Dutch-born, UK-based multi-instrumentalist Silke Blansjaar started off her music journey as a drummer, before she embraced the bass and landed a gig with Yungblud, one of the UK’s brightest young superstars.
“I always thought I was going to be a drummer,” Blansjaar says. “I played a little bit of guitar, but then my little brother needed a bass player. I thought, ‘Let’s give it a go!’”
She admits she wasn’t familiar with Yungblud – real name Dom Harrison – who recently gained the approval of rock ’n’ roll royalty via his appearance at Black Sabbath’s farewell show, Back to the Beginning. “I sort of knew the name, but I thought he might be a rapper,” she says.
Nonetheless, her unexpected invitation to work with him changed the trajectory of her career entirely, taking her from club shows to arenas almost overnight.
How did you get into session playing?
“Growing up in Oxford, there was this tight little music scene there, and I ended up playing in loads of different bands, just having fun with mates. Eventually I started being asked to fill in for people. That led to my first proper session gig with a band called The Young Knives, playing drums. I didn’t go out looking for paid work – it just happened gradually.”
And how did you end up becoming Yungblud’s bassist?
“I played a show with [previous band] Public Body at The Shacklewell Arms in London. Our guitarist’s manager was at the show, and I spoke to him for maybe two minutes that night.
“Months later he was in an office with Yungblud’s management, who asked him, ‘Do you know a good bass player for this band?’
“He gave them my Instagram and I got a message from Yungblud’s manager – but he didn’t say who the artist was. I was at the pub after work; I saw the message and I was like, ‘Who the hell is this guy?’ He called me the next day, and offered me a world tour. I had to send some videos of me playing, and meet everyone to see if we got along.
“I was like, ‘There’s no way this is how an artist of that size finds a new band member. This isn’t going to go anywhere!’ I met the guys for a beer and they were like, ‘Are you a big Yungblud fan?’ I was like, ‘I don't really know him.’ They asked, ‘How long have you been playing bass?’ I said, ‘I don’t really play the bass – I’m a drummer, really.’ Then they gave me the job anyway!”
It sounds like a movie script!
“People have told me that one of the most important things is being easy to get along with, because you have to live on a bus together for weeks on end. Someone might be an amazing musician, but if they’re a terrible person it’s not going to work.
“But if you’re a nice person and not an amazing musician it’s a lot more doable. You can learn everything except how to be a nice person.”
What’s your involvement with Yungblud in terms of songwriting?
“Absolutely nothing! I haven't played on any of the records. I just do live stuff. I think Dom and his producer play most of the bass parts on the albums.”
How did you prepare for the live show?
“I like learning songs that are already written, because there’s a right and a wrong way to do it. If you’re writing your own part, sometimes there are so many options it can be overwhelming.
“If there’s already a part I learn it note for note. Over time, I’ll maybe change it and develop my own twists. I can’t really write a part until we’re in the room with the drummer. We really play off each other a lot.”
What thinking goes into your gear choices?
“The gigs have grown a lot recently; we’ve had a couple of new band members and crew members join. So this year everyone’s redone their rigs. We’ve got a new guitar tech, Elliot Russell – he and I built the rig together.
“I wanted a lot of the pedals I have at home because I know how to use them. I’m a big believer in using what you’ve already got and making the most of that.
“My main secret ingredient is the Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver. It’s always on; I just think it makes everything sound better. My rig’s really simple – I’ve got four main sounds: clean, a drive, a fuzz, and a subby, octavey sound.
“The fuzz is a Bass Big Muff by Electro-Harmonix, and we use the drive on the Fender Super Bassman head. The Boss EQ-200 is really handy. I play four guitars throughout the show, and I can tweak the EQ for each one, because they're very different-sounding.”
We’ve seen you with a Gibson Les Paul Junior bass recently. Is it your go-to bass, considering Yungblud has a penchant for SG Juniors?
“I only play it on one song in the set. It was given to me very kindly by the guys at Gibson on my first US tour. My main bass is a Gibson Grabber; I just love it. I think they're such cool guitars, but you don’t really see them much.
“I've also got a couple of Fenders. I've had a little pink Mustang for years, which has played in venues to five people, and also did my first arena show. I’m always going to try and use it. Then I’ve got a Vintera II P-Bass.”
What has been the most surreal moment of your career so far?
“It must have been my first show with Yungblud, at Cardiff Arena, which was about 6,000 people. The last show I’d done was to about 100, so I was really nervous.
“The toughest gig was a couple of weeks later, when we played Wembley Arena. There’s just so much pressure; it was such a big moment. You know it means a lot to the artist and you want it to go well for their sake.
“It was the same when we did [his own event] BludFest – there's so much pressure that it almost takes the fun out of it. You’d think playing Wembley Arena is going to be one of the best nights of your life but it was one of the toughest shows I’ve done.”
What’s the best piece of advice you'd give to someone who wants to be a session player?
“Treat every gig with the same level of care, even if it’s for a little band that you don’t even like. Show up on time, be well-prepared, be a nice person. You never know who’s going to be there, who’ll recommend you for something bigger.
“Say ‘yes’ to things, even if you don’t think it’s gonna benefit you. Have fun and be professional – always.”
- Silke Blansjaar is currently on tour with Yungblud.
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