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Where are you based Odette?
New York City, USA
When did you first take a bass in your
hands? I got my first bass just
three years ago!
What attracted you to playing bass?
It pretty much came down to one song really influencing me to want to play
bass - "Run" by Cult of the Psychic Fetus. It was the coolest bass line
I'd ever heard! I thought the bass was the driving force in that song, and
on most of the album, really. Then I started paying more attention to the
bass in other bands I really liked and decided that playing bass is
exactly what I wanted to do in a band.
Did you play any other instrument before
you started playing bass?
Yes, I've been playing piano ever since I
can remember. I started out working songs out on my own, then began taking
lessons when I was six years old. I studied all the way through until I
finished high school. I've been playing piano almost 25 years.
Can you remember the first song you ever
learned on bass? Yes, it was
that Cult of the Psychic Fetus song, "Run." The first thing I did when I
got home from buying my bass was learn to play that song.
What was your very first public
performance?
My first public music performance was a
piano recital when I was six. I played about 8 songs.
What's your current band?
I play bass in Bettie After Midnight, an all-girl rock band based in New
York City.
What's your main bass?
I play a Rickenbacker 4003 4-string bass.
Body colour/wood?
The body is made of maple with a shiny
Jetglo black lacquer and a white pickguard.
Neck/fingerboard?
The neck is also black lacquered maple. The
fingerboard is varnished rosewood (though it's a lighter colour than most
rosewood fingerboards) with pearly triangular inlays.
What is your backline bass amp setup?
I play with an Ampeg B100-R bass combo. I tried a few different amps but I
thought this one worked best with the twangy, surfy sound I wanted to
accomplish. It doesn't hurt that it has a cool vintage look to it!
Fingers, plectrum or both?
I play with a pick.
Which ones?
I prefer Fender's "Heavy" picks. They're 1.0 mm.
What type of music do you play?
In Bettie after Midnight, I play heavy rock music, though I try to bring a
surfy influence to my lines. On my own, I like playing rockabilly,
psychobilly and surf music. I like fun and challenging lines.
Who do you listen to when you're not
playing?
I mostly listen to what I like to play ~
rockabilly, psychobilly and surf, though I also like punk, swing, jazz,
lounge and old country/blues music.
Have you recorded/released any CDs?
My band Bettie After Midnight has one CD
out, "Exploits of a Girl Gang." It's available on our website, on
CDBaby.com and in lots of independent record stores. We're getting close
to having enough material for a second album.
What was your best gig/venue ever?
We haven't yet had one single show that's really stood out over the
others, but every show where we've had a large, enthusiastic crowd has
been a thrill!
What was your worst moment onstage?
Unfortunately, I have the bad habit of accidentally cutting my own signal
during shows. And there are so many different ways it's happened! I've
stepped on my tuning pedal, stepped on my cable and pulled it out of my
guitar, or just somehow knocked the cable out of somewhere important. It's
happened a few times and it's so embarrassing! At first I notice that I
can't hear my bass anymore, then I have to quickly figure out what's wrong
while continuing to play and sing. I recently got a much longer cable. I'm
hoping that will help!
What's your favourite album/CD?
Besides the one I've already mentioned (Cult of the Psychic Fetus' album
"Orgy of the Dead"), the one I probably listen to most is The Cramps'
"Stay Sick."
Do you own any other instruments?
I have an Ibanez P-J combo bass in cherry red. That was my first bass and
the one that I learned on. I also own a little Fender Squire Bullet
guitar, an awesome shiny black upright bass that I'm trying to master, and
a couple of keyboards. I'd have a real piano if I lived in a bigger place.
Do you sing much?
I sing lead on about 30% of our set, and I sing backup vocals on all the
other songs.
Did you ever perform onstage without
your bass?
I've played piano onstage dozens of times,
and I've also done a lot of musical theatre and film acting over the
years.
What's your opinion on basses with more
than 4 strings? I really want to
like 5 string basses because at times I think it would be useful to have
even just a couple of whole steps lower than E available, but I can't
bring myself to get one because I can't help but thinking of them as a
little self-indulgent. I associate them with corny, old metal dudes who go
to guitar stores just to show off in front of the other customers. Sorry!
What do you feel is the bass player's
function in a band? When I first
started playing, I thought of the bass as the harmony to the guitar's
melody. Then I read somewhere that the bass is actually more of a
percussion instrument and that I should be playing along with the drummer.
That helped me think of the bass in a different way and helped a lot with
my timing, but in the end I'm doing a bit of both. I play pretty
complicated and distinct basslines.
What are your ambitions?
What I want most is for the musicians I
admire to like my music too! If I can gain the respect and admiration of
my peers and heroes, I will have accomplished much.
(Please see Links page for Bettie After Midnight website - Ed.)
thanks to Odette for being part of BassGirls.Com
text and images are copyright
of Odette Dillon and
BassGirls.Com
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