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Yvonne Afi Dablah, did you
play any other instrument before you started playing bass?
In high school, I would play around with my
best friend’s guitar.
At what age did you first
take a bass in your hands? 16 years
old
What attracted you to playing bass?
My high school friends needed a bass player for their band so I thought…
“Hey, why not?”
Where are you based?
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Can you remember the first piece you
ever learned on bass? Oh it’s all
such a blur! I can’t remember what I learned first. Whatever it was, I
learned it by ear because I didn’t know how to read tabs or music notes.
What was your very first band?
Victim Mentality – an all
girl band that played alternative covers and some originals.
What other bands were you a member
of? For a few months I was in
Understudy. And for another few months I was in Tanzen. Both
projects were started by a couple of my friends.
Tell us about your current band?
Scarlet Sins is an all female
hard rock band from Toronto. We each have years of experience as musicians
and are influenced by Black Sabbath, Alice in Chains, A Perfect Circle,
Nine Inch Nails and Metallica.
How did you come to join/start this
band? I wanted to rock out with some
girls so I placed an ad in an online musicians classified.
What’s your main bass?
4-string Yamaha BB G4 with a sunburst tiger
print finish.
What type or brand of strings to you
like best? Any strings with heavy
gauging since I tune my E string down to B.
How often would you change your
strings? Not nearly enough! About
once every few months.
What is your backline bass amp
setup? Right now I have a Yorkville
but I will be getting an Ampeg in a couple of months.
Fingers, pick or both?
In high school I played with a pick but now
I play with my fingers. Just as well, I was always losing my picks!
Who do you listen to when you’re not
playing? Way too many to mention but
here are a few: Godsmack, Nine Inch Nails, Metallica, Alice in Chains,
Korn. I like all kinds of music: rock alternative, grunge, pop, hip hop,
smooth jazz, R & B, dance, reggae, new wave, metal (Old and New) and even
a few country songs.
Have you recorded/released any CDs?
Scarlet Sins will have an EP
released by Dec. 2005.
What was your best gig/venue ever?
When I played Club 279 (Toronto)
with Scarlet Sins. Everything just clicked; we all felt the vibe and the
fans were amazing. It was a wonderful night.
What was your worst moment onstage?
My first time playing on stage. I
was so nervous I hardly moved! I just remember my legs trembling the whole
time.
Do you have a day-job outside of the
band? I’m an employment counsellor.
Do you play/own any other
instruments? I play a bit of guitar
but I don’t own one yet.
What other instrument would you most
like to play? I would love to learn
the drums and bust out the double kicks!
What was the best concert you were
ever at? When I saw Nine Inch Nails
May 2005 at the Kool Haus in Toronto. It was surreal to see my favourite
band in a small venue.
Do you sing?
I’ve started to do backup vocals for
Scarlet Sins.
Do you write/compose?
Yes, most of the fun is being creative and
coming up with different grooves and melodies.
Did you come from a musical family?
Nope. It was a complete fluke that I
became a bassist.
Do you see the bass as a solo
instrument? Yes and no. It’s
possible for a bassist to come up with intricate melodies that could stand
up on its own, but it’s important to keep the rhythm going along with the
drummer.
If you could be taken to a concert
anywhere on earth tonight, who would you want to see live?
I still haven’t seen Metallica. I need to
go to their concert at least once in my life.
What CD are you listening to most
these days? I’ve been listening to a
lot of songs here and there by Ministry, Mudvayne, Metallica, Korn,
Smashing Pumpkins, Sean Paul…Just depends on what mood I’m in. This will
probably all change by next week!
Give one piece of advice to someone
who has just bought their first bass?
Keep practising; have fun with it; try new
things; go crazy!
What’s your opinion on basses with
more than 4 strings? If that’s your
preference, go for it. I like the neck on my 4-string though.
What are your ambitions, musically
and personally? I want to tour
across the world!
Anything else? Thanks so much for
creating the bassgirls website. Keep it up!
Thanks
Yvonne. See our Links page for Scarlet Sins website - Ed.
thanks to Yvonne for being part of BassGirls.Com
text and images are copyright
of Yvonne Dablah and
BassGirls.Com
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