Bass Player UK Magazine 111 December 2014 Edizione posteriore

Multitasking: that dread word. Like us, you’re a bass player, and playing bass correctly and appropriately for your gig is a task in itself. But what happens if you’re a singer too? Getting the balance right between holding down the low end and getting the vocals out at the same time is a challenge many of us fail to master. Even worse, what if you’re the singer and bassist in one of the planet’s most musically versatile, and also most hard-rocking, bands? Ask Troy Sanders of Mastodon, whose extensive interview this month reveals just how tough – and at the same time, how incredibly satisfying – it is to front one of the most inspired bands ever formed.

This issue of BGM is packed to the nines with amazing bass stuff, although we say it ourselves. 3rd Eye Girl bassist Ida Nielsen tells us her incredible story, kicking off with a phone call out of the blue from a certain Minneapolis musician known for his love of purple. Then there’s alt-rock legend Paz Lenchantin, currently playing bass with the Pixies; Deep Purple’s original bassist Nick Simper; goth icon David J Haskins from Bauhaus; and funked-up disco king Dave Clarke. On top of all that, we take a trip to TC Electronic’s HQ in Aarhus, Denmark, and review the coolest new bass gear, from the mainstream to the boutique. As ever, our team of world-class reviewers and tutors is here to make you the best bass player you can be – on which note, we’ve implemented a new in-house formatting system to make our tuition columns even more useful.

On a sad note, we bid farewell to the great Jack Bruce in October. His achievements as a musician and in the rock world in general were immense, and all bassists owe him a huge debt. It was a true honour for us to feature Jack as the cover star of BGM's 100th issue, only nine months ago, although we will always regret the bout of ill-health that obliged him to miss his slot at this year's London Bass Guitar Show. Our condolences go to Jack's family.