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When did playing bass(or guitar) become comedy?
- Thread starter Watchootognbout
- Start date
It might not be true as far you and some of your mates are concerned, but the part of Jaco Taco's post about the young people of today being more defined by video games, smart phones, Facebook and Twitter is pretty much dead on. It wouldn't surprise me in the least that more kids would rather just play Guitar Hero/Rock Band as opposed to actually learning how to play an instrument. I really did witness an interaction between two kids at some Guitar Hero display. One kid was playing some song and was kind of struggling with it. His buddy took the "guitar" and proceeded to get what I suppose was a pretty good score on whatever song they were playing. The kid that got the high score said something to the effect of "You won't ever be as good as me" to which the other kid said "Yeah, but I can play this song on a real guitar" I had to give up a high-five to that one!
And when did it become comedy? Right after Paul Rudd uttered that grating "Slappin' da' bass, mon!" I swear, if I have one more fool come up to me either at a show or after they find out I play bass, and they start in with that, I'm gonna slap them WITH my bass...
Nah. Gene may not be "The Man" on bass guitar, but his drive, determination, & savvy more than make up for it. I'm not the biggest KISS fan, but I give it up for Gene and Paul, they created something that many consider legendary...
On a semi-related note; I had no idea that A) Guy Pratt was so frickin' funny! That dude is HYSTERICAL! and B) That Guy Pratt was a complete BEAST on the bass! I knew he could play and I knew he was pretty damn good, but I really wasn't aware that he could almost out-Paul Turner Paul Turner! That's some impressive stuff...
I dont think its about rock, its just dumbasses that dont play music nor appreciate it. Im 43, there were kids like that back when i was in high school. they end up like biff in back to the future....yes sir mr mcfly, ill go put a second coat of wax on mr mcfly
I didn't. I spoke of a time when I was alive, when you were not alive, when things were different. Culture has changed, as culture always does, but priorities and interests for the younger generation is a lot different and a lot more diverse for kids today than it was in the 1970's. There's a million things a kid can do with their free time now.
Back in the 70's, there were no computers, there were no video games, there was 4 channels of tv you could watch. You could read, you could listen to music and.... that's about all you could do at home. Music was a very big deal for people. Music can still be a big deal for kids today, but it's competing with a whole lot of other things. Also, there's not a whole lot of current artists for kids to get inspired by, if a kid is really into music, he/she is listening to stuff that came out before he was born.
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yes you did.
''They are into their video games, computers, smart phones, facebook, twitter, etc. etc. And usually the nearest a kid ever gets to playing a guitar is by playing a Rock Band/Guitar Hero game''
Besides. its not that kids arent playing music. trust me, they are. They just dont play music most people listen to so therefor you will not be exposed to watching young people play.
no young kid really wants to play jazz, or slow classic rock. They want to play metal, hip hop, rap, punk. and they're all fairly niche genres. unless you listen to that kind of music and follow the scene of course all you will see if punk ass youths doing nothing all day but sit on facebook.
I don't have this type of experience at all 
I've got co-workers who might throw a joke now and then, but I know they both appreciate my music skills and admire them. I think it's a combination of envy, admiration, sucking up, etc.
I can easily throw similar jokes at colleagues who are into bicycling or skiing (which are both the "right" thing to do here in Norway these days, EVERYONE is doing it, including top session musicians!!!!). I think it's just being cheerful and keeping a light tone about things.
If it turns into mocking or bullying, then it's not about music (or other hobbies), it's a different problem all together. It's not the glasses that makes the book worm into a bullying victim, it's being an "outcast" or maybe even a "danger" to the group. And then the glasses is a convenient point of attack.
When it comes to kids and music, I don't think it's right to generalize too much about it. I know kids (my step-son amongst others), who will do all of the above... computer games, facebook, AND guitar... Yes, culture is changing, but I'm not necessarily supporting the idea that everything was better in the old days. Things are changing. And personally I hate it when my old folks are referring to the pre-my days as better than my days and even better than my kids' pre-their days 
They were different, yes. Better? I doubt it
The 60s and 70s and drugs killed a lot of good musicians, I'm sure as hell happy I didn't become a musician in those days, and I'm even happier that I don't have to see my kids become 70s musicians But I guess I'm derailing
I've got co-workers who might throw a joke now and then, but I know they both appreciate my music skills and admire them. I think it's a combination of envy, admiration, sucking up, etc.
