met him, a real first class dude. Drummer Dave Weckl is a cranky, pompous ass, though.

Dave LaRue is a real down to earth guy. Thoughtful and friendly. Same with Kim Stone of the Rippington's - he even directed the conversation to my wife who was pregnant at the time. He gave me a gift for the baby - a copy of his most recent CD signed "hands off of daddy's bass -Kim Stone". Classic.

I didn't get to talk with him personally, but Tony Levin is a class dude when I observed him from a few feet away. His "Tony Levin Band" was playing here in Columbus, and a local jazz trio was the opening act. While the opener was playing, Levin walked in the front door through the crowd (the back door to the club was locked) TRYING not to distract attention. He was struggling to stay out of sight and still watch the opener, and I heard him say out loud to drummer Jerry Marotta that the local bass player was smoking and to check him out. Levin later made several detailed comments onstage about how the opening band was so exceptional.
 
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#31
Johan Baltié said:
For "Every breathe you take", knowing that they divorce after eight years of marital life, it's not a mere girlfriend that leave him.
And the lyrics do not seems so "awful" to me. According to vairous bios, he was awfully depressed by this divorce.



For his attitude at the gig, he was clearly not sympathic. :( It astonishes me and I admit that I doubt of the veracity of such third hand story. It does not fit with what he seems to be.
But maybe anger, or alcohol or something like that can change temporarly a personality.
Click to expand...


Rock Hudson was also a sex symbol........;)
 
#32
tkozal said:
oh, my experience with the short scale bassist with a love for the green bottles, with the Panamanian drummer, was in 1981.

The need for a liver transplant was not unexpected.
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you've got to be thinking of jack bruce, but ginger baker isn't panamanian is he? he is from england...

West, Bruce and Laing maybe?

wait...1981?

BLT maybe? with Robin Trower?
 
#33
superbassman2000 said:
you've got to be thinking of jack bruce, but ginger baker isn't panamanian is he? he is from england...

West, Bruce and Laing maybe?

wait...1981?

BLT maybe? with Robin Trower?
Click to expand...


Jack Bruce and Friends, with Clem Clempson, David Sancious and Billy Cobham. Billy was great, he beat the campuses best racquetball player by a mile, he slaughtered him. He let us interview him for over an hour on the campus radio station. David Sancious was also a mensch. The other two were, well, interesting to watch.
 
#34
Stuggi said:
If I'd worked at that club I would had taken my mates along and given Sting a proper beating. But it's quite obvious that he's an *******, just take a look at the lyrics to "I'll be watching you", a song he wrote after his girlfriend left him. A guy with that kinda attitude can't a very nice person.
Click to expand...

No way man...that doesn't sound like Sting at all, he's supposed to be one of the most chilled out blokes ever! Just doesn't fit I'm afraid
 
#35
I met Jaco backstage at the Hollywood Bowl several hours before he went on stage and had one of his infamous meltdowns. I walked up to him with my hand out and said "Hey Jaco, how's it goin?" He didn't say a word, just sneered and walked away. He looked like he was really coked up...

Slug
 
#36
Eric Moesle said:
John Patitucci was a kind and gentle soul when I met him, a real first class dude. Drummer Dave Weckl is a cranky, pompous ass, though.

Dave LaRue is a real down to earth guy. Thoughtful and friendly. Same with Kim Stone of the Rippington's - he even directed the conversation to my wife who was pregnant at the time. He gave me a gift for the baby - a copy of his most recent CD signed "hands off of daddy's bass -Kim Stone". Classic.

I didn't get to talk with him personally, but Tony Levin is a class dude when I observed him from a few feet away. His "Tony Levin Band" was playing here in Columbus, and a local jazz trio was the opening act. While the opener was playing, Levin walked in the front door through the crowd (the back door to the club was locked) TRYING not to distract attention. He was struggling to stay out of sight and still watch the opener, and I heard him say out loud to drummer Jerry Marotta that the local bass player was smoking and to check him out. Levin later made several detailed comments onstage about how the opening band was so exceptional.
Click to expand...
I had tickets to that TL show, was really looking forward to it(never seen him live); and of course, I end up getting the flu.:crying:
 
#39
Saying something so racist seems really strange to me for someone so involved in charity issues with amazonians and performing with black, arabs and indian musicians (the so wonderful Anoushka Shankar)

Maybe he was such in jerk in "ancient times" and he changed...

Ok I quit trying to advocate the case :)
 
#40
i met alot of musicians through my job. i worked on the tractor trailers leased to the bands. this got me in areas others were not allowed. i met people from aerosmith to zz top. way to many to list. but out of all the people i met billy gibbons and dusty hill really stand out in my mind as all around nice guys. we talked cars for what seemed like hours. i got to see cadzilla before the car was unvailed to the public. they travel with all their toys. and it was on its way to a photo shoot. damn fine fellows them boys from zz top.
 
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