Rub some funk on that, dammit...

[Steve_M]

I started playing bass when I was 14 after a volleyball injury to my wrists made it difficult to carry on playing drums. The injury cleared up eventually but I decided to stick with bass and 21 years later I'm still going.

Although I was born in the UK, my family moved to NZ when I was 10 and that was a pretty big cultural shock to deal with. I got through high school, did a Fine Arts intermediate and worked my way through uni as a newspaper and magazine illustrator only to become disillusioned with Fine Arts. After taking a year out (during which time I purchased my first decent bass, a jaydee supernatural mark king) I eventually completed a degree in Landscape Architecture and left NZ to look for work. After spending time in the UK and China (2 years in Nanjing) I now work in London for a very large and high profile organisation managing their landscape and urban design section. I have three staff in my team and our projects include some of the best known spaces in London which sometimes attracts a lot of unwelcome media interest (especially last week which was hell).

I started off playing blues with the guitar teacher at high school then got into Level 42 when I had my first (and only) set of bass lessons the following year. Glen Commons was an amazing teacher - very inspirational and patient - plus of course, bass was very cool in the 80's. Ironically my first lesson was a week after my 16th birthday which was the same day that Jaco got beaten up outside that nightclub.

I stayed with the Jaydee and played in jazz, covers and blues bands until I graduated and then the bass more or less got put on the back burner while I was trying to establish my career. However after 15 years, I think I've achieved that and fortunately I've been able to buy a few nice basses in my time (as well as a few lemons, thanks to Ebay). My current collection is:

Ken Smith BSR6GN
Ken Smith BSR5GN
Ken Smith BSR5GN fretless
Pedulla Pentabuzz (fitted with Alembic pups)
Alembic Series 1 graphite (one of about 50 known examples in total, and even fewer in long scale)
Jaydee Supernatural "Mark King"
Musicman Cutlass 1 (ex Cliff Williams and one of only a few known with thru body bridge and 3 bolt neck)
Musicman Stingray (78 refin neck, electronics and hardware on a care worn 77 body - very mojo bass Baby, yeaaaaah!)
Mongrel Stingray (feat. graphite neck, nord. pup, SD pre, original Musicman hardware and body)

More info on the basses here:
http://www.freewebs.com/crazykiwi_bass/mybasses.htm

I also have a Modulus Quantum 5 sweetspot currently for sale at the Bass Centre, London if anyone's interested...? But back OT:

Currently I'm in a neo soul band featuring 12 female singers singing in 4 part harmony. We've got a couple of sets of covers we play (incl Erika Badu, Angie Stone, Chaka Khan etc) but are slowly introducing originals. My main influences bass-wise are (in no particular order) Bernard Edwards, Mark King, Meshell Nedgeocello, Julian Crampton and Pino Palladino.

I'm also in the process of setting up a 70's dance band to do functions and pull in a little cash. Two of my favourite singers from the neo soul group are helping out with that one, but we've yet to find guitar, drums and keys. The girls are definitely up for a bit of funky fun and I get to live out a Bernard Edwards fantasy once we find our Nile Rogers and Tony Thompson .

I have a myspace page at www.myspace.com/crazykiwi and you can find me on Talkbass, Bassworld and, rarely, the Ernie Ball forum (usually for bragging rights over the Cutlass ) and Alembic forum (where I get the impression I don't fit in). My non-musical hobbies include fishing, reading science fiction short stories and I'm an Admin at Bassworld.

[Steve_M]

Say hello, any time you like... ...anytime at all...

**whistles distractedly and stares at ceiling**

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by Steve_M

Say hello, any time you like... ...anytime at all...

**whistles distractedly and stares at ceiling**

Hello Steve, and welcome!

[Steve_M]

Hello Tim! Thanks for the welcome, it was getting kind of lonely here.

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by Steve_M

Hello Tim! Thanks for the welcome, it was getting kind of lonely here.

Well, there is life in the "Rub Some Funk" world! So, what is going on in Steve's world now days?

[Ronson Hall]

Originally Posted by Steve_M

Say hello, any time you like... ...anytime at all...

**whistles distractedly and stares at ceiling**

Hey Steve! Greetings! I went and checked out your page...

[Steve_M]

Originally Posted by Tim Bishop

Well, there is life in the "Rub Some Funk" world! So, what is going on in Steve's world now days?

My musical world?

Well, I'm trying to get a disco function band up off the ground. Only problem is that the most available musicians are professional who want paying by the hour. Fair play I guess but I can't line up gigs without musicians and I can't pay the musicians until I've got gigs.

An unethical way to run the band would be to use amateurs to start up and draft in pro's when we're up and running but I'm not like that.

The people who are involved in the start up also put a lot of effort in to the songs, (and investment into promotion) so I'm half tempted to retain a percentage of any share in takings I give to pro's on the basis that we need to recoup our initial investment capital...

...and lets not talk about reliability either. I haven't heard from the drummer who said he was up for it, I can't get hold of the guitarist because I only have his email address and the keyboardist doesn't seem to be able to say 'no'. He's involved in 2 other bands based in Lincolnshire and has to travel to London for rehersals/meet ups!

My other band - the neo soul one with 12 female singers, split up 3 weeks ago and we had a meeting on Sunday after deciding to reform with half the number of singers we formerly had. The process of selection was extremely difficult and I worry we might have lost good friends in the other singers over it. It was just that a 17 piece band isn't able to sustain itself financially and there were performance issues anyway where some of the singers couldn't hold a tune on stage (although they were fine in rehearsals).

Originally Posted by Ronson Hall

Hey Steve! Greetings! I went and checked out your page...

Cool! Was that Bassworld? I have another site just for me here. Although its not showing the Celinder Update 4 I bought this week or the mongrel stingray I've made from spare parts. I'll take some photos on Saturday probably.

[Tim Bishop]

[quote=Steve_M;2465]My musical world?

Well, I'm trying to get a disco function band up off the ground. Only problem is that the most available musicians are professional who want paying by the hour. Fair play I guess but I can't line up gigs without musicians and I can't pay the musicians until I've got gigs.

An unethical way to run the band would be to use amateurs to start up and draft in pro's when we're up and running but I'm not like that. Plus, you would get a bad reputation in doing so and most likely have a difficult time locating players in the end. On the other hand, depending on how you define amateurs, maybe using amateurs is the way to go. Who knows, maybe they are "pro's" in the making and are among those most loyal.

The people who are involved in the start up also put a lot of effort in to the songs, (and investment into promotion) so I'm half tempted to retain a percentage of any share in takings I give to pro's on the basis that we need to recoup our initial investment capital...Sounds like a plan!

...and lets not talk about reliability either. I haven't heard from the drummer who said he was up for it (and isn't this typical?), I can't get hold of the guitarist because I only have his email address and the keyboardist doesn't seem to be able to say 'no' (Ahhh......he, the guitarist and the drummer are probably most loyal to the $). He's involved in 2 other bands based in Lincolnshire and has to travel to London for rehersals/meet ups!

My other band - the neo soul one with 12 female singers, split up 3 weeks ago and we had a meeting on Sunday after deciding to reform with half the number of singers we formerly had (probably for the best. 12 hormonal women on one stage can't be too much fun . 6 on the other hand would only make you half as crazy!). The process of selection was extremely difficult and I worry we might have lost good friends in the other singers over it (well, if they were friends in the beginning, they will be friends in the end. Maybe a defining moment in determining who your friends truly are?). It was just that a 17 piece band isn't able to sustain itself financially and there were performance issues anyway where some of the singers couldn't hold a tune on stage (although they were fine in rehearsals) (well, this is usually where you find out who can really bring it. Is it possible there are challenges with the vocalist hearing themselves during the performance vs. the rehearsal? Or, maybe they just don't have the tools?) .

[Steve_M]

Originally Posted by Tim Bishop

Plus, you would get a bad reputation in doing so and most likely have a difficult time locating players in the end.

Maybe, but thats assuming that I have a reputation. Anyways, as I said, I'm not into that. But the idea of pitting amateur against pro is interesting as the band is likely to be a nice earner once it gets off the ground...

Originally Posted by Tim Bishop

12 hormonal women on one stage can't be too much fun . 6 on the other hand would only make you half as crazy!).

Heheh, to be honest, they've never been hormonal. They're actually a lovely bunch, no *****iness at all. But thats because they're all been very loyal to one another.

Originally Posted by Tim Bishop

(well, if they were friends in the beginning, they will be friends in the end. Maybe a defining moment in determining who your friends truly are?).

Maybe, only time will tell.

Originally Posted by Tim Bishop

(well, this is usually where you find out who can really bring it. Is it possible there are challenges with the vocalist hearing themselves during the performance vs. the rehearsal? Or, maybe they just don't have the tools?) .

They don't have the experience in some instances. The 6 we chose have the best combination of qualities.

[Michael Case]

12 female singers? Wow I don't envy you.

Why not recruit musicians at a music college? That way you get aspiring pros who are looking to get playing experience and a good rep. Most of the pros I know of had to go through the ranks of situations like the one you want to start, plus they will have a pool of other aspiring pros to call if they need subs or just decide it's time to move on.

[Steve_M]

Michael thats a good idea. Its committment which is the problem. Many musicians I've already contacted jump ship as soon as a better gig comes along. We've found amateurs to be far more reliable but, of course, not the same level of playing ability.

[Richard Prowse]

Welcome Steve.
See you on the Down Here (NZ) thread.
Your pal Richard