Lawrie MacMillan profile picture

Lawrie MacMillan

THE iPOD OF BASS PLAYERS

About Me

31 year old Scottish bass player Lawrie MacMillan is an unclassifiable musician. Equally at home performing live or in the studio, his recognition as a first-call sideman owes as much to his genre-spanning experience as to his reputation as a teamplayer.
Best known for his work with the chart-topping group Stiltskin fronted by vocalist Ray Wilson, (who in the late 1990s also fronted the band Genesis, replacing their longtime iconic frontman, Phil Collins), Lawrie's touring schedule with Ray Wilson & Stiltskin is primarily based in and around mainland Europe, although their travels have included performances in South & Central America.
His touring, recording & broadcasting experiences have included acclaimed Celtic/World music group Ironhorse, with performances from a Disneyworld residency in Florida to a collaboration with Chamber Orchestra Sogdiana in Uzbekistan and several significant appearances at the Celtic Connections international festival.
On a sad yet proud note, Lawrie was the touring bass player with the late Stuart Adamson's post-Big Country country/rock project The Raphaels, a band co-led by Grammy Award winner Marcus Hummon, accompanying Stuart in what would be his final performances.
Closer to home, Lawrie regularly performs with friend and guitar virtuoso Willie Logan, featuring Willie's own unique style of blues. This page always has a song example available.
Also worth noting are Lawrie's experiences performing worldwide with various jazz lineups from quartets, latin and Big Band. However much these experiences enhance his diversity as a musician, he prefers to keep his tux and tropical shirts out of sight and out of mind :-)
Although his overseas work schedule can be spread out for up to 6 months of the year, when home Lawrie provides private bass guitar tuition (details available on request) and builds on his considerable reportoire whilst depping/subbing for many of Scotland's finest established groups, from pub rock to corporate function bands.
Lawrie also enjoys recording with the widest range of songwriters and producers time will allow him, and hosts a weekly jam night at The Corner bar in Dunfermline (please feel free to request more information about this).
He has been featured as Glasgow Royal Concert Hall's house bass player on the BBC2 Ealtainn series, and his recent sessions include an in-the-works spiritual song-based album by The Entangled. Current releases include a live Stiltskin album; Urban/RnB vocalist Raff's new EP, Gotta Get It Right, which is currently being featured on an Adult entertainment soundtrack in Brazil (sexy basslines!!); blues guitar virtuoso Willie Logan's Fragile Creatures, progressive guitarist Geoff Geer's Lost Connection and Classic FM TV regular Chris Smith, who's unique classical-inspired album Fantasy, features Lawrie's fretted and fretless bass contributions.
Lawrie has (not so) recently been seen in the bass chair backing the hugely successful STF Production of the Queen/Ben Elton musical, We Will Rock You at the Rothes Halls, Glenrothes.
And since nobody seems to read this far into my biography...I'm gonna add some current info anyway having just spent the last couple of months playing overseas and recording in various studios. I put three tracks of bass down for the amazing singer/songwriter Ross Adam and for the fans, some basslines on Ray Wilson's latest material. Also worth mentioning is a double bass track I did for Chrystal Tears. Sensitive Friend can be heard on loopmaniac's page, as found in my top friends.
I also feel compelled to mention that my favourite comedian, Tim Minchin told me in an email that my playing is "solid as fuck." My favourite compliment so far. Youtube him and see him at this year's Edinburgh Fringe. You won't regret it...

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 4/11/2006
Band Website: lawriemacmillan.co.uk
Band Members:
Influences: Family and friends, my students, fellow musicians & band members (past and present), travelling, breathtaking views, good movies, budo taijutsu & lots of things Japanese, live music, silence....
The following Bass Players:
Pino Palladino, Richard Bona, Nathan East, James Jamerson, Hutch Hutchinson, Sting, Tony Levin, Anthony Jackson, Marcus Miller, Jason Newsted and all the other usual suspects!!
Music choice would depend on my mood and what I'm currently working on, but here's a brief list of artists/composers I always come back to (in no particular order of preference!):
Massive Attack, Bonnie Raitt, Dave Matthews Band, Henry Mancini, Audioslave, Sting, The Beatles, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Wonder, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Steely Dan, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cole Porter, Ray Charles, Crowded House, Dixie Chicks, Queen, John Mayer, D'Angelo, Chris Cornell, Billy Joel, Porcupine Tree, Aretha Franklin, Jeff Beck, The Police, Christina Aguilera, Dean Martin, Michel Camilo, Metallica, Hot Club of Cowtown, Marvin Gaye.............
Lawrie is endorsed by Elixir Strings

and plays Sadowsky Bass Guitars

Type of Label: None

My Blog

New Jam Night in Dunfermline

Many of you will remember the great jam nights at Sinky's Bar in Dunfermline, hosted by veteran sixties group, The Falcons. Their guitarist, Ronnie Lessels organised this popular weekly event for over...
Posted by Lawrie MacMillan on Thu, 31 Jan 2008 05:23:00 PST

Ray Wilson duet with Sting’s son

Here's Ray on TV in Paris covering Nirvana's version of All Apologies. Also featured is Joe Sumner - Sting's son and frontman of Fiction Plane. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YDOvogkEGw Enjoy...
Posted by Lawrie MacMillan on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 12:58:00 PST

MP3-Schmee

It's amazing what you get used to when there's no option. Having spent a year transforming my squat of a flat into a beautiful home, my regular source for music has been my hu...
Posted by Lawrie MacMillan on Sun, 30 Dec 2007 05:12:00 PST

SADOWSKY FEATURED ARTIST

You'll find a more current photo of me in the artists' page on Sadowsky Guitars site. What a privilege!! http://www.sadowsky.com/pop/artists/macmillan.html  ...
Posted by Lawrie MacMillan on Sat, 15 Sep 2007 04:10:00 PST

Check out Wikipedia!!!!

I've definitely made it now.......I'm on Wikipedia!!!!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrie_MacMillan  ...
Posted by Lawrie MacMillan on Sun, 12 Aug 2007 08:09:00 PST

[NOT SO] NEW TUNES!

While I wait for the completion and release of a few albums I've recently contributed to, I looked out a few recordings from my back catalogue (laughs!) to add to my profile. Just to get away from the...
Posted by Lawrie MacMillan on Fri, 20 Jul 2007 03:42:00 PST

INSIDE - Live Clip on You Tube!!!

Here's a link to a live 2006 clip of Inside, as heard on the new Ray Wilson & Stiltskin Live CD. Ray Wilson - Vocals/Guitar. Ali Ferguson - Guitar/Vocals. Uwe Metzler - Guitar. Ashley Macmill...
Posted by Lawrie MacMillan on Fri, 22 Jun 2007 06:31:00 PST

LIVE ON RTL (German TV)

Here's a link to a fan page with a live TV clip of us performing I Can't Dance with Ray Wilson. It was a great show. We flew to the studio direct from our South American tour and along with us, the bi...
Posted by Lawrie MacMillan on Thu, 16 Nov 2006 07:04:00 PST

ELIXIR STRING ENDORSEMENT!!

Great news for the string players... In preparation for the Autumn European Ray Wilson & Stiltskin tour, Ray has secured an endorsement with Elixir Strings, both for himself and the...
Posted by Lawrie MacMillan on Tue, 15 Aug 2006 03:10:00 PST

THE JAM NIGHT

Most of us have attended a "Jam Session" in one form or another. I for one have witnessed hundreds of them, ranging from open-mic nights to first come - first served sessions to strictly 12 Bar-Blues ...
Posted by Lawrie MacMillan on Wed, 17 May 2006 04:06:00 PST