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watching the cool bassists

#21
originally posted by john turner
that's the way i approach it when i'm playing - not too wild but definitely not just standing there staring at the floor.
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<P>That's because you have <BIG>too many strings!</BIG></P> I think if you were to stray from watching the neck, you'd be doing the bass player version of Curly entering the fight ring on the 3 Stooges! :D
Hey, I'd pay to see that! :eek:
 
#24
i get the impression that most people here are into the 'timmy commerford' way. he just stands there playing along and then when the heavyness of the chorus kicks in (Ghost of tom joad is a prime example) wham!!! he explodes...no summersaults though, he just seems to sway like a mother!!!

i've never really seen many play to be honest, i really want to see sir victor lemonte wooten play because he'd just take your breath away by just playing.

i love watching Flea, He's COOL....oh sugar!!!!
 
#25
Can I change this subject from "cool" to "funny"...Ok..but still keeping it at "cool" in my opinion....

Anyhoo, here's a funny bassist:

Patrick Dahlheimer (LiVE)

Very two-sided bassist in my opinion. Very serious and passionate about the music but one heck of a funny guy!

Example: At one particular show for the popular (and poignant) song "Lightning Crashes" he came on stage wearing a Winnie the Pooh costume. Afterwards he took off the suit (must've been hot! LOL) and was on stage wearing only a speedo. Continued to play like nothing unusual was going on at all. (Nah...he wasn't being a funny man....noooooooo). Anyway, if that didn't put you in for a chuckle, the guitarist (Chad) went over to him and pulled down the speedo!! And Patrick just continued playing and playing...in the nude!

Ummmm....yeah...well...this has happened on a few occasions. I don't know if he's trying to emulate Flea or what.

It's all good, though, I mean. He and Flea: Very serious about the music. And I don't think any of their "showy" stuff gets in the way of their playing.

Cheers,

~stephanie
 
#26
My favorite bassists to watch are Fieldy and Sam Rivers. Fieldy cuz he's probebly the lazyest bassist alive, who sits down between songs so he doesnt pass out. It makes me laugh. Lazy basterd. But he's still on of my favorite bassists, he's original and he wants to be heard and not be "the bassist" in the band.

And Sam Rivers cuz he absolutly goes nuts on stage. A swear he can jump at least 4 feet in the air while playing.
 
#31
This guy down me local jazz night is a big fat geezer with a beard and bald head and he doesnt move during his solos apart from his fingers. He looks round the room and if he catches your eye watching him he'll nod his head up and down about an inch and play something even more impressive with a kind of "aint no thang" look about him... nice!

..but, Flea does rule.
 
#32
I dont really mind if a bassist is just calmly playing or jumping around like a loony , but what I dont understand is how the hell does jumping bassists play the correct notes accurately when they are in mid air in some crazed frenzy , some of them jump about to look good but are not actually playing the notes that they are supposed to be or even playing at all! What is the point? these are just the pretentious fools that try and get attention for doing something noticeable. This only applies to the bass players that do this. I also hate when some bass players pretend to strike a note(s) simultaneously with a guitarist especially if its some big metal riff or something , when it is only the guitarist that is supposed to be playing the riff. I reckon it is because the bass player does not want to be just standing there doing nothing when everyone else playing. This must be a reason to why some musically uneducated audience members at a live gig will just wrongfully percieve the bass as another electric guitar
when it is actually a totally different instrument but looks like a standard guitar. Whats everyone elses opinion?

Anyway as for cool bassists to look at I'd say Bootsy Collins, he has a great stage presence.
Chi Cheng of the Deftones plays like mad on stage it always catches the eyes of audience members
 
#33
Flea is fun to watch live jumping around and all. P-nut is also another of my fave's to watch 'cause he's always smiling, dancing, and having a good ass time. Chi Cheng is just a crazy mother' on stage with a lot of presence and vibe (and drinks of course between each song if time) that you can't help but stare at him as his dreadlocks whip around. As for jumping around on stage and playing bass at the same time, I don't really have a clue on how they play correctly and good. They propbably don't in most cases. And by in most cases I'm pretty much correlate jumping bassists with the trend of new metal bands (coz most of them suck in the first place, therefore jumping around may at least get a few audience members moshing instead of booing). But that's just my thoughts. Anyone else?
 
#37
I like watching Ged a lot because he's not only the bassist, but the frontman as well. Plus he's busy with keys and triggering passages with pedals too from time to time, but it's his melodic bass playing that I really enjoy.

I know I know, people might dismiss him as a favorite because of his voice. But don't confuse singing with voice.

Maybe not the best voice in rock, but a great singer + killer chops = a sight to behold. Personally, I have grown to dig his voice and can't imagine hearing anyone else sing their stuff.
 

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