re Solo bass looping

[Steve Lawson <steve@steve-lawson.co.uk>]

>>>>>Okay. Last month there was the first Solo Bass Looping Festival (well 
>done
Rick for the good work). It got me wondering about solo gigs. I am 
convinced
that solo bass is worth at least half an hour of anyonešs attention but 
what
has been other peoplešs experience?

I have done plenty of duo gigs where, effectively, I am performing solo,
especially against looping machines (a great safety net!). But Išd love to
hear more some thoughts on this. More importantly, is there a market for
this kind of thing ?.<<<<

playing solo - I guess especially for a bassist or drummer or some other
instrument that is traditionally a 'team' player - is the greatest feeling.
Maybe i'm just a musical megalomaniac, but I love that feeling of the buck
stopping with me, and not having to rely on anyone else to fulfill my
musical vision. 

the trade off is that there's only so much that you can play at one time, 
so
you're at the mercy of how holistically you can integrate technology into
your sound, unless you go the Hellborg route and work on solo unprocessed
stuff. 

for me the important thing is having the technology serve what I'm doing - 
I
never add a gadget to my set up until i'm very comfortable with what i'm
already using - same with re-patching it; I won't try a new set up out live
until I'm in control of it - I'd rather have the random element in the 
music
rather than the technology, so I do use random looping to create textures,
particularly with the backwards and pitch-shift functions on the DL4, but 
my
control of the unit is pretty much there.

as for gigging it - if no-one else will put the gig on, do it yourself - if
5 people turn up, great, play your ass of for those 5 people, and they'll
bring their mates next time. Think not of commercial potential, forget high
profile venues until they come to you or you discover an in. Get any
recordings you do off to any reviewer that will listen, and keep playing.

the biggest danger with music is to think that anyone owes you anything.
just do it cos you love it, and if people connect with it, GREAT!!!! if 
they
don't, move on and find your next audience... if people don't like what i
do, fair enough, I just feel blessed whenever someone does connect with it,
and when an event like the solo bass looping fest comes along, thank
whatever God you follow for a one in a million chance (and thank the
organiser to - Rick, you're a total star!) that was a great night, and it
looks like we'll be able to do it again soon. I also want to do a similar
thing in london some time this year, so let me know if you're 
interested....

cheers

steve 
www.steve-lawson.co.uk