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Starpolish has an interview with accomplished bass player Billy Sheehan. Regardless of your opinion of Sheehan's playing (I think he's good, but overhyped), the interview is an interesting and worthwhile read. Some good points about the music business in general:
"I think the rule still holds true that if you're a good live band and you... if you live by the record deal you die by the record deal. So if you live to make a record and that happens and you don't sell 20 million for each of the next five releases -- which is pretty unlikely -- then you're doomed. But if you depend on your live show, your live performance and what you can do live and what people come to see you for, then you're generally going to be OK. ... [They] remember me performing -- not so much as a recording artist, but as a performing artist. So I like to urge players to really develop that aspect. I remember when Van Halen got signed in California -- as the story goes, Warner Bros couldn't not sign them because they were selling out 2,000- and 3,000-seat venues. So they were thinking, 'If we don't sign them, someone else will.' "
And bass playing specifically:
"...I grew up a club player in Buffalo, and that's my most natural element. It's easier to translate that to a stadium than it is to translate that stadium vibe to a club. I can go nuts onstage and have a riot in a stadium a lot easier than I could do my stadium shtick in a club. I can't do it without eight roadies and 50 racks of gear."
Something that he and I will agree upon: Roadies are good things to have.
Posted by Casper at January 28, 2004 02:29 PM