The Last Bass Outpost

Long time ago - I have neither the room nor the remaining lifespan for it!

And I haven't really played bass seriously since last summer. My last band petered out so frustratingly, it's created a psychological barrier. No doubt this will go away eventually and I'll get my momentarily rusty playing up to scratch again, but I need a band to motivate me. And that is currently difficult or maybe I am: I want a band that plays at a professional level and with professional commitment even in the absence of gigs. I'm fine with gigs and can slot into a band comparatively quickly (I tend to be prepared), but really the live experience is not the major reason I do it. I prefer a good, productive rehearsal to a so-so gig; gigs aren't really about creating, they are about re-creating. I've also realized that playing in a tribute band is not for me, it bores me to tears, faced with being the Roger Glover or the Ian Hill in a DP or JP tribute, I think I'd give up bass-playing for good. I'm ok with doing a few covers, but then I lean towards radical rearrangements (I'm a so much better arranger than I am a songwriter, I never run out of alternative ideas) - that doesn't seem to be a popular thing anymore, people don't want to go the Vanilla Fudge or Manfred Mann's Earth band route, they want to replicate as close as possible - that bores me to tears. I don't even like real bands that replicate their studio material too close live.

So I really want the impossible:

- a band not only consisting of 20 year olds that still (perhaps rightfully, but I can't join them in that) believe they can be rock stars,

- that does its own material (with all or most band members chipping in) plus a handful of excellent, alternative-arrangement covers that really floor people,

- that features a nimble-footed drummer, a keyboarder/organist that can fluently improvise plus a similar guitarist as well as a singer who works well within her/his limits and knows how to handle an audience,

- that rehearses twice a week on average for several hours and really get's something done, even if not everyone can join for a particular rehearsal (there is always work to do) plus

- has a dozen decent gigs or so annually. Less is more if the gigs are good, yet at the same time the band should have a playing standard to at any moment be ready to play a good gig on the next night.

Surprisingly, for the last 30 years or so I haven't found a band like that, in Germany at least. If they are abundant in your neck of the woods, let me know, I will consider a move there.   

You will notice that I have not written anything about the style of music - that is because it is of secondary importance to me as long as it is well-made and I can contribute meaningfully to it.

With one difference being that Rick Springfield was quite a chick magnet.  He didn't just have the pop singer image, but also the soap opera thing going on.  I think it was just too much for a lot of women to resist.  I can remember being around women several times talking about him.  They wanted to rip his clothes off as well as their own.  I'm sure Eric Carmen must have had a positive reaction, too.  I just don't know very much about him.

That was bound to come.