When Unappreciated Bass Players Need a Support Group
Although this certainly doesn't apply to guys like Flea, Duff McKagan, Geddy Lee or Paul McCartney, a lot of bass players tend to feel, well, ignored. You know—taken for granted, under-appreciated, forced to do the laundry for the rest of the band, etc.
So it makes perfect sense that there'd be a support group for bassists, doesn't it?
That's the premise of the latest video by Ryan Long and The Hard Times, the same comical Canadians who brought you "This Sound Man Takes Grumpy to New Heights" a few months ago.
The film, titled "Low Riders: Bass Player Support Group," shows a group of dejected bassists—all with their plugged-in basses and rigs—sitting in a circle and sharing their many grievances. Maybe you—as a guitatist—have heard a few of these complaints before?
Anyway, when things get a bit heated at the 3:17 mark, the group leader (played by Long) says, "We all just need to take a breath and remember why we got into bass playing in the first place."
"Because my band already had two guitar players," says Dave, the support group's newest member.
That's funny, because Paul McCartney said the same thing in 1961! Anyway, be sure to check out the video below.
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.

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