I really doubt anyone will care what kind of bass you use as long as you play it well and it sounds good.
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using a jazz bass for punk rock
- Thread starter Mantis Tobaggan
- Start date
- Mar 8, 2011
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- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
That's anywhere. I don't ever want a bass I'd have to leave at home, what's the point in that?
- Jun 30, 2010
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- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
I was attempting to point-out that the author of this book subtitled "the uncensored oral history of punk" has an opinion that certain US bands gave birth to "punk" and after playing in the UK the germ was planted and it spawned what became punk there. Not saying I agree with his opinion or taking sides - in fact I feel it's like someone taking credit for inventing R&R or the Blues, which would be laughable. At best it's an interesting read illustrating one persons point of view of that time that I'm sure has provoked much debate on either side of the 'pond'.
In a nutshell what I took away from his overview was that punk in the US was originally more born from "garage rock" and punk in the UK was more socio-political. So 2 different versions that started/grew for reasons illustrated by the authors time-line/point of view.
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Sergio Vega who plays with Quicksand and the Deftones has been using Jazz and Jaguar basses (which have a J pickup layout). His bass sound on Quicksand's record "Slip" is pretty incredible and defining.
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I remember my friends and I laughing when the Sex Pistols album came to our shores - more Sonic's Rendezvous Band.
I was a punk before you were a punk
You don't believe me? Just step outside and see me baby
I was a punk before you were a punk
You want some action? I'll put your ass in traction baby
I was a punk before you were a punk
You don't believe me? Just step outside and see me baby
I was a punk before you were a punk
You want some action? I'll put your ass in traction baby
- Jun 30, 2010
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Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
- Jun 30, 2010
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- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
As you wrote: "and pure endurance in the face of whatever craziness just happened"
I was just at the Grammy Museum in LA to see an exhibit celebrating 40 years of X. John Doe started on a J, put switched to a P.
It just seems like these things happen more around the punk community. Steve Jones recorded "Never Mind the Bullocks" with a Twin Reverb he stole off Bob Marley and The Wailers equipment truck and David J from Bauhaus/Love and Rockets refinishes instruments with black spraypaint because "It makes them sound stolen."
Between the pride in the stolen aesthetic, the notoriousness of hard drug use on the scene, and the rowdiness of the fans I would generally pick something a little easier to replace for that type of gig.
I'm getting a little less paranoid about taking my bass out. Granted even though I love punk at 42 I am not likely to be playing punk gigs anytime soon. Unless you have been playing in the same punk band for 20 years it is just kind of the antithesis of the spirit to do it at my age. And not to sound like a snob but it would probably bore the hell out of me now.
C/S,
Rev J
On this side of Y2K there is band I like called Gallows. Their bassist gets a pretty killer tone with J bass.
I didn't read the book.
To me, the birth of it (attitude wise, and founding fathers if you like) has always been bands like The MC5, The Stooges, The Velvets, The New York Dolls and Television, so I guess the opinion in the book, and laid out so well by yourself, is indeed shared by me.
Then Malcolm McLaren managed The New York Dolls, met Television through that situation, and wanted to manage them too, but they told him to 'go and do one'. He did indeed then 'go and do one' back to London, but he took the spikey hair and the ripped tee shirts held together by safety pins with him, which most definitely came from Richard Hell.
Then The Sex Pistols happened, with some of that influence, but by no means all of it, and I don't see them fitting into the 'socio-political' thing either personally - to me that came after with bands like The Clash etc.
This sort of thing could be discussed forever though really I suppose.
Anyway, I've just got home from work to discover I have no tinned chickpeas (I need some to stretch a curry out) so I've gotta go back out into the cold, and go to the store and get some
- Jun 30, 2010
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I didn't read the book.
To me, the birth of it (attitude wise, and founding fathers if you like) has always been bands like The MC5, The Stooges, The Velvets, The New York Dolls and Television, so I guess the opinion in the book, and laid out so well by yourself, is indeed shared by me.
Then Malcolm McLaren managed The New York Dolls, met Television through that situation, and wanted to manage them too, but they told him to 'go and do one'. He did indeed then 'go and do one' back to London, but he took the spikey hair and the ripped tee shirts held together by safety pins with him, which most definitely came from Richard Hell.
Then The Sex Pistols happened, with some of that influence, but by no means all of it, and I don't see them fitting into the 'socio-political' thing either personally - to me that came after with bands like The Clash etc.
This sort of thing could be discussed forever though really I suppose.
Anyway, I've just got home from work to discover I have no tinned chickpeas (I need some to stretch a curry out) so I've gotta go back out into the cold, and go to the store and get some
What I mean by socio-political was that at that time in the UK (Margret Thatcher etc) the working class was feeling like their world was very bleak. (no jobs, no hope) So (according to the books timeline) the young people there saw/heard this 'punk' music from the US with all it's attitude and aggressiveness and it inspired their own version channeling that bleak feeling into a potent fierceness. In the book the author said when he went back to the UK a couple years after their first visit - he was taken back by how violent and intense the UK punk scene was. Yes, the Clash and The Specials etc later brought political lyrics to the mix, but the bleak/combative political atmosphere affecting society was already in full swing and fueling that early punk movement in the UK.
Good thing you never ended up at a GG Allin show.
Hard to say really. Steve Jones was (and still is) a big Journey fan, Johnny Rotten was into Captain Beefheart, Glen Matlock liked The Beatles, and I'm not sure about Paul Cooke, but I'm sure he must have liked something ever so nice..
I'm the same sort of age as all these people, and live(d) in the same country, and I can't say there was any bleak/combative political atmosphere affecting society that I was ever aware of. Certainly not in a 'sweeping generalisation' kind of way anyway
With regard to the author being taken back by how violent and intense the UK punk scene was, I think that very much depends upon which particular club you happen to go to on which particular night. In fact you might even be able to stretch that to which particular corner of which particular club on which particular night.
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