I can easily throw similar jokes at colleagues who are into bicycling or skiing (which are both the "right" thing to do here in Norway these days, EVERYONE is doing it, including top session musicians!!!!). I think it's just being cheerful and keeping a light tone about things.
If it turns into mocking or bullying, then it's not about music (or other hobbies), it's a different problem all together. It's not the glasses that makes the book worm into a bullying victim, it's being an "outcast" or maybe even a "danger" to the group. And then the glasses is a convenient point of attack.
When it comes to kids and music, I don't think it's right to generalize too much about it. I know kids (my step-son amongst others), who will do all of the above... computer games, facebook, AND guitar...
Yes, culture is changing, but I'm not necessarily supporting the idea that everything was better in the old days. Things are changing. And personally I hate it when my old folks are referring to the pre-my days as better than my days and even better than my kids' pre-their days They were different, yes. Better? I doubt it
The 60s and 70s and drugs killed a lot of good musicians, I'm sure as hell happy I didn't become a musician in those days, and I'm even happier that I don't have to see my kids become 70s musicians
But I guess I'm derailing When Jimi Hendrix started crushing and burning them on stage.
If you want to make a show out of it, don't be surprised if people take it as a show.
If you want to make a show out of it, don't be surprised if people take it as a show.
How is this not true? Video games, computers, etc. are a far huger industry than the music industry ever was. Please, stop, youngin.
I can't concentrate on reading this thread for all the loud crying. Maybe we should call Oprah and have her do a show about musicians and their butt-hurt.
and so is Dance music as a genre, doesnt mean people dont still play/sell metal. Just because Honda is a massive car company doesnt mean people dont buy Paganis or Mclarens. Young people love and play music, you just havent seen it.
so, please stop, you decrepit burden on society.
It isn't completely dead, of course, but it's obviously a shadow of what it once was as evidenced by its nearly total absence from the top of the pop charts. Rock was always somewhere to be found in the top 10 until the last 5-8 years or so. It's just not representative of what most kids wanna listen to now. The hope that I hold onto is that there's still a market for acoustic music, so there's still some inspiration for young human beings plucking strings, striking keys, and blowing into horns.
Calm yourself. You are absolutely right in what you say above, so I find it odd that you thought that by me saying that there's all sorts of other things for the younger generation to do, there's NO ONE doing music. I never said that, that's silly. Why you would think I would say that is your own mistaken assumption.
i just wont have some hollow minded stuck in his ways old fool tell me what my generation enjoys doing or what defines us.
My point is a bit double sided, Gene et.al obviously take the business of music very seriously (I'd love to have his cash-flow), but the stage appearance could be concidered as comical, a hyper-exaggeration of stage personas then followed by all the mock KISS lip-sync 'concerts' in the 70s, tiny-KISS etc.
The other side is that the music industry has always had a comic aspect (Keith Moon and a video that was circulated from the 30s/40s with the bassist 'slapping the bass' come to mind) and people (back to the OP) seem to mock that which they don't really understand and, as stated earlier, are envious of, so it could be spun as a case of flattery, just not well done.
This. If clown co-workers get your shorts in such a twist, how do you handle life's hardball problems?
Sack up and play bass, people—it's something pretty special that we do, and that a lot of good people appreciate (we make butts move, for instance). To hell with whatever the great unwashed say/think/do.
And BTW, better comedy than tragedy.
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The real problem is the fragmentation of music in general.
There are just WAY too many genres to focus on any one of them. I mean their are about twenty versions of metal at least, 10 versions of hip hop, 12 different emo/alt rock/country/ folk rock styles, etc... It used to be you were either Pop Rock, Hard Rock, Metal,or New Wave. 3 Genres for the 80s and 70s.
How would a kid today even find a band, if you read CL, the younger originals bands are so "defined" it isn't funny, for example- "bassist needed, must be into 32cc, 20ff, 54ff, but not 4bb4g4,4gh4gjg4 or especially not 55666. 75pp is cool."
There are just WAY too many genres to focus on any one of them. I mean their are about twenty versions of metal at least, 10 versions of hip hop, 12 different emo/alt rock/country/ folk rock styles, etc... It used to be you were either Pop Rock, Hard Rock, Metal,or New Wave. 3 Genres for the 80s and 70s.
How would a kid today even find a band, if you read CL, the younger originals bands are so "defined" it isn't funny, for example- "bassist needed, must be into 32cc, 20ff, 54ff, but not 4bb4g4,4gh4gjg4 or especially not 55666. 75pp is cool."
