Dave the Bass Dude

I have been playing music since I was 10 years old and in bands since I was 15, so it is fair to say it's a pretty heavy part of my life.I started out playing guitar but after 17 years had hit a wall and was not happy making music any more. In addition, 'normal' life (work, family, growing up in general) got in the way, making it easy to find excuses not to play, and so I had nearly 8 years where I did very little musically. Throughout this period my music tastes changed a lot and I started itching to gig again - once you get hooked into the scene there's a piece of your soul that goes missing when you don't have an instrument in your hands...I had played an acoustic bass on and off in one of the bands I was in, and also had an old electric bass I messed round on when I was writing songs. It had always been fun, but I was a typical guitarist playing bass - a bit like eating at McDonald's or masturbating... even if you do it, you would never admit it in public. I would use a pick and would stuff round, not really knowing what I was doing.Then one day a few years ago I made the decision to ramp up the music again but playing bass full time as a bit of a change. About 6 months of practicing every night and jamming in a crappy corporate covers band, I realised I was happy again and that I had found my groove - in more ways than one.So I sold some guitars (still have three I can't get rid of - too many memories), my Marshall amp, a banjo (now that's really something you don't admit in public), bought the bass rig, a Bass PODxt Live pedal rack, and started calling myself a bass player (aka a 'bass dude' - it's more of an affirmation for me than a wanky title). I still have a long way to go before other people might start calling me a bass player, but in the meantime I'm having too much fun holding down the low end for a couple of bands, and I'm still practicing every night trying to get a bit better each day.Right now I just want to play with as many different people as possible and as many different styles, but I managed to ditch the corporate covers - yeah! To be fair, it did stretch me and it forced me to play and enjoy stuff that I would never have even considered before. I have new found respect for ABBA and George Michael - there's some really killa bass lines there! So right now I am : - playing drrty country with the Hostiles (we don't do no stinkin' rehearsals and it shows, and every gig is a surprise set list of our singer's choosing. Ahh, now I feel like a real musician!!) - messing round with a funk/soul/acid jazz band (this is my baby and my real passion but trying to get 9 pieces in one spot at the same time is like herding cats)I have also done a stint playing bass in the backing band for a young solo artist by the name of Scott Mellis - check out his page in my Top Friends list.Anyhoo - enough about my crappy existence. Tell me about you!