Summer 2022 Update "Bassicly" Speaking

I've been busy. Too busy & now I'm suffering! Heres a long overdue update of the life of a bass player for you all :)

Artist Work

From the beginning of the year up to (currently August) I've been working with some regular artists but also a new roster of great ones too! Covering many different genres, styles & situations!

Behind the scenes work has seen me start working with artist (Can't say yet) After seeing him perform in Cardiff at a show I was performing at with HEMES I was instantly hooked! Amix of Soul, Rnb, Hiphop & "singer songwriter" Currently were putting together a full band to take his tracks up to a monumental level for live shows! I'm using a mix of bass guitar but a lot of synth bass & loving the mix.

Earlier this year was filled to the brim with rehearsals, sessions & prep for some amazing shows with HEMES. BBC Radio 6 Music Fest was held in Cardiff & we opened the whole show live at Club Ifor Bach & live broadcast!

A lot of behind the scenes work made sure that show was a huge success! great pop tracks & a huge soundscape from us all! Shout out to MD Frankie for putting everything together for this amazing show! Again a heavy emphasis on synth bass for this performance. Some behind the scenes footage here

Mr Beway's shows have been ramping up this year. With different lineup changes & new/old tracks being mixed in. Its been phenomenal to play the eclectic mix of genres with him all over Cardiff! Stay tuned as we are in pre production for a very special set coming soon.

Heres the full performance of Mr Bewlay's Rock n. Roll Circus for you all to see!

The debut of Feralman's live show went extremely well in Mid Wales! The full band & what a great performance from everyone! One of my first shows paying a fretless for the whole set too! We are also playing our second show in September! in Newtown Tickets here!

Again, I met Charlie J at one of my shows in Cardiff back last year & we bonded over our love for D'Angelo & the beauty of a Pino bass line! We've been meaning to play with each other for a while but now its finally happened! Live at Gwen Gwen Fest Just me & him! An awesome set & check out the remixes of Lady & Come down! You can watch the whole set here

I'd heard of Caitlin Mae & responded to the advert for band members & that was that! Country with the good pop factor & rocky vibe thrown in & I was hooked! Also working with a blast from the past too! Paul, who I played with in Prog band Sankara! Great to re connect & to make a good working relationship with Cad the drummer who I've started working with on other projects including Mr Bewlay.

(Pics below from Felicity Jackson)

Lots of learning tracks & last minute tracks being put together kept me on my toes! The debut gig over in Somerset went well & I can't wait to get back out on the road with Caitlin & the team in the autumn for a huge run of shows.

Heres some drum cam footage of a few tracks from drummer Cad!

Sessions | Live & Studio

Plenty of remote sessions from my home studio over the last few months! I've sort of changed up parts of my setup & am using the REDDI 100% of the time and then straight into logic clean for all bass guitar work. All clients seem more than happy & engineers/producers are loving it too!

Feralman took us to an art gallery in Hereford to shoot two live tracks audio & visually. It was a long, long day & a lot of setup/ pre production prep. Again using a fretless for both tracks. We had Stix's brother on all audio duties from MuMu audio who has done a phenomenal job as always! Two tracks & the videos will be out shortly! Ill link them on another post

During one of the hottest days again, Mr Bewlay had me in Kings Road Studio to record two absolutely fantastic tracks! using some cool outboard gear, including my REDDI, Cali 76 Compressor & a Big Muff pedal too!

Along with this we also took our "acoustic" stuff down to Tiny Rebel to film & record some Jazzy versions of his tracks which can be seen here here here & here & below!

We performed one of the tracks from the session at a show & I can't wait for both of them to come out too!

Iv'e been back & forth London recently, Maida Vale to be precise! Recording the soundtrack to an upcoming Show on Channel 4. Its an adaption of a very famous Youtube series that I followed for years & I was so excited to be asked to the bass on this session.

Shows have been coming in fast for this year & august especially festivals. Ive been subbing regularly with the band - The Navarones again. All over South Wales & South West England.

Mr Bewlay was having us play all over Cardiff too! Including his Mr Bewlay's Rock n' Roll circus at club 29 in Cardiff. This was a completely filmed performance too & you can watch it here!

I'm taking a small break from live work now until it ramps up again in the autumn but feel free to book me in the meantime if you like haha!

Other performances have seen me out with HEMES, The MPE & many more as of late & The Bakery too! but this time in a trio format supporting Freshly Cut Grass in Jac's Aberdare.

Teaching

Lessons are fully underway with private students at my home studio/online. With my lesson fixer Graham filling in the gaps (when they occasionally appear) I have some little room for local or online bass lessons but they have been disappearing very rapidly as people have been joining up rapidly over the summer so far.

Plenty of private students doing exams/ grades and all students have passed! Keeping my 100% pass streak for students going, which I'm very, very proud of.

My APMM& Music/Music Teaching diploma students have been doing so so well in the studies they are undertaking & careers ing general too!

My Guitars 4 Veterans Wales Group has been going from strength to strength recently! Very proud of all the work all members have been putting in! Looking forward to all the new starters & the some performances & releases coming in the future.

Gear

Gear has been going in & out (mostly in) to the studio as of late, but with two sad departures!

The Fender American Deluxe Jazz V has gone! Bought back just at the start of the pandemic, it's now gone on to a new home via Bass Bro's. It will be missed but its's replacement is more than adequate to do the job! I absolutely love Bass Bro's, It has to be my favourite bass shop currently!!

Secondly, my Fender Jazz Bass 1972 from Dave, of Chazz & Dave has been sold on via Bass Bro's too! Unfortunately it just wasn't being played. Only coming out for one gig in about 4 years.

New Basses in -

Nordstrand Acinonyx - An amazing little short scale that's so light & probably the most usable bass in any circumstance at the moment. It can be used on literally any session. Used it a lot in rehearsals plus a few shows playing reggae recently.

Musician Stingray Special 5 HH - Very recent, wasn't too keen on the colour (purple sparkle) but its a monster! Deep but crisp, hi-fi bu also deep lows. A useable bass for quite a few circumstances too. Used on a show once so far & very happy. Perfectly cuts through the mix but retains the lows.

1962 RI Fender Precision Bass - A classic, classic P bass! What more could I want.

Overwater Custom Contemporary J 5 - There is a separate post about this custom from Overwater, but its such a classy & well rounded J Bass. Absolutely my fave so far!

Technically not new. I've had the deadlock of my shoreline gold P bass painted to match the body & it's absolutely stunning to look at & more importantly play!

I've had a few new pedals to fill up my roster of usable ones for soundscaping & sessions too.

OC2 - A few more have come in! All Early Japanese black label versions!

Solid Gold FX Beta Drive Mk II - This was purchased for shows with Caitlin Mae, to add a bit of grunt to the sound & actually my first drive only pedal purchase too.

Mini Big Muff - Bought & used on a session back in June. Currently leant out to one of students Alex for his shows.

Wah - Always had one, needed a bass version finally!

Intelligent Harmony - A weird & sometimes funny to use pedal. Mainly going to be used for more complicated solo's live with the Jazz group or my own solo work.

Gojira FX Custom built clone of the Maestro - Sample, Filter, Hold Pedal. I wanted some sort of filter. Essentially to try and be Thundercat haha! A great pedal that hasn't seen its full potential yet! It's filter setting is mighty powerful & takes a lot to be tamed